as each of these contingencies was probable—nay, OUR THIRTY-SECOND VOLUME. almost certain—in connection with this 92nd Anni- versary Festival, when Lord George promised to pre- one great regret to express in opening WE have side, it is all the more gratifying to be able to refer to our new Volume ; to record the death a result far in advance of what was looked forward to of the Earl of Carnarvon, Most Worshipful Pro in many quarters, among Masons well qualified to Grand Master of England, and Provincial Chief of form an opinion. Somersetshire, "which occurred on Saturday last. The Boys' Festival of the year has been a failure— Throughout the fifteen and a half year's existence of judged by its predecessors ; but a gratifyin g success, THE FKEEMASON'S CHRONICLE the late Earl has if looked at in a general way, and in connection with occupied one of the highest positions in connection the accepted idea of a few weeks back as to what it with English Freemasonry ; in its earlier days he filled would realise. There is more uncertainty up to the office of Deputy Grand Master, and for upwards within a week of a Festival as to what it will realise of 15 years the more important one of Pro Grand than most brethren imagine. Even the officials can Master. It is a very mournful duty in this, the first form but a guess as to the outcome, while as regards number of our new Volume, to have to refer to his outsiders it is next to impossible to arrive at anything decease, but the task devolves upon us, and we can like approximate figures. Better evidence of this dif- only add our regrets to the many already expressed ficulty cannot be given than by referring to our con- at this sad event. As regards the future of the teniporary in Masonic journalism, which last week CHRONICLE , we can only promise that our actions shall gave a forecast of the result, and fixed upon a total be based on the same lines as have guided us in the which most people regarded as about double what past, and we must again express the hope that our would actually be subscribed, and which has since effort s will meet the approval of our brother Masons, proved to be absurdly in excess of the actual result. while we trust onr endeavours to advance the welfare Had we gone so far as to mention figures, we should of the Craft and its Institutions may be crowned with have been below the mark, but not so far out as the success. We thank our supporters for the encourage- writer to whom we refer, and we have the further ment we have received in the past, and assure them we shall do gratification of knowing that we are agreeably sur- all in our power to deserve their con- prised at the result, while our contemporary must feel tinued approval. particularly unhappy at the lack of foresight dis- played by its editor. Better by far underestimate such a total than raise false hopes by giving figures far in THE FESTIVAL excess of what was regarded as possible by even the OF THE BOYS' SCHOOL. most ardent believers in * * modern ideas." T/-S7E shall have to go back very many years in the The falling off in the support given to the Institu- " " history of the Eoyal Masonic Institution for tion this week was particularly marked in connection Boys before we find a Festival that will compare with the London Lodges, for whom only 75 Stewards with the 92nd Anniversary Gathering, held on Wed- did duty,securing among them a total of -£2,887 16s 6d. nesday, when a total of only -£9,253 2s was announced The Provinces sent up -£5,815 ls 6d; Unattached as the contributions of the Craft for the year. This Stewards swelled the list with -£497 14s ; and the is, unquestionably, a very large amount to secure ; Chairman of the day contributed -£52 10s. This is but, in COmnai'isnn wfr.li VPP.ATI * fnfnla if mi-ief. ha probably the first time in connection with the Masonic regarded as somewhat in the light of a failure, being Charities when the contributions of Lodges outside of insufficient to meet the expenses of the Charity for London was double the amount subscribed by the the year, and giving unmistakeable evidence that the Metropolis, and it is difficult to know whether to instit ution has severely suffered in conseauence of regard the proportions as a mere coincidence or a fair tnei unfortunate differences that have arisen in regard index of what is to be expected in the future. The to its management following summary shows the amounts sent up by the Fes during the last two years. of -p. 1 6 tival was held under the presidency the several Provinces and the number of Stewards who ^ n * LorcI Ge01'ge Hamilton, M.P., First Lord worked in each District :— 1*§T e S? . r 7.' -aamiralty, Past Grand Warden of England, &c, Province. Stewards. Amount. 