Mark Benevolent Fund Festival.

his brethren what Mark Masons had done in Charity as an example for them . On behalf of his brethren in the United States , there was no body more looked up to and respected than the Grand Mark Lodge , and its popularity was growing in the minds of Mark Masons more and more . An adjournment was then made to the Concert Hall , where a charming selection of music was rendered under the direction of Bro . Fredk . Bevan , G . Org ., assisted by Madame Isabel George , Miss Edith Hands , and the Dilettante Vocal Quartette .

Analysis Of The Returns.

ANALYSIS OF THE RETURNS .

It is satisfactory to note that , though there has been a substantial diminution in the Returns as compared with those of last year , the average total has been well maintained , Indeed , the downward tendency of Wednesday's result maybe looked upon merely as one of those fluctuations which are to be expected in every well-regulated series of Anniversary Festivals of this kind . Thus , in 1890 , when the Earl of Euston , then the D . G . M . M ., was the Chairman of the day , the total was i , 2354 is . ; in 1891 , under the presidency of Viscount Dungarvan , it fell to

£ 185833 . ; in 1 S 92 , when Bro . Sir Reginald Hanson , Bart , M . P ., occupied the chair , there was a further decrease to £ 16 3 6 ios . 6 d . Last year Col . G . N . Money , C . B ., the newly-installed chief of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Surrey , presided . and with the help of a Board of 150 Stewards , a total of . £ 2166 19 s . 6 d . was raised , On Wednesday the Board numbered 154 ladies and brethren , or rather more than in 18 93 , but the donations and subscriptions were just a few pounds short of ; £ igoD — the precise total being . £ 1894 . This , however , as we have just said , is no more than

must be expected and we take leave to congratulate Bro . the Earl of Yarborough , who has thus signalised his appointment as Prov . Grand Master of Lincolnshire ; the ladies and brethren who acted as Stewards and rendered him such efficient service ; and our Mark brethren generally , but more especially Bro . C . F . Matier , Grand Mark Secretary , to whose zeal and energy and the influence he exercises in preparing for these annual meetings the Mark Benevolent Fund is indebted for thc successes which year by year have been obtained in its behalf .

As for the Returns themselves and the analysis to which , in accordance with our custom of late years we purpose subjecting them , we note in the first place that the

LONDON Section of the Board , numbering in all 55 , of whom 12 were ladies , and 26 representatives of lodges in the Metropolitan dristrict , compiled a total of , £ 516 12 s . 6 d ., the principal items being , £ 43 is . returned by Bro . A . R . Lawrence , VV . M ., who represented the Grafton Lodge , No . 415 ; £ 36 15 s . by Bro . E . St . Clair . VV . M ., Steward for the La France Lodge , No . 459 ; £ 33 12 s ., which stands to the credit of Bro . J . S . Tamburini , W . M . and Steward for the Macdonald Lodge , No . 104 ; is

^ 32 1 . from Bro . Samuel Green , representing the Onslow Lodge , No . 361 ; , £ 29 8 s . per Bro . VV . J . Nichols , VV . M ., Steward for the Henniker Lodge , No . 315 ; ^¦ JS 18 s . from Bro . D . P . Cama , who did duty as representative of the Grand Stewards' Lodge ; . £ 24 3 s . from Bro . W . Grellier . of the Britannic Lodge , No . 433 ; and ^ 23 25 . from the Earl of Euston ,, of the Euston Lodge , No . 399 . ' It must be remarked , however , as regards this last item , that it by no means represents the total returned for the whole lodge . As many

as 10 members , including his lordship , acted as Stewards , and so far as the lists have been sent in or the contributions accounted for , the Euston Lodge is answerable for a sum of £ 70 7 s ., and thus holds the place of honour among the London lodges . As regards the several subsections of the London contingent , the ladies returned . £ 26 5 s . ; the General Board , or at least those who are not included elsewhere in London or in the Provinces , £ 63 ; the 26 representatives of lodges , , £ 380 2 s . 6 d . ; and the Unattached brethren ,

. £ 47 5 s . In 18 93 , London , with a contingent of 58 Stewards , compiled the larger total of £ 688 15 s . ; in 18 92 , with 37 Stewards , . £ 431 8 s . ; in 1891 , with 42 Stewards , ^ 545 3 s . 6 d . ; and in 18 90 , with 5 6 Stewards , , £ 600 4 s . 6 d . Bearing in mind that since the break-up of the old Province of Middlesex and Surrey , thc number of lodges in the London district has been considerably augmented , we note that the falling off in the total obtained by this section of the Board is a substantial one indeed , accounting , as it does , for fully two-thirds of the diminution which has taken place this year as compared with 1893 .

