Mark Benevolent Fund Festival.

charity of the brotherhood , and anything that would promote that feeling , they all said they would do their utmost to assist . They were astonished at the amount just announced which they looked upon as far more than would have been recorded consideting the large calls which had been made on the Craft and on the Mark Degree during the past year . The ladies delighted with all Mark Masons in celebrating this occasion , and felt that the Chairman had had wonderful pluck and courage in taking the

chair after the successful Chairmanship of Col . Cook . They knew that these large amounts could not go on for ever . It was only a month since an enormous sum was got for one Masonic Institution , which made the large amount now announced the more striking . Although the amount was less than last year they rejoiced it was so large as it was . Next year they hoped it would be double , and the ladies hoped to be with the brethren then as now , but even in greater force .

Bro . Major J . W . CARRELL responded to the toast of " The S ' ewards , " and said he was glad the result of the festival had been so great . If any of them had been asked a week or a fortnight ago they would not have been very sanguine as to what the amount would be because there had been so many calls on the pockets of the Masonic Order during the present year . He thought they had done extremely well , quite as well as they had expected . The Stewards were much indebted to the R ght Worshipful

Brother for taking the chair , because this was an occasion when the maj inty of the brethren would have felt inclined to cry "Hold , enough ! " They were pleased their efforts had been fairly successful . Next year the brethren would have a better opportunity . There would be a rest of six months between this and the next Masonic Charity Festival . Next year the Mark Benevolent Fund would have a bumper festival . The Craft Festivals had done very , very well ; the turn of the Mark mutt come next .

Bro . KELSO KINO responded to the toast of " The Victors . It had been a great treat to him , and he regarded it as a privilege to meet so many members of the Honourable Degree of Ma'k M ister . The names of m iny of the brethren present were household words throughout the Mark world . Long dstances , such as he had come , 13000 miles away , they knew the narr . es of the brethren perhaps almost as well as they were known here .

Masonry in Great Britain had set a noble example to Masonry in all paits of the woild , and he mig ht tell the brethren that in the Colonies they regarded the acts of the brethren of the Grand Lodge as in all respects worthy of imitation . It was the position Masenry had achieved in Great Britain—and it was one of the penalties of greatness—lhat they might know lhat their acts were watched not only in Great

Britain alone , but throughout the Masonic world . In the Colonies the brethren got the reports , and they were highly gratified and took great interest in every event lhat toik place here . If the dis ' anc : had been double what it was he should have been well repaid by the kindness shown to him by the Fieemasons in London , and especially those associated with the Mark Degree . He offered his hearty congratulations on the success of the Festival , and his best wishes for the success and for

the prosperity , and continued prosperity , of the Mark Benevolent Fund . He had been looking through the printed book placed before each brother , and it was a noble array of brethren and ladies who had been instrumental in doing so much good . There were a large number of brethren of great influence , gentlemen whose time was no doubt of great value , and he thought the thanks of Great Britain was due to them for giving so much valuable time to the interests of the Order .

Bro . DAVORF . N also responded , and the brethren then j lined the ladies in the Crown Room , where a beautiful concert was given , the artistes being Madame Isabel George , Madame Marie Hooton , Bro . Edward Branscombe , Bro . Robert Hilton , Bro . A . R . Blagrove ( solo violoncello ) , and Bro . George Pownall ( piano ) , the whole was under the direction of Bro . Edward Branscombe .

Analysis Of The Returns.

ANALYSIS OF THE RETURNS .

The Returns on this occasion are a long way behind the total of last year , hut no one expected any other result . To begin with , the Festival of 189 7 was a record one , when 235 Stewards raised the large sum of . £ 3100 , while this year the Boys' School Centenary has attracted to itself most of the attention , so that if our Benevolent and Girls' Institutions had to content themselves with Returns that were considerably below the average , it is not surprising that this Mark Fund ,

which appeals to only a part of the same constituency should have suffered likewise . Indeed , it seems to us that proportionately the Mark Benevolent Institution has been even more successful than the Benevolent Institution and Girls' School . However , we need not concern ourselves about this . The material point is that the 30 th anniversary Festival in aid of the Mark Fund has produced somewhat less than £ 1750 , while in 1 S 97 it was bigger to the extent of between . £ 1300 and . £ 1400 .

Under the head of LONDON are grouped together the Lady Stewards , the General Board , the lodges in the Metropolitan district , and the Unattached , who returned the following amounts , namely , Lady Stewards , £ 26 5 s . ; General Board , , 647 Ss . ; lodges , . £ 246 15 s . ; and Unattached brethren , £ 73 ios . ; making a total of , £ 393 15 s . The principal

items are . £ 21 by Bro . Major C . W . Carrell , of the General Board ; . £ 3 1 ios . compiled by Bro . Jas . K . Eastes , representing the Grand Master ' s Lodge ; . £ 21 by Bro . L . G . Gordon Robbins , Carnarvon Lodge , No . 7 ; . £ 50 8 s . by Bro . J . P . Hamilton , of the Growenor Lodge No . 144 ; and £ 54 12 s . by Bro . J . S . Wellcome , of theSavage Club Lodge , No . 46 9 ; with . £ 3 1 ios . by Bro . C . F . Matier , G . Secretary and Hon . Secretary of the Board . Last year the total was - £ Ggi 19 s . 6 d . ; in 1896 , ^ 630 ns ; and in 1895 , £ 662 19 s . 6 d .

