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CONTENTS . PAGE LBADKRSMasonic Benevolence in 1900 ... ... ... ... ... 1 Ars Quatuor Coronatorurc ... ... ... ... ... 2 Masonic Jurisprudence ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 Silver Wedding of Bro . and Mrs . James Stephens ... ... ... 4 Field-Marshal Bro . Earl Roberts . K . G . ... ... ... ... . 5

IRELAND— ,, •The Provincial Grand Mastership of Antrim ... .., ... 5 MASONIC NOTESNew Year Honours ... ... ... ... ... 7 Statement of Income'of the Boys' School ... ... ... 7 The School Quarterly Courts ... ... ... ... ... 7 New Year ' s Entertainment to the Old People ... ... ... 7

Masonic Notes and Queries ... _ ... ... ... ... S Provincial Grand Chapter of Gloucestershire ... ... ... S New Year ' s Entertainment at the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ... 8 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 9 Instruction ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 Obituary ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 Science , Art , and the Drama ... ... ... ... ... 11 Sonnet for the Month of January ... ... ... ... ... n Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 12

Masonic Benevolence In 1900.

MASONIC BENEVOLENCE IN 1900 .

It is with almost ns much astonishment as pleasure that wc lay before our readers the usual particulars of the amounts received by our three central Charitable Institutions during : the past year . We have grown accustomed to the bis ; figures with

which their respective Secretaries have been in a position to favour us , but that in such a time of stress as the country has been passing through since October , 18 99 , the a gS g : il : e ° f tn ( - sums received should have exceeded those of any previous

ordinary year seems well nigh incredible . Moreover , while these contributions have been made to our Institutions , our lodges , chapters , and other bodies have been subscribing generously to the War Funds that have been raised for our

fighting men of both services and their widows , orphans , and dependents , or the wives and children they have been less able to support than in times of peace and prosperity ; while , in addition , the brethren have compiled the large total of upwards of

£ 10 , 000 to relieve the necessities of those loyal members of the Craft in South Africa who have been temporarily deprived bv the war of their means of subsistence . Yet , in spite of these heavy claims upon the pockets of the brethren , the English Craft has subscribed to its three Great Institutions no less llian

£ 83 , 702 16 s . id ., or more b y over , £ 2400 than it has subscribed before in a single year , the total of £ , 81 , 294 10 s . 5 d ., in 18 99 , having been , till now , the record total . The statements of the items composing this huge amount arc furnished in full ,

and will , no doubt , be studied b y our readers with the same pleasure and surprise as we have experienced , the most gratifying of the items in the several returns being the sums received b y each Institution in respect of " Donations and Subscriptions . "

The lollowing are the figures given under this head : Benevolent Institution , £ 21 , 671 14 s . 6 d . ; Girls' School , £ 24 , 162 6 s . 1 id . ; Hoys' School , £ 20 , 579 3 s . 4 cl . ; or together £ 66 , 413 4 s . gd . The totals , announced at the three Festivals or as linally revised ,

reached £ 62 , 170 8 s . Sd ., so that the year ' s receipts under this head exceed the Festival Returns by rather more than £ 4200 , there being a substantial increase in the case' of the two Schools

and a shortcoming of some £ 620 in that of the Benevolent Institution . Beyond the fact that legacies have been bequeathed during the year to all three Charities , there is no need for further remark .

The following are the statements arranged in ihe order in which the respective Festivals were held , and in presenting them we take the opportunity of expressing our sincere acknowledg-

Masonic Benevolence In 1900.

ments to the Secretaries—Bros . TERRY , HEDGES , and MCLEOD —for their courtesy in furnishing them .

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION . * Donations and Subscriptions ... ... ... £ 21 , 671 14 6 Dividends ... ... ... ... 5 , 671 1 2 Grand Lodge ... ... ... ... i , 6 oo o o

Grand Chapter ... ... ... ... 150 o o Interest on Cash at Call ... ... .., 119 19 4 Re Humfress' Estate ... ... .,. ... 124 18 II Legacy ... ... ... ... ... 250 o o

Grand Total ... ... £ 29 , 587 13 11 * Festival announcement £ 20 , 220 16 s . ultimately increased to £ 22 , 298 gs .

