Stewards' Lists.

GENERAL SUMMARY . LONDON £ 6300 5 o PROVINCES 46737 9 o TOTAL £ t 3 > ° 37 ' •) ° ¦ +

Analysis Of The Returns.

ANALYSIS OF THE RETURNS .

It is not improbable that some of our readers will be agreeably surprised at the character of the announcement which it was Bro . Hedges' good fortune to make on Wednesday evening , when due honour having been paid to the toast of " Prosperity to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , " it devolved upon him to read out the list of subscriptions and donations made on the occasion of the Ninety-sixth Anniversary Festival of this the oldest of

our Masonic Charities . But if Bro . Hedges , following m this respect in the footsteps of Bro . Terry at the last Benevolent Festival , was later than usual in obtaining the services of some influential brother as Chairman , and if , like Bro . Terry , he has had not a few disappointments toencounterin bringing together a strong and zealous Board of Stewards , he has precisely similar reasons for congratulating himself and all interested in the success of this

particular Festival , that the aggregate returns , being in excess of what had been anticipated , make some amends lo him for his early difficulties and disappointments . The result , as he stated it , is £ 13 , 087 with 5 lists still , or rather at the time , outstanding , so that wc shall probably not be estimating the probable total at too high a figure , if we set it down as little , if 'anything short of £ 13 , 250 . We candidly confess we did not anticipate so

satisfactory a result , and we believe we are right in suggesting that Bro . Hedges was not more hopeful than ourselves . In these circumstances , it largely increases the pleasure we experience in congratulating Lord Brooke , M . P ., the Chairman , the Province of Essex—which so generously supported him , the Board of Stewards as a whole , and its honorary Secretary , Bro . Hedges in particular , on the success they severally and conjointly worked

so hard to achieve . An excess of something like . £ 2500 over and above the sum of last year ' s contributions is a matter to be proud of , arid our readers , like ourselves , must be loyally grateful to all who had a hand in bringing about the most recent of our Festival triumphs . However , we have said enough on this point elsewhere . Our present purpose is to examine the Returns carefully , pointing out to what lodges and provinces belongs the chief

portion of the credit due for the achievement , and explaining , as far as possible , why other lodges and provinces have been , as the saying is , conspicuous by their absence . We have so recently and , atthc same time , so earnestly drawn attention lo the eccentricities of these Festival Lists that it is hardlv worth while repeating ourselves on this occasion . We shall , in all probability , have to wait till the Greek Calends to account satisfactorily for the almost invariable

presence of some lodges at these anniversary celebrations , while others are as invariably unrepresented . It will probably , therefore , suffice if we state that the Returns now under consideration offer no exceptional features ' . The number of Stewards is not large beyond precedent , yet on the other hand it is very far from being below the average . The same proportion of the lodges in the London district is represented by about the same average

number of Stewards , and it the number of absentee provinces is sli ghtly in excess of what it usually is , those which took part in the celebration sent up a somewhat stronger body of representatives . However , in these respects , there is nothing that need be made the subject of more than a passing comment , though , as regards the totals contributed by London and the Provinces respectively , it is noteworthy , perhaps , that the two arc so nearly

level . In February last , London sent up nearly £ 2200 more than the Provinces , while at the Boys' Festival in June last , the Provinces contributed about double what London did . On Wednesday from . £ 400 to £ 45 °° represents the difference between the two sections of the Cralt . I laving said this much generally , wc feel wc may venture to start on our analytical journey , the first stage of which is

LONDON , the total of whose contributions is £ 6 $ oo 5 s ., while the representatives on the Board of Stewards mustered 11 G , of whom 9 S did duty for 95 lodges , six Royal Arch Chapters , and a Rose Croix . Chapter , the Unattached —brethren who collect for their own hand—being iS all told . Of the lists which make up ihe London total , the heaviest are sent up by junior lodges , the place of honour being taken by the London Rifle Brigiide Lodge , No . 1962 , which , by the hands of its Steward , Bro . McDonald , has raised the

very handsome sum of £ 264 12 s . This lodge was only warranted in 1882 , so that it has not lost much lime in signalising its steadfast adherence to the principles of Freemasonry . A somewhat older , and yet a sufficiently youthful , lodge , the happily-named Old England , No . 1790 , of . 1878 creation , stands second on the list , Bro . II . . M . Hobbs , who acted as Steward for it , figuring with a total of £ 221 os . 6 d ., the Mi / pah Lodge , No . 1671 , being third , with £ 200 us ., compiled by Bro . Henry Warden . The Earl of Carnarvon Lodge , No . 1642 , for which Bro . Samuel Smout acted as

