The Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

THE FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .

IT 13 not a thankful task we havo now to enter upon ; we would fain try to gloss over the shortcomings and disquietude wo ha l to contend with on Wednesday last , but we fail to see a course before as , and we must exorcise caution in the way wo give expression to onr feelings in the matter , Tho Festival was celebrated at the

Alexandra Palace , but we have no hesitation in saying the provision made for the 400 odd guests who sat down waa anything bnt what we had been led to expect , and must be described as lamentably short of what has been achieved at this establishment iu years gone by . Tho friends of tho Institution had secured the services of 13 ro .

Eiohard Eve , Past Grand Treasurer , for chairman , and after the banquet this worthy Brother rose to give tho initial toast . Brother Evo said that tho first toast ho had to bring before tho notice of the company was one whioh he knew they would all greet with a great amount of pleasure . The toasfc of Her Majesty the

Queen was always received with acclaim in assemblies of English . men . It was 52 years since the Queen , then a young lady of 17 , ascended tho throne , and from that time to the present England had enjoyed a greater amount of prosperity—socially , morally , and financially—than during any other period . No body of men more

appreciated this toast than Freemasons . The Queen was the mother of Magons , a grandmother of a Mason , and she was also the daughter of a Mason . This was followed by the National Anthem , the solos being sung by Mias Fannie Joya ? . The Chairman said : Next to Hor Majesty the Qaeen there was no

person iu England who was more entitled to the consideration of the brethren than the Princo cf Wales . As their Grand Master , Masons felt for him tho greatest affection and devotion . Daring the term of his fourteen or fifteen years' reign Masonry had more than doubled in the number of its Lodges , and iu tho number and influence

of its members . This toast was followed by " God bless the Prince of Wales , " Miss Mary Belval taking tho solo part . Iu speaking to the third toast B * o . Eve referred to tho great services of the Pro Grand Master and the Deputy Grand Master . Among the other Grand Officers they had brethren of distinction , who had been

selected by Her Majesty to fill various positions in the State , and in the administration of this great Empire . They had also men of all kinds ar . d classes ; all the various professions were duly represented ; law , divinity and physic were represented ; also literature and science ; and what they knew of these men waa that they had

exerted themselves for years . They would , therefore , drink the toast with pleasure . He would call ou Bro . Caraa , who was his ( Bro . Eve ' s ) immediate predecessor in the office of Grand Treasurer , to respond . Bro . Oama , in reply , said ifc gave him great pleasure to return his hearty thanks for the honour done to the Grand Officers . The way in

which the toast had been proposed by the Chairman , and received by those present , showed that tho brethren had confidence in their Grand Officers . It waa very good of the Chairmau to couple his ( Bro . Cama ' s ) name with the toast . Bro . Col . Shadwell II . Clerke G . Sec . rose to propose the next toast , —tho health of tho distinguished brother who

presided over them . On these occasions they wero always honoured by the presidency of some distinguished Masou , and he was sure they would all agree with him when he said that to-night that rale had beon strictly followed . The chairman of the ovening , Bro . Eve , was not only a gentleman well-known and highly esteemed in

private life , but ho was also a highly distinguished and highly honoured Mason . Ho had belonged to the Ordur for some five and thirty years , aud daring that time he had always been most active , most energetic , and enthusiastic for the best interests of the Order . Bro . Eve , iu replying , thanked the brethren very heartily for tho

kind way in which they had received the toast . Ho could assure them that it waa with very great hesitation that he took upon himself tho position of Chairman of such a Festival ; but whatever hesitation he had had , had been removed by the pleasure and gratification that ho felt iu meeting that night EO many friends of

the Institution . Col . Shadwell H . Clerke had referred to his long association with the Masonio body . There was nothing moro gratifying to him than to reflect how long he had been a member of the Craft . It was now 30 years since he became a Master in the Order , and he had uever had reason to regret the fact . He

undertook the position of chairman , and he could assure the brethren that he had had no hesitation in so doing ; he felt that the Institution required a friend , and that if by means of his accepting tho presidency of that Festival the Institution could be advantaged he should be highly gratified . On again rising Bro .

Eve Baid he would ask them to bear with him for a few minutes . He wanted to call tbeir attention to the next toast , the toasfc of the evening . It was ouo he was suro they would receive with great pleasure , and that they would drink ifc with enthusiasm . Now , ho could assure them it was with some diffidence that he

approached the subject , because he felt that individually he was soarcely able to fully enunciate the claims which the Institution had upon them . Tho Masonic Institution for Boys had now been in existence something like 90 years , and in the course of another 10 years they would be hoping to hold ita Centenary . The Institution

had been somewhat under a cloud for the lasfc 12 months , because the Institution for Girls held its Centenary Festival last year , and was presided over by the M . W . Grand Master . All knew that the great exertiens then made resulted in a collection of over £ 50 , 000 for the Girls' Institution . Well , when Bnch great exertions wero made

in favour of one Institution , it must be at the expense of the others during that year , and they knew that was the case , and that it was in consequence of that th . fc the contributions to the Institution for Boys last year amounted to only £ 8000 . That lee-way Lad to bo made up . That was un Institution which required

from £ 12 , 000 to £ 13 , 000 to keep it going , to pay ail working expenses ; and , therefore , they kuew that the very fact that the subscriptions m last year had fallen short made it all the moro necessary that there should be a fair retnrn this year to place the boys in a good position . Well , they had had another matter which had also retarded , to some

The Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

extent , the movements of tho Boys' School . Ho referred to the Inquiry which—through the wisdom of the brethren and subscribers of the Institution—had been desired . The Inquiry had been held ; it had taken nearly twelve months to make a report upon that Inquiry . The roport had been before the brethren , and they could best consider ifc .

