Approaching Elections Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

London is responsible for II out of the total * number , and thc Provinces for the remaining 42 . Of the former there arc only two that bring forward any votes , No . 12 having 286 in hand from the last six elections and No . 20 , 906 from those of 1894

and 1895 . The other nine figure on the list as Nos . 30 , 33 , 35 , 3 6 , 37 , 3 8 , 40 , 45 , and 53 respectively , and are all dt'butantcs . Of the Provinces , Devonshire , as for the Male Fund , is responsible for' quite a number of cases , the widows , whose claims are

derived from its lodges , being eight in number , namely , Nos . 3 and 5 , who commenced their career as candidates in 1886 , and bring forward 243 and 259 votes respectively ; No . 7 , who made her first application in 188 7 , and has 209 votes in hand ; No . 9 ,

who has obtained 49 votes as the result of seven previous ballots ; and No . 13 , who has 345 votes , derived from six attempts . No . 16 , who started as a candidate in 1893 , has the fairly good total of 1301 votes to start with ; while No . 25 brings forward 124 votes ,

and No . 52 is a new case . The following five derive their claims from Warwickshire , that is to say , No . 23 , who polled 337 votes in 18 94 and 1895 ; Nos . 28 and 29 , who were candidates last year , and obtained , the former 1891 votes , and the latter I vote : and

Nos . 32 and 44 , wbo arc applicants for the first time . Kent sends up three candidates , and East Lancashire an equal number , the Kentish trio being No . Il , 39 , and 40 , thc first having in hand 170 from seven previous ballots , and the

other two being new cases ; while the East Lancashire three are No . 2 , with 28 5 votes to her credit from 12 ballots , and Nos . 17 and 18 , thc former of whom brings forward 1435 and thc latter 30 votes from the elections of 18 9 . 3 , ( "* 94 i ancl l ' """ 95- ^'

Provinces return two candidates each , Cumberland and Westmorland sending up No . I , who has 146 votes from 12 previous ballots , and No . 14 , who polled 11 votes at the last four elections ; Bristol , No . 8 , who has a score of 17 towards her ninth

application , and No . 4 8 , a first applicant ; and Staffordshire , Nos . 10 and 22 , the former of whom has stood seven ballots , and brings forward 82 , and the latter two ballots , and has 33 votes to the good . Sussex is responsible for No . 27 , who polled 12 votes

last year , and No . 50 , a new case ; West 1 orkshire for two new candidates , at Nos . 31 and 47 respectively ; ancl Cheshire for those who rank as Nos . 43 ancl 49 . Eleven Provinces furnish the remaining II candidates , namely : Durham , No . 4 , who

begins her nth ballot with a credit of 47 votes , and Cornwall , who will make her ioth application with such slight advantage as is to be derived from 106 votes . A widow , hailing from Lincolnshire , at No . 15 , has 35 votes to thc good from three

elections , and No . 19 , from Berkshire , 26 votes from thc same number . South Wales ( Western Division ) ami West Lancashire send Nos . 21 ancl 24 respectively , the former with a credit of I 92 votes , and the latter with one of II votes . The North Wales

widow at No . 26 was a candidate last year , but obtained no support , and the following are new cases : No . 34 , from Monmouthshire ; No . 41 , from Oxfordshire ; No . 4 6 , from Essex ; and No . 51 ,

from Northumberland . Several of the candidates are widows of deqeased annuitants , while the circumstances in which all are p laced are most deplorable .,

The Punjab Masonic Institution.

THE PUNJAB MASONIC INSTITUTION .

The greatest credit is due to our Punjab brethren for the generous manner in which they support their Masonic Institution . This local Charity was established in 1871 by brethren

working under the English Constitution , " for the purpose of relieving , maintaining , educating , ancl generally providing in a suitable manner for the children of deceased Freemasons who

have been left in destitute or poor circumstances , and of Freemasons who arc themselves in indigent circumstances , or of doing any one or more of these things . " In order to carry outthis purpose effectually and permanently , "funds have been , and will

continue lo be , collected , and so far as they are not required to meet the immediate and current demands upon the resources of the Institution , invested in such a manner as to form an Endowment Fund , the income from which will secure the continuance

of the operations of the Association under all circumstances . " The Rules and Regulations from which we have made these quotations accept as a general principle "that the orphan children of Freemasons" have a prior claim upon thc Institution , but

