The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

while the other Stewards . Bros . C . F . Crane ( 1631 ) . H . J . Wright ( 936 ) and B . Gall ( 81 ) take up £ 85 , £ 78 15 s ,

and £ 26 5 s respectively . Hertfordshire—Little Hert « as it is usually designatedcontributed not a little to the SUCCPSS of the Festival . £ 277 3 s 6 d being the total of its contributions , sent up at

the hands of nine Stewards . Bro . J . W . Morns , as representative of the oldest Lodge in the Province—the Hertford , No . 403—comes first , with a list of £ 52 4 s , and he is supported by Comp . Edward Swain , as representative

of the Hertford Chapter , No . 403 , with £ 27 6 s , — £ 79 10 s

fmm the brethren and Companions of the cmmty town Brn . W . Maokie , of tho Wilson lies' Lodge , follows with £ 42 ; and then comes Bro . W . K . Hopkin , the Worshipful Master of the Gladsmnir Lodge , No . 1385 , who brings up

£ 36 15 s , no inconsiderable amount when wo consider that the Gladsmuir is but a small Lodge , and has been at considerable expense during the past year , when they entertained Provincial Grand Lodge on the occasion of its annual meeting .

Worcestershire is particularly strong in its representatives on the present occasion , bo ^ h Sir Edmund A . H . Lfchmer " , Bnrt ., M P ., the Provincial Grand Master , and Bro . A . F . Godson , the Deputv Provincial Grand Master .

being among the Stewards . Four other brethren undertook the task of pleading on behalf of the Old People , and the result of the six lists is a total of £ 271 17 s . Of this the Provincial Grand Master takes up £ 171 18 s , Bro . W .

Perry ( 564 ) £ 36 15 s , Bro . A . F . Godson £ 31 10 s , and the

three remaining Stewards ten guineas each . Staffordshire entrusted its representation to Brother W . H . Bailey , nnd right nobly has he fulfilled the trust reposed in him , as his list of £ 204 15 s forcibly

demonstrates . Despite the great interest the brethren of this district continually display in the Charities of the Order , we should liko to see them do more . If we may go so far , we would suggest they induce their Provincial

Grand Master to act as Chairman at one of the Festivals , and rall y round him to the utmost in their power in order to make his presidency a success . If they would do this heartily , and could induce their chief to support them

in their endeavours , we predict such a result as would make a grand addition to the funds of whichever Institution was fortunate enough to be selected for the honour . Dorsetshire is next in order , with a total of £ 180 10 s .

brought up , with the exception of ten guineas contributed by Bro . W . James , of No . 707 , by the Provincial representative , Bro . E . T . Budden . This is a good start for the year , and we hope will be repeated by our Dorset brethren at each of the succeeding Festivals .

Nottinghamshire sends up £ 176 18 s 6 d at the hands of Bro . John Toplis , representing the Newstead Lodge , No . 47 , and has a Steward with a list outstanding . We trust his efforts will be , if not as successful as those of his

co-Steward , at least sufficient to make an appreciable difference in the total of his Province , although the amount already contributed is large , and one of which the brethren of the county may justly be proud .

Somersetshire also had the services of a good representative , Brother W . Rice , who worked for " The Province , " and secured no less than £ 166 18 s , a total a few pounds short of what was sent up by the Province at the

corresponding Festival of last year . Berks and Bucks had four representatives , and between them they secured £ 159 lis 6 d . Brother R . C . Prickett , of 1101 , takes tbe lead , with £ 64 , and is followed bv Bro .

A . S . Morling , of No . 948 , with £ 48 9 s . Brother H . J . Stollery ( 209 ) and J . Thickens ( 1770 ) were the other Stewards , and their lists amounted to £ 34 2 s 6 d and £ 13 respectively .

Devonshire follows very closely , its three Stewards making up a total of £ 157 10 s , of which Brother J . E . Cnrteis , as representing the Province , collected £ 105 , Bro .

