Provincial Grand Mark Lodge Of West Yorkshire.

disposal , they had only £ 4000 invested , and the yearly interest on that sum yielded only £ 109 , while last year they gave away . £ 274 . Their Educational Fund had £ 3000 invested , the income from which was £ 109 , and they distributed ^ 323 . The Annuity Fund had got £ 5000 invested , the yearly income was £ 171 , and they were giving every year £ 342 . They had seven candidates waiting for the next Festival to see if the General Board could take them on or not . He was told that they had no elections . An election

would cost according to the estimate of the General Board about £ 40 . He would ask them what was the best thing to do , to have no election , and allow the matter to be dealt with by the General Board , and thus pay for four children 10 guineas each , or to two old ladies , £ 21 each , or to spend the money in printing and postage as it is spent in other institutions ? He thought they would agree with him as to which was the better course to pursue . There had been no worthy candidate who had ever presented himself or herself at ihe General Board who had not been relieved to the best of their skill and

ability . He was speaking 111 the presence of the Pro Grand Alaster , who held the record of having obtained the largest sum ever subscribed at one of their Festivals , and he told him ( the speaker ) that whenever he was beaten he would stand again and try to outdo his previous record . Let them with one heart and one soul try and support Lord Skelmersdale at the next Festival , so as to beat Lord Euston ' s record , and then they knew 1 hey would

have Lord Euston again as Chairman endeavouring to surpass Lord Skelmersdale . They had six girls and 16 bovs receiving education at home with their parents and guardians , and under the supervision wh ch is so useful in the earlier stagesof life , andtheygotevery year £ 5 each for clothing . Theyliad also nine old brethren and four widows receiving respectively £ 26 and £ 21

each , and those old brethi en and old ladies every New Year are each presented with a gift of £ 5 to enable them to obtain coals , petticoats , blankets , or overcoats . That Charity was one of the greatest charms of their Order ; they spent nothing in bricks and mortar , but gave all the contributions of the brethren to those who stood in need of it .

The Tyler ' s toast closed the proceedings , which , from beginning to end , were most successful . The credit for the satisfactory arrangements , both for the meeting of the Prov . Grand Lodge and the banquet , was due to a small Committee of the Copley and St . Chad Lodges and the imtiring energy of their Secretary , Bro . John Wm . Smith .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Somerset.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF SOMERSET .

The annual meeting of the Prov . G . Lodge of Somerset was held on the 16 th inst . in the Constitutional Club-room at Crewkerne , under the banner of Parret and Axe Lodge , No . 814 , the P . G . M ., Bro . Lord Dungarvan , presiding . The lodge room had been elaborately and very tastefully fitted up by a Committee of local breihren . The P . G . M . was supported on his

right by the D . P . G . M ., Bro . R . C . Else , and on his left by Bro . Ja =. Terry , Sec . R . M . B . I . Bro . J , C . HUNT , Prov . G . Sec , first called the roll of members , and it was ascertained that 24 out of the 26 lodges of the province were fully represented . The minutes ot the last Prov . G . Lodge , held at Wells on the 3 rd Aliy , 1 S 04 , were read and confirmed .

Bro . C . L . FRY EDWARDS . Prov . G . Treas ., next read the annual statement of accounts , from which it appeared that the receipts amounted to £ 316 10 s . 7 d ., and that the expenditure was £ 209 6 s . 4 d . A payment of 100 guineas had been made to the Benevolent Institution , leaving a balance in hand of £ 20 os . 2 d .

On the motion of Bro . A . E . BURNETT , P . AL 291 , seconded by Bro . CATFORD , the minutes were passed ; and the P . G . Treasurer was congratulated on being able to present so satisfactory a report . Bro . ASHLEY , P . M ., proposed the re-election of Bro . C . L . Fry Edwards

as P . G . Treasurer , and this was seconded by Bro . J . BURNETT , P . M . 291 , and agreed to with acclamation , the P . G . M ., Lord DUNGARVAN , remarking that they fully appreciated the valuable services of Bro . Edward ¦; , and were deeply grateful to him . Bro . EDWARDS thanked the brethren present for having elected him P . G . Treasurer for the eleventh year in succession . The P . G . Oflicers for the ensuing year were appointed and invested as follows :

