The Festival Of The Benevolent Institution.

THE FESTIVAL OF THE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

A MOMENT'S glance at the company assembled on Wednesday , under the chairmanship of the Earl Amherst , to assist in the celebration of the Anniversary Festival of the Boyal Masonic

Benevolent Institution , must have convinced the experienced observer that there was no failure to be recorded . The attendance of a large number of Masons

does not signify , it is true , an exceptionally large total of subscriptions , but the one is generally an index of the other , and so it proved on Wednesday , when , ¦ with an enthusiastic assembly , an especially gratifying total of contributions was announced , amounting in the aggregate to upwards of ^ 15 , 000 , the amount declared by the Secretary on the evening of the

Festival being £ 15 , 043 Is 6 d , subsequently increased by an addition of ^ 200 to the Kentish total , and by various amounts since received , to a few pounds short of £ 15 , 500 . This splendid announcement shows an increase of upwards of £ 2 , 000 above the

total of last year , and will , no doubt , be received as a very pleasing and satisfactory surprise by a large number of those who take an interest in the welfare of the Masonic Charitable Institutions . Certain it is that the total is far above what was generally

expected , and even up to the last minute , when the totals of most of the Provinces had been read out , there were few who anticipated any increase over the aggregate of last year , even if that total was reached . But Kent and London did so well that the total of last year was not only equalled , but exceeded , as already stated .

The following is a list of the contributing Provinces , the number of Stewards representing each , and the respective totals of subscriptions announced on the evening of the Festival : —

Stewards . Amount . £ B a Kent 62 3493 4 6 West Yorkshire 16 400 0 0 South Wales , Bast Division 1 380 0 0 Monmouthshire 7 325 1 0 Hertfordshire 6 319 2 6 Sussex 5 291 6 0

Essex 6 274 8 6 North and East Yorkshire 3 266 0 0 South Wales , West Division 2 248 0 0 Worcestershire 3 203 15 6 Hants and Isle of Wight 4 183 15 0 Durham 1 168 0 0 Middlesex 7 161 13 0 otaaordsnire

2 152 5 0 Berkshire 4 146 3 6 Cornwall 1 143 H 0 Suffolk 3 134 5 0 East Lancashire 7 126 0 0 Surrey 4 105 9 0 West Lancashire 4 99 15 0

The Festival Of The Benevolent Institution.

Shropshire 2 97 17 6 Somerset 1 82 2 0 Leicestershire and Rutland 1 70 6 6 Oxfordshire 5 68 12 0 Devonshire 1 63 0 0

Cumberland and Westmoreland 1 4 b 4 U Lincolnshire 1 42 13 0 Buckinghamshire 1 36 15 0 Northants and Hunts 1 31 10 0 Warwickshire 2 31 10 0 North Wales 1 26 5 0 The Colonies 3 31 10 0

168 8249 19 6 LONDON 155 6993 2 o

£ 15 , 243 1 6 The Festival itself was of the ordinary character , except that the more ornamental members of the Craft were conspicuous by their absence , their places being filled by others who , if not quite so distinguished in Freemasonry , gave evidence of equal interest in its work of benevolence on behalf of the

aged Brother and the Widow . Earl Amherst , in his eminently practical manner , omitted much of what we have come to regard as necessary common place utterances at such gatherings , but there were very few present who could find fault with him on this point . The Stewards who attend the Festivals of the Institutions are usually practical men , who have heard the complimentary toasts of the Craft proposed

time after time , and in very many cases have proposed them themselves , so that they are hardly likely to resent the omission of lengthy speeches from a chairman who prefers to allow the loyal toasts to stand entirely on their merits , without eulogy or comment from the chair . With the toast of the Grand Officers was coupled the name of Lord Dungarvan ,

Provincial Grand Master Designate of Somersetshire , who , the Chairman said , had come that evening to honour the Festival , and would , he hoped , carry away with him pleasant memories of that his first appearance at a Masonic Charity Festival . Lord Dungarvan , in reply , said : —

The position be was in was one whioh he certainly was very proud of , because probably he was the youngest of the Grand Officers , and that was an nnnsnal occurrence at a great Masonio Festival . It was with great pleasrire he responded to the toast , because the Bight Worshipful Chairman had alluded to a very great Mason , the late Earl of Carnarvon , and that noble earl he ( Lord Dangarvan ) had the

honour to succeed in the Provincial Grand Mastership of Somerset . It was a most responsible position to be the snccessor to one whom this great country could so ill afford to lose . The Grand Officers took a lively interest in the benevolent objeots of Freemasonry , and he was keenly alive to that great principle . It was an additional pleasure to respond to that toast , because Lord Amherst was the

Provincial Grand Master over a Lodge in whioh he hoped shortly to occupy the high position of Worshipful Master . Lord Amherst had alluded to the cironmstance that he ( Lord Dungarvan ) would one day occupy the ohair at those Festivals . He could only say that if that honour was offered to him he wonld be delighted to take advantage of it , andif that should ever oconr he hoped he would do his duty in the position , more especially to his Province of Somerset ,