Masonic Benevolence In 1887.

MASONIC BENEVOLENCE IN 1887 .

We have much pleasure in laying before our readers the customary statements of the income of each of our Masonic Charities , and full particulars of the disbursements by the Board of Benevolence for the year 1 SS 7 . Such remarks as we have considered it advisable to make will be found in our editorial columns , and there is no need , therefore , that we

should say anything further here in the way of preface . The Returns , whether we take them collectively or severally , are equally gratifying . They show unmistakably that the current year of Masonic Benevolence , so far as the ordinary requirements of our Institutions are concerned , has been as

strong as ever during the past twelve months , and that a specially urgent appeal in the case of the Benevolent Institution having been found imperative , the Craft at once responded to it with their wonted generosity . It should be added that the statements which follow have been furnished

from the headquarters of the several Institutions ; the only change we have taken the liberty of making being in the arrangement of the details , which we have placed in such order that the reader may be able to compare more easily . the amounts under the several heads of receipt .

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION . Donations and Subscriptions ... ... ... £ 19 , 468 13 S Dividends ... ... ... ... ... 2 , 524 10 S Grand Chapter ... ... ... ... ... 150 o o ¦

Grand Lodge ... ... ... ... ... 1 , 600 o o „ „ —Special ... ... ... ... 1 , 000 o o ,, „ —Albert Hall ... ... ... ... 2 , 10 7 ° 0 Province of W . Yorkshire purchase of two Perpetual

Presentations ... ... ... ... 2 , 100 o 0 Rent of Meadow ... ... ... .., ... 18 o 0 £ 28 , 968 4 4

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS . Donations and Subscriptions ... ... ... £ 11 , 904 7 11 Grand Lodge ... ... ... ... ... 150 o o Grand Chapter ... ... ... ... ... 10 10 o One-third of Proceeds of Admissions to Grand Lodge at

Albert Hall , 13 th June , 18 S 7 ... ... ... 2 , 107 o o Dividends ... ... ... ... ... 1 , 900 16 7 Admissions by Annual Payments ... ... ... 150 o o Music Money ... ... ... ... ... 194 5 o Sale of Old Stores ... ... ... ... 10 o o Sale of Books of Subscribers ... .,, ... 210

£ 16 , 429 o 6 ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS . Donations and Subscriptions ... ... ... £ 12 , 656 o 6 Music Fees ... ... ... ... ... 99 4 6

Dividends ... ... ... ... ... 6 37 1 1 Grant from Grand Lodge ... ... ... ... 150 o o Grant from Grand Chapter ... ... ... ... 10 10 o Proceeds Royal Albert Hall Meeting ... ... ... 2 , 10 7 ° ° Sale of Subscribers'Lists ... ... ... ... 200

£ 15 , 661 16 1 The table that follows shows ( 1 ) the amounts received by each Institution during the seven years 1881—1 SS 7 , the fourth column containing the aggregate of the three for each year ; ( 2 ) , the average per year for each Institution , as well as for the three together ; and ( 3 ) the average receipt per year per Institution for the septennial period .

R . M . B . I . R . M . I . B . R . M . I . G . Total . 1551 £ 17 . 73 6 14 < 5 £ 12 , 993 9 11 £ 12 , 557 4 7 £ ) 3 . 2 S 7 9 o 1552 16 , 595 7 7 14 . S 79 ' 5 S 15 , 96 9 15 S 47 , 444 i 3 n 1553 18 , 449 6 o 25 , 010 1 7 1 12 , 650 1 2 5 6 , 110 4 3 1554 19 , 901 7 S 13 , 993 10 11 14 , 92 s 19 0 4 S , S 23 17 7 1555 21 , 374 7 1 16 , 272 iC o 16 , 7 6 s 19 6 54 , 416 2 7 iSSfi 18 , 194 13 6 I 3 . ° 5 G 15 5 iS-54 6 iS 10 4 6 , 79 S 7 9 iSS 7 2 S , 96 S 4 4 15 , 661 16 1 16 , 429 0 6 61 , 059 ° 11

thJ ° years . } £ ' ' ° S £ > 0 l ¦ £ ' ° 4 , Sjo 19 3 £ 357 . 940 1 o jfe ^ yefr . } £ < V 74 5 9 £ > 5 > QSi 5 10 £ 14 . 978 14 2 £ 50 , 134 5 10 Average per year per Institution ... ... £ 16 , 711 S 7 The following statement gives the number of cases relieved and the total of the sums voted in each month of the year 1887 by the Board of Benevolence .

