The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

the preceding year . However , from the fact that the number of applicants for its benefits , whose claims had received the approval of the Committee , was forty as against sixteen at the first election , it must be clear that the fame of the Institution had spread increasingly among those xvho needed ils help , if not among those who could alford to contribute towards its funds .

This circumstance is thc more lo be regretted , as though there were forty candidates , it was found possible to place only twelve on the fund , thus raising the number of annuitants to twenty-six—one of the elect in 1843 having since died . As regards the financial state of the Charity , thc amount of money invested in Consols had been increased from £ 900 to

£ 1300 , and there was also a sum of £ 0 , 00 in Reduced Thrce per cents . The year ' s donations nnd subscriptions , irrespective of the grants by Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter , amounted to over £ 627 , and the dividends on funded property to between £ 52 and £ 53 ; while thc expenditure , including purchase of £ 400 Consols , somexvhat exceeded £ 879 , leaving a

balance to the credit of the Institution of over , £ 452 . One other point remains to be noticed , namely , that the Committee , having duly considered the matter , came to the resolution lhat members of lodges in the colonies and abroad were eligible to secure the benefits of the Fund . At thc Jul )' meeting of the Committee , Bro . White , Grand Secretary , announced , by

command from the F . arl of Zetland , that Her Majesty , though she declined to become Patroness of the Institution , had presented to it a donation of / 51 1 . In September what is happily a rare occurrence is recorded , a brother ' s annuity being ordered to be suspended , because , subsequently to bis election on the Fund , doubts were raised as to thc correctness of the age

he had given , and thc explanations he was requested to offer were far from being satisfactory . A resolution was also passed recommending that , in order to increase thc funds of the Charity , a Festival should be held on its behnlf on a day to be appointed by thc Grand Master in the month of February following , but the resolution was non-confirmed at the next meeting .

In January , 1 S 45 , it was agreed , on the recommendation of the Finance Committee of Audit , that , as the annual subscriptions became due on thc ist of January of ex-cry year , the accounts should be made up to that date . In February information xvas laid before the Committee to the effect that one of the candidates at the last and approaching elections had not made a

faithful statement of his income , and thc Secretary was ordered to place himself in communication xvith the brother for the purpose of ascertaining the truth or falsehood of thc allegation . The result of those enquiries xvas that thc candidate ' s name xvas removed from thc list , " he not having honestly represented his circumstances to the Committee . " In a somexvhat

similar case , xvliich occurred only a month or txvo later , thc inquiries lhat xvere made proved in all respects satisfactory lo thc candidate , the statements of the informer being characterised by Uro . Havers , xvho personally conducted the invest igation . asbeing without foundation and malicious . These , unfortunately , arc not thc only kind of irregularities lo be met with in the

minutes . In March a proposition xvas rejected , though the applicant had been a subscribing member of a provincial lodge for ten years , and his case xvas supported by the lodge . Hut , alas for the lodge , its recommendation was ordered to be submitted to the Board of General Purposes , as , though it certified to the petitioner having been a regular member for ten years , it had only paid live years for him to the Fund of Benevolence I

Thc report which xvas presented al the Annual Meeting in May , 1845 , calls for no further comment than that only five out of an approved list of forty-live candidates xvere placed on the fund , so raising thc number of Annuitants to eight and twenty ; that thc funded property had increased to A-, 6 oo , all in Government Stock ; and that the regulation requiring a

certain proportion of the annual subscriptions should be invested had been so modified as to reduce thc said proportion from txvo thirds to one . Indeed there is nothing mentioned of note until wc reach the minutes of the 4 th of January , 1846 , xvhen xve find record of a letter received from Bro . M . Sangster , of the Asylum for Aged and Decayed Freemasons , in xvhich it xvas

