Analysis Of The Returns.

raising the splendid sum cf £ , 2214 iSs . gd . At this Anniversary 27 of its lodges and three of its Royal Arch chapters were represented , while as many as 51 brethren did duty as Stewards . The year ' s total reached . £ 2317 16 s . 3 d ., a sum of £ Si 17 s . 6 d . having been raised for the Benevolent Institution in February and £ 21 for this School in May . It must , too be remembered that this excellent work followed immediately after a still larger total of £ 2608 55 .

which had been subscribed in 1892 , of which the Benevolent Jubilee absorbed all but £ 290 2 s . 6 d . Yet jn February six Stewards , of whom one half were lodge representatives , and the other half Unattached , compiled a total of £ 158 2 s . and , on Wednesday , 13 brethren and one lady , of whom three were Unattached , and the others represented ten lodges and a Royal Arch Chapter , compiled the large amount of £ Hi $ 13 s . 63 . the principal items

, being £ 200 raised by Bro . N . Fortescue , C . C , representing the William Shurmur Lodge , No . 2374 , Chingford ; . £ 150 by Bro . H . F . Bromhead , who acted for Lodge , No . 2501 and also for the Beaconsfield Lodge , No . 1662- £ 105 from St . John ' s Lodge , No . 1343 , Grays , per Bro . F . S . Guy ; and . £ 63 from the Warner Chapter , No . 2256 , Chingford , per Comp . T . Scoresby-Jackson . Well done , Essex 1

Ten Stewards hailed from the Province of GLOUCESTERSHIRE , of whom one—Bro . R . V . Vassar-Smith , the D . P . G . M . —was Unattached , while the other nine acted on behalf of six out of the 15 lodges on the roll . The total obtained by these brethren reached £ 249 16 s ., which , with the £ 73 ios . contributed to the Benevolent Festival in February makes the total thus far for the

present year £ 323 6 s . In 1893 the Province was content with a modest display , the sums raised for the three Festivals in the order of their occurrence , namely , £ 5835 . 6 d ., . £ 147 , and £ 99 15 s ., amounting only to £ 304 18 s . 6 d . But this was consequent upon the heavier labours of the preceding year , when £ 63 was raised for the Benevolent Jubilee and £ 1645 1 is . in support of Bro . Sir M . E . Hicks-Beach ' s chairmanship at the Boys' School Festival ; the total for 1892 being thus placed at the very high figure of £ 1708113 .

Of the 48 lodges contained in the Province of HAMPSHIRE AND THE ISLE OF WIGHT , there were exactly 12 represented , but the number of Stewards was only nine , Bro . G . A . Mursell having under his charge Lodges Nos . 35 , 151 , and 2169 , while Bro . James Jenkins did duty for Nos . 487 and 106 9 . The total compiled by these brethren was £ 448 6 s ., the chief items biing £ 78 15 s . raised by Bro . E . W . Ward , of the Lodge of Economy , No . 76 , Winchester ; £ 73 ios . by Bro . J .

Knowks , Prince Edward of Saxe-Wtimar Lodge , No . 1903 , Portsmouth ; and £ 63 by Bro . Mursell , of Nos . 35 , 151 , and 2196 , all located in the Isle of Wight ; and Bro . J . W . Gieve , No . 309 , respectively . In February five Stewards , of whom four represented lodges and one was Unattached , returned . £ 208 18 s . 6 d ., so that the Province is in a lair way to equal if not surpass last year ' s total of , £ 680 4 s . In 1892 , when the Benevolent Jubilee was celebrated , the Stewards' efforts yielded . £ 1650 17 s . 6 d ., while in 1891 they raised the smaller yet respectable amount of . £ 695 ns . 6 d-

The Returns from HERTFORDSHIRE are on a more moderate scale than in February . Then five ledges and a chapter sent up Stewards , the representative of the Gresham Lodge , No . 86 9 , Cheshunt , being a lady , and there was one who acted independently , the sum they together raised being . £ 464 gs . 6 d . On Wednesday four lodges were represented by as many brethren , and there were four Stewards , including Bro . and Mrs . Keyser ,

