Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

The result of the Polling , as regards the successful candidates , both Male and Female , will be found in our Advertisement columns . The number of Votes polled by the Unsuccessful has been returned as nnder : —

MALES .

Name Votes William Davies - - 2511 William Cloves - - LM 92 James Bichard Warr - 2388 William Mason - - 2220 Edmund Bye - - - 1652

Charles Sari - - . 958 James Gilruth - - 890 Robert Gunn . - . 819 Alexander Mole - - 718 E . W . 0 . Laforest - . 687

JohnFixter - - - 4 , 18 S . ProbyEkin - - 289 Robert Niohol - - 238 William John McLean 166 John Mozon ... 161

James P . W . Gillard . 157 William Field ... 142 Richard Glover - - 112 James Horstead ... 97 John Masham 82 Alexander Sellar 60 John Davis 57 George Fox ... 44

| I Name Totes I Homy Miller ... 28 Tho * . Moranfc Compton - 21 i Thomas Scholfield - - 20

George Hislop - - 18 Joseph Morrell - - 18 George Bailee 14 Robert Pitts ... 13

Henry Winsor - - 13 John Close - 5 Peter Ball ... 4 Benjamin Toulson - - 4 William Backhouse - - 2 Thomas Baynton • 2 Henry Fielding - . 2 William B . Graham ~ - 2

George Tomes - - 2 David Clark — John Cowgill ...

—John Kilshaw ... — Frederick George Roberts — John Scott ... — Thos . S . Stockman . — William Vaughan - —

FEMALES .

Name Votes Phoebe Everett . - 2930 Hannah Samuel - - 2905 Jane Coombe ... 2804 Fanny Schmidt - - 2714

Susan Timms - - - 2527 Emma Coles - - - 2399 Sarah Brittain - - 2220 Ellen Radford - - 2166 Sarah Codd - - . 2119 Eliza Waterhouse - - 1797

Clara Morton - - - 1749 Emily E . Haskins - - 1721 Gertrnde Mary Truman - 1661 Charlotte M . Egan - . 1607

Mary White . - - 1466 Martha Chamberlin - 1103 Mary Ann Stokes - - 1082 Jane Eynon - - . 1063 Fanny Gibson - . 1010

Catherine Morris - 860 Ann E . Baker ¦ . 796 Ann Emma Young - . 708 Maria Vile - - - 702

Martha Ann Truelove - 673 Sarah Wills - - -610 Sarah P . Spratt - - 604

Mary Octavia Saunders - 587 Sarah Welsford . . 469 Hannah Rolfe - 399

Elizabeth Ann Wright - 364 Eleanor Maria Howard - 349 Amelia Thomas . 343 Mary Ann Green . . 210

Name Votes E . Atkinson Mannington 185 Olivia Russell . . 181 Mary Ann Foot - - 152

Ann Stanton - - . 149 Sarah Rigarlsford - - 147 Ann Brooks . . . 135 Eliza Emma Willson - 126 Sarah Blight - - - 117 Margaret Parsons - - 115

Sarah Meader - - 113 Nancy Cowell - - 74 Katharine E . Wagner - 72 Sarah R . Bowron . - 46 Sarah Ann Bnrfield - 39

Elizabeth Olive - - 31 Jane Salisbury - 26 Eleanor Bowey - - 22 Jane Polkinghorne - 16 Mary Collins 11

Elizabeth Best - - 9 Sarah Catherine Blizard 9 Ann Eves ... 8

Elizabeth Ionn - - 8 Olive Beale ... 7 Mary Ann Dyer . 7 Annie Cartledge - - 6

Sarah Mann ... 6 Elizabeth Clarke - - 5 Catherine Ann Faulkner - 3 Sarah Pilling ... 1 Charlotte Lemon - . — Jane Newman . . —

Great interest is being taken in Masonio circles in Sussex in the Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , to be held at Brighton next month . Tbe Earl of Lathom Pro Grand Master is to preside , and so great a gathering is anticipated that , besides the Dome , where the banquet is to take place , the wholo of the Pavilion rooms have been taken . Doubtless the Freemasons of the district

will assist to make the occasion one worthy of Brighton and the Province of Sussex , by serving as Stewards and assisting in giving a hearty welcome to the many visitors who will come from the North and all parts of England . The Festival of the Royal Masonio Institution for Boys is one of the rare occasions on whioh ladies are permitted to share in tbe banquet . The event will be unique in the history of Masonry in Sussex . —8 ussea Daily News .

The success of the garden party at the Botanical Gardens , Old lrafford , Manchester , last year , when £ 150 was handed over to the Masonio Charities , has emboldened the Manchester and district Lodges to organize another for the coming summer . Arrangements

nave accordingly been made for a garden party on Saturday , 4 th f- vv profits re 8 alting to be given to the East Lancashire Systematic Masonio Benevolent and Educational Institution . Mr . Thomas mack has been appointed Chairman , and Mr . John E . Lees and Mr . " « --raig Roylo Honorary Secretaries .

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in r " ^? ALS properly carried out and personally attended atr «? 1 ? Coui * try . fey Bro . Q . A . HUTTOJST , 17 Newcastle »* reei , Btr » nd . W . C . Monuments erected . Valuations made .

