The Approaching Festival Of The R.M.B.I.

so that there is absolutely necessary , in order to maintain the Institution in its present state of efficiency , a sum of quite £ 12 , 500 a year , and of this barely one-fifth is derived from permanent sources . Thus , the £ 6 , 784 required in 1874 for the 120 male annuitants at £ 36 each , and 88

female annuitants at £ 28 , has swelled to £ 10 , 120 for 145 of the former at £ 40 each , and 135 of tho latter at £ 32 . It is clear from these figures that in respect of this outlay the expenditure has advanced as nearly as possible fifty per cent , beyond what it was in the latter part of 1874 , partly

owing to tho increase in tho annuities from £ 36 and £ 28 to £ 40 and £ 32 respectively , and partly because thero aro now 145 male and 135 female annuitants , as against 120 of the former aud 88 of the latter in 1874 . But this by no means represents all thathasbeen done . The Sustentation

Fund remains , as before , possessed of £ 1 , 000 stock , but the two funds , male and female , at the end of the last financial year , between them had £ 50 , 400 Government Stock , as against £ 37 , 900 at the end of the year 1873-4 , thus showing an increase of £ 12 , 500 Stock in tho four years we have

been considering . Thus , the Institution is richer as regards invested moneys , though the income derived therefrom amounts to only a few hundreds sterling per annum , and the benefits it confers arc more considerable and are distributed among a larger number of persons . To keep up

the present efficiency is tho primary object we all have in view , and our next thought must bo directed towards still further increasing the investments of the Institutions . One other point to be noted , and we shall close our remarks . By the failure of Willis , Percival and Co ., the Benevolent

has incurred a loss of close upon £ 1 , 000 . * The Committee , in their report just published , express " the hope that in the end this will be entirely made good . " We sincerely hope so too , but here again we must not lose sig ht of the other side of the question . At all events , the temporary

loss of this considerable sum must be included among our reasons for urging on the attention of brethren the necessity there exists for making , if possible , the Festival of this year as great a success as that of 1877 . We sincerely

trustit will be our good fortune to chronicle such a result on Saturday next , and that we shall be able to congratulate our worthy Bro . Terry , on—to use a familiar term—another " bumper . "

Bro. Dick Radclyffe's Drawing.

BRO . DICK RADCLYFFE'S DRAWING .

We hereby Certify that at the Drawing of Numbers iu Bro . Dick Itadolyffe ' s Ballot for Life Governorships in the Eoyal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons , held this day , the following were the winning numbers : — >* o . of Ticket . Prom books sold

by—6463 W . Smallpeice 7 Gray ' s-inu-place . 1501 S . P . Acton Bromley 2136 Mrs . Hunt 38 Portsdown . road , Maida Vale . 1703 W . Eyre « 7 Tooley-street . 2191 D . Argylo King-street , Twickenham .

8957 Hy . Pope 17 John-street , Barnsbury . 4410 Jno . Berry Holly Grove House , Hounslow . 12381 J . Manton -1 Douglas-street , Derby . 11096 J . Churchley 21 Laudtield-street , Dartford . 11100 Ditto Ditto 12761 W . H . Bowdcn 2 Suudorlaud-placo , Clifton , Bristol .

Signed JAS . TEIIEY Sec . ll . M . B . Inst . GKO . N . DIIO . V W . M . 865 P . P . G . D . C . Berks and Bucks . JOHN CAMEH . P . M . 209 P . P . G . D . C . Berks and Bucks . JOHN CONSTABLE P . M . 185 . KOHEKT ROBERTS P . M . 742 . 6 th February 1879 .

Bro . Montague J . Guest , Prov . G . Master ( Craft ) of Dorsetshire , will shortly be installed Prov . G . Mark Master Mason of that Province , and the Rev . C . R . Davcy as Prov . G . Mark Master Mason of Gloucestershire .

Warrants have been issued for two new Mark Lodges , one to be styled the Watford , No . 241 , at Watford , Herts , with Bro . T . F . Halsey , M . P ., Grand Junior Warden , as the first W . M ., and the other , Phoenix , No . 242 , Jamaica .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions »} our Coirespondents . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications , ill Letters must bear the name and address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith .

