Contents.

CONTENTS .

Royal Masonic Institution for Boys ,., 33 S REPORTS or MASONIC MEETINGS : — Craft Masonrv 33 * 7 Provincial Grand Lodge of Berks and Bucks 341 rrovincbl Grand Lodge of Kent 341 Anniversary festival of the Boys' School 344 TheSccretarial Election forthe Girls * School ,... 344 OurGrand Master at Nottingham 344

Voltaire and Roi-sscan 31 * 4 CORRESPONDENCE : — Boys' School Festival 345 The World's Favour for Freemasonry 345 Masonic / Esihetics 315 The Mother Council of the World 31 S Kenning ' s Cyclopaedia 34 $ An Appeal 346 Consecration of the Ogmore Lidgi " , No . 1752 34 6

Royal Masonic Insittution for Boys 34 6 District Grand Lodge cf South Africa ( Eastern Division ) 347 Reviews 347 Notes on Att , & c 347 Summer Fete of the Paxton Lodge , No . 16 S 6 34 S Proposed Memorial ' o the Late Bro . Little 34 S The Star and Garter , Kew Bridge 348 Royal Arch 35 * 0 Knights Templar 330

Launch of the Memorial Lifeboat at Clacton-on-Sea 350 Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution 351 Masonic Notes and Queries 351 Masonic and General Tidings 351 Royal Masonic Institution for G'ris 352 Royal Masonic Institution for Boys _ ti The District Grand Mastership of Madras 352 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 352 Advertisements 1 i ., ii ., iii ., iv ., v ., vi .

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .

The eightieth anniversary festival of this Institution was held on Monday last , at the Alexandra Palace , when about 700 ladies and brethren sat down to elinner under the presidency of His Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught , Past Senior Grand Warden of England . His

Royal Highness was supported on his right by the Right Hon . Lord Suffield , Provincial Grand Master for Norfolk , and on his left by General Brownrigg , C . B ., Provincial Grand Master for Surrey . Among the other brethren present were Bros . Col . Creaton , Capt . Wordsworth , James Lewis Thomas , Thomas Cubitt , R . B . Webster , W . Eastes , D . Prov . G . M . for Kent ; S . Rosenthal , Sir H . Edwards

Col . Peters , Edward Terry , George Kenning , H . G . Buss , A . G . S . ; A . J . Allman , A . Brookman , H . C . Levander , F . Keily , J . Tanner , C . F . Matier , F . Adlard , J . Boyd , A . Dicketts , J . Terry , F . R . W . Hedges , C . Coote , E . C . Mather , T . Bull , I . Abrahams , W . Ucebuck , E . Bowyer , and Magnus Ohren . When thc banquet had been disposed of the list of

toasts was proceeded with . After dinner , in proposing the toast of the Queen , The Duke of Connaught said : The first toast I have the honour to propose to you requires no preface from me . I therefore call upon you to drink " The Health of Her Majesty the Queen , " the Patroness of this Institution . The toast having been drunk with musical honours ,

The Duke of Ccnnaught said , My lords , ladies , and gentlemen , thc ncxt toast I have the honour to propose to you is , I am sure , only second in importance to the one which we have just drunk . It is " The Health of the Prince of Wales , thc Mott Worshipful Grand Master , and the President of this Institution . " Ever since his Royal Highness accepted thc important position of Grand Master of

England he has never failed to show the eleep interest he takes in everything relating to the Craft , and I can assure you that I know personally the immense interest he takes in every matter connected witli it . ( Cheers . ) In the year 1870 his Royal Highness presided at a festival in connection with this Institution , and I am happy to think that he did an immense amount of good , for funds came in largely

after that festival , and an immense amount of benefit was the result . I ask you to join me in drinking , with all honours , the health of our Most Worshipful Grand Master . ( Applause . ) Lord Suffield , in proposing the health of the Chairman , said : Your Royal Highness , ladies , and gentlemen , it is my proud privilege to propose to you the next toast . It is

a toast which is somewhat elifficult to propose in the presence of thc person whose health is to be drank . On this occasion the difficulties are greater than usual , because 1 have to * propose a toast to your Chairman . We all know the readiness with which members of our Royal family at all times render their services to any ol jectthat is good . We know that our Chairman , His Royal Highness the Duke

