Festival Of The Mark Benevolent Fund.

He now left the claims of the Fund with confidence in the brethren ' s hands , notwithstanding the appeals to their general Charity . Bro . MATIER then read the following

STEWARDS' LISTS

THE CHAIRMAN—R . W . Bro . £ s . d . Sir R . Hanson , Bart ., M . P ., P . G . W . ... 52 10 0 The Rt . Hon . the Lord Mayor , Bro . Alderman Evans " . 10 10 o

LADY STEWARDS . Lady Hanson 10 10 o „ Eleanor Harboard ... 5 5 o Mrs . Lennox Browne 5 5 ° „ Carrell 5 5 °

„ Kniahtley 5 5 0 „ C . F . Matier 5 5 0 „ Gordon Miller — „ Carter 5 5 0

GENERAL BOARD . Bro . theF . arlofEuston . D . G . M . 5 5 0 „ F . Richardson , Vice-Pres . 10 10 0 „ Robert Berridge ... _ ... — „ Rev . Hayman Cummings ( see Kent ) — „ C . H . Driver 10 10 0

„ Gordon Miller 5 5 0 „ A . R . Carter 5 5 " „ James Moon 5 5 0 „ Alfred Williams 5 5 0 „ Jabez Church ( see Rose Croix

—„ Richard Clowes ... ... 10 10 o „ C . W . Carrell ... ... 10 10 o „ Sir Augustus G . Harris ... 10 10 o ,, Charles Belton 5 5 ° ,, Col . A . B . Cook , Pres .... 770

LONDON . Lodge Grand Master's , Bro . Viscount Dungarvan 2 G 5 o Old Kent ( T . L ) , Wm . Maple ... 1616 o 1 Bro . G . V . A . Schofield ... 30 9 0 22 „ G . W . Marsden , jun . 550 363 „ E . Monteuuis 15 15 o 433 ,, A . H . Bateman ... 11 n 0

UNATTACHED . Bro . George Cooper 5 5 0 „ C . F . Matier 87 o 0 „ Lieut .-Col . G . Lambert ... 10 10 o „ Stanley J . Attenborough 5 5 0 > , T . Blanco VVhite 10 10 0 „ W . E . Stewart 5 5 0 „ H . Massey — I . Larkin 5 5 0

PROVINCES . BEDFORDSHIRE . Lodge 434 Bro . S . L Kilpin 15 15 c

BERKS AND OXON . Province Bro . John Tomkins ... 10 10 o Lodge 27 Bro . Reginald Maples ... 5 5 0 55 ,, P . Colville-Smith ... 14 14 o 23 5 „ Rev . H . Lewis ... 6 o o 247 > . P- W . Margetts ... \ „ 247 „ Charles Phillips ... J ° ° BUCKINGHAMSHIRE .

1 G 3 Bro . S . L . Kilpin ( see Bedford-hire ) ... — CHANNEL ISLANDS . 525 Bro . Dr . J . B . Cockburn ... 10 10 0 CHESHIRE . Unattached Bro . C . K . Benson ... 10 10 0

CUMBERLAND & WESTMORLAND . Lodge I 95 Bro . Thos . A . Argles ... 30 10 o DEVONSHIRE . Province Bro . the Hon . Herbert V . Duncombe ... _ z 10 0

DORSETSHIRE . Province Bro . S . R . Baskett ... 11 11 c EAST ANGLIA . Lodge ioj liro . Rev . C . } . Martyn ... 334 „ O . Papworth 15 15 0 342 „ F . P . Sutthery ... 13 10 o

GLOUCESTERSHIRE AND HEREFORDSHIRE . Province Bro . R . V . Vassar-Smith , P . G . M 5 5 0 Lodge 439 Bro . Sir Lionel Darell , Bart . —

HAMPSHIRE AND ISLE OF WIGHT . Province Bro . J . D . E . Loveland ... 2 ( 5 5 0 HERTFORDSHIRE . Bro . C . E . Keyser 5 5 0 Lodge 354 Hro . A . R . C-irler (« ee

