Mark Benevolent Fund Festival.

and I value very much the kind words which he used in proposing it to your notice . I can assure _ you that when I was invited to take the chair I accepted with some hesitation , not because of want of interest in the Institution , but because I felt there were Masons of longer standing than myself who would have filled the chair with greater ability and distinction , but when I accepted I was supported throughout , and have been supported more especially in my own province . I may say here that it never fell to the lot of any Prov . G . Master to be better supported in their province or to rule

over a province where greater harmony and goodwill exists , and I will take this opportunity of expressing my gratification to those here who have come up in order to support me . With these few words I will thank you for the kind manner in which you received the toast . Before I sit down 1 will ask you to drink to what I may say is the toast of the evening— " Prosperity to the Mark Benevolent Fund . " It is necessary for me to say only a lew words , because the fact of so man y ladies and brethren attendin g is a proof of the interest taken in that Institution . To put it shortly , there are three distinct

funds . There is that from which grants are made to necessitous brethren and widows , the children of Freemasons are given good education , and annuities are given of £ 26 to brethren and of ^ 21 to widows . The amounts received at these [ different Festivals is divided equally among ' the three funds . I am not able to say what the amount is likely to be this year . I have some idea but it is not a very encouraging one , therefore I do no propose to reveal it to you . Last year , under the Chairmanship of a very distinguished Mason I am glad to see here , Col . Money , there was a

considerable increase realised . I do not suppose , and you will hardly imagine , we could realise such a sum this year , particularly when you remember that in my province and other counties there is agricultural depression and other causes , but I hope the sum will be a creditable one , one that will be a proof of the interest taken in the Institution among Mark Masons . I give you " Prosperity to the Mark Benevolent Fund , " and will ask you , ladies and brethren , to do what you can to promote its interests whenever an opportunity occurs of doing so . The SECRETARY then announced the following

Mark Benevolent Fund Festival.

STEWARDS' LISTS .

LADY STEWARDS . £ s . d . Mrs . Apelt 5 5 0 „ Bevan — Miss Ida M . Bevan — Mrs . Stewart Brown

—„ Carreli ... 5 5 0 Lady Agnes Cooper 5 5 o Mrs . Clement Godson 550 Miss Sy bil-Harbord 5 5 ° Mrs . C . F . Matier — „ Gordon Miller — „ Hgott - Miss Pigott

—GENERAL BOARD . Bro . R . L . Loveland 5 5 o „ * the Earl of Euston ( see London ) — ,, * Viscount Dungarvan ( see London ) — „ * Lord Skelmersdale ( see

Lancashire ) — „ * Sir Gainsford Bruce ( see Northumberland and Durham ) — „ * C . W . Carrel ( see East Anglia ) — „ Frank Richardson ... 10 10 o .. * A . Stewart Brown ( see

Middlesex ) — „ Chas . H . Driver 15 15 o „ Gordon Miller 5 5 o „ Alfred Williams 5 5 0 „ * A . jWoodiwiss ( see Leicestershire ) — „ * Robert Main

—„ Jabez Church 5 5 o „ 'Richard Clowes ( see Sussex ) ... — » Charles Belton ... ... 550 > , Dr . R . Turtle Pigot ... 10 10 o

„ * J . Balfour Cockburn ( sec Channel Isles ) — , 1 "Frederick West ( see Surrey ) — Lodge LONDON . Grand Stewards Bro . D . P .

Cama 28 iS o 5 Bro . R . L . Dicksee ... 550 7 ij E . B . Florence ... 10 10 o » Coulson Laceby ... 12 12 o ¦ 04 it J . S . Tamburini ... 33 12 o 22 4 » Sir Giorge D . Harris 15 15 o 25 i „ T . Blanco White ... 15 15 o

3 i 5 „ W . J . Nichols ... 29 8 o 33 i „ N . deS . Zucco 301 „ Saml . Green 32 11 o 393 „ the Earl of Uuston ... 23 2 o 399 „ Viscount Dungarvan 399 ., Col . A . B . Cook ( see Middlesex ) 399 j , A . Cooper 10 10 0

399 „ Fredk . Mead ... 550 399 „ E . A . Baylis 399 „ G . C . W . Fitzwilliam . 10 10 o 399 „ Alfred H . Bevan ... 15 15 o 399 „ Sir L . E . Darell , Bart .

399 „ C . Godson , M . D . ... 550 4 ° o „ Belurave Ninnis ... s S o l ° " ,, * C . W . Carreli '" » » W . A . Surridge ... 11 „ ( i I' 5 » K . L . Andrews ... 43 1 o 133 „ W . Grellier 21 1 o 154 „ Walter I . EUKUS

F . R . I . B . A ., 5 o 439 „ K . St . Clair 30 15 o ., UNATTACHED . ar ° - Stanley J . Attenborough . 550 » John Barnett " S . -G . Glover 550 " nl , uSustus Harris ... i 0 w o " , V / S- Kempster 5 5 o " W . F . Lamonb y ... c , 0 » , 1 . W . Marsden f | ° » I Graham Robinson ... 1010 o

Mark Benevolent Fund Festival.