THINGS ONE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW . To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR Sm AND BROTHER , —I am very glad your correspondent " J . A . C" has drawn attention incidentally to the irregularity of balloting for joining Members immediately after the proposition has been made ; no possible good can result from rushing a brother into the Lodge . Ho can be present as a visitor at the meeting afc which

his name is submitted , and at the banquet which follows , if thero be one , as tho guest of the Lodgo or of one of its members . Ho cannot take part in the business , or oft ' nr an opinion unless tho Master invites him to do so , but with this exception he is as well off as though he had been elected . There is , therefore , no object to be gained by this unseemly hurry . Ou tho other hand , much harm may bo done , lie

may not be acceptable in the eyes of some members of tho Lodge , and it may well happen , thafc owing to pressing engagements , somo or all of those members may be unable to attend and cast thoir ballot against tho proposed candidate . It is the duty of thoso who propose and second candidates , whether for initiation or joining , to be cautious whom thoy , to all intents and purposes , vouch for , bat

all tho caution in the world will not occasionally prevent a brother from proposing somo one who may be objectionable to some of his fellow-members , aud the chance of such a one being elected is greatly increased by hurrying the ballot . The lax interpretation or application of a law is always unsatisfactory . Nothing is so absolutely necessary to the welfare of Freemasonry as a cautions election of members ,

yet tho Jaws which enjoin the exercise of this caution and prescribe the manner in which it should be exercised—that is , by fixing r . ho delay that must take place between tho proposition aud the ballot — are constantly being set at nought . I had intended referring to the same subject in my letter last week , but I felt that I had already sufficiently trespassed upon yonr space . Fraternally yours , " Q "

DISPOSAL OF LODGE FUNDS

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHKONICT . E . DEAR SIR ANDBROTHKR , — -I hail with satisfaction tho reappearance of " UNION JACK " in yonr columns . The balance-sheet which he furnished last week is a flagrant case of extravagance . All the year ' s receipts were expended , and a hole was made in tho balance brought forward to the extent of close upon £ 25 , or nearly one-third of the

amount . Five-eighths of the expenditure were incurred for refresh , ment , one-eighth went for duos—I am speaking roundly of courseand one-sixteenth in charity . Even printing and postages cost more , while the Secretary received two-thirds of what went in charity , and the LP . M . ' s jewel cost more than was voted to Masonic Charity by half a sovereign . Ten-sixteenths in feeding , two-sixteenths in dnes

three-sixteenths for Tyler , jewel , postages , commission , & c , and onesixteenth in charity . A very brilliant arrangement , indeed , and one on which the Lodge is not to be congratulated . By the way , what does " Secretary ' s commission— £ 18 18 s 9 d " mean ? Does that Officer receive this amount for collecting subscriptions ? Or is it a kind of honorarium , called hy another name

for fulfilling the duties of his office ? In tho latter case it wonld not be a bad thing—at all events it would be highly remunerative—to be Secretary to half a dozen " commissiou " -paying Lodges . The duties would not be very onerous—for myself I think I could survive the labours of a hundred such secretaryships—while the remuneration

exceeding ono hundred guineas , would form no insignificant addition to one ' s income . Happy thought—to find out a few commissionpaying Lodges , aud got elected a member , on the understanding I shall be appointed Secretary when a vacancy occurs . Masonic principles pure and unadulterated . Yours over , ' ¦ ' OLD FHE . "

We have much pleasure in recording the fact that not only has the balance due to Grand Chapter by the late firm of Messrs . Willis , Percival < fc Co ., bankers , been paid in full , out of the private estate of Comp . Samuel Tomkins

deceased , but the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution and the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys have received their balances from tho same source . It will be remembered that the Girls' School was indebted to the firm at the closiiiff of the accounts .

A special meeting of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England aud Wales , & c , & c , has been summoned for the 18 th instant , and will be held at 2 Red Lion

oquai'o , for the purpose of passing a vote of condolence with the Queen on the death of her daughter , the Princess Alice of Great Britain and Ireland , Grand Duchess of Hesse Darmstadt .