The Theatres, &C.

THE THEATRES , & c .

— : o : — Shaftesbury . — " Handfast , " by Henry Hamilton and Mark Quinton , was the play happily selected by Messrs . Rathbone and Sidney , Herbert-Basing for the reopening of this Theatre on Saturday evening last . A word of praise is due to the new management for the pains taken iu making the house ao bright and attractive , for the introduction of tho electric light , whioh is a very groat

improvement , and for generously abolishing all fees . " Handfast " is a very interesting and exciting sooiety melodrama , in three acts ; containing several thrilling incidents whioh are well worked out , the interest being thoroughly sustained throughout the play . Tho story starts at Richmond , at the house of Jocelyn Woodville ( Mr . Lewis Waller ) , who is dangerously ill and not expected to live more than

a few hours His last moments are troubled by the knowledge that his cousin , Austin Woodville ( Mr . Cyril Maude ) is a scoundrel , and in order that hia cousin shall nofc benefit by his death , he proposes to marry a young girl named Beatrice Culver ( Miss Winifred Emery ) , and thus secure fche fortune for her . Austin and hia villainous companion , Lambert D ' aroy ( Mr . Abingdon ) , hearing of this intention , take

plot to bring about Jooelyn ' s death before the marriage can place . They , however , fail to accomplish this , as the drug which they intended to poison Jocelyn with effects his recovery . Beatrice Culver , knowing the generous motive whioh prompted Jocelyn to marry her , determines not to profit by his kindness . Consequently , she disappearsand some two years afterwards turns up again as

, Madame de Ligniao . In the meantime Jocelyn becomes the Earl of Cirencester , so matters are considerably mixed when these two , meeting as strangers , fall in love , with the knowledge that already they are married . Of course there are a number of little plots woven into the main story ; bufc all create more or less interest . In the first act we are introduced to Irene Kingston ( Miss Annie Hughes ) who

is evidently a great favourite if the outburst of applause with whioh she was welcomed as she stepped on the stage meant anything . The little love scenes between Marmaduke Marsh ( Mr . H . Reeves Smith ) and this lady were muoh appreciated . The second act presents a lovely view of Naples , and Mias Emery , dressed with exquisite taste , won all hearts with her sympathetic voice and earnest manner . The

third act gives ns a still more beautiful view , a Naples Villa , gorgeously decorated with flowering oleanders and orange trees , laden with golden fruit ; a picture pleasing and delightful . The scene between Mr . Lewis Waller and Miss Winifred Emery , as husband and wife , in this last act , was mosfc charmingly sustained ,

and the awakening from donbt and despair to passionate love and happiness could not help making a lasting impression on all present . The large audience assembled gave most hearty applause to every one concerned in the production of " Handfast , " whioh is a play thafc we think will " catch on . "

On Monday next Miss Victoria Vokes will make her re-appearance in London , afc the Shaftesbury Theatre ( after an absence of eight years ); she will be supported by Miss Annie Vokes , Miss Lilian Hingston , Mr . Fred Mervin , Mr . Walter Everard , and Mr . Fawdon Vokes .

Gaiety . — " Carmen np to Data " may be looked upon as the sheet on which magic lantern slides are exhibited , new songs or fresh dances are introduced as time and opportunity serve . On Wednesday the following additions were made : —Pas Senl , by Miss Maude Wilmot ; Scena , " Toreador , the pet of all the fair , " by Mr . W . H . Brockbank ; Song , " The Recreation Army , " by Mr . E . J . Lonnen j Smuggler ' s Barcarole , " Now after all , " by Miss Leicester ; New Dance , by Miss

Letty Lind ; Song , "Told by the Cards , " by Miss Florence St . John ; Serenade , " Hush ! the night winds softly creeping , " by Mr . W . H . Brockbank ; and a Canzonet , " The Gipsy Girl , " by Miss Florence St . John and Mr . W . H . Brockbank . These novelties , however , do nob materially affect the burlesque , and so long as suoh interpolations are judiciously made , we may conclude this lively entertainment will find favour with Mr . George Edwardes ' s patrons , many of whom repeat their visits week by week .

Boyal Aquarium . —In addition to tbe usual round of attractions , the management this week presented a very fine collection of early summer flowers whioh , considering the varied fluctuations of temperature dnring the spring , was interesting as well as acceptable . The principal objects of attraction were the roses , of which there were several very fine specimens , Messrs . W .

Paul and Sons , the celebrated growers of Cheshunt , taking the chief prize of a silver medal , while Mr . Ramsey of Waltham Cross secured a first prize for his beantiful exhibition of flowers in pots . Silver medals were also awarded to Messrs . Barr and Sons of Covent Garden , and Mr . Ware of Tottenham for collections of hardy flowers . The very fine calladiums and foliage plants shown by Messrs . John Laing and Sons , of Forest Hill , well deserved the first honours in this class ,

and Mr . H . James , of West Norwood , was rewarded with a prize for his magnificent gloxinias and herbaceous calceolarias . Mr . J . Hudd , of Blackheath Park , was a winner in class of greenhouse and stove plants , the ferns being especially noticeable . The show was witnessed by a large nnmber of visitors , who were doubtless surprised and delighted at seeing the result achieved in spito of such adverse circumstances . '