Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Scotland
attention paid by the Provincial Grand Masters in carefully watching over their provinces . He had therefore great satisfaction in proposing the health of " The Provincial Grand Lodges of Scotland and their deputations , coupling the toast with the name of Brother Sir Archibald Alison "—( loud cheers ) . The R . W . Bro . Sir Archibald Alison , Bart ., Prov . G . M . of Glasgow , said , in response—I feel that I owe the high honour of returning thanks in the name of the provincial deputations of Scotland , to the circumstance of being the Prov .
Grand Master of that city , which , in the eloquent words of Lord Panmure , has been styled the third commercial city in the world , and which , I trust , may be said to be second only to this in the zeal with which it is animated in the cause of Freemasonry . ( Hear ) . I feel that it was really a proud thing to be called to answer in the name of the deputation of Scotland on this occasion . I rejoice to say that I came this morning in the train from Glasgow with one thousand zealous Freemasons ( cheers ) and some hundreds came in another train from the
towns in the vicinity . I trust that the example shown by the metropolitan Grand Lodge of Scotland will soon be followed in the sister metropolis of Glasgow , and that we may be able ere long to invite the Grand Lodge of Scotland to a banquet of this description in our own hall in Glasgow . ( Applause ) . I am happy to say there is no part of the United Kingdom—I may add , there is no part of the worldwhich feels more zeal in the cause of Freemasonry than the west of Scotland ( hear , hear ) , and I am sure I say with truth that there is not any one in that
great community that feels a warmer zeal in the cause than myself—( applause ) . There is no individual who has so great cause , perhaps , to say that he is grateful to the cause of Freemasonry , for I am sure there is none who now hear me who have a family anecdote so interesting to narrate , or which shows how much the principles of Freemasonry may surmount even the animosities and the anger of war . In the American war there was a young English officer who was wounded , and had a bayonet pointed towards his breast in one of the intrenchments that he was storming in the United States . When the bayonet was at his breast , he got hold of a young American officer , to whom he gave the Freemason ' s token —( cheers ) .
The young American officer knocked up the bayonet , and saved the Englishman s life . He brought him to his own home , and treated him as a brother ; and for two or three months he lived in his family . That young officer , thus saved by Freemasonry , came back to Scotland afterwards , married a young lady , a relative of the noble family of Erskine , and the issue of that marriage was Lady Alison , my wife , and mother of two who have bled for their country in India—( loud and
continued cheers ) . I think , therefore , no man has more reason to be grateful to Freemasonry than I have . While I regard the grand demonstration which took place to-day as a proof that the great cause of Freemasonry which was flourishing when the temple of Jerusalem was built—( cheers)—which has survived the tyranny of the Romans , the conquests of the Goths , and the inroads of tho Saracens—is now as rife as it was when Solomon laid the foundation of the temple
of Jerusalem—7-1 feel assured that it will be to the end of the world as permanent as the principles of the Gospel , of which it was the prototype , and of which it is the completion—namely , the principles of peace to man and goodwill to mankind— - ( loud cheers ) . Allow me to say , before I conclude , that I trust that this meeting , composed as it is of deputations from England and Ireland , and even of a representative of the Freemasons of France , besides the Scotch Masons , may be regarded as as a proof of the approach of that period when not only are the
principles of Freemasonry to obtain a more lasting and a more permanent place than ever they had since the days of Solomon in the hearts of mankind , but that the union which has been shown this day in this magnificent assemblage is a type also of that increasing warmth of feeling which unites all parts of the British empire , and which , I trust , will enable us not merely to unite cordially in all the works of Christian benevolence and universal philanthropy , but , should we be
obliged to draw the sword , to exhibit a front invincible to the treachery of sepoy mutineers , or any thing else which may call for our interference . ( Loud cheers . ) The R . W . Chairman proposed " Prosperity to the daughter Lodges of Scotland , " in doing which he referred to the noble appearance which they presented in the procession . He was quite satisfied that if anything were wanting to prove
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Scotland
attention paid by the Provincial Grand Masters in carefully watching over their provinces . He had therefore great satisfaction in proposing the health of " The Provincial Grand Lodges of Scotland and their deputations , coupling the toast with the name of Brother Sir Archibald Alison "—( loud cheers ) . The R . W . Bro . Sir Archibald Alison , Bart ., Prov . G . M . of Glasgow , said , in response—I feel that I owe the high honour of returning thanks in the name of the provincial deputations of Scotland , to the circumstance of being the Prov .