As regards the Provinces , there were 25 out of 33 that sent up Stewards , and four stations abroad , but from two of these there was no Return . The total from all sources was , £ 1342 4 s . Gd ., the number of Stewards being 87 , while last year 1 G 4 raised . £ 2408 13 s . 6 j . ; in 1896 , 119 Stewards . £ 1 7 81 9 s . Gd . ; and , in 18 95 , ' 04 Stewards , , £ 1445 ios .

From BRRKS AND OXON 'here were three Stewards , of whom Bro . Charles Batting , representing H 12 Province as a whole , compiled , £ 36 iss ., and Bros . Charles E . Keyser , Porchtster

Lodge , No . 27 , and T . R . Barnby , Abbey Lodge , No . 225 , £ 10 103 . each . Bro . Lord Addington , I . P . M . of the Lodge of St . Peter and St . Paul in the Province of BUCKS , is entered for the sum of . £ 5 5 s ., and Bro . J . BalfourCockburn , hailing from the Sar . 1 i . 1 n Lodg -, No . 425 , on the roll of the Channel Islands , for an equal sum . The Chairman ' s Province of

Analysis Of The Returns.

CHESHIRE is by no means strong , there being only eight lodges over which Bro . the Hon . Alan de Tatton Egerton , M . P ., presides as P . G . Master , and four of these , with the Cestrian Coaclave of Knights of the Order of Rome and the Red Cross of Constantine together contribute to the extent of . £ 6 S 5 s ., while the Chairman gave a personal donation of ^ S 15 s ., making a total from Cheshire . £ 147 Bro .

, Dr . C . S . Brewer , Lodge of Fidelity , No . 31—and for the Rosario Lodge , No . 507 , in the Argentine Republic—and Bro . L . Crosthwaite of the Egerton Lodge , No . 1 G 5 , each compiling a total of . £ 21 . This we look upon as a capital result from a Province of such limited strength as Cheshire , and in a year when one of the great Central Charities had raised for its Centenary Festival the enormous sum of . £ 134000 .

Two Stewards from the Province of CORNWALL , of whom Bro . H . S . Hare , who did duty for Devon also , appears to have acted independently , and Bro . P . T . Chirgwin who served for the Province , returned a total of . £ 10 7 ios ., of which ; £ 57 ios . was from Bro . Hare , and . £ 50 from Bro . Chirgwin , while Bro . the Rev . W . Cree for that of CuMuR . Ri . ANn and WESTMORELAND figures for 5 guineas . The Province of

DERnVSHIRE , which comprises six lodges , furnished quite a numerous contingent of ^ Stewards , 11 , including Bro . A . Woodiwiss , J . P ., Prov . G . Master , being Unattached , while the remaining six did duty for four of the six lodges ; the Duke of Connaught , per Bros . C . F . Wardley and F . E . Harrison , being entered for £ 21 ; the Derby Lodge , No . 302 , per Bro . Chas . D . Hart , W . M ., for - £ 26 5 s . ; and the Ilkeston

Lodge , No . 373 , per Bro . Gilbert Wilkinson , for . £ 21 . The Prov . G . Master returned . £ 12 12 s ., and Bros . J . H . Lawson and Edgar Home , J . P ., both Unattached , £ 10 ios . each . From DEVONSHIRE there were three Stewards , of whom Bro . H . S . Hare figured under Cornwall ; while Bro . F . B . Westlake , for the Province , compiled a total of . £ 31 ios ., and Bro . the Rev . R . Peek , St . George Lodge , No . 15 , . £ 12 2 s . DORSETSHIRE , as represented by Bro . the Earl of

Portarlington , is down for i , 5 Ss . ; East Anglia for , £ 26 5 s ., of which Bro . Frank Lindon , for the Brentwood , No . 377 , raised £ 15 15-., and Bro . A . E . Chaplin , York Lodge , N ° - 334 , 'he balance . The Present and Past Prov . G . Jtasters of GLOUCESTERSHIRE AND HEREFORDSHIRE appear among the Stewards , but only Bro . R . V . Vasser-Smith is down for a list amounting to £ 5 5 ^ ., Bro . Baron de Ferrieres , Past Prov . Grand Master having as yet made no return . Three of the 13 lodges in

