Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

Crystal Palace , after witnessing the magnificent Masonio Assembly at the Albert Hall yesterday , with feelings of thanks and gratification , heightened by the knowledge of the universil benefits which would be conferred by those gatherings upon the three Masonio Institutions . He thanked the United Grand Lodge of England for its munificent

contribution on the first day of this month , of £ 6 000 , distributed in sums of £ 2 , 000 to each of the three Masonio Institutions . ( This sentence was received with loud cheers ) . The Boys' Institution had in its turn derived benefit from those two sources , but still he felt perfectly justified in pleading with them for support on thisoconsion .

On the Jubilee celebration of His Majesty George III . fifty boys were specially admitted to the benefits of these Schools . On the Jubilee of Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen—Grand Patroness of tbe O'der , einoe 1852—258 sons of Freemasons were e * 'joying the full benefits of maintenance , clothing and education in that

Institution . Further , there had been expended in the ereotion of School buildings and the purchase of freehold land , in round figures , a little short of £ 100 , 000 . He was sorry to say that on the Building Fund for tbe Preparatory Schools and General School Sustentntion Fund their account at the bankers' showed a serious liability ,

amonnting to about £ 3 , 000 . Urgent efforts were needed to reverse this state of things , and it was his duty speoially to press upon the charitably-disposed in this assembly , to help to wipe out this deficit , and to restore tbe equilibrium in the finances of the Institution . The expenditure last year was £ 16 , 300 , and the receipts some £ 13 , 000

He was anxious , therefore , that the Festival in this jear of rejoicing should render the monetary course of this noble School one removed from all cause of anxiety to the Executive , and one of ease and smoothness in the future of its history . In conclusion , he urged npon them to do their utmost for the Institution , and place it in tbat

position of prosperity worthy of so splendid an educational establishment . Tbe toast waB briefly acknowledged by Bro . George Plucknett P . G . D ., Vice-Patron , Treasurer of the Institution . The Secretary ( Bro . Frederick Binckes ) then read the list of contributions brought up by the Stewards , full details of which are

given on another page . The total amount , with 13 lists yet to come in , waB £ 11 , 100 . Bro . Binckes said he was proud to be able , for the first time , to make a special announcement . His experience went back for thirty years , and in that time neither of the Masonic Institutions had ever received any contributions from the great

City Companies . Brother Major Josephs , however , who was a prominent member of the Court of Common Council—and as Steward for Lodge No . 96 had given in the sum of £ 138—told him that while he would not guarantee anything further before the 31 st of March next , that was only an approximate amount . He did not

hesitate , even m the presence of Major Josephs , to state that he most sincerely believed the amount of fifty guineas from the Goldsmiths' Company was mainly due to their constant friend Major Lambert . This was entirely a new element of snpport , ihowing the magnificent Corporation of tbe first city of the first

Empire in the world took au interest in works of benevolence . They had also received twenty-five gnineas from tbe Skinners ' Company , and twenty-five guineas from the Vintners' Company . Her Majesty the Queen , to whom they were bound by evs-ry tie of affeotion and loyalty , had sent her thirty . seventh donation of ten

guineas . At the same time up to the present the resnlfc of the Festival was somewhat disappointing . Bro . Major Lambert , as Prime Warden of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths , beegrd most rospcctfully to say that they were mast delighted when Major Josephs r . pplied to their Company for a donation

towards the Boys School . Had he consulted the Prime Warden , however , he would have received a far more handsome donation . Representing , as he did , one of the largest of the City Companies , be assured them he wonld endeavour to extend that donation still farther . It was a rule with th 6 City Companies tbat no second

application could be made within three years ; but he had DO hesitation in saying that if the Companies of the great City of London wero approached in a proper manner they would respond to tbe application with the greatest possible pleasure . He should go back to his Company and tell them what this noble Institution was

doing in tbe oause of education , and should inform them also that it was in need of great accession to its strength . Tbe Queen ' s Westminster Lodge had landed a sum of £ 100 , and as the Treasurer of that Lodge he should do the best be possibly could to further the goodwill of the Society , which was BO well ruled and governed by

their good friend Bro . Binckes . The Chairman said he was now about to submit to them a toast which was not on the regular list . They were aware that some time ago a most important and influential Committee was formed , having for its President the Earl of Lithom , with a great many

Vice-Presidents , and having for its Chairman Bro . Raynham Stewart , the object being to recognise in some suitable manner the long services of a distinguished Officer of the Boys' School and to the Craft . It fell to his Jot that ovoning , by request of various members of the Craft , on their behaif and in the name of the

subscribers , to give expression to their appreciation of those long , able , and valuable services , and to present the recipient of it with the result of their labonrs , together with their best thanks for the services he had rendered to the Royal Masonic InHitntion for Boys during the last 25 years . He need hardly tell them that tbe purse

and piece of plnte which had been subscribed for were to be presented to Bro . Frederick Binckes , the esteemed and valued Secretary of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . ( This announcement was received with riugiug cheers ) . Did time or patience permit , he oouid occupy their attention long ia detailing those services to

brethren who were not so well ocquainted with them as he was . Tbey would , however , find those services recapitulated in the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE where a full record was given of Brother