THE PROVINCES , with sundry Degrees and Foreign Stations were represented by 99 Stewards , who succeeded in raising the total of ^ 1377 7 s . 6 d . Last year , with only 92 Stewards , the total stood at £ 1478 4 s . 6 d . ; in 1892 , with 95 Stewards , at . £ 1205 2 s . 6 d . ; in 1891 , with 107 Stewards , at £ 1312 19 s . 6 d . ; and in 1 S 90 , with the exceptionally large number of 130 Stewards , at the sum of . £ 1744 14 s . 6 d . Thus the Provincial lodges and brethren have fairly maintained the position to which , as supporters of this Fund , they are so justly entitled .

Going through them seriatim , we find tho Stuart Lodge , No . 434 , in BEDFORD - SHIRE , returning . £ 10 ios . by its representative , Bro . W . F . Webb , W . M ., while last year the sum of , £ 25 13 s . 6 d . stood to its credit . Of the six lodges in

BERKS AND OXON , three were represented by four Stewards , and the Province by Bro . W . Hickie , the total obtained being . £ 4 6 5 s . 6 d .. of which , £ 14 15 s . 6 d . constituted the joint list of Bros . Weyland and Bowden , of the Alfred Lodge , No . 247 , Oxford . In 18 93 the l'ro \ ince returned only , £ 28 7 s . The CHANNEL ISLANDS is entered for £ 15 15 s ., being the sum of the lists compiled by Bros . E . Bree and J . Balfour Cockburn , representing Lodges Cesarean , No . 74 , and Sarnian , No . 424 ,

respectively . I'or the Province of DEVONSHIRE , Bro . John Lane , of Torquay , did'duty as sole representative , the amount of his list being . £ 33 12 s . In 18 93 , the Province sent up three Stewards , one Unattached , one representing the Province , and the third one ofits lodges , the amount they together returned being not far short of . £ 100— £ 98 15 s . 6 d . As there are some 24 lodges in the Province , the Returns on Wednesday are on a somewhat small scale . DORSETSHIRE is entered for £ 22 os . 6 d ., beinjj ; the sum compiled by Bro . Z . Milledge , as the representative of All Souls Lodge , No . 126 , Weymouth . As for

EAST ANG 1 . 1 A , which has a round dozen lodges on its roll , Bro . II . W . H . Elwes , representing the Province , returned . £ 22 is . ; while Bro . C . F . Matiei , acting as Steward for the York Lodge , No . 334 , Cambridge , has handed in a goodly list as usual , amounting in thi .- , instance to £ 33 2 s . 66 . The lists of the other lodge representatives raise the tolal to . £ 94 os . 6 d ., a great improvement on the Returns last year , when the Stewards for two lodges compiled between them a total of , £ 31 10 s . The amount contributed b y GLOUCESTERSHIRE AND HEREFORDSHIRE is , £ 21 , and

includes £ 5 5 s . from Bro . Vassar Smith , Prov . G . M . M ., and , £ 15 15 s . from the joint representatives of the Gloucester Lodge , No . 439 , Gloucester . Of the 13 lodges in HAMI ' SIURE AND THE ISLE OF WIGHT , two were represented by Bro . Alexander Howell , whose list is entered for ^ 22 is ., while HERTFORDSHIRE . which 1 as five lodges , returns only ; £ io ios . Last year , Hants and the Isle of Wight contributed . £ 33 125 ., and Hertfordshire , . £ 22 15 s . 6 d ., as compared with £ 6 3 in 1892 , and £ 63 15 s . in 1891 , so that the falling off in the case of the latter of these two Provinces , to which we drew attention in 18 93 , still proceeds on its course . In the case of

Analysis Of The Returns.