Unattached . The sum raised was £ 216 19 s 6 d ., making the year ' s total so far £ 6 Si 9 s . In 18 93 the amount contributed was £ 2106 14 s ., of which . £ 1444 13 s . 6 d . was in support of Bro . Keyser ' s chairmanship at the Benevolent Festival , £ , " 257 5 s . for the Girls' School , and £ 404 15 s . 6 d . for the Boys' School . In 1 S 92 the tolal reached £ 2135 6 s . 6 d ., of which . £ 188 3 6 s . 6 d . was contributed to the Benevolent Jubilee . This is good work for a Province of 21 lodges . It rarely happens that the sum contributed by

KENT is on such a modest scale as it was on Wednesday , when , though the number of Stewards was nine , of whom seven were lodge representatives and two Unattached , the sum of their liyts was only £ 239 16 s . 6 d . This , however , is to be explained hy the scheme now in progress to raise the sum of £ 1050 with which to purchase a Perpetual Presentation to this Institution , in order to commemorate the signal

services rtndeted to Masonry generally , but more parlicularly in Kent , by Bro . Jas . S . Eastes , P . G . D ., D . P . G . M . Still , the year will not be an unfruitful one . There is talk of a large subscription to the Boys' School next month , while in February Bro . Terry had the satisfaction of including in his Returns the sum of . £ 5 82 17 s . Thus the total of £ 820 13 s . 6 d . has already been reached , and there is no doubt the average of the last half dozen years will be maintained .

There are many who will consider that LANCASHIRE EAST , with its formic " able array of 107 lodges , and as the immediate neighbour of the ' Chairman ' s Province , ' might have exerted itself more on this occasion . A contingent of 13 Stewards , representing 10 lodges with one brother unattached , is not a strong one , nor is the amount they raised , . £ 292 19 s ., large . But a sum of £ 290 Ss . 4 d .

was raised in February by an equal number of Stewards , and wc shall doubtless have a third list to record next month in respect of the Boys' School , furnishing an aggregate very considerably in excess of last year ' s , which was under £ 400 . In 1892 the grand total was . £ 2824 15 s ., out of which £ 266 7 5 s . was raised by 6 7 Stewards for the Benevolent Jubilee . In 1 S 91 it was £ 1278 os . 61 , the Boys '

School being benefited to the extent of £ 968 12 s . ; the Benevolent Institution with £ 126 ; and the Girls' School with £ 18 3 8 s . 6 d . Add to this that the East Lancashire Educational and Benevolent Institution is maintained in a state of admirable efficiency , and we understand the more clearly why this large Province is not invariably represented in proportion to its numerical strength . But what shall wc say as regards

LANCASHIRE WEST , which also had 107 lodges on its roll , and was on this occasion in the place of honour among the Provinces ? In this case the munificent contribution of . & 6126 14 s . 4 d . to the Boys' School Festival , at Brighton , in 1891—when Lord Lathom , Prov . G . M ., was the Chairman—is still so fresh in the minds of our readers , that , here again , we have no difficulty in picturing to ourselves the

disappointment which many will experience at finding that so large a contingent of Stewards as 74—among whom we include the Chairman himself and two ladies—• 'hould succeed in compiling no higher total than £ . 2500 , more especially as the hodies represented comprised 39 lodges , two R . A . chapters , and a Mark lodge . Yet •lie subscription is a handsome one , and if it is small by comparison with the total ¦ ' the memorable Boys' School Anniversary in 18 91 , it is indisputable that the big

"guns compihd on that occasion , with the ever-present and ever-pressing requirements of its three Provincial Masonic Institutions , furnish the key to the ^ iiallness of the present total . As lo thc constituent items of the full Returns , we notice that the Chairman figures for £ 224 ios ., liro . W . Goot ' - ** cre , representing the Province , fur , £ 157 ios ., and Bro . Robert Wylie , D . P . G . M ., for £ " 131 5 s . St . George ' s Lodge , No . 32 , Liverpool , had seven Stewards , whose lists amounted to , £ 279 14 s ., Bro . Lord Skelmersdale , W . M .,

