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CONTENTS . PAGE I . KAn » R— . „„ , The Benevolent Elections ... ... - ^ — 27 > Prcvirce cf Oxfordshire ... ¦•• . . — , „ , " . . '" 2 ? ? Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . ( Annual Meeting and Election ) ... 270 General Committee of Grand Lodge and Board of Benevolence ... ... 277 Provincial Grand l . odpe of North and East Lancashire ... ... 277 Conseciations of Hartford Mark Lodge , No . 54 c , and Blagdon Mark Lodge ,

No . 547 ... - - - "' 2 ' % Maronic Charity Banquet at Southampton ... ... ... - 27 s Craft Masonry ... ••• — — — 2 7

MASONIC NOTESConsecration of Ihe Eail of Clarendon Chapter , No . 19 S 4 ... ... 2 S 1 ' Rojal Mafonic Benevolent Institution ... ... ... ••• 281 Ptcvinrial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire ... ... ... 2 S 1 Festival of the East Lancashire Systematic Masonic Educational and Rrnevolent Institution ... ... ... 281

Correspondence ... ... — ••• ••• 2 ° Reviews ... ... — ••• — 2 ° Royal Aich ... ... ... ... - - - 283 Instiuction ... ... ... ••• ••• ¦• • 2 ° 3 Ancient and Accepted Rite ... ... ¦•• ••• ••• 2 ? 3

Royal Ark Mariners ... ... •¦• ••• — 2 ^ 3 Bro . Ihe Rev . W . H . Edgell ... ... ... ... 284 Royal Masonic Institution for Gitls ... ••• ••• ••• 2 S 4 Stiand Ledge of Instruction ... ... — 2 ^ 4 fcierce , Att , and the Drama ... ... ... ••• 2 § ° Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... 2 ^ °

The Benevolent Elections.

THE BENEVOLENT ELECTIONS .

The annual General Meeting of the Governors and Subscribers of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution was held on Friday , the 17 th instant , when the election of candidates to fill the vacancies that have occurred during the past 12 months

on the Male and Widows' Funds respectively took place . The vacancies as declared in February had been considerably increased in number , but thc poll was a heavy one

notwithstanding :, and the excitement in and about Freemasons' Tavern , where the proceedings were conducted , was quite on a level with anything we have known of recent years . For the

MALE FUND there was originally a list of 50 approved candidates in competition for 13 vacancies , namely , 10 immediate and three deferred . But thc former was reduced by two deaths and a

withdrawal to 47 , while thc vacancies were increased to 22 , including , as before stated , the three deferred . London , which furnished 15 candidates , secured the election of seven , and the Provinces , with 32 candidates , carried 15 , so that the successes of

Hie day were pretty equally divided . , The brother who headed the poll with 6 971 votes hailed from London , and was a new candidate , while the next in order was one of four old brethren from Sussex , who obtained 6454 votes , of which 5001 were

brought forward from last year ' s election . Middlesex took the third place with a total score of 6364 , the Cornish candidate who started with 3237 votes in hand and finished with 6197 being fourth , and a second London candidate fifth with

" 074 votes , of which 45 S were already to his credit . The Oxfordshire brother who had polled in all 4944 votes at his three previous attempts , stood next with 6014 , and was followed "ya . London applicant with 5858 votes , of which 3719 were

polled for him last year , the Dorsetshire brother standing eighth Wlt ' 5534 votes , of which all but four were cast for him on this 0 ( 'c , "ision , while the two next in order were the West Yorkshire ' '' dates , for whom 5500 and 549 8 voles respectively were

Polled . No . n was one 0 f two brethren from ICast Lancashire , who obtained 546 5 votes , including 1132 brought forward from ! >' t and No 12 was one of the two Somersetshire candi-1 ' 'Jtt- 's , who received 5417 votes . One of the two Kent brethren 0 h : ul a few votes to the good took the 13 th p lace with a total

The Benevolent Elections.

° f 5395 votes , and was closel y followed by the applicant from Gloucestershire with 5390 votes ; a second Sussex candidate with 5384 votes , of which 1225 already stood to his credit ; and a London brother with 5383 votes . Yet another Sussex , brother

had the good fortune to secure the 17 th place with 534 8 votes , of which 4594 were obtained at the three previous elections ; the North and East Yorkshire candidate the iSth place with 5 180 votes , and a London candidate the next with 447 8 votes . The

brethren who were elected to deferred annuities and who will be p laced on the establishment as the opportunity offers were Nos , 20 and 21 , who hailed from London and polled respectively 443 ! votes and 3880 votes , and a Middlesex brother who brought up

the rear with 3265 votes . The three Unsuccessful candidates who will receive some compensation for their failure from the John Hervey Memorial Fund and the Emulation Lodge of Improvement grant , hail from London , Essex , and London , and

severally polled 2811 , 2602 , and 2373 votes . There w ^ re live other candidates who received a substantial measure of support which will stand them in good stead next year , and more than half a dozen who polled only a few votes or were entirely

unsupported . There were 29 , 802 votes brought forward and 142 , 252 votes issued for this election , making the total number available 172 , 054 votes . But only 104 , 766 out of the votes

issued were passed by the Scrutineers , so that 37 , 48 9 votes were unused or spoilt . For the

WIDOWS' FUND the list of candidates as originally approved remained unaltered at 54 , but the number of vacancies which—including the three deferred—was declared as ei ght , was augmented to 17 , there

being 14 of these immediately available . London , which furnished 14 candidates , had six elected , namely , four to immediate and two to deferred annuities ; while the Provinces and Abroad , with 40 candidates , had 11 elected , of which one was

to a deferred annuity . The place of honour at the head of the poll was secured by a London lady with 7065 votes , the second in order , who received support from Middlesex and Hertfordshire , polling 6009 votes . No . 3 , from Devonshire ,

scored 5607 votes ; and the fourth in order , from Antigua , obtained 577 8 votes ; while the next , from London , was close up with 574 8 votes . The sixth was one of live candidates from Kent , who polled 55 62 votes , cf which 279 stood to her credit

when the voting began . The West Yorkshire candidates secured the seventh and eighth vacancies with 5453 and 5443 votes respectively , the Warwickshire widow , with a few votes in hand , taking the ninth place with 5375 votes , and the West

Lancashire widow the ