Anniversary Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

The Anniven-arv Festival of this Institution was held on Wednesday , ihe I'Sth ult ., at Freemasons' Tavern . Bro . Col . G . Noel Money , C . B ., Prov . G . M . for Surrey , presided over some 400 brethren , who sat down to dinner in the large hall , and besides these a large number of ladies were entertained in another room . Among the brethren who supported Bro . Col . Money were Bros , the Karl of Huston , the Rev . W . J . I .. S . Stradling , P . G . C ; Dr . Ralp h Gooding , P . G . D . ; Baron de Ferrieres , P . G . D . ; Horace Brooks Marshall , P . G . T . ; VV . F . Smithson , P . G . D . ; C . E . Keyser , P . G . D . ; K . Letchworth , G . Sec ; F . R . W . Hedges , P . G . S . B ., Sec R . M . I . G . ; and Charles Belton , P . A . G . D . C .

After the usual loyal toasts had been proposed , Bro . Col . MONEY , in proposing "The M . W . Pro G . Master , the Earl of Lathom ; the R . W . Dep . Grand Master , the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe , and the rest of the Grand Officers , Present and Past , " said they all knew the great interest the Karl of Lathom took in Freemasonry , and that whenever it was possible he came among the brethren and occupied the chair .

They all deeply regretted his ill-health , which of late had kept him much away from them , and in drinking his health they would wish him a speedy return to strength and re-appearance in the Craft . The Earl of Mount Edgcumbe likewise needed no words of commendation from anyone . They would remember that his lordship presided over the Jubilee Festival of the Koyal Masonic Benevolent Institution two years ago , when the largest sum

ever contributed lo any Charitable Institution in the world was announced Of the Present and Past Grand Officers there was a goodly gathering that night . Grand Oliicers had always shown a deep interest in the Masonic Charities . In coupling the name of the Earl of Euston with the toast , he did not think there was a single Freemason in England who worked harder in Freemasonry or did more good in its cause .

The Earl of EI ' STON , Prov . G . M ., Northants and Hunts ,, in reply , after thanking Col . Money for his kind reference to himself , said although several Grand Officers were present he would like to have seen more of them . Still it must be a great gratification to the Chairman to see so many brethren around him to assist that great Institution .

Bro . Col . MONEY next proposed the toast of the evening , " Success to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons . " He was sure the brethren would sympathise with him when he said he felt at a loss for words in which to propose it . What could he say that had not been said over and over again previously ; what could he say that almost everyone of the brethren sitting there had not said when pleading

the cause of that noble Institution ? Masonry was a charitable Institution , and how nobl y this was shown in the three great Masonic Charities—the Old People ' s and the Boys' and the Girls' Schools . He thought however much interest they felt in the cause of the Boys and Girls , he would not say they felt a greater interest in that of the Old People , but bethought in some ways it was somewhat different , it was a deeper and more tender interest . The children

were entering inlo life , and we looked to them , after we had launched them into life , to look after themselves , to be a credit to us and to the Institution which had looked after them in their childhood . But with the Old People they must feel somewhat as they would feel regarding their own fathers and mothers if ( hey were left in a state of penury and distress . These old people had no one to look to but the brethren of the Craft , and that that was heartily felt by all

I'reemasons was proved by the great interest and the noble support given t ° the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . At the wonderful festival of two years ago the unprecedentedly large sum oi i . fio . ooo was subscribed . The brethren who subscribed that sum did not intend that it should suffice for a number of years to come ; ¦ ind it was intended to be a special contribution on the occasion of the

Institution s Jubilee—to found a reserve by which more aged Freemasons could be provided for and supported by that Institution ; and the brethren never dreamed that in the succeeding years the contributions would fall at all short "I the average contributions of preceding years . He did not know what result their esteemed Secretary would have to give , but he could only hope it would

be worthy of the noble gathering he saw around him , and that it would insure the prosperity of the Institution , and prevent any diminution n ' its settled funds in order to tide over one or two years . There was nothing more he could say . The brethren knew the statistics of the Institution , and those who did not had had them laid before them that evening , and could examine them at their leisure .

Bro . C . K . KEYSER , P . G . D ., in responding , said he owed an apology to he Chairman and brethren because on many previous occasions they had " id the privilege of the Institution ' s most popular Treasurer , Bro . Famfield ' s P'csence , who responded to the toast . Bro . Farnfield was so intimately ' ? 9 | ' ' i "Hed with every detail o the Institution that he was the most qualified roiher to respond Unfortunatel howeverhe was not presentand he

. y , , , J . 'ro . Keyser ) had been asked to leave the lodge of which he was Master . 1 , p' > ich he was presiding—as one of the House Committee and one of l ' , I rustees of this Inslitulion—to respond . He need hardly say they were ' wailing with great interest to hear the result of their united exertions . He I ' every reason to believe that those exertions had resulted in a very I J . ^ -n ^ VJll vv . uuntvi : LII . Liluau UAdLlUlIS IKIU l \ . OUlL \ -L . ill IX V .. 1 V

fe , ? amount being got together . He was certain they had but one C In ^~ that Ihey were all most thoroughly interested in the object sec * 1 ^ '' y WCTC rnrt ' Those who had been down to Croydon and J | n . lllc . happiness which their contributions conferred on the inmates of pie nst'tul' ? n , would agree that that alone would make them give with han " ' Thirty-two pensioners were there enjoying the greatest peace and of ( L I ss ' But there were 420 others who annually received the benefits ne Institution . Throughout the length and breadth of the land the

