The Boys' School Festival.

THE BOYS' SCHOOL FESTIVAL .

We confess to being greatly disappointed at the result of Wednesday ' s Festival in aid of the lloyal Masonic Institution for Boys . Seeing the Board of Stewards was of goodly proportions , and included several brethren of influence and energy , we felt justified in expressing a hope that the result would find

itself between the £ 13 , 840 of the Benevolent Institution in February and the £ 11 , 000 of the Girls' School in May . However , the total , as will be seen from the Returns elsewhere , is very considerably less than the inferior of the two sums we

have named , and Ave can only express regret that our estimatewhich was by no means an extravagant one under ordinary circumstances—has not been realised . Had it been so the funds of the Boys' School Avould have been increased by some £ 2000 .

The Late Earl Of Carnarvon.

THE LATE EARL OF CARNARVON .

It is full early yet to estimate the extent of the loss which English Freemasonry has sustained by the death of the Earl of CARNARVON , Pro Grand Master , and Provincial Grand Master of Somersetshire , but that his death is the greatest calamity which has befallen our Society during the last 15 years is beyond

question . His lordship , as will be seen from the memoir Ave publish elsewhere , was a member of long , as well as of the highest , standing , having been initiated in the Westminster and Keystone Lodge in the early days of 18 5 6 . As a scholar and one given to inquire into the more abstruse mysteries of every

branch of knoAvledge that came Avithin his ken , he Avas better able than most men to appreciate at its true value the real meaning and intent of our Masonic system ; while as one of the

kindest and best of men , and possessing within himself the power of self-government , he Avas able to apply the principles inculcated by Freemasonry in all the many and various duties which devolved on him in the course of his career . He cared

but little for the external splendours of the Order , but for its inner life , its history , and its unique methods of imparting knowledge he has himself told us he had the greatest admiration and respect . Of this , indeed , we had an exemplification in his treatment onl y two or three years since of the New South

Wales question , the difficulties of which he had an opportunity of studying on the spot , when visiting our great Australasian Colonies . On that occasion , on landing at Sydney , he found the brethren under four different Constitutions in a state of violent

dissension . In a short time , by his conciliatory disposition , his great tact , and ready knowledge of affairs , he succeeded in infusing a better spirit into the relations existing among the various Masonic bodies , and on his return to England , the plans he formulated for the removal of these disorders Avere

unhesitatingly accepted by his Royal Highness the GRAND MASTER . The four dissentient bodies became one Grand Lodge , united in spirit as well as in government , and there is now no Colony of England in which the Masonic Fraternity is happier and more prosperous in itselfor better disposed towards the Grand Lod

, ges of the Old Country than New South Wales . For this immediate and complete transformation from a state of chaos to a state of order we are mainly indebted to our late PRO GRAND MASTER , and had he never succeeded in any other purpose he set himself , this one achievement alone would entitle him to

the respect of all Craftsmen both now and in the future . On the other hand , he could be firm as a rock in the maintenance of the great principles of our Society when anything happened which , in his opinion , was calculated to jeopardise the security of those principles . In 18 77 the Grand Orient

of France struck out of its Book of Constitutions the most important of all the Articles of our Masonic faith , namely , belief in the existence of a Supreme Being and a future state . On this his lordship took the earliest available opportunity of proposing from his place in Grand Lodgea severance of those friendly relations svhich had theretofore existed between the Masons

The Late Earl Of Carnarvon.

of France and of this country . This act also , though it may be said to have created disunion where none previously existed , will ensure that his memory is cherished and respected by all true Craftsmen . But we need not prolong these remarks . We have shown both here and elsewhere what manner of man he was

whom death so unexpectedly removed from our midst on Saturday last . There is none who knew him personally or by repute who does not mourn his loss most deeply , and there is none who will not sacredly cherish the memory of the great services he rendered to his country both in public life and as a Freemason .

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .

The Festival in celebration of the 92 nd Anniversary of this Institution was held on Wednesday evening , at Freemasons' Tavern , the chair being occupied by Bro . Lord George Hamilton , M . P ., P . S . G . W ., and there were betsveen 300 and 400 brethren present . At the conclusion of the dinner grace vvas sung by the musical artistes , and the toasts were proposed .

