Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

INSTITUTION NFL THE AGED .

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION FOR AGED FREEMASONS AND WIDOWS OF FREEMASONS , CROYDON .

The annual festival of this Institution was held on Wednesday evening at Free-masons' Tavern . Bro . the RightHon . Lord Skelmersdale , D . G . M ., and Prov . G . M . for West Lancashire , presided . From an early period of the . evening there were indications of the festival being a great success , the gallery filling with ladies soon after it was

opened . The Stewards were very numerous , and lined all the passages from Freemasons ' Hall to the banqueting-room . When the visitors were admitted the dining hall was soon rilled , and when his lordship took tlie chair , which he did , accompanied by the Stewards , shortly after six o ' clock the hall was full . Excepting when the Prince of Wales took the chair for this

institution there has never been so large an assemblage at this first festival of the year , and the brethren who were present predicted an unrivalled result for Bro . Terry . They did not , however , anticipate such a result as was ultimately found to be tbe case , and when the announcement was

made , as will be seen below , tha brethren were fairly astonished . To give a complete list of the brethren present would be impossible , but as nearly as we could ascertain , the following were among the brethren present -. —Rev . J . Edmund Cox , D . D ., P . G . C ; Rev .

C . J . Martyn , J . G . C . j Benjamin Head , P . G . D . ; F . P . Murrell , P . G . D . ; Robert Grey , J . G . D . ; Henry Grissell , P . G . D . ; Thomas Fenn , P . G . D . ; Thomas Jowitt , P . G . M . Hertfordshire ; J . M . P . Montagu , D . P . G . M . Dorset ; Andrew Hay , P D . D . G . M . Bombay ;

E . J . Morris , D . P . G . M . South Wales Eastern Division ; Dr . Strong , Hon . Surgeon to the Institution ; John Hervey , Lieut .-Col-Creaton , S . L . Tomkins , P . G . D . ; Lieut .-Gen . Sir Edward Green , K . C . B . ; Raynham W . Stewart , R . J . S piers , P . G . S . B . ; ] . D . Moore , M . D ., P . G .

S . B . ; Thomas Cubitt , P . G . P . ; John Coutts , P . G . P . ; W . H . Lucia , P . G . Secretary Suffolk -, Rev . R . Evans , Lieut .-Col . T Birchall , Prescott , H . L . Alpass , Major Wilson , Deeley , Charles Fryer , Clement Stretton , P . P . G . W .

Leicester ; H . C . Toombs , P . G . Secretary Wilts ; F . Binckes , R . W . Little , James Terry . Most of the'Stewards , whose names were g iven b y us last week , were also present . Altogether about 400 brethren were present , and over 2 : 0 ladies .

The Chairman , in proposing " The Health of the Queen , " said- —The first toast that I have to give you this evening is " The Health of Her ¦ Most Gracious Majesty the Queen , " the patroness of our Order . This is a toast that is never more loyall y drank than at an assembly of the brethren . I am sure all here present must rejoice

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that Her Majesty has thought fit once more to appear among us , and I am sure you will re-echo the wish that she may continue to do so year by year . All of us who had tha privilege of seeing

her yesterday in health , and also surrounded as she was by her daughters and daughter-in-law , certainly had this wish . The toast was followed b y " God Save the Queen . "

The Chairman said—The next toast I have the honour to propose is " The Health of the M . W . G . M . the Prince of Wales , " not only as G . M ., but also as Patron and President of the Institution whose festival we are keeping this day , also " The Health of the Princess of Wales

and the other members of the Royal Family . " I am sure that we must all look forward to the day on which our M . W . G . M . will return to this country . After the glorious success of his visit to India anything that we can do will seem but poor in comparison with tha splendour that he

has seen there ; bat a- ; far as a hearty welcome goes , what he will receive from the brethren especially will be far greater than any he has hitherto had . We must ail admire the way in which he has gone through the heavy , the hard , the arduous taskth . it he his set himself . Thank God

he has had good health throughout , and thank God , our future King his such a constitution as has enabled him to withstand that terrible climate . Brethren , I need not speak to you of the Prince of Wales as a Mason , for we all kno . v how thoroughly , how deeply , he has the interests

of the Craft at heart . Long may he continue to rule over us ; long may that lovel y Princess live to rule with him . We saw her yesterday in the ceremony , having travelled a long distance simply with the idea of appearing in company with Her Majesty the Qaeen , to show lhat though the

Prince of Wales was away from us her heart was with us still , and that though he might be away she was there to represent him . ( The speech , which was frequently interrupted by loud applause , was followed by " God Bless the Prince of Wales . " )

The Chairman : The next toast I have the honour to propose to you is "The Health of the M . W . Pro G . Master , the Earl of Carnarvon . " ( Cheers . ) I need say but few words to commend him to your notice . He is well known

among you . We all know how he came forward last year in a time of grief to perform that duty which he so ably fulfilled ia the Albert Hall . Brethren , without saying more I g ive you /' The Health of the Pro G . M . " ( Applause . )

The Rev . J . Edmund Cox , D . D ., P . G . C .: As the senior Past Grand Officer of the Grand Lodge present to-ni ght , the duty devolves upon me to propose a toast for your consideration which I

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feel persuaded will meet with the utmost enthusiasm by one and all of the brethren whom 1 see before me . I have only to name that it is "The Health of the Right Hon . the noble Lord who this night presides over the Festival of the Institution , the D . G . M . of this country , " to

insure a hearty response from yourselves . ( Great cheering . ) Firmly do I believe , and I am sure that you yourselves are as strong in that belief as I am myself , that had H . R H . the Prince of Wales sought throughout the while length and breadth of this country , throughout every

province of the country , he could not have put his hand upon a brother more suited for that office than the nobleman who so thoroughly and Masonically fulfils its duties . His lordshi p possesses , as all who know him must be aware , the great essentials for the office he holds , for he has

wisdom to comprehend , he has judgme . it to define , and he has ability to execute our Masonic laws . We know also that in every respect he is true and trusty , most thoroughly easy of address , steady and firm in principle , able and willing to undertake the management of

whatevet Misonic wjrk he is called upon to undertake ; and we know full well that in no respect is he behind tluse wha hive preceded him in that chair in inculcating and acting upan tha : inculcation of the highest principles of our Order , brotherly love , relief , and truth . It is

not long that I have had the distinguished privilege of being acquainted with that worthy and esteemed brother ; but the mora I know of turn the more reason have I to respect and love him , the more reason have I to believe he is indeed suited thoroughly to the offi ; e he fills with so

much dignity , and yet with so much kindness and condescension , and the more ami persuaded that never in the annals of the Craft have we had one to whom we could look next to H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , and the Earl of Carnarvon , our Pro G . M ., better able to fulfil his duties , or

more desirous to win the love and esteem of us all . We thank him from " our heart of hearts " for coming here to-night to do suit and service in the cause of " melting charity . " We thank him heartil y for taking into consideration the wants of the aged and the infirm ; and we thank

him also for having in . previous years remembered the young , rising into life . As he strove to promote their welfare and their interest , so now does he strive to give solace and peace to those who are in the decline of years ; and he will succeed , I am sure , to-night , and when he

retires from this hall he will have the satisfaction of hearing that a more successful festival for this Institution has never been held within this great city . My lord , with every feeling of fraternal regard and _ esteem for yourself , I now propose your ^ heal th . May your possessionlof that