Anniversary Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

brethren had the opportunity of seeing the result which the lists announced were able tn produce towards relieving the distress and misery of those who often—and generally through no fault of their own—had been brought down from prosperity to the lowest ebb of poverty and distress . He " sincerely hoped their dear old friend , Bro . Terry , would announce a result which would be satisfactory to them all . Of course , they all felt that after the magnificent result of 1892 of , £ 69 , , to a certain extent they would go

back to what they used to have three or four years before . Last year , under the humble presidency of himself , it was very much lower ; but he hoped that this year the result would be very much in excess of what it was last year . They had had an admirable Chairman that evening , the popular ruler of one of the most important provinces . Under Col . Money ' s chairmanship he was sure the subscriptions would be worthy of that great Institution . He asked them never to forget the Old People , and that they would not fail to do something for an Institution which had done so much for the Craft .

Bro . J AMES TERRY then announced the lists , prefacing his statement with the remark that there were 296 Stewards , 137 from London and 159 from the provinces . There were 11 lists yet to come in . The total brought in by the 137 London Stewards was £ 5421 3 S- 6 d ., and by the 159 brethren from the provinces . £ 7237 us . The Chairman ' s personal donation was 50 guineas . West Yorkshire sent . £ 1837 103 ., included in which amount was 1200 guineas , for which he had the personal cheque of Bro . George Heaton , of Heckmondwike . The total was £ 12 , 658 14 s .

The Earl of EUSTON proposed " The Chairman , " whom he congratulated on the success of his presidency . He thought the amount would soon be £ 13 , 000 . Whether the Chairman was satisfied wilh the big amount that had been brought in he could not say , but whether he was or not all the brethren must congratulate him . They all knew the work Colonel Money had done

in Masonry , not only in the Craft but in every other Degree to which he belonged ; he was at the head of everything ; he was one of the Supreme Council of the 33 , and of those Orders which were coveted by every Mason . That showed how he was appreciated by Freemasons . The Province of Surrey had supported him that evening , and he must be very proud of that support .

Bro . Col . MONEY , in acknowledging the toast , said the result of the evening ' s subscription was commensurate with his gratitude . They ought to be gratified that the total of £ 12 , 000 had been reached , but he felt sure that it would yet be £ 13 , 000 . It was not more gratifying to any one than it was to him . It was with feelings of great trepidation that he acceded to the request of Bro . Terry that he should preside . It was a great

responsibility , but he could not sufficiently thank the brethren for the great success they had contributed to . He must also thank most heartily the Province of Surrey for its noble support . Masonry had no more devoted adherent than himself , and as long as God gave him health and strength , all his best powers should be devoted to the cause of Freemasonry . He thanked Lord Kuston from the bottom of his heart for the extremel y kind way in which he had proposed the toast .

The Rev . W . J . L . S . STRAIH . ING , P . G . C , proposed " The Sister Institutions . " Bro . F . R . W . HEDGES replied . The Boys' Festival would have the presidency of Bro . VV . L . Jackson , Prov . G . M . for West Yorkshire , and he was sure the brethren would make that Festival a great success . With reference to the Girls' School Festival , he would remind the brethren that that

Institution was the next to celebrate its Festival , and would take place on May 9 th , when the Karl of Lathom would preside . Last year that Institution was favoured with a Festival much better than it had been able to celebrate since 18 S 8 , when the Institution celebrated its Centenary . The School had had the misfortune this last year to be visited by a severe epidemic , which put it to considerable expene . They were now looking

forward to May next for the funds to be replenished . They hoped that the expense incurred last year would be more than covered , and that the work of the Institution mi ght go on without let or hindrance . He had on many recent occasions declared that the work of the Masonic Institutions was never more efficiently carried out than at the present moment . He said it on Friday last at the Emulation of Improvement ; but since then they had had further evidence—if it were needed—for the result of the Cambridge Local

Examination was that the Boys' had scored another great success , and with the Girls' School the whole 15 girls who competed passed—six with honours , 12 with distinction . This was the third time in live years all the candidates had passed , without one failure . The brethren would all agree with him that these institutions were doing a great work in a thorough , admirable , and most efficient manner , and it was with confidence he said the brethren would afford help to them . Bro . Dr . STRONG proposed " The Stewards , " and

Bro . F . WEST , P . G . D ., Deputy Prov . G . M . Surrey , responded , and said he was very proud of what Surrey had done . Bro . Alderman and Sheriff DI . MSDALE , returning thanks for the toast of " The Ladies , " which was proposed by the Chairman , said he was glad the

Chairman had sel cied him to speak on the qualities and blessing of woman , Tliey had all known the blessing of the ladies . In them was associated in their minds home rule , but not the Home Rule they had heard so much about ; theirs was not llie disintegration of the house , but the concentration ot all that was true , right , beautiful , and he thought they could all

say—How blest is she whose bright unchanging ray Can make to-morrow happy as to-day , And who never answers till her husband cools , And if she rules him never shows she rules . The brethren then adjourned to the Temple , where a splendid concert was given , Bro . Col , Money again presiding .