Analysis Of The Returns.

raising £ 84 , and Bro . S . G . Sinclair £ 132 14 s . Bro . J . M . McLeod , No . 113 , Secretary of the Bays' School , raised £ 115 ios . Bro . Capt . Murray , Past Grand Treasurer of England , Linds . iy Lodge , No . 1335 . Wigan , ^ £ 115 ios ., and Bro . Thos . Forrester , West Lancashire Century Lodge , No . 2349 , Blackpool , £ 169 is ., while the five Stewards of the Lodge of Peace , No . 2269 , Wigan , made up amongst them £ 52 ios . Last year , the sum of £ 777 3 s . was distributed in

iairly equal proportion among the three Charities ; in 1892 , the sum total , including £ 1197 8 s . 6 d . for the Benevolent Jubilee , was £ 16 97 145 . 6 d . ; while in 1 S 91 , the year ' s aggregate reached the immense sum of £ 6341 19 s . 4 d . It is not necessary we should travel further back in order to demonstrate the loyalty of VVest Lancashire to our Central Masonic Charities , or to its present chief whenever he takes upon himself the responsibility of presiding at one of these anniversary gatherings .

LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND , having but 14 lodges on its roll , has not unwisely adopted the policy of giving each institution in turn its chief support , there being every now and then a few stray Life Governorships which find their way into the coffers of one or both of the others . This year the Girls' School has been taking its turn , and Bro . John Harrison , the official representative of the Province , had the satisfaction of handing

in the capital list of £ 320 , which Rro . Porter-Keats , acting for one of the lodges , increased to £ 330 ios . Last year the Boys' School was favoured to the extent of £ 26 7 ios ., and in 18 92 the Old People with £ 388 ios . ; while in 1891 the Girls'School received £ 178 10 s ., and the Old People £ 70 63 . 6 J . In February last the latter Charity was presented by an Unattached Steward with £ 21 , so tint the total for 1 S 74—unless a stray supporter or two should turn up next month at the Boys ' Festival—will stand at £ 35 1 ios .

There is no doubt that MIDDLESEX is a generous friend of all our Charities , but it has always struck us that the Girls' School has been the most favoured of the three , probably from the fact that the late Bro . R . Wentworth Little , who took a prominent part in Middlesex Freemasonry , was Secretary of the Institution . At all events , on Wednesday it gave a very substantial token of its affection by raising the useful sum of £ 456 g ** .,

in the compilation of which nine of its 39 lodges represented by 11 Steward- * , and a brother Unattached , took part . The most valuable list was that of Bro . Arthur Blenkarn , representing the Bushey Park Lodge , No . 2381 , Hampton Court , for £ 115 ios ., while Bro . J . W . Clarke , of the Hemmm )* Lodge , No . 1512 , which meets in the same locality , stood next in order with £ 8 9 13 s ., and Bro . W . H . Reed , of the Royal Union Lodge , No . 3 S 2 , Uxbridge , third , with £ 53 11 s . In February , Bros . John Mason and W . A . Brown , of the Elliot Lodge , No . 1567 ,

Feltham , returned a joint list of £ 160 18 s . to the Benevolent Institution . Last year the amounts subscribed to the three Charities reached £ 630 18 s ., the Boys ' School obtaining the lion's share in the shape of £ 417 13 s . 61 . In 1892 , including £ 1315 9 s . 6 d . raised for the Benevolent Jubilee , the total was £ 1619 15 s . 6 J ., while in 1891 the Province was comparatively idle , the sums it raised amounting to £ 540 2 s . ; but in 1890 , when the late lamented Bro . Sir F . Burdett , Bart ., P . G . M ., presided at the Festival of this Institution , the year ' s total , including just over £ 1000 to the favoured Charity , was £ 1337 15 s .