Gt-ncral Hoard ) ... — 354 „ Major C Prnbvn ... 26 5 0 354 „ Rev . A . W . Oxford ... . 550 354 „ A . S . Brown 10 10 0 354 „ Corrie Jackson ... 15 15 0

KENT . Bro . Rev . II . Cummings 21 o 0 Lodge 255 Bro . F . W . Wright ... 10 10 0 294 „ G . VV . Armstrong ... 11 11 0 . •94 „ Robert Main G 0 0 294 „ F . IL Miller 770 3 = 2 „ Dr . E . W . Wright ... 12 12 o

Festival Of The Mark Benevolent Fund.

LANCASHIRE . I s . d . Bro . A . H . Jefferis 5 5 0 „ Capt , C . H . Garnett ... 10 10 o „ W . Jaffrey 5 5 o ,, S . F . Simons — Lodge St . John ' s ( T . L ) Bro . J . Kenyon "! St . John ' s ( T . I . ) „ E . G . Har- > io 10 0 wood ) 34 Bro . C . E . Towell 5 5 0 393 » James de Bels Adam 36 15 0

LEICESTERSHIRE , Sic . Bro . Thomas Roe , M . P . ... 550 „ J . H . Thompson ... 5 5 0 „ A . Woodiwiss ... 5 5 o „ W . H . Wvisiht ( see

Bro . J . Walker ) ... — „ Percy Wallis 5 5 0 „ George Fletcher ... 5 5 0 302 „ John Walker 21 o o 3 S 3 „ J- H . Cook- 14 14 0 414 „ Alfred Schofield ... 2100

LINCOLNSHIRE . Province Bro . lack Sutcliffe , P . G . M . 50 o o

MIDDLESEX AND SURREY . Bro . Capt . C . J . Knightley 550 „ The Rev . Viscount Molesworth ... — Province Bro . Charles Hammerton 15 15 o Lodge

4 Bro . W . F . Bates 15 5 o 104 „ A . F . Church 10 10 o 144 „ E . Y . Jolliffe 26 s 0 1 S 1 „ A . J . K . Simmonds ... 11 11 o 197 „ Sir G . Prescott , Bart . 22 4 „ S . Hodgkinson ... 10 10 0 22 4 „ Sir George D . Harris 10 10 o

239 ,, W . Shurmur 2100 2 S 4 „ C . Handley 5 5 0 331 „ Dr . VV . H . Kempster 5 5 0 361 „ A . H . Bowles 50 o o 399 » the Earl of Euston ( see Gen . Board ) — 399 » Viscount Dungarvan

( see G . M . 's Lodge ) — 399 „ E . A . Baylis 5 5 o 399 „ F . Mead 7 7 o 399 „ Sir Lionel Darell , Bart , ( see Gloucestershire and Herefordshire ) —

399 „ A . Cooper 5 5 o 399 „ C . Godson 5 5 0 399 „ Lieut .-Col . A . B . Cook ( see Gen . Board ) — 400 „ Lennox Browne ... G 0 0 400 „ Belgrave Ninnis ... 5 5 0 407 „ Major Geo . Collins ... 770 442 „ A . H . Bowles ( see

Lodge No . 3 61 ... — NORTHUMBERLAND & DURHAM . Bro . Hans B . Olsen ... — Province Bro . CD . Hill Drury , M . D . 3615 o Lodge 346 Bro . Thomas Purvis ... 77 10 o

SHROPSHIRE . 441 Bro . Rowland G . Venables 10 10 o SOUTH WALES . Province Bro . John Munday 53 o o

SOMtRSETSHIRE . Province Bro . Arthur Duckett ... *) „ A . G . Hayman ... j - * IO °

WARWICKSHIRE . Bro . Thomas R . Arter ... 10 10 o „ W . H . Rollason ... 550 " J , - , - u « ter 5 5 0 „ W . Frazier „ T . H . Bill „ Joseph Round ... 550 „ T . Rowbotham ... 10 10 0 „ E . Mallard 5 5 o

