Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

the brethren would agree that , in his unavoidable absence , he had dona the very best thing he could possibly do . Yesterday he looked about to see how he could provide for the vacancy , aud turned his eyes to ; our Chairman of to-night . Bro . Monckton , at a few hours' notice ,

undertook to take the chair . Seo how well he has fulfilled that j office . Brethren , yon have in the chair on this evening an old and j highly-distinguished Mason . The name of Sir John Monckton is equally known and honoured in the city of London and in Masonry . He is not only a Past Grand Officer of the Crift , but he has held for some time the highly responsible office of President of the Board j of General Purposes , an office in which he is engaged iu carrying ;

on the business of the Craft , and to him the Craft are under deep obligations . Sir John Monckton has performed the dnties of the office with energy , ability , and zeal , and therefore he called on all to join with very great cordiality in thanking Sir John for coming forward to take the ohair at the eleventh hour , ancl to wish him very many years of prosperity in the future .

Sir John Monckton in response said he felt at this moment like the worst half of the Siamese twins . The genuine chairman of the evening was at home in bed , but to him is due the success of the evening ; it had been his privilege to fill the chair , and he shonld carry to his dying day the deep impression made by the announcement of the grand result of their exertionS . He rejoiced that he had

had the great Masonio privilege and pleasure of being in the chair . What had been done was enough to make any man , any Mason proud , especially so the one who had presided over the Festival . Lieut .-Colonel Haldaue , Past Deputy District Grand Master Malta , proposed Snccess to the other Masonio Institutions , and Bro . Hedges responded . Dr . Strong had now the honour to propose

the next toasfc , whioh was the Board of Stewards . The Stewards numbered 299 , and by their exertions they had produced an amount of donations considerably over £ 14 , 000 ; they had ifc on the word of their Secretary that no such amount had before been reached . It was to the energy of the Stewards that that was owing . It was a peculiarity of the Masonic Charities that the whole of the amounts

collected by the Stewards went into the coffers of the Charities . That was a significant fact , because they were aware thafc in other Charities a large sum was deducted in connection with fche Festivals . That was not so with the Masonio Institutions . They had to thank the Stewards very mneh for all they had done that night , and he bad to associate with the toast the name of Bro . Horace B . Marshall , who

he believed was not a very old Mason , bnt he , by the amount of his contributions , had made himself a prince of benefactors . Bro . Harace Brooks Marshall , in response said : Worshipful Bro . President , —Permit me to express my deep sense of the generous magnanimity of the Board of Stewards in selecting so humble a Mason as myself to , be their representative on this occasion . It is comparatively easy for some of ns , when we have undertaken

the duties of the office of Steward to satisfy our conscience by handing a cheque to the Secretary ; but thafc is nofc the way the great majority of the Masonio Stewards carry out their obligations , for as soon as thoy accept the office they interview friends , they solicit the brethren , they visit Lodges and frequent Chapters , with the one object in view of obtaining funds for the

Institution in which they are interested , and if you will analyse the Masonio Stewards' lists yon will find , apart from a brother's personal contribution , very few sums of 100 , 50 , or even 25 guineas ; the items on the list consist of 10 guineas , 5 guineas , 3 guineas , 2 guineas , 1 guinea , half-a-guinea , 5 shillings , and the not to be despised half crown ; which makes up the satisfactory total as announced by

Bro . Secretary this evening . But the duties of a Masonie Steward do not end here . As a manager of some of the Metropolitan Charities ifc has been my painful duty again and again to protest against the enormous cost of a Charity dinner , bearing in mind that it is the custom outside of Masonry to defray the cost of an entertainment out of the funds whioh should be applied to the sacred cause of

Charity . But what a different state of things do we find when we enter the regions of Masonio light . Here is a reversal of things in . deed , for the guests become the hosts , and the cost of the magnificent banquet of which we have partaken this evening has been discharged by the Stewards , besides having the privilege of entertaining the ladies in yonder hall . The jewel which we

so proudly wear , commemorates our labour of love , and is paid for , as it shonld be , by ourselves . After having discharged all incidental expenses in order that every shilling collected may go intact to the Institution , we endeavour to carry out the principle enunciated in the Book of the Law by providing out of the Stewards ' subscriptions a feast for some of our aged Sisters and Brethreu

residing at our Asylum at Croydon , whose claims have been so powerfully advocated to-night . It is not for me , Brother President , to extol the merits of my colleagues , my duty is gratefully to acknowledge the courteous and laudatory way in whioh yon have been pleased to associate my humble name with the Board of Stewards , and on their behalf , who have done so much , and on my

own behalf , who have done so little , I thank you very sincerely for your gracious congratulations on the result of our efforts in aid of the funds of the Royal Masonio Benevolent Institution . The brethren shortly afterwards joined the ladies , and a capital concert was provided . The musical arrangements of tbe evening

were conducted by Bro . Edwin M . Lott P . P . G . Warden Jersey P . P . G . O . Surrey P . M . 245 , 1765 , 1929 , who was assisted by Madame Adeline Paget , Miss Kate Fusselle , Madame Grace Godolphin , Madame Raymond , and Miss Pauline Featherby ; Bros . Arthur Thompson , William E . Glazier , J . Kift , and T . Tremere . Bro . James Hayho was fche fcoasfcmaster .

We append the List of Stewards , with the amounts collected by each : —

LONDON .

