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wisdom and self-restraint than retiring Grand Master J OHNSON seems to do , and avoid another nonsensical exhibition . Wc shall recur to the subject next week . * * * ON Monday morning , the nth inst ., Bro . THOMAS CHENERY , the Editorin-Chief of the Times , died somewhat suddenly in his chambers at Serjeants ' Inn . He was initiated into Freemasonry in the Panmure Lodge , No . 1017 ,

now 715 ( of which lodge Bro . Henry Muggeridae was the first Master and Secretary for many years ) , on the 19 th May , 1 S 60 , and raised to the Third Degree on the 21 st of July following , Bro . CHENERY was not only the able and talented Editor of the Times , but a deeply read scholar , who added to his classical and mathematical attainments a large acquaintance with Arabic , Hebrew , and other oriental languages . Educated at Eton he went to Cambridge and there became the centre of a brilliant circle of students . He was

highly respected and esteemed in the lodge , and his death will be much regretted by a large number of brethren and friends . Bro . CHENERY was a very genial man , and a most sincere friend . Indeed , very few persons were aware of his private generosity and Iarge-heartedness , as the " public " never heard of either . He sacrificed his life to duty , and died at his post , leaving his chambers at 9 p . m . daily , and walking home in the early morning for many years . He will be a great loss to the Times and journalistic literature .

* * # "THE history of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , " by Bro . ABBOTT , which has for some time been appearing in our columns , is now procurable in pamphlet form at our office , and that of the Institution itself , for the modest price of one shilling . We naturally can hardly well say more of it here than that it gives a clear and concise view of what from humbler beginnings has become a very great , very valuable , and most useful Institution .

The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

{ Concluded from page 69 . ) On the decease of this most worthy brother , it was resolved to found a " John Hervey Memorial , " and the proceeds—about £ 800—having been invested in Government Stock , were handed over to the Institution , with a view to the annual interest being apportioned among the four

unsuccessful Candidates , two being Men and two Women , who stand highest on the poll at each successive election . The assignment of the fund to this purpose is the more appropriate from the fact of Bro . Hervey having , for a ong term of years , played a leading part in the government of the Charity , One other proposition of a somewhat similar character may be mentioned .

namely , the Huyshe Perpetual Presentation Fund , established by the Province of Devon as a memorial to the late Brother Rev . John Huyshe , M . A ., Past G . Chaplain , who had for many years conducted its affairs with so much advantage to the Craft and such signal credit to himself . The Fund in question , as our readers arc aware , has been assigned to one of the

Schools , but at the time its establishment was in contemplation , Bro . J . E , Curteis , presumably as a matter of courtesy , addressed a letter to Bro . Terry , with a view to ascertaining what sum must be paid in order to secure to the

Province the right of perpetual presentation to the Male Fund . The proposal was very carefully considered , and in the result it was decided that the amount lo be so paid must be sufficient to yield an income of £ 40 per annum , that being the amount yearly payable to a Male Annuitant .

The foregoing incidents in the story of the Benevolent Institution have been grouped together advisedly . With the exception of the "John Hervey Memorial , " which benefits sundry of the candidates , and the second of the points raised by Lodge No . 261 , Taunton , they have had little or no effect on the fortunes or constitution of the Charity , while as to the place thev should

occupy in this narrative , it matters very little where they are introduced . But in dealing with the events which still remain to be described , it will be as well if we revert to our old plan of noting them pretty much in the order of their sequence . Indeed , as regards the Festivals and the elections by which they are severally followed , no other course would convey as emphatic an

idea of the amazing progress made by this the youngest of our Masonic Institutions . Thus in 18 G 2 , when the Earl de Grey and Ripon occupied the chair for the first time , there was a very large decline in the amount of the subscriptions announced , and the number of Annuitants remained stationary . But in 1863 , when Bro . John Havers , then G . Junior Warden , presided , the

total announced was £ 2203 , and on the strength of the additional £ 200 or thereabouts , the Committee recommended a slight but serviceable increase rom 78 to 79 Old Men , and from 45 to 47 Old Wo men Annuitants . In January , 1864 , the Dukeof St . Albans , then Provincial Grand Master of Lincolnshire , kindly gave his services as Chairman , and the amount

