Analysis Of The Returns.

being railed , of which the Boys' School secured over . £ 200 . SOMERSETSHIRE ( 26 ledges ) was represented at the Benevolent Festival in February by an Unattached Steward in the person of Bro . Lieut .-Col . A . Thrale-Perkins whose list amounted to , £ 3 1 10 s . Last year it raised . £ 97 for our Boys , and in 1 S 96 . £ 123 18 s . for this Institution , but in 1 S 95 , when Bro . Viscount Dungarvan , Prov . G . Ma-ter , presided as Chairman at the Benevolent Festival , it raised in all 6 d in of his

^ 1745 3 s . - ] d ., of which ^ 1657 ' 7 s - . was respect lordship's Chairmanship . In 1892 it figured at the Benevolent Jubilee for ^ 613 ios ., the whole year's contributions reaching ^ 841 151 ., while in 1 S 88 it gave nearly . £ 1000 to the Centenary Festival of the Girls' School . SOUTH WALES , EASTERN DIVISION ( 22 lodges ) , was an absentee in February as well as on Wednesday , but last year when Bro . Lord Llangattock was Chairman at the Festival of this Institution it to

raised ro less than / 1050 , while in 1896 it gave ^ 285 the Old People ; in 1895 , / goo to this Institution ; in 18 94 , £ 350 to the Boys' School ; in 1893 , £ 325 ios . to this Institution ; and in 1892 , , £ 180 to the Benevolent Jubilee , and . £ 321 15 s . 6 d . to " Our Boys . " SOUTH WALES , WESTERN DIVISION ( 10 lodges ) , has taken no part in any Festival since 18 9 6 , when it subscribed ^ 210 to this Institution . In 1895 the Boys' School was the recipient of ^ 239 19 s . 6 d . ; and

in 18 94 the Old People received £ 154 12 s . In 18 93 this School was favoured to the extent of ^ 177 19 s ., and in 1892 , the Boys'School , with ; £ i 6 i is . 6 d . We fope to find it well represented in support of the Boys' School next month . The other unrepresented Provinces are J ERSEY ( seven lodges ) and the ISLE OF MAN ( nine lodges ) , both of which are occasionally

represented , the former as recently as February last , when , by the hands of Bro . Pugsley as Provincial Steward , it raised . £ 130 12 s . for the Old People , while the latter gave . £ 26 5 s . to the Boys' School and . £ 27 6 s . to this Institution in 1895 , and larger amounts still at previous Anniversary gatherings . These Provinces , containing in all 231 lodges , had no part in the proceedings on Wednesday . Turning to the represented Provinces , we come first ot all to that of

-BERKSHIRE , which began the year by subscribing . £ 163 16 s . to the Benevolent Festival in February , three of its 16 lodges being represented , and the principal list being that of Bro . L . E . Keyser , of the Union Lodge , No . 414 , Reading , for , £ 121 16 s . On Wednesday two of the same three lodges entered an appearance , while Bro . Keyser acted for No . 574 , the total subscribed being . £ 101 17 s ., of which the

principal item was Bro . Keyser ' s , £ 52 10 s . In 1891 , when it figured as a separate Province for the first time , it raised in all £ 385 is ., and in 1892 , . £ 954 lis . 6 d ., of which the large propoition of . £ 661 9 s . 6 d . was raised for the Benevolent Jubilee . In 1893 it raised . £ 724 7 s . j in 1894 , ^ 583 13 s . 6 d . ; and in 1895 , . £ 935 6 s . 6 d . In 1896 the total reached the still more considerable sum of £ 1019 19 s . 6 d „ of which the Boys' School had the good fortune to secure

, £ 439 6 s ., the Benevolent Institution , £ 343 , and this Institution . £ 22 9 8-. 6 d . Last year the total was ^ 825 16 s . 6 d ., of which the Benevolent Institution received j £ 455 3 s . 6 d ., or appreciably more than one half . What next month's gathering will produce is , of course , a secret , but we have an idea that it will reach a figure , which will redound vastly to the credit of this excellent Province . There are now as many as ig lodges in the adjoining Province of

