Our Weekly Budget

of printing . The Lord Mayor presided , and when he had briefly explained the objects of the meeting , Mr . Anthony Trollope and Count Munster severally proposed and seconded the first resolution , to the effect that such an occasion was worthy of public commemoration . A second

resolution , proposing that tho celebration should take the form of a loan exhibition of Caxton ' s works , was proposed by the Deputy-Governor of tho Bank of England , and seconded by Sir Charles Reed . This was also carried unanimously , and so was a third resolution , that the pecuniary benefits

resulting from such exhibition should be appropriated to the establishment of permanent pensions for aged and decayed printers and their widows , in connection with the Printers' Pension Corporation . A . vote of thanks to the Lord Mayor brought the proceedings to a close .

Field-Marshal Sir J . F . Fitzgerald , G . C . B ., has died at Tours , at the advanced age of 91 . Sir J . F . Fitzgerald was gazetted ensign in 1793 , when yet only seven years of age . In the following year he was promoted , first to a lieutenancy and then to a captaincy . He took active duty with the

46 th Regiment in 1801 , when only fifteen years old . He saw a good deal oi : service iu the Peninsular War , having been present at the siege of Badajos , and the battles of Salamanca , Vittoria , and the Pyrenees . He was taken

prisoner at or after the last mentioned , but was afterwards exchanged . By order of the French Minister of War , the same military honours were accorded to the deceased as would have been accorded to an officer of the same

distinguished rank in their own army , and the whole of the garrison escorted the remains to the grave . We feel certain this proof of courtesy and good fellowship will be appreciated in England as it deserves . The outbreaks of Cattle Plague are extending . Hitherto this terrible disease has been confined to the East-end of

London , but on Tuesday it made its appearance in the neighbourhood of Shepherd ' s Bash . Measures are said to be in contemplation by the Metropolitan Board of Works for the stoppage of all movements of cattle in the

metropolitan district . This indeed seems absolutely necessary , if we are to prevent a repetition of the fearful losses which occurred in the outbreak of 1865-6 , and will be fully justified by the appearance of the disease in a locality seven miles distant from the scene of the earlier outbreaks .

Last week the political atmosphere was lighter than it had been for some time past ; now it is once again gloomy , and the prospects of war seem to outweigh all other prospects . It is reported that Russia will not demobilize her army in Besserabia while the peace negotiations between

Turkey and Montenegro hang fire . It is evident that Turkey having a proper respect for her own sovereign independence declines to be coerced , and as Russia is the only European power which has threatened coercion , it is certain she must yield on this particular point or war is ,

it seems to us , inevitable . There is , perhaps , just the shadow of a shade of a chance that Austria may be able , if at least she is willing , to intervene with some effect , but one of the telegrams received in this country from Berlin represents General Ignatieff as

stating that he believes in war . Our readers must be fully alive to the extreme gravity of the situation , but on the princi ple "while there is life there is hope , " we must go on hoping that so terrible a calamity as war will not be the outcome of the negotiations that have been

going on , and are still going on , in order , if possible , to preserve the peace of Europe . Once the two powers come to blows , and there is no knowing what the consequences will be . Meantime , it is worthy of mention that the Turks are dolus their utmost to set their house

m order , but the prospect of an attack from Russia prevents her from doing as much as would otherwise be possible in the way of reform . It is needless to say

that almost every capital in Europe is disquieted by these fearful rumours , and we consider we are not saying too much when we affirm that Russia is beyond all doubt —vis et origo mail .

Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS .

A MEETING of the Stewards for the anniversary Festival was held at Freemasons' Hall , on Friday , the 23 rd inst ., Bro . John Boyd G . S . and P . G . P . in the chair . The Secretary , Bro . R . W . Little , read the minutes of the

Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

last meeting , which "were confirmed . It was decided that the Festival be held at Freemasons' Hull , on Wednesday , the 9 th of May . The R . W . Lord SufBeld , Provincial Grand Master of Norfolk , will take the chair . The report of the Musical Committee was read , and the tender of Bro .

