Ireland.

responsible position , and to which I am under very many deep personal obligations , from the charge of remissness , because it would naturally occur to any one that this was one of the very first things that we ought to have set about . However , it was not set about until the year 1793 in this country , and when it was first established the institution appears to have been left to take care of itself . The Grand Lodge , it is true , supported it , and some of the brethren of those days supported it , but

nothing appears to have been done to render it very effectual ; and I must say it is not to the credit of the Order that it should have been suffered so long to languish in comparative obscurity . From the time that the noble Duke who now fills the chair of the Order became its Grand Master , in the year 1813 , to the present d , iy , he has been its munificent and constant supporter and friend . He has contributed annually for more than half a century £ 50 to its funds . ( Hearhear ) . I

, would that the example had been better appreciated and better followed by our brethren . It was not so . The Orphan School , I must say , was for a long time allowed to languish in comparative obscurity . It was held in one humble street after another : it was almost unknown . I will venture to say , at the time when I first became a member of the Order , now a good many years ago , very few members of the Order then knew of its existence ; and of those who did know of its

existence , very few indeed were at all awakened to the paramount importance of supporting it . At length , however , it did attract the attention of some men of energy and ability amongst us , and I shall not ha deterred by their presence from mentioning the names of two to whom our gratitude is due , ancl to whom our thanks should ever be paid—namely , my most respected predecessor iu office , Mr . Hoyte , and my excellent friend the Rev . Henry Westby , who was then Grand Chaplain of the Order . ( Applause . ) It is to their exertions that we owe the establishment which we have come here to contribute to and

support . If it had not been for then- courage in incurring a very considerable pecuniary liability , the present school would not have been built . A new era appears to have dawned upon the Order . Many came forward to support it who never heard of it before . Many , seeing how it was flourishing , came forward with increased vigour to give , not merely their contributions to it—for many of us had not , much money to give—but those contributions , not less valuable to men who have to earn

their bread—their time and their labour . ( Hear , hear . ) Many men amongst us to whom time was indeed money , snatched from the occupations of professional or mercantile life an hour now and then to look after the affairs of the Orphan School , and to their generous exertions its present flourishing condition is to be attributed . AVe found the cares of the establishment becoming more onerous than they had been , and when we took it from the hands of the respectable persons who had hitherto

overlooked it , but whose life and previous education had not fitted them for the supervision of an establishment intended for the education of youth , —when we took it into our hands , we found that its duties were becoming rather too heavy for any one set of men to attend to . Consequently the labour of overlooking it was subdivided between several committees , and some of the members of those several committees will this

evening give you details of the working of the institution , into which I shall not enter . I only feel bound to say that these gentlemen did their duties zealously ancl well . Amongst the expedients thought of for bringing the institution more into public notice , it was suggested that we were keeping too much in the background , ancl that it would be well to awaken the spirit of emulation which is implanted by Providence in every human breast hy holding a public examination of the pupilsin

, order to show what progress they had made during the previous few months , and to ta'rce the opportunity of rewarding the meritorious in a suitable manner . When this was first proposed some objections were made , and one intelligent friend of mine said that the school would bo ruined if this were done . I myself was somewhat of the same opinion , being one of those strongminded persons who said it would bo particularly injurious to

the children . It was a shocking thing to say , hut it was said , that there was a spirit of vanity implanted in every female breast , which , if we gave it the least encouragement , would blaze into a flame which he would not be able to extinguish ; and that we would he giving them rather too high a notion of their own positions . I was overruled , and so were the other parties who thought similarly . We were answered by the unanswerable argument—namely , that it would give them a proper notion of their position ; that they should be brought

forward , to show them that they were supported by our liberality ancl to hear from the lips of those who bad care of them , before such large assemblies as this , all these truths , which will be placed before you to-night . Therefore , I say we were overruled . You are aware , however , that the fundamental principle of our Order is that the minority must yield , and yield with a good grace , to the opinion of the majority . Your Grace has not any factious opposition to impede the hands of the administration .

AVhen a thing is once settled , we give way with as good grace as we can . We are at perfect liberty to retain our own opinions , provided we only act with those who differ from us , and who are the numerical majority . So a great number of those who at first thought the success of the experiment rather doubtful , gave way with a good grace , gave their assistance , and here we are to tell you what has been the result . The result , I may safely say , of bringing the claims of the school before the Masonic

public has been , not merely to double , but to treble the annual income . I clo not see that there was any other motive in the matter than that attributed to the founders of these annual meetings—namely , to sincerely endeavour to benefit the institution by bringing its claims into public notice , which has been done with a success which has been put beyond all possible question . At all events , whatever are our opinions , we are ready to concur with those of our brethren who think it is well that

the Masonic public should hear what has been done in these institutions , ancl we are grateful to those who take the trouble of coming hero to listen . Our first object has always been to see that the girls have a home in our school . It is not a mere place of education , a mere school for the destitute , or a refuge for those who have no other place to go to . It is really , in the full sense of the word , a home for the girls . It has been made so by the kindness of the matrons and hthose hy whom they are

y assisted , and who stand in the place of parents overt-he children . I should he happy that any one should come and see with their own eyes what is going on . It has been said that our society , with all its lofty pretensions to antiquity , ancl all its high claims to philanthropy and benevolence , effects but little . I am not here to vindicate our institution , but , nevertheless , our principles are those which no man need be ashamed to hold . But it may be said that benevolence and philanthropy are terms : benevolence

may work itself out with very little exertion , and philanthropy may be evanescent , and although , when it finds its object in view , it may be a well-ordered sentiment , nevertheless , it may have very little practical effect . However , remember that these two principles are the great commandments : — " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy might , and thy neighbour as thyself . " These are the principles on which the Institution was founded , and which enabled it to last to this

day—sometimes lauded , sometimes cherished , no doubt , by the highest of the earth . Kings , princes , and nobles were proud to wear our ancient garb , and proud to profess themselves followers of our Craft . It has been excommunicated , execrated , ancl called the curse of the earth , the snare of youth , the plaything of grown children , ancl the delusion of those of riper years . It is not so . It may be made so when abused—what mortal institution is there that cannot ? If young men join us

for the sake of society or enjoyment , or to wear the decorations , which are but gew gaira , they had , I believe , better stay away ; but if they come to join , heart in hand , to carry out the great principles which are the great bases of oar institution , and which every well-informed man knows to bo so , they are welcome . AVe point out one way in which exertion may be best given for the benefit of the association , in which these orphans may be made respectable members of society . We trust we shall have

many such brethren coining amongst us , ancl that my friend the Grand Chaplain will not find his office a sinecure during the ensuing year . I trust that none who come to visit our schools will find that any of us were wanting in our duty or had gone beyond our duty in bringing the claims of the school prominently forward before those whose duty it is to support it . We do not ask the charity of the public . We had at one time charity sermons and charity plays . I was at one sermon which

was dreary , and a charity play , which was drearier still . We are now able to support our own institution . These results had been produced by the united efforts of a few men , not possessing any great influence in the association , hut willing to cooperate together with heart and hand . God blessed our endeavours , and I trust , brethren of the Masonic Order , that you will all remember a sentiment , not now heard for the first time , " Except God build the house , their labour is but lost who build it . "