Analysis Of The Returns.

J ERSEY only seven lodges on its roll , but it is presided over by a thorough Mason , who . i t | y- respected—Bro . Col . de Carteret—and it has , moreover , some very good en in its rank , and a very sensible idea of what a subscription should be . It is "Vrequent , though not a regular contributor—its distance from head-quarters is * inle apology for its occasional absence—but its total is always worthy of its

r nie , and Wednesday ' s result , when its P . G . Master returned a list of , £ 263 , was . ery far from being an exception . Last year it figured at the Benevolent Jubilee \ the donor of £ 63 , and it has been represented for still larger amounts on or evious occasions . If , however , we remember rightly , this is about the largest Peturn it has made at any Festival of recent years . It rarely happens that

KENT makes an indifferent show at their anniversary gatherings . Now and then , it is tru e the subscriptions are on the wrong side of £ 400 , but the occasions are so raIC and , moreover , they are . thrown into the shade so completely by the larger totals which the Province so generally compiles that it would he difficult to specify the smaller occasions offhand . Well , there are 59

lodges on its roll , it has an excellent Provincial Charitable organisation and , above all , it has been presided over for upwards of 30 years by one of the most genial and popular of Masons , so that its big subscriptions , though worthy of all admiration , need not excite much surprise . On Wednesday it sent u p a contingent of 15 Stewards , of whom Bro . J . S . Eastes , P . G . D ., D . P . G . M ., and three others were Unattached , while the remaining did duty as

representatives of 11 lodges . The result is shown in a total of £ 1 177 19 s . 6 d ., the principal items included in which were £ 600 , per Bro . Eastes ; . £ 115 ios ., per Bro . W . Russell , Prov . G . Treasurer , representing the Erasmus Wilson Lodge , No . 1464 , Gravesend ; £ 75 , per Bro . A . Ronaldson , of the Lodge of Sympathy , No . 483 , Gravesend ; and £ 73 12 s . 6 d ., per Bro . S . Saunders , of the Graystone Lodge , No . 191 S , Whitstable . In May last it raised . £ 427 12 s . for the Girls' School , and

in February £ 426 12 s . for the Old People , the result for the whole year amounting to £ 2032 3 s . 6 d . In 1892 it raised ; £ i 86 S 15 s . 6 d . for the Benevolent lubilee ; £ 361 2 s . tor the Girls'School ; and ^ 770 16 s . for this Institution ; the year's aggregate being £ 3003 13 s . 6 d . In 1891 the Returns were on a still larger scale owing to the fact that Bro . Earl Amherst , P . G . M ., was the Chairman at the

Old People ' s Anniversary , the returns being Benevolent Institution , £ 3483 14 s . 6 d ., the Girls' School . £ 265 2 s . 6 d . * , the Boys' School £ 269 9 s . ; or together , £ 4018 6 s . Our readers are well aware that the Lancashires are the largest of our Provin cial Organisations ,

LANCASHIRE—EAST having 105 lodges on its roll . They are also familiar with the fact that both of them have Charitable Institutions of their own , which are well administered , and do a vast amount of good locally ; while , at the same time , when special circumstances arise , they may be relied upon to compile a heavy total . This happened when Bro . Col . Starkie , P . G . M ., presided some years since at the

Benevolent Festival , in the year of the Queen ' s Jubilee , at the Girls' Centenary , at the Boys' School Festival in 1891 , and at the Benevolent Jubilee , on all which occasions East Lancashire figured in the Returns prominently , and in a manner worthy of its position . At other Festivals its Returns are limited , as was the case on Wednesday , when 10 brethren acted as Stewards for eight of its lodges , and a

non-mason was Unattached , the sum of their lists being £ 146 1 is . In May the Girls' School received £ 149 9 s ., and in February the contribution was on a still smaller scale , and reached only , £ 42 , the aggregate for the whole year being i ' llSThc same remarks apply with equal force to

