Masonic Charities.

tion , and the largely increased funds applicable to the relief of our distressed brethren and their widows . " At the first biennial festival , Which was fixed by the M . W . Grand Master for tiie 26 th of January in the present year , there were sixtythree brethren who offered their services as Stewards , amongst whom Were several belonging to Lodges in the provinces , and the result of the Stewards' exertions' * was a collection amounting to £ 2 , 053 8 s . ; and since the hist annual general meeting the United Grand Lodge hasby a resolution unanimously passed and confirmedincreased its

, , annual donations to this charity by £ 100 to each of its branches , making the vearly donation to the Male Fund £ 500 , and to the Widows' Fund £ 800 . " Out of the collection made at the biennial festival , and other donations and subscriptions received during the year , the committee under the established regulation have been enabled to increase the funded property by £ 1 , 250 , 3 per cents ., on account of the Male Fund , and £ 850 , 3 per cents ., on account of the Widows' Fund , thus

making the funded property belonging to the Male Fund £ 11 , 550 , 3 per cents . Widows' Fund 3 , 450 , 3 per cents . '' Thus the permanent annual income may be stated as follows , viz .: MALE FUND . United Grand Lodge £ 500 O O Supreme Grand Chapter 100 0 0 Dividends on Stock 346 10 0

£ 94 G 10 0 WIDOWS' Ftr . vn . United Grand Lodge ... £ 300 0 0 Supreme Grand Chapter ... 50 0 0 Dividends on Stock ... 103 10 0 453 10 0 £ M 00 0 0 " After the election last year , there were forty-six male annuitants ,

of whom six have died ; and the committee now recommend the election of twenty-six , which will make the number sixty-two . "After thesame election , there were twenty-five widows , two of whom have since died , and the committee now recommend the election of six , which will make their number twenty-nine . Of the male annuitants now living—13 are of London Lodges , receiving £ 280 0 0 per aim . 27 are of country Lodges , receiving 576 0 0 „ £ 856 0 0

„ Of the Widows—12 are of London Lodges , receiving £ 2 ' 15 0 0 11 are of country Lodges , receiving 200 0 0 445 0 0 „ Of widows receiving one half of the amount of annuities enjoyed by the deceased husbands , there are—1 of a London Lodge £ 7 10 0 2 of country Lodges 25 0 0 32 10 0

68 annuitants , at present receiving ... £ 1 , 333 10 O „ " The Asylum building is in perfect substantial repair , but it will bo necessary to paint all the outside wood and iron work , and also to whitewash and paint a portion of the interior . "The committee have the pleasing duty to state , that the Stewards for the biennial meeting having a balance of £ 12 , after settling all their accountshanded the same to Bro . Farnfieldthe Secretary of

, , the Institution , to be expended in the purchase of coals , to be given to the inmates of the Asylum ; and the Grand Stewards of the year 1858 having a balance of £ 28 16 s ., gave £ 10 10 s . to the fund for Male Annuitants ; £ 10 10 s . to the Widows' Fund ; arid £ 7 16 s . native purchase of coals for the inmates of the Asylum . " The following Statement of Accounts was then read : —

MALE ANNUITANTS . Balance , 31 st March , 1858 £ 344 3 6 Subsequent Receipts 2 , 715 19 2 £ 3 , 060 2 S Disbursements £ 1 . 184 10 1 Purchase of £ 1 , 250 , 3 per Cent . 1 , 200 15 0 2 , 385 5 1 £ 674 17 7

FOR WIDOW ANNUITANTS . Balance , 31 st March , 1858 ... £ 327 10 5 Subsequent Receipts 1 , 349 17 8 £ 1 , 677 8 1 Disbursements ... £ 365 14 9 Purchase of £ 850 , 1 „ .- „ c 3 per Cents . ... j : 1 , 381 17 3 Balance on this Account £ 295 10 10

FOR SUSTENTATION OF BUILDING . Balance , 31 st March , 1858 ... £ 53 6 I Subsequent Receipts 52 13 0 Balance on this Account 105 19 1 Total Balance £ 1 , 076 7 6 Stock standing in the names of Trustees-

—Fov Males { ° ™* ™ } £ 11 , 550 0 0 "males {^ d ;;; > $ } 3 , 450 0 0 For Sustentation of Building , Consols ... 367 7 9 The report having been received and adopted , Bro . Stevenson was re-elected on the Committee of Management , and Bro . J . W . Adams elected in the room of Rev . Bro . Lyallretiring .

, A vote of thanks was' then given to Bro . Henley , the medical officer of the institution , for his valuable professional assistance and unvarying kindness to the inmates of the Asylum . Bro . Barrett moved that it was the opinion of the meeting that an annual festival would prove advantageous to the institution , whilst it would not be injurious to the interests of the other charities . He considered that this institution ought to be placed on an equality with the other charities , which it never could be until it had an annual

festival ; and all experience had proved that , so far from then- festivals injuring the other institutions on the years in which they were held , those of the other charities were more successful than upon the years when the friends of the Benevolent Institution were not appealed to . Bro . Warren seconded the motion . He did so because he was convinced that the only way of making any charity successful was to continually keep its claims before the public . The festival , if of no other advantage , had this to recommend it , —it gave them the opportunity of appealing to the Craft , and that without any expense to the charitv for they could always find stewards to take the expenses

upon themselves . Moreover , it had always been found , that not only did they not get any donations in the years when there were no festivals , but the annual subscriptions fell off , and the longer the festival was delayed the more did they diminish . Bro . Savage , though not denying the advantage of annual festivals , would remind them that last year they bad determined in favour of " biennial festivals instead of triennial , and it was scarcely fair to ask them now to determine in favour of annual festivals until they bad had some experience with regard to the biennialthe first of which

, had only just been held . Indeed , he doubted whether such a motion onght , under the circumstances , to have been brought forward without notice . Bro . Warren wished to explain that he had , at the last meeting , given notice of his intention to agitate the question at every annual meeting until it was carried . Bro . Symonds felt a difficulty in opposing the motion , because , if the statements made by Bro . Warren relative to the falling off of

subscriptions were true , there could be no doubt of the advantage of annual festivals , of which , indeed , he had himself been in favour . The biennial festivals were , however , the result of a compromise between the advocates of the triennial and annual festivals—that result having been arrived at at a meeting specially convened to consider the question . He would therefore move , as an amendment that they should pass to the previous question . Bro . Savage seconded the amendment . Bro . Binckes supported the original motionandadmitting the

, , compromise , said it had been most unsatisfactory to a large body of the brethren . Bro . Hervey was as indisposed as any man to take any course which might appear adverse to . the interests of one of their charities yet , looking at the fact that it was only four months since they held their last festival , he thought it would be better to wait until they had further experience of the working of the biennial festivals . He would also remind them that they were there not to consider the