Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

The Annual Festival of this , the youngest of the three Masonic Charitable Institutions , was held on Wednesday evening at Freemasons' Tavern , ¦ when a company of about 400 brethren and ladies attended in honour of the Chairmanship of Bro . Sir George Elliot , Bart ., M . P ., R . W . Prov . G . Master of the Eastern Division of South Wales . The hall and tables were

admirably arranged , and a banquet , which was most highly creditable to Messrs . Spiers and Pond , was placed before the gathering under the personal superintendence of Bro . Madell , the manager . Bro . Sir Geo . Elliot was supported by a large number of distinguished brethren , among whom were many from his own province .

After grace had been said : following the dinner , by the Rev . Bro . WILLIAMS , Prov . G . Chap . South Wales ( East Division ) , and sung by the musical artistes , the R . W . CHAIRMAN gave the toasts of " The Queen ; " " The Prince of Wales , the Princess of Wales , and the rest of the Royal Family ; " and "The Pro G . M ., the Deputy G . M ., and the rest of the Grand Officers , Present and Past / ' and called upon Bro . Saunders to reply .

Bro . SAUNDERS , P . D . G . M . Madras , in responding , said the M . W . G . M . had called certain brethren of light and leading to assist him in the councils of the Craft , and he thought they might fairly congratulate themselves upon the wisdom and foresight of the election of the Prince of Wales as G . M ., for two reasons—first , that an impetus had been given tothe advancement of the Craft , and secondly , that his choice of the brethren whom he had chosen to assist him was a sound one . He ( Bro . Saunders ) did not

possess the power of speech to portray in * terms which would be sufficiently adequate and becoming the qualities of the Earl of Carnarvon and the Earl of Lathom as men and Masons , but their names and qualities were well known , as well as the names and qualities of the other Present and Past Grand Officers . The brethren were all aware of the worth of these brethren , and he would content himself by thanking most heartily the Chairman for proposing , and the brethren for drinking , their health .

The CHAIRMAN , in proposing the toast of the evening , said : I should like to make one remark before commencing my observations , and that is , that this room is a very large one , and there is a very large body of brethren present . I shall have to make an interesting speech , and I shall be very glad if what I am going to say will be heard by every one in this assembly . I would like , therefore , to ask you to be quiet for a short time . My

subject is of intense interest , and commends itself to every one , and you must excuse me if 1 assist my memory by referring to some notes . The duty now devolves upon me of proposing the toast of the evening " Prosperity to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , " and as the purpose for which we are now assembled is that we should use our utmost

efforts to advance that prosperity , I am confident I shall have the sympathy of all present in the remarks I am about to make . The merits of the case are simple ; nor is it necessary I should adopt a tone of exaggeration in laying them before you . As many of you know already , this Institution consists nf a . Male Fund and a Widows' Fund . The former was established

by Grand Lodge in 1842 , towards the close of the Grand Mastership of the late Duke of Sussex , and in the 46 years that have since elapsed it has supported 711 aged and necessitous brethren . After the election in May of last year it provided Annuities of . £ 40 each for 179 brethren , the amount required annually to meet this expenditure being £ 7160 . Buf the permanent income of the fund is only £ 19 86 , and there is therefore a deficiency of

^ 5174 , which the Committee of Management have faith will be supplied by the voluntary donations and subscriptions of the Craft . The Widows ' Fund , which was established by Grand Lodge in 1849 , in the Grand Mastership of the late Lord Zetland , has since supported 463 widows of brethren , and after the election in May last provided annuities of £ 32 each for 227 widows ; while in addition there are 15 widows who receive for three

years , and without election , the half of their late husbands annuity—the total expenditure for the widows' annuities and half annuities being £ 7564 . But the permanent income of this branch is only £ 1548 , and consequently there is an annual deficiency , which we hope will be made good by the brethren , amounting to £ 6016 . Besides all this , there is the Asylum at Croydon ( which accommodates 32 of the annuitants ) to be maintained ,

