Bro. W. C. Parsons's Motion Re Candidates For The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

year . It was , therefore , settled that in addition to the number required to ( ill the actual vacancies , three other candidates should be elected whom the Committee should have power to appoint as the requisite vacancies occurred—as wc have said , without

further question . Tie forthcoming election on the 20 th instant will serve to illustrate our meaning . For the Male Fund there are 57 candidates , of whom 14 will be elected , but onl y 11 of these will become Annuitants immediately , the other three will

be appointed to vacancies as they arise , and hence these three vacancies are commonly spoken of as "deferred annuities . " So with the Widows' Fund , for which there are 62 candidates for eitrht vacancies , of which live will be immediate and three

deferred . Bro . PARSONS now suggests that two of these three deferred annuities should be " reserved ( or the two candidates who have been longest on the list , if deemed worth y of the same , " and in the event of this motion not being accepted , he

will propose "that in the event of a candidate failing to secure election after six years , his or her name shall be removed from the list , but the same candidate may be nominated , if considered worthy . "

We have so often written in terms of sympathy with these unfortunate old brethren and widows of brethren whose names

have remained on the lists of candidates for eight , 10 , or a dozen years , or even longer , that we feel sure our readers will acquit us of any want of kindl y consideration for these poor applicants if we express a hope that the motion , in its

earlier form , will not be adopted . Bro . PARSON'S , when he" first started the question , if not now , appeared to labour under the belief that the Institution itself was in some unaccountable way to blame for the repeated failures of these candidates . But the

duty of the Institution begins and ends with the assignment of votes in return for the donations and subscriptions it receives ; what is done with the votes thus assigned , that is to say , for what candidate or candidates they are polled , is a matter that

rests entirel y with the voters . Again , there is this further objection to the motion . The' unfortunate people who have been all these years on the lists are , all of ( hem , Provincial candidates . Let it be shown that the Provinces from which thev hail have done

all in their power in order to ensure the success of their candidature , and we doubt not siiflirient votes will be forthcoming from other quarters to secure their election in a reasonable lime . Bui when the general body of voters have reason to

believe that these cases are not supported by the Provinces from which they emanate , they naturall y say among themselves—Why should we withdraw our support from our own candidates in favour of those who are not supported by their own people ? Lastly , it

is a great misfortune when an Institution is continuall y tinkering its Rules and Regulations . The Benevolent Institution furnishes a case in point . Some eight years ago , the lists of candidates became so formidable ( hat it was found necessary to make the

laws which deline the qualifications of candidates more stringent , and when time enough had been allowed for the laws as amended to lake elleet , the lists became less lormidable . Two years ago —more or less -there was a relaxation of this greater stringency

in the case of the Widows' Fund , and this is the result . Last year , when 23 men a / id 21 widows were elerled , ( here were 6 5 male and 52 widow candidates ; this year there are ^ 7 men and

62 widow candidates , the number of those who have been p laced on the lists during the past 12 months being 22 men and 38 widows .

Let Bro . PARSONS and those who think with him bear in mind that our three Institutions now expend , £ 45 , 000 a year ; a quarter of a century ago their expenditure did not exceed a

third part of that sum . The calls upon the Craft are heavy enough , and we do not think they should be made heavier , nienl y because in a multitude of cases there may occasionally be found a few which are characterised b y exceptional hardship .

THK MAKKIAC . K of the Rev . K . Amherst Villiers , nephew of Mr , ) . Lord Amherst of Hackney , wi ' . li the Hen . Klainc Guest , third daughter of I . or . l and l . adv Wimborne , «¦ . ¦> (;! iil "' i nhed in St . George ' s Church , Ilin ver-sipiare , on Satirday afternoon last . The liriilc wis given away l > v her father , wh h Captain Charles Hyde Villiers , of Ihe Koya ' lli . i . 'c Guards , acted as best man . HKO . TIIH RiiiiiT HON . W . C . GIIU . V , OC-, M . P ., Speaker of Ihe House of Commons , presided at the annual banquet which was held in the Whitehall Rooms of the H'Vel Mc-tropole , on Saturday evening last , in aid of the Royal Westminster Ol hthalmic Hospital . The donations and sulnrriotions ann mrxtd in the course of the evening amount d to / . 2 onn , of which / , 1500 was upon the Chairman ' s list . ' ,

Supreme Grand Chapter Of England.

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER OF ENGLAND .

The May Convocation of Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Misons of England , was held on Wednesday evening , at Freemasons ' Hall . Comp . W . W . B . Beach , Grand J ., officiated as M . E . G . Z . ; Lieut .-Gen . Charles Wilson Randolph , Grand Superintendent for Sussex , as G . H . ;

and Col . Robert Townley Caldwell , M . A ., Grand Superintendent for Cambridgeihire , as G . J . Comp . E . Letch worth , G . S . E ., and Comp . Capt . N . G . Philips , as G . S . N ., occupied the chairs of those two officers . There was an exceptionally large attendance of Grand and Past Grand Officers , and of Principals and Past Principals of subordinate chapters .

After the minutes of the February Convocation had been read and confirmed , Comp . LKTCHWORTI / , G . S . E ., said he was commanded by his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , M . E . G . Z ., to announce that he had appointed the Grand Officers for the year as follows : Comp . the Right Hon . Kul of Lathom , G . C . B . ... Pro G . Z . ,, the Right Hon . Earl Amherst ... ... G . H . „ W . W . B . Beach , M . P ... ... G . J .

