The Benevolent Elections.

THE BENEVOLENT ELECTIONS .

rflHE annual elections of Annuitants to the two branches X of the Eoyal Masonic Benevolent Institution were held yesterday ( Friday ) , at Freemasons' Tavern , under the presidency of Bro . J . A . Farnfield P . A . G . D . C . Patron and Treasurer of

the Institution . The number of vacancies , which was declared as seventeen for the Male Fund and ten for the Female , was increased by recent deaths among the Annuitants to twenty on each side ,

and in due course that number of candidates were elected , the names of those successful and the number of votes polled by each being given in our advertisement column , while we

give below particulars as to the votes recorded for the unsuccessful candidates , and which will be available for the next contest , provided the candidates are then eligible .

A feature of the election was the number of votes polled for first application cases , no less than thirteen of the successful Brethren and ten of the successful Widows coming under this category , while a corresponding degree of apathy

was displayed in regard to the older cases , for on the Male side thirteen of the twenty-seven brought forward received less than 100 votes each , while for the Widows Fund twenty-one of

thirty-six " forwards" added less than 100 votes each to their record , although in one case the ten votes polled yesterday was sufficient to secure the annuity .

The polling was very heavy in those cases where organisation was carried on , as will be seen from the large totals secured by the different candidates at the head of the poll , the record of votes available for the election being :

Male Female Brought forward - - - 14 , 968 27 , 777 Issued for this election - - 96 , 183 94 , 618 Total - - 111 . 151 122 . 395

These figures , taken in connection with the totals polled by the different candidates , will give some idea of the immense amount of work that fell to the lot of the Scrutineers , many

of whom expressed the opinion that the task they undertook was heavier than usual , particularly as large numbers o votes were recorded very late in the day .

After the declaration of the poll Bro . Fairchild , as Chair man of Scrutineers on fche Male side , announced that 119

proxies had been wasted , representing a total of 635 votes : 35 of the papers ( 248 votes ) were unsigned , 21 papers ( 66 votes ) were not filled in , and 63 papers ( 321 votes ) were

erroneousl y marked . On the Widows' side Bro . Verry ( as Chairman of the Scrutineers ) recorded that nearly 1 , 000 votes had been lost : there were proxies for 397 votes not signed , 3 ^ 1 not filled in , and 184 incorrectly marked .

The usual very acceptable grants were presented to the ni gnest among the . unsuccessful candidates , Bro . James Long an d Mrs . Moorhouse each receiving £ 7 from the John Hervey •Benefaction Fund , Bro . David Legg and Mrs . Hodgetts £ 6 8 s

The Benevolent Elections.

each from the same source , and Bro . W . H . Hawkins and Mrs . Eigarlsford £ 5 each from the Emulation Lodge of Improvement . The annual meeting concluded with hearty votes of thanks

to the Scrutineers , aud to the Chairman . The following are the details in regard to the unsuccessful Candidates :

MALES . No . on List . Name . Votes : Forward . Polled . Total . 19 Long , James ... ... 636 2545 3181 49 Legg , David ... ... 20 3126 3146 22 Hawkins , William Henry ... 462 2204 2666 15 Whitley , George ... ... 1112 1293 2405

13 Eastabrook , Joseph ... ... 943 1082 2025 56 Wright , Samuel ... .. 20 1870 1890 11 Brown , George Thomas ... 1386 147 1533 53 Cattley , Joseph ... ... — 1469 1469 57 Pethers , Thomas ... ... — 1163 ' 1163 51 Wilson , Henry ... ... 20 1001 1021 1 Musham , John ... ... 505 194 699

40 Read , Arthur George ... ... . — 688 688 37 Ducas , Thomas ... ... — 687 687 34 Smith , Edward ... ... — 678 678 50 Pilgrim , Abel ... ... — 597 597 8 Moxon , John ... ... 248 257 505 41 Ransom , Alfred ... ... — 417 417 2 Nichol , Robert ... ... 312 48 360 3 McLean , William John ... 237 15 252

45 Day , Richard ... ... — 185 185 23 Clements , George Henry ... 87 89 176 . 26 Mott , James ... ... 139 29 168 4 Winsor , Henry ... ... 82 57 139 9 Graham , William B . ... ... 45 65 110 59 Walesby , William Warne ... — 38 38 5 Pitts , Robert ... ... 30 7 37

10 Sullivan , Dennis ... ... 14 23 37 16 Hatton , Peter Valentine ... 20 16 36 44 Hooper , Thomas ... ... 20 2 22 48 Delve , John ... ... — 21 21 46 Morrison , Robert Paul ... — 17 17 6 Stockman , Thos . S . . ... ... 10 3 13 20 Pearson , Joseph ... ... 1 8 9 58 » Carpenter , Edward ... ... — 7 7

28 Richmond , William Miles ... — 5 5 27 Kessell , Solomon ... ... — — — 52 Williams , William ... .,. _ 21 Hill , James ... ... Dead 35 Corrick , Charles ... ... Dead 47 Turner , Thomas ... ... Dead 54 Shann , Charles ... ... Dead FEMALES .

50 Moorhouse , Rebecca ... ... — 3018 3018 44 Hodgetts , Adela Sini ... — 1891 1891 1 Rigarlsford , Sarah ... ... 1171 587 1758 22 Yates , Anna Binns ... ... 15 1420 1435 21 Sutton , Elizabeth Anna ... 786 515 1301 26 Randal , Margaret Vernon ... 30 876 906

17 Blight , Sarah ... ... 332 13 345 33 Dickinson , Eliza Emma ... 277 60 337 35 Huxham , Ann Catherine ... 151 143 294 16 Wagner , Katherine E . ... 270 16 286 3 Mannington , Eliz . Atkinson ... 270 15 285 6 Russell , Olivia ... ... 242 17 259

4 Foot , Mary Ann ... ... 230 13 243 8 Cowell , Nancy ... ... 188 21 209 27 Gosby , Phcebe Elizabeth Cole ... 5 187 192 14 Meader , Sarah ... ... 152 18 170 2 Salisbury , Jane ... ... 128 18 146 7 Olive , Elizabcch ... ... 89 17 106

12 Cartledge , Aunie ... ... 73 9 82 11 Clarke , Elizabeth ... ... 42 7 49 5 Ionn , Elizabeth ... ... 33 14 47 20 Snart , Mary Ann ... ... 13 22 35 32 James , Clara ... ... 28 5 33 23 Soholfield , Ruth ... ... 22 8 30

24 Delia , Arabella ... ... 15 11 26 9 Lemon , Charlotte ... ... 4 13 17 42 Sargent , Agnes Adelaide ... — 12 12 19 Miller , Margaret ... ... 5 6 11 34 Banning , Ann ... ... 9 2 11 49 Wright , Martha Frances ... — 1 1 41 Reid , Mary ... ... . — . — —