Month . Cases relieved . Amount January ... ... 15 ... ... £ 3 So February ... ... 32 ... ... 810 March ... ... 37 ... ... 1125 April ... ... 36 ... ... 1130 May ... ... ... 47 ... ... S 7 S

June ... ... ... 36 ... ... 114 S July •¦• ••• ... 25 ... ... 540 August ... ... 26 ... ... 825 September ... ... 1 3 ... ... 255 October ... ... 38 ... ... 9 S 5 November ... ... 50 ... ... 12 55 December ... ... 50 ... ... 1172

405 £ 10 , 500 A comparison of the above figures with those of 1886 shows that while the highest amount in any one month of the latter year was £ 1447 , and the lowest £ iSo , the highest in 1887 was £ 1255 in the month of November ,

and the lowest £ 255 in September , We note also , as last year , that the above totals differ from those furnished in our summary of last week , solely because in this instance we have reckoned the year from 1 st January to 31 st December , whereas in our summary it was reckoned from 1 st December , 1886 , to 30 th November , 1 S 87 .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Devonshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF DEVONSHIRE .

NEW MASONIC HALL AND CLUB . A special Provincial Grand Lodge of the Freemasons of Devonshire was held on the 2 Sth December , at the Assembly Rooms , Royal Hotel , Plymouth , the occasion being the laying of the foundation-stone of a new hall and club , which the Freemasons of the Three Towns have decided on erecting for the accommodation of the brethren who , in recent years , have largely'increased in numbers . For many years several Masonic lodges have met in a building

in Princess-place , which has been known as the Huyshe Temple , but the Fraternity has since grown to such an extent that it was determined to celebrate the Jubilee year of her Majesty the Queen by securing more commodious premises . Accordingly , a house and grounds in Princess-square were purchased , a company was formed on the limited liability principle , and shares in the undertaking were so readily applied for by brethren over every

part of Devon and Cornwall that no difficulty was experienced in making a start . Arrangements were made for an effective demonstration yesterday , and the appeal made to the brethren to assist in the proceedings was so cordially responded to that several hundred members of the Order were present , and , as a result , the proceedings were most successful . The Provincial Grand Lodge assembled at noon at the Assembly Rooms ,

and about 300 brethren were present , including Bros . Viscount Ebrington , P . G . M . ; VV . G . Rogers , D . P . G . M . ; the Hon . R . M . W . Dawson , P . S . G . W . ; J . Brewer , P . J . G . W . ; Rev . R . Tyacke , P . G . Chap . ; Henry Stocker , P . G- Treas . ; Major G . C . Davie , P . P . J . G . W ., P . G . Sec . ; and others . The Prov . Grand Lodge having been opened in due form ,

Bro . G . C . DAVIE moved " That in order to enable the Provincial Grand Lodge to assist , as far as the surplus funds will allow , those lodges who wish to obtain life governorships in the Royal Masonic Institution tor Boys on the occasion of the Right Worshipful the Provincial Grand Master presiding at its annual Festival , that portion of the P . G . by-law which limits to twenty guineas the amount to be so voted , be suspended during the year 1 S 88 . " Bro . Davis explained that Lord Ebrington had consented to take

the Chair at the Annual Festival of tne Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , and he thought it would be a good thing for Masonry in general and for the Province of Devon in particular , that tneir contributions on that occasion should be as large as possible . They were all aware that the sum to be granted by the Provincial Grand Lodge was , by the by-laws , limited to twenty guineas , but he suggested that they should on this occasion suspend the by-laws so as to admit of the contribution being increased .