and there are also the working expenses , or expenses of management , which , I need hardly tell you , in an Institution of this magnitude amount to a considerable sum annually . Last of all , for the election on the third Friday in May next there are on the Male Fund 67 candidates and only 16 vacancies to be filled , and on the Widows' Fund 64 candidates and only seven vacancies , so that even under the most favourable circumstances , and

in spite of the periodical increases in number which have taken place during the last few years , there will still remain quite 100 poor old brethren and widows of brethren for whom no provision can be made this year . Was I not right in saying that the tacts of the case are simple , and do not need to be exaggerated in order to assure your sympathy ? But I should be discharging my duty as Chairman very imperfectly if I did not say

something as to who and what these annuitants and candidates are , and what they have been . The candidates are all of them brother Masons of good standing , that is to say , they have been subscribing members of one or more of our lodges for at least ten years , and some of them over 40 years . Many have held high office , and some in their palmy days have contributed towards the support of our Masonic Institutions in the same manner , and

by the same means , that we hope to employ successfully on this occasion . All were once in reputable circumstances , many being even wealthy ; but fortune has been unkind , and now they are old and feeble , and , but for the benefits which they hope to obtain from this Institution , they would be in a condition of hopeless and absolute poverty . And as with the male annuitants and candidates , so it is with the widows—their husbands were once

in good standing in Freemasonry and in good wordly circumstances ; but now , as for themselves , they are without means , save what are provided , or they hope will be provided , by this Charity , and are too aged and infirm to earn their livelihood . This , then , is the Institution whose cause it is my privilege to advocate this evening . I have told you what it has done in the past , and what it stands pledged to do in the present . I have shown you

how small are its permanent resources by comparison with its expenditure . I trust , therefore , my earnest appeal to you all tor that support which is so imperatively necessary will not be in vain , and that the announcement which it will be the duty of Bro . Terry , as Secretary , lo make in the course of the evening , will show that the members of the Board of Stewards have

succeeded in obtaining , in donations and subscriptions , a sum sufficient not only for the expenses of the current year , but also to justify the Committee of Management in recommending an increase , however small , in the number of annuitants on the . two funds , so that when the day of election comes round in May next , as few as possible of the 131 applicants may be left up-

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

provided for . Let me again remind you that these poor old people were formerly in good circumstances , but they uave been sore stricken in the battle of life , and in their utter helplessness and poverty they have , humanly speaking , no other trust than in your kindness and in the generous exercise of that Masonic of which to

principle Charity , , I rejoice say , is n ever appealed to in vain . Without further preface , I give you " Prosperity to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , " and I couple with the toast the name of Bro . Edgar Bowyer , the worthy Treasurer of this admirable Charity . ( Loud applause ) .

Bro . EDGAR BOWYER , in reply , said : I beg to thank you , R . W . Sir for the very kind manner in which you have proposed the toast of " Success " to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . " I can assure you the Committee of that Institution are deeply thankful to you for your kind presidency to-night , and to the Board of Stewards for the exertions they have made to

render this Festival a success . I can assure you , brethren , that whatever you entrust to the Committee of Management they will endeavour to dispense to the best of their ability , and I beg to thank you sincerely , R . W , Sir , for the honour you have conferred upon me by coupling my name with the toast .

Bro . J AMES TERRY , Secretary , P . G . S . B ., then read the list of subscrip . tions . Bro . Col . LYNE , P . G . M . for Monmouth , in proposing " The Health of the Chairman , Sir George Elliot , " said he esteemed it a hi gh compliment and great privilege to have the honour of proposing that toast . Sir G . Elliot had travelled a long way to come to that great gathering : he had come

trom Egypt , which was not a very small distance , in order to be there and to do the duty he had promised to do . It must be highly gratifying to Sir G . Elliot that he was surrounded by friends and brethren , not only from the Principality of Wales , but from the neighbouring provinces and from the great City of London and its immediate vicinity . He thought the results of that night must be to Sir G . Elliot exceedingly gratifying , because he had

the satisfaction of knowing that through his instrumentality , to a large extent , the £ 15000 odd was secured . When they considered the vast amount of good that money vvould do , that it vvould enable the brethren to give relief to those who were unable to help themselves , they would be highly pleased at the result of that meeting . It needed no comment from him . It afforded him great pleasure to see at the centre table brethren from Monmouthshire and South Wales to meet Sir George