1S Berks and Bucks 7 184 1 0 ih Vt -i common justice to that nobleman to say wiat he everything in his Cambridgeshire 1 206 12 0 success Jd power to secure the Cheshire 1 10 10 0 he and so many others desired. But he Cornwall 1 137 10 0 he undertook the duties of Chairman, Derbyshire 7 236 6 0 twonat no ordinary? Devonshire 2 74 11 0 work was before him, and on that Dorsetshire 1 181 13 0 deservea fori w if the especial thanks of the Craft Durham 1 78 15 0 wnat he so readily undertook. It is not everv one Essex 7 307 13 0 1'68 * play a losing ame or to b Gloucestershire 5 69 6 0 oSoiiwciaily R 8 > e mixed up Hants and the Isle of Wight 8 266 12 0 mth anything likely to result in failure ; and Hertfordshire 6 240 9 0 Kent 10 399 0 fi said His Royal Highness had plaoed the Brotherhood under grQ! Lancashire East 5 67 2 C obligations, as he had given a great impetus to Freemasonry iQ ^ West Grand Master of the Order. ^ 11 311 15 0 United Kingdom by becoming AU W*JO Middlesex 4 51 0 0 had been iu any way associated with him ia tho discharge of tho Norfolk 1 26 5 0 duties connected with the office of Grand Master wonld say that he No'tingl-mmshire 2 178 10 o discharged his work in no perfunctory manner. Hia Roy il Highn R „ Oxfordshire 3 46 16 fi had presided at one of the Festivals of this Institution, and the gata9 Shropshire 7 181 13 0 might be said of his Royal brother the Duke of Connaught. On both Somersetshire hnesses' advocacy was attonrlcd 1 358 1 o those occasions their Royal Hig by a Staffordshire 4 304 10 0 very large amount of subscriptions. All the brethren of the Craffc Suffolk fi 258 6 0 were thoroughly satisfied with the way in which their Royal H*gn- Surrey 5 95 0 6 nessea performed their duties, and he was sure that they thoronghlv Sussex 4 199 10 0 appreciated the duties of the high station in which God had Warwickshire 2 78 15 0 placed tbem. Lord George Hamilton now said that in the Wiltshire 1 42 10 0 exercise of the discretion whioh was always vested in a Worcestershire 2 78 15 0 Chairman he would interpolate a few words between the toasfc Ynrkuhiro West 4(5 800 0 0 which he had just proposed and tho toast he had next to offer, North Wains 5 109 14 g During the last few days England and Freemasonry had both ex. 8outh Wales (Western Division) 1 136 10 0 perienoed a great loss by the death of that distinguished Statesman Foreign Stations 31 \ Q Q and Freemason the Earl of Carnarvon. As this was the last occasion on whioh any body of Freema«ons were able to mako any testimonial 5752 1 6 of respect to that distinguished man, who to-morrow morning would London 75 2887 16 6 be laid in his last resting place, he would ask the brethren to drink Unattached 32 497 14 0 to hia memory in solemn silence. The Earl of Carnarvon was a The Chairman 52 10 0 singularly gifted man. His enthusiastic nature, his humanitarian impulses, his life in the past, his great antiquarian lore, the undying £9190 2 0 belief which he had in the necessity of every individual's contribu. The above fi ting to the best of his ability towards alleviating the distress and gures—which are those given out at sorrows that mankind must ever be subject to, made him in every the Festival—show a return of sixty guineas below the sense the beau ideal of a Freemason. In every capacity he was of iotal announced , but as there wore twenty lists the greatest service to the Craft, and when he was appointed Pro outstanding at the time the figures were Grand Master by H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, ho brought his great given the knowledge of affairs and his diplomatic skill in play by bringing to a variation is easily accounted for, while the ultimate successful issue negotiations with regard to controversies which were result is likely to exceed the announcement, even if it in existence between the Lodges in the Colonies under the Grand does not run into a five fi gure return.