Board Of Benevolence.

BOARD OF BENEVOLENCE .

The monthly meeting of the Board of Benevolence ¦ held on Wednesday evening at Freemasons' Hall . R ' lames Brett , P . G . P ., Senior Vice-President , ¦ ipied the President ' s chair , Bro . C . A . Cottebrune , pf p . Junior Vice-President , took the Senior Viceo ocident ' s chair , and Bro . D . D . Mercer , G . P ., took rie * ' ji / i 1

-. - T .. •„ .. sr : r > : „ .-. r > - i » chair of Junior Vice-President . Bros . Colonel Shadwell H . Clerke , G . S ., A . A . Pendlebury , W . Dodd and W . H . Lee represented Grand Secretary ' s flice . ' The other brethren present vvere Bros . H . Garrod , c Vallentine , George B . Chapman , Charles Dairy , j C . Haslip , William P . Brown , S . H .

Gold-¦ chmidt , George Read , the Rev . R . J . Simpson , r , R . Langley , Walter Hopekirk , Thos . J . Railing , K Shedd John Talbot , Thos . H . Wallman , John E . poX ) Alfred Dealer , W . G . Sayer , M . Spiegel , H . G . B . Framp ton , F . W . Hancock , A . C . A . Higerty , Joseph Do ' nn , J- C . Hay , H . Massey , Claud Scott , Edwin J .

Davey , Henry W . Down , William Smith , W . M . 933 ; Louis E . Wilson , W . P . M . Penrose , George Mickley , ' " \ y . Lang dale , J . W . Curtis , AValter Martin , W . F . B . jlcOueen , E . W . Nightingale , Charles J . Perceval , R . C . Davis , W . Jeffery , G . Bolton , M . A . C . Laidlaw , A ! A . Dresv , A . J . Henochsberg , C . Woolmer Williams ,

H . J . Wicks , J . H . Kew , S . G . Van Os , John J . White , C . " Williams , W . M . 276 ; and H . Sadler , G . Tyler . The brethren first confirmed recommendations to the Grand Master made at the last meeting in February to the amount of ^ 345 , and then proceeded with the new cases , of vvhich there were 44 on the list . These

were qualified through lodges in the London district , and at Calcutta , Southend , Liverpool , Holyhead , Roorkee , Colchester , Jersey , Brisbane , Walsall , Cirencester , Lincoln , Dursley , Linslade , Berkeley , Wimborne , Cairo , Malta , Claytnn-le-Moors , Ipswich , Secunderabad , Madras , Bombay , Leicester , and

Canterbury . The acting President stated that several letters had been received from candidates who vvere relieved at the former meeting thanking the brethren for the assistance extended to them . The new cases vvere dealt with as follows : There svas one recommendation to Grand Lodge for . £ 100 , one for

. £ 75 , and two for ^ 50 each ; four recommendations to the Grand Master of ^ 40 each , and five of ^ 30 each ; 14 grants of £ 20 each , one of £ " 15 , nine of ^ 10 each , , and tsvo of ^ 5 each . One petition vvas dismissed , one was withdrawn , and three vvere deferred . The total sura voted was ^ , 980 .

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .

The following brethren vvere nominated for the new Board of Management at the meeting of the Council held at Freemasons' Hall , on Saturday , the yth inst ., namely ¦ —

FOR THE 15 LONDON BRETHREN . —Bros . S . J . Attenborough * , A . Escott * , Geo . Everett * , G . Treas . elect ; Richard Eve * , J . Glass * , Augustus Harris , AV . Masters * , Robert Martin , P . Z . 142 ; E . M . Money , P -M . 23 , G . Stwd .: H . F . Nash * , W . A . Scurrah ,

•M . 1744 ; W . Shurmur , J . AV . 2192 ; Edward Terry * , J . Willing , jun ., P . M . 177 ; A . C . Spaull * , Richard Closves **! -, Henry Pritchard , P . M . 293 ; AV . Smith , •W . M . 293 . FOR THE 15 PROVINCIAL BRETHREN . —Bros . O . lapworth , Cambridge ; C . K . Benson * Cheshire and

, . 'Aorth Wales ; G . J . McKay , Cumberland and Westmorland ; H . E . Diamond , Derbyshire ; T . Bradley , "wham ; G . Corbie * , Essex ; R . V . Vassar-Smith * , Woucestershire ; J . E . Le Feuvre * , Hants and Isle of w'gnt ; C . E . Keyser , Herts ; I . S . Eastes * . Kent :

^ merman Harwood * Lancashire ( E . D . ); R . W . Bourne * , Lancashire ( W . D . ); G . Ellard , Norths and " unts ; R . C . Wills , Notts ; W . H . Spaull * , Salop ; li D ? enham * , Staffordshire ; R . Clowes **!* , Sussex ; Bevir

n * , Wiltshire ; and W . F . Smithson * , West and North and East Yorkshire . N . c . —Those marked vvith * are members of the •^ visional Management Committee . 1 Bro . Clowes is nominated for both divisions .

