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T ONDON and NORTH-WESTERN Y J RAILWAY . WHITSUNTIDE ~ EXCURSIONS . CHEAP EXCURSIONS will be run from LONDON as follows : On FRIDAY NIGHT , MAY 15 th , to Leicester , Liver-1 Manchester , Blackburn , Blackpool , Southport , Bolton , North Wales , Chester , Wigan , Preston , Warrington Lancaster , Morecambe , Carnforth , the English Lake District , and many other places , for three and six days ; and to Carlisle , Dumfries , Castle Douglas , Kirkcudbright , EDINBURGH and GLASGOW for four and eight days . On SATURDAY , MAY 16 th , to Birmingham , Coventry , Leamington , Kenilworth , Warwick , Dudley , Dudley Port , Wednesbury , Wolverhampton , Central and South Wales , Aberystwith , Oswestry , Newtown , Borth , Abergavenny , Merthyr , Llandovery , Builth Road , Swansea , & c , for three and six days . On WHIT MONDAY , MAY iSth , to Birmingham , Coventry , Leamington , Kenilworth , Warwick , Dudley , Dudley Port , Wednesbury , and Wolverhampton for one and four days . On THURSDAY MIDNIGHT , MAY 21 st , a Cheap Two Days' Excursion will be run from London to Manchester ( for Manchester Races ) . For times , fares , and full particulars , see handbills , which can be obtained at the Company ' s Stations and Town Parcels' Receiving Offices , and at Messrs . Gaze and Sons' Office , Strand , W . C . G . FINDLAY , General Manager . Euston Station , May , 1891 .

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p REAT WESTERN RAILWAY . WHITSUNTIDE HOLIDAYS . EXCURSION TRAINS will leave PADDINGTON as under : — SATURDAY , MAY 16 th , at 7 . 45 a . m . —For BARNSTAPLE , Ilfracombe , EXETER , Torquay , PLYMOUTH , and other Stations below Exeter . * At y . 15 a . m . —For GLOUCESTER , Cheltenham , Hereford , & c , the principal Stations in SOUTH WALES , and Waterford , and other Stations in South of Ireland . Passengers return May 25 th , except those to Ireland , who return any day to June 1 st , inclusive . At 10 . 45 a . m . for NEWBURY , Marlborough , Devizes , Frome , Wells , Yeovil , Dorchester , WEYMOUTH , & C * At 11 . 30 a . m . —For SHREWSBURY , Hereford , Manchester , CHESTER , Birkenhead , LIVERPOOL , & C , to return May iSth or 21 st ; also for Cheltenham , WORCESTER , Malvern , & c , to return May 21 st . At 12 . 20 p . m . —For Bridgewater , TAUNTON , Minehead , Sc * At 1 . 55 and 7 . 15 p . m . —For BATH , BRISTOL , & C , to return Slay iSth , 19 th , and 25 th , or June ist . At 0 . 50 p . m . —For Oxford , Leamington , BIRMINGHAM , Wolverhampton , & c , to return May iSth or 21 st . WHIT SUNDAY , atS . io a . m . —For SWINDON , Sntouu , STOREHOUSE , GLOUCESTER , CHELTENHAM , & C , to return same day , May iSth or 25 th . WHIT MONDAY , at 6 . 5 a . m ., for Swindon , Stroud , Stonehouse , Gloucester , Cheltenham , & c , to return same day or May 25 th . At 6 . 15 a . m . —For BATH , BRISTOL , & C , to returnsame day , May 19 th , 25 th , or June 1 st . At 6 . 20 a . m . —For OXFORD , Leamington , BIRMINGHAM , Wolverhampton , & c , to return same day , or on May 21 st . At 7 . 40 a . m . —For MAIDENHEAD , READING , Hunger'wd , Didcot , & c , to return same day . 'Passengers return May 25 th or June 1 st , but in most cases they can on payment of 20 per cent , on the fares , Wh- 0 n " '" tervening Saturdays or Sundays ( except Whit Sunday ) during the time their tickets are available . During the week p receding Whit Sunday , ordinary and excursion Tickets will be issued at the Company's Offices , ' 93 and 407 , Oxford-street , 23 , New Oxford-street , Holborn Urcus , 26 , Regent-street , 29 , Charing Cross , 5 , Arthur-» reet Last , London Bridge , S 2 , Queen Victoria-street , 43 *™ 44 , Crutchedfriars , 67 , Gresham-street , 4 , Cheapside , and 26 9 , Strand . 1 ' or fares and full particulars see bills obtainable at the company ' s Stations and Offices . HY . LAMBERT , General Manager .

