Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

sivelv that the Lord Mayor vvas not present , and he hoped Sheriff Harris would convey to him the expression of the deep regret of the brethren at his absence and the cause of it , and their hope that he would soon get over his illness , and long live to be an honour to the Order . ( Hear , hear . ) To go back to the main part of the question of the toast—The Benevolent Institution—it stood first on the list of the Masonic Charities . It had stood so , and long might it stand so , because ,

although they did support the coming generation that came after them , it vvas only right and just for them to look after , support , and comfort those , many of whom had done good work in Masonry , and given their money to it when they had it , but who , from no fault of their own , vvere plunged into the direst depths of misery and distress . He presided at the Festival of that Institution last year , and he went . to Croydon and saw the old people in their home , ancl he must say that he

savy several there who at some time of their life vvere living in affluence , but they we ' re in happiness and contentedness , pleased and grateful for all that vvas done for them . The Institution was managed , and had been proved to be so , notwithstanding many questions vvere asked during past times , in the most admirable fashion —( cheers)—the Secretary , Bro . Terry , did his work in the most admirable way possible . ( Cheers . ) No brother ever

went to Bro . Terry's office and found his door closed ; no brother was ever refused information . Bro . Terry would go heyond that , and put himself to any trouble fcr the benefit of the Institution over which he presided , even though he had to travel from one end of England to the other . Bro . Terry belonged to his ( Lord Euston ' s ) province orig inally , and he ( Lord Euston ) vvas very proud of it , although it was long before the time he ( Lord Euston ) belonged to it . Bro . Terry still kept up his connection with it , and he ( Lord Euston ) vvas very pleased

to know that such an officer as Bro . Terry vvas should emanate from that province . ( Hear , hear . ) He would now ask the brethren to drink " Prosperity to the Institution . " Mig ht the funds of Freemasons always be ready—vvhich they always vvere — -to assist it ; might those seasons over vvhich vve had no power bring to us that prosperity in England that brought prosperity to our pockets , and enable us to do what we should like to do with regard to the Masonic Institutions . He gave them most heartily , most cordially—and might God grant it—every prosperity to the Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and the Widows of Freemasons .

Bro . J . A . FARNFIELD , Treasurer , in reply , said , in the first place , he thanked the noble Chairman for so kindly filling the chair at a moment's notice , for they were at their wits' end when they read the telegram from the Lord Mayor telling them he was unable to preside . One thing was to be said , that never in the annals of that Institution had the same brother taken the chair in two consecutive years . They vvere looking forward with great anxiety to the announcement of the lists

by Bro . Terry . The brethren mig ht have read the short precis that had been put before them . They would see from it the number of candidates for the election in May next , and that when the election vvas over there would be still 125 brethren and widows left out in the cold . That had been a source of great anxiety to the Committee because they vvere wishful to put on the Charity as many as they could ; but unfortunately , when they had provided for the annuities and the expenses of the

Institution , they had only an assured income of £ 1000 , and , therefore , unless they could secure £ 14 , 000 at each Festival , there must be a deficit to be made up one way or other . He therefore trusted , and all the Committee trusted with him , that the brethren would be as generous as of yore , and that another year they might congratulate themselves that they were free from difficulty , and that by the kindness of the brethren they might do more for the old people . Bro . TERRY then read the lists of subscriptions .

Bro . RICHARD EVE , P . G . Treas ., said the pleasure of proposing the next toast had devolved upon him . His noble brother who was now presiding would have proposed it had the Lord Mayor been present . In the Lord Mayor ' s absence the brethren were gratified in finding that a brother of such distinguished mark in Masonry had taken the position as his deputy . The toast he had to propose vvas that of " The Chairman . " The brethren had had a taste of the noble brother ' s

quality ; they knew what he vvas capable of doing , had heard him , and seen how he had performed his duty in the chair . He had much pleasure in proposing that toast , because it vvas the health of a brother who had served Freemasonry on many occasions . During the last year he ( Bro . Eve ) had the special privilege of proposing that toast as the Chairman of that Institution , when a large sum of

money vvas subscribed to testify to the popularity of his lordship . His lordship ' s province assembled in large numbers , and , as the Secretary had just announced , they subscribed £ 700 or £ 800 towards that excellent Institution . Lord Euston had discharged his duties that evening with exemplary ability , and he ( Bro . Eve ) therefore had the greatest pleasure in proposing "The Health of the Right Hon . the Earl of Euston , Chairman of the Evening . "