Steward , comes next with / , i / G 8 s ., while the Wanderers Chapter , No . 1604 , per Comp . G . Boulton , is only slightly behind , the total of its list being £ 172 Js . 6 d . Then follows one of our youngest lodges—the Abbey I . odge , No . 2030— -which was only consecrated the other day , and made its debut as a participant in these gatherings on Wednesday , when its worthy and Worshipful Master , Bro . W . Burdett-Coutts ,- took up a list of

£ 157 10 s . It is difficult to imagine a more successful first appearance for a lodge which as yet counts its existence only by weeks . The Covent Garden Lodge , No . 1614 , per Bro . G . Coleman , is entered for the capital sum of £ 153 5 s ., and the Wellington Lodge , No . 548 , per Bro . H . Carman , lor £ 137 lis ., the next place being jointly occupied by that very distinguished lodge , the Prince of Wales , No . 2 , 0 , and the

Aldersgate Chapter , the sum of , £ 131 5 s . being contributed by each ; Bro . Robert Grey , P . G . D ., having acted as Steward for the former , while Comp . J . Derby Allcroft , P . G . Treasurer , acted in a like capacity for the latter . Bro . C . Hammerton , unattached , is entered for the round sum of £ 120 , and then , in the order in which they are presented , we have the Wickham Lodge , No . 11 ) 24 , per Bro . Wilmcr Hollingworth , with £ 115 ;

Lily of Richmond Chapter , No . 820 , per Comp . C . Hubbard , with £ 113 8 s . ; . Excelsior Lodge , No . 1155 , per Bro . F . Morgan , and Kilburn Lodge , No . iGoS , per Bro . H . J . ^ Turner , with . £ 110 5 s . ; the Clerkenwell Lodge , No . 1964 , per Bro . W . Bellinghani , with £ 109 4 s . ; the Friends-in-Council , No . 1383 , per Bro . R , Stuart Lane , £ 108 3 s . ; and the Duke of Edinburgh , No . 1259 , with a level 100 guineas ( £ 105 ) per Bro . J . Charlton . It will be as well to mention that of the foregoing lodges , Nos . 13 S 3 , 1671 , and 1 964 , were among the three-figure lists at the Benevolent Festival in

Analysis Of The Returns.

February , and that of the Boys' School in June last ; No . 1 C 14 sent up a three-figure list in February last ; No . 259 has been represented at each of the last three Festivals ; while No . 1155 sent up a Steward for the Boys' in June last ; and No . 1790 for the Benevolent in February . If we add that several of the other represented lodge ' s , such as the Montague Guest Lodge , with Bro . Hedges , W . M ., ' and Bro . Festa , I . P . M ., as conjoint Stewards , figure for substantial amounts , we shall have completed our survey of the London portion of the returns . Passing to

THE PROVINCES , ' We note a slight falling off in the number of those that have sent up Stewards as compared with the Festival in February and a considerable diminution in this respect when compared with that of June last year . The last named , however , must be excepted when comparisons are sought to be established , as unusual attractions were offered , and if we do this we shall' find that

any difference there may be in favour of or against the Provinces in this respect is hardly appreciable . However , if there is , as we have said , a slight falling off in the number of Provinces represented , there is a . substantial increase in the amount raised , the 29 Provinces which contributed to the Benevolent in February sending up amongst them , in . round figures , ¦ £ 6098 , while the 2 S who figured on Wednesday together gave upwards of

£ 6737 . There is also a stronger muster of Provincial Stewards , there being 168 on this occasion as against 140 in February , but the average per Steward is lower , the Yorkshire representatives being relativel y to the sum subscribed by the Province more numerous than they were at the last Benevolent Festival . However , there is no doubt the Provinces , so far as they appear , have done their work extremely well , and though we expect

there will be some districts unrepresented from time to time , we confess we should gladly see a change in the conduct of some of those which are absent from these returns . Our readers , of course , are aware there are 41 provinces , and three districts which are without provincial organisation . All the latter and 13 out of the former were absentees from Wednesday's Fete , the absence in some few instances being the rule , while in the majority wc

