The Recent Benevolent Elections.

issued for the recent Election 105 , 671 , giving a total available of ' 3 > 5 > but there were only 120 , 790 polled , leaving 10 , 720 unused or spoiled out of the number . For the

WIDOWS' FUND there were 53—or , as one had died subsequent to the issue of the voting papers , 52—candidates for the 16 immediate and three deferred annuities , the highest on the list being a new London

candidate , who polled 6097 votes , the Northumberland widow , who was also an applicant for the first time , having 6062 votes . Nos . 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , and 7 were all London candidates , and at the first time of seeking the suffrages of the electors , severally scored 599 I ,

57 63 , 563 6 , 5527 , and 5311 votes , while Nos . 8 and 9 , who hailed from Essex . and Kent respectively , obtained 528 7 and 5041 votes . No . 10—East Lancashire—who brought forward 1435 , increased that number by 3584 to 5019 , and was followed by a first case

from London with 4992 votes , and one from Monmouthshire , with 4932 votes ; No . 13 , who was one of the seven widows from Devonshire who went to the poll , scoring 4812 votes , of which 1301 were brought forward from the election in May , 1895 . No .

14 , from West Yorkshire , obtained 4641 votes , while No . 15—one of five candidates from Warwickshire—increased her last year ' s poll of 1891 to 4614 votes . The second West Yorkshire widow secured the 16 th immediate annuity with 4557 votes , and then

followed the three who will receive annuities as they fall vacant , viz ., a London candidate , with 4485 ; the widow from South Wales ( Western Division ) , with I 518 votes , of which I 92 were brought forward ; and the second of the three Kentish candidates who scored

1281 votes . Here it will be noted that between Nos . I and 17 , the difference in the votes cast was 1612 , and then there followed a great drop from 4485101518 . The two highest unsuccessful widows who became entitled to a share in the proceeds of the

"J OHN HERVEY Memorial Fund" scored 1064 ( London ) and 940 ( Sussex ) votes respectively ; the third highest who hails from Devonshire and will receive half of the Emulation . Lodge of Improvement grant of £ 10 , having to her credit only 519 votes .

There were 17 of the remaining candidates who scored less than 100 votes each . The number brought forward from the 18 95 election was 8 799 , and the number issued for this election ,

100 , 243 , gtving a total of 109 , 042 available , but the number that passed the Scrutineers , in addition to those brought forward was 9 8 , 382 , so that there were 10 , 660 votes unused or spoiled .

There are one or two other points which may be noticed . For the Male Fund Election London carried nine out of her lg candidates , and the Provinces 15 out of 3 8 ; for the Widows '

I'und Election , the former returned eight out of H and the Provinces only 11 out of 42 candidates . But the most remarkable feature of all is to be found in the paucity of the votes polled on this occasion in behalf of the senior candidates . The seven

men on the top of the list for the Male Fund finished the day with only 2347 votes amongst them , and out of these 2078 were brought forward and 26 9 new votes , while only 11 of the 33 candidates remaining from last year won vacancies as against 13

out of the 26 new applicants . As regards the Widows' Fund the 15 candidates at the head of the list totalled only 2825 votes , of which 2290 were brought forward from last year and 535 were

polled at this meeting . Moreover , while only four of the 28 widows from last year obtained places as many as 15 out of the 2 3 new applicants were successful .

Consecration Of The Household Brigade Lodge, No. 2614.

CONSECRATION OF THE HOUSEHOLD BRIGADE LODGE , No . 2614 .

The Prince ' s Hall , Piccadilly , was the scene of a most bril-Wnt , and at the same tme , a unique Masonic ceremony , on hursday evening , when the Household Brigade Lodge , No . ° - -2614 , was consecrated by the Earl of Lathom , Pro Grand Master , in the presence of H . R . H the Prince of Wales . M . W . G .

aster , the first and permanent W . Master designate , while -ord Skelmersdale , P . G . W ., was Dep . Master designate , and r ° s . Sir Augustus Webster , Bart ., and Capt . Wilfred Marshall , ¦

fenior and Junior Wardens designate respectively . -the founders were 31 in number , and included , in addition " ° se alread y named , and the brethren who were appointed ,

Consecration Of The Household Brigade Lodge, No. 2614.

or in the case of the Treasurer' elected , to office : Bros . Lord Cremorne and Lord Stanley , M . P ., Past G . Wardens ; R . Ashton Bostock , Lieut .-Col . A . E . M . Lockwood , AI . P ., S . G . D . ; Capt . Francis C . Trollope , the Earl of Albermarle , Capt . the Hon .

