Freemasonry In 1896.

it was less to the extent of the same figure than £ 52 , 000 . As regards the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , its annual festival was celebrated at Freemasons' Tavern on Wednesday , the 26 th February . The chair was occupied by Bro . Lord George Hamilton , M . P ., Secretary of State for India , Prov . G . M . of

Middlesex . The Board of Stewards , which supported his lordship was some 400 strong , and the total of donations and subscriptions which they were fortunate enough to obtain was announced as £ 19 , 511 . This sum , however , was subsequently increased by the receipt of outstanding lists and additions to

lists previously received to £ 20 , 084 J 3 - > tn ' being the highest total ever returned , except at the Jubilee Festival in 1892 . The principal items constituting this splendid amount were £ -9573 ' 9 - Irom London ; £ 3705 15 s . 6 d . from the Chairman ' s Province of Middlesex , £ 900 from North and East

Yorkshire , £ 700 from West Yorkshire , £ 744 Ks . 6 d . from Hertfordshire , £ 343 from Berkshire , £ 369 12 s . from East Lancashire , and £ 348 19 s . 6 d . from Sussex . There were in all 31 Provinces which were represented on the occasion , the number being rather below the average , though , to their credit be it said , the

aggregate of their returns was in excess . If we compare this result with that of 1695 , we shall indeed have great cause for rejoicing , seeing that the Board of Stewards which assisted the Chairman for the year—Bro . Viscount Dungarvan , Prov . Grand Master of Somersetshire—was only 326 strong , while the

Returns reached , ultimately , £ 14 , 690 13 s ., London , with 174 Stewards , being responsible for £ 7624 9 s . 6 d „ while the Provinces , with a contingent of 152 Stewards , returned £ 7066 3 s 6 d . The annual general meeting was held on Friday , the 15 th May ,

when the regular business was transacted , and the Audited Statement of Accounts showed that the Receipts and Expenditure were in a highly satisfactory condition , there being a balance on the several Funds to the credit of the Institution

amounting to upwards of £ 2600 . It was pointed out , however , that notwithstanding the great success of the Festival , the Committee of Management , having regard to the fact that in 18 95 an addition of five was made to the establishment on the Male Fund , did not feel themselves justified in recommending any further

increase of the annuitants on either Fund , more especially as the total sum to be distributed in annuities during the current year would exceeed £ 16 , 300 . They therefore contented themselves with a proposal to fill up only the existing vacancies , the numbers on each Fund , namely , 200 on the Male Fund , at £ 40 , and

and £ 242 on the Widows' Fund remaining as in the year 1895 . The proposal was accepted , and the poll was opened for the election of 24 from a list of 60 approved candidates for the Male Fund , and 19 from one of 53 candidates for the Widows ' Fund , the three deferred annuitants being elected in each case .

On the 28 th July a Special General Meeting of the Governors and Subscribers was held at Freemasons' Hall , for the purpose of considering a proposed amendment to Rule 18 of the Regulations of the Institution , which ,, as it then stood , provided that in consideration of theannualgrantsof £ 800 made by the G . Lodge toeach

Fund , every lodge should be entitled to two votes at every election of Male Annuitants and to one vote at that of Widow Annuitants , and that in consideration of the grants made by Supreme Grand Chapter of £ 100 to the Male Fund and £ 50 to the Widows , every chapter should be entitled to two votes at the elections to the

former and one vote at those to the latter . 'I he amendment , which was proposed by Bro . T . W . Whitmarsh , P . G . P ., was to the effect that the votes thus given to the lodges and chapters should go to the M . W . G . M ., or his nominee , in respect of the lodges and chapters in London , and to the Prov . G . Masters and

Grand Superintendents , or their nominees , in regard to the lodges and chapters in the several Provinces , the number of the lodges and chapters respectively which claim votes being determined by the number of each as recorded in the " Freemasons' Calendar and Pocket Book" for the current year . It was

shown that this would effect a saving in printing and postage which would allow the election of one additional Male Annuitant , while on the other it was argued that the London lodges and chapters would be virtually disfranchised in respect of these votes and therefore it was resolved that the votes should

be given as heretofore lo those located in the London District , while as lo those situated in the Provinces , it was arranged that they should be allotted to the Prov . Grand Masters and Grand Superintendents or their nominees , save thai in the case of Provinces where there was no Grand Superintendent , the

chapters should receive their votes as under the existing law . A resolution embodying these provisions was accordingly drafted and accepted by the meeting , and having been since

approved by Grand Lodge , is the law of the Institution . There is little to be added to the record of the year . The customary New Year and summer entertainments were given to the inmates of the Institution , and other entertainments of a most enjoyable

character were provided for them by Bro . Dr . Wayte , the honorary medical adviser of the Asylum , and others , the most memorable being the treat given by the Mayor of Croydon—who had not long previously been initiated in the Addiscombe Lodge , No . 1556—on the occasion of the visit of the Prince of