The CHAIRMAN , in response , said he thanked Bro . Eve and all the brethren , from the highest to the lowest , for the kindness they had displayed to him in accepting him as a substitute for the Lord Mayor . He thanked them further still for the way they had responded to the toast , for the way they had received him , and for the indulgence they had given him . He thanked them all as Masons for the magnificent sum they had been able to bring to the funds of the Institution

whose Festival they vvere now holding . Bro . Eve made use of a good deal of praise of him ( the Chairman ) which was , he thought , not quite clue , because being an old soldier he held one motto as supreme— " Duty first , and pleasure afterwards , "—and if their duty vvas not a pleasure they had better leave it altogether , as no man could do well vvhat he did not like , and if they did a thing at all it should be done to the best of a person ' s ability and power . He did not say there

vvere not men who could do things better than others ; there vvere , and if they had had the Lord Mayor in the chair they would have had something to carry away with them . However , he thanked the brethren , and he gave his word as a man and a Mason , it he could be of any use to Masonry at any moment he would to the utmost of his ability do it ; the kindness of the brethren had been exemplified in many , many words , and he should always trust to that kindly feeling vvhich prevailed in Freemasonry , and vvhich said " Go on , brother , you have done your best ,

and we are glad to see you . He only wished he could do better and that he could do more . He thanked the brethren most heartily again for the kind way they had received that toast , for accepting him so genially as the deputy for one who would have presided with efficiency , for of all the speakers he had heard , the Lord Mayor was the best . He trusted his lordship would fill the chair yet , and charm the ears of the brethren with oratory which they would remember in their provinces when they went back , after bringing up even higher lists than had been brought up yet .

The CHAIRMAN next asked the indulgence of the brethren for a few moments before they proceeded to the Temple to hear sweet music and enjoy the society of the sex they all admired . There vvere matters which could not be passed over , which required and commanded their attention , not only in the ordinary sense of the word , but required their permanent support . They vvere met together that evening to celebrate the Festival of one of the great Masonic Charities . These

Charities were more than one , they vvere three , that lucky number as some people called it . The Institution they supported that evening was for those who had passed through the struggle and toil of life , and who had been unsuccessful . Those who had been successful in that struggle in life had nobly and generously come forward and subscribed largely and magnificently on their behalf . But there

vvere two more Festivals coming on . The brethren had that evening been intimately connected with those who were older than themselves , who had gone through the struggle of life . The other two Institutions had to do with those who in the very early stages of their lives vvere placed in a position of difficulty and distress—difficulty and distress for many reasons—that their parents vvere not

Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

enabled , some from death , some from impecuniosity and those misfortunes that would occur to so many whether they willed it or whether they willed it not ; but those young people had to begin the struggle of life , and to enable them to begin that struggle Masons had those two institutions vvhich vvere so well known to them , and which had had so great success in the past —their Boys' and their Girls' Schools . He asked the brethren—he would not go

into any details on the subject of either of those Institutions—but he asked them that , as they had been Stewards that evening , if there was anything left that they could part with without doing any damage to themselves or their connections , they vyould think that in the summer , one in May and the other in June , there vvere two festivals to come on , and any metallic substances they had which the old adage said made the mare to go , they would remember and come forward in the same

hearty spirit that they had that evening , and place them at the disposal of those who had the struggle before them . They should remember they were helping those who vvere beginning the struggle : how hard it mi g ht be , or how prosperous it might be they could not tell ; but the object the brethren had in view was to start them fair , to give them a lift on the way , to offer them an advantage if fortune favoured them to make a good ending , and perhaps enable them to make a return for vvhat was done for them ; men and women who would obtain life stewardships

and say— " We have been brought up by you ; vve are willing to assist you ; and we do it with gladness . " If they gave them a chance , and they made use of it , he thought they would not forget the father or mother who started them in life . He hoped the brethren would with all cordiality drink to the other two Masonic Institutions , to which they cordially wished all prosperity . Long might those Institutions go on increasing in strength , in popularity , in prosperity , and might those who went out from them go on increasing in prosperity in the future . He called on Bro . Hedges to respond for both those Institutions .

Bro . HEDGES , P . G . S . B ., Secretary of the Girls' School , in reply , said , on behalf of the Boys' and Girls' Schools , he returned his most sincere thanks for the very cordial way in vvhich the brethren had responded to that toast . He felt , however , that , notwithstanding the late hour of the evening , he must ask the brethren ' s permission to congratulate the Benevolent Institution on the magnificent success of that evening ' s festival . The Stewards had raised the average to £ 40 per list

which spoke volumes for their endeavours , and vvhich earned for them the gratitude of that Institution . The brethren had already been reminded , by the very eloquent and earnest terms in vvhich his lordship had placed that toast before them , that the two Institutions to whose success they had drunk vvere anxiously waiting the celebration of their Festivals . The Boys' School deepl y needed the brethren ' s earnest assistance , and he vvas quite sure that when June came round they would find

