The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

Allow mc to say , this Institution is flourishing , not because it has funds of its own which are not dependent on voluntary contributions , because without it has some funds of that description , I will show you

in one moment that it cannot depend alone on that source for success . At present , there are no old men who are supported by this Institution , and there arc 74 widows of Freemasons . And I am sure that we shall not

feel that we ought to help them the less than we have helped their husbands , because women require more assistance than men . There are 74 widows upon the funds of the Institution . Now , these persons get , men £ 26

a year—no very large annuity , allow mc to say , although I believe it amply sufficientand the widows . £ 25 . Now that comes to a very large sum in the whole year , and of that there is now supplied by permanent

income from Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter funds and so forth , ^ 2057 ; but the whole expenses of the Institution are £ 4700 and upwards . This is merely , remember , for annuities ; therefore you will perceive that more than half of the funds of this

Institution depend upon voluntary subscriptions . Now , brethren , I do not think I am wrong in frankly stating to you the state of the case , because you will sec what there is to be done in the Institution : for I have

not mentioned working expenses and all other things that come in like that . Brethren , I hope you will agree with me that this Institution deserves support , and you will show by your support that you coincide with me in that opinion . ( Cheers . )

Bro . Farnfield ( Secretary ) then read the lists of subscriptions which amounted in the aggregate to £ 3567 3 s . 6 d ., with five lists to come in : ( Cheers . )

The Chairman said : Brethren , I have much pleasure in announcing to you that the total amount of the lists is £ 3567 3 s . 6 d ., and I must also add that there arc five lists

yet to come in . Now , brethren , such a list as this deserves a toast , and a toast requires some one to respond to it , and therefore I shall call upon one who is as fit as any one can be to respond to it , the Grand Treasurer , Bro . Tomkins .

Bro . Tomkins , in response , said : My lord , ladies , and brethren , it is with very great pleasure , as the Treasurer of this noble and useful charity and on this occasion as representing all the executive officers

who take a deep interest in the welfare of this charity , that I rise to thank you for the kindness which you have shown on this occasion , and for the way in which this toast has been proposed by his lordship and

received by you . As his lordship s health will shortly be proposed by some brother in my neighbourhood , I will pass that point by which otherwise I should have alluded to ; but I would rather take up the question of

the charity of the Craft , and the charity of the Craft is directed to this noble object . It would indeed be a great blot for the Institution if there were no fund for their aged and widows . I feel heartily grateful , and I

am sure every brother who has an interest in the charity participates in the same feeling of gratitude , when he sees how an appeal is made to the Craft and how nobly it is responded to by the Craft on this and

on similar occasions . It is a very great gratification to every Freemason to see how nobly our charities are supported , and while it is a great satisfaction that this and other

chanties should be supported as they are , I think it is the duty of your executive to renind you that of late years the Craft has been greatly increasing in numbers . ( Hear , heir . ) As it has been increasing , the calls

The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

on the charity have been more numerous than before , and therefore your charities are hardly adequate to the demands made upon them . Every Steward who has come forward has performed a simple duty , and I

am sure he has clone so with a great deal of pleasure ; but I would request every Steward and every brother to disseminate , as far as they can , among their friends and acquaintances the necessity for continued

and renewed exertions in the future , for the great increase in the number of Freemasons cause great demands . In future years it may be larger than in past years . Therefore , brethren , while thanking you heartily for the kindness and liberalitv with which

you subscribe to this charity , I pray you not to relax your exertions , but , if possible , to increase them , that wc may provide future resources for demands that may be made upon us in future years . ( Cheers . )

Bro . Frank Elmore here sang in beautiful style " The Woodman ' s Son . " Colonel F . Burdctt , Prov . Grand Master of Middlesex , proposed " The Health of the Chairman , " and in doing so , alluded to that

nobleman ' s great popularity , not only in the northern counties , where he was a Provincial Grand Master , but in London . He had done everything in his power to advance the interests of Masonry , and had taken a

prominent part in the Charities , which were a bright ornament to the Order . He ( Colonel Burdett ) congratulated him on the

birth 01 a son , and hoped that some day or other that son would be initiated in Masonry , and become as great an ornament to it as his father .