PROVINCES . BEDFORDSHIRE . Lodge £ s . d . 434 Bro . W . F . Webb ... 10 10 o

BERKS AND OX ) N . Province Bro . W . Hickie 10 10 o Lodge 225 Bro . C . L . Lovett 10 10 o 247 „ MarkWeyland ... > , 247 „ W . R . Bjwden ... J ' '¦> ° 2 57 t > ]• Bliss 10 10 o

CHANNEL ISLANDS . 74 Bro . E . Bree 550 4 5 » * J . B . Cockburn . M . D . 10 10 o DEVON . Province Bro . Jno . Lane 33 12 o

DORSET . Lodge 126 Bro . Zillwood Milledge , J . P . 22 o 6 EAST ANGLIA . Province Bro . H . W . H . Elwes ... 22 1 o Lodge

112 Bro . F . Osmond Carr 205 „ John C . Yates ... 10 10 o 334 „ C . F . Matier 33 2 G 342 „ Rev . T . McOougall Mundle 10 10 o 467 „ * C . W . Carreli ... 17 17 o GLOUCESTERSHIRE AND

HEREFORDSHIRE . Province Bro . R . V . Vassar-Smith ... 550 Lodge 439 Bro . W . C . Ferris 5 5 o

439 „ A . V . Hatton 10 10 o HAMPSHIRE AND ISLE OF WIGHT . Lodge - " > Bro . Alexander Howell ... 22 1 o HERTFORDSHIRE .

Bro . Chas . E . Keyser , M . A ., J . P 550 Province Bro . F . Sumner Knyvett ... 550 Lodge 354 Bro . * A . Stewart Brown ...

KENT . 44 „ Edwin Morris ... 32 10 0 09 „ Capt . W . J . Dundee ... 10 io o 12 9 „ F . W . M . Hughes-Hallett 10 10 0 152 „ W . O . Kennett ... 35 iy o 294 „ F . H . M . IIer 24 3 0 364 „ J . W . B . own ... 14 1 0

LANCASHIRE . St . John ' s ( T . I . )* J . Kenyon ... „ „ VV . Hayes ... 21 o o Lebanon ( T . l . ) H . Spalding ... 32 „ A . H . jeKns

32 „ VV . Jaff ey 10 10 o 34 „ G . A . Myers 1010 o 26 S „ K . Sharrock 21 o o 447 „ Lord Skelmersdale ... LEICESTERSHIRE , NO . * HI V . VIP-10 NSHIRE , DERBYSHIRE , A VII

RUTLANDSHIRE . Bro . * A . Wjdi * iss ... 10 iu o „ Percy Willis 550 „ James R . Eastwood ... 10 10 o „ Thos . P . Dorman ... 7 7 0 Lodee

302 Bio . T . C . EastwoaJ ... 28 17 0 339 » J- fisher 32 10 0 414 „ J . R . Fielding ... > 414 " T . N . Turns ? ... p ° ° ° T . Fletcher 550

Mark Benevolent Fund Festival.

LINCOLNSHIRE . Bro . the Rt . Hon . the Earl £ s . d . of Yarborough ... 7 S 15 o „ * Jack Sutcliffe „ * Anderson Bates „ H . E . Cousans ... s ^ o

Province Bro . Roland G . Pearson ... ) , „ C . E . W . Ward ... ) 3 o o 18 S „ W . Hurst 41 o G iSS „ W . Hill 5 5 0 iSS „ * W . Goodwin

3 S 7 „ "K . N . Brunyee 3 S 7 „ M . K . Behrendt 387 „ S . H . C . Ashlin 3 S 7 „ Rev . E . M . Weigall ... 1010 o 427 „ J . E . Townsend ... 10 10 o 427 „ * S . J . Coupland 445 „ Rev . J . Graham

MIDDLESEX . Bro . Col . A . 3 . Cook ... — Province * Bro . A . S . Brown 11 11 o Lodge 199 Bro . A . W . Humphreys ... 10 10 o 284 „ W . Metcalfe 5 5 o NORTHUMBERLAND & DURHAM . * Bro . Sir Gainsford Bruce Province

,, T . J . Armstrong ... 59 17 o Lodge 39 Bro . W . B . Foxton ... ) 39 „ Hans B . Holsen ... ^ 52 10 o „ T . Richardson ) NOTTINGHAM . Province Bro . R . Patchitt

SHROPSHIRE . Lodge 444 Bro . R . G . Venables ... 550 SOMERSET . Province Bro . Rev . E . A . Purvis ... 33 17 o Lodge 128 Bro . Lieut .-Col . A . Thrale

Perkins 10 10 o SUMMARY or £ s- d . Bedfordshire 10 10 o Berks and Oxon 46 5 6 Channel Islanis 15 15 o Devon 33 12 o

Dorsetshire 22 o 6 East Anglia 94 o C Gloucestershire and Hertfordshire 21 o o Hampshire and Isle of Wight ... 22 1 o

Hertfordshire 10 10 o Kent _ 127 14 o Lancashire 6 3 o o Leicestershire , & c 150 4 6 Lincolnshire 214 5 6 Middlesex 27 6 o

Mark Benevolent Fund Festival.