£ 10 10 s respectivel y . No doubt the brethren of Surrey are reserving themselves for the special effort we ,

A . T . Blarney ( 1402 ) £ 36 15 s , and Bro . H . Marley ( 1358 )

the balance of £ 15 15 s . Surrey—whose Provincial Grand Master , Gen . Studholme Brownri gg , C . B ., has consented to preside at the coming Festival on behalf of the Girls' School—sends up £ 148 lis

for the Benevolent , at the hands of four Stewards , of whom Bro . Aynsley , of the Mozart Lodge , No . 1929 , secured £ 67 14 s . The other Stewards were Bro . F . A . Gnimaraens ( 416 ) , J . A . Lorimer ( 1046 ) , and J . Drewett ( 1638 ) , while the amounts of their lists were £ 38 17 s , £ 31 10 sand

The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

may expect them to make in support of their chief , and such being the case —¦ and assuming that the result of their efforts on behalf of the Benevolent may be

taken as a criterion of what they will do for the Girls—a handsome total may be looked for from them in May next . Cheshire had five Stewards , who , between them , contributed £ 148 6 s . Threo of these Stewards , Bros . Thomas

Maples ( 537 ) , E . Woodhead ( 537 ) , and W . Mellor ( 758 )

took up lists of £ 36 15 s each , while Bros . John Clayton and Walter Kenworthy , who acted jointl y on behalf of Unanimity Lodge , No . 89 , collected £ 38 Is .

Cambridgeshire had two representatives , the total of whose efforts was a contribution of £ 143 ; Bro . Papworth securing £ 63 , and Bro . W . Welchman £ 80 .

Cornwall had but one representative , Brother Controller S . G . Bake , but he succeeded in getting a good list , the result of his Stewardshi p being a total of £ 14115 s . Hants and the Isle of Wi g ht presses very closely , the total from that district beinsr £ 141 . Three Stewards

were at work there , of whom Bro . R . L . L ' oveland , of the Hampshire Lodge of Emulation , No . 1990 , secured £ 54 5 s , Brother J . Wallingford , of the Gosport Lodge , No . 903 , £ 45 10 s , and Brother T . Francis , of the Carnarvon Lo lge , No . 804 , the balance— £ 41 5 s . Sussex contributed £ 122 10 s , two members of the Province acting as Stewards , of whom Bro . W . H . Russell , of

No . 40 , collected £ 70 , aud Bro . B . Bennett , of No . 732 , £ 52 10 s .

East Lancashire had nine Stewards , of whom one has not yet made a return . The other eight secured a total of £ 120 15 s , most of their contributions , we imagine , being personal donations .

Essex did well , giving £ 115 5 s 6 d as its contribution . There were four Stewards , of whom Bro . James Salmon .

representing the Epping Lodge , No . 2077 , was the most successful , his list being one of fifty guineas . Durham sent up one hundred guineas at the hands of a single Steward , Bro . Hans B . Olsen , of No . 764 , and this brings to a close the list of three figure Provinces .

There are nine other districts to be referred to , and of these eight sent up totals of less than one hundred pounds , while one—North and East Yorkshire—has not yet made any return . The eight Provinces and the amounts of their

contributions are as follow : —West Lancashire , 6 Stewards , £ 78 15 s and one list to come in ; Derbyshire , I Steward , £ 63 ; Bedfordshire , 1 Steward , £ 53 12 s ; Oxfordshire ,

3 Stewards , £ 46 18 s 6 d ; Gloucestershire . 2 Stewards , £ 39 18 s ; North Wales , 2 Stewards , £ 29 lis ; Shropshire 1 Steward , £ 25 ; and Warwickshire , 1 Steward , £ 21 153 .

The Festival.

THE FESTIVAL .

AS we say above , the Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution was held on Wednesday , at Freemasons' Tavern , London , under the presidency of the Most Hon . the Marquis of Hertford , Senior Grand Warden of England . The customary

banquet having been partaken of , the chairman proceeded with the toast list . In proposing the first , he said there were many points on which members of the Craft particularl y prided themselves , but there were some matters—and

among them the toast he was then proposing—in which they were at one with the general body of Englishmen . The toast of Her Majesty the Queen was well received whenever it was proposed . Knowing as he did there was

no more loyal body of men than the Freemasons , he considered it uunecessary that he should allude to any of the many reasons which might be given for honouring tho toast . When he heard the chairman of a meeting give one

reason after another—excellent though these might be—for drinking the health of Her Majesty , it seemed to him very much like offering apologies for Her Majesty , as thou » h she was in need of being defended . He felt that in that

room , at all events , no apology was needed on behalf of Her Majesty , whose health he submitted for their consideration . The toast having been he trtily received , was followed by the National Anthem , and then the chairman gave H . R . H .

the Prince of Wales , K . G ., Most Worshipful Grand Master , the Grand Patron and President of the Institu'ion , the Princess of Wales , and the other members of the Royal

Family . If Masons were loyal to the Sovereign , so also were they loyal to their Most Worshipful G . M . He felt the Masonic body ought to think itself extremely fortunate in

having at its head such a man as H . R . H . the Prince of