formally proposed that steps should be taken to bring about an amalgamation of thc Asylum and thc Royal Masonic Benevolent Annuity Fund . Hoxvever , as this subject has already been dealt with in sketching the history of the Asylum , it is unnecessary to do more than refer to it here . At thc Annual Meeting in May , 1846 , txvelvc Annuitants xvere elected , of

xvhom three xverc to fill vacancies caused by death , the Committee reporting that , in their opinion , the state of the finances justified their raising thc number of beneficiaries from twenty-eight to thirty-seven . The funded property had also increased to £ 3 , ' > ' ><' , and as the balance in hand was largeover / , ' SSo—it xvas ordered that a further . £ 500 Consols be purchased . There

was , indeed , but one drawback from thc satisfaction generally expressed by the Committee xvith the position attained by the Fund , after so short a period of existence , namely , lhat Bro . Isaac Walton , one of thc Trustees and a zealous promoter and supporter of the Institution from the very beginning , xvas dead ; and a resolution of condolence xvith Mrs . Wallon and the family

xvas unanimously passed and ordered to be transmitted by the Secretary to the widow . As regards the x'acant Trusteeship , Bro . Alex . Dobie xvas elected to fill it the latter ' s place on the Committee of Management being taken by Bro . Peter Thompson . In February , 1847 , thc Grand Secretary reported that the Supreme Grand Chapter had passed a resolution in the preceding

November , and confirmed it on the 3 rd of that month to the following effect , namely , " That the sum of £ 100 per annum in lieu of £ 25 be paid to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Annuity Fund , on condition that the First Principal of each Chapter shall be entitled to three \* otes at every election of

Annuitants , provided the Chapter shall have made its return , and payments if any due thereon , to the Grand Chapter for the preceding year . " A special meeting was accordingly held , xvhen a motion embodying the points of this resolution was offered and unanimously accepted . In May thc number of Annuitants xvas increased still further to forty-four , and it was announced

The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

that thc Grand Master had given his sanction ( or a Festival to be held on the 9 th of June following , and had himself consented to preside on thc occasion ; and almost as a consequence of this , it xvas resolved to add to Article 32 of the Regulations thc following clause : " And that every brother serving the office of Stexvard to a Festival , and at the same time

subscribing ten pounds or upwards , shall be entitled to two additional votes during life for such service . " A similar proposition was made during-the year folloxving , xvhen , though there xvas no falling off in the progress that had so consistently been made from the commencement , as shown by the fact of thc invested funds having reached £ 5 , 000 Government Stock , thc number of

applicants was still largely in excess of the number of Annuities that could be granted , xvhile many of the applicants were of very advanced age and the straits they xverc in xvere for that reason the more pitiable . However , the sum of . £ 809 16 s . xvas raised at this Festival of 9 th June , 1847 , but , as regards the second proposal , it xvill beseen a littlelater on lhat nothing came of it . In June ,

1 S 48 , thc name of a candidate was ordered to be removed from the list , a letter , apparently from a near relative , having been received to the effect that the andidate ' s eldest son had come into considerable pro pcrty and lhat consequently there xvas no need to trespass on the bounty of the Annuity Fund . But at the very next meeting it xvas made knoxvn that the letter xvas a forgery

and that thc case of the candidate xvhose name had been rcmoxed was a most deserving one . As a matter of course so much of thc June minutes as related to the removal of the name was non-confirmed , while steps xvere resolved to be taken xvith a \ -iexv to ascertain , if possible , the xvriter or writers of the forged letter . In November , as the Earl of Zetland had been obliged

to decline taking the chair at the Festival proposed to be held in aid of the Fund in the month of January folloxving , it xvas resolved to invite thc Earl of Yarborough , D . G . M ., or , in the event of his being unable lo comply with the request , Farl Hoxve , Past D . G . M ., to occupy thc chair on the occasion .

Both these noble brethren , however , xverc under the necessity from previous engagements of declining , and as the Board of Stexvards xvas but a x-cry small one it was agreed to defer the Festival to a more seasonable time , the day chosen for ils celebration being thc 12 th of June , 18 49 .

