The Masonic Orphan Schools, Dublin.

all together . These Schools were , perhaps , the noblest jewel in the Masonic regalia , " but at the same time ' their usefulness to the members of the Order ought not lo be forgotten . They had lessons to learn from the misfortunes of others , and those

lessons could be discharged and followed and learned by every one of them , each according to his several abilities . " These eloquent words must have been the more deeply impressed upon the minds of those who heard them by the cases which Bro . the

Lord Justice had mentioned earlier in his address as evidencing the value of the Schools to the Freemasons of Ireland , one of the g irls most recently elected being the orphan daughter of a Provincial Senior Grand Warden , while in the case of one of

the best scholars in the Boys' School , his father had once been her Majesty ' s Hi g h Sheriff of the County Antrim , who died in penury in America . Such cases as these showed that it would be exceedingly unwise on the part of anyone to assume that

human prosperity was as secure as in his haste he might , at firstsi g ht , imagine , andthat even fromaselfish point of view , it mi g ht be worth his while to discharge his ability towards these Schools . " But those who desire to know more about these Irish Masonic

Orphan Institutions are referred to the Lord Justice ' s speech itself , in which they will find much more than it is necessary for us to refer to in this article , and what is well calculated to arouse our sympathy , much lhat will apply with equal force to our own

Schools . We have , no doubt , the address will have due weight with our Antrim brethren , and that now they are so much betterinformed as to the nature and objects of these Schools , they will

be more than ever disposed to accord them their hearty support , not as an act of charity , but as an act of duty to the children of their deceased brethren , whom in the flesh they had known and loved and respected .

The Queen's Sixty Years' Reign.

THE QUEEN'S SIXTY YEARS' REIGN .

LOYAL ADDRESS OF FREEMASONS . On Monday last a Special Meeting of Freemasons , organised by the Most Worshipful Grand Master , for voting a congratulatory address to her Majesty on the completion of 60 years of her reign , was held at the Royal Albert Hall—the scene of the Prince of Wales ' s first installation as Grand Master , of his presidency at the Jubilee of hsr Majesty ' s reign 10 years ago , and of his Chairmanship at the Centenary Festival of the Royal

Masonic Institution for Girls in iSSS . On the present occasion he was accompanied by the Duke of Connaught , who also attended the Prince of Wales's installation in 1 S 75 , having been made a Master Mason only the night before . The Earl of Lathom , M . W . Pro Grand Master ; Earl Amherst , Dep . Grand Master , also attended now , and there were likewise present Bros , the Duke of Abercorn , Grand Master of Ireland ; Lord

Saltoun , Grand Master Mason of Scotland ; Lord Suffield , K . C . B ., Prov . - G . Master Norfolk ; the Earl of Carrington , G . C . M . G . ; the Earl of Warwick , Prov . G . Master Essex ; the Marquess of Zetland , Prov . G . Master N . and E . Yorks ; Sir I ledworth Williamson , Hart ., Prov . G . Master Dutham ; the Lord Amherst of Hackney , P . G . Warden ; the Bishop of Perth ; Chief Justice Way ; the Rajah of Kapurthala ; Major F . H . Allen , J . G . Warden Scotland ; and D . Murray Lyon , G . Sec . Scotland .

Altogether quite 7000 brethren were present , and the large hall was quite filled not only on the Hoor and dais but in the several tiers of galleries up to the roof . The arrangements which had been made by Bro . Thomas Fenn , Acting Grand Director of Ceremonies ( who on this occasion occupied that office in the unavoidable absence of Sir Albert Woods , through illness ) , were so admirable that no one suffered any inconvenience , every brother ,

from whatever part he came having his place assigned to him , and the Stewards and the other assistants ot the Director ot Ceremonies knowing precisely where to direct them to . The company had all got into their places by hall-past three p . m ., with the exception of the Present and Past Grand Officers , who were to take part in the Grand Master ' s procession . The hall , in this condition presented a very imposing spectacle , the regalia , in

which they were clothed , the blue being the overpowering colour , giving a very pretty uniformity to the scene . At four o ' clock the four trumpeters who were stationed in front of the great organ , sounded a fanfare , and the procession which was of enormous length entered the hall , and when the Prince of Wales appeared he was received with a tremendous burst of applause which lasted until he had taken his seat . The Duke of Connaught ,

the Earl of Lathom ( a favourite with all Masons ) , and Earl Amherst were also heartily received ; but there was one very conspicuous figure in the group who raised several questions as to who he was , some taking him for the Speaker of the House of Commons , and others for the Lord Chancellor . But it was none other than the Deputy Grand Registrar , Bro . R . 1101 ton Smith , Q . C ., who appeared in full-bottomed wig and gown and Court dress of a Queen ' s Counsel . The procession of Grand Officers

being so long it was several minutes before they were all seated , but as soon as these brethren had taken their places the Grand Master sounded his gavel . The Prince of WALES then rose and said : Brethren , —Before we go to the business which has called this great gathering together , I beg leave to address a few words to you . It will certainly be within the memory of most people , of many of you who are here to-day , and of the Craft in general , that 10 years ago we had a meeting similir to this one—the object

The Queen's Sixty Years' Reign.