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE , and on Wednesday two of these sent up Stewards , in addition to which there were two brethren—one of them being Bro . James Stephens—and Mrs . Stephens , Unattached , the total compiled by the five being ^ 23 2 s . In February the Returns amounted to . £ 143 19 s ., so that the amount raised thus far during the present year is . C 16 7 is . In 1897 the total was £ 489 17 s . 6 d . of which

, £ 250 8 s . 6 d ., or more than half was subscribed to the Old People and the rest to the Schools . In 1 S 96 the Old People was supported to the extent of Cor 17 s . CJ . only , but the Schools fared about equally well , " Our Boys " receiving . C 181 2 s . 61 ., and this Institution ^ 186 1 is ., the year ' s aggregate being . C 429 lis . In 18 95 the three Charities had . £ 438 14 s . 6 d . shared amongst them , while in 18 94 the

Boys' School obtained no less than , £ 429 15 s . out of a total of , £ 590 . In 1893 the Province raised , £ 479 ios ., and in 1892 , inclusive of L ' 290 18 s . for the Benevolent Jubilee , £ 705 15 s . In 1 S 91 , when Bro . Earl Carrington , then Prov . Grand Master , presided as Chairman at the Festival of this Institution , Bucks subscribed . £ 300 , while the product for the whole year was . C 511 is . —a most excellent total for a newly-organised Province . One ofthe six lodges in

CAMBRIDGESHIRE the Isaac Newton University Lodge , No . 859 , Cambridgeshire—was represented by two Stewards whose joint list amounted to , £ 42 , while , in February , Bro . W . Briggs , Unatt-iched , returned ; £ io ios ., and , doubtless , we shall hear further irom the Piovince next monih . Last year , it raised . £ 323 ios . 3 d ., the bulk of which

was given to thc Old People , while , in 1 S 96 , all three Institutions shared in thc ^ 3 6 4 5 < ., which was subscribed , the Boys' School obtaining . £ 189 , the Benevolent Institution ; £ ioi 15 s ., and this Institution . £ 73 ios . In 1895 , ; £ i 68 was apportioned unequally b . 'tween the Schools , while , in 1893 , all shared in the sum of , £ 239 which was raised . The proceeds of the year 18 93 amounted to . £ 290 17 s ., and , in 1892 , there was contributed to the Benevolent Jubilee £ 326 8 s .

Only one of the 50 lodges on the roll of CHESHIRE —the New Brighton , No . 2 G 19—figured in the Returns on Wednesday , and thc amount of the list was only . £ 15 15 s . In February , an Unattached Steward , with a list of ; £ lo ios ., did duty for the Province , but doubtless the lodges are preparing for the Boys' Centenary next month , and hence the smallness of the

subscriptions on this occasion and in February . In 1891 Cheshire look a leading part in the Boys' Festival and subscribed , £ 1050 , while the following year it raised . £ 19 88 for the Benevolent Jubilee . In 1893 and 1894 it busied itself in organising a Benevolent Institution of its own , towards the maintenance of which it subscribed over , £ 3000 . In 1895 Bro . Earl—then Lord—Egerton of Tatton took the chair at the Boys' School Festival , when the Province loyally backed up his lordship by raising . £ 2000 . In 18 9 6 the total was small—only . £ 237 6 s . —and

and so it was last year , when it amounted to ^ , 270 7 s ., but these smaller figures are to be accounted for , as regards 1896 , by what it had raised the preceding year , and , as regards 18 97 , by what , we trust , it is going to do during the present year . At the Benevolent Festival in February an Unattached Steward , with a list of £ . 6 5 s ., did du'y for CORNWALL

and its 30 lodge ? , and on Wednesday a lodge representative and two Unattached bnthren—of whom one was a Steward in February , together subscribed , £ 43 is . Last year with Major Shanks as Steward at the Benevolent Festival , and Bro . Andtrton , Prov . G . Secretary , at those of the two Schools—Mrs . Anderton being her husb ;> nd ' s colleague for the Boys' School—the total compiled was . £ 341 19 s ., while in 18 9 6 the sum of , £ 305 1 is . was raised , the Benevolent Institution securing

two-thirds and the Boys' School one-third . In 18 95 , when the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe , Prov . G . Master , presided at the Festival of this Institution , the total raised in its behalf was . £ 750 , while the yield for the whole year was , £ 789 iSs . In 18 94 the Province subscribed £ 241 10 s . tn the Schools , and in 18 93 . £ 225 15 s . to the Boys' School , while in 1 H 92 , at the Benevolent Jubilee , over which Lord Mount Edgcumbe presided as Chairman , the total was , £ 776 15 s .