Bro . I . Tomsett , P . M . 814 ... ... ¦• Prov . S . G . W . „ T . L . Bennett , P . M . 926 ... ... Prov . J . G . W . „ Rev . R . White , P . M . 379 - } Pmv G rhan , „ Rev . E . A . Sanford , 291 ... ... j - ( j" Cha P ' ,, C . L . Fry Edwards , P . M . 1199 ... ... Prov . G . Treas . „ J . Bowyer , P . AI . 1966 ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ J . C . Hunt , P . M . 135 ... ... ... Prov . G . Sec . „ I . T . Dunsford , P . M . 291 ... ... Prov . G . Sec . „ J . C . Baldwin , P . M . 41 ... ... ... Prov . S . G . D . „ W . L . Dames , P . AI . 53 ... ... Prov . J . G . D . „ W . C . J . York , P . M . 285 ... ... Prov . S . G . W . „ J . R . Gill , P . M . 906 ... ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ E . A . Burnett , W . AI . 291 ... ... Prov . A . G . D . C . „ F . Blackmore , P . M . 1222 ... ... Prov . G . S . B . „ D . Stallworthy , W . M . 1833 ... " } Prov G Std Br * „ W . H . Stead , W . M . 772 ... J frov . U . btd . Brs . „ R . W . Buffett , P . AL 135 ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ F . J . Dimmery , P . M . 1 755 ... ... Prov . G . Purst . „ H . Cox , P . M . 1199 ... ... ... Prov . A . G . Purst . „ W . T . Baker , P . AI . 135 ... ... ^ | „ A . Hammett , 261 ... ... ... j „ H . Amos , 1750 ... ... ... [ Prov . G . Stwds . „ J . B . Toms , S . D . 1953 ..- •¦• ... I „ W . Ludlow , J . W . 2390 ... ... ... J „ A . J . Salter , 53 ... ... ... ) „ Q .... „ S . Bigwood , 41 - •¦ ..- > ' rov . ti . 1 ylers . The PROV . GRAND SECRETARY next read a satisfactory report from the

Charity Organisation Committee , which was unanimously adopted . The P . G . M . said he wished to take that opportunity of evincing his thorough appreciation tl the efforts which the brethren throughout the province had made to support him on the occasion of the recent festival of the Benevolent Institution and he should be glad to have it noted on the

minutes . He had pleasure , therefore , in proposing " That the best thanks of this P . G . Lodge be given to those brethren who supported him as Steward at the 1895 Benevolent Festival , as also the brethren and lodges whose generous donations to the Stewards' lists enabled them to take up the grand total of £ 1653 14 s . 6 d . "

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Somerset.

Bro . ASHLEY ( Bath ) seconded the motion , aud bore his testimony to the great amount of benefit conferred by the Masonic Charities . Bro . TERRY , Sec . R . M . B . I ., slid it afforded him very great pleasure to have the privilegeof attending , on bahalf cl the Committee of that Institution , to tender their sincere and gratelul thanks to his lordship for honouring the Institution by presiding at the Festival gathering , and the Stewards ( 26 in number ) who attended it as representing every lodge in the province , to contribute the immense sum that was raised in Somerset . He had been

specially requested by the Committee to attend P . G . Lodge that day to ask his lordship ' s acceptance of a copy of their resolution of thanks engraved on vellum , recording the fact that Somerset had this year surpassed itself in its contribution to the Masonic Charities . The P . G . M . acknowledged lhe presentation , and said it was very gratifying to feel that their efforts in Somerset had been so much appreciated . Dinner was partaken of al the George Hotol , under the presidency of the P . G . Al .

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

The annual meeting of the Subscribers to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons was held on the 17 th inst ., at Freemasons' Tavern , Great Oueen-street , W . C . Bro . J . Albert Farnfield , P . A . G . D . C , Treasurer of Ihe Institution , was voted to the chair , and amongst his supporters were Bros . C . E . Keyser , A . C . Spaull , J . Pearce , Henry Smith , D . P . G . AL West Yorks ; John Wordsworth , Sir J . B . Alonckton , J . F .. Le Feuvre , R . Wylie , John Chadwick , and W . Goodacre .

Before the proceedings commenced , the CHAIRMAN informed the meeting that the Right Hon . Lord George Hamilton , ALP ., P . G . W ., Provincial Grand Alasler for Aliddlesex , would preside at the annual Festival of the Institution in 1896 . Bro . J AMES TERRY , Sec , then read the minutes of the last annual meeting .