The CHAIRMAN , in proposing The Health of the Queen , said her Most Gracious Majesty had many claims on the gratitude of her subjects , as during her reign great prosperity had prevailed , and in her social and private life she had displayed those qualities on vvhich Freemasonry was founded . On this occasion he asked the brethren to drink her Majesty ' s health as the grand and munificent Patroness of the Masonic Boys' School , in whose welfare she had always shown the deepest interest .

The CHAIRMAN , in proposing the toast of " His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , M . W . G . M ., the President of the Masonic Institution for Boys , " said his Royal Highness had placed the Brotherhood under great obligations , as he had given a great impetus to Freemasonry in the United Kingdom by becoming Grand Master of the Order . All who had been in any way associated with him in the discharge of the duties connected with the office of Grand Master would say that he discharged his work in no perfunctory manner . His Royal Highness had

presided at one of the Festivals of this Institution , and the same might be said of his Royal brother , the Duke of Connaught . On both of those occasions their Royal Highnesses' advocacy vvas attended by a very large amount of subscriptions , All the brethren of the Craft were thoroughly satisfied with the way in vvhich their Royal Hig hnesses performed their duties , and he was sure that they thoroughly appreciated the duties of the high station in which God had placed them .

The CHAIRMAN , after the toast had been most cordially received , said that in the exercise of the discretion which was always vested in the Chairman he would interpolate a few words between the toast which he had just proposed and the toast he had next to propose . During the last few days England and Freemasonry had both experienced a great loss by the death of that distinguished Statesman and Freemason , the Earl of Carnarvon . As this was the last occasion

on which any body of Freemasons were able to make any testimonial of respect to that distinguished man , vvho to-morrow morning would be laid in his last resting place , he would ask the brethren to drink to his memory in solemn silence . The Earl of Carnarvon was a singularly gifted man . His enthusiastic nature , his humanitarian impulses , his life in the past , his great antiquarian lore , the undying belief which he had in the necessity of every individual ' s contribution to the best

of his ability towards alleviating the necessities and sorrows that mankind must ever be subject to , made him in every sense the beau ideal of a Freemason . In every capacity he was of the greatest service to the Craft , and svhen he was appointed Pro Grand Master by his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , he brought his great knowledge of affairs and his diplomatic skill into play by bringing to a successful issue negotiations with regard to controversies vvhich svere

in existence between the lodges in the colonies under the Grand Lodge of England and other Masonic bodies in those colonies . The Earl of Carnarvon ' s career was one of which every man might be proud , and everyone who followed him to his grave would feel that there might fitly be placed over him the memorial Requiescat in Honore . He ( the Chairman ) , therefore , felt he mi ght

safely interrupt the flow of the brethren ' s festivity by asking them to show the last mark of respect which was possible in the great Masonic body to one whom whilst he was alive they honoured by their confidence , and whom now they revered by their respect . The toast vvas drunk in silence .

The CHAIRMAN next said he had to ask the brethren to drink The Health of the Ear ] of Lathom , Deputy Grand Master , the Prov . Grand Masters , and the Present and Past Grand Officers . " It was a characteristic of a great corporation or Institution that it never died but lived on for ever , and if they were lamenting a few minutes ago the departure of a distinguished Freemason who had done good work , they were able to rejoice over having associated with them

another admirable Freemason who had done excellent work in the Craft . Those annual gatherings brought home to them this fact , that so far as Freemasonry vvas concerned , the work went on though the workers changed . In the Earl of Lathom they had one who was an admirable example of a worker in the ceremonial and formalities connected vvith the Craft , and of one who , by his

exhibition of dignity and composure , expressed the true position of a ruler in the Order . There was no living Freemason who could conduct himself vvith greater dignity or propriety during all the ceremonials than the Earl of Lathom , who set an example and standard vvhich they would all do well to strive to imitate . He associated with the toast Bro . Horace Brooks Marshall , Past Grand Treasurer of England . Bro . H . BROOKS MARSHALL , P . G . Treasurer , in reply , said he was only expressing a truism when he said that the Grand Officers were always most anxious and