Untitled Article

The D . G . M . was unanimously requested to allow his address to be printed with the By-laws . The Grand Lodge was then closed . About eighty of the Brethren proceeded to the banquet , when , after paying due honours to the Queen and the Craft , the M . W . the Earl of Zetland , & . M ., the Earl of Yarborough , D . G . M ., and the Officers of the Grand Lodge of England , the Duke

of Richmond , P . G . M . for Sussex , the health of the R . W . BrQ . Dobie , and the Grand Lodge for Surrey , was given . In proposing this toast , the V . W . Bra * McQuin expressed his regret at the cause which deprived him of the countenance and aid of Bro . Dobie this day ; and also alluded to the presence of Bro . J . J . Blake , G . Sec . for Surrey , to whom he felt greatly indebted for the valuable suggestions and advice he had rendered on this occasion , and to whom the satisfactory manner in which the proceedings of the day had gone off were mainly

owing . > __ Bro . J . J . Blake heartily responded to this toast , amd felt certain that Bro . Dobie regretted his inability to be present ; he felt pi ? oud of the opportunity to return the compliment paid to the Grand Lodge for Surrey , at its meeting in August last , by the presence of several members of the Royal Clarence

Lodge , by attending with his old friend and Bro ., Bro . Andrew , P . P . G . D ., at this happy meeting ; he also felt grateful to the G . M . for having alluded to the trifling service he had rendered in so flattering a manner ; it was a high gratification to him to see the few suggestions he had given so admirably carried out , and complimented the Sussex Brethren on so large a gathering of the Craft .

The health of the D . G . M . was proposed by the G . Registrar , in congratulatory terms , oh his having the happiness to preside over so numerous an assembly as graced their tables this day , which augured well for Masonry in the Province , the last Grand Lodge having been held at Horsham , in 1827 . " This was a consummation , " he said , " of along cherished wish—the resuscitation of the Prov . Grand Lodge for Sussex ; for several years he had striven , in conjunction with many

esteemed and zealous members of the Craft , to remove from our county the stigma which had for so many years acted as a drag oh our Masonic progression , by compelling the Members of the Craft to be as strangers to each other . Many of us meet to-day for the first time—the happy hour that we have spent at this festive board has instilled into our minds a desire to unite the bonds of brotherly love , and

as much as in us lies , to induce a uniformity of formula in the Masonic proceedings of our respective Lodges , "to our worthy and Very Worshipful D . G . M . we are deeply indebted for having so promptly responded to my appeal , by accepting the arduous and difficult appointment , by whose authority we are assembled this day ; fifteen years ago . I had the honour to initiate him , and the zealous manner in which he has carried out the difficult duties of the

day may be taken by every Brother present as an earnest of his continued exertion to maintain and promote the principles of our Order , and raise our Grand Lodge to as high a standard as any other county under the Grand Lodge of England . I call upon you , Brethren , to join me most heartily in drinking the health of our D . G . M , and may he long fill that distinguished office . " The V . W . D . P . G . Master , in returning thanks for the kind reception he had met with throughout the proceedings of the day , gratefully referred to the valuable assistance accorded to him by many of the Brethren around him , and also the kind manner

in winch he had been urged to seek and undertake the duties of this appointment , and the promises of support by the Past Masters of his Mother Lodge and other Old Masons , which had been so fully carried out . This was indeed a proud moment to find himself surrounded by such a numerous band of worthy Members of the Craft ; he would , to the utmost of his ability , carry out the views he had expressed to them in the earlier part of their proceedings , and begged most gratefully to acknowledge the warm response they had given to the toast of his worthy Bro . the G . Registrar .

Other toasts succeeded , such as the Grand Officers , the Past Grand Officers , Bros . Wilson , P . D . G . M ., Winton , P . G . D . C , and Bros . Wright , P . G . Organist , and Snow , P . P . G . Stand . Bearer , the Masters and Brethren of the several