Anniversary Of The Boys School.

ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOYS SCHOOL .

ONCE more it devolves upon us to record a grand success on behalf of the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Boys , the ninety-eighth anniversary of which was celebrated on Wednesday , at Brighton , under the presidency of the Duke

of Devonshire Provincial Grand Master of Derbyshire , who was supported by a board of 512 Stewards , from whom a total subscription of £ 18 , 777 10 s was announced on the day , which sum has since been augmented by additions to lists then

handed in , and by returns from late Stewards , to such an extent as to convince us that ere the 1896 returns are closed the splendid total of £ 20 , 000 will have been passed . As it was the announcement at the Festival was a few

pounds in excess of last year ' s total , which , in turn , was nearly £ 200 higher than that of 1894 , so that we see there is a steady progress in the annual returns , and if our view as to the additions to the lists received within a few hours of the

announcement is correct , the progress is really most marked , and proves beyond a doubt that the Craft at large is in active sympathy with the proposal to remove the School to some

other site , and is taking the most practical form of evincing its approval—supplying the funds that will make the change immediately possible , without entailing responsibilies every well wisher of the Institution so much desires to avoid .

With the figures just announced we are able to compare the totals for the year 1896 with its immediate predecessors , and here also we find much room for congratulation , for whereas in 1894 and 1895 the returns of the three Institutions

were nearly alike , just below £ 49 , 000 for each term , this year the grand total goes up to £ 53 , 701 10 s , or a rise of close on five thousand pounds , and that , too , at a time when so many other Charities are feeling the pressure of bad trade and hard

times . Truly it may be said the Charitable Institutions of English Freemasonry are to be congratulated on their success , and that such good fortune may always continue is our most earnest desire .

We append a summary of the announcements at the different Festivals during the past three years :

1894 . 1895 . 1896 . Benevolent 12 , 658 14 6 14 , 113 6 0 39 , 511 7 0 Girls - 17 , 732 0 0 16 , 016 4 6 15 , 412 13 0 Bovs - 18 , 582 16 7 18 , 773 12 6 18 , 777 10 0

Total £ 48 , 973 11 1 £ 48 , 903 3 0 £ 53 , 701 10 0

In consequence of the amount of space required for other matters in connection with this celebration we are unable to say anything in regard to individual contributions , and accordingly refer our readers to the detailed list given

elsewhere , but . we cannot allow the occasion to pass without tendering our heartiest congratulations to the Secretary Brother McLeod , who has worked so zealously and so continuously to

ensure the result , of which he must now be very proud . The support accorded the Boys School on this occasion comes from a wide area , and covers mosfc of the Provinces of England , the absentees being about a dozen , the majority of

Anniversary Of The Boys School.

whom have good excuses to offer for their non-participation this year , either through having recently made special effort for one of the other funds or for some other laudable object . The contributing Provinces , the number of Stewards and the total subscriptions from each , were as follow :

Province No . of Stewards . Amount . Berkshire ... ... ... 12 415 11 0 Buckinghamshire ... ... 8 173 15 6 Cambridgeshire ... ... ... 1 94 10 0 Cheshire 1 21 0 0

Cornwall ... ... ... 2 100 16 O Derbyshire ... ... ... 54 1 , 620 J , 0 6 Devonshire ... ... . ... 1 75 0 0 Durham ... ... ... 1 200 0 0 Essex 11 183 15 0

Gloucestershire ... ... ... 4 131 5 0 Hampshire and Isle o £ "Wight ... 17 685 13 0 Hertfordshire 9 469 7 O Kent ... ... IS 423 13 6 Lancashire ( Bast Division ) ... 6 ' 194 5 0

Lancashire ( West Division ) ... 20 435-8 0 Leicestershire and Rutland ... 1 231 0 0 Middlesex 4 183 1 0 North Wales 6 178 12 6 Norths and Hunts ... ... 5 120 15 O

Nottinghamshire 2 162 17 0 Oxfordshire ... 6 40 11 6 Shropshire 3 125 19 0 Somersetshire ... ... ... 1 87 3 0 ,. Stafiordshire 20 44116 0 - ¦ -

Sufiolk 6 377 0 0 Surrey 12 395 11 6 Sussex ... ... ... ... ' 24 421 1 0 Warwickshire ... ... ... 20 462 0 0 Worcestershire ... ... ... 6 427 9 0

Yorkshire ( North and Bast ) ... 3 69 6 0 Yorkshire ( West ) 30 700 0 0 Guernsey and Aldemey ... ... 1 21 0 0 "Foreign Stations ... ... 3 176 18 0 London ... ... ... 192 8 , 931 10 0

The Festival.

THE FESTIVAL .

THE 98 th Anniversary of the establishment of the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Boys was celebrated on Wednesday , at the Eoyal Pavilion , Brighton , under the presidency of the Duke of Devonshire Provincial Grand Master of Derbyshire , who was well supported by members of his own Province , and by a large number of Ladies and Brethren from all parts of the country , the attendance numbering about 500 . The appearance at the banquet was most pleasing , the fine quarters in which the dinner was served adding much to the general effect , and going far to justify the

selection of Brighton for the annual Festivals of this Institution . At the conclusion of the dinner the Chairman submitted the toast of Her Majesty the Queen , Grand Patron of the Institution . He said the Masonio body of this country occupied a peculiar and , he thought , a privileged position among the Masons of the whole world . Certainly , in modern times , Masonry had not been identified with any political opinions ; indeed , it regarded with equal favour any political opinions . Though he did

not know that there was anything in their principles which cultivated stronger feelings of loyalty than those prevailing among other portions of Her Majesty ' s subjects , yet he was not exaggerating when he said that Her Majesty , who had now entered on the sixtieth year of her prosperous reign , did not number throughout her dominions any more loyal body of

subjects than the Freemasons of England . Unfortunately , owing to circumstances over which the Queen had no control , Her Majesty was urecluded from being one of their body , but the Prince of Wales and other prominent members of the Eoyal "Family were not only distinguished Masons , but had taken a long ancl practical interest in Freemasonry and its Charities . In giving the toast of the Prince of Wales , the Princess , and ofcher members of the Boyal "Family , the Chairman referred to the great