The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

A FEW weeks hence , and the Anniversary of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution will be upon ns . The circumstances of the time are not , perhaps , what we

should exactly wish for , but the generosity of the Craft is such that we may anticipate the result of the Anniversary Festival on the 23 rd proximo will fully equal the most enthusiastic hopes of our most diligent and enterprising

friend , Bro . James Terry . Moreover , West Yorkshire , in the person of its genial and ever-ready chief , will play the leading ^ part on the occasion , and having regard to the energetic support which this most influential Province

invariabl y renders to every Festival , we may reckon that it will emulate and not improbably succeed in surpassing the efforts of other among our larger Provinces in furtherance of the interests of our several Charities . Sir Henry Edwards

is himself so popular , and so deservedly popular , that , as far as he is concerned , we may look to a grand success , whilst his Province is so eager in support of all our Institutions , that we may anticipate a brilliant result , even if the circumstances were a thousand times more

discouraging than they are . - There are , however , a few points to which we should wish to draw attention . We have latterly noted that while Grand Lodge is liberal in the bestowal of its bounty

m the shape of annual grants to the Benevolent , its contributions to the Schools remain exactly at the figure at which they were arranged over forty years since . We have admittod that the Benevolent Institution , as being the offspring of

Grand Lodge itself has in fact a claim upon , it for a generous support . We individually and journalistically know of no distinction between this or that Masonic Charity . We believe firmly in all . We recognise as an indubitable

fact that all are necessary , and we make a point of supporting and advocating the support of each and every of them , because they are so very necessary . But readily allowing , as we do , that Grand Lodge should favour its own

child , we are strongly impressed with the necessity for its reviewing the arrangements which were made so far back as the year 1839 . There is so vast a change in the condition of Freemasonry as between then and now , that all our

brethren will admit that what was the height of liberality then cannot carry with it the same designation at the present time . There are , we believe , eight times as many initiates in the year as there were then , and the subsidies to our Schools should be in proportion , or nearly so .

But all is not gold that glitters , and in the bestowal of its liberality on the Benevolent Fund , Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter likewise have been careful to exact a perfectly legitimate cruid pro quo for their handsome

contributions . Grand Lodge , it may be repeated , contributes annually to the Male Fund of the Benevolent Institution £ 500 , _ and to the Female Fund £ 300 . In respect of these Contributions it receives , according to the Reo-ulations of

the Institution , certain votes—that is to say , the W . M . of every Lodge is entitled , in consideration of these Grants , to two votes at every election to the Male Fund , and one vote at every election to the Female Fund . Similarly , in return

for the Grants of Grand Chapter , every Chapter , in the person of its M . E . Z ., is entitled to two ' votes Male Fund , and one vote Female Fund at every election thereto . As there are about 1750 Lodges on the roll of Grand Lodge , this , of course , amounts to an aggregate of some 3500

The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

votes in respect of the Male Fund , and 1750 votes on behalf of the Female Fund ; while , if we estimate the number of Chapters at 600 , the return for the grants of £ 100 per annum to the Male Fund , and £ 50 per annum to the Female Fund are counterbalanced by 1200 votes—two to the

M . E . Z . of each Chapter , in respect of the Old Men election , and 600 votes in respect of that of the Old Women . Thus , Grand Lodge , in return for its annual Contribution of £ 800 to the two Funds , receives over 5000 votes , while Grand Chapter , in respect of its £ 150 to the same two Funds ,

receives 1800 votes . All this , of course , involves—to mention one single item only—a large outlay for postage , not far short , in round figures , of £ 15 a-year . However , Grand Lodge liberally supports this Institution , which is , in every way , so worthy of support , and which , to speak only

from the records of the past few years , meets with a sympathy from the general body of the Craft which is most creditable . At the same time , it is just as well to point out , with reference to our recent article on the question of increased grants by Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter to

our two Schools , and draw attention to the difference in the conditions under which those bodies contribute to our three Institutions . In return for its annual grant of £ 150 , which , by the way , represents the interest on £ 5000 Government Three Per Cent . Stock , to each School Grand

Lodge exacts no votes whatever on behalf of its Lodges , nor does Grand Chapter do so in respect of its two grants each of ten guineas—the interest on £ 350 Stock . On the other hand , as we have shown above , Grand Lodge , or rather the Lodges acknowledging its obedience , receive

over 5000 votes annually in return for its £ 800 , which is equivalent to the interest on about £ 27 , 000 invested in Government Stock ; while Grand Chapter in like manner

receives for its subordinate Chapters some 1800 votes m return for its annual £ 150—the interest on £ 5000 Stock Thus the Schools receive their allowance unconditionally , the Benevolent receives its conditionally .

Bro . Terry has been , we rejoice to say , m a position to announce a large aggregate of contributions at each of the more recent anniversaries . May it be his good fortune to" announce an equally successful aggregate on the

occasion of the Festival now approaching ! We may trust to Sir H . Edwards and the Province of West Yorkshire , of which he is the G . Master , to do their share . We doubt not the rest of the Craft , both Metropolitan and Provincial , will play their part as admirably .

The Philadelphia Question.

THE PHILADELPHIA QUESTION .

Br BKO . JACOB NORTON .

[ Continued from p 18 . ] A WAG is said to have convinced a crowd that the lion at top of the late Northumberland House , in the Strand , had wagged its tail . If the glorification of Masonry had been concerned , I really believe that said wag coidd have persuaded a Masonic crowd that the tail wagged the lion . Take for instance the earliest Masonic

MS . viz ., the Halliwell poem . Its author began the History of Masonry with Euclid , and English Masonry with Athelstan , and this was taken as history for a century . The next writer , viz ., of the Matthew Cooke MS ., not only incorporated the above into his history , but also

added , numerous inventions of his own . From that time Lamech become the founder of Masonry , and St . Alban the fonnder of English Masonry , & c , & c . Anderson began his Masonic history with Grand Master Adam , and Adam reigns supreme in the believing minds of orthodox English Masons to the present time . An ingenious