The Festival Of The Benevolent Institution.

Kent occupies the second place among tno Provinces , with a total of £ 1 , 227 17 s 6 d , raised by seventeen Stewards , the premier place among them being secured by Bro . J . 0 . Eve , who represented the Royal Navy Lodge , No . 429 , and secured a total of £ 171 9 s . Six other members of this

Province each collected upwards of £ 100 , while those who figure for less than that sum took a prominent part in raising the gratifying total contributed by the Province . West Yorkshire was represented by thirty-three

Stewards , who secured £ 750 on behalf of the Festival ; but ifc is hoped that this sum will prove to be but a small moiety of what will eventually be raised from West

Yorkshire for this Institution during the current year . We believe the brethren are there making arrangements to celebrate the Queen ' s Jubilee by a special donation to the funds of the Benevolent Institution . The same is the case

in East Lancashire , from which Province it is hoped something liko £ 1 , 500 will eventually be forthcoming ; at present all that has been announced is £ 89 5 s .

The next highest total is that of Essex , which is represented by 12 Stewards , with a total of £ 500 13 s , two of its members securing three-figure totals . The following is a summary of the whole of the Provincial donations : —

Province . No . of Stewards . Amount . Hampshire and the Isle of Wight 28 1760 14 6 Kent 17 1227 17 6 West Yorkshire 33 750 0 0 EBBCX 12 500 13 0

Middlesex 13 431 17 0 Derbyshire 8 429 14 0 Suffolk 3 418 19 0 Hertfordshire 11 396 19 0 West Lancashiie 11 396 8 0 Cornwall 1 368 11 0

Snrrey 9 351 1 6 Leicestershire and Eutland 1 250 0 0 Berks and Bncks 6 216 4 6 Cambridgeshire 1 200 0 0 North Wales 4 152 1 0 Norfolk 1 151 5 0

Somersetshire 1 132 8 0 Staffordshire 1 132 6 0 Bristol 1 115 10 0 Dorsetshire 1 113 3 0 Sussex 2 112 7 0 North and East Yorkshire 3 93 7 0 East Lancashire 17 89 5 0

¦ Gloucestershire 2 84 0 0 Warwickshire 4 75 12 0 Oxfordshire 3 72 18 6 Cumberland and Westmoreland 1 55 13 0

Durham _ 52 10 0 Devonshire 1 50 0 0 South Wales ( East Division ) — 36 15 0 Worcestershire 1 31 10 0 Cheshire 2 30 5 0 Nottinghamshire 1 27 0 6

A Scheme Utopian.

A SCHEME UTOPIAN .

GRAN D Lodge will have yet another proposition submitted to it , at its next meeting , in connection with the Royal Jubilee celebration , and it is one which might well excite feelings of curiosity and surprise . The Jubilee

year has called into being all sorts of new-fangled ideas , some of which are of an astoundingly novel and erratic character . But that which stands on the agenda for next

Grand Lodgo , in the name of Bro . C . W . Meiter , Worshipful Master of the Mizpah Lodge , No . 1671 , is certainly one of the mosfc unique and original that has yet come under our observation . No doubt this worthy Brother , in his desire

to perpetuate the memory of the Jubilee of her Majesty ' s glorious reign , has been prompted by the most sincere and genuine sentiments , but the erection of a "House of Prayer for all Nations , " " upon the ground in or near the original site of King Solomon ' s Temple ,

at Jerusalem is rather calculated to upset one ' s gravity at the first blush . The rebuilding of King Solomon ' s Temple is a suggestion having a peculiarly strange ring in Masonic ears , though when we consider the time and

circumstances under which tbe original edifice was erected , and the changes which have occurred since that time , it is difficult to realise how Brother Meiter ' s dream can be fulfilled . Of course , we are not so obtuse as to imagine the prime mover of this " castle in the air" aims at such high game as the resuscitation of the Temple in all its

A Scheme Utopian.