The report of the Institution having been printed and circulated , was taken as read ; and , on its being moved and seconded that it be adopted and entered on the minutes , the motion was carried . Bros . Trew , Vincent , and Dangerfield were elected members of the Committee of Alanagement .

Bro . C . E . KEYSER , P . G . D ., moved the re-election of Bro . John Albert Farnfield as Treasurer of the Institution , saying that he had much pleasure in doing so , as by the great services he had performed , Bro , Farnfield had proved himself a true friend to the Institution . Bro . Sir J B . AIONCKTON , P . G . W ., seconded the motion . He had

known Bro . Farnfield many , many years , and he trusted that for many years to come the office of Treasurer would be as well performed as it had been by Bro . Farnfield , with credit to him and benefit to the Institution . The CHAIRMAN thanked the brethren , afler the motion had been unanimously and rapturously carried , for their confidence , and added that what he had done in the past he would endeavour to do in the future .

Bro . A . C . SI ' AULL proposed , and Alajor BRIDGES seconded the reelection of the three Auditors . Bro . J . S . CUMBERLAND , G . Std . Br ., rose to make a suggestion , but not with the intention of opposing the brethren named . He thought the time had arrived for a change to be adopted , and that it was hardly fair for members of the Committee of Management to be auditors ; it really came to this , that some of those who had the spending of the funds of the

Institution should afterwards be the people to audit the accounts . Would it not be better that the accounts should be gone through by professional accountants as was done on behalf of Grand Lodge with the Grand Lodge accounts , and the accounts of the Boys' School and the Girls' School ? He would ask whether the House Committee would not consider the matter of having some professional auditor who was a brother to audit the accounts .

The CHAIRMAN observed that unfortunately the laws of the Institution had just been amended , and those Uws laid down the manner in which the accounts were to be audited . If Bro . Cumbeiland , who had the interests of lhe Institution so much at heart , had objected , as he had just suggested to the pre ser . t mode of auditing ihe accounts , at the meeting for the amendment of the laws , he could have done sa then . He might inform Bro . Cumbeiland ,

however , that among the auditors there was only one who was a momber of lhe Committee cf Management . In reply to a question put by another brother as to the mode of filling up vacancies which might occur on the Committee of Management , the Chairman said the Uws were altered at the meeting he had just re ferred to in respect to this point . If one member of the House Committee died the remaining members of the Committee had the power to fill up the vacancy .

The following Reportof the Committee of Management was then read by Bro . TERRY . The Anniversary Festival in its behalf was held by direction of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , K . G ., M . W . G . M ., Grand Patron and President , on Wednesday , the 27 th February last . R . W . Bro . the Viscount Dungarvan , Provincial Grand Master of Somersetshire , presided as Chairman , and

the Board of Stewards which supported his lordship consisted of 372 ladies , Lewises , and brethren . The total of donations and subscriptions obtained by the combined efforts of the members of this Board was announced as £ 14 , 113 6 s ., but this sum has been since increased by the receipt of outstanding lists , and additions to lists to , £ 14 , 690 13 s .. This result is most gratifying . It shows unmistakably that the reaction which almost invariably follows upon any special

effort in behalf of a particular Charity , has nearly , if not quite , expended itself in the case of this Institution , and inclines the Committee to hope that in future , as in past years , the annual contributions superadded to the permanent income will , as a rule , be found sufficient to meet the year ' s requirements . At all events , the Committee is desirous of placing on record its most sincere thanks to the Noble Chairman who so ably presided , the Board of Stewards which laboured

so energetically and successfully in support of his lordship ' s advocacy and the lodges , chapters , and individual donors who have subscribed so handsomely towards the efficient maintenance during the present year . More especially are its thanks due lo the Chairman's Province of Somersetshire , which exhibited such devotion to its Provincial Grand Master and so much solicitude for the wellare of this Charity , anil the total of whose contributions ( £ 1637 ) was far in excess of any sum it had ever previously raised .

At the election in May , 1894 , there were on the two Funds of the Institution 435 Annuitants , namely , 195 men and 240 widows , while the number of applicants for admission was 119 , of whom 65 were men and 54 widows . To-day there are 113 applicants , that is to say , 61 men and 51 widows , the very slight diminution in numbers , as compared with the previous years , being due to no particular r ;_ , t | se at least to none that is worthy of being specifically referred to .