Wales , M . W . G . M ., to open the new Municipal Buildings , when his Worship had seats set apart for the Old People , where they were enabled to be spectators of the interesting function , and then sent them home again to enjoy themselves over a high tea , which was furnished at his cost . The annual grant of

£ 70 for fuel for the inmates was also voted by Grand Lodge , while votes of thanks were passed to the medical officers and the Secretary and his staff for the kindness they had shown to the annuitants and the services they had rendered to the

Institution . Lastly , it was announced at the annual general meeting aforesaid that H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught , P . G . M ., and Prov . G . M . of Sussex , had graciously consented to preside as Chairman at the Anniversary Festival , which will be held in February , 1807 , and to the result of this celebration under such illustrious

auspices , it is needless to say , Ave are all of us looking forward most hopefully . May his Royal Highness have a Board of Stewards to support his advocacy such as the Prov . G . M . of Middlesex had in the early days of the present , year , and may their success in obtaining the necessary funds prove as conspicuous !

The Royal Masonic Institution for Girls celebrated its 108 th Anniversary on the 13 th May , under the auspices of Bro . the Earl of Yarborough , Prov . G . Master of Lincolnshire . A goodly company assembled at the Freemasons' Tavern , where the gathering was held , and his lordship had the satisfaction of being

well-supported not only by his own Province but also by London and a very fair proportion of the other Provinces . The Board of Stewards numbered 404 , and the total returned was £ 15 , 412 13 s ., London with 172 Stewards contributing £ 7352 12 s ., and the Provinces with 232 Srewards , £ 8060 is . The principal

items contained in the latter amount were £ 1500 from the Chairman ' s Province of Lincolnshire ; £ 9 6 3 ios . from Essex ; £ 600 from West Yorkshire ; £ 35 1 15 s . from East Lancashire ; . £ 355 4 s - from Surrey ; and £ 339 3 s . from Warwickshire , the number of Provinces , including a small group of Stations

abroad , being 38 . Though the grand total is somewhat less than in 18 95 , the figures will compare favourably with those of the latter , when Bro . the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe , P . D . G M . England , Prov G . M . Cornwall , was in the chair , and a Board of 327 Stewards compiled a total of

£ 16 , 076 6 s . 6 d ., London , with 13 8 Stewards , returning £ 7231 2 s ., and the Provinces , with 18 7 Stewards , £ 8785 4 s . 6 d . At the Distribution of Prizes ^ which , in the case of our Scholastic Institutions , always forms part of this annual celebration , the Earl of Yarborough presided , while the prizes were given away

by the Countess of Yarborough . There were also on this occasion the usual recitations , musical performances , and calisthenic display by the pupils , the last-named evoking , as in all previous years , the utmost enthusiasm from the ladies and brethren who were privileged to be present . The day was

made further memorable by the fact that it was the last public appearance of Miss Davis in her capacity of Head Governess , that lad y having found it necessary , owing to the state of her health , to resign her office , which she had held with so much

honour to herself and so greatly to the advantage of the School for the long period of 35 years . It is needless to say that the regret which is felt at Miss Davis ' s retirement is as deep as it is general , nor could better evidence be furnished of her ability as an instructress than that which it devolved on Bro . the Earl

of 1 arborough , in acknowledging a vote of thanks to Lady Yarborough for her kindness in attending , to mention , namely , that all the 31 girls who were entered for the Cambridge Local Examination in December last had been successful in passing—in

several cases with honours and distinctions—and that of the 78 entered for the College of Preceptors' Examination only one was unable to obtain a certificate , it being the fourth year in succession in the case of the Cambridge Locals that all the candidates had satisfied the Examiners . And while we are on

this subject of Miss Davis s resignation , it may be as well to state that at the July Quarterly Court of Governors and Subscribers it was unanimously agreed to award her a pension of £ 225 per annum , and though in one or two quarters objection has been taken to the appropriation for this purpose of the funds

of the Institution , we believe the feeling is almost universal among the Craft that the Court was wisely influenced when it adopted this course and thereby recognised handsomely the services which this lady had rendered to our senior School .

Be it added that at a meeting of the House Committee , held at the School on the iSth June , Bro Peter de Lande Long , P . G . D ., the senior member of the Committee , on behalf of the friends and admirers of Miss Davis , presented her with a testimonial consist-