Masonic Charity In West Lancashire.

MASONIC CHARITY IN WEST LANCASHIRE .

A numerous and thoroughly representative meeting of the Benevolence and Charity Committee of the Provincial Grand Lodge of the Western Division of Lancashire ( of which Bro . the Ri ght Hon . the Earl of Lathom , Dep . G . M . of England , is the Prov . Grand Master ) , was held on the 13 th inst ., at the Park Hotel ,

Preston , for the purpose of transacting business of considerable importance . The attendance included prominent brethren from nearl y every part of the province—the largest in England—thus showing the active personal interest taken in the scheme of Charity . Bro . R . Wylie , P . G . D ., vvas elected Chairman of the

Committee for the ensuing year , and Bro . H . W . Johnston , P . P . G . D ., was elected Vice-Chairman . The minutes of the last meeting of the Committee , held , in Liverpool in September , having been read by the P . G . Sec . ( Bro . Goodacre ) , the brethren elected Bros . Wylie , Goodacre , and Johnston as a deputation to attend

the coming metropolitan elections in connection with the Charities . Petitions from distressed brethren and widows for grants from the Provincial Grand Lodge Fund of Benevolence vvere next discussed , and out of the ten applications nine were granted , the sum voted amounting to ^ 125 . The Committee unanimously

resolved to recommend a widow for election on the Alpass Fund , and the Chairman made the important announcement that in future all applications for election on the West Lancashire Masonic Charities must be sent in 14 days prior to the meeting of the Benevolence and Charity Committee . A short discussion took place with regard to the West Lancashire

candidates for the four metropolitan Charities—the Girls ' and Boys' Schools and the Old Men and Old Women's Benevolent Institutions—in the course of which Bro . Goodacre very strongly emphasised the great importance of every lodge in the province sending in to him yearly all the votes which thei' possessed , even if there was no candidate from this division . The proceedings closed vvith a vote of thanks to the Chairman .

Cambridge Middle-Class Examinations.

CAMBRIDGE MIDDLE-CLASS EXAMINATIONS .

\ V 1 YAL IVlAS 0 ' ' INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS . girls wh 6 mUC ' P leasure * announcing that of the 21 lcss th ° entercd lor Ihe examination last December , no return v . 2 ° * Were success £ ul i * - following being a full dates •' owln S the classes assigned to the several

candi-Alaiihn "'^ - PASSED : ( R ) Maud Hill , Ethel Fielding , Edith "" c'vs , and Caroline Weare . anu A . J , £ ~ f - «< juus—FIRST CLASS : ( R ) Lucy Smith j ^ 'ny Cutbush . u "tha D RS ~ SECON ' D CLASS : ( R ) Ettie Chapman and ( R )

' •' anner , Y ~ 2 HIRD CLASS : ( R ) Beatrice Knott , Mary S-VnUr ° ' 1 Ve Hurst ' Charloi > n u . , P EXAMINERS : Minnie Woodsvard , Har 'isonR * ¦ ' Kate Allatt - I ,: mi * y Carruthers , Lucy aiKl Marv N * i !"; 8 > Louisa Pincombe , Fanny White , 'v'Nicholson .

v ) Distinction in Religious Knosvledge . Tlle iv ° MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOVS . amin ation ° w tlle 2 3 Ws who were entered for this ex-Were cla «; c j red Certificates from the Examiners , and II ONOU ^ fo » ovvs : - ¦ English ) 6 EC 0 ND CLASS : France , Haines ( distinction I ' IIIHD (• ' , ^ *« s : Churchill , Foord , Manning , and Saville .

Cambridge Middle-Class Examinations.

SATISFIED THE EXAMINERS : Angler , Brister , d'Oyly , Figgess , Fearon , Gay , Harvey , Higgison , Huggett , Kent , Lewis , Leaman , Matthews , Moorcroft , Robey , Shorrock , and YVilliams . Thus the number of Certificates this year is 23 , svhile last year it vvas 12 .