SOUTH WALES . Province £ s . d . Bro . John Mundiy ... 75 5 0 SURREY . Bro . Col . Noel Money ... 11 11 o „ ' Frederick West ... 5 5 o

Lodge 333 Bro . William Briant ... 15 4 G 333 > . Rev . W . Russell Finlay 17 16 o 450 „ J . A . Farnfield SUSSEX .

Bro . * R . Clowes 5 5 o „ A . F . Lamette ... 550 l 6 e | w . E . Morrison fi 15 G 409 ) WARWICKSHIRE . Bro . W . B . Williamson ... 550 ,, T . K . Arter 10 10 o Lodsre

115 Bro . Wm . Hillman 5 5 0 11 5 „ W . T . Belcher ... 550 WEST YORKSHIRE . Lodge 53 Bro . F . Cleeves " J S 3 „ M . J . Dodworth ... I 53 „ W . C . Fox I-G 4 1 o 53 „ John Shaw | 53 11 j- T . Thompson ... J no „ G . H . Parke 32 11 o ¦ 37 » T . G . Howell 15 15 o WILTSHIRE .

Lodge 401 Bro . VV . E . N . Browne ... 1240 DEGREE OF ROYAL ARK MARINERS . Lodge

17 Bro . E . T . Crouch 10 10 o ROSE CROIX . 101 Bro . B . R . Bryant 16 iG o 07 „ W . A . Scurrah ... 10 10 o MALTA . 107 Bro . * John Kenyon ... 10 10 0 CEYLON .

464 Bro . Capt . George Hearn 15 15 o -HE PROVINCES . £ s . d . Northumberland and Durham ... 112 7 o Nottinghamshire Shropshire 5 5 0 Somersetshire 44 7 o

South Wales 75 5 o Surrey 40 16 6 Sussex ... 17 5 6 Warwickshire 26 5 o West Yorkshire 112 7 o

Wiltshire ... _ 12 4 o Royal Ark Mariner 10 10 o Rose Croix 27 G o Malta ... 10 10 o Ceylon 15 15 o

Mark Benevolent Fund Festival.

LONDON— 55 STEWARDS jf , 5 i ( 5 12 G PROVINCES , & c—99 STEWARDS ... £ 1377 7 c > GRAND TOTAL £ 94 ° ° Bro . VISCOUNT DUNGARVAN , Dep . G . M ., in introducing the toast of " The Ladies , " said they mi ght congratulate themselves that the innovation the brethren of the Mark Degree made some two years ago had met with

the greatest success . He hoped the ladies were satisfied with the hospitality they had tried to show them , not entirely hospitality , for many of the ladies were Stewards , and had subscribed liberally and done all they could to carry on the work . Perhaps some of them had not taken the trouble to read the book before them , and did not know where the money went , but he asked them to read it .

Bro . Lord PORTARLINGTON having responded , the CHAIRMAN proposed " The Stewards , " and said the brethren were much indebted to them , not only for the way in which they had subscribed so liberally to the fund , but for the excellent arrangements made for their comfort . Nothing could have been organised or arranged better and he had no doubt the same commendation would come when they heard the artistes in the other room .

Bro . STEWART BROWN , President of Board of Stewards returned thanks . He had been told by two or three ladies close to him that they liked to subscribe to this fund on account of knowing that the money which was given was paid directly to thc children for their education , so that they could be educated under their mothers' wings and not sent away to another school . On behalf of the Stewards , he could say they were pleased they were as numerous as they were they had done their best , and on some future occasion hoped to excel what they had done that day .

Bro . Rev . Dr . HARTLEY CARMICHAEL , U . S . A ., who replied for "The Visitors , " proposed by the Pro G . Master , said it was with sincere delight he rose to thank them for the toast that had been drunk , and the sentiments that had been expressed b y the Pro Grand Master . Personally , he must thank them from his heart for the very warm and kind reception given him there . He had learned from his short stay in London that brotherly love amongst English Masons was a

reality and not a sham . Also he learned that night tnat relief amongst English Masons , and especially among Mark Master Masons , was also a very great reality . He had had the proof there that ni ght of thc power for good in dispensing Charity in a wise and proper way , and what Mark Masonry had done in the past , that it would do in a still greater degree , he was sure , in the future . He was saved from speaking very long in answer to that toast because he received a private message that long speeches were not particularly wanted at a meeting like that . The brother who brought him

the message further added his hope that he would not indulge in " spreadeagleism . " He wanted to tell that brother that spread-eagleism was fast departing from the United States , and that that style of orator was now defunct . In going back to the United States he hoped to take one great lesson . In a new country they had to spend a good deal of money on bricks and mortar in building imposing temples . Tne time had come when that money would prove to be well invested , but they did not compare with the great work of philanthropic Masonic benevolence in this country . He would tell