£ s d Br . John Derby Allcroft ( Chairman ) - - 210 0 0 Edgar Bowyer - - 73 0 0 W Clarke - - - 10 10 0 D P Cama - - - 57 15 0 Thomas Cubitt - - 68 5 0 G P Festa - - - 10 10 0 W Klingenstein - - 10 10 0

Edward Letchworth - 10 10 0 CF Matier - - - 21 0 0 Carter Millbourn - 31 10 0 H B Marshall ( C . C . ) - 105 0 0 W March Jas H Matthews - - 73 10 0

W Stephens - - - 10 10 0 John Stanley - - 10 10 0 W E Stewart - - 10 10 0 James Terry - - - 145 16 0 Harry Tipper - - 26 5 0

E C Woodward - - 10 10 0 Rev A F A Woodford - 21 0 0 W J Crutch - - - 35 10 0 Col . James Peters ' - 10 10 0 Abner Torkington

Brixton " 1 Lodge of > S . Richardson - - 63 0 0 In . B . F . ; G . S . Lo . John A Rucker - - 21 0 0 1 Fred B Brown 2 Sharon Grote Turner - 62 15 0 3 Charles Cuallen - - 32 11 0

Unapter 3 Comp . John Webb Lodge 4 Br . J A Hughes - - - 18 18 0 5 John Hallett - - 41 9 6 7 PF Sutton - 8 Joseph Russell - - 30 7 0

10 Rev . Samnel Maude - 21 0 0 12 Dudley Rolls - - 47 5 0 14 Geo S Walmsley - - 17 17 0 15 W Hirst - - - 35 13 6 18 Clifford Probyn - - 50 17 0

20 V Brown - . . 63 5 0 21 R 0 Grant . . - 27 16 6 22 E F Storr - . - 46 4 0

Lodge £ s d 23 Gabriel S Brandon - 58 9 0 25 Courtenay Wynne - 57 4 6 26 E Beaumont - - 10 10 0 27 Charles Cuthbertson - 90 16 6 29 John A Wilson - - 23 2 0 30 Alfred Lefeaux - - 41 14 6

33 Daniel Campbell - - 57 15 0 49 Alfred Williams - - 77 14 0 55 James Johnston juu . - 63 0 0 58 W J Crump - - - 89 5 0 60 Frederick Binckes - 48 6 0 73 R Willoughby - - 63 0 0 87 WR Davis - . - 58 7 0 96 W J Treacher - - 52 10 0 140 A H Tattershall - - 11 11 0

142 Sidney W Yockney - 11 11 0 144 Richard Barham - - 37 5 6 147 John James Pitt - - 36 1 6 172 R D Hilton - - - 18 15 0 Chapter 173 Comp . James Blyth - - 117 1 6

Lodge 174 A H Brown - - 80 11 6 179 W Diokeson - - - 40 8 6 181 E W Stanton - . 32 0 6 185 A E Staley - - - 31 10 0 186 R Allison - - - 55 2 6 192 J S Chillingworth 193 Walter Wood - - 57 15 0

197 & 1150 Sir 3 B Monckton - 42 0 0 201 William Yardley - 50 0 0 205 C F Hogard - - - 52 10 0 228 H W Alford - - - 80 0 0 256 John A Farnfield - - 25 4 0 259 Sir Charles T Bright - 45 3 0 263 FWEnglebach - - 43 1 0 435 W "FT TTnnnar . . 9 . R A , O

511 R Blum - - - 32 12 6 534 S Nowakowski - . 28 5 . 0 554 J J Beary - - - 66 7 6 569 0 W J Baker - - 110 0 0 Chapter 569 Comp . F J Stohwasser - 31 10 0 Lodge 749 Br . John Painter - - 28 2 6 Chapter 749 Comp . John Goodivin

Lodge £ a d 754 Br . George Rowe - - 35 5 0 766 William J Collens - 47 5 0 781 Thomas B Daniell ,. - 172 15 0 813 T J Cusworth . - 41 9 6 822 Ernest Trower - - 64 1 0 860 J H Pavitfc - - 79 0 0

862 James Irvine - - 48 6 O 871 William A R Harris - 27 14 0 898 George Graveley - - 145 0 0 902 William Williams - - 42 0 0 907 H T Gordon 975 Moreton Graham - - 49 5 6 1158 William Holloway - 70 0 0 1178 J W Walker - - - 160 2 0

1196 J Tickle - - - 62 9 0 1201 A E Taylor - - - 32 3 0 1260 OL Latreille - - 62 8 0 1278 R J Chitson - - - 72 8 0 1287 Thomas Owen - - 202 7 6 1288 J F O C Wood - - 68 5 0

Chapter 1297 Comp . Eobert H Crowden - 56 3 0 Lodge 1297 Br . Thomas Perrin - - 37 15 6 1348 James Warren - - 40 0 0 1366 WB Trick - - 87 0 0 1382 George Lunn - - 103 3 0 1393 Col . Hon . W Le Poer Trench 94 10 0

1425 WHChalfont - - 26 5 0 1446 S 0 H D Potter - - 80 0 0 1471 Henry Cox - - - 80 16 6 1475 F Hilton - - - 100 0 0 1489 William Gray - - 40 0 0 1491 Philip H Waterlow - 11 10 0 1506 Johu J Hamilton - - 31 10 0

< J hapter 1507 Comp . T C Edmonds - - 29 0 0 Lodge 1540 Henry Faija - - 18 7 6 1589 Eobert H Clemow - - 23 2 0 1601 W G Lemon - - 16 16 0 1604 Frederick J Wray . -14118 6

1607 Frederick Carr - - 105 0 0 1612 George Coop •- 35 2 0 1614 Charles Kedgley - - 120 15 0 1615 Lt .-Col . GH J Haldane 57 10 0 1623 & 1745 H J Lardner - - 106 0 0 1632 Henry Baldwin . - 10 10 0