of Connaught , has invariably come forward when he has been asked to come forsvard to serve any philanthropic purpose ; and on this occasion he makes a most successful deSbut in any great Masonic ceremony . ( Cheers . ) It must be as gratifying to you all as it is to himself to observe the enthusiasm of the noble gathering which has been brought together to do him honour . It is not always that

assemblies of this kind are giaced by the presence of so many ladies . Wc are indeed at all times most happy to see them , and I am certain that His Royal Highness must thoroughly appreciate the honour the ladies do him in coming and being present at this gathering . I could wish , ladies and gentlemen , that it had fallen to the lot of a more able person than myself to propose this toast . There are

many persons , members of the Grand Lodge , who , I am Sure , it would have given great pleasure to have been present on this occasion , but who are absent from unavoidable circumstances , and so it falls to my lot to peifoim a duty which otherwise would have devolved on them . It will , I feel sure , meet with your hearty

approval if , before I sit down , I venture on tbe part of the Freemasons , as well as on the part of tbe ladles who are present , to congratulate His Royal Highness on an event which we all sincerely hope will be fraught with happiness to the contracting parties . ( Cheers . ) I venture to congratulate His Royal Highness on the marriage which is shortl y to take place . ( Renewed cheers . ) Erery thing

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

' hat concerns thc welfare of our Royal family is dear to us , anel I know that it is the wish of you all , as it is the wish of myself , that His Royal Highness may long live to enjoy the happiness which he deserves with the wife he has chosen . ( Loud applause . ) I will not detain you any longer , but ask you to drirk with all the enthusiasm and all the cordiality which I know I need not ask from you ,

" The Health of His Royal Highness thc Duke of Connaught . " ( Cheers . ) His Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught , who was loudly cheered on rising , in reply , said -. My lord , ladies , and gentlemen , I rise with great difficulty to return thanks

in suitable terms for the great honour you have done me in drinking my health with such cordiality . I can assure you that I appr < cia'e most fully the very kind and flattering sentiments which have beeu given expression to by Lord Suffielel . 1 only feel that it is rather difficult for me to thank him sufficiently . It is a great pleasure for me to be

present on this occasion , and 1 quite agree with Lord Suffield that this pleasure is enormously enhanced by seeing so many laelies present . I am afiaid that among ladies Masons are credited with being very selfish . We generally keep all our pleasures to ourselves , but we are glad on this occasion that the laelies have come amongst us , and I am

sure that we will always be glad to sec them . Although only a Mason of short standing , and of not so high a rank as my elder brother , still I will not give way to him in the interest I feel for Freemasonry . ( Cheers . ) Lord Suffield mentioned that this was my deout on a great Mascnic occasion . He is not stiicily correct in this ; but still it is the first occasion on which I have had the

pleasure of meeting so many of my brother Masons of England , and I only hope that I may often have a similar opportunity . Ladies and gentlemen , Lord Suffield touched in the kindest terms on what is always a rather delicate matter for any man to speak . ( Hear , hear . ) I am sure that it will touch her Royal Highness very much when I inform her of the kind reception she has met with , and

that the first reference to her in England has been among Freemasons . Ladies and gentlemen , I beg to return you my most cordial anel heartfelt thanks fur tlie honour you have done me . ( Applause . ) The Rev . II . A . Pickard , Grand Chaplain , in proposing the toast of " The Rig ht Hon . the Earl of Carnarvon , M . W . Pro G . M ., the Right Hon . Lord Skelmersdale , R . W .