Grand Master of that city , which , in the eloquent words of Lord Panmure , has been styled the third commercial city in the world , and which , I trust , may be said to be second only to this in the zeal with which it is animated in the cause of Freemasonry . ( Hear ) . I feel that it was really a proud thing to be called to answer in the name of the deputation of Scotland on this occasion . I rejoice to say that I came this morning in the train from Glasgow with one thousand zealous Freemasons ( cheers ) and some hundreds came in another train from the
towns in the vicinity . I trust that the example shown by the metropolitan Grand Lodge of Scotland will soon be followed in the sister metropolis of Glasgow , and that we may be able ere long to invite the Grand Lodge of Scotland to a banquet of this description in our own hall in Glasgow . ( Applause ) . I am happy to say there is no part of the United Kingdom—I may add , there is no part of the worldwhich feels more zeal in the cause of Freemasonry than the west of Scotland ( hear , hear ) , and I am sure I say with truth that there is not any one in that
great community that feels a warmer zeal in the cause than myself—( applause ) . There is no individual who has so great cause , perhaps , to say that he is grateful to the cause of Freemasonry , for I am sure there is none who now hear me who have a family anecdote so interesting to narrate , or which shows how much the principles of Freemasonry may surmount even the animosities and the anger of war . In the American war there was a young English officer who was wounded , and had a bayonet pointed towards his breast in one of the intrenchments that he was storming in the United States . When the bayonet was at his breast , he got hold of a young American officer , to whom he gave the Freemason ' s token —( cheers ) .
The young American officer knocked up the bayonet , and saved the Englishman s life . He brought him to his own home , and treated him as a brother ; and for two or three months he lived in his family . That young officer , thus saved by Freemasonry , came back to Scotland afterwards , married a young lady , a relative of the noble family of Erskine , and the issue of that marriage was Lady Alison , my wife , and mother of two who have bled for their country in India—( loud and
continued cheers ) . I think , therefore , no man has more reason to be grateful to Freemasonry than I have . While I regard the grand demonstration which took place to-day as a proof that the great cause of Freemasonry which was flourishing when the temple of Jerusalem was built—( cheers)—which has survived the tyranny of the Romans , the conquests of the Goths , and the inroads of tho Saracens—is now as rife as it was when Solomon laid the foundation of the temple
of Jerusalem—7-1 feel assured that it will be to the end of the world as permanent as the principles of the Gospel , of which it was the prototype , and of which it is the completion—namely , the principles of peace to man and goodwill to mankind— - ( loud cheers ) . Allow me to say , before I conclude , that I trust that this meeting , composed as it is of deputations from England and Ireland , and even of a representative of the Freemasons of France , besides the Scotch Masons , may be regarded as as a proof of the approach of that period when not only are the
principles of Freemasonry to obtain a more lasting and a more permanent place than ever they had since the days of Solomon in the hearts of mankind , but that the union which has been shown this day in this magnificent assemblage is a type also of that increasing warmth of feeling which unites all parts of the British empire , and which , I trust , will enable us not merely to unite cordially in all the works of Christian benevolence and universal philanthropy , but , should we be
obliged to draw the sword , to exhibit a front invincible to the treachery of sepoy mutineers , or any thing else which may call for our interference . ( Loud cheers . ) The R . W . Chairman proposed " Prosperity to the daughter Lodges of Scotland , " in doing which he referred to the noble appearance which they presented in the procession . He was quite satisfied that if anything were wanting to prove