KENT , which now has 20 lodges on its roll , we note with pleasure that there has been a very great recovery , as will be gathered from the following figures : in 1890 , 11 Stewards compiled a total of £ 117 is . ; in 1 S 91 , the Returns obtained by nine Stewards reached . £ 17 8 3 s . ; in 1 S 92 , the sum was £ 6 9 6 s . from six Stewards , and in 1 S 93 , . £ 84 3 s . from seven Stewards . On Wednesday , the Stewards sent up by

six lodges compiled a total of £ 127 14 s ., of which £ 35 19 s . was obtained by Bro . VV . O . Kennett representing the Dover and Cinque Ports Lodge , No . 152 ; ^ 32 ios . 6 d . by Bro . E . Morriss , Florence Nightingale Lodge , No . 44 , Woolwich ; and £ 24 3 s . by Bro . F . H . Miller , Royal Naval College Lodge , No . 294 , Greenwich . There Returns are 50 per cent , in excess of 1893 and in five years have only been exceeded once . There are some 32 lodges in the large and important Province of

LANCASHIRE , of which six were represented , the number of Stewards , however , being eight . The total thus far returned is £ 63 , while in 1893 , when the number of Stewards was 17 —of whom 15 hailed from the Clarence Lodge , No . 447 , Liverpool the total from this Province was . £ 152 5 s . In 1892 and 1891 the totals were ^ 73 ios . and . £ 57 15 s . respectively , and in 1890 it reached the far larger sum of . £ 195 5 s . It is to be regretted that the figures cannot be regularly maintained at a level , or nearly so , with the last mentioned figure .

There appears to be a large amount of zeal and energy in the Province , which comprises within its borders the counties of

LEICESTER , NORTHAMPTON , & C , and owes allegiance to the veteran Bro . W . Kelly . The lodges all told number 11 , and on Wednesday three were represented , while the number of Stewards was nine . The subscriptions totalled up to £ 150 4 s . 6 d ., of which ^ 50 represented the joint list of Bros . j . R . Fielding and T . N . Turner , St . Martin's Lodge , No . 414 , Alfreton ; £ - \ 2 ios ., that of Bro . Fisher , of the William Kelly Lodge , No . 339 ,

Winshill ; and £ 2 $ 17 s . 6 d ., that of Bro . T . C . Eastwood , Steward for the Derby Lodge , No . 302 . Last year , the total was £ 102 18 s . ; in 1892 , £ 82 9 s . ; in 1 S 91 , ; £ S 6 15 s . ; and in 1890 , ^ 115 ios . As far as we know , the present is the largest sum that has been raised by this Province for the Mark Benevolent Festival . A brave example was set by the " Chairman's Province" of

LINCOLNSHIRE , which , though it has but nine lodges on its roll , compiled the very handsome total of . £ 214 5 s . 6 d . The Stewards who accomplished this were 16 in number , and included Bros . Lord Yarborough , P . G . Master ; Jack Sutcliffe , P . P . G . Master ; Anderson Bates , P . D . P . G . M . ; and H . E . Cousans , Unattached ; together with Bros ,

Pearson and Ward , representing the Province , and Stewards from four of the lodges . The principal lists wcre those ot theChairman for £ 78 15 s . ; of the Provincial Representatives for £ 6 3 ; and of Bro . W . Hurst , W . M . of the Sutcliffe Lodge , No . 1 S 8 , Grimsby , for £ 41 os . 66 .. Last year the total obtained by four Stewards was £ " 85 Ss ., while in 1892 , with Bro . Jack Sutcliffe , then P . G . M ., as sole Steward , the Return reached £ 50 .

