The Girls School Festival.

These figures have been swelled by subsequent donations until the total exceeds £ 18 , 000 , which is a result that will deservedly call forth the heartiest of recognitious , not only from Masons throughout the country , but also from every part where the sacred cause of

Charity is regarded as a prominent feature in the work of Freemasonry . We again tender our warmest congratulations to all who have contributed to the success of the Festival , not the least deserving in this respect

being the Pro Grand Master of England , who not only personally worked for the good of the cause , but led others to take a leading part in support of the Festival by according it his patronage and recognition .

THE Festival was celebrated in the large Hall of Freemasons ' Tavern , which , it may be imagined , was filled to its utmost capacity by the large Board of Stewards and others present at the banquet . Messrs . Spiers and Pond supplied an excellent dinner , and gave further evidence of their ability to deal with a large assemblage in a most satisfactory manner .

We refer elsewhere to the absence of the Earl of Lathom , who had intended to preside , but was prevented from attending , by reason of the sudden death of his sister-in-law , the Countess of Clarendon . At the conclusion of the banquet Sir John B . Monckton , the

chairman for the month of the Girls School House Committee read a letter he had received from the Earl of Lathom , in which the Pro Grand Master expressed his deepest regret at being unable to take his place as Chairman of the Festival . Ho had been looking

forward to once more meeting the friends and supporters of the Institution , and bearing his testimony to the excellent way in which the School was conducted ; but it was not to be , and he hoped the Brethren would accept his son as his substitute .

Lord Skelmersdale gave the first toast—the Queen , Chief Patroness of the Institution . This having been honoured , ho proceeded to submit that of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales M . W . G . M . Grand Patron and President

of the Institution ; the Princess of Wales , Grand Patroness ; and other Members of the Royal Family . His first duty was to read a telegram that had just been received , and which it was almost needless to add was addressed to his father , Lord Lathom , as President of the day , and was to the following effect :

" My fraternal greeting to you and the Brethren , and I trust that the Festival , in which I take so great an interest , may prove a great success . ALBERT EDWARD . "

This telegram , he thought , was in itself evidence that the Prince of Wales rover forgot what was going on in Freemasonry . If the Prince had any special preference for the doings of the Craft it was what took place in connection with the Girls School , in which their beloved Princess had also shown her interest from time to time ; recently by allowing her name to be given to one of the latest additions made to the School premises . The toast was most heartily received .

Sir John Monckton , in rising to propose the next toast felt it was somewhat incongruous thnt one slwnld have to propose his own health , but it sometimes happened that one could not help the inconsistency . Such a case arose on the present occasion when he had to submit the Deputy Grand Master and the rest of the Grand Officers Present and Past . Lord Mcunt-Edgcumbe would have been present that evening but for the fact that he had but

very recently returned from his travels ; he was at all times an earnest , anxious and energetic Mason , and as such had won the regard of the Craft . There was no need to refer to the capabilities of the other Grand Officers ; it was only necessary to submit the toast , with which he had the pleasure of coupling the name of Bro . W . L . Jackson , M . P ., the Provincial Grand Master of West Yorkshire , who would preside as Chairman at the coming Festival of the Boys School .

Bro . Jackson made an excellent speech in replying , and won universal commendation by the manner in which he spoke to the toast . His presidency at the Boys School—if one may judge from his remarks on Wednesday—promises to be a great success . He spoke of Lord Mount-Edgcumbe as being so well-known in Freemasonry as to need no commendatory references from him ; yet he

could not omit to refer to the obligation which his own Province of West Yorkshire felt under towards the Deputy Grand Master of England , who had paid them a visit for the purpose of laying the foundation stone of a hospital at Halifax . The Masons of the Province showed their appreciation on that occasion by an

enormous assembly , and he believed they convinced their visitor that the Brethren of West Yorkshire recognised their duty and proved that when a nobleman like the Deputy Grand Master of England came down to perform a public work he received the unanimous support of the entire population .

Bro . Jackson had yet another duty to perform , to propose the toast of the Pro Grand Master of England , who was to have presided over their meeting that day . It was to the Brethren , as it was to Bro . Jackson , a great disappointment that Lord Lathom had not been able to take his place at their head ; but he would go further and say that their disappointment and his were but

nothing as compared with the disappointment of Lord Lathom himself . Ho had been looking forward for months with the brightest of hopes as to this meeting , and while they sympathised with him in his absence , they fully recognised the urgency of its caihe , of which they all knew the circumstances . The Pro Grand Master was fertumite in having so able a deputy to take his place that night—truly a worthy son of a worthy father , and he was sure

The Girls School Festival.

that when the son conveyed to his father notice of the enthusiasm of the reception of Lord Lathom's name he would be gratifiedit was only equalled by the cordiality the company had shown towards the father ' s son's name . It would be impossible for him to depict the virtues of the Pro Grand Master of England , who was known and respected through the length and breadth of the land .

