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GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY . Slimmer Excursions . OX SATURDAY , MAY 31 st , and EVERY SATURDAY until further notice , SPECIAL FAST EXCURSIONS will leave PADDINGTON STATION at 7 ' 45 a . m . for 3 , 10 , or 17 days to Bath , Bristol , Weston-« nner-AIare , Taunton , Ilfracombe , Exeter , Barnstaple , Torquay , Plyr „ nnth * Truro , St . Ives , Penzance , & c , and for 10 or 17 days only to Trowbridge . Frome , Yeovil , Bridport , Dorchester , Weymouth , & o . Tickets and bills may be obtained at the Company ' s stations , and receiving o * 5008 , HY . LAMBERT , General Manager .

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SATURDAY , 24 TH MAY 1890 .

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

TPHB annual meeting of the Subscribers was held on JL Friday , the 16 th instant , in tho Large Hall of Freemasons' Tavern , London . Brother J . A . Farnfiold , P . A . G . D . C , Treasurer of tho Institution , was voted to the

chair . The report of the annual meeting of 1889 was taken as read , and adopted . The following report of the Auditors , on the motion of Bro . W . Clarke P . G . P ., seconded by Bro James Brett P . G . P ., was adopted : —

We , the undersigned , having audited the Treasurer ' s Acoount from the 1 st April 1889 to the 31 st Maroh 1890 , inclusive , and all vouchers having been produced , do find eamo correct .

MALE FUND . £ s d £ a d Balauoe 31 st March 1889 - 3416 7 5 Receipts . - - 11051 8 4

14467 15 9 Disbursements - - 10506 3 6 Balance on this account - . 3961 12 3 WIDOWS' FUND . Balance 31 st Maroh 1889 - 27011111 Eeceipts . . . 10299 , 4 2

13000 19 1 Disbursements - - - 10210 15 2 Balance on this account . . 2790 3 11 SOSTENTATION FUND .

Balance 3 lst March 1889 - 62 2 4 . Receipts . . 27 8 6 89 10 10 Disbursements . . 32 15 10 Balance ou this account - - 56 15 0

Total Balance - - - 6808 11 2 A . II . TATTERSHALL , ) JOHN J . BERRY , [ Auditors . CHARLES KEMPTON , )

Freemasons' Hall , 10 th May 1890 . The report of the Committee of Management was read by Bro Jamoo Torry , as follows : — The Committee of Management has much pleasnre in submitting a Jteport of its proceedings during the past year to the Governors and Subscribers of the Institution

. n « v ^ nnnal Festival was held , by direction of His Royal Highness wL f Wales > K * * & 0 * » Grand Patron « " ¦* President , on neanesday the 26 th February last , the Right Honourable the Earl IWA , Provinci ' al Grand Master of Northamptonshire and illni * . " r ! u P resid ! n S * in tne unavoidable aba-woo , through

AlrloV c-- gnc Uon * tne L , ord MaTor of London , W . Bro . eorvinn o * A ' IsaacB * The brethren who volnntarily gave theV resn f r ^ l " tewarda ° " the occasion were 330 in number , and the th « Wi : . ° ' combined efforts was a contention to the funds of consign T , ° f £ 13 ' 841 39 6 d" The fcofcal lhns ° bti * - ° ^ though still ™ W-aOTBbl y below that of 13 S 8 . nxeerria hv -inward * nf P . Mn * £ « anm

the Cnm Z ' When the Board of Stewarda was 361 strong , and publinl ™ l ' -t ? 0 refore ' is mo 8 fc f " » " ° ns to place on rrcorrl , as at » rmir ?! ^ ? re 9 ' gniti-i . de to the noble Earl who moment s notice undertook lo preside , and eviuced the eamo

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

zeal and ability as in 1889 ; as well aa to the Rt . Hon . the Lord Mayor , who was prevented at the last minute by illness from ocoup ) ing the chair , but who nevertheless compiled a goodly list of contributions from his friends ; and to the 330 Stewards , who by their great exertions were successful in obtaining so considerable a sum . The Committee has also to express its gratitude to United Grand