,, E . Letchworth , F . S . A . ... ... G . S . E . „ Robert Grey ... ... ... G . S . N . ,, Sir George D . Harris .,. - ... Pres . Com . G . Purps . ,, Lieut .-Col . Clifford Probyn ... ... G . Treas . ,, John Strachan , O . C . ... ... ... G . Reg .

,, Reginald J . Mure ... ... ... Dep . G . Reg . ,, John Houlding ( Lord Mayor of Liverpool ) ... Prin . G . Soj . ,, C . Lund Fry Edwards ... ... istA . G . Soj . ,, John Haviland ... ... ... 2 nd A . G . Soj . „ Arthur W . Orwin , M . D . ... ... G . S . B . ,, Capt . George Hearn ... ... ... Dep . G . S . B .

„ T . Poultney Griffin ... ... ,.. ' 1 st G . Std . Br . ,, Herbert S . Clutton ... ... ... 2 nd ,, ,. William Tavlor ... ... ... 3 rd ,, „ William J . Mason ... ... ... , [ th „ ,, W . Stevenson Hoyte ... ... = ; th ,, „ K . B . Westlake ... ... ... < ith

„ Frank Richardson ... ... ... G . D . of C . „ John Evan Bowen ... ... ... D . G . D . of C . „ F . G . Swinden ... ... ... 1 st A . G . D . of C . „ T . H . Nesbit ... ... ... and „ „ Lewis Lazarus ... ... ... yd ,,

,, Charles Pulman ... ... ... 4 'h ,, „ A . King , Mus . Doc ... ... ... G . Org . „ William Lake ... ... ... A . G . S . E . ,, Henry Sadler ... ... G . Janitor , The majority of these excellent companions were present and were duly invested .

Comp . LKTCII WORTH alsoannounced that the M . E . G . Z . would be pleased to confer the rank and dignity of Past Grand Registrar upon E . Comp . Richard Horton Smith , O . C . Past Deputy Grand Registrar . On th » mDtii n of Sir GEORGE HARRIS , President , seconded by Comp . FRANK RICHARDSON , G . D . C ., the report of the Committee of General Purposes as published in the /•' nvmasaii list week , was taken as read , and ordered to be received and entered on the minutes . On motion duly made and seconded by the same companions , the recommendations made in such report were confirmed .

Comp . ROIHCRT GUF . Y , G . S . N .. said : Most Excellent , may I detain the companions for a moment while I draw the attention of the Grand Chapter to the resolution that was passed after the ordinary business of the Committee of General Purposes had been disposed of

—That the cordial thanks of the Committee be tendered to \ i . Companion Sir George D . Harris , the President , for the very able and courteous manner in which he has presided over its meetings during the past year , and this Committee desires to express a hope that he may be speedily restored to his usual health . That hope , I am happy to say , has been realised , and I am sure I am only expressing the fetlings of Grand Chapter when I say we heartily rejjice in seeing him here . ( Applause . )

Comp . LETCHWORTH informed the acting M . E . G . Z . that H . R . II . the Prince of Wales , M . E . G . Z ., had been pleased to appoint the three Grand Principals ( the Earl of Lathom , the Earl Amherst , and Comp . Beach ) , Comps . Sir G . D . Harris , Robert Grey , and R . Horton Smith , O . C , members of the Commhtee of General Purposes .

I he companions proceeded to elect six additional members , out of nine who were nominated . The result was Comps . Gerrge Graveley , 40 votes ; Henry Garrcd , 37 ; Major T . C . Walls , 31 ; H . A . Tobias , 29 ; J . XV . Burgess , 3 S ; and Mihll Slaughter , iS . Grand Chapter was then closed in ancient and solemn form .

Consecration Of The Playgoers' Lodge, No. 2705.

CONSECRATION OF THE PLAYGOERS' LODGE , No . 2705 .

A large number of brethren attended at the Hotel Cecil , on the - 'Sth ult ., to witness the consecration of the Playgoers Lodge , No . 2705 , starting with a strong body of founders from the Playgoers Club under the presidency of Bro . Guy Rcpton , P . M ., and with a phenomenal list of initiates and joining members proposed on the inaugural night , there should be no doubt as to the success of the new ventured .

The Consecrating Officer , Bro . E . Letchworth , G . Sec , was assisted by Bros . K . Terry , P . G . Treas ., as S . W . ; F . Mead , P . G . S . B ., as J . W . ! Rev . J . Studholme Brownrigg , P . O . Chap ., as Chap . ; F . Richardson , P . G . D ., as O . C . ; and R . Clay Sudlow , P . G . S . B ., as I . G . The following is a list of the founders : Bros . Guv Repton , Way *

designate ; G . J . Famngton , S . W . designate ; W . K . Bennett , J- "' designate ; J . 11 . Gaskin , W . Sparks , G . Powell , G . A . P . Schuliz , AE . Grimshaw , W . F . H . Warner , T . H . Roberts . Walter Schroder , !<• Hathway Jones , G . T . Perrin , T . Pescod , H . I ) . Kemp , I . Cohen , K- . (• Hiscock , JM . Moss , and J . L . Goldstein .