LANCASHIRE—WEST , which likewise has 105 lodges on its roll . It has figured on special occasions to excellent purpose , its greatest achievement having been in 1891 , when the Earl of Lathom , its P . G . M ., took the chair , and a special effort was made to rehabilitate this Institution in the good graces of the Craft , the total compiled by this Province

being £ 6126 14 s . 4 d . On Wednesday 11 lodges were represented by 13 Stewards , and there were , in addition , six ladies and brethren Unattached , the total raised by these 17 brethren and two ladies being . £ 238 7 s . In February there was raised for the Old People £ 216 ios ., and last month for the Girls' School £ 2 ( 14 6 s ., so that that theyear ' s total stands at the comfortable figure of . £ 719 12 s . This is the first appearance of

LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND at the Festival gatherings of the present year , and it must be allowed tint it has cone its work admirably , as usual . Bro . J . VV . Thompson acted as Steward for ihe whole Province , and there were Unattached one lady and three brethren , one of the latter being also among the Derbyshire Stewards , while two out of the 14

lodges had representatives of their own , the aggregate of the various lists reaching £ - » 7 ics . Last year . £ 388 ios . was raised for the Benevolent Jubilee , and £ 48 6 s . for this Institution ; and in 1891 the Girls' School was supported to the extent of £ 17 8 ios ., and the Old People to that of £ 70 6 s . 6 d . In 1888 the Province raised the very considerable amount of . £ 648 ios . for the Girls' Centenary ,

MIDDLESEX , as Ihe Metropolitan county , invariably takes a prominent part in these festive Satherings , not altogether without reason . In the first place it has close upon 40 lod ges on its roll , and secondly , the late Bro . Wentworth Little , Secretary of the Girls' School , had no difficulty in imbuing the lodges and chapters , within its "orders , with a hearty goodwill towards our Institutions generally . On Wednesday this goodwill was very manifest . Ten of its lodges represented by a dozen

stewards , two Royal Arch chapters , and a brother Unattached compiled amongst t ' * £ 412 7 s . 6 d ., the chief figures being the £ 106 is . of Bro . W . W . Lee , as Reward for the Bushey Hall Lodge , No . 2381 , and the £ 63 us . 6 d . of Bro . W . A . Cocks , as representing the Jersey Lodge , No . 2163 , Southall . In May , five of its Jud ges compiled a total of £ 188 9 s . for the Girls' School , and in February , two rewards raised £ 24 15 s 6 dmaking a total in all of £ 685 123 . Last the . — WM ¦ £ - ™ . . . ~ ... — - 1

. . ., year , _ --... ** . JJ—^ -J" . ., . . . . . . . . . — . ,. ^— J J yovince raised £ 1610 15 s . 6 d ., of which the Benevolent Jubilee secured r * l . ' ! , 5 9 s . 6 d „ the Girls' School £ 249 2 S ., and the Boys' School the modest "alance of . £ 46 4 s , In 1891 it was content with a moderate distribution , but in , year preceding it raised £ 1337 ' 5 * ° f which just a trifle over £ 1000 was > n support of the late Bro . Sir Francis Burdett ' s Chairmanship at the Girls '

wVi - 1 ? Fest ' ' * I * 1888 , the aggregate of its donations , & c , was £ 1816 5 s ., of ™ h the Girls' School , at its Centenary , obtained £ 1107 14 ? . 6 d . , It was hardly to be expected that , after supporting the arduous part of -jiairman ' s Province " at the Girls' School Festival , in May , with very great

NORTHANTS AND HUNTS , « oul De ay tQ render mater ; a ] he ) ,, to this Institution . Yet it sent up a con-Wr , S < mt ° ^ " * Stewards , of whom three represented lodges and the others , of jy Bi-o . the Earl of Euston , P . G . M ., was one , were Unattached , the total they / ,- being £ 44 2 S . In February one of its lodges sent up a list of tnti ' - ' while in Ma y * wnen * - ord Euston acted as Chairman at the Girls' Instil ast "' tlle sum obtained was £ 1050 , giving a total for the year of . £ 110 7 15 s . the P > ear tlle Province took part in all three Festivals , the Benevolent receiving s -atcr part of its contributions , which amounted in all to £ 360 ios . Its best

Analysis Of The Returns.