Gilbert Legh , W . F . C . Lethbridge , Sir George Arthur , Bart . ; the Marquis of Zetland , Prov . G . Master of N . and E . Yorkshire ; H . L . B . McCalmont , M . P . ; Capt A . Thistlethwayte , Earl Amherst , Dep . G . M . of England , and Prov . G . Master of Kent ; Major

Horace R . Stopford , Lord Kensington , Prov . G . Master of South Wales ( W . D . ) ; the Marquis of Hamilton , the Marquis of Hertford ancl Field-Marshal Viscount Wolseley , K . P ., G . C . B ., G . C . M . G ., Past G . Wardens ; and Major the Hon . Arthur Henniker .

The lodge having been opened by thc Grand Secretary , the M . W . Grand Master , attended by the Pro Grand Master , the Deputy Grand Master , and other Officers , entered the lodge , and , when his Royal Highness had taken his chair and been

saluted , the Consecrating Officer—thc Earl of Lathom—took the chair , and appointed his officers , and the ceremony of consecration was proceeded with , the Bishop of LlandalT , as G . Chaplain , delivering an impressive lecture on the "Nature and Principles of the Institution . "

When the Consecrating Officer had solemnly dedicated the lodge , H . R . H . the M . W . Grand Master himself constituted it , and , the ceremony having been completed , Bro . Major . Lord Skelmersdale was installed as Deputy Master by the Grand

Secretary , and , other formalities having been complied with , appointed and invested the following as his officers for the year Bros . Sir Augustus Webster , Bart ., S . W . ; Capt . Wilfred Marshall , J . W . ; Col . the Hon . H . F . Eaton ( elected ) , Treasurer ; Hugh

Rayner , M . B ., Secretary ; Capt . H . R . Crompton Roberts , S . D . ; Capt . R . W . Gordon Gilmour , J . D . ; C . du F . Powney , I . G . ; the Earl of Portarlington , D . C . ; Major T . P . Catley and Noel Corry , Stewards ; and Dan Godfrey , Org .

The thanks of the lodge having been voted , by acclamation , to the Consecrating Officer , a Committee was appointed to frame by-laws , and sundry propositions for initiation and joining having been handed in , the lodge was closed , and the brethren dined

together , under the presidency of I I . R . I 1 . the M . W . Grand Master , among those present , or invited to be present , in addition to the brethren who have been named , being Bros , the liarl of Mount Edgcumbe , Past D . G . M ., Prov . G . M . of Cornwall ;

W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., Prov . G . M . Hants and the Isle of Wight ; Lord Suffield , Prov . G . M . of Norfolk ; Sir Charles Dalrymple , Bart ., M . P ., M . W . G . M ., and the Earl of Haddington , Past G . M . of Scotland ; the Earl of Euston , Prov . G . M . of Northants

and Hunts ; Viscount Dungarvan , Prov . G . M . Somersetshire ; the Earl of Yarborough , Prov . G . M . Lincolnshire ; Lord George Hamilton , M . P ., Prov . G . M . Middlesex ; Lord Egerton of Tatton , Prov . G . M . Cheshire ; Major-Gen . Lord Methuen , C . B ., C . M . G .,

S . G . Warden ; Lord Ampthill , Prov . G . M . Bedfordshire , Lieut-General Laurie , P . G . Warden , Past Grand Master of Nova Scotia ; Col . the Hon . H . Byng , C . B ., Marquis of Granby , and Sir Reginald Hanson , Bart ., M . P ., Past Grand Wardens ;

Lord Saltoun , G . Master Depute of Scotland ; Earl of March , P . G . W . ; E . Letchworth , G . Sec . ; Sir Albert Woods ( Garter ) , G . D . C ; Admiral of the Fleet the Hon . Sir II . Keppel , G . C . B ., Rev . C . J . Martyn , P . G . Chap . ; Archdeacon Stevens , G . Chap . ;

Rig ht Hon . Sir W . Marriott , Q . C , P . G . D ., Dep . P . G . M . Sussex ; Rev . J . S . Brownrigg , P . G . Chap . ; Col . A . B . Cook , Sir Howard Russell , LL . D ., Sir Augustus Harris , Past G . Treas . ; W . E . M .

Tomlinson , M . P ., S . G . D .: Col . Campbell , A . D . C , Past G . D . ; Frank Richardson , Past G . D . ; J . H . Matthews . Past D . G . D . C . ; Lieut .-General Randolph , Capt . N . G . Philips , Past G . D . ; J . D .

Langton , Dep . G . D . C . ; C . F . Matier , Past G . Std . Br . ; W . Lake , Asst . G . Sec . ; W . E . Chapman , Asst . G . D . C . ; Edward Terry , P . G . Treas . ; and others .

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

The annual meeting of Subscribers to the Rojal Masonic Benevolent Instititution for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons was held yesterday ( Friday ) , at Freemasons' Tavern , Great Queen-street , VV . C . In the absence of Bro . John Albert Farnfield , P . A . G . D . C , Treasurer of the Institution , Bro . Henry Smith , P . G . D ., P . D . G . M . West Yorkshire , was voted to the chair , and he was supported by the following brethren , who sat on the dais ; Bros . W ,