The Festival.

Freemasonry since his accession , twelve years ago . It was gratifying to see Prince Albert Victor taking a position as a Grand Officer of England , thus carrying out tho example of his illustrious family , in the person of the Prince Regent

the Duke of Clarence in the last generation , and the Prince of Wales in this . The Chairman then paid a high tribute of praise to the Grand Officers for the ability with which the affairs of the Craft are administered ; and

Bro . Richard Eve , Grand Treasurer , whose name was associated with the toast , responded . After referring to the distinguished position held by many of the Officers of

Grand Lodge , both in the State and other institutions connected with the administration of this great Empire , Bro . Eve said he felt the M . W . Grand Master had done

wisely in selectiug so many distinguished brethren . On their behalf he begged to say how deeply they sympathised with the movement they were supporting that evening , in helping forward those great Institutions that had shed

so much lustre on Freemasonry . Tho Girls' School was one of those Institutions , which proved Charity to be one of the brightest jewels in the diadem of Freemasonry .

Although they had a great love for the other Institutions , there was a peculiar attraction in that one whose special care was the daughters of Masons . Those who had visited the Institution at Battersea-Rise would

admit that it was splendidl y worked , that it reflected credit on the Order , and did good to humanity in general . The movement was deserving of all the support they could give to it , and he trusted next year , being the Centenary , all the

brethren would double their subscriptions . Bro . T . Fenn , President of the Board of General Purposes , was unexpectedly called upon to propose the health of the Chairman , and in doing so he said , though unprepared for it , he had

great pleasure in discharging that duty , having been associated with Sir Offley Wakcman in the Prince of Wales Lodge for many years . There he ( Bro . Fenn ) had an opportunity of observing how good a Mason Sir Offley was ,

and when his appointment as Prov . Grand Master of Shropshire was announced to the Lodge it was received b y the members with the liveliest satisfaction , not onl y because it reflected honour on their Lodge , but because

they were sure that all the brethren of Shropshire would be highly pleased and gratified at the Most Worshipful Grand Master ' s selection . The toast was most cordiall y received , aud in response Sir Offley said he felt deeply the

honour that had been conferred upon him , and upon the Province over which he had been called upon to preside , by being permitted to occupy tho chair that evening . He remembered having attended Festivals of this

description , —as one of the Stewards of his mother Lod » e at Oxford , —when he sat at the other end of the room , aud heard very little of what passed . He little thought at that time he should find himself at the Chairman ' s end .

It always appeared to him that a great meeting like this , of brethren from different parts of the country , for the benefit of their Institutions , showed the real bond there was in Freemasonry , a bond of union , which extended far beyond

the limits of the British Isles , to every brother of the Craft , wherever he might be . It had been his good fortune twice in the last eight years to prove how true this was , in countries other than England . Very recently he was

enabled to witness the hearty welcome of the brethren in the far West of America . Some years before that it was his privilege to be present , in the distant East , to see Masonic ceremonies performed in English by a Lodge of

brethren consisting of Mahomedans , Parsees , and Hindoos . Allowing something for the well known exuberance of the Orientals , he was at a ioss to say which welcome was the warmer . In proposing the next toast—Success to the Royal

Masonio Institution for Girls—he observed that , though they wished prosperity to all the Masonic Charities , tin ' s particular Institution must at all times be very near to the

heart of every true Mason . At the outset of their Masonic career they wore informed that Charity was the distinguishing characteristic of a Freemason ' s heart ; it was

impressed at the very threshold of their entrance into the Craft that , amongst the thousands of their Masonic brethren , there were many who mi ght have a claim njion tneir

Oharity . It was satisfactory to Know that the Craft lfi general were not unmindful of their duty in this re « pe ' .: f , as was evidenced by tho magnificent support given to the

three Institutions year after year . Equally satisfactory Was it to find that this support had in the main kept pace ^ vith the great progress in the numbers of the Fraternity , 11 01 * had it , so far as he was aware , been impaired by those

The Festival.

distressful circumstances which had been so forcibly brought to their notice in recent years with reference to the general prosperity of the country . The Girls ' Institution was eminently worthy of their most hearty

support . Tho brethren were aware , from the experience of former years , that the Institution had been well supported ; indeed , he might say the history of the Institution had been one of continuous and successful progress . At its

foundation , ninety-nine years ago , it commenced with only fifteen pupils . So late as 1872 there were but one hundred pupils in the School ; to-day it contains no less than two hundred and forty-eight . Thus they found the benefits of

the Institution widely extended every year . It was not , however , merely to the extension of numbers that he might allude with satisfaction , but ho thought he could more particularly congratulate those who had the management of

this Institution upon the great care that was exercised there for the physical , moral and intellectual development of the pupils . This was largely aided by the Junior School , which enabled that extra supervision and care to be paid to

the younger girls which was so desirable at their tender ao-e . He applauded the system which prevailed in the Senior School , of accustoming all the pupils to officiate in

domestic work of a practical character ; and expressed the pleasure it afforded him that the girls were diligently instructed in plain needlework , cookery , aud other useful branches of education . Another matter of satisfaction to

all who had an interest in the School was the fact that , with the exception of the head governess , all the educational staff had been brought up and trained in the Institution . When they found pupils of

maturer years coming back to the School , they found also that they carried back with them a grateful recollection of former clays . Ho visited the School on Tuesday , with Bro . Hedges and other Officers ,

and saw tho excellent condition of the children , and the remarkable discipline that existed ; he could but feel that the Institution was being conducted in a most satisfactory way . He saw 160 girls going through drill

exercise at tho word of command , and he was perfectly amazed at the accuracy with which the evolutions were performed . The intellectual part of the education was equally satisfactory . At the Cambridge Examination nineteen were

entered , and all passed , eight with honours . At the Examination of the College of Preceptors thirty entered , aud all of them passed . Iu the Science Examinations fifty-four pupils entered in physiography , and forty-one passed ;

forty passed in electricity and magnetism . So far as the financial position of the Institution was concerned , that very largely depended upon the efforts of the Stewards ; at the same time he would like to point out that there was

special need this year for a call on their liberality , because it had been found necessary to expend £ 8 , 000 recently in the purchase of certain property for the wellbeino- of the School . But for these timely steps much

injury mig ht have been done to the Institution . He reminded them that the Charity had no regular income beyond £ 2 , 000 a year , and it must therefore rely on the contributions of the brethren . This year they were

under a disadvantage , —iu this respect . The ninetyninth year was nothing more than other years , but it had in the coming year the glory of a Centenary , and he

mio-ht be permitted to express a hope that the next anniversary of the Festival of this , the oldest of the three Masonic Institutions , would be of such a character—held

as doubtless it will bo under illustrious auspices—as to be entirely unique in the history of I'higli .-Ji Freemasonry . Speaking for himself , he was sure the event would nob be allowed to pass by the Craft without a very great effort to

mark it . Li conclusion , ho claimed for tho School that it was nobly performing the object for which it was founded , and , in company with its uvo sister Institutions , afforded a very comple e aud cogent answer to all they

heard about what was the good of Freemasonry ? To such a questioner he would like to poit . t out the three great Masonic Institutions , and then he would find , with the alteration of only one word , that epitaph which was to be

found over an entrance to St . Paul ' s Cathedral , to that trreat Architect and Masun Sir Christopher Wren , * ' Si ari'Uiyio r'inn quwris ciiTiuwspici ; . " Bro . Horace Brooks Marshall , CO ., P . O . Tieas ., responded ; he acknowledged

the liberal contributions of the brethren in the past , and solicited their donations in the future , especially at the forthcoming ceutenary year in order that they might not only be enabled to maintain the School iu its present