Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

THE FOLLOWING PRIZES GIVEN DV THE INSTITUTION : — Scripture : —G . S . Robinson , i ; E . Riddle , 2 . Classics : —First Class—A . H . Stephenson , 1 ; E . Taylor , 2 . Second Class—G . L . Perrin . Third Class—E . Bartlcy . Fourth Class—A . J . Laslett . Fifth Class—H . Fairman . Mathematics : —First Class—R . Head , 1 ; P . Pulm \ n , 2 . Second Class—P . Cooper . Third Class—R . Riley . Fourth

Class—A . W . Gardner . Fifth Class—G . May . French and German : —First Class—G . S . Robinson , 1 ; E . Taylor , 2 . Second Class—H . Searle . Third Class—R . Riley . Fourth Class—F . Hunt . Fifth Class—G . Mey . English-. —First Class—H . Brock , 1 ; E . Taylor , 2 . Second Class—H . Searle . Third Class—E . Bartley . Fourth Class—F . Hunt . Fifth Class—H . Fairman .

There is a sixth class for English and Arithmetic in which the prize winners were A . J . Kennedy and P . Marshall ; and even a seventh class , in which A . Howarth and W . J . Saville obtained prizes for general proficiency . There are besides special prizes presented by the House Committee , which are distributed as follows : Writing—first , G . Robinson ; second , A . Parker . Dictation—first , H . Shipway ; secondG . Robinson . History—first , H . Brock ; second , H . Shipway .

, Geography—first , A . Parker ; second , A . H . Stephenson . Mental arithmetic—first , R . Head ; second , H . Brock . General attention to studies—first , H . Brock ; second , A . H . Stephenson . Efficiency as monitor—first , A . Parker ; second , W . A . Stansfield . Efficiency as class monitor—first , W D . Whalley . Proficiency in drill—first , G . Nash ; second , G . S . Robinson . The band—first , W . A . Stansfield ; second , W . H . Dunnaway . Athletics—first , P . lames .

ALSO THE FOLLOWING PRIZES PRESENTED BY PRIVATE DONORS : — By Bro . Capt . Wordsworth ( awarded June 28 th , 1 SS 1 ) , b y the Lodge of United Strength , No . 22 S—Honours at the Cambridge Local Examination—H . L . Carter . By Bro . the Rev . Dr . Morris—Attention to studies—R . Head and H . Brock ; elocution—V . Lee and W . H . Date . By Bro . Edgar Bowyer , Vice-Patron of Institution , P . G . W . Herts , P . M ., & c—Book-keeping—W . ' D . Whalley . By Mr . Sylvester , Drawing

Master—Drawing—Freehand—A . H . Stephenson and P . King . Architecture—A . Parker Mechanical—C . Sparks . Pen and Ink Drawing—G . Robinson and A . Breary . RESULT OF CAMBRIDGE LOCAL EXAMINATION , DECEMBER , 1 SS 0 : — The prizes apportioned from the interest , £ 25 , of the fund , £$ 2 _ , founded by Bro W . Winn , P . M . G 57 , Vice-Patron . Nineteen candidates passed . SENIORS—Honours—Second Class—H . B . Brock . Honours—Third Class—A . H Stephenson and E . L . Price .

J UNIORS—Honours—First Class—A . R . Parker ( distinguished for drawing ) , G . S Robinson , R . G . Head , C . D . Barrett , and H . Williams . Honours—Second Class—II Shipway and M . B . Ellis . Honours—Third Class—W . Meacock , E . Davenport , S . G Nash , T . S . Pilling , H . L . Carter , and W . H . Date . Certificates in Fourth D ' nision-C . E . Armitage , S . Woodhouse , and W . H . P . Dunaway .

The entertainment , however , commenced with a performance , by the choir , of a pastoral operetta , entitled " The Merrie Men of Sherwood Forest , " in which , both as instrumentalists and vocalists , the lads acquitted themselves very well . There was also a dramatic performance , a farce in one act , by Thos . J . Williams , entitled "Turn Him Out , " in which V . J . Lee , as Nicodemns Nobis , displayed plenty of vivacity and considerable talent , and in the result carried off the prize for "elocution . " Without at all questioning the propriety of the award for merits probably ascertained on

other grounds , we venture lo say that the performance was not elocutionary , and that , given a young gentleman with plenty of " go " in him , thc " business "—to adopt stage parlance—entrusted to Nicodemns Nobbs ensures his success ; in fact , the construction of the piece makes Nobbs the leading character , the other personages merely playing up to him . As a test of merit the p iece selected was valueless . The audience , however , appreciated the farce , which was certainly very amusing , and all the boys engaged in it ( viz ., Lee , Brock , Date , Stephenson , Sparks , Nash , and Slansiicld ) deserved great credit for their spirited acting .

