Response by the Treasurer.

GENTLEMEN,—It is not a very usual thing for an officer holding my position in a society to be called upon to speak, the duties being merely nominal; but I must corroborate what the Secretary has said with reference to the financial business of the past twelvemonths. Having now had the honour for many years of being your Treasurer, I can conscientiously say that your funds were never in a more healthy condition; and, occupying a similar position in one or two other societies, I can tell you that your position is an enviable one.

Response by the Stewards or Committee of
Management.

GENTLEMEN,-For the very kind way in which you drank our healths, I, on behalf of my colleagues and myself, beg to return you our most hearty thanks. Whatever duties we may have performed have been performed with a singleness of purpose— the sole benefit of the Society; and, if those services have given you satisfaction, we are more than repaid. The reception you gave the toast gives us great gratification, and will stimulate our exertions to assist in promoting the prosperity of the Society.

Response by an Officer of the Order.

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Mr. CHAIRMAN and Brothers, on behalf of the Officers of Lodge -,—I beg to respond to the toast which you have done us the honour to drink with so much unanimity. It is at all times pleasing to hear it acknowledged that our

efforts to promote the order and well-being of the Lodge have given satisfaction. I can assure you that each of my brother officers has endeavoured faithfully, and at the same time fearlessly, to see that the rules and regulations as laid in our general and bye-laws are carried out in their integrity, and I am happy to say that the members have evinced a desire to assist us in every possible way, and to cause our duties to be easily carried out in such a manner as to give you satisfaction. With these few remarks I will conclude by returning you, on behalf of my brother officers, our sincere thanks.

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Toast." The Visitors,"—by the Chairman.

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GENTLEMEN,-Having now run through the whole routine toasts in connexion with our Order, I will propose for your consideration a toast of a different character. At our annual festival we are at all times pleased to see a large and influential gathering of the Brethren, but there is another class of persons we are at all times glad to see join us,— I allude to the Visitors, and whose health I am sure you will all wish to see done justice to, as we are very much indebted to them in more senses than one; for by their countenancing our social gatherings we learn that our society meets with their approbation. We are also grateful to them for their pecuniary support in the way of donations in aid of our funds. I therefore trust you will all rise on this occasion and join heart and hand with me to "fill the bumper full," and drink Health, Long Life, and Prosperity to the Visitors, coupling with it the name of Mr.

Response to the Visitors by a Tradesman. Mr. CHAIRMAN and GENTLEMEN,-I rise as a Visitor to your annual festival to acknowledge the last toast. I am not in the secret of your mysteries and signs, but the pass-word has just been given me to say a few words; I may therefore have an opportunity of making myself an Odd Fellow before I have done. I am at all times pleased to attend at the anniversaries of Friendly Societies, being convinced that they do an immense amount of good to the individual members and to society in general. The working man who has the prudence and forethought to guard against the expenses of sickness by subscribing a weekly sum from his earnings for that purpose, I have ever found to be a better man in every respect than the one who neglects that duty that he owes to himself, his wife and family, and his fellow men. Odd Fellows, Foresters, Druids, and Friendly Society men in general do much for themselves by making provisions for sickness and old age, and very materially assist the rate-paying portion of the population. Your Secretary has in his financial statement of the past year proved my assertion, and I think it would be well if at your annual meetings you opened the doors a little wider, to enable more visitors to attend than I am in the habit of seeing. I believe there are many persons in the town who are not aware of one half of the good effected by Friendly Societies, and simply because they are not made acquainted that at the annual dinner others than the members are admitted. Gentlemen, as a mark of my appreciation of the merits of your society, I have much pleasure in handing to your Chairman a guinea to the funds. On behalf of the visitors with whom you have coupled my name I am pleased to acknowledge the toast, and to wish success to the Society.

CO-OPERATION.

Speech on Co-operation and Temperance.

GENTLEMEN,-Various schemes have been devised from time to time by different people for the elevation of the working classes. Some have told them there was a want of more schools; others seemed to think that, by the erection of more churches and chapels, much good would be done for them; others called out loudly for the vote for the working classes, and sought to elevate them in that way. But, after all, however useful each of these things might be in their sphere, they were but imperfect in themselves, and would not really be able to effect much good for the working classes; so long as the working classes look to others for help, so long will they remain in their prostrate condition. The true secret was that they should help themselves. They had all read the old fable of the man whose cart was stuck in the rut, and who called on Hercules to help him out of his difficulty, and was told to put his shoulder to the wheel and get it out himself. So with the working classes. If they were to be elevated, it must be the result of their own efforts; if they were to become superior to their present condition, it must be the result of their own labour and their own exertion. Among all the schemes which had been broached for this purpose, there were none so powerful, so thoroughly effective,

as was this one of co-operation. Some years since a number of well meaning men in London, started a scheme of co-operation. This went on for some time with varying success; but owing to some circumstances, principally arising from the previous want of education among the working men themselves, the majority of these schemes fell to the ground; but some were still in existence. Since that period the movement had taken a deeper hold of the working classes, as of course it would; for if there was any truth in the movement as being harmonious with the nature of man, of necessity it would in course of time be adopted, more especially when it came to be investigated by the working men themselves. Co-operation was an instinct of man's nature. Man must co-operate if he would employ the faculties nature has implanted within his breast. It pervades the whole history of mankind. We see it in riches, as well as in poverty and crime. There was an old adage that said, "Birds of a feather flock together." "A man is known by the company he keeps." Your thieves and pickpockets co-operate and reside, to a considerable extent, in certain districts. The man who picks a pocket and he who receives the stolen goods to a certain extent cooperate. Co-operation runs throughout the whole realm of nature. Let them look at the principles of co-operation. You take a grain of wheat, and drop it into the ground, and in the course of some few months you gather from that wheat a harvest; in proportion to the quantity of wheat you have sown, so is the harvest you gather. That is the result of co-operation; but there must be the rain from heaven, and the wind and sun; all these forces must be co-operating and working together before you can gather your harvest as a food for the people. And