WEST YORKSHIRE . Province Bro . C . L . Mason , P . G . M . 550 Lodge 53 Bro . F . Cleeves 24 3 0 39 S „ W . Langbridge ... 10 10 o

WORCESTERSHIRE . Bro . Gen . Crease , C . B . ... 550 330 „ Abraham Green ... 13 5 G NORTH AFRICA . Capt . Williams-Freeman ... 10 o o ROSE CROIX . Chapter 97 jabez Church 550

ALLIED MASONIC DEGREES . Council Prince Edward ( T . L ) Comp . John J . Green ... 550 7 Comp . II . P . Hay

ROYAL AND SELECT MASTERS . I Council 2 Bro . B . R . Bryant 2 S 7 o

Festival Of The Mark Benevolent Fund.

SUMMARY OK THE PROVINCES . £ s ' d - 1 . £ s . u Bedfordshire 15 15 o ! Leicestershire , & c 82 iq < * Berks and Oxon 54 15 o Lincolnshire 50 o 0 Buckinghamshire — Middlesex and Surrey 229 t 0 Channel Islands 10 10 o Northumberland and Durham ... 114 r „

Cheshire 10 10 o Shropshire 10 10 0 Cumberland and Westmorland 30 10 o i Somersetshire ... G 3 i 0 0 Devonshire 52 10 o j South Wales ... 53 o 0 Dorsetshire 11 11 o : Warwickshire 42 o 0 East Anglia 29 5 o j West Yorkshire 39 18 0 Gloucestershire and Hereford- Worcestershire 18 0 c shire North Africa in ir snire \ ortn rtrnca 10 10

... ... ... ... - S o ... ... ... , - 5 5 o r 0 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 26 5 o Rose Croix 5 5 0 Hertfordshire 63 o o Allied Masonic Degrees ... 550 Kent 6 9 6 0 Royal and Select Masters ... 2 S 7 u Lancashire 73 10 o I

LONDON— 35 STEWARDS £ 43 1 3 0 PROVINCES— 95 STEWARDS ... 1205 2 6 GRAND TOTAL £ 1636 10 C Bro . Sir JOHN B . MONCKTON proposed "The Ladies , " a toast which was acknowledged bv Bro . FRANK RICHARDSON , who said that if the Mark

Degree had done nothing else , it had done good in striking out a new course and inviting ladies to join the brethren at the banquet . The presence of ladies not only added zest to the brethren ' s enjoyment , but also to the amounts collected yearly for the Mark Benevolent Fund . Bro . Major CARRELL , President of the Board of Stewards , replied to the toast of " The Stewards . "

The LORD MAYOR , in acknowledging the toast of " The Visitors , " said that Masons carried out the work of Charity to the fullest extent , and he referred to the fact that during the present year nearly ^ 80 , 000 had been collected for the three Charitable Institutions of the Order . Bro . the Hon . Judge MCLEOD said he was proud to have his name associated with the toast , and to be called upon to respond for the visitors ; but he felt he must not go beyond his duty , representing the brethren away from home , coming as he did from a very distant province , and having the

great honour of ruling over that province in the Mark Degree . He could assure thc brethren that Masonry was flourishing in that province . It was not merely British Burma , but Burma as a whole brought under the Craft and the Mark . It was a matter of satisfaction that it was so , and he felt that all bodies away from home would consider it an honour , as he did , to bc called upon to respond for the visitors . The brethren then joined the ladies in the concert room , whither they had repaired previously to the proposition of the last two toasts . The company separated about 10 o ' clock , after spending a delightful evening .

Analysis Of The Returns.

ANALYSIS OF THE RETURNS .