When the entertainment and distribution of prizes was concluded , Bro . RAYNHAM STEWART rose and said . ' . - My lord , ladies , and guests , Wc have had a delightful morning , and if one may judge from the sounds of approval that we have heard from all sides , I think I may add we have so far had a happy meeting , and it is an additional source of happiness that u-c have with us the Marchioness of Londonderry , lo whom weare indebted for distributing the prizes to-day . It is the first time that a lad y has condescended to come here for this purpose . At the same time wc must feel highly

honoured to see the way in which her ladyship appreciates our Craft , and how happy and willing she is to support her noble husband in his desire to support the School . She has requested that upon the return of the boys to school they may have a whole holiday in commemoration of her visit here I have now to ask you to accord our best thanks to the Marchioness of Londonderry for honouring us by presiding over the distribution of the prizes to the boys . I think the boys would like to have a voice in this matter , and I therefore call on them to give three cheers for the marchioness . To this appeal the boys responded heartily—in the manner of boys .

The MARCAUIS OF LONDONDERRY : Ladies and gentlemen and brethren , I ran assure you that it has given Lady Londonderry and myself great satisfaction to be present on this occasion , and to have witnessed the interesting scenes which we have seen to-day . I can assure you that her ladyship takes the greatest interest in our Craft , as has been justly said by the brother who has proposed the vote of thanks to her to-day , and if she always follows thc feeling of her heart to me as she has done for a long

period of years , she will do all she can for in } ' province and the good of Masonry . I am sure you will excuse me on this occasion from entering into any long speech , inasmuch as 1 shall have lhat duty to perform to-mormorrow . liut I cannot separate from you to-day without again expressing my gratification at being present here to-day . Having seen the Institution , I can speak ol it with authority to others , and can confidentl y recommend them to come and see it themselves . In addressing a

few words to our young friends who have contributed lo our amusement today , and saying again what pleasure it has afforded her ladyship to distribute those prizes , I would urge them to go on in the hope that they may obtain a prize hereafter . And there is no doubt a great deal of the credit which they have obtained in the prizes which they have received to-day must be attributed to the gre > t care they have received in their education ; and not only does it appear in what wc have seen to-day , or whether given to the culture

of art or science , but also in what is of great importance as connected with the trade of this country , in the art of book-keeping . It afforded me intense satisfaction to see a prize given for that , because I think it may be of very great use to the pupils when they become young men . All the credit , of course , is due to those who have the education of youth , and 1 cannot sufficientl y extol , and I am sure that the House Committee will agree with me in saying that we have . 1 very great debt of gratitude to pay to Bro . the Rev . Dr . Morris , the Head Master of this Institution , and I should not

be doing my duty on this occasion if I did not ask you to join wilh mcin thanking Bro . Dr . Morris for the entertainment that he has just given us , as well as his able assistants , who must have had a great deal of care and trouble to produce this entertainment to-day . You will , I am sure , join me in a vote of thanks to Bro . the Rev . Dr . Morris , the Head Master of this Institution , and in expressing our hope and trust that this Institution may go on prospering and succeeding , and being a credit to the Craft , as it has hitherto been . ( Cheers . )

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

Bro . Dr . NORRIS , in briefly returning thanks , said that he and all concerned had done all that they could , and that it was their wish once a year to produce something that would make their audience feel satisfied that their labours were not altogether in vain ; they would now look forward to another year in the hope ol * then entertaining them equally well . It is not thc manner of the Institution to send its guests empty away , so as soon as

the hall could be cleared the company adjourned to the dining and dancing rooms , where a liberal cold collation was supplied to satisfy al ! comers . A good many had to wait their turn , however , for in consequence of the large number present thc rooms would , not accommodate the whole at one time . In the evening all adjourned lo the play fields , where races and athletic

sports contributed to the fun of the day . The company was the largest we have seen at Wood Green , and it is quite out of the question to give an accurate list of even well-known names . Amongst others we noticed Bros . Col . Crcalon , Raynham Stewart , Adlard , Rosenthal , Edgar Bowyer , Paas , Chancellor , Roebuck , Terry , Mason , Woodward , and others .

Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS .

The General Committee of this Institution , presided over by Bro . J . M . Clabon , was held on Thursday afternoon at Freemasons' Ha !! , Great Queen-street , when there were also present Bros . Col . J . Peters , H . A . Dubois , Thos . Massa , A . II . Tattershall , Rev . A . F . A . Woodford , F . J . Cox , Frank Richardson , P . de L . Long , J . Nunn , Rucker , K . Letchworth , Donald M . Dewar , and K . C . Masse } ' ( Freemason ) . The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed .

Bro . RICHARDSON , on behalf of Bro . Col . Creaton , who was unavoidabl y absent , proposed , as a recommendation from the House Committee , first , "That the rank of Hon . Vice-President be conferred upon Bro . Wharton P . Hood , in recognition of his valuable services as honorary surgeon ; " and , secondly , " That ihe honorarium of the Chaplain be increased from J 6 ' 2 5 O £ . 35 Per annum . "

Nine petitions were approved , making , with those remaining from last election , a lolal of twenty-four candidates for election in October ; ihe vacancies being ten , caused by girls leaving , and five added to ihe number receiveable .

Freemasonry In Spain.

FREEMASONRY IN SPAIN .

BRO . H . ECROYD . Con tin tied from p . 2 S 7 of No . 642 Wc now propose to give a short biographical sketch of Bro . Antonio Romero Ortiz , ol whom we have alread y said that he is an ex-Minisler of State , Deputy of thc Cortes , and Governor of thc Bank of Spain . He is illustrious , not only in our own ranks , but also in thc political , legal , and literary world . He is hi ghly esteemed by his fellow countrymen ( without

distinction of party ) for his varied legal , financial , and intellectual attainments , whilst his strict integrity and , above all , his unselfish patriotism , have obtained for him thc respect even of his most pronounced political antagonists . Bro . Ortiz is neither a time server , nor has he ever been a place hunter ; yet he has had a goodly share of high ollice and the emoluments appertaining thereto , obtained by personal merit alone , and retained by personal merit .

Bro . Ortiz is now in his sixtieth year , having been hern on thc 24 th day of March , 1 S 22 , in the venerable city of Santiago ( St . James ) , of Composlcla , the capital of the ancient kingdom of Gaiicia—that sea-girt corner of the Peninsula , whose westerly storm-lashed coast terminates in the muchdreaded Cape Finistcrre . Born amongst the rain clouds of a city which is so frequently bathed in drenching showers and drizzling mist , that Santiago

has obtained thc rather unpleasant sobriquet of " el urinal dc Espaiia , " and bred on thc bracing mountain air of the Hi ghlands surrounding thc city , our distinguished brother developed in his childhood much of that * gravity of demeanour , tenacity of purpose , and strength of will which we usually find present in the characters of men of exceptional mental capacity whose childhood and youth have been spent amongst thc mountains . Bro . Grand Master Ortiz is a true gallego , oi whom his native province may well be proud .

Ihe term " gal lego ' is , however , sometimes used in Spain as a term of reproach b y those whose sangre azttl prejudices make them too prone to despise the worker , and who ignore the truth of that grand old maxim that " Labour is not only the lot , but the duty of man . " Thus because the native of Gaiicia ( el gall ego , as the Spaniard calls him ) is ( par excellence ) a -Marker , it has come to be a saying amongst the drones of polite society in

Madrid that to be an honest worker entitles a man to be sneered at as itn gal / ego , although , in very truth , no more honourable appellation can be bestowed upon a human being than this so-called " opprobrious " term , for the gal I egos are the very sinew and bone of the modern Iberian race . Wherever there is honest work to be done , or an honest penny to be made , there will you find the gallcgo , ready and willing to do his duly . Thc

gallegos arc , in fact , the typical "hewers of wood and drawers of water" to the non-. vorkcrs and drones of thc capitals , not alone of Spain , but of Portugal , of Brazil , of the River Plate Republics , of Algeria—in fact , wherever the Castilian race has domiciled itself there will the gallego bc found , holding his own against all comers , as the trusted domestic servant , the car driver , the water carrier , the doer of hand work for the drones and nonworkers around him .

But although the gallego is emphaticall y a worker , he is not a disciple of thc " all work and no play " school . He is quick wilted and jovial , and has much of the canny shrewdness of thc Hi g hland Scot about him , combined with a liberal dash of that rich humour which especiall y characterises the Irishman . Indeed , the home-bred gallcgo resembles the typical Padd y in many ways , notably in his eye for the picturesque j in his holiday costume ; in

his preference for turf before coal or wood for cooking purposes ; in his love for pigs and potatoes ; in his sonorous brogue ; and last , but not least , in his skilful use , and abuse , of his shillelagh . There is , wecan assure our tourist brethren on the look out for comparatively untrodden ground , no pleasanter corner of Europe to visit than the native country of our brother , Grand Master Antonio Romero Ortiz . Thc writer has himself ridden , on various

occasions during thc past fifteen years , over the length and breadth of Gaiicia ; up amidst thc rich tin and blend deposits lying around , and not far distant from Orense , Rivadavia , and Santiago j along the shores of the magnificent Fiord at thc south-west corner of which Vigo is situated , and over the trembling surface of that vast expanse of dried-up morass which divides the richly wooded and mountainous surroundings of Santiago de