rejoice to say it is the exception . We understand well enough wh y the Isle of Man with its three lodges , being so far removed from the headquarters of Freemasonry , should never fee represented by a Steward , and why the Channel Islands , five lodges , which raised over £ 2 iS for the Benevolent Institution in February last , and which by the way is not unfrequently mixed up with Jersey , ; is not represented in this list ,

but we are seriously disturbed about the efficacy of Masonic principles in Bedfordshire , when wc note that its five lodges are , almost as a matter of course , unrepresented at these important gatherings , Can nothing be done to arouse them to a sense of their duty towards our Charities ? As regards the 13 absentee provinces , they are—taking them in alphabetical order—Bristol with its eight lodges , which , however , raised over

£ 293 for Bro . Terry in February , and £ 217 at the corresponding festival of the previous year ; Cambridgeshire ( 4 lodges ) , its most recent performance having been a contribution 01 £ 128 to the Girls' School in May oC last year ; Cumberland and Westmorland ( 20 lodges ) , which may reasonably look for a fair amount of breathing time , seeing it raised 1000 guineas ( £ 1050 ) for the Boys' School in June last ; Dorsetshire ( 13-lodges ) , whose contributions

at former Festivals have been oftentimes more considerable than its strength justified us in expecting ; Herefordshire ( 4 lodges ) , which , though it was included in the Boys' list last June , would appear to be returning to its old state of carelessness ; Leicestershire and Rutland ( 10 lodges ) , ' which did splendidly both in February and June last , its contribution to the Benevolent at the former Festival being £ 350 , and to our Boys at the latter £ 405 ;

Lincolnshire ( 21 lodges ) , which has done nothing whatever at the last five Festivals ; Norfolk ( 16 lodges ) , which figured at the . Benevolent and Boys * Festivals last . year , and raised somewhat more than £ 200 for the three Institutions in 1882 ; Northumberland ( 21 lodges ) , which is apparently having a ' rest after its highly successful exertions lor the Boys' School in 1883 , when it raised / 1222 ; Nottinghamshire ( 14 lodges ) , whose presence in Bro .

Terry's list in February for close on £ 143 we noticed at the time ; and Jersey ( 7 lodges ) , which , having regard to its position , is very far from being an illiberal supporter of our Institutions . These absent provinces muster all told some 151 lodges , the occasional or more frequent presence of some of which would be heartily welcomed by the whole body of English Craftsmen , but especially by the Secretaries of our Institutions . Of the represented provinces wc come first of all to

. BERKS AND BUCKS . with a total of 21 lodges , 11 of them being- situated in Berks , and tlic remaining lo in Bucks . Last year it raised £ * 472 , ' and in 1882 not far short of , £ 620 for our Institutions , its support being pretty impartially distributed amongst the three . In February last it made an excellent start for the current year with a total of over , £ 233 ; but 011 Wednesday it was represented by two Stewards , whose contributions amount to £ 67 15 s . Cd .

CHESHIRE musters 39 lodges , and the lists of the three Stewards doing duty for the province amount together to £ 55 14 s ., which would be looked upon us a somewhat scanty contribution , Were it not that Cheshire takes very good care of its poor brethren , their widows , and offspring . The Masonic Educational Institute bclonerinjr to this province is one of the best managed and

most liberal of the local charitable organisations with which we are acquainted , and by the assistance it renders to the brethren or families of brethren on the spot , materially assists in relieving the central Charities of a portion of the pressure upon their resources . In February it raised . £ 12 6 for Bro . Terry , and in June last over £ 173 for Bro . Binckes . Bro . Bake ' s list , as the solitary Steward acting on behalf of

CORNWALL , is a small one—only twelve guineas—but he has served as Steward , sometimes alone , sometimes in conjunction with other brethren at every one of the last five Festivals , and though his totals are not heavy , he has given the benefit of his services on each occasion and we trust may yet have many more opportunities of helping to sustain our Charities . Cornwall musters on its roll some 29 lodges .

DERBYSHIRE with its full score of lodges . has done capitally , the aggregate of its seven Stewards' list being just a fraction over £ 350 , or within a few pounds of the total it raised for all three Charities in 1883 . In 1882 it distributed in round figures , £ 690 among them . This is the first appearance during the current year of the province which since 1858 has had the Marquis of Hanington for its Provincial Grand Master , There are 29 lodges in the Province of