MONMOUTHSHIRE is one of those moderate-sized Provinces , which gives support to each Institution in turn . In 1888 it gave its chief support to the Old People , for whom it raised £ 438 3 s ., there being a supplementary subscription of £ 94 IOI . towards the Girls ' Centenary . In 1889 the Boys' School obtained £ 300 , and in 1890 the Girls ' School £ 247 . The following year the Old People again had their turn with

subscriptionsamounting to £ 325 is ., while in 18 92 £ 316 l 8 f . was raised for " Our Boys , " with a supplementary £ 21 to the Benevolent Jubilee . In 18 93 there was raised for the latter Institution £ 272 8 s . 6 . I ., and on Wednesday the Girls' School , which seems to have been displaced last year , was favoured with £ 257 , Bro . Forsyth , whose list reached £ 73 IOJ ., doing duty for the Province generally , while six out of the 10 lodges made up the balance , Bro . A . H . Oliver ' s £ 60 from the Isca Lodge , No . 683 , Monmouth , being the largest item .

The small but useful contribution of £ 73 ios . was furnished by the two Unattached Stewards , who represented the Province of

NORTH WALES . and its 19 lodges , the veteran Bro , C . K . Benson being responsible for £ 52 ios ., and his asscciate Steward , Bro . E . Blane , for the remaining £ 21 . In February , Bros . Benson and Coxhead raised £ 36 3 s . for the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , but last year the Schools received a considerable share of support , seven Stewards compiling

£ 180 12 s . for this Institution in May , and eight Stewards , £ 294 6 s . for the sister Charity at Wood Green the month following , Bro . Benson being a Steward on both occasions . In 1892 the total was somewhat higher , and all three Charities were favoured , the Benevolent Institution at its Jubi ' . e ; Festival with £ 224 14 s . ; the Girls' School with £ 36 15 s . and the Boys' School with £ 234 3 s .

Owing to the presence of Bro . the Earl of Euston , P . G . M ., am jng the Stewards on Wednesday , his Province of

NORTHANTS AND H UNTS . was not included among the absentees , but none of its 13 lodges took part in the proceedings . However , in February the representatives of six lodges and a chapter with the Prov . G . Master amassed a total of £ 202 7 s . for the Old People , the support this year being less considerable in consequence of Lord Euston having presided at the Girls' 1 ' estival in 1893 , when his Province raised £ 1050 , while the total for the year was £ 1107 15 s . His Lordship's Return on Wednesday was £ 2 . 6 5 s .

As regards OXFORDSHIRE and ils little band of 12 lodges , wc have repeatedly remarked on the consistency and liberality of its support ; indeed , we should have some difficulty in discovering a Festival during the past 20 years at which it was not represented by , at least , two or three Stewards and did not contribute some £ 60 or £ 70 at thc very lowest . In the three years immediately preceding 1891 the total ot its

contributions to the three Charities averaged £ 439 Ss ., in 1891 it amounted to £ 414 ss . In 1892 , the year of the Benevolent Jubilee , the total was £ 631 19 s . 6 d ., of which £ 428 7 s . was raised for the Jubilee , while the balance was about equally divided between the Schools . In 1 S 93 , the total was £ 440 4 s . 6 d ., this Institution being the least fortunate , with £ 124 17 s . 6 d ., and the Old People the most fortunate , with £ 175 13 s . 6 d . In February , the five lodges that sent up Stewards gave £ 122 16 s . 6 d ., while on Wednesday , though the Stewards were seven in number and represented as many lodges , the total was only £ 91 18 s . 6 d . The career of

SHROPSHIRE as a separate Province has been most creditable . It has not taken part in all the Festivals which have been held since its Prov . G . M . was appointed to office , but it has figured to good puipose whenever it has put in an appearance , and on three occasions certainly , it has very greatly distinguished itself . Thus , when Bro .

Sir O . Wakeman , Bart ., presided in 1 . S 87 at thc 99 th Anniversary of this School Shropshire backed him well with £ 1022 7 s ., and at its Centenary the year following it raised £ 770 15 s . In 1 S 92 it contributed £ 455 93 . 6 d . to the Benevolent Jubilee , the total raised during the year being £ 615 19 s . 6 d . It was among the absentees from the Old People ' s Festival in February , but on Wednesday Bro . Crump , as the Provincial representative , handed in the useful list of £ 34 13 s ,