Masonic Mem.

made kaown to the Craft in the course of the ending summer . With this exception , the condition of the Institution may reasonably be regarded as eminently favourable . The best and most conclusive test of its value and importance is to be found in the material support accorded to it ; and when it is stated

that the receipts of the past year have amounted to £ 7 , 34416 s . 8 d ., there can be no question as to the position occupied hy the School in the estimation of the Craft . In the same period the disbursements have amounted to £ 11 , 194 17 s . 4 d ., being on general account , and for extraordinary expenditure £ 4 , 689 15 s . 10 d ., and on building account £ 6 , 505 Is . 6 d .

By the great majority of the subscribers and governors , t 5 is Committee and Executive have every reason to believe their acts have been approved and their administration supported , aud it will be their earnest endeavour while thus encouraged to continue their exertions , so long as they are entrusted with the confidence of their brethren , for the promotion of the interests

of this valuable Institution , through the agency of which so many benefits and advantages have been afforded to the sons of deserving , but unfortunate brethren . Animated alike by hope and confidence , they appeal without hesitation for continued and increased support , to render more available the advantages of the Institution , and thus demonstrate to those who are not of

our Order , and by whom we are charged with au undue regard to selfish , enjoyment , that by none more than by Freemasons is appreciated , enjoyed , and practically understood , the greatest of all luxuries—the luxury of doing good . The Right Hon- the Earl of Dalhousie , Z . T-, & . C . B ., and

R . AV-P . D . G . Master , occupied the chair , and on the dais we observed the following brethren : —Bros . Alderman Spiers , D . Fuov- G . M . for Oxfordshire ; Nicholas Bradford , P . G . Assist . Dir . of Cers . ; Thos . Faun , G . A . D . C . ; AV . E . Gumbleton , . T . G . D . ; Benjamin Head , P . G . D . ; G . AV . Iv . Potter , P . G . D . ; Fred . Dundas , P . G . W . ; . 1 . Havers , P . J . G . AV . ; J . S . Hopwood , P . G . D . ; Albert

TV . Woods , G . Dir . of Cers . ; John Symonds , P . G . Assist . Dir . of Cera ; Henry Empson , P . G . S . B . ; Richard Cope , P . G . S . B . ; E . H . Patten , Secretary to the Girls' School ; AV Farnfield , P . G . A . S . ; A . W . Thiselton , P . G . Steward ; Rev . Charles AA ood-¦ ward , Chaplain to the Institution ; Peter Matthews , Hon . Surgeon Dentist ; John Emmens , P . G . Purst ., & c . The banquet

was prepared iu Bro . Gosden ' s best style , and it gave the most unqualified satisfaction . The cloth having been drawn , grace was sung by the professional singers . The CHAIEMAS - rose and said : Before proceeding to give the first toast of the evening , he wished to express the high

gratification he experienced iu seeing such au assembly in support of their Charity , and at the same time he to some extent accepted it as a compliment to himself . The first toast he had to propose was that of her Majesty the Queen , and although she was excluded from the temple of their Order , there was no class of subjects more ready to do her honour than the whole body of

Freemasons . He therefore with great pleasure gave them " Tho Health of Her Majesty , " which he asked them to drink upstanding and with all the honours the toast deserved . The toast was enthusiastically responded to . The National Anthem followed , the solo parts by Mdlle . Liebhart .

The CHAIEJIAA - said the next toast he asked them to drink was " His Royal Highness the Prince of AVales , the Princess of Wales , and the other Members of the Royal Family . " This was a toast he had often given before , and he hoped that on the next occasion he gave it , His Royal Highness would be a member of the Craft- Hitherto that hope had not been

fulfilled , but he trusted that the Grand Master would not relajj in . his most anxious encfeavours to obtain the enrolment of Bis ' Royal Highness amongst' uhe members of the Craft . In givin ' gtbis toast he claimed their cympathies for t ! ie-Princess of Wales , who lay in a condition , not esrtainly one of danger , but one of pain and suffering . He asked' them to give "iertheir warmest

sympathy and earnest prayers for'her restoration't ' o health . The toast was cordially received ^ followed hy a song , by Madile Liebhart . The CHAIEJKAN - said the next toast'was of no small importance in these days , for it was the health of those bodies that' formed their moral defences . To the army of Great Britain they

owed a deep debt of gratitude in days-gone by , for they saw on their walls trophies they had won by the sweat of their brow and the strength of their arm iu every part of the globe .- He regretted that lately had sprung up a crop which had arisen from some unknown hand that had been sowing dragon ' s teeth , amongst them , but the Volunteers in a most distinguished manner '

had applied themselves to their duties , and showed a readinessto obey the orders of their officers of the principal requirementsin a Volunteer force . He had no fear that the Volunteers would lack courage or intelligence , but there was some fear if they should be called into action , unless they prepared themselves for it . They might lack that steady and ready compliance with

order , which was the essential of all military bodies .. He looked upon the Volunteers as a body who would fight more ardently for their altars and homes than the army itself , for they had a much deeper interest in maintaining them . He gave "The Army , Navy , and Volunteers . " Bro . AVATSOIT , I . P . M . of the Fitzroy Lodge , on behalf of the Volunteers , begged to return thanks for the honour that had been done them . They represented the most ancient Volunteer

force in the kingdom , the Honourable Artillery Company having existed for upwards of 260 years . Lately their numbers had increased from 200 to 1 , 000 . The Prince of Wales was then Colonel , and Colonel Lloyd Lindsay had recently become their Lieutenant-Colonel , in the place of Lord Colville , resigned ! On the part of the Volunteers , he deeply thanked them for the honour conferred upon them .

Tho CHAIRMAN said ho hoped that they were all charged 1 bumpers , for if ever there was a bumper due to merit , it was to the toast they were about to drink . He begged to propose the health of their excellent Grand 31 aster , who , for twenty-four years , year by year , had been selected by the Craft to rule over them . He appealed to them to drink the toast with bumpers ,

when they remembered the Masonic liberality , which they all recognised , with which he had presided over them for twentyfour years , and he was sure that they must deeply regret any prospect of losing his valuable services . He expected that day to have been supported by their Grand Master , and , although he was not present , he hoped they would drink his health with

all grateful thanks , not only for past services , but hoping that lie might for uianj' years adorn the office which he filled with so much advantage to the Craft . He gave them "The Health of the Earl of Zetland , Most AVorshipful Grand Master , President of the Institution . " The toast was drunk with the most enthusiastic cheering .

The CHAIH 3 IAJ - said he then rose to ask the company to dedicate a glass to "The Health of the Most AVorshipful the Deputy Grand Master and the Officers of the Grand Lodge of England . " Iu drinking the health of the D . G . M ., he wa « delighted to have the opportunity of again testifying to the usefulness of that distinguished Mason in the high position he occupied . During the time that he had occupied the office of D . G . M . he had earned not only the approbation of the Craft ,