subscribed was £ 2375 . In the May following , the Male Annuitants were raised to 80 , but there was no increase on the Widows' Fund . In 1865 , the Earl de Grey and Ripon presided for the second time , and so successful was the appeal that he made on the occasion , that it was arranged the numbers to be

borne on the two Funds should henceforth be 8 4 Males and 50 Females . In 1866 , when Bro . Col . H . A . Bowyer , Prov . Grand Master of Oxfordshire , was in the chair , there was once again a diminution in the total announced , the aggregate result being ultimately stated at rather more than . £ 3017 . Under these circumstancesthe number of Male Annuitants remained

unaltered , but that of the Widows was increased to 53 . Early in 1867 , the old system of granting Annuities according to a sliding scale was done away with , and it was resolved that the Annuities paid out of both Funds should be Uniform in amount , the Old Men to be paid £ 26 per annum , and the Old Women , £ 25 , the men receiving £ 30 to be left in undisturbed enjoyment to

the superior sum . This somewhat increased the outlay on the Widows ' Fund , and as the Festival under the presidency of Lord de Tabley , Prov . Grand Master of Cheshire , only yielded £ 2692 , it must be admitted that the prospect for the approved candidates was not encouraging . However , on the advice of the revision Sub-Committee , it had been resolved to appro-

The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

priate two-thirds of the Life Donations towards the payment of annuities , and so the males were increased to 88 and the females to 56 . At the Festival of 1 S 6 S , Bro . Alexander Dobie , Prov . G . M . Surrey , occupied the chair , and the amount announced was £ 3128 ; in May 5 men and 7 widows were added to the Funds . The Earl of Carnarvon , Prov . G . M . Somersetshire , was President

at the Festival in 1 S 69 , but the result announced was under £ 2220 . However , better fortune attended the efforts made in the years 1 S 70 and 1 S 71 , in the former of which the sum of £ 3266 was raised , the Chairman being Sir Daniel Gooch , Bart ., M . P ., P . G . M . Berks and Bucks , while in the latter , under the presidency of Bro . Samuel Tomkins , G . Treasurer and Treasurer of the Institution , instead of Col . F . Burdett , Prov . G . M . Middlesex , the

sum announced was £ 3377 , afterwards increased to £ 3514 . In 1072 , at the last Festival held during the Secretaryship of the late Bro . Famfield , the services of Earl Percy , M . P ., Prov . G . M . Northumberland , were placed at the disposal of the Institution , over £ 3577 being raised for its purposes , and the number of Annuitants borne on the two Funds together was increased to 193 , namely , 115 Men and 7 8 Women .

The remaining Festivals have taken place under the auspices of Bro . Terry , who , towards the close of 1872 , succeeded Bro . Famfield in the Secretaryship . They one and all tell the same tale of active and successful exertion on behalf of the Institution , and together present results which , if not unsurpassable , are well nigh unexampled in the history of British Charitable Institutions . One piece of good fortune occurred on the very

threshold of Bro . Terry s new career . The Prince of Wales had not long previously accepted the position of Patron of the Charity , and in that capacity he very graciously consented to occupy the chair at the new Secretary ' s first Festival , in February , 1873 . The Board of Stewards numbered 185 brethren , and the result , as first announced , presented the large total of £ 6 S 6 G , which was subsequently increased to close on £ 7000 . The result did not

materially affect the election in May , no alteration being made in the number of Male Annuitants ( 115 ) , though that of the Widows was increased from 78 to 82 . This , however , may be accounted for by the increase made in the amount of the Annuities , which in the case of the Old Men had just before been raised from £ 26 to £ 36 , and in that of the Old Women from £ 25 to £ 28 . Other changes in connection with the Annuitants were made about the

same time , one of them being to the effect that the independent income of a Male applicant must not exceed £ 40 , and that of a Female applicant £ 30 per annum . In January , 1 S 74 , when the President of the day was Lord Waveney , Prov . G . M . Suffolk , the efforts of the 135 Stewards resulted in a subscription of £ 5063 , subsequentl y raised to £ 5220 . Thereupon the Committee increased the Male Annuitants to 120 and the Females to 88 . In