1 he Report presented at the Annual Meeting in 1 S 49 presents one or two features xvhich are xvorthy of notice . In the first place , it mentions the amounts received in thc shape of donations made from the formation of lhc Institution by Country and London lodges and brethren respectively , those hailing from thc Country figuring for about An , and those from London

lor about £ 2277 . However , the subscriptions of thc former appear to havc been more considerable , producing in 184 S , £ 407 15 s ., while the latters ' subscriptions for the same year stand at . £ 274 ios . Then it is suggested that thc troubled state of affairs then prevailing xvould probably account for the Committee ' s expectations of ah increase in the receipts not having

been realised , and also in a measure for the paucity of brethren who had offered their services as Stewards at thc contemplated Feslixal on behalf of the Charity . It will be remembered that this had been originally fixed for the 30 th January , but postponed to thc 12 th June ; and it xvas now resolved to postpone it altogether , at least , as regards the current year . It was also

suggested by thc Sub-Committee entrusted with the preparation of the Report that , as thc invested funds of thc Institution amounted lo ^ 54 <> o Government Stock , namely , ^ , 2500 Consols and £ 2900 Three per Cent . Reduced , the rule requiring one-third of the annual subscriptions to be invested should be rescinded ; but thc Committee , rightly preferring in such a

case to be cautious , declined to adopt the recommendation , and the rule remained in force . However , 1849 and thc following year will always occupy a conspicuous position in the annals of thc Institution . In thc former Grand Lodge very xvisely resolved on extending the Annuity system to the Widows of Freemasons , and hence the establishment of the Widoxvs' Fund ,

xvhich xvas started xvith an annual grant of ^ 100 fro m United Grand Lodge , and a similar grant of £ 35 from Grand Chapter . In 1 S 50 the scheme was consummated , and the management of thc Fund placed in the hands of the Committee of thc Royal Masonic Benevolent Annuity Fund for them to formulate the necessary rules and regulations for its administration . This

xvas done , but as the rules xvere drawn up as closely as possible on the lines of those of the Male Annuity Fund , it will only be necessary to quote thc regulation as to the age and classification of Annuitants ; which xverc that the Annuities of Widows of from 55 to 65 years of age should not exceed , £ 15 ; from 65 to 70 years , , £ 20 ; 70 years ancl upwards , ^ 25 . Again ,

in the spring of 1849 , the proposal xvas rcnexved for thc amalgamation of the Asylum and thc Annuity Fund , and this scheme likexvise xvas consummated during thc corresponding period of 1 S 50 . But of this latter event a full and particular account has already been given , nothing remaining to be added here beyond lhc announcement , made somewhat in anticipation of the time

of its occurrence , that the Asylum , so far as it had been completed , xx-as solemnly dedicated to thc special purpose for xvhich itwas creeled on Thursday , the 1 st August , 1850 , R . VV . Bro . Alexander Dobie , Prox * . Grand Master of Surrey and Grand Registrar , having been deputed by the M . W . Grand Master to preside at , and conduct , the ceremony ; while the arrangements

were in the hands of the Building Committee . As regards the latter , it is unnecessary to say more than lhat Provincial Grand Lodge having been opened in the Town Hall , Croydon , al noon , the brethren attended Divine service at St . James ' s Church , xvhen a sermon suitable to the occasion xvas preached by Bro . the Rev . J . li . Cox , D . D ., Grand Chaplain , after which a

hymn , specially composed , xvas sung by thc pupils of the Girls' School , The brethren , accompanied by the children , then went in Masonic procession to the Asylum , in the hall of which the function of consecration xvas

most impressively carried out , after which a number of ladies having silver purses to present , were introduced to the Prov . Grand Master , the whole appropriately concluding xvith a dejeuner , under the presidency of Bro . Dobie ( To be continued ) .