Masonic Pharisees.

some quotations from the poets , and waxing wroth if his flat jokes fail to evoke a smile . Even the shuffling of impatient feet upon the floor he mistakes for applause , and . like the irresistible column of Fontenoy , he " moves on . "

In matters requiring judgment to discern and ability to execute ho is conspicuous by his absence ; there is no place for him in company where ho cannot " rule the roost . " At a charity election he flutters about with pompons mien and

impudent intrusiveness , as though to make folks believe he were the very pivot upon which revolves the whole of the arrangements , and the mainspring upon which all success depends . He purloins thanks from those who are

really deserving of them , and disappears from the field only when he has reached the end of his tether , and is unable to redeem the promises he has pawned . The votes he has pledged himself to secure from his persona

friends are not forthcoming and , like a veritable " gay deceiver , " he marches off with the stolen gratitude of those whom he has cajoled by the holding out of false hopes . We do not wish to overdraw the picture , and there is

consolation in the knowledge that such knaves are very " few and far between , " and that their machinations are speedily checked . But , in spite of that , it is impossib'e to shut our eyes to the fact that such characters do exist , and that

until they have strutted their "brief hour upon the stage , " they are difficult of detection and avoidance . Wherever he is , whether in pnb'ic , private , or Masonic life , the Pharisee is a pest , and the onlv crumb of comfort is that

the platform he raises for himself , propped up by vanity and sustained by bounce , invariably topples over and aids in his own discomfiture . He thereupon straightway quits the ranks of those who can tolerate his overbearing

insolence no longer , and in "fresh woods and pastures new " he vapours about the " hollowness " of Freemasonry , and vows that he " never could see anything in it ! " We are better without such ingredients in our composition ,

for they tend ouly to engender moral dyspepsia , and pollute the life blood of all well-intentioned enterprises . Those are the men to admire who , steadily and unwearying / Iy discharge the functions that are undertaken under impulses stirred

by a true appreciation of the grand and glorious principles inculcated by Freemasonry , and who , without noise and show , continue to the end in well-doing . These are the men who form the backbone and the solid foundation of all

that is good in the Craft , and we can gladly afford to spare those rumbustious individuals who create such a volume of fuss , the practical result of which is more harm than good to the society they solemnly promised to uphold .

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

AS recorded in our last issue , the Annual General Meeting of this Institution was held on Friday , 20 th inst ., at the Freemasons' Tavern , under the presidency of Brother Edgar Bowyer , Past Grand Standard Bearer , Patron Trustee , & c . There was a numerous attendance of brethren . After the confirmation of the minutes of last annual

meeting , the Secretary ( Bro . James Terry ) announced that Bro . Sir George Elliot , Bart ., M . P ., Provincial Grand Master of the Eastern Division of South Wales , had kindly promised to preside at the next Anniversary Festival , which

is fixed for 29 th February 1888 . The auditors report was received , and the annual report of the Committee of Management upon the proceedings of the past year was read , approved and ordered to be recorded on the minutes . This

report , which was an eminently satisfactory one , was printed in extenso in the colnmus of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE last week . Bros . West , Skudder and Martin were elected members of the General Committee ; and ,

on the motion of Bro . R . Wylie , seconded by Bro . Birch , a Committee was appointed to confer with the Boys' and Girls' Schools Committees as to the advisability of making other arrangements for the Spring Elections . Bro . Edgar

Bowyer was unanimously elected Treasurer of the Institution , and Bros . Tuttersball , Berry and John Newton were appointed auditors . After scrutineers had been appointed to conduct the Election , it was announced that since the

proxies were issued two men and thirteen widows had died , and that the number to be elected that day would be sixteen males and forty-one widows , of whom thirteen men and thirty-eig ht widows would be immediate annuitants , and the remaining three in each class be deferred . The

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

ballot was then proceeded with , the poll closing at three o ' clock . The result of the Election to the Widows' Fund was duly declared . A scrutiny was , however , deemed

necessary in the ease of the Male Fund , and the result was not made known till the following day . The proceedings terminated with the customary vote of thanks to the Chairman .

A list of the successful candidates will be found in our Advertising columns . We append the names of those who were unsuccessful , with the number of votes each will be able to carry forward to the next Election .

MALES . No . on List Name Forward Polled Total 26 Bennett , William 687 1189 1876 14 Smith , John 943 901 1844 36 Cnbitt , George 1836 34 Middleton , Thomas James 1708 24 Vass , John 487 975 1462 44 Hyde , John 1374 23 Wharton , Henry 124 1029 1153 46 Ingram , William 1012 35 Bedford , William 943

42 Codd , Frederick 769 17 Taylor , John Daniel 136 629 765 51 Seagrave , Isaac 614 50 Homewood , Spencer 612 20 Mole , Alexander 364 196 560

10 Laskey , Joseph John 2 428 430 7 Fry , Robert Henry 198 173 371 20 Cooper , George 294 1 Sari , Charles 179 113 292 6 Hoeg , Henry Leggott 12 117 129 4 Nichol , Robert 94 14 108 5 McLean , William John 87 10 97

12 O'Kelly , William 24 28 52 21 Somerfcon , William 9 35 44 3 Mnsham , John 30 3 33 25 Cox , William Henry 1 18 19 15 Dale , Joseph Barker 3 12 15 48 Sellnr , Alexander 15 32 Warren . Charles 11

16 Bray , Samnel — 7 7 47 Fox , George 7 41 South , Thomas George 3 28 Kenworthy , Hugh 2

FEMALES . 48 Themans , Minca Amelia 232 560 792 20 Coles , Emma 457 834 791 56 Bead , Emma 659 4 Timms , Susan 338 262 600 19 White , Mary 249 305 554 25 Haekins , Emily E . 190 205 395

11 Cooley , Elizabeth L . 275 108 383 16 Ford , Mary Ann 97 256 353 6 Heppel , Mary 292 39 331 75 Taylor , Rosetta Harriett 274 61 Worley , Georgiana Sophia 256 72 Monro . Eliza 254

29 Baker , Ann E . 79 145 224 23 Vile , Maria 84 136 219 74 Mahomed , Amelia Morrison 209 5 Lovelock , Louisa 122 77 199 49 Thomas , Elizabeth 82 109 191 43 Russell , Olivia 132 32 164 30 Weston . Julia 23 75 98

18 Mannington , Elizabeth AtkinBon 94 — 94 15 Jackson , Elizabeth Reynolds 72 19 91 12 Redman , Mary 48 16 64 2 Copeland , Charlrtte 26 23 49 8 Greenwood , Helen 18 19 37 3 Rkarlaford , Sarah 23 6 29

60 Olive , Elizabeth 16 13 Salisbury , Jane 8 7 15 33 Foot , Mary Ann 2 13 15 32 Manson , Mary Bryce 8 — 8 73 Cowell , Nancy 5 27 Haioley , Isabella — 3 3 55 Newton , Mary Ann 2 37 Ionn , Elizabeth — 1 1

Prov. G. Lodge Of Staffordshire.

PROV . G . LODGE OF STAFFORDSHIRE .

THE annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Staffordshire wes held at WeBt Bromwich on Tuesday , the 17 th instant , and was attended by about one hundred and fifty members of the Craft . This was the first occasion on which Grand Lodge had met at West

Bromwich , and the event excited unusual local interest , as was evidenced by the crowd which assembled to witness ths procession from the Town Hall to Christ Church , and

the large congregation which filled the building . The proceedings of the day began with the opening of the Dartmouth Lodge , No . 662 , at noon , by the Worship ful