1875 , the late Earl of Shrewsbury and lalbot , Prov . u . M . Staffordshire , presided . The Stewards were 175 in number , and the total of the lists £ 7020 . With such a result the Committee recommended an increase of 10 Men and 12 Women , raising the former to 130 and the latter to 100 . In 1876 , Lord Skelmcrsdale—now Earl of Lathom—Prov . G . M . West Lancashire , occupied the chair , when , with a Board of Stewards 215 strong , a total of £ 9380 was

raised . This still greater success induced the Committee to increase the Male Annuities to , £ , 40 , and the Female Annuities to £ 32 , while an addition of 10 was made to the number of Widows , the roll ot Annuitants being 130 Men and 110 Women . In 1877 , the chair was to have been taken by Prince Leopold , Prov . G . M . Oxfordshire and G . J . Warden of England , but at the last moment His Royal Highness ' s health failed him , and the late

Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot very kindly supplied his place , the aggregate of subscriptions being £ i 3 , 36 S . In these circumstances , the Committee made a bold plunge , and 15 Annuitants were added to each Fund , making the numbers respectively 145 Males and 125 Females . In 1878 , when the chair was taken by the Duke of Manchester , Prov . G . M . Norths and Hunts , there were 225 Stewards and a subscription of £ l 1 , 333 . Therefore , having

regard to what had latterly been done , the Annual Meeting contented itself with sanctioning a moderate increase on the Widow ' s Fund , the number borne on which was raised to 135 , while the men remained as before , at 145 . In 1879 the ruler of our largest Province , Col . Starkie , Prov . G . M . East Lancashire , took the chair , and his appeal , backed up by the exertions of the 294 Stewards , resulted in the collection of . £ 14 , 386 , the Chairman ' s

Province taking the lead with a round sum of £ 3500 . As a result , the two Funds were equalised in point of numbers , there being on each 145 persons in receipt of the benefits provided by the Charity . The following year , the Earl of Zetland , Prov . G . M . North and East Yorkshire , presided , and the 230 Stewards brought in £ 12 , 280 ; as there were 31 Male and 47 Female candidates , the numbers on the two Funds were increased to iso

and 155 respectively . In 1881 , Sir H . Edwards , Bart ., Prov . G . M . of the contiguous Province of West Yorkshire , enacted the part of President , and as some 400 brethren supported him as Stewards , it is not surprising that the total of Subcriptions should have amounted to . £ 14 , 360 , the Chairman ' s Province following the example of East Lancashire on a previous similar occasion , and contributing a round £ 3 , 500 . At the election

in the month of May following , the 1 'unds were extended , and the prescribed annuities were paid to 155 Men and 160 Women . In 1882 , under the presidency of Col . Lloyd-Philipps , Prov . G . M . South Wales , Western Division , the 255 Stewards raised amongst them £ 12 , 600 , but no increase in the numbers on the respective Funds was made . However , a new law instituted since the previous year now came into operation for the first time ; the numbers

elected being , in each case , swelled by the addition of three , to be placed on their proper Funds as vacancies occurred . In 1883 , the Chair was taken by General Brownrigg , C . B ., Prov . G . M . Surrey . The Board of Stewards was composed of 276 brethren , and by their joint efforts the sum of £ 13 , 260 was raised . It was determined , therefore , to raise the number of Annuitants to 330 , of whom 163 are Males and 167 Females ; and in addition , there are no

less than 19 Widows , each in receipt of a moiety of her late husband ' s Annuity . Now , the amount required to defray these payments is in excess of £ 12 , 200 , irrespective of the sum required for Management , Maintenance of Building at Croydon , & c , & c . In May , 1843 , when the first election on the Male Intnd was held , 15 Annuitants were elected out of an approved list

of 16 , and the aggregate of their Annuities was £ 305 . In May , 1883 , there were 163 Male Annuitants , who absorb amongst them £ 6520 . In May , 1851 , when the Widows' Fund came into operation , 5 Old Women were taken on without ballot , and were assigned Annuities of £ 15 each , making a total of £ 75 . In May , 1883 , there were 167 Widows , receiving amongt them £ 5344 ; while the amount paid away—but for a limited term of three years only—