being to present an humble address to her Majesty the Queen on having attained the 50 th anniversary of her reign . ( Cheers . ) Ten years have elapsed since that time , and by the bountiful goodness of Providence her Majesty has reigned 10 years more . ( Loud cheers . ) The feeling throughout the vast Empire to do honour to this great and unprecedented occasion has been shared by all . ( Hear , hear . ) Every member of the community

has desired in some way or other to testify their high appreciation of the way in which her Majesty has ruled over this great Empire for the space of 60 years . ( Cheers . ) Having now held the high office for many years of head of this great Craft in England , I maintain that there is no body in her Mijesty's dominions who are more loyal or more orderly than the Freemasons , ( Cheers . ) Our business , brethren , to-day is to move and second

an address to the Queen on having attained her 60 th Jubilee ; and I know only too well with what enthusiasm it will be received when I put the motion to the meeting . ( Cheers . ) Ten years ago we were a very large number . From what I learn we are to-day a still greater gathering—in fact , I do not believe that so large a gathering of Masons was ever held before , and probably will never be held again . For my own part , I can

only thank you all , as the head of this great Order in England , for having come here to-day to testify by your enthusiasm and your numbers how important you consider the great occasion which brings us together . ( Cheers . ) I will now call upon the Grand Secretary to read the proposed address . Bro . E . LETCHWORTH , Grand Secretary , then read the following address :

"To the Queen s Most Excellent Majesty . " We , your Majesty ' s most faithful and loyal subjects , the Free and Accepted Masons under the United Grand Lodge of England , venture , with profound respect , on this , the completion of the 60 th year of your Majesty ' s reign over these Kingdoms and the vast Empire of the British

Crown , humbly to offtr our dutiful and heart-felt congratulations , and to express our continued and unswerving loyalty to your Majesty , and our gratitude to the Great Architect of the Universe , who has distinguished your Majesty's reign by a length exceeding that of any of your predecessors , and by the continued and unexampled increase of happiness and prosperity throughout your Majesty ' s dominions .

" No class of your Majesty ' s subjects outvies in loyal attachment to the Throne and devotion to your Majesty ' s person than the Ancient Institution of English Freemasonry , which , founded on the purest principles of religion and morality , is also characterised by its unvarying support of the existing institutions of the country , and by the maintenance of universal Charity and brotherhood .

" We pray that the Almighty may continue and multiply on your Majesty those blessings which have hitherto signalised your Mijesty ' s beneficent reign , and that , enshrined in the hearts of all your subjects by ever deepening feelings of loyalty and devotion , your Majesty's reign may always be attended with the blessings of Peace , Unity , and Prosperity . " Dated at the Royal Albert Hall , this 14 th day of June , 1897 . "

The Prince of WALES : I will call upon Bro . the Duke of Connaught , Past Grand Master , to move the address . ( Cheers . ) The Duke of CONNAUGHT : Brethren , In obedience to the orders of our most illustrious and Most Worshipful Grand Master , I rise to propose the address which has just been read . I hardly expected that such an honour would have fallen to my share as to propose this . But your illustrious Grand

Master has . I fancy , called upon me as representing not only oneof the oldest lodges in the country , and one of the oldest provinces in the country , that of Sussex , but also as representing the District of Bombay— ( loud cheers)—to show that all Masons in her Majesty ' s dominions are one at heart , as I am sure we all are , on this great occasion . ( Renewed cheers . ) I feel most highly having been asked to move the address on what I am sure will

remain in the annals of the Craft as one of the greatest days of its prosperity . ( Hear , hear . ) I believe , in fact our Grand Master has told us , that we are the largest number of Masons who has ever assembled together . And surely we have assembled together for a right and proper purpose . ( Cheers . ) We have indeed assembled in our thousands , to show our deep loyalty and devotion to our Gracious Sovereign . ( Cheers . ) In her we recognise , not only our Sovereign of this realm , of this large Empire of ours , but a gracious

Lady who has ever spoken to the hearts of our people in joy and in sorrow . ( Loud cheers . ) We , as Masons , have at all times been loyal to our traditions , as we are loyal to our Sovereign . ( Hear , hear . ) I know that I am speaking the feelings of everybody in the Craft here present when I say I move this address with the feelings of the greatest respect ; and it is with feelings of great gratitude that I am here to-day to move an address to one who has so long graced the throne of England . ( Cheers . ) Therefore , I move that the address which has just been read by the Grand Secretary be transmitted to her Majesty the Queen . ( Loud cheers . )

« Earl AMHERST , Deputy Grand Master : Most Worshipful Grand Master , Your Royal Highness and Brethren , —I count it no small honour that his Royal Highness ' s commands have been laid upon me on this occasion to second the loyal address to her Majesty . The address , Most Worshipful Grand Master , requires little or no seconding ; in fact , it is already carried by acclamation in such an assembly . I do not refer to our

loyalty to her Majesty as her subjects ; that will find fitting expression at other times and in other places . But if we consider her Majesty as the daughter of a Freemason , as the mother of Freemasons — ( general applause)—and as the patroness and benefactress of our Order , who can wonder that the Queen Empress has inspired in the people of England the respect and the affectionate loyalty which breathes in every word of the

address you have heard read . ( Cheers . ) Great , indeed , has been the advantage to us Masons of her Majesty's patronage of the Craft . Not only is it something to show that the Sovereign of our islands patronises us , but I think one word of acknowledgment is due from this vast a sembly of the enormous advantage the Craft has gained , that her sons are our rulers during her Majesty's reign , and that they rule over such

vastly-increasing numbers . ( Cheers . ) And , brethren , I will go for one moment outside these islands , and call your attention to the vast empire over which her Majesty reigns ; and think what a vast empire it is . From these small islands Englishmen have colonised , and explored , and conquered , and extended the dominions over one-fifth of the habitable globe , and the

inhabitants of those dominions in the whole world now look up to the Empress Queen as their sovereign head . From all that vast area many addresses will come , many tokens of loyalty have come , to her Majesty ; but , speaking here on behalf of the Masons of England , I make bold to say that no address will be more hearty and devoted , none will have more loyal feelings