Recent Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

RECENT FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

The following sums have been received since last week , namely : LONDON . £ s - d ' Unattached—Bro . W . Pierpoint ... new list 10 10 o Lodge „ Edsvard Terry ... „ 660 14 Bro . AValter E . Sampson ... „ 10 10 o

46 „ Sir G . Taubman Goldie ... „ 10 10 o 72 „ K . W . Less'cock additional 540 5 $ 4 „ AV . Hasves „ o 10 o 813 „ J . R . Cordell nesv list 33 1 6 122 7 „ G . H . Clark additional 10 10 0 ¦ 397 •>J-J- Macfadyen ,, 660 1 S 16 „ G . VA ' . Clements „ o 15 0

PROVINCES . HERTFORDSHIRE . 227 S „ J . G . Cobb additional 220 2323 „ J-J- Birch „ 2 12 6 MIDDLESEX . 1326 „ W . H . Davey nesv list 550 OXFORDSHIRE . 357 ,, j . L . Peareth additional o 10 o

SUFFOLK . 555 •>Rev . R . Peek „ 5 5 ° SURREY . 163 S „ W . Lane nesv list 10 10 0 WARWICKSHIRE . 74 „ Thos . Sarman „ 10 10 0 Total of fresh additions 130 17 0 Grand total amount last sveek ... 15 , 6 59 6 0 PRESENT TOTAL £ 7 i 5 > 79 o 3 c

The 26th Annual Festival Of The Wandsworth Lodge Of Instruction, No. 1044.

THE 26 TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF THE WANDSWORTH LODGE OF INSTRUCTION , No . 1044 .

The 2 Cth annual festival of the above lodge of instruction vvas held at the Tosvn Hall , Wandsworth , on Tuesday , the ioth instant , by dispensation from the M . AV . G . M ., svhen there vvere present Bros . A . C . A . Higerty , P . M . 10 . J 4 and 1714 , P . P . G . D . Surrey , Preceptor , W . M . j H . Baker , J . D . 13 C 0 , Treasurer , S . W . j J . M . Parsons , J . W .

1564 , Sec , J . W . j A . Grundy , I . G . 1585 , Sec . j J . AV . Foddy , S . D . 1044 , S . D . j G . Peterkin , LG . 1044 , J . D . j J . Cosvley , P . M . 1044 , I . G . j J . W . Baldsvin , P . M . and Sec . 1326 , P . P . G . D . Middx ., as I . P . M . and D . C , and about 60 visitors and brethren . Among the visitors vvere Bros . Geo . Clay Sudlosv , G . Std . Br . j H . Sadler , G . Tyler j J . Mason , P . P . S . G . D . Middx . j and a large number of

Past Masters and brethren . The lodge having been opened in the First Degree , the Grand Officers svere announced , and a deputation of Past Masters , composed of Bros . Carter , 1044 ; Ellis , 1044 ; and Cleaver , 73 , received the distinguished brethren in the ante-room , ancl a procession svas formed , led by the D . C . and Deacons , to conduct the Grand Officers to their seats .

The lodge svas opened in the Second and Third Degrees , and resumed to the Second . The Second Lecture svas svorked by the W . M ., assisted by the follosving brethren : ist Section , Bro . Foddy , 1044 j 2 nd , Bro . Baker , 1560 j 3 rd , Bro . Parsons , 156 4 J 4 th , Bro . Mortimer , 1044 J and 5 th , Bro . Grundy , 1585 . The lodge vvas resumed to the 'Third Degree and closed down to the First . Twelve brethren were elected members of the lodge of instruction

The 26th Annual Festival Of The Wandsworth Lodge Of Instruction, No. 1044.

among them being Bros . Sudlosv , Sadler , and Mason , of the R . M . B . I . Bro . SUDLOW moved a vote of thanks to the working officers , remarking that seldom outside the Emulation' Lodge of Improvement had he seen the lecture svorked so admirably , and he felt sure it vvas both svith pleasure and pride that the Preceptors and lodge generally looked upon such

excellent svorkers , and asked that the vote be recorded on the minutes . Bro . SADLER , in seconding the vote , heartily endorsed all that had been said by the proposer , and added that it vvas only by regular attendance at lodges of instruction and by painstaking and assiduous attention to the Preceptors that any brother could ever hope to attain to the proud position

of a working Mason . The motion svas put , and carried svith acclamation . The VV . M ., Bro . HIGERTY , as one of the Preceptors , replied for the svorking officers , expressing his sense of the high honour conferred on the lodge , and by the presence of two such distinguished Masons as the proposer and seconder of the vote , and the gratification it must carry to his and

the svorking officers' minds svhen they svere spoken of in such eulogistic terms by tsvo Grand Officers , svho svere themselves among the best svorkers in the Craft . Letters of apology for non-attendance svere read from several brethren , including Bros . Sir Whittaker Ellis and E . Monteuuis , P . G . S . B . After " Hearty good svishes " the lodge svas closed , and

