Analysis Of The Returns.

was close on £ 1883 . Therefore , judged by its more recent performances , Hants and the Isle of Wight has not maintained its prestige . This , however , is clearlydue , not to any diminution of its goodwill towards our Institutions , but to the fact : of its having started a local Benevolent Association of its own , which has absorbed ; not far short of £ 2000 of the money , which would doubtless have otherwise gone into the coffers of our principal Charities . Five out of the 20 lodges on the roll of

HERTFORDSHIRE sent up Stewards on Tuesday , the total of four of them being £ 129 8 s ., the fifth list—that of Bro . T . Fenn , and amounting to £ 25 4 s . —being included under the head of the House Committee , with which Bro . Fenn also acted as usual . In February the amount raised by six Stewards was £ 297 1 is ., the Bushey Hall Lodge , with Bro . C . E . Keyser as its representative , heading the poll with £ 92 8 s . The Hertford Lodge , No . 403 , with its W . M ., Bro . the Rev . W . Mills ,

acting as Steward in both cases , was represented at both Festivals , as also were the Kingswood Lodge , No . 2278 , and the Bushey Hall , No . 2323 . Last year the total distributed among the three Institutions was £ 371 7 s ., of which the Benevolent Institution had the satisfaction of receiving £ 240 , while in 1888 £ 649195 . was raised for the Girls' Centenary , and £ 146 15 s , 6 d . for the Benevolent Institution ., making the total for the year £ 79 6 14 s . 6 A . The Province of

KENT takes good care that some of its lodges shall be represented , and as there are some 57 on its roll , there is never any lack of them to take upon themselves this duty . In February 11 lodges and a chapter were represented , and their lists amounted together to £ 744 15 s . On Tuesday only three entered an appearance , but they raised amongst them £ 218 14 s . 6 d ., the list of Comp . Alfred Wootton ,

Steward for the Thanet Chapter , No . 429 , Ramsgate , being responsible for £ 115 ios . In 1889 the total was £ 1460 16 s . 6 d ., the R . M . B . I . receiving £ 821 17 s . 6 d ., the Boys' School £ 493 , and the Girls' School only £ 145 19 s . But this small subscription to the last-named Institution is easily accounted for . In 1888 the Benevolent received £ 374 8 s ., and the Boys' School £ 254 13 s . 6 d .,

but the Girls' School at its Centenary celebration secured £ 3059 9 s . 6 d . In the Jubilee year , also , the sums subscribed were heavy , the Benevolent obtaining £ 1227 17 s . 6 d ., the Boys' School £ 508 14 s . 6 d ., and the Girls' £ 184 4 s . 6 d ., making the total for all three years £ 1920 16 s . 6 d . As regards

LANCASHIRE ( EAST DIVISION ) , the muster is even smaller than usual , there being only fo . ur lodges represented , and the sum total of these four lists £ 52 ios . We think that so large a Province should avoid as much as possible making so poor a display as this . In February the subscriptions were not heavy , and only reached £ 23 8 17 s ., but if East Lancasshire never allowed its contributions to fall much below from £ 200 to £ 300 at

each of the three Festivals , we should have no cause to express regret , seeing how generousl y it supports its systematic Educational and Benevolent Institution . However , as we have mentioned before in these analytical articles , whenever something special has to be done , as for example at a Centenary , or in the character of " Chairman ' s Province , " this Division knows how to acquit itself successfully . In the case of

LANCASHIRE ( WEST DIVISION ) , there is really a good display , and the eight Stewards representing seven lodges - —one lodge having three Stewards , and two lodges only one Steward—compiled lists amounting together to £ 570 14 s ., that of Bro . J . D . Murray , acting on behalf of the Lindsay Lodge , No . 1335 , Wigan , taking up £ 315 , and Bro . E . H . Cookson , one of the three Stewards , connected with the Stewards' Lodge of Harmony ,

No . 32 , Liverpool , having £ 105 to his credit . In February the Province raised £ 372 14 s ., of which £ 210 was contributed by the same Lindsay Lodge , No . 1335 , which figured on Tuesday for £ 315 . and which has , therefore , raised thus far dining the present year £ 525 . The subscriptions from this Province for 1890 amount already to £ 943 8 s ., and compare very favourably with the £ 324 9 s . raised for all three Charities in 1889 .