It may be reasonably assumed that the special exertions in behalf of the Jubilee Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution must have exercised an unfavourable influence on the fortunes of the Mark Benevolent Fund so far as this particular Anniversary is concerned . The Schools were at a disadvantage by reason of their F ' estivals being held after the said Jubilee , and , on the same ground , the supporters of the Mark gathering on Wednesday must have found it

hard work to raise even the sum which was announced in the course of the pro . ceedings . It must not be supposed that in offering these few remarks we have the slightest ideaof instituting any comparison between the greater Festivals in aid of the three Central Masonic Charities , which rely for support on the subscriptions ol the whole body of the English Craft , and the Mark Festival which appeals only to one section of it ; but what affects the whole body must to a certain extent affect the

several parts . However , the point is one on which it is unnecessary we should dwell at any length . It is enough to point out that there is a falling off in the total realised in aid of the Mark Benevolent Fund as compared with that of 1891 , while the latter was less by some £ 500 than the amount subscribed in 1890 , There is , however , this slight consolation , that though the result still shows a downward tendency , the sum obtained is greater than could have been expected , and will amply suffice for the year ' s requirements .

Turning to the actual figures , we find that the Board of Stewards which sup . ported Bro . Sir Reginald Hanson consisted of eight ladies and 122 brethren , and the aggregate of the donations and subscriptions they had the good fortune to obtain was , 61636 ios . 6 d . Last year Bro . Viscount Dungarvan was supported by a Board of 149 Stewards , the total of the contributions being £ 1858 3 s ., while in IS QI , when Bro . the Earl of Euston was in the chair , the number of Stewards was We

179 , and the total subscribed ^ 2354 . have said we regret this progressive diminution , but at the same time we fully realise that the Chairman , his Stewards , and the executive officers of the Fund have spared no effort to obtai . i the largest possible total , and they are not the less entitled to the thanks of Mark Masons generally , because their efforts have not been crowned with the same success as during the last five or six years .

As regards the composition of the Board , the extra-Provincial section included eight ladies , 15 members of the General Board , six representatives of as many London lodges , and eight brethren Unattached . The ladies returned £ 42 , the General Board . £ 91 7 s ., the six lodge representatives . £ 106 is ., the lists of Bro . Schofield £ 30 ys ., of St . Mark ' s Lodge , No . 1 , and Bro . Lord Dungarvan , i , * 26 5 s ., acting for the Grand Master ' s Lodge , being the most important . The

Unattached Stewards returned . £ 129 , to which must be added the Chairman ' s personal donation of Fifty Guineas ( £ 52 ios . )—and what has never before been included in the Returns of tny of the Mark Benevolent Festivals—a contribution from the Lord Mayor of London—Bro . Alderman Evans , who figures in the list for ; £ io ios . Thus the total for London was ^ 431 8 s . as compared with £ 545 3 s - 6 d . obtained by 42 Stewards in 1891 , and £ " 600 4 s . 6 d . by 56 Stewards in 1890 .

THE PROVINCES were represented b y ij _ Stewards , whose lists amounted in thc aggregate to £ 1205 2 s . 6 d . Last year this section of the Board was composed of 107 brethren , who raised ^ 1312 19 s . 6 d ., and in 1890 there were 121 Stewards , their contributions reaching £ 1744 . 14 s . 6 d . As to the details , Bro . S . L . Kilpin did duty f ° BEDFORDSHIRE—which , however , has no Provincial organisation—and B UCKING * HA . MSiiiKE , or rather one of its lodges , the amount of his list being / 15 15 s .

BERKS AND OXON sent up seven Stewards , of whom Bro . John Tomkins acted for the Province generally , while the other six represented five out of its six lodges , the joint list 0 ' Bros . P . W . Margetts and Charles Phillips , of the Alfred Lodge , No . 247 , Oxford , amounting to £ 18 , and the sum of thc lists being £ 54 15 s . This shows a considerable advance on the 18 91 total of , £ 40 12 s ., but is not quite up to the 1 S 90

level , when a contingent of 10 Stewards among them compiled £ 77 7 s , Bro , D' * J . Balfour Cockburn , of the Sarnian Lodge , No . 425 , GUERNSEY , handed in a list of / io ios ., while a like sum was raised by Bro . C . K . Benson , who as Unattached Steward did duty for CHESHIRE . CUMUERLANU •' NU WiisT . MORLA . NU had a very woithy representative in Bro . Thomas A . Ar * - *!** - *' of the Kent Dale Lodge , No . 195 , Kendal , his list being ^ 30 ios . ' •*¦ *