the brethren adjourned to the banquet . At the banquet ( at svhich , despite the inclemency of the sveather , some 70 brethren sat down ) , Bro . Sudlosv presided . After the good things provided had been properly attended to , and grace sung , The CHAIRMAN gave "The Queen and the Craft , " follosved by " The M . W . G . M ., " remarking that svhat svould

perhaps make that toast more interesting than usual vvas the fact of it being the anniversary of his Royal Highness ' s sveddinjr . AVith the next toast— " The D . G . M . and the rest of the Grand Officers , Present and Past "—the CHAIRMAN begged to couple the name of the Grand Tyler , Bro . Sadler , saying he should very much like to praise the Grand Officers , and

especially the one present , but in his modesty he feared it vvould look like blowing his osvn trumpet . 1 he toast vvas enthusiastically received , and Bro . SADLER responded . Bro . HIGERTY , P . M ., next proposed "' The Chairman , " again expressing the honour the brethren felt at such a worthy and genial Mason visiting and presiding over them . Bro . SuDL'AV replied , expressing his great pleasure in

being present , and noped to see mure of the Wandsworth Lodgeof Instruction , of svhich he nusv had the honour to be a member , and svhich nosv made up a total of over 100 lodges oi instruction he vvas a member ot . He next begged to propose svhat he considered the toast of the evening , "Prosperity to the AA' andssvorth Lodge of Instruction . " From svhat he had seen he thought it second to none in

or out of London , and svhile the lodge had such excellent Preceptors , and such assiduous svorkers , they might alsvavs hold up their heads vvith pride and have no reason to be ashamed of their work . Bros . HIGERTY and CARTER , Preceptors , suitably responded . As the evening vvas then getting late , and Bros . Sudlow and Sadler had a considerable journey before them , and

considering the terrible snosvstorm then raging , they begged to be allosved to depart , svhich permission svas , of course , readily given , but regret generally expressed that they could not stay longer . They then left svith musical honours . Bro . HIGERTY having taken the chair , proposed " The Emulation Lodge of Improvement , " saying he and many others had long considered it as the fountain head of

instruction , and that they had the satisfaction of knowing that its svorking had the sanction and approbation of Grand Lodge . He begged to couple svith the toast the name of Bro . J . C . Mortimer . Bro . MORTIMER responded . The next toast " The Section Workers , " the CHAIRMAN begged to couple svith the name of Bro . Baker , adding that he thought the Grand Officers had said enough in their

favour to excuse him making much further comment . Bro . BAKER replied . The next toast , "The Masonic Charities , " svas proposed by Bro . GRUNDY , vvho , by some figures svith vvhich he vvas provided , shosved that the total of the three great Charities and Board of Benevolence combined , had amounted in the past seven years to nearly £ 500 , 000 , and that the

Wandsworth Lodge had in the past tsvo years provided about £ 150 through Bro . Higerty ' s Stesvardships . He coupled with the toast the name of Bro . J . Mason , of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . Bro . MASON , in reply , urged upon the brethren the importance of the Charities , and that , without in any way neglecting the Boys and Girls , he hoped they svould bear

the Old Men and Women in mind . He hoped to be among the Wandsworth brethren again at no distant date , and might , perhaps , have more to say to them on the subject . At present he had hut to thank them for associating him vvith the toast of the Masonic Charities . Various songs , recitations , & c , svere given during the evening , much enhancing the enjoyment of the brethren , and the Tyler ' s toast closed the proceedings .

Prudential Assurance Company, Limited.

PRUDENTIAL ASSURANCE COMPANY , LIMITED .

The 42 nd annual report of the directors for the year ended the 31 st December , iSgo , is more than usually satisfactory . In the Industrial Branch the premiums received amounted to £ . 3 , 517 , 925 , and shosvan increaseof £ , 181 , 183 , and that this is the result of a continued progress must he manifest from the fact that during the four years from 1 S 87

to 1 S 90 , both inclusive , the increase in the premium receipts svas £ . 606 , 630 , giving an average for the first four years of the current quinquennial period of £ , 151 , 657 per annum . The claims amounted during the year to £ ' 1 , 489 , 204 , svhile the deaths svere 169 , 890 , and the endotsment assurances matured , 661 . Upwards of 41 , 000 free policies have been granted to those policy holdersot fiveyears ' standing svho have expressed a desire to discontinue their payments , the total

number nosv in force being 208 , 719 . The number of policies in force is 9 , 099 , 204 , and the average duration nosv exceeds six-and-a-half years . As regards the Company ' s assets they have increased during 1890 by no less a sum than £ > 633 , 7 i 4—from £ 10 , 94 6 , 15610 £ 12 , 579 , 870 . The various statements of account appended to the report fully support the brief record given by the directors , both of the result of their labours during the past year and of the sound posion of the Company generally .