LINCOLNSHIRE , which now has 24 lodges on its roll , but which for practical purposes may be taken at the same strength as last year , has good reason to be proud of the work it has done on this occasion . The Province itself was represented generally by Bros . Henry T . Bellerby and Charles E . Ward , the former of whom , we regret to say , has been seriously ill , and was obliged , therefore , to leave the bulk of the

work to his colleague , Bro . Ward . 1 heir joint list , however , amounted to £ 473 15 s . 6 d ., of which the Alexandra Lodge , No . 9 85 , Sutton Bridge , raised £ 142 16 s . In addition , there were five lodges which had four Stewards acting for them , and there was one Steward Unattached , the total of the sums raised b y four of them being £ 68 5 s ., the other contributions being included in the Provincial total . Thus the total for the whole Province on Tuesday amounted to £ 542 os . 6 d .,

which , added to the £ 100 is . raised for the Benevolent Institution , raises the contributions from Lincolnshire during the present year to £ 642 is . 6 d . We hear that , in consequence of his great efforts in aid of this Festival , Bro . Charles E . Ward will be appointed to a high office at the annual meeting of his Provincial Grand Lodge , and we hope the rumour is true , for he well deserves the honour . The Chairman ' s Province of

MIDDLESEX , with 39 lodges and 14 Royal Arch chapters , ucceeded without much difficulty in securing the premier place among the contributing provinces , the total of its subscriptions , including the Chairman ' s personal donation and list , amounting to £ 1601 3 s . A heavier total might perhaps have been obtained if some brother had taken upon himself the duty ot canvassing the Province generally , leaving

those lodgrs , of course , which had Stewards of their own to do their own work in their own way , and independently of such general representative . . Still the sum is a goodly one , the number of lodges and chapters , & c , which had a share in obtaining it being 22 lodges , represented by 24 Stewards , three chapters , and a lodge of instruction , the number of Stewards being 28 , exclusive of the Chairman . The most successful of these was Bro . Dr . W . Cock , who acted for the Raymond

Thrupp Lodge , No . 2024 , Hampton Court , who had the great good fortune to compile the very handsome total of £ 210 . Among the other lists must be mentioned that of Bro . Hugh Wilson , Steward for the Burdett Lodge , No . 1 293 , whose total was £ 6 o , while Bro . Causton , M . D ., as Steward for the Dalhousie Lodge , No . 865 , Hounslow , also made up around sum of 50 guineas ( £ 52 ios . ) . In February the Province raised £ 285 12 s . 6 d . for the Benevolent Institution , so

that with anything like reasonable work—say among those lodges and chapters which had no part in Tuesday ' s celebration—for the Boys' School in July next , Middlesex should be able to record a total for the year not very far short of that fur iSS 3 , when it raised £ 1816 5 s ., of which the Girls' Centenary was favoured to the extent of £ 1107 J 4 - There are but 10 lodges on the roll of

MONMOUTHSHIRE , and yet the Province generally , with four lodges , each with a Steward of its own and an Unattached brother , succeeded in raising £ 257 9 s . At the Boys' Festival in 188 9 its eig ht Stewards raised upwards of £ 300 , while in 1888 it contributed over £ 530 , of which this Institution obtained the bulk at its Centenary , while in the Jubilee year the Benevolent Institution received £ 300 and this Institution £ 62 ios . Thus , Monmouthshire does well , and is pretty impartial in the distribution of its favours ,

Analysis Of The Returns.

NORTHANTS AND HUNTS , with a roll of 11 lodges , was represented by its Prov . G . Master , Bro . the Earl of Euston , but his list or donation had not come to hand when the Returns were made up , so that we are in the dark as to what it would have been or will be . In February last his lordship and another brother returned between them £ 42 . Last year the P . G . M . was Steward for this Institution , and contributed £ 26 5 s ., while

in the previous year he acted as Chairman at the Benevolent Festival , and , with 12 other brethren , made up the very large total for so small a Province of £ 914 ios . 6 d . In 1888 it raised £ 333—namely , £ 204 15 s . for the Girls' Centenary and £ 117 12 s . for the Boys' School . This , as we pointed out in our Analysis in February last , is undoubtedly an excellent record for so small a Province . One of the 22 lodges in

NORTHUMBERLAND sent up a brother in the person of Bro . A . F . Ericsson , of St . John ' s Lodge , No . 1712 , Newcastle , whose list , including grants by the Provincial Grand Lodge , amounted to £ 168 . This is the first time it has shown up since the year 1888 , for the Gi

when it raised £ 900 for the Benevolent Institution and ^ , 52 ios . rls ' Centenary . Previous to this it has appeared occasionally , and when it has appeared its total has almost always been on a large scale . We congratulate Bro . Ericsson on having succeeded in raising so useful a contribution . Two out of the 18 lodges in

NORTH WALES and a Steward Unattached represented the Province on Tuesday , the two lists as yet returned together amounting to £ 68 5 s ., of which £ 52 ios . was handed in by Bro . C . K . Benson , a brother whose name is well known in connection with our Festivals . Last year the Province was represented at the two School Festivals , and in 1888 at those and the Benevolent Institution as well , its total at the Girls' Centenary being within a fraction of £ 674 .