He was one of those noblemen who had won distinction by having performed their duties with perfection . In West Yorkshire they had much to thank the Pro Grand Master for , inasmuch as he had performed the ceremony of installing him ( Bro . Jackson ) as Provincial Grand Master , and he believed that Lord Lathom went home after the ceremony with gratification and pride at the

knowledge he was held in such high esteem in that district . But was it necessary to say a word in his praise ? Certainly not , but ho could not help saying of the Girls Institution , happy girls , to have as their President their noble friend , the Pro Grand Master of England . He could understand what would have been the feelings of the Pro Grand Master a little later in the evening when

the announcement of the subscriptions would be made , just as they could imagine what his feelings were likely to be as President of the coming Festival of the Boys School . Although he felt it was true all loved the Girls they must not forget that the girls loved the boys , and while he hoped for success for the former he must remind them he had duties to perform towards the latter , as well as to the

Institution they were specially met to honour that evening . In conclusion ho would propose health , happiness and long life to the Pro Grand Master , and in giving this he desired the Brethren to express how much they appreciated the good fortune that had given them Lord Skelmersdale to preside in the absence of Lord Lathom . Lord Skelmersdale tendered the most hearty thanks on his

father ' s behalf , for the reception of the toast . The Brethren had heard the letter read from his father ; he might add to the expressions therein contained that Lord Lathom had personally expressed to him just before he started for tho Festival his great regret at being compelled to absent himself . Bro . Jackson had referred to the pleasure he had experienced in being installed by

Lord Lathom , while his father had told him at the time the great gratification it gave him to be present on that occasion and to see such a splendid gathering . The Chairman gave the next toast—the toast of the evening : Success to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls . He spoke of the work of the past and of the present benefits conferred by tho

Institution , where 263 girls were being cared for , and receiving such attention as would fit them for any position in future life . No School in the United Kingdom , nay in the world , could show better results than had been achieved by theirs , and it was something to be proud of that the whole of the resident staff , with tho one exception of Miss Davis , the head of the establishment , were ex-pupils .

Tho happy and contented appearance of the girls was something to bo proud of , and all must agree that they owed a great debt of gratitude to Miss Davis and her staff for the attention they gave to tho School . Monday ' s first visit to tho Institution would not he his last , especially when he called to mind the admirable manner in which the children had gone through their respective parts .

Bro . H . Smith , Treasurer of the Institution , Deputy Prov . G . M . West Yorks replied . He spoke of the outbreak of scarlet fever at the Institution , which had entailed a special expenditure of nearly £ 1 , 500 , but which had happily been unattended with fatal results .

Bro . F . R . W . Hedges , Secretary of tho Institution then announced the contributions of the year , of which wo give full details elsewhere , the total of the announcement being £ 17 , 732 . Bro . Rev . H . R . Cooper Smith proposed tho other Masonic Charities , referring to the coming Festival of the Boys School , at which it was expected the Province of West Yorkshire would make a particularly brilliant display .

Bro . McLeod , Secretary of tho Boys School , made a forcible speech in reply . He quite agreed with the proposer of the toast that tho three Institutions deserved an equal measure of support . The generosity of the Craft towards the Girls had enabled that Institution to announce a total only second to that of the Centenary celebration . As a West Lancashire Brother he was proud of their achievements that night .

The President proposed the toast of the Stewards , to which Sir John Monckton responded , as Chairman of the Board . The usual concert followed in the Temple of Grand Lodge , tho music of the evening being under tho direction of Bro . Frederick A . Jewson .

The Benevolent Election.

THE BENEVOLENT ELECTION .

WE may remind our readers that the annual election of Annuitants for the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution will take place on Friday next , when , as we have already mentioned in our columns , twenty-two declared vacancies will be filled for the Male branch , and

fourteen for the Widows , in addition to any other that may have arisen from deaths since the publication of the ballot papers . There are 65 names on the Male list , and 54 on the Widows , with one applicant on each declared as dead .

It is difficult to attempt anything like an analysis of the merits of the different candidates , even if continued pressure on our space had not recently prevented it . We share the general regret that it is not possible to admit all of the candidates to the benefits of the Fund at once , but hope success may come to each in turn .