piece of work prior to May last was its support of its P . G . M . at the Benevolent Institution in 1 SS 9 , when it raised upwards of . £ 900 for that Institution . This * is a good record fora Province which even now can boast of only 13 lodges . Out of the 19 lodges in NORTH WALES six were represented by Stewards , the Sir Watk ' m Lodge , No . 1477 , Mold , having two representatives , while Bro . C . K . Benson was Unattached , and doubtless did what he could in the outlying districts to help the Boys' School . The amount

obtained by those ei ght brethren was . £ 298 5 s ., of which Bro . R . J . Fanning , Segontium Lodge , ' No . 606 , Carnarvon , obtained £ 105 , and Bro . Benson ^ 78 15 s . The Province took no part in the Benevolent Festival in February , but it gave substantial help in May last at the Girls' Festival , when five of its lodges and Bro . Benson and another as Unattached Stewards amongst them raised £ iSo 12 s . This gives a total of £ 473 17 s . for 18 93 , as compared with the . £ 493 12 s ., of which the Old People secured £ 222 14 s ., the Girls' School £ 36 15 s ., and this Institution £ 234 ' 3 s . In i 88 S it subscribed £ 6 75 to the Centenary Festival of the Girls ' School .

Though OXFORDSHIRE : is one of our smaller Provinces , it makes a point of being represented regularly at all our Festivals , the average sum raised in their behalf yearly being upwards of £ 300 . Thus in February it helped the Benevolent Institution to Ihe extent of £ ' 75 ' 3 s- 6 d ., and in May the Girls' School received £ 124 7 s . 6 d ., while on Wednesday these amounts were supplemented with £ 123 is ., making the

18 93 total £ 423 2 s . In 1892 it compiled £ 428 7 s . for the Benevolent Jubilee , £ 101 7 s . 6 d . for the Girls' School , and £ 102 5 s . for this Institution ; total for the year , £ 631 193 . 6 d . In 1891 the Returns were for Old People £ 6 9 12 s ., Girls' School , £ 9 8 is ., and Boys' School £ 246 9 s .,- or , together , £ 414 2 s . In 1890 , 1889 , and 188 S the yearly totals were , £ 385 6 s . 6 d ., £ 276 , and . £ 656 93 . 6 d . respectively . The Province of

SHROPSHIRE has had a year of comparative rest . It took no part in the Benevolent Festival in February but contributed £ 105 to the Girls' School Festival in May , while on Wednesday two lodge representatives and two Unattached St ewards—of whom Bro . J . Bodenham was one—compiled ££ 0 iSs . But in 1 S 92 it raised in all £ 615 16 s . 6 d .,

ot which the Benevolent Jubilee had the good fortune to receive . £ 456 is ., while in 1891 its aggregate reached £ 455 9 s . 6 d . In 18 SS it raised £ 770 15 s . in support of the Girls' School Centenary , and in 1 SS 7 £ 1022 7 s . in behalf of the same Institution , when Bro . Sir O . Wakeman , Bart ., presided as Chairman . One of the 26 lodges in

SOMERSETSHIRE , —the Royal Clarence , No . 976 , Bruton—had its own Steward in the person of Bro . Jonathan Cruse , while the Province as a whole was in the charge of Bro . S . Scllick , with Bros . Lieut .-Col . A . Thrale Perkins and H . Amos , Unattached . The total sum obtained was £ 174 6 s ., of which Bro . Sellick ' s list contained £ 132 6 s ., and that of Bro . Cruse the remainder . In May Bro . V . T . Elworthy acted as Provincial representative and the Prov . Grand Master as Unattached , the lists of

the two amounting to £ 132 6 s ., of which all but 10 guineas was obtained by the latter . In February the Prov . Grand Master stood alone and returned £ 31 ios ., so that the total for the year is £ 338 2 s . Last year , the figures were—Benevolent Jubilee , £ 613 ios . ; Girls'School , - £ 196 15 s . ; Boys' School , . £ 31 ios . ; or together ; £ S 3 i 7 s . 6 d . Thetotnlin ISQI was £ 762 8 s . 6 d ., of which this Institution had the satisfaction of obtaining £ 483 9 s ., while in 188 S . £ 946 is . was subscribed for the Girls' Centenary .