Dep . G . M ., and the Prov . Grand Masters and Present and Past G-and Officers , " said : Your Royal Highness , my lord , ladies , and gentlemen , I have had your Royal Higbness ' s command to propose the next toast , and , as you are aware , having been brought up myself in the habits of military discipline , I cannot refuse the command which is imposed upon me from the chair ; otherwise , I shoulel have

hoped that it woulel have fallen to some more di-tinguished brother than myself to propose the next toast which stands on the list . It is "The Healths of the Right Hon . the Earl of Carnarvon , our Most Worshipful Pro Granel Master , who is Vice-President ex-officio of this Institution ; the Right Hon . Lord Skelmersdale , Right Worshipful Deputy Grand Master , and the Provincial Grand Masters and

Present and Past Giand Officers . " It is not very often , Sir , that a man has to get up to propose among others his own health ; but in obedience to your command , I propose the toast which has been put before you ; and it gives me great pleasure personally to have to speak of that most distinguished man and Mason , the Earl of Carnarvon ; because when 1 was the Master some twenty years ago of the

Apollo University Lodge he joined that lodge ; and Lorel Skelmersdale also was initiated by me into the mysteries of Freemasonry , and afterwards in my seconel year of office became my Inner Guard . It is , therefore , with very great pleasure that I rise to propose the health of those two most distinguished men and Masons . With this toast , Sir , I have to ask you to drink " The Health of the Provincial

Grand Master for Surrey , Gen . Brownrigg . " I have often had the pleasure of seeing Gen . Brownrigg in Grand Lodge . His son , the Rector of Moulsey , is one of my most intimate friends . I give you the toast I have mentioned , and I couple with it the name of Gen . Brownrigg . The toast having been most warmly received , General Brownrigg , C . B ., Prov . Granel Master for Surrey ,

in reply , said : May it please your Koyal Highness , my lorel , ladies , and gentlemen , it is , I am sorry to say , in virtue of my old age that I am called upon to return thanks for this toast that has just been proposed ; but old age , especially Masonic old age , has its duties as well as its privileges , and it is a great privilege to me to return thanks for this toast in this assembly . It is not only that

we have in our chairman this evening the illustrious prince who promises so well for the Craft , but also it delights my heart to see so many of thc other sex present on this occasion . I think when wc are not strictly confined to our Masonic duties , it is always pleasant—at all events it is very pretty—to see the other sex among us . I will not detain you by saying anything in reference to the toast .

The excellences of those distinguished brethren who had been mentioned , the Earl of Carnarvon and Lord Skelmersdale , were so well known that it would not be aelvisable for me at all events to dilate upon them on this occasion . Time is pressing . A great many of us I know have a great difficulty in reaching our distant homes , and I shall , therefore , at once conclude by thanking you very

much for the honour you have done me and for the kind way in which my name has been coupled with this toast . ( Cheers ) . The Duke of Connaught , in proposing the toast of the evening , said : " My lord , ladies , and gentlemen , the toast which I have now the pleasure to propose to you is one

full of interest , and will commend itself to you all , namely , " Prosperity to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . " ( Applause . ) This Institution has now been in existence for 80 years , having been founded in 179 8 . Up to the year 18 54 the Institution had no buileling of its own , and the boys were educated at schools adjacent to their parents ' residences . In the year 1855 the ! . . ildings and grounds

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

at Wood-green were purchased ; in 186 3 the foundationstone of the present edifice was laid , and in the year 1865 the building was completed . At first there were only 50 boys in the Institution , then 80 , and now , I am happy to say , that there are 211 clothed , educated , and maintained there . ( Cheers . ) All this is most satisfactory , but these increasing demands require increasing funds ; and I feel

that I should not be doing my duty as chairman if I did not bring this point fully before you . I myself , as a Mason , am—and I am sure all of you here present areproud of the Craft and proud of its leading principles . ( Applause . ) One of these—and , I think , the most important , and that which commends itself to the worM at large—is that of charity . I appeal to vou , therefore ,

brother Masons , to assist me in carrying out this grand principle for charity's sake . I am sure that we could not show our charitable wishes and interests better than by assisting to educate and to maintain the sons of poor Masons . ( Renewed applause . ) It is , therefore , on their behalf that I appeal to you . We ought to be very satisfied with the progress the school has made , and I am happy

to be able to say that the health of the boys is everything that could be desired , and that their education has been most carefully carried out , so that at the last University examination a most satisfactory result was obtained . With this tcast 1 have the honour of coupling the name of th Worshipful Bro . Geo . Plucknett , Treasurer and Vice - President . ( Hear , hear . ) After the satisfactory accoun