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QREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY , WHITSUNTIDE HOLIDAYS . DAVI . HK ^ M i < 5 th .-CHEAP THREE or SIX PAJ . A ^ CURSIONS will be run from LONDON to aiQutir 1 GE Wisbech , Lynn , Cromer , Norwich , Yar-Stnl-T ' M ncoln ' Leicester , Nottingham , Derby , Burton , Dor ( w w . > Barnsley , Huddersfield , Manchester , Stock-Kefeki arr l"gTton , Liverpool , Wakefield , Leeds , Bradford , linrln „ \ , Halifax > Hull , York , Scarboro ' , Whitby , Brid-GQ & rV , T 7 casUe > & c ., & c . Also to EDINBURGH and L > ATfi ¦ W , ' ^ turning on M inch or 23 rd . ON SAME CURqiAvV HEAP 0 NE TW 0 > or THREE DAYS' EXSuttnn c- " be run fr ° m LONDON to SKEGNESS , WHIT a ' Mablethorpe . CURS A ; ri 0 NDAY MAY iSth .-CHEAP DAY EXHarnenV r ™ be run irom LONDON to ST . ALBANS , "ess Sn »" ' Luton > Dunstable , Hitchin , Cambridge , Skeg-THn £ ? B" 0 n"Sea ' Mablethorpe . 'Wo ruv , X . MIDNIGHT , MAY 2 ist .-A CHEAP to MANpJ , ?^ XCUR SION will be run from LONDON p ^ NCHLS rER ( Races ) . ? l ) tained . a f p fu " Particulars see bills , which can be "ig OffirW Pany ' s Stations and Town Parcels' Receiv-Cl Hand-,, rr Messrs - Swan and Leach , 3 , Charingu 0-, nccadill y-circus . Kino- ' * r HENRY OAKLEY , General Manager . ^ Cross , May , 1891 .

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ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION . ELECTION OF ANNUITANTS , 15 TH MAY , 1 S 91 . SECOND APPLICATION . The VOTES and INTEREST of the Patrons , Governors , and Subscribers are fraternally invited on behalf of MRS . EMMA PAICE BIGGS , Aged 7 6 years , Widow of the late Bro . W ILLIAM BIGGS , P . P . S . G . W . Wilts : P . P . G . Sec . Berks and Bucks , & c , & c . The late Bro . WM . BIGGS was initiated in the Lodge of Israel , No . 205 , in October , 1 S 52 , and for more than 35 years " rendered faithful and distinguished service to the Order "—The Freemason . He was a Life Governor of both Boys' and Girls' Schools , and made his wife and five children Life Governors of the Boys' School . Long illness and severe pecuniary reverses prevented his making provision for his Widow . The case is strongly recommended by many well-known brethren . Votes and proxies will be received by Bro . J W . MARTIN , Town Hall Chambers , Reading , Prov . G . Sec , Berks .

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DAGGED SCHOOL UNION

PATRON—THE QUEEN

THE FORTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL FESTIVAL WILL TAKE PLACE IN EXETER HALL , STRAND , On MONDAY EVENING , MAY 11 th , 1891 , AT SIX O ' CLOCK . THE DUKE OF WESTMINSTER , K . G ., will Preside , and THE DUCHESS OF WESTMINSTER will Distribute Certificates and Prizes for faithful service to 9 60 Senior Scholars .

A Choir chosen from the Prize Winners will sing a Selection of Pieces . Addresses will be given by J . R . DIGGLE , Esq ., M . A ., Chairman of the School Board for London ; the Rev . WILLIAM CUFF , and others . Admission , by Ticket , to be had at the Offices , Exeter Hall , W . C . JOHN KIRK , Secretary . Special Reserve Tickets may be had , 2 s . 6 d . each .

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SUMMER BANQUETS . THE CLARENCE ROOMS of THE HOTEL METROPOLE , BRIGHTON , are Specially Adapted for the SUMMER BANQUETS of Learned Societies , Masonic Lodges , & c . The CLARENCE ROOMS have a Separate Entrance , and contain every possible Comfort and Convenience . Full particulars on application to MANAGER , Hotel Metropole , Brighton .

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NOTICE . In consequence of an unexpected difficulty in reproducing some of the portraits referred to last week , we are unable to give them in the present issue but hope to print some of them in our next .

Unusual pressure on our space compels us to defer publishing all reports of Lodges of Instruction until our next issue .

To Correspondents.

To Correspondents .

