Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS 13 Masonic Benevolence in 1886 14 Observations on * Bro . Lane ' s " Masonic Records" 14

Masonic Origines—No . II 15 Mercenary Motives i _ CORRESPONDENCEWestminster and Keystone Lodge , No . 10 17 Confirmation of Minutes 17 Music in Lodge 18 Control of Lodge Funds 18

REPORTS or MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 18 Instruction 21 Royal Arch 21 Mark Masonry 21 Scotland 21

Annual New Year's Entertainment of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ... 21 Royal Masonic Institution for Girls 22 Masonic Benevolence at Hexham 32 Jamaica Masonic Benevolence 23 Obituary 33 Masonic and General Tidings 33 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 34

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The Returns we publish elsewhere of the moneys received b y for the Year our several Institutions during the past year show a considerable falling off as compared with 1885 , 1884 , and 1883 , the first and

third of these years , however , having been more than usually productive . Such a result was pretty generally anticipated , though it is quite possible there may have been many sanguine enough to hope that the falling off would have been comparatively small , no more , indeed , than might have

been expected to occur in a long series of years , with a variety of circumstances operating every now and then unfavourably . But great political crises are happily not often occurring , while it seldom happens that a political crisis and a General Election occur together at a time of severe commercial

depression . We therefore submit that the diminution in the incomes of our Charities for 1886 , though it is greatly to be deplored , is not such as to cause any serious misgivings as to their successful maintenance in the future . Indeed , in the case of the two Schools , their receipts are about sufficient to

satisfy the ordinary demands upon their resources ; and , though both of them have a considerable amount of leeway to make up , owing to their recent extraordinary expenditure , they seem fairly able

to hold their own , and provide successfully , and within a reasonably short interval of time , for all the applications that are made to them for admission . With the Benevolent Institution the case

is different . For some years past the petitioners have been largely in excess of the vacancies to be filled , and this notwithstanding the very considerable number of annuities , particularly on the Widows' Fund , which have been added . Last year , for instance , the number of approved , but unsuccessful ,

candidates , taking the men and women together , was close upon 100 , and in 1885 it was only a degree or two less formidable . Yet this Institution enjoys what is undoubtedl y a great advantage over the schools in celebrating its anniversary festival first . People are fresh , and therefore need less

persuasion to give at the beginning ofthe year ; but by the time the month of June has been reached , they wax impatient at the applications made , and having less surplus cash at their disposal than when the year was in ils infancy , they are far more inclined to tighten than to relax their hold on what

remains . But even with this great advantage in its favour , and though its Festivals have been the most productive in the last three years , there still remains a terrible amount of suffering which its Committee of Management find it impossible to cope with . Indeed , it is well nigh certain that

when the lists of candidates are completed and the vacancies to be filled in May have been declared , the disproportion between the former and the latter will be found greater than ever it has been before . Let us hope , therefore , that the falling off we have noted in 1886 will be rectified by an increased

return during the present year and that , the Schools being generously supported as heretofore , a way may be found for enabling the Benevolent Institution to meet the applications made to it for assistance more adequately .

** * * Donations and THOSE w ^ - ° examine carefully the several Heads of Receipt Subscriptions , by our Institutions cannot fail to be struck by a decrease in I

886-one of them , and that the most important of all , for which it will be difficult to find a satisfactory explanation . The Head of Receipt we refer to is that of " Donations and Subscriptions , " and the feature which will probably most strike our readers is that in the case of each of our

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three Institutions the amount received under this Head is less than the amount of subscriptions and donations announced at its Anniversary Festival . Thus , Bro . TERRY announced a total of £ 14 , 864 , which was subsequently raised to £ 15 , 000 . Yet the sum actually received during the

twelve-month only reached the sum of £ 14 , 436 . Bro . HEDGES announced Returns amounting to £ 13 , 029 , but his receipts during the year in respect of Donations and Subscriptions were only £ 12 , 096 . Bro . BINCKES announced , at Brighton , that his Returns amounted to £ 12 , 308 , which were

subsequently increased to £ 12 , 689 , but he has had paid in during theyearonly £ 12 , 164 . Thus , while the aggregate of the Returns announced at the three Festivals was £ 40 , 201 , and this aggregate was subsequently in creased by outstanding lists and additional amounts to £ 40 , 718 ,

the total Receipt in respect of Donations and Subscriptions , during the year for the three Institutions taken together is only £ 38 , 6 9 6 , This difference between the two totals is slightly over £ 1500 , if we compare the " Donations and Subscriptions " as per returns elsewhere vvith the

announcements of the three Secretaries , and over £ 2000 , if we compare them with the amounts to which those announcements were subsequently raised . In drawing attention to this feature , we do not lose sight of the fact that , at the close of every year , there is an amount of subscriptions

and donations outstanding , which ultimately , no doubt , find their way into the receptacles intended ( or them , and consequently there must be a good sum due at present under this Head . But this tells both ways . Subscriptions outstanding from 1885 must have been received in 18 S 6 , as

subscriptions outstanding from 1884 must have been received in 18 S 5 , and so on year by year . We have also remarked a like difference in former returns for one or other of the Institutions , but we have never noticed so large a difference and affecting all three Institutions . How is this to be accounted for ?

The W E are rapidly approaching the date fixed for the Anniver-^ Kesdra '" sary Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , 0 the R . M . B . I . . ^ i ,. * ^ j s now arrange ( i f t he 22 nd February next , and

having regard to the very serious nature of the circumstances by which this Charity is now surro unded , it becomes our duty to draw particular attention to an event on which so much depends . Bro . TERRY has been fortunate enough to secure the services , as Chairman on the

occasion , of Bro . VV . W . B . BEACH , M . P ., one of the most respected members of our Society , who has twice already exhibited his capacity for the position he has so kindly undertaken to fill , and who is the Grand Master of one of our most influential and , as regards our Institutions , one of our

most loyal provinces , So far the outlook is most promising , and as the Board of Stewards , which is undermanned at present , will doubtless grow in strength and importance , we may venture to hope that from this source at all events , Bro . BEACH will derive at least as much in the way of active

and energetic support as he received in 1877 an ^ 'SS j , when he presided at the Festivals of the Boys' and Girls' Schools , and certainly as much as his predecessors in the chair at previous Festivals of the R . M . B . I . Unfortunately , however , what has been deemed a satisfactory Return in the past will

not be sufficient to meet the necessities of the present position of this most deserving Charity . For some few years there has been—to use a familiar worda glut of candidates with but few vacancies for them to fill , and with the 90 and more unsuccessful applicants remaining over from last year ' s election ,

there is a likelihood approaching almost to a certainty that the number of men and women , and particularly of the latter , who will present themselves at the ballot in May next will be larger than has ever been known before . The last news we reported in this journal was that there were 130 candidates ,

male and female , and only two actual vacancies ; and as it was possible lor petitions to be received up to the ist inst ., and for the names of the poor people , if the circumstances of their several petitions should be found acceptable , to be placed on the lists for this year ' s election , there is , we repeat with all possible emphasis , the likelihood that these lists will exceed in numbers