SOUTH WALES ( EASTERN DIVISION ) , with its 19 lodges , was , as usual , represented by a single Steward , Bro . A . H . Roberts , whose list has not yet been returned . Bro . Dr . H . N . Davies collected . £ 315 for the Girls' School Anniversary in May . Last year the Province raised per Bro . W . C . Peace £ 180 for the Benevolent J ubilee and £ 321 15 s . 6 d . by the

same Bro . Dr . Davis for this Institution , making a total for the year of £ 501 15 s . 6 d . In 18 91 Bro . Davies , acting for the whole Province , returned / 3 S 0 , while Bro . John Menday , as Steward for No . 671 , raised £ 78 15 s . for the Girls ' School , and Bro . S . T . Jolliffe , of No . 6 79 , £ 21 for the boys' School making a , total for the whole period of £ 479 15 s .

STAFFORDSHIRE , with 29 lodges , had three of them represented , and Bro . Bodenham figured in the Returns as Unattached as well as under Shropshire . The total reached £ 334 . 12 s . In May the Girls' School received £ 8 S 13 s . 6 d ., and , as the Province had no part in the Benevolent Festival in February , the year ' s total stands at £ 423 5 s . In 18 92 the Province raised £ 762 2 s ., namely , £ 392 ios . for the Benevolent Jubilee , £ 84 lor the Girls' School , and £ 285 12 s . for this Institution ; while in 1891 very nearly the same amount was raisedthat is to

, say £ 761 15 s . 6 d ., of which the R . M . B . I . received £ 152 5 s ., the Girls' School £ 157 ios ., and the Boys' School £ 45 2 os . 6 d . Unfortunately , the Province is without a Prov . Grand Master , the vacancy caused by the lamented death early last year of Bro . Col . A . C . Foster Gough , not having yet been filled up , and this will in some measure , no doubt , account for the falling off in the Returns from a Province which has generally evinced the kindest of feelings towards our Institutions . Of thc 22 lodges in

SUFFOLK , only four were represented , but the total of thc seven brethren who acted as Stewards reached the goodly sum of . £ 277 7 s . 6 d ., of which British Union Lodge , No . 114 , Ipswich , contributed by Bro . Casley and another , £ 42 ; Perfect Friendship , No . 37 6 , Ipswich , per Bros . Thwaites and Turner , 7 8 15 s . ; Prince of Wales , No . 959 , Ipswich , per Bro . A . Trew , . £ 70 ; and Stour Valley Lodge , No . 1224 ' Sudbury , per Bros . Jos . George and S . Carlton , £ 86 12 s . 66 . In May , the Province ' raised £ 18 7 is . for the Girls' School , the number of represented lodges being five

and that of thc Stewards four ; and in February , £ 6 9 6 s . per Bro . George , of No . 1224 , for the Old People , making the total for the year £ 533 14 s . -This is certainl y a considerable sum after the heavy work of last year , when the amount raised was £ i 4494 S-, of which £ 1291 14 s . was in respect of the Old People ' s Jubilee ; £ 42 for the Girls' School ; and £ 115 ios . for this Institution . In 18 91 the total was £ 6 75 2 s . 6 d ., and in 18 90 , £ 619 13 s . 6 d ., while in 1889 it reached £ 1048 17 s . 6 d ., of which £ 571 13 s . 6 d . was in support of Lord Henniker ' s Chairmanshi p , at the Anniversary of the Girls' School .

I here were as many as 16 Stewards , of whom two were ladies , who did duty for

SURREY , the ladies and one brother being Unattached , and 13 were lodge representatives , one of these latter—Bro . Leaver—representing thc George Price Lodge and Chapter , No . 2096 . The total obtained by these brethren reached the exceedingly handsome total of £ 630 16 s . 6 d ., Bro . F . W . Leaver , Lodge and Chapter

No . 2096 , being responsible for £ 179 us . ; Bro . F . S . Smith , Greenwood Lodge , No . 19 S 2 , for £ 113 8 s .-, and Bro . F . Flood , Dorking Lodge , No . 1149 , lor £ 97 23 . 6 d . In February , four brethren , representing as many lodges , compiled £ 131 14 s ., and in May another four Stewards , representing four lodges and the chapter attached to one ot them , raised £ 121 15 s ., the total for the whole year being £ S 84 5 s . 6 d . In 18 92 the amount raised was very formidable—1 . 2817 19 s . 6 d . —of which £ 2148 os . 6 d . was in respect of Ihe Benevolent Jubilee