Lodgo for its renewed annual grant of £ 70 towards providing the inmates of the Asylum at Croydon with coal during the winter months . At the election in May 1889 there were upon the two Funds of the Institution in all 409 annuitants , namely , 180 men and 229 widows , and to-day there are 152 approved candidates , of whom 68 are men

aud 84 widows j these numbsrs , however , have been reduced since the issue of the voting papers by the death of 5 male and 1 female candidates . But even when allowance has been made for these reductions , the number of candidates remaining on the list is considerably greater than it has been at any pre * vious election , and the Committee , though it would gladly do

anything in its power to reduce still further the list of unsuccessful applicants , doe - not consider it would b 3 justified in recommending the creation of any fresh annuities . There will consequently be . no additions made to the number of vacancies declared in February , i amely , 14 men ( 11 immediate and 3 deferred ) and 10 widows ( 7 immediate nnd 3 deforred ) beyond those which have been caused

by death in the interval that has since elapsed , that is to say 5 men und one widow , so that the number to be elected to-day will be 19 men and 11 widows . Thus the number of annuitants will remain the same as after last year ' s eleotioD , namely , 180 men , each receiving £ 40 per annum ; and 229 widows , eaoh receiving £ 32 per annum , the total number being 409 , and the amount to be distributed amongst

them £ 14 , 526 . To this , however , must be added a further sum of £ 520 divisible under Law 9 of the Male Fund among 26 widows of recently deceased male annuitants , so that the expenditure in respect of annuities during the ensuing year will amount to £ 15 , 016 . The Committee has farther to report that having given its most serious consideration to the great increase which has taken place

during the last few years iu the number of applicants for the benefits of the Institution , it has suggested certain amendments in the laws defining the qualifications of candidates , whioh , while they will make no alteration whatever in the amount of the annuities conferred by the respective funds of the Institution , will in its opinion have the effect of keeping the number of candidates within more

manageable limits . These amendments have been submitted for approval to the Governors and Subscribers , and it is hoped will tend to the advantage of the Institution . Tbe Committee has also to report that , in the autumn of last year , it appointed a Sub-Committee of Inquiry into the working of the . Secretary's office , the result being that the Sub-Committee found

that , as regards the Seoretary and his clerk , the emoluments they received and the duties they performed were in accordance with the arrangements made on their several appointments , with the exception that the hours of attendance had been lengthened , which had been rendered necessary owing to the ever-increasing work in connection with the Institution . Whilst , as regards the Collector , it

was clearly shown that that Officer had received commission at the rate specified , and only on such amounts as the terms and conditions of his employment allowed . The Committee has much pleasure in publicly expressing its unqualified thanks to tho Honorary Surgeons of tho Institution—Henry J . Strong , Esq , M . D ., and R . Percy Middlemist , Esq . —for their kind

and unremitting attention to those annuitants , both resident and non-resident , who have unfortunately been compelled to seek their advice and assistance . The Committee is desirous of placing on record its sincere regret at the recent death of Bro . Raynham W . Stewart P . G . D ., one of its members , to whose initiative the Institution is largely indebted for

tho increase , in 1882 , of its annual grant from United Grand Lodge , from £ 800 to £ 1600 , and who in his professional capacity frequently rendered it most important services . The Committee is pleased to be in a position to report that the build ing at Croydon is in a state of repair , and that the newly purchased strip of ground adjoining it has been carefully laid out , and is likely to prove a great boon to the residents , whilst ensuring greater

privacy . The audited statement of account for the year ended the 31 st March 1890 is appended . After the very favourable opinion expressed by the Auditor of Grand Lodge as to the system of book-keeping adopted in the Secretary's office , and bearing in mind the satisfactory nature of the report delivered by the Sub-Committee of

Inquiry into the working of the same department , the Committee feels it unnecessary to say more than that the statement in question kns been prepared with tho utmost care , and after a most rigorous examination of the various items of receipt and expenditure by the Finance Committee , and it has no hesitation in stating that the funds of the Institution have been administered with a due regard

to efficioncy nnd economy . It only remains for tho Committeo to express its earnest hope that in the fntnro , as in the past , the Craft in England will give its generous help in assisting to maintain in a state of unimpaired efficiency this most valnable Institution . Tho very great responsibility which it has undertaken on be discharged only by the hearty

co-operation of all classes of the brethren , and the Committee has every confidence that its appeal for a continuance of that co-operation will not be allowed to pass unheeded by any section of English Freemasons . Subjoined ia a statement of the receipts and expenditure for the pist year , together with full particulars of the permanent resources of the Institution .

This report was received and adopted . Bros . L . Stean , Fitzgerald , Fisher , aud Stevens , the retiring members of the Committee , wero re-elected : as ako waa Brother J . A .