Theodore Distin was accepted . The Dinner and Wine Committees were appointed , and the proceedings were brought to a close by a vote of thanks to the chairman . Among those present were—Bros . C . F . Hogard , Dr . J . F . Staines ,

Tanner , R . B . Webster , Davis , J . Bingemann , Jones , Stanwitz , H . Leah , Leggot , S . Rosenthal , Lefaux , B . Swallow , Pix . ley , Melhuish , Bennett , Loftus , Reed , J . Garner , H . M . Levy , & c .

The Australian Freemason for February contains a fall account of the proceedings of the Quarterly Communication of the District Grand Lodge of New South Wales , held on the 15 th January last , under the presidency of Bro . A . T . Holroyd , Dist . G . Master . A motion to vote a sum not exceeding : £ 20 from the funds of the D . G . L . in order to

purchase a copy of the engraving of the Installation as Grand Master of the Prince of Wales was not carried . After the transaction of other business , Bro . Holroyd rose and announced his intention of resigning the District Grand Mastership , which he had held for a period of ten years ,

having been appointed to that office by the late Earl of Zetland on 20 th January 1867 . In doing so , Bro . Holroyd gave a short sketch of the D . G . L ., from its establishment in 1848 , and also a resume of its labours during his term of office . He pointed out that in 1867 there were twenty-four

Lodges , with 852 members , while in 1877 the numbers had been increased to twenty-nine Lodges , and 1 , 262 members respectively . When he assumed office , the D . G . L . was in debt to the extent of about £ 120 , against which there were in the Treasurer ' s Funds only £ 17 . Since then , in spite of

its heavy expenditure , the D . G . L . had purchased five Government Debentures worth £ 500 , and the cash balance in hand at that moment was £ 115 19 s . It also possessed 22

£ 5 shares in the Freemasons' Hall , of the nominal value of £ 110 , and 159 £ 1 sharea of the value of £ 159 . The Benevolent Fund was also in a healthy condition . In 1867 there was a cash balance in hand of about £ 100 . At the

beginning of 1877 the assets consisted of Four Government Debentures , equal to £ 400 ; Fixed Bank Deposit £ 200 , and a cash balance of £ 71 3 s 3 d . As regarded the Freemasons' Orphan Fund , its investments included Eleven Government Debentures at £ 100 each , of the aggregate

value of £ 1 , 100 , a fixed Bank Deposit of £ 100 , 533 £ 5 shares in the Freemasons' Hall Company , of the nominal value of £ 2 , 665 , and 762 £ 1 shares of the value of £ 762 , while the cash in hand amounted to £ 109 . Bro . Holroyd also alluded to his efforts to establish a Masonic Library ,

aud expressed his intention , in accordance with a promise of long standing , of presenting to it his own collection of Masonic works , so soon as the needful accommodation "was provided . Bro . Holroyd then vacated the chair , and the question of electing his successor was informally discussed ,

expressions of regret at the D . G . M . ' s resignation being general and hearty . We learn , further , from the same source , that at the half-yearlygeneralmeeting of the Australian Freemasons' Hall Company on the Sth January , the auditors '

report , and the balancesheet were submitted . The directors ' report , recommending their acceptance , was agreed to . The balance sheet showed a sum of £ 163 lis 4 d standing to the credit of the Company , with arrears outstanding to the extent of £ 65 17 s 4 d . The Directors therefore

recommended a dividend of 8 per cent , for the past half-year on the preference shares . It was likewise stated that 1 , 113 £ 5 shares had been bought in on account of the Company , which , -with the £ 5 shares previously purchased and exchanged , amounting to 896 £ 5 shares , representing £ 3 , 377 , had reduced the capital by that amount .

When we had the pleasure to chronicle the consecration of the Bayard Lodge , No . 1615 ( under the Mastership of Lieut .-Colonel Somerville Burney ) , on 17 th May last , we did not anticipate being able to make an announcement so

glorious for a Lodge in the first year of its existence , as that it had become already Vice-President of the three Masonic Charities . This progress of the Bayard is unprecedented in our records . We can but add , for the encouragemeat of others , " Go , and do thou likewise , "