Analysis Of The Returns.

doubtless be a good one . Last year , £ ^ 254 9 s ; 6 d . was contributed , namely , £ 320 15 s . 6 d . to the Benevolent Institution , £ 417 4 s . 6 d . to " Our Girls , " and £ 516 os . 6 d . to " Our Boys , " while in 1894 and 18 93 the figures were £ 1477 ios . and £ 1234 16 s . respectively . In 1892 , when the Benevolent Institution celebrated its Jubilee and the Duke of Connaught , Prov . G . M ., presided as Chairman at the Girls' School , the total was £ 2227 4 s .

SOUTH WALES , WESTERN DIVISION , was an absentee from the Benevolent Festival in February , but on Wednesday , Bro . J . Llewellyn Thomas , as Steward for the whole of the Province—in Which there but 10 lodges—raised a total of £ 210 . Last year the same Bro . Thomas served as Steward for the Boys' School and took up a list of £ 239 19 s . 6 d . ; in

1894 it subscribed £ 154 12 s . to the Old People , and in 1893 £ 177 19 s . to this Institution , while in 1892 it helped " Our Boys " with a list of £ 161 is . 6 d . Thus each of the Charities is supported and our anticipations that as the Benevolent was chosen to receive the contributions of the Province last year , one of the Schools would receive them this year have been verified .

WARWICKSHIRE has been doing some excellent work during the last few years . In 18 95 it raised , inclusive of £ 525 as a Life Presentation to the Boys' School , a total of £ 1155 ; in 1894 £ 637 16 s . 3 d . ; and in 1893 £ 530 7 s . 6 d ., while in the year of the Benevolent Jubilee , the total was £ 2410 4 s ., of which £ 2186 was raised for the Old People . In February three out of the 31 lodges sent Stewards , the Bedford Lodge , No . 925 , Birmingham , contributing by the hands of nine brethren £ 115 ios ., while the

other two helped to swell the amount to £ 157 ios . On Wednesday six lodges figured in the list , the Alhol , No . 74 , Birmingham , being represented by four Stewards and contributing £ 63 ; the Lodge of Charity , No . 1551 , Birmingham , by 12 Stewards and returning £ 126 , and the Shakespeare Lodge , No . 284 , Birmingham , giving per Bro . John W . Margetts . £ 81 18 s . The total raised by the 20 Stewards reached , £ 339 3 s ., which carries the total for the two Festivals that have been held to ^ 496 13 s . The Province of

WILTSHIRE , like that of the Western Division of South Wales , gives each Institution in turn its support , though there is occasionally a year in which it will be found among the contributories to more than one . In 18 92 it subscribed , £ 48 3 14 s . to the Benevolent Jubilee ; in 1893 it shared its favours between the Schools , this Institution obtaining £ 185 17 s ., and the Boys' School £ 110 5 s . ; while in 1894 ,

the " Old People" and " Our Boys " were the recipients of its bounty , the former obtaining £ 175 14 s . 6 d ., and the latter £ 126 4 s . In 18 95 , the Boys' School had it all to itself , the sum raised in its behalf being . £ 279 6 s . On Wednesday , Bro . W . C . Powning for the Province and the Elias de Derham Lodge , No . 586 , Salisbury , had the good fortune to compile a list of , £ 210 . In February last ,

WORCESTERSHIRE through the action of Bro . T . R . Artes , had the satisfaction of being rescued , at the last moment , from the absentee list to that of the Represented Provinces , and so figured in the Returns to the Old People for £ 21 . On Wednesday , two of its 13 lodges represented each by two Stewards and Bro . Arter took part in Wednesday's celebration , and together supplemented the £ 105 forming the memorial which the Province is raising to its deceased chief , the late Bro . Sir E . A . H .

Lechmere , Bart ., with a further ^ 84 , and making the total , £ 189 . Last year , the Province contributed altogether £ 358 , of which £ 42 fell to the lot of the Benevolent Institution , , £ 153 5 s . to that of the Girls' School , and . £ 162 15 s . to that of the Boys' School . In 18 94 , only £ 193 os . 6 d . was raised altogether , but the preceding year , the Schools shared £ 308 3 s . between them , and in 1892 , there was apportioned amongst the three , £ 498 5 s . These are , undoubtedly , fair returns from so modest a Province .