Bro . the Hon . R . DAWSON , P . S . G . W ., seconded the motion , which was carried unanimously . Bro . STOCKER , P . P . G . T ., then moved— ' That in the opinion of the Provincial Grand Lodge the present income of the Fortescue Annuity Fund will warrant the election of two additional annuitants , and that the Secretary of the Fund be requested to take the necessary steps for the immediate carrying out of the resolution . " The motion having been seconded ,

Bro . W . ROGERS , D . P . G . M ., said he doubted whether it would be wise , in the present state of the funds , to create two new- annuitants , and he suggested that the consideration of the question should be deferred , at any rate , for 12 months .

Bro . GOVER dissented to this opinion . He believed it was not the desire of the Provincial Grand Lodge to hoard up money for the benefit of posterity , but to make practical use of the money which they now had at their disposal for the benefit of those whose claims came before them , and he hoped the resolution would be carried .

Bro . E . AITKEN-DAVIES supported the motion , and said he did not believe the difficulties would arise which Bro . Rogers seemed to anticipate . The PROV . GRAND MASTER remarked that , while he believed they all sympathised with the object which Bro . Stocker had in view , they ought to think twice before they decided to incur an annual expense of £ 210 upon an assured income of less than £ 200 . He believed that the present position of

the Fund would warrant the creation of one more annuitant , but in the present state of their funds he thought it was a little rash to attempt anything beyond that . He suggested that the motion should recommend one additional annuitant instead of two , and that it should be a recommendation to the governors of the Fund to seek a more profitable investment for the funds than the Three per Cent . Consols .

Bro . STOCKER accepted the suggestion , and in the amended form the resolution was declared to be carried , although many hands were held up in favour of the resolution as ori ginally proposed . The PROV . GRAND MASTER then announced that the time had arrived , in accordance with the arrangements previously made , to proceed to church , and that it had been determined to divide the collection at the church between the poor of the parish and the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys .

Shortly after one o ' clock the brethren , dressed in full regalia , and headed by the band and pipers of the Cameronian Regiment , went through George-street and Bedford-street to St . Andrew ' s Church . Large crowds witnessed the procession , which was very effective . At the church the scene was also a striking one , the Masonic banners and colours adding much to the effect of the Christmas decorations . Evensong was said by Bro . the

Rev . 1 . W . Lemon , the first lesson being read by the vicar ( the Rev . Preb . Wilkinson , D . D . ) , and the second by Bro . the Rev . R . T . Tyacke , Prov . G . Chap . Several of the choir , being Masons , wore their Craft collars over their surplices . The service was Garrett in D , and the anthem , Elvey ' s , " I was glad when they said unto me , let us go into the House of the Lord . " The music was beautifully rendered , Mr . F . H . Moreton , F . C . O ., presiding at the organ .

The PROV . G . CHAPLAIN , who preached , took three texts—1 st Peter , ii ., 17 , "Love the brotherhood ; " Isaiah ii ., 17 , " Relieve the oppresed ; " and Eph . iv ., 24 , " Speak every man truth with his nei ghbour . " His reasons for taking these three texts , would , he said , be at once apparent to the brethren . They contained the three grand principles of the Order— -brotherly love , relief , and truth . Freemasonry gave to its members a feeling difficult to describebut which

, was shared by every true brother towards another—a feeling of deep interest and mutual confidence . Throughout the volume of the sacred law no teaching was so fully inculcated as the doctrine of love . " God is love , " and if God so loved them , ought they not to love one another ? Let them strive to cultivate this heavenborn virtue . They would then with calmness stem the angry billows of life , and with peaceful hearts

descend into the tomb knowing that the same love which here directed their steps should be manifested in its splendour in heaven . Charity in its fullest sense , of endeavouring to make others happier and holier and denying ourselves , was taught by Freemasonry . It was their proud privilege to clothe the naked , feed the hungry , relieve the poor , to care for the aged , the widow , and the orphan . Their offerings at that service were to