of the school that I have given you , I am sure that we must congratulate him in all that he has done to carry out all that is best for the school , and I am sure that you will join with rae in drinking his health , and in congratulating him on the prosperity of the Institution . ( Cheers ) Bro . Geo . Plucknett , in response , said he thanked the

brethren most sincerely for the way in which they had drunk the toast , and also the Chairman for having associated his name with it . His Royal Highness had so ably stated to the company the circumstances ofthe Institution , and so forcibly engaged the attention of the visitors , that it was quite unnecessary for him ( Bio . Plucknett ) to detain them by going over the same ground . He would ,

however , remind the brethren that the success of the Institution depended on themselves . The Committees had mana-reel the Institution very successfully , and they were very grateful to the brethren for the support which they had extended to it . It was the most anxious desire of all those who took part in its management that everything should be elone for the boys educated therein that their parents

could wish for hael they been alive . ( Hear , hear . ) He again thanked them sincerely for drinking , with so much warmth , prosperity to the Institution , and he hoped that the forcible appeal maele by His Royal Highness , the Chairman , would produce good results . Bro . F . Binckes , Secretary , then rose to announce the list of subscriptions , but pref iced the announcement by saying

that he stood in the position of a comparatively disappointed man . Wilh the presidency of His Royal Highness the Dnke of Connaught , he had hoped that the . success ofthe festival would have been second only to that of 1870 , when His Hoyal Highness the Prince of Wales took the chair . But he would ask that those present would not forget that for the last year or two commercial mattets hael not been , nor

were they now , in the condition which all must wish them to be . Were they but in a fairly prosperous condition the brethren generally would be able to do for the Institutions what the dictates of their hearts prompted . The circumstances of the country would not however allow them to do so much as they woulel wish . Whilst recognising the prestige , the power , and the influence attaching

to the Masonic debut of the illustrious Prince who pre- - sided over the meeting , the brethren were absolutely prevented from responding to the appeal which he had made to them with that heartiness which they woulel otherwise have done . The presidency of His Royal Highness this evening was over one of thc finest Masonic gatherings which he ( Bro . Binckes ) had ever had the pleasure of

witnessing , and if there should be considered to bc a financial failure , in other respects the meeting was a great success , and he was delighted that the brethren and thc ladies associated in the good work had rallied in such large numbers to give His Royal Highnef-s a hearty reception . Having achieveel in connection with this Institution for a number of years an exteneled series of magnificent successes ,

the Institution was in a po-fition for once to submit to a comparative failure . The Institution had a glorious past to which they lookeel back with satisfaction , and he was sure it had a future to which they coulel confidently look forward . ( Applause . ) Bro . Binckes then announced the following lists of subscriptions : £ S . el * Bro . George Plucknett , P . G . D ., V . P . & Treas . 1010 o

„ Benj . Head , P . G . D ., V . Pat . ... 13 13 o „ J . C . Parkinson , P . G . D ., V . Pat . ... 10 10 o „ Raynham W . Stewart , P . G . D ., V . Pat . 10 10 o „ Thos . Cubitt , P . M ., P . G . Purst ., V . P ., Hon . Secretary ... ... ... 73 12 o

N 0 * LONDON . LODGE . 2 Bro . J . E . Hilary Skinner ... £ 40 9 o 3 „ Thos . Robinson ... 25 4 o 5 „ Horace W . Scriven ... 52 10 o 6 W . T . Marriott , Q . C . .. 1 11 11 o

7 „ Frederick Adlard ... 19 19 o 8 „ J . T . C . Winkfield ... 27 60 10 „ Rev . Thomas Cochrane ... 59 17 °

n „ R . T . Pigott ... 35 14 o 12 „ D . Nicols , V . P . ; Leopold Ruf 28 2 o 14 „ Alfred Isaac Bristow ... 13 13 o 18 „ Herbert Geo . Huggins ... 52 10 o 21 „ Joseph W . Zambra ... 44 I o 22 „ Thomas Fairweather ... 66 3 o 23 „ E . C . Mather , V . P . ,.. 31 10 o