It was not to be expected that , after its admirable performance in February in behalf of the Benevolent Institution , when it figured in the Returns for . £ 900 , the Province of

YORKSHIRE ( NORTH AND EAST RIDINGS ) , should take a very active part it this celebration , and consequently there is nothing to find fault in a single one of its 33 lodges being represented on Wednesday , and sending up a list of , 63 8 17 s . In fact it is gratifying to find that after so

much had been done for the Old People in the earlier part of the year there should be still something for this Institution , and we hope the other School will not be entirely left out in the cold next month . In 1895 the total was only £ 155 12 s . 6 d . ; in 18 94 , £ 441 15 s . ; in 1 893 . £ 424 4 s . ; and in 18 92 , £ 733 4 s ., of which £ 711 9 s ., was in support of the Benevolent Jubilee .

It is not necessary we should say more than a few words about the Province of

YORKSHIRE ( WEST RIDING ) . It is always to be'found included among the supporters of each successive Festival , and as it has 77 lodges , its contributions are almost invariable in proportion to its strength , though , as a matter of course , there are some special occasions as at a centenary or jubilee celebration , or when its Prov . G . Master is Chairman of the day , when it puts forth its strength , and compiles a total such as only the very

strongest Provinces are capable of compiling . Thus in 18 95 the sum subscribed to the three Chairities was only ^ 1716 8 s . 6 d ., but in 1894 it amounted to £ 66 97 5 s ., of which ^ 4559 15 s . was in support of the Chairmanship of Bro . W . L . Jackson , M . P ., P . G . M ., at the Boys' School . In February it figured in the Benevolent . Returns for £ 700 , and on Wednesday , its 19 Stewards made up a total of £ 600 . The Province of

GUERNSEY AND ALDERNEY —five lodges—was represented by its Prov . G . Master , Bro . J . Balfour Cockburn , whose list amounted to £ 15 15 s . Last year he rendered a like service to this Institution , and subscribed £ 10 ios ., and to the Boys' School his list of £ 10 ios ., being supplemented by £ 21 from his Prov . S . G . W ., Bro . Maj . C . W . Carrell . In 18 94 , Bro . Cockburn was Steward for the Benevolent Institution and Girls' School , while in 1892 , though it was not then organised as a Province , it raised £ 240 for the Benevolent Institution , and , £ 57 ios . for this Charity .

J ERSEY too , with its seven lodges , was at the last moment represented , a donation of £ 10 ios . being placed to its credit , or rather to that of the lodge which bears the Chairman ' s name—the Yarborough , No . 244 . STATIONS ABROAD . Four of these sent up Stewards , Bro . L . D . Abraham , from Japan , figuring for £ 26 5 s ., while the Stewards from Malta , St . Helena , and Scotland raised the total under this head to £ 47 5 s . Such contributions as these are always welcome .

CONCLUDING REMARKS . After the very close scrutiny to which the lists have been subjected , we do not imagine there is anything further to be said . We have , as usual , contented ourselves with noticing the plain facts as they are presented to us in the Returns , and as far as possible have striven to avoid anything and everything in the way of unkind criticism . Even in the very few instances in which Provinces are repeatedly unrepresented , we confine ourselves to recording the fact . We remember that the subscriptions are voluntary .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Herefordshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF HEREFORDSHIRE .

On Monday , the 27 th ult ., at Kington , there was a record attendance of the above Provincial Grand Lodge , which met for the second lime under the banner of the Arrow Lodge , No . 2240 . This young lodge was constituted in 1888 , with seven members . When Bro . Sir Joseph Bailey held the Prov . Grand Lodge there in 1890 , the membership had increased to eleven , and , favoured by the skilful instruction of distinguished old Masons , a steady

advance of initiates has brought the membership up to 52 , when on Monday , after an interval of six years , the Prov . Grand Master held his annual Court at Kington . From the handsome book list of the day ' s proceedings , compiled by the W . M ., Bro . C . Wellington Lloyd , and printed in blue and gold , it was interesting to mark that a lodge was constituted in Kington so long ago as January 5 th , 1701 , styled the Silurian Lodge , on the petition of Bros .

Charles James , James Lloyd Harris , jun ., and Edmund Cheese , but was removed to Ludlow in 1806 , under the denomination of Mercian Lodge . Copies of the two warrants in question were published in the Hereford Times a few months ago . Thus was Kington without a Masonic Lodge for fourscore years , but the present one appears to be likely to stay . The present generation of Kingtonians do their celebrations in an enterprising and thorough manner , and they are to be congratulated on the success which

attended this event . It has been suggested that the Prov . Grand Lodge shall be held at Hereford annually , or biennially , as being more central and convenient , but the Kington Masons heartily oppose the movement , delighting in the honour of receiving the Prov . Grand Lodge , and believing that ite annual migration tends to fan the fire of emulation . The subject was discussed , and , doubtless , the attitude adopted by the Kington Lodge will result in the old system being conserved .