Analysis Of The Returns.

DERHYSIIIRE sent up four Stewards , of whom two were Unattached and the other two lodge representatives , the sum of their four lists being . £ 31 ios . It took no part in the Benevolent Festival in February , but it distributed ^ 513 03 . 6 d . among the three Institutions in 18 97 , and in 1896 , when his Grace the Duke of

Devonshire , Prov . G . Master , presided at the Boys' School Festival , it raised the very handsome total of ^ 1642 2 s . In 1895 its figures stood at ^ 550 6 s . - in 1 S 94 , at ^ 647 15 s . 6 d . ; in 1 S 93 , at ^ 1025 Ss . 6 d . ; in 1892 , at ^ 173 8 14 s ., of which £ 1362 was raised towards the Benevolent Jubilee ; and in 1891 , ^ 980 7 s . ; the greatest part of the proceeds in this year and 1 S 93 being in support of the Boys' School . This is a brilliant record for a Province which numbers only 27 lodges .

The same two brethren—Bros . F . B . Westlake and the Rev . A . H . M . Hare —represented DEVONSHIRE , with its 56 lodges , on this occasion as at tbe Benevolent Festival in February last , the only difference being that Bro . Hare , instead of standing on his own account , acted as Steward for the Torbay Lodge , No . 135 S , Paignton . The two lists together amounted to ^ 53 7 s ., while in February they made up £ 11

But , as we remarked in our Analysis of the Benevolent Returns , we look upon these lesser contributions as the promise of those larger amounts which await us in connection with next month ' s celebration . Last year the Province distributed ^ 248 2 s . 6 d . among the three Institutions , while in the preceding year it confined its attention to the Schools , for which it raised sums amounting together to £ icyy ios . In 18 95 it subscribed . £ 226 16 s . ; in 18 94 , . £ 135 12 s . ; and in 1893 , ; £ iSi 2 s . ; while in 1892 , including . £ 807 8 s . Cd . subscribed to the Benevolent Jubilee , its contributions reached . £ 923 Ss . 6 d .

DORSETSHIRE , with its roll of 14 lodges , was situated on Wednesday just precisely as it was in February , having the same Bro . John H . Whadcoat , J . P ., representing the same Lodge of Amity , No . 137 , Poole , and handing in a list of equal amount—J £ IO ios , But , to judge from its past record , the Province will do at least as well during the present as in former years . Thus in 1 S 92—the year of tbe Benevolent Jubileeit raised . £ 521 6 s . for that Institution ; in 1 S 93 the Schools received between them in the and had

a sum amounting to ^ 233 ; while 1894 Benevolent this Institution the field to themselves , and shared between them , £ 192 ios . In 1895 , the Benevolent received , £ 105 and the Boys ' School . C 246 is ., making the year ' s total C 351 is . In 1 S 96 , the Benevolent Institution had the bulk of the support , receiving M 160 103 ., while the Girls' School was favoured with only , £ 12 12 s . ; but last year all three shared in the contributions raised by the Province , but very unequally—the Benevolent receiving . C 137 lis . ; this Institution , j £ 72 93 . ; and the Boys' School , £ 375-The 37 lodges in DURHAM had a worthy representative in Bro . Robert Hudson , P . G . S . B ., Prov . G . Sec , who , in his capacity of Provincial Steward , handed in a list of ^ 57 15 s ., while in February the Province was entered for a donation of £ 52 io * ., but without having any representative . In 1 S 97 Durham was similarly included for a

donation of £ 52 ios . to this Institution , but not without a Steward , its contributions to the Old People reaching the more important sum of . £ 253 is . —the proceeds of the year ' s work amounting to , £ 305 us . In 1896 the total stood at £ 566 ios . j in 1895 , at . £ 512 8 s . ; and in 1894 , at £ 509 2 s . In 1893 the Returns were on a lower scale , and totalled only . £ 338 2 s ., but this in all probability was due to the greater and more successful efforts which the Province had made in 1892 , when the sum of its contributions , including , £ 720 5 s . to the Benevolent Jubilee , was £ 1034 5 s .