He was going to pat some few figures before thorn ; he was uot saying anything against the fact that the Report had been made , and that there were grounds for the Keporfc , but he was telling them that they must nofc forget the pasfc of the great Institution of which they now were holding the Festival , for , until the year 1857 , the Institution

was simply for clothing and educating the boysof Fremasous ; bnt in the year 1857 that was departed from , and another portion—and a heavy portion , too—of the expenditure of tho Institution was incurred , namely , nofc ouly tho clothing and education , bufc then was added tho maintenance of the boys of Freomasons , Now he asked

anybody—and he was sure all the Committee of Inquiry would go with him—that thoy could not forget what was thestato of the Institution a 3 such in the year 1857 ; and he wanted to call attention to these facts in order that they might realise their true position . His object waa not to set brethren by tho ears , bufc to bring them together . He

wished it to bo perfeotly understood he was nofc saying anything against the Inquiry Committee , and he was sure that they , after knowing that their Keporfc had been adopted , would be the last to forget fchct . He know that all of them were men who had a love for Freemasonry . There were at present about 260 boys who were

educated , olobhed , and maintained in the Institution . That being so , their object was to gefc as much as possible , and unless they could show that tho work was being carried on honestly and economically , they could nofc expect to receive tho support of the brethren . Ho was glad of the Inquiry , beoause it had suggested that a

considerable reduction could be made in the expenses . He should only be too happy to find that the reduction could be made . He wanted now to call their attention to the historical part of tho Institution . In the year 1857 tho subscriptions did not amount to £ 2000 a year , bub in the year 1862 the amount was doubled as compared with the previous

year ; the next year ifc was tripled , and every year after that ifc has been maintained , while in 1883 the enormous sum of £ 23 , 000 was sub . scribed . They must bear in mind also that ; they had now got a building , and the land upon which it stood . Nearly £ 100 , 000 had been laid out . Where had the money come from ? It had come

from London and the Provinces , to maintain the Institution . It showed how open the hearts of Masons had been . They had now , through the exertions of their officers in the past , obtained that grand building . It might be defective , but if the brethren would give thorn funds they would remedy that . With reference to the discipline

and education of the boys , he knew they were united on that , and he was glad that they were united on the question—the main questionof tho education of tho boys . He was pleased to say that this Institution was worthy of all the support the brethren could give . Bro . Eve continued his remarks , but his ideas were not accepted by a

section of those present , and great uproar ensued . In concluding he said there were boys of that Institution who had become medical men , who had entered her Majesty ' s service in the Army and Navy , who had become distinguished solicitors , and had obtained honours in tho various Universities . That showed that the education and

discipline of those children had been equal to that of any body of children in the country . He would give them with all sincerity Prosperity to the Hoyal Masonio Institution for Boys . Brother George Pluckuetfc acknowledged the toasfc . Bro . Binckes said that alter the manifestations of feeling that had been

exhibited during the address of their excellent Chairman , how was ifc possible that he could expect to receive at the hands of what he would under other circumstances havo called a glorious assemblage a fair hearing . He knew that he had a simple duty to perform , but at the same timo they must do him the justice to believe him when he said that he never stood before hia friends the Freemasons

( fchis being tho 28 th Anniversary Festival with which he had been associated ) in such peculiar aud dubious circumstances as those in whioh he had now to appear . He asked nothing more than fair play . He had laboured hard to make this Anniversary a success ; he had received with eratifcude a large amonnt of support * , bnt he also had to

contend with a large amount of persecution . The Stewards' lists were then declared , and of the ; 3 e we give details in another column . Bro . Binckes , in concluding said , that though he accepted the result thankfully , he could say with confidence that the result ought ; to have yielded £ 16 , 000 . But for the hostile movement at least

£ 3000 more would have been realised . Other toasts comprised : —the Ladies ; the Patrons , Yice-Patrons , Vice-Presidents , Trustees , & c , of the Institution ; Prosperity to the kindred Masonio Charities ; and the Health of the Stewards . The musical arrangements were under the

direction of Bro . E . P . Delevanti . A string band performed a selection of muBio during the dinner . Between the speeches Miss Fannie Joyce , Miss Mary Belval , Bros . Arthur Thomas and Egbert Roberta contributed songs .

V . 111 . Bro . Frank Richardson , 33 ° , had the honour of entertaining the other members of the Supreme Council , 33 ° , afc dinner in the Oak Room of the Junior Athenaeum Club , on Thursday evening , the 27 fch ult . The members present were V . 111 . Bro . Capfc . Philips M . 111 . L . G . C ., V . 111 . Bro . Major-Oeneral Clerk Grand Treas .-General ,

V . IU . Bro . Hugh Sandeman Grand Sec-General , V . 111 . Bro . Col . Shadwell H . Clerke G . C . of G . There were also present , to meefc the members of the Couucil , III . Bro . J . H . Matthews . 32 ° . the Grand Dir . of Cers .. 111 . Bro .

Lieut .-Colonel Somerville Burney S . G . I . G . 33 ° , 111 . Bro . If . A . Philbrick , Q . C , aud III . Bro . Lieufc .-Colonel George Haldane , 33 ° nominate , and 111 . Bro . the Earl of Euston , 30 ° . V . 111 . Bro . the Earl of Lathom , M . P . S . G . C ., was prevented , by the illness of his son , from attending .