The Grand Treasurership.

THE GRAND TREASURERSHIP .

IP an opinion may be formed from the number of votes recorded in connection with the election- for Grand Treasurer—and as it is fair to assume that nine out of every ten who were present voted for one candidate or the other they

are a very fair guide—there was not nearly so large an attendance on Wednesday last as at the corresponding meeting of last year , the number of votes then , recorded being 3 , 085 , as compared with only 2 , 159 this year .

This would seem to prove that members of the Craft did not take such a lively interest in this elective question as they did in 1894 , when it must be admitted excitement was raised to

a high pressure by the friends of the different candidates . Not only does the actual total this year show a falling off of nearly 30 per cent , as compared with last , but the aggregate of the

votes recorded for the different candidates is correspondingly decreased , which further tends to prove that interest in the matter is not what it was . The totals for the two years are as follow :

In 1894 1317 1200 and 568 votes respectively . 1895 932 787 „ 440 In the first case the candidates were Bros . Dimsdale , Stiles and Hudson ; in the latter Bros . Stiles , Vaughan Morgan and Hudson , in the order given in each case .

Despite this great falling off in the number of voters the question of the Grand Treasurership must still be regarded as the most popular that comes before Grand Lodge , no other matter ever attracting such an attendance as is witnessed

when this subject comes forward year by year . The election also provides food for reflection in other directions—it affords proof of the concern shown by a large section of the Graft who do not trouble to come forward except on special occasions , and it also shows that a certain amount of class distinction

exists among those who have a voice in the concerns of English Freemasonry ; but perhaps one of the most interesting points demonstrated is the support that can be secured by what may almost be described as unknown men in Masonry

when they are put forward for such an office as that under notice . We have but to point to the 1 , 317 votes secured by Sir Joseph Dimsdale last year to show this . He was virtually unknown in Masonry a few days before his nomination for the

Office of Grand Treasurer , yet in the short space of three months he became so popular as to secure the large number of votes with which he was returned , 117 more than those

polled for Bro . Stiles , whose friends had been engaged in an active electioneering campaign on his behalf for several months previously .

Alderman Vaughan Morgan ' s total this year is another illustration of this subject . How many Brethren regarded him as a prominent Freemason four months since ? yet this week "we find 787 attending Grand Lodge to record their vote in his favour , and although that number was not sufficient to give

The Grand Treasurership.

him the place , in face of Bro . Stiles's greater popularity , Bro . Morgan does not by any means appear to disadvantage in the secondary position he occupied on the declaration of the poll ,

and should he persevere with his candidature we have little doubt but that he will ultimately head a poll and win the coveted honour .

We are rather surprised that Bro . Hudson did not maintain his total of last year , indeed we had looked for an increase in the figures in his case , but he labours under a great disadvantage in the fact that the majority of his supporters are Provincial

Brethren , to many of whom personal attendance at Grand Lodge for the purpose of voting is not only a heavy tax , but very often an impossibility . That this inequality will one day be remedied by a rule rendering it possible to vote by proxy we

are firmly convinced , and until that does happen a Provincial Brother will always be heavily handicapped in the contest for this , the only elective office really open to the Craft at large .

The Benevolent Institution.

THE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

OUB usual summary , showing the number of Stewards and the total contributed from each Province to the Festival of the Boyal Masonic Benevolent Institution , was last week crowded out , but we have pleasure in giving it now , together with a list of subsequent additions ; these latter including amounts received at the office of the Institution up to Thursday .

The particulars announced at the Festival were as follow Province . Stewards . Amount . * Bedfordshire 1 £ 43 1 0 Berkshire 5 440 7 0 Buckinghamshire ... ... ... 5 52 10 0 Bristol 1 10 10 0

Cumberland and Westmoreland ... 1 102 18 0 Derbyshire 6 297 5 0 Dorsetshire 1 105 0 0 Durham 2 330 15 0 Essex 10 324 7 9 Gloucestershire ... ... ... 3 44 1 0

Hampshire and Islo of Wight ... 3 142 5 6 Hertfordshire .. 8 450 0 0 Kent 8 252 10 6 East Lancashire ... ... 3 21 0 0 West Lancashire ... ... 5 131 5 0 Leicestershire and Rutland ... 1 289 16 0

Middlesex 6 168 19 0 Norths and Hunts 1 10 10 0 North Wales 4 47 5 0 Nottinghamshire ... ... ... 1 107 12 6 Oxfordshire 3 21 2 0 Stafforshire 1 89 5 0 Shropshire 3 115 10 0

Somersetshire 27 1654 6 0 Suffolk 9 654 16 0 Surrey 8 178 3 6 Sussex ... ... ... ... 11 309 4 6 Warwickshire ... ... ... 1 10 10 0 West Yorkshire 14 441 0 0 Malta 1 36 15 0 South Africa 1 10 10 0

London 171 7220 6 0 Additions to the above totals have since been received as follow : Berkshire £ 10 10 0 Gloucestershire ... ... 0 10 0 West Lancashire ... ... 110 North Wales 10 10 0 London ... ... ... 141 6 0