MIDDLESEX was represented by its Prov . G . M ., Bro . Col . A . B . Cook , and three other Stewards , of whom Bro . A . S . Brown did duty for the Province as a whole , and the remaining two for two of its nine lodges . The total returned is £ 27 6 s ., against the far higher figure of ^ 83 3 s . 6 d . in 1 S 93 . The important Province of

NORTHUMBERLAND AND D URHAM sent up five Stewards , whose lists amounted to £ i \ 2 7 s . Last year , by the medium of Bro . Hans B . Olsen—who was also a Steward on Wednesday—it gave £ 84 ; while in 1892 it raised £ " 114 5 s . NOTTINGHAMSHIRE , which raised j £ 2 i 5 s . in 1893 , was represented on this occasion by Bro . R . Patchitt , whose list , however , is still outstanding . SHROPSHIRE per Bro . Rowland G . Venables , Shropshire Lodge ,

No . 444 , Shrewsbury , contributed £ 5 5 s ., and SOMERSETSHIRE , with Bro . the Kev . E . A . Purvis , acting as Steward for the whole Province , and Bro . Lieut .-Col . A . Thrale Perkins for the Lodge of Science , No . 128 , Shepton Mallet , one of its 10 lodges , is entered for £ 44 7 s ., of which Bro . Purvis ' s list comprises all but ; £ io 10 s . Last year the Province contributed , £ 3 1 ios . ; in 1 S 92 , £ 63 ios . ; and in 1891 , when Bro . Viscount Dungarvan presided at the Festival , £ 164 7 s . SOUTH WALES had an able representative in Bro . John Munday , who compiled the excellent total of . £ 75 Ss .

The Stewards from SURREY were headed by their chief , Bro . Col . Money , and his Deputy , Bro . Frederick West , two of the seven lodges being represented by three brethren . The amount subscribed was ^ 49 16 s . 66 ., of which Bros . VV . Briant and the Rev . W . Russell Finlay , of the Kintore Lodge , No . 333 , together returned ^ 33 os . 66 . Last year , when Bro . Col . Money occupied the chair , the Province by the medium of 13 Stewards , compiled the large total of . £ 247 8 s . 66 .

Three Stewards hailed from SUSSEX , of whom Bro . VV . E . Morrison , representing the East Sussex , No . 166 , and the Royal Connaught , No . 409 , returned £ 6 15 s . 6 d ., the total from the Province being . £ 17 5 s . 66 ., as compared with £ 5 5 s . in 1893 , while WARWICKSHIRE , with four Stewards , returned £ 26 5 s ., against , £ 48 6 s . last year . Three of the 12 lodges in

WEST YORKSHIRE figured in Wednesday ' s return , the number of Stewards being seven , and the total they together raised . £ 112 7 s . The five brethren who acted for the Britannia Lodge , No . 53 , Sheffield , were responsible for ^ 64 is . of this sum , while Bro . G . H . Parke , Lodge of integrity , No . no , Wakefield , compiled ^ 32 lis ., and Bro . T . G . Howell , Lodge of Truth , No . 137 , Huddersfield , the balance of £ 15 15 s . Last year the total was . £ 73 ios ., as compared with £ 39 18 s . in 1892 , so that the progress we noticed last year has been well maintained .

As for the remaining contributorics , WILTSHIRE , which was represented last year by the Earl of Radnor , figures in these Returns for £ 12 4 s . ; the DEGREE OF ROYAL ARK MARINER , gives per Bro . E . T . Crouch , . £ 10 ios ., and the ROSE C ROIX , per Bros . B . R . Bryant and W . A . Scurrah representing respectively , Chapters Nos . 101 and 97 , ^ 27 6 s . MALTA , with Bro . John Kenyon as Steward , is entered for ; £ io ios ., and CEYLON , with Bro . Capt . Hearn as the representative of the St . George of Colombo Lodge , No . 464 , clones the list with £ 15 15 s .

CHARLES MORISON . —Born in 1780 , at Greenfield , near Alloa ; died in Paris , 18 4 8 . Was a military medical man , and had served in the 10 th Hussars . He lived mostly in Switzerland and Paris when placed on half pay . He possessed a large Masonic library , which his widow : ; ave to the Grand Lodge of Scotland , and which was valuable alike for printed wor ' ss and MSS ., which he had collected mr 25 years . Very little , if any , use has been made of this splendid gift , and only recently the books were found to be covered with dust by a student of the Cratt who desired to examine them . —Kenning " s Encyclopedia of Freemasonry .