the same liberality extended to them as had been given to the Benevolent Institution . Speaking more particularly for the Girls' School , that being the first Festival to follow , he would remind the brethren that Sir Francis Burdett , the esteemed Provincial Grand Master for Middlesex , had very kindly consented to preside on Tuesday , May 20 th . He asked the brethren most sincerely to use their efforts on behalf of that Institution . So recently as the year 1888 , there had been a glorious Festival to celebrate its Centenary , in the Royal Albert Hall ,

and naturally , the year following there was a considerable re-action , and the result of the 101 st Festival vvas much diminished . Of course , that vvas to be anticipated , but he and those associated with him trusted that this year they mig ht be allowed a successful Festival , and one of vvhich the Chairman should be proud . He thanked the brethren on his own behalf , on behalf of the ' Secretary of the Boys' School , and on behalf of the 527 young residents of the two Institutions . ( Cheers . ) ¦

The CHAIRMAN said there vvas another toast vvhich the brethren would receive with great pleasure and thorough gratification—it vvas " The Stewards , " who had arranged for the comfort of the company that evening . Those brethren had met for some months past , and they had been the means of getting in that sum vvhich Bro . Terry had read out—those brethren who had , by infinite trouble , collected that sum . He was quite certain that every brother present knew how difficult it was

to some people to collect anything ; whereas others went round , and , some b y their personal charms , others by powers of persuasion , and some by undaunted " brass , " demanded and got subscriptions where it would never be believed they would . They must , however , render hearty thanks to those brethren who had been the means of raising the large amount of the evening . The Institution would give

its hearty thanks to them for that , and not only for that , but for the comfort they had provided for the brethren and the ladies who had graced the gathering by their presence in the gallery , and had put themselves to inconvenience in coining from all parts . He said , " Well done , good and trusty Masons ; you have deserved well ; enter into our hearts ; and may you long remain there in memory of the large subscription you have given to us . "

Bro . H . BROOKS MARSHALL , P . G . T ., replied . He thanked the Chairman for associating his name with the Board of Stewards . He would remark that when in the discharge of the philanthropic duties of his exalted position in advocating the claims of the aged and afflicted , the widows and the fatherless , his lordshi p must feel a pang of sorrow passing through his generous heart , remembering that a large proportion of the result of his eloquence and of his benevolence must be

expended in defraying the cost of the Charity dinner . He could assure his lordship that no such qualms of conscience need agitate his mind , for when a change came over the spirit of their dream when they entered into the regions of Masonic light , it vvas his privilege to state , and he did so with great satisfaction , that according to ancient custom the entire cost of that banquet and the entertainment to the ladies in the adjoining Temple vvas defrayed by the united subscriptions of the Board of

Stewards . Every shilling of the magnificent sum announced by Bro . Terry passed intact into the treasury of the Institution . Thanking the Chairman again for the gracious way in which he had acknowledged the feeble but earnest endeavours of the Stewards to add some grains of comfort to cheer the declining years , to smooth the pathway to the Grand Lodge above of those of their unfortunate brethren who unhappily for themselves had fallen in the terrible battle of life .

The CHAIRMAN then gave " The Ladies , " and the toast was responded to by Bro . Major LAMBERT , and the brethren adjourned to the Temple , where a charming concert was given under the direction of Bro . W . T . Graves , P . P . G . S . B . Herts . Bro . Morley vvas Toastmaster at the dinner .

Stewards' Lists.

STEWARDS' LISTS .

UNATTACHED . £ s . d . Bro . The Lord Mayor , Sir H . A . Isaacs , CHAIRMAN no 17 o , ; Thomas G . Bullen ... 23 2 o „ T . B . Daniell 10 10 o „ Iohn A . Farnfield ... 15 15 0

„ Horace B . Marshall , sen ., J . P - 42 o o „ Horace B . Marshall , jun ., B . A 10 10 o „ Francis H . Miller ... 10 10 0 „ William Pierpoint ... 52 10 o „ Charles Sheppard ... 47 5 o

„ James Terry 16 S 10 o „ Edward C . Talbot ... 47 5 o „ Henry John Strong , M . D ., J . P 24 12 o „ J . H . Lane

: £ s . d . Bro . William Clarke 2100 „ William Belchamber ... 10 10 o „ William H . Bolt „ S . Lea Smith 66 3 o „ J . H . Gregory 10 10 o

„ Baron de Ferrieres ... 10 10 o „ O . Philippe 10 10 o „ John Jones „ Major C . W . Carrell ... 10 10 o „ John Skinner 10 19 o j „ Hugh Cotter ,, L . C . Haslip 10 10 o

„ William Masters „ T . H . Beach „ J . H . Baxter 10 10 o „ Francis Shelton 10 10 o 1 „ Walter J . Nicholls ... 1010 0