pristine splendour , with its gold and cedar , and the magnificent embellishments of which we read so much . His idea is more modest , and seeks merely to provide a resting-place and nook for devotion for all those pilgrims " of every nation and kindred , and tribe , " who pass that way in the direction of the Holy City . No suggestion is

proffered as to what shall be the cost of such an edifice , but the " plan of campaign " for raising subscriptions towards tho object in view is decidedly interesting . Let us presume for an instanfc that the motion of which Bro . Meiter has given notice is passed afc the next meeting of

Grand Lodge , and that an architectural competition be invited for designs for this universal " House of Prayer . " Then , according to the originator of the scheme , the question of ways and means is easily solved . The firsfc step to be taken is for the Grand Lodge of England to

" prepare forthwith a foundation stone , which shall be consecrated by " our present Mosfc Worshipful Grand Master , " or his nominee , in London . This is somewhat vague , but we can just imagine the quiet smile of amusement which will steal over the features of his Royal Highneas when he first reads fche strange , though doubtless well intentioned proposal of the Master of the Mizpah Lodge , But Bro . Meiter , as a man of business , is to be baulked by

no procrastination or delay ; the scheme is to be carried out on the principle of Macbeth , " If ifc were done , when 'tis done , then 'twere well it were done quickly . "

Thus , as soon as the sacred block of stone has received the unction of our Most Worshipful Master , it is to be put on exhibition , and all loyal and religiously disposed Freemasons will be afforded the privilege of kneeling afc the shrine and pouring forth their offerings into the coffers

of the idol which Bro . Meiter has set up . All present at the consecration ceremony are to be allowed to place contributions on the stone , and an important feature in that respect is that the same shall be " publicly acknowledged . "

It needs a little stretch of imagination to picture the host of Masons flocking up to London , where the stone is to " remain for a given time , " and depositing their guineas upon the slab of Portland stone which is to stand at the

north-east corner of the " House of Prayer for all Nations , " afc Jerusalem . Nor is this all , for the general public are to " enjoy the some privilege of subscribing and placing their subscriptions on the stone as those present

at the consecration . Is there not something immensely funny in this fanciful vision , of raising a Masonic Ebenezer on the historic site of Hiram ' s great achievement ?

The sublimity of the conception is only eclipsed by its grotesque absurdity . But we are digressing . After the consecrated stone has been deluged by the gold and silver —the frankincense and myrrh of pilgrims to the

mefcroand other countries , there to attract Masonic and " general" worshippers , who will fall down before this

polls , for the purpose—it is to be carried , liko the Ark of old , through the " principal cities of the United Kingdom

nucleus of a cosmopolitan system of devotion and piety which is to be inaugurated in honour of the Jubilee reign of Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria , and Empress of India . The custodians of the stone are to be

" composed entirely of Free and Accepted Masons , to be nominated by the Grand Lodge of England , " who shall be responsible for its safe custody , and the amounts placed thereon , or otherwise subscribed for this object at each

resting station . The money thus collected is to be forwarded to the Treasurer , or as may be directed by order of the Grand Lodge of England . How this extraordinary proposition will be received by Grand Lodge is an event

to which we shall look forward with no little degree of curiosity . We have no doubt that somebody will be found to second it , for any " fancy " movement is sure fco find a following of somo kind or other . But if we can

bring ourselves to believe thafc Bro . Meiter is really serious in this affair , our regrefc is that his nearest and dearest advisers should not have counselled him to withdraw himself as speedily as possible from a web of

his own construction , and which will inevitably involve him in the position of a laughing-stock amongst all staid and rationally-minded Masons . We have no desire to poke fun at men who imbibe " up in a balloon " ideas , and dream of

impossible things ; but what with Imperial Institutes , Jubilee banquets , feasts , jewels , and the legion of other celebrations , this far-fetched idea seems rather like a snatch of the Arabian Nights' Entertainments than anything that

has yet been submitted to the Craft . From a utility point of view it is difficult to see of what advantage this " House