HAMPSHIRE AND THE ISLE OE WKIIIT sent up Stewards , and in addition there were Bros . Richard Eve , D . P . G . M ., and R . Loveland Loveland , Past D . P . G . M ., President of the General Board , who acted independently , the total for the five lists being , £ 29 Ss . There were also two Stewards with . £ 22 is . from the Rose and Lily Lodge , No . 354 , one of the five lodges in the Province of HERTFORDSHIRE ; while had it not been that the Prov . G . JL—Bro . Viscount Dungarvan—and Bro . Hughes-Hallett , the D . P . G . M ., put in an appearance , the strong Province of

KENT , which musters some 20 lodges , would have had only one of them represented , and that to the extent of £ 10 ios ., the total from the Province being , £ 21 . Three lodges in LANCASHIRE sent up four Stewards , whose lists amounted , together to . £ 37 ios 6 "d ., the principal item being the joint list of Bros . Nathan Heywood and R . Thomson for , £ 16 us . 63 ., while the two acting Stewards for LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND are down for . £ 5 5 s . each , there being the same returns from the Earl of Yarborough and Bro . the Rev . E . M . Weigall , who supported the reputation of LINCOLNSHIRE .

Five Stewards , headed by Bro . Col . A . B . Cook , Prov . G . Master , who had the satisfaction of presiding at the record Festival of last year , did duty for the Metropolitan Province of MIDDLESEX , and very well they discharged it , the total of their lists reaching . £ 93 9 s ., of which Bro . Col . Cook is entered tor ^ 52 ios ., and Bro . A . Stewart BrownHampton

, Court Lodge , No . 448 , and Bro . H . B . Griham , JLP ., St . Pancras Lodge , No . 494 , for 15 guineas and 14 guineas respectively . Last year as " Chairman ' s Province " it compiled the exceptionally large total of . 61251 13 s ., the number of Stewards being 44 , Bro . Col . Cook ' s own list alone amounting to . 6799 is . From the Province of Northants , Hunts , and Beds , which is presided over by Bro . the Earl of Euston , as Pro . ' . Grand Master , and has some four lodges on its

roll , had five brethren acting on its behalf , the Provincial Grand Master the Dep . P . G . Master—Bro . G . C . W . Fitzwilliam—and Bro . H . Manfield bung Unattached , while Bro . the Rev . V . Wyatt did duty for the Province and the Stuart Lodge , No . 43 j , and Bro . T . Phipps Dorman for the Simon de St . Liz Lodge , No . 245 , Bro . the Rev . V . Wyatt had two lists which amounted together to . £ 15 15 s ., while that of Bro . T . P . Dorman was for £ 21 . A Steward for NORTH WALES in the person of Bro . Major G . R . Ashley is down for . £ 5 55 .

, while Bro . George Norman , W . M . Royal Cumberland Lodge , well sustained the honour of Somersetshire with a total of . £ 50 . From SURREY there came Bro . Fred . West , D . P . G . M ., and the representatives of three of the ei ght lodges , the total of the four lists amounting to , £ 38 is . ; while from SUSSEX we have Bro . R . Clowes with five guineas , and Bro . W . Lascelles Sauthtvell , W . M . of the Tudor Lodge , STAITORDSIIIRE , with 10 guineas . The last of the Provinces is that of

WEST YORKSHIRE , which takes the lead with a total of . £ 170 , the number of Stewards , including Bro . Chas . Letch Mason , Prov . G . Master , and Bro . G . H . Parke , Past Grand Treasurer , being 10 , while the number of lodges that were represented was six This beats last year ' s total , which was only £ 141 15 s .

In addition , there were four Stewards from FOREICN STATIONS , but the list of one was included in the Cheshire total , and from the two hailing from QUEENSLAND and SOUTH AFRICA ( W . D . ) , there came nothing . However , H . E . Idris Bey Ragheb , who has ju : t been appointed Dist G . Master for Egypt

lully compensated tor their shortcomings by contributing a personal donation of , £ 210 , which is the largest sum ever given by a private individual to the Mark Benevolent Festival , and for which our distinguished brother deserves all praise . Indeed , those who took part in the celebration deserve credit for their successful labours .

SIR RICHARD WRIISTEK , O . C ., M . P ., will preside at the dinner to Dr . VV . G . Grace , at the Sports' Club , on Tuesday next . A VERY gratifying presentation took place on the Gth inst . during the monthly meeting of Manners' Lodge , No . iGS , at the Masonic Hall , Le Marchant-street , Guernsey . 'The recipient of the presentation , which took the shape of a magnificent Past Master ' s jewel , was Bro . J . R . Carrington , of Lodge Friendship , No . 1 G 9 G , Mauritius , W . Bro . Austin , the W . M . of Mariner ' s Lodge , who mide the presentation , cimplimsnted Bro .

Carrington , and explained to the members that the jewel was presented to the latter from the members of Lodge Friendship in recognition of Bro . Canington ' s valuable services thereto , he having , in 1897 , accepted the Mastership of the lodge when it was at a very low ebb . By his efforts , Bro . Carrington had raised the lodge in a very short period to a membership of about 80 , with funds to the amount of £ So . The presentation was made in the presence of between 40 and 50 brethren , among whom were many visitors .