The toast having been drunk , The Chairman said : Ladies and Brethren , I cannot adequately thank you for the very kind way in which my health has been proposed and received this evening . It is

no mere form of speech to say that I am most grateful to you for the kindness which you have extended to me , and the way in which you have received me , because I am conscious of many defects in my occupancy

of this chair . ( No , no . ) It is the first time that I have had the honour of presiding at one of these Masonic festivals ; it is only the second time that I have had the pleasure of being present at one of them ; and ,

therefore , if I have not performed all the duties which were incumbent on me , I ask you to forgive me , and to take the will for the deed . ( Cheers . ) I thank you very heartily , brethren , once and for all , for the

kindness which you have shown to mc . I trust that this may not be the last time we may meet here . ( Cheers . ) I thank you for having made my tenure of this office an illustrious one to me , both by the numbers

in which you have come and the amount of the lists , which , I am told , i . ; greater by far than usual . I thank especially the reds ( as Colonel Burdett calls them ) for coming here . I have great sympathy with the reds

in every position , both in the hunting-field and in the army , and I am most gratified and feel myself much honoured by their presence here this evening ; and if you will allow me , brethren , I will now take the

opportunity of thanking the brethren of Northumberland for the way in which they have supported me . They have not done the province discredit . Brethren , I know that you have heard quite enough of my

voice now . ( No , no . ) Icanonlyapologi . se to you for being obliged to force myself so much upon your notice , and in all sincerity , I say , I think I shall be doing you a favour by taking my seat . The Chairman next proposed "The other Masonic Charities , " and in doing so ,

The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

said he hoped ' the brethren would drink the toast with as much cordiality as they had the others . He was not there to advocate the other Masonic Charities , but he might tell the brethren that the Earl of

Shrewsbury and Talbot would preside at the Boys School on the 13 th March , and the Grand Master at the Girls' on the 8 th May . He

understood that both those Institutions had already got good lists , and he hoped they would be supported as well as this Benevolent Fund had been .

Bro . Binckes said that , as representing the Boys' School , he offered his sincere thanks to the brethren who were supporting him . He congratulated Bro . Farnfield on the success of this festival , and said that ,

without any feelings of jealousy , he wished for similar support . He was happy to say that the aged Freemasons were well taken care of , and he was pleased to inform the brethren that the boys and girls were

equally well cared for . The support afforded to the Charities was excellent , and he was sorry that Bro . Patten was incapacitated by illness from being present to acknowledge the encouragement given to

the Girls' School . He strongly urged the brethren to come forward , and wipe off the debt of ^ 5 , 000 which was hanging over the " unfortunate Institution of which he was the unfortunate Secretary , " and as an

individual demonstration of thankfulness for the recovery of the Prince of Wales let brethren in their lodges not indulge in banquets , but offer the price as a thanksgiving , and so reduce the debt on the Boys ' School .

The Chairman then gave " The Health of the Ladies , " for which Bro . R . J . Spiers , of Oxford , replied , and "The Stewards , " to which Bro . Raynham W . Stewart , acting President of the Board , responded , and the

company afterwards adjourned to the Temple , where they enjoyed a concert , conducted by Bro . Wilhelm Ganz , Grand Organist , in which Miss Banks , Miss Janet Haydon , and Miss Alice Fairman , with

Bros . George Perrcn , Frank Elmore , J . B . Ciabiatta , and Chaplin Henry took part . Signor Scudcri performed on the violin . The pianoforte was lent by Messrs . Erard . The entertainment was kept up till a late hour .

The banquet was well supplied by Mr . Francatelli , the manager of the Freemasons ' Tavern Company , and did great credit to his arrangements . Universal satisfaction

was expressed with everything ; and the wines especially , the arrangement of which was entrusted to Bro . Thomas Meggy , as Wine Steward , met with general

approbation . Mr . Goodchild was toastmaster .

Valuable Work On The Ancient Constitutions Of The Freemasons.

VALUABLE WORK on the ANCIENT CONSTITUTIONS of the FREEMASONS .

Bro . W . J . Hughan , of Truro , Cornwall , is now preparing for the press a work to be entitled , " The old Charges of British Freemasons . " The celebrated manuscript belonging to the timciinniemorial Lodge of Antiquity , of 1686 , will be

published , having been carefully transcribed especially for Bro . Hughan ' s work , and a facsimile page will form the frontispiece . This MS . has not hitherto been published , and much interest centres in this document . Other MSS .

will also be inserted , and a careful resume of all the known MSS ., or Constitutions , will form the first part of this important book . The work , we understand , will be dedicated

( by permission ) to the Marquis of Ripon , K . G ., M . W . G . M . As only a limited number will be issued , brethren should apply at once to the author for copies , which will be sold sAfive shillings each ,