The following communications unavoidably stand over : CRAFT LouoEa—Old King's Arms , No . 28 s Integrity , No . 163 ; St . George ' s , No . 243 ; Philanthropic , No . 304 ; United Pilgrims , No . Sol ; Royal Alfred , No . 8 77 ; 'lemperance-in-the-East , No . 8 g 8 ; Newall , No . 113 + ; Urban No . 1196 ; Amherst , No . 1223 ;

United Military , No . 1536 ; Victoria Park , No . 1816 ; Agricola , No . 1991 ; and Richmond , No . 2032 . ROYAL ARCH CHAPTERS . —Sussex , No . 491 ; and Lebanon , No . 1326 . MARK LODGES—Old York ( T . I . ); and Prince Leopold , No . 238 . Jubilee Festival of the Churchill Lodge , No , 478 .

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SATURDAY , MAY 9 , 1891 irWi ^ yff ^ y ^^ v ^^^ WS i ^ ^^

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

The annual distribution of prizes to the successful pupils of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls will take place in the new Alexandra Hall , at the School , Battersea Rise , on Monday next . The chair will be

taken by Bro . Lord Carrington , P . G . M . nominate for Bucks , and Lady Carrington will give away the prizes . There will be the usual calisthenic display , and given fine weather , the gathering in the new hall should prove a great success .

Masonic Notes.

By the way , we have been requested to state that the arrangements on this occasion will be the same as when the Prince of Wales opened the new Hall , and visitors will be admitted only by the principal entrance , which faces Wandsworth Common .

# # # The 103 rd Anniversary Festival of the sa . me Institution will be held at Freemasons' Tavern the day following ( Tuesday ) , under the presidency of Bro . Lord Carrington , when we trust the receipts will prove

sufficient to meet the year ' s expenses . As far as we have heard , the Board of Stewards will be of about the same strength as last year ' s Board , but the circumstances , as we have already more than once pointed out , will not be quite as favourable as they were in

1890 . The " Chairman ' s Province then was a very substantial entity , and compiled a total of over £ 1000 in support of its respected chief , Bro . Sir Francis Burdett , Bart . This year , however , though the Chairman has a Province at his back , it is only a small one , with

12 lodges , not over wealthy—Buckinghamshire being ah agricultural county—and not as yet fully organised . Therefore , though we doubt not that our Bucks brethren

will loyally support their ruler , it would be unjust to expect much from them , the more especially as it is only a few weeks since his lordship undertook to preside . ¦ * * *

Unfortunately , too , there is a rather more numerous contingent than usual of Unattached Stewards , from whom , as a rule , we expect only personal donations , not goodly lists to be returned . We must hope , therefore , that the zeal and energy of the Stewards from

London and the other Provinces will compensate forthe deficiencies we have indicated . If a fair array of threefigure lists is found amongst their Returns , it is possible the total may reach what was announced last year . However , all curiosity as to the result will be set at rest

speedily , and in a manner which we hope will enable the School authorities to tide over the year with the minimum of anxiety on the very important subject of ways and means . We shall be delighted if the total is larger than most people are inclined to expect .

Next week will also be a busy one with the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . The regular meeting of the Committee of Management will be held on Wednesday , when the annual report will be approved , and

on Friday the annual meeting will take place in the great hall of Freemasons' Tavern , and the vacancies on the two funds will be filled by ballot from the approved lists of candidates .

* * * It is needless to say that this election will be a most exciting one . The vacancies , as declared in February and including in each case the deferred annuities , will be 14 on the Male and 12 on the Widows' Fund .

Sundry deaths , however , have occurred in the interval that has since elapsed , and these will also be filled up . The numbers , therefore , to be elected will be not far short of 20 in the case of the Male , and some 15 or 16 in that of the Widows' Fund . Unfortunately the

candidates , especially for the latter , are very largely in excess of the vacancies , there being 66 approved rrien candidates , and 81 women candidates , so that success

will only be obtained after the most strenuous exertions on the part of the friends and supporters of the old people . * # #

Happily in the case of the Benevolent Institution there are no last cases , that is to say , no candidates whose names will be removed from the lists in the event of their failing to win places among the successful within a certain prescribed limit as regards age . Once a candidate ,

always a candidate , until success crowns his or her endeavours , or death puts an end once and for all to his or her anxiety about the result of a 9 th or 19 th ballot . But , though a name is never removed from a list on the

score of age , there are many instances in which the hope of success is deferred for so many years that the heart of the poor old brother or widow must be sick unto death , even though grim Death itself may not have put an end to his or her hopes and fears .

f- * T Thus out of 66 candidates on the male list , one has been ten years before the Governors , another nine years , a third eight years , a fourth seven years , two five years , and eight for no less than four years . Of the 81 widow candidates , two have been on the list for n

years and two for nine years , three for ei ght years , five for seven years , three for six years , two for five years , and 11 for no less than fouryears . Several of these have votes

to their credit and in such numbers that with reasonabl y good management on the part of their friends they may look for a successful issue on Friday next . But l he vacancies are sadly few and even a liberal poll on