Bro . F . R . Tidd-Pratt , who was W . M . in 1890 , when the Prov . Grand Lodge meeting was held in Kington before , had the privilege , as D . of C , of receiving the Prov . Grand Master on this occasion , and met him at the railway station with a brougham , in which he subsequently escorted him to his return journey . The business proceedings took place in the spacious new Board Schools , which had been kindly lent for the purpose . They were appropriately prepared , and so commodious a room added greatly to

the comfort of those present . About So brethren signed the muster roll , and there would have been a still larger company had not most of the Leominster brethren been kept away by the great fete which was being held in that town for the promotion of a medical charity . The lodge having been opened by the W . M ., the Provincial Grand Master and his officers were received with the customary honours , and the Provincial Grand Lodge was opened .

The principal business was the reading and passing of the accounts for the past year of the Prov . Grand Treasurer , Bro . J . E . S . Hewett . This showed a balance in hand of over ^ 120 . The accounts of the Herefordshire Masonic Charity Association , for which Bro . William Earle , P . P . S . G . W ., has acted as Secretary for so many years , were also produced , which showed that a sum of about £ 40 had been sent during the past year to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys .

Bro . J . E . S . Hewett , P . P . S . G . W ., the Secretary for the Herefordshire Masonic Local Charity , also produced his account , showing that this new Association has been well supported by the brethren of the province , and had already a balance in hand of over ^ 250 , after assisting a necessitous daughter of a Mason , and paying the school fees for a brother ' s orphan . A collection being made for this society amounted to £ 4 . 6 s . 2 d . The Provincial Grand Master appointed and invested his officers for the ensuing year as follows :

Bro . Rev . Evan Williams , 2240 ... ... Prov . S . G . W . „ T . Matthews , 338 ... ... ... Prov . J . G . W . „ Rev . H . A . Barker , 120 ... ... Prov . G . Chap . „ J . E . S . Hewett , 338 ... ... ... Prov . G . Treas . „ J . A . White , 120 ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . ,, E . Maddison , 751 ... ... ... Prov . G . Sec .

„ E . P . Young , 2240 ... ... ... Prov . S . G . D . „ E . Stephens , 120 ... ... ... Prov . J . G . D . „ W . V . Tuson , 892 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . of W . „ S . G . Yates , 338 ... ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ L . U . Wooler , 338 ... ... ... . Prov . A . G . D . C . „ J . W . Lloyd , 2240 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B . „ f . E . Hall , 2240 ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ J . D . Evans , 751 ... ... ... Prov . G . Purst .

,, W . W . Robinson , 120 ... ... ... | „ A . Cutfield , 338 ... ... ... I „ Z . B . Evans , 751 ... ... ... }¦ Prov . G . Stewards . „ A . G . Hudson , 892 ... ... ... j „ C . W . Lloyd , 2240 ... ... ,.. J „ C . A . Stephens , 120 ... ... ... Prov . G . Tyler .

Bro . Sir J OSEPH BAILEY stated his intention of holding the next provincial gathering at Hereford , under the banner of the Palladian Lodge . He mentioned the idea of holding the Provincial Grand Lodge more frequently or altogether at Hereford . Bros . HEWETT , MADDISON , and others were favourably inclined to-a ¦ trial of the proposed alteration , as it would be a convenient centre for Ross , Ledbury , and Leominster .

The W . M . of the Kington Lodge showed that Hereford was not at all a convenient centre for the Kington brethren , and he a ! sj opposed the change because the various lodges each in their turn looked forward with great interest to the privilege and ceremony of the Provincial Grand Lodge , and an alteration ot the present migratory system would , he was sure , be disappointing and detrimental . Several brethren supported this view .

At the conclusion of business , the company retired to refreshments at the Burton Hall , where a banquet was served to nearly a hundred brethren by the hostess of the adjoining hotel . Bro . Sir Joseph Bailey , who presided , was supported by Bros . Colonel William Jones-Thomas and Colonel Read , as two of the oldest visiting members of the Craft .

BRO . ARCHDEACON SINCLAIR will be the Chairman on Mondiy next , at the Queen's Hall , at the twenty-first yearly meeting of the members of the Tonic Sjl-Fa College .