The Punjab Masonic Institution.

when all such claims have been provided for , it is within the power of the Institution to render such assistance " towards the maintenance and education of children who are not orphans " as may bc necessary , " having reo-ard

to the means of parents and relatives . * " As to the manner in which it carries out these purposes , " the Institution , " as we are further told , " undertakes to provide a sound ancl plain education to each child , such as will lit such child to

earn an honest living by thc practice of some profession , trade or calling , " while , as regards those who are entirely dependent upon the Charity , they " will be boarded , fed , and clothed in a manner suitable to the condition of the sons and daughters of

persons having very moderate means at their disposal . " Such in outline , is the purpose for which this Punjab Masonic Institution has bcen established , and such the manner in which it is provided that its purpose shall be carried into effect , and the reports

of the Board or Committee of adminstration or management which have been issued annually show satisfactoril y that durino- tlie 25 years of its existence the Institution has bcen well supported , and has done its work successfully . But never has

it been more-generously supported or more ably administered than during the year 1895 , as the Trustees tell us in their ample Report , which was submitted and approved at the annual general meeting held at Freemasons' Hall , Lahore , on thc ntli

March last . From this we learn that the total income for the past year from all sources was 15 , 747 rupees , which is the highest total ever attained , except in 18 94 ; the subscriptions and donations which constituted the bulk of this income amounting to

12 , 203 rupees , or more than 111 any previous year , except 18 92 and 1 S 94 . Thc expenditure , exclusive of investments , was 11 , 570 rupees , or 312 rupees in excess of any previous year . The balance remaining in hand at the close of the account was J 77

rupees , and this sum will be invested during the present year . As regards the work done , we learn lhat exclusive of the children , to whom temporary relief , amounting together to 16 32 rupees , was given , there were 37 wards on thc regular establishment .

'J his number , however , was reduced hy removals under the age limit ancl withdrawals to 30 at the end of thc year , ancl having estimated the sum available for expenditure—after allowing 500 rupees for contingent and miscellaneous charges—at 11 , 771

rupees , the T rustecs consider that this sum will suffice for the provision of 39 wards at 300 rupees per ward , and they recommend , therefore , that nine vacancies should be declared Thus the Institution ' s sphere of usefulness is being enlarged ,

ancl as it can boast of having in its possession an invested capital amounting to 9 6 , 000 , there is every reason to anticipate that the Institution will bc maintained at its present hig h state

of efficiency . It is hardly necessary to add that thc Punjab Masonic Institution , like all other Institutions of its kind , has our best wishes for its continued success .

Ars Quatuor Coronatorum.*

ARS QUATUOR CORONATORUM . *

The Transactions which are included in the first part of Volume IX . for thc current year are those of the meetings m January and March respectively , among them being two papers of exceptional interest and importance , thc earlier of which has

been compiled by Bro . Dr . CHETWODE CRAWLEY and was read at the January lodge , lt treats of " The Old Lodge at Bandon , ' ^ and is a further instalment of his "Notes on Irish Freemasonry

The other , by Bro . J . CONDER , jun ., was read at the March lodge and contains a brief recital derived from that brother ' s " His ' 0 of the Hole Craftc and Fellowship of Masons , " of sundry f *^ connected with thc said Company , which " form links in the chain of evidence required to bind thc nineteenth century Mason wu * -

his predecessor of thc Middle Ages . " The basis of Bro . Dr . CRAWLEY ' S paper is " A sketch of thc history of the Qld Lodge at Bandon , Co ., Cork , embodied in l' " History of Bandon , by Bro . GEORGE BENNETT , Barrister-al-Law , " to which his attention was called by Bro . Dr . LEWIS .. Lodge No . 25 ( I . C ) Though this sketch was published as

* Ars Quatuor Coronatorum . Being the Transactions of the Lodge t , " Coronati , No . 207 G , London . Edited by G . W . Speth , P . M ., Sec . Volume IX . Marl ?' Printed at " Keble's Gazette " Office , iSn *) .