We have some difficulty in calling to mind thc Festival at which ESSEX was represented by only two Unattached Stewards , with lists totalling £ 10 ios . only appended , lt has 3 8 lodges on its roll , and in February it sent up four Stewards , of whom two were lodge representatives and two Unattached , the total of their lists being . C 149 133 . 6 J . In 1892 , it raised C 2 fioS 5 s ., of which . £ 2318 2 S . 6 d . was subscribed to the Benevolent Jubilee . In 1 S 93 , its Prov . Grand

Mister—at the time Lord Brooke—presided at the Boys School Festival , and again there was a heavy total , amounting to L' 2258 3 s . 6 d ., of which U 2155 6 s . 6 d . was in support of the favoured Charity . In 1894 , the yield was ^ 1123 ; in 1 S 95 , , £ 1272 ios . j and in 18 9 6 , , £ 1433 us . 6 d ., of which , £ 950 was raised for this Institution j while last year there was subscribed in all £ 833 18 s . 6 d ., of which the Old People secured about half , while the remainder was shared between the Schools , in the proportion—speaking roughly—of three to one .

One of the 16 lodges in GLOUCESTERSIIIRI * was represented by Bro . A . S . Winterbotham , and Bros , the Baron de Ferrieres and R . V . Vassar-Smith , Dep . Prov . G . Master , and Mrs . Winterbotham were Stewards Unattached , the four lists amounting to . £ 78 15 s . In February Bro . Baron de Ferrieres , Unattached , handed in a list of . £ 47 5 s . In 1 S 92 , when

Bro . Sir Michael E . Hicks-Beach , Bart ., M . P ., presided at the Boys' School Festival , the totil subscribed was . £ 1729 us ., of which ^ 1645 1 is . was in support of the Boys' School . In 1893 and 1 H 94 there was comparative rest , the totals being . £ 304 18 s . for the former ar . d . £ 428 6 s . 6 d . for the latter year . In 1895 the higher sum of . £ 59 8 191 . was reached ; in 1 S 9 6 , £ 544 19 s . ; and in 1 S 97 , ^ 675 iS- - ., of which the Old People received , £ 84 10 s ., this Institution , £ 286 18 s ., and the Boys' School X 304 103 .

HAMPSHIRE AND THE ISLE OF WIGHT , which has 48 lodges on thc roll , shows to greater advantage than it did in February , when an Unattached Steward raised a list of £ 36 15 s . for the Old People . On Wednesday two lodges were represented by three Stewards , and Bros . Richard Eve , P . G . Treas ., and another were Unattached , the total of the lists being £$ !• Last year the Province raised only ^ 423 16 s . 61 . for the three Institutions ; in

1 S 9 6 , . £ 1149 123 . 6 d ., of which the Old People were the receipientsof , £ 193 19 * 1 . Od . j this Institution ol L ' 256 12 s . ; and the Boys' School of i , " 6 o 6 is . In 1895 , including . £ 516 8 ,- . subscribed to the Boys' School , the total was £ SAt > 4 s . 6 d . ; in 1894 . . £ 951 9 s . ( id . ; in 18 93 , slightly over ; £ 6 Nu ; and in 1 . 892 , , £ 1650 17 s ., of which £ 1345 19 s . 70 . was raised for the Benevolent Jubilee . These amounts arc in addition to what is subscribed to the Provincial Educational Institution , which is very generously supported .

IlERTI-llUIlSlllltE was one of the few Provinces that made a goodly show of subscriptions at tbe Benevolent Festival in February , when six of its 22 lodges sent up Stewards , who , with three brethren Unattached , compiled the handsome total of £ M . \ 7 < - ¦* " - principal 1 ' ut being that of Bro . C . E . Keyserwho represented the Halsey Lodge ,

, No . 1479 , St . Albans , and handed in £ \ 15 ios . On Wednesday five of its lodges were entered , and the Stewards who acted for these , with Bro . G . E . Lake , raised amongst thi-m . £ 161 ios . 6 d ., Bro . Keyser ' s list being £ 63 . In 1892—the year of the Benevolent Jubilee—it raised , £ 2135 6 s . 6 d . ; the following year , when Bro . C . r-Keyser took the chair at the Benevolent Festival , its contributions were again on a