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS . * Donations and Subscriptions ... £ 24 , 162 611 Subscription from Grand Lodge ... 150 o 0 ,, „ „ Chapter .., 10 10 0 £ 24 , 322 16 II

Interest on Investments ... ... ... 3 , 041 19 5 Interest on Deposits .., ... ... ... 121 12 II Receipts for Musical Instruction ... ... 1 45 10 0 Legacies ... ... ... ... ... 379 3 II Receipts under Law 104 ... ... ... 10 o o

£ 28 , 021 3 3 •Festival announcement £ 23 , 037 5 s . 6 d .

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS . * Donations and Subscriptions ... ... ... £ 20 , 579 3 4 Grand Lodge Subscription ... ... ... 150 o 0 Grand Chapter Subscription ... ... ... 10 10 o Dividends and Interest on Cash at Call ... ... 4 , 671 13 7

Music Fees ... ... ... ... 52 10 o Science and Art Department ( Grants earned ) ... 39 5 5 Prize Funds ... ... ... ... n 19 6 Sundry Receipts ... ... ... ... 65 9 0

Maintenance Refunded ... ... ... 10 5 o Legacies ... ... ... ... ... 378 18 II Balance igoo Festival Fund—Stewards' Fees ... 56 15 3 The Richard Eve Memorial Fund ... ... 72 9 o

Total ... ... ... £ 26 , 093 19 o * i 02 nd Festival Announcement , £ 16 , 834 14 s . 2 d . The following table shows the receipts of the three Institutions during the seven years from 18 94 to igoo , both inclusive ,

together with the yearly totals of those receipts during that period ; the yearly average of receipt by each Institution ; and the average receipt per Institution for the whole of the septennial period :

R . M . B . I . R . M . I . G . R . M . l . B . Total . 18 94 £ 20 , 7 82 3 n £ 20 . 943 7 1 £ 24 . 186 16 8 £ 65 , 012 7 8 18 95 21 , 720 10 6 18 , 211 o 6 22 , 690 18 1 62 , 628 9 1 1896 25 , 650 16 6 19 , 664 3 11 23 , 66 3 2 o ' 6 S 918 2 5 1897 27 , 12 9 o 1 21 , 405 14 3 23 . 303 5 7 71 , 837 19 n 1898 19 , 170 4 4 1 G . 478 14 10 126 , 276 19 1 161 , 925 18 3 18 99 28 , 620 1 9 26 , 266 2 o 26408 6 8 81 , 294 10 5 1900 29 , 58 7 13 11 28 , 021 3 2 26 , 093 19 o 83 . 702 16 1

the " ? years ]^' ' ° ° ^ SO , 090 5 9 £ 272 , 569 7 I £ 595 320 310

theTyears ]^ ' ' 5 IO ^ 2 I . 44 i 9 5 £ 3 S , 938 9 7 £ 85 , 0451410 Average per Institution ... ... £ 28 , 34 8 n 7 The following is a statement , month by month , of the cases relieved , and the sums expended in relieving them , by the Board of Benevolence :

CASKS RKLIP . VKD . AMOUNT . January ... ... 20 ... ... £ 535 February ... ... 28 ... ... 830 March ... ... 38 ... ... 1125 April ... ... 25 ... ... 785 May ... ... 37 ... ... 1070

June ... ... 21 ... ... 570 July ... ... 1 3 ... ... 410 August ... ... 1 7 ... ... 420 September ... 13 ... ... 360 October ... ... 38 ... ... 101 5 November ... ... 26 ... ... 720 December ... ... 41 ... ... 1240 317 £ 9080

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Now Ready . —The Freemasons' Calendar & Pocket Book for 1901 , Price 2 / -, by Post 2 / 1 J