Elliot . Going through the City of London he met a friend who said to him— " Sir Geo . Elliot , we look upon him as the second wonder of the world . " He ( Col . Lyne ) replied , " VVe in South Wales think him the first wonder of the world . " ( Cheers . ) The brethren would all drink his health , happiness , and prosperity , wishing him a long life to contemplate having presided over such a grand gathering as that , and he hoped they would give eclat to the proceedings by drinking the toast most heartily .

I he CHAIRMAN replying , said he had little to say beyond stating simply , though emphatically , how very gratified he was with the proceedings of the evening , and what strong reasons he had for being satisfied with what had taken place . He vvas indeed proud that his name was associated with that entertainment , as it conferred a benefit on deserving people . He would not say more except to thank the brethren for assisting him in conducting the programme of the day .

Bro . RICHARD EVE , G . Treasurer , then said he had just been called upon to propose the next toast , and he knew it was one which the brethren would drink with a great amount of pleasure . Speaking now to the Stewards of the evening , they had done a great work in having returned upwards of £ 15 , 000 for the benefit of the aged Masons and their widows . He was now going to address a few words in reference to the other

Institutions of Masonry , and he called upon the brethren to drink to the toast of " The Sister Institutions , the Girls and the Boys . " These Institutions required the assistance of the brethren as much as the Institution for which they had acted so nobly that evening . These Institutions were doing a great work in the Craft . The Craft had contributed many thousands a year to them , but every year there vvas an increasing number of recipients for the various Charities . It therefore was required that all brethren should

do their utmost to increase the lists at the various Festivals of the other Institutions . Nothing could be more gratifying to a Mason in the full business of life and prosperity than to know that if by any means he should be brought to the lowest ebb of poverty and distress , there were those Institutions which would take care of those most dear to him , in the shape of his boys and girls , and it was gratifying to them to know that those Institutions were doing so much good to their Order , and that they were so brilliant a gem in the Masonic crown .

Bro . F . R . W . HEDGES , P . G . S . B ., Sec . of the R . M . I , for Girls , in responding to the toast , said that while thanking the brethren for so kindly drinking the toast , he congratulated the Benevolent Institution on the magnificent result of that night ' s Festival . The brethren were aware that this year the Girls' School celebrated its Centenary . He had hoped he should have had the privilege to give the brethren an intimation of the date

on which it would be celebrated , together with some other important information which he knew the Craft was very anxiously awaiting . However , he was not at present in a position to give that information , and he would therefore content himself—or , rather , he gladly availed himself of that opportunity of recognising the kindness and very great liberality with which he knew the brethren were coming forward to help the Management on that occasion .

They were anxious to carry out a very large work by facilitating that event , and he earnestly trusted that the large list of Stewards which they had at present enrolled would be very considerably augmented . He regretted that Bro . Binckes was unfortunately , through ill-health , absent , but on his behalf he would express the sincere hope that when the Festival of the Boys' School came round it would prove one of equal success to that of the Benevolent Institution . It was true the Girls' School

was anticipating , and looking forward to a very large share in the benevolence of the Craft on this occasion , but experience had taught them that when the Craft selected one Institution in particular to render special assistance to it did it by an extra effort and not to the detriment of the other two . That night had been a grand proof of that fact , and he sincerely trusted the success of the Boys' School might be a further evidence in proof of it . Without detaining the company any further he would only thank them once more on behalf of the Boys' and Girls' Schools .

Bro . Major WOODALL , P . G . Treas ., next said the pleasing duty he had to perform commended itself to their notice—the duty of proposing " The Health of the Stewards . " Those brethren had worked hard for the institution , and he congratulated them in the name of the brethren on having , by a long pull , a strong pull , and a pull all together , achieved such a grand