OXFORDSHIRE , though it has but 10 lodges , is one of the invariables ; that is to say , its presence on these occasions may be looked upon as certain . On Tuesday its sum total was £ 81 7 s . 6 d ., obtained from four of its lodges by the means of five Stewards . In February last only three lodges entered an appearance , the number of Stewards being five , and Bro . Colville Smith , as one of the three Stewards acting for Apollo

University Lodge , No . 357 , had the great satisfaction of raising £ 170 ios . out of the total obtained , namely , £ 246 2 s . Therefore , Oxfordshire has thus far raised £ 327 9 s . 6 d . for the current year , as compared with £ 276 15 s . 6 d . in 188 9 , while in 1888 , in consequence of the Girls' Centenary , its total for the year was £ 6 5 6 9 s . 6 d . It is long since

SOUTH WALES ( E AST DIVISION ) , has been seen to such advantage as it was on Tuesday , when Bro . J . R . Davies , as the sole representative of the 16 lodges in the Province , was so fortunate as to raise a total of £ 3 80 , which is certainly hi g her than any Return ever made in past years by this section of South Wales , so far as we can recollect , except in 1888 ,

when its respected Prov . Grand Master , Bro . Sir George Elliot , Bart ., M . P ., presided at the Benevolent Festival , and the Province grandly supported him to the extent of £ 865 . On that occasion , however , there were several Stewards , but on Tuesday the whole work devolved on Bro . Davies , to whom , therefore , the greater credit is due .

SOUTH WALES ( WEST D IVISION ) , has fewer lodges—only 10—on its roll than its eastern neighbour , but it does good work from time to time notwithstanding , and on Tuesday its representative , Bro . F . E . Remfry , raised the comfortable total of £ 68 5 s . It sent up a Steward in February last , but there was no Return made ; but at the Boys' Festival in

June , 1889 , its two Stewards vajsed between them £ 204 8 s ., while an Unattached Steward obtained £ 52 10 s . for this Institution , making the total for the year £ 256 18 s . In 1888 it gave the Benevolent £ 108 ios ., and the Girls' School £ 105 , or together £ 213 ios . ; while in the Jubilee year the Boys' School received £ 210 . Thus it does good service when it is represented .

STAFFORDSHIRE returned £ 94 ios : by the medium of Bro . T . Ryder , who took upon himself the office of Steward in order that the contributions of the Province should be properly introduced into the list , in February it sent up one Steward , with a total of contributions amounting to £ 200 . In 1889 it gave £ 49 8 15 s ., namely , to the

Benevolent Institution £ 210 , to the Girls' School £ 8 g 5 s ., and to the Boys' School £ 199 ios . In 1888 £ 365 7 s . was raised for the Girls' Centenary , and £ 262 ios . for the Boys' School , while in 1887 the total raised was £ 698 5 s ., the R . M . B . I . receiving £ 132 6 s ., the Girls' School £ 320 5 s ., and the Boys' School £ 245 14 s . For these regular and handsome contributions we are indebted , as we have explained before , to the action of the Staffordshire Charitable Association .

Considering that SUFFOLK is not a large Province—it has but just over 20 lodges—and is for the most part an agricultural county , the frequency with which it is represented at our anniversary gatherings and the generous amount of its subscriptions are beyond all praise . On Tuesday two lodges sent up Stewards whose lists amounted together to

£ 149 12 s . fcd ., of which Bro . W . J . Wilton , of the Unity Lodge , No . 71 , Lowestoft , obtained £ 91 9 s . 6 d ., and Bro . Chas . W . Lord , representing the Stour Valley Lodge , No . 1234 , Sudbury , the balance of £ 57 15 s . In February last its four Stewards raised £ 211 15 s . for the Old People , while in 1889 its contributions reached the formidable total of £ 1048 17 s . 6 d ., the Old People securing £ 3 26 us ., the Girls' School , for which the Prov . G . Master , by his Deputy , Bro . the Rev . C .

] . Martyn , P . G . C , acted as Chairman , £ 577 19 s . 6 d ., and the Boys School £ 144 7 s . 6 d . In 1888 it raised the still more formidable total of £ 1105 12 s ., of which the Girls' School at its Centenary obtained £ 517 12 s . as its share , and in 1887 it contributed £ 794 i 6 s ., the average per year for the three years being close on £ 1000 . Four out of the 30 and odd lodges in

SURREY , and one of its chapters , contributed amongst them on Tuesday £ 261 14 s ., the chapter representative , Comp . H . M . Hobbs , sending up the capital list of £ 115 ios ., while Bro . E . H . Minns , of the Greenwood Lodge , No . 1982 , helped materially with one of £ 52 ios . In February its four Stewards , of whom two were Unattached , handed in lists amounting in all to £ 274 16 s . 6 d ., so that up to the present time it has considerably exceeded the £ 49 6 4 s . which it raised in 188 9 ,

and in which all three Charities shared , though tne R . MB . I . obtained the largest portion . In the three preceding years its figures were considerably higher , its total for 18 S 8 being £ 1298 14 s ., of which £ 1147 iSs . found its way into the coffers of the Girls' School ; in 1887 , £ 797 13 s . 6 d . ; and in 1886 , when the late Bro . General Brownrigg , P . G . M ., acted Chairman for the Girls' School , close on £ 1829 , of which this Institution received close on £ 134 6 . In February last the 27 lodges on the roll of

SUSSEX were represented , or rather seven of them were represented , by half-a-dozen Stewards , whose lists amounted to £ 247 6 s ., and Bro . Terry must have felt