Binckes's Masonic work daring that period of time , He asked thorn to procure the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE , aud to read it for themselves , for there they would find tbe most explicit statement as to what Br " . E * n . "V ? ' » hf * - " ! ( l--v .:- rk-r' . " ' ^ the hst qo' ^ rtor of a asafcsrj " , mors

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

pspecially in beTialfof this Charity . Fe asked Brother Binckes to accept , as an expression of their acknowledgment of his services , a pieco of plate and a pocket-book containing a gift of no small amount , AS a testimonial of his efforts on behalf of the Royal Masonio Institution for Boys . The inscription on the plate was at follows : —

Presented to BRO . FREDERICK BINCKKS , Together with a purse of four hundred guineas , In recognition of his services for upwards of fcwenty-fir * years as Secretary R . M . I . Boys ,

and as Grand Secretary Grand Lodge M . M . M . 14 th June 1887 . Bro . Bincke " , who was loudly oheered , said the brethren might very naturally imagine that on an occasion so important as that which had brought them together that evening , the main object was

not to promote the interest of an individual , but—if he might use the expression—the imperial object of promoting the interests of one of the Institutions of their great Craft . He had the greatest pos . sible pride nnd plensure in the world in seeing so large a eathering assembled around those tables , although perhaps he had to a

certain extent to express his regret tbat many good friends had not retained their places up to this moment . When he said he rose to respond to tbe handsome gift which had been tendered to him , his feelings were mingled with both gratification and regret—with intense gratification that the few friends who had contributed to that

splendid testimonial had deemed his services worthy of recognition after a long period of 25 years ; of intense regret that the presentation should have been made at this Festival , the realisation of the results of whioh—he had no hesitation in saying—he had looked forward to with so much anxietv , and still with fears as to the

resultwhioh bad been realised—as to its being the least successful for a long series of years . He could himself wish , he assured them from tbe bottom of hia heart , that this amount had been given to the Institution instead of to himself . The failure , or tbe comparative failure , which had attended their exertions that evening , was to him

a source of unmitigated regret ; but when they looked back to the earlier portions of tbe year , to tbe large suooess of their Benevolent Festival , and the suocess of the Girls' School Festival , and now upon the enormous claims made , in every distriot throughout their jurisdiction , for local celebrations in connection with the Jubilee of

Her Majesty ' s reign , he felt perfectly assured this Institution must of necessity suffer . Grand Lodge had recently come to their relief with £ 2 , 000 , and a similar amount would result from the magnificent gathering of yesterday ; these aids would very materially compensate them for the comparative failure of their Festival , and go sinie way

towards placing the Institution in a state of solvency and of hope for the future . Now , he could not forget a personal que-tion , reference to which had been made by their excellent friend who had done them tbe honour of presiding ocer them that day , as to their approval of his small services . He would not attempt

to exhaust himself in addressing to them observations whioh he misiht haverlonei under more fitting circumstances , but hensked them just to bear with him for a few moments , because he waa not unmindful of the past , or ungrateful for the present . He had four classes to deal with—first those with whom he laboured in his early

yenrs , the majority of whom had left this world for another . He was satisfied with their encouraging efforts in his earlier days , and if they had been spared he should have been glad , for often he remembered what he owed to them , and how they hnd encouraged him in a certain path , could never be forgotten . Then there were

those who never knew his work—and did not approve of it ; those who knew his work—and did approve of it ; and those younger members who did not know anything at all . Those who kuevv his work and did not approve of it , he asked to take the mo ? t indulgent view possible , and at least give him credit for trying to do his best . If they

had not altogether approved his aotion , he assured them he had but one leading object at heart , and thit was to promote the well-being of the School , to retrieve their magnificent Institution from the stita in . which he found it in 1861 , and to make it take its proper plaoe with the other Masonic Institutions . He had no donbs there had

been dissentients from wnat he had recommended , but he had had independent Committees to deal with , who would not have passed what he recommended if they had not approved . To those who had cordially , worked with him and appreciated his work—and there were many present—how could he tender his thanks for their

acknowledgment of the services he had rendered ? But there were many who knew him only as an old fossil , charged with old conger , votive notions . Let him endeavour to induce such to change their ideas . He was ingrained with Conservative notions , iu ail that was good ; he had adopted all that had been good in the r > aet ; and

had produced good ID the present . Ho had endeavoured to profit by the experience | of the past ' , and bring it to bear on the present . As to the extension of the Institution , should he not be ungrateful if he did not say that it was done with their approval and by their practical support ? Never mind what , their partial failure had been

nu the present occasion ; did they think that , uu ler the exceptional circumstances , he had any doubt of the future prosperity of the Boys' School ? No . They had had before them as their guests that sveniug twenty-five sons of Masons , educated in the Institution , now making their way more or less snccessfulir in the world . He

had ooped they would have had fifty , but they could not be released from their duties . He ( Bro . Binckes ) was not what be was twentyfive years ago ; but he cuuld tell them this—that he had a heart as sound and an energy as good as ever he had , now in his declining

years , for advocating the cause of tbi ^ Institution . He could this •- •vening say what he bad done had not been altogether without their approval , and that while he might not have given satisfaotio l to every one , yet to the great majority of those with whom be had labcm-ad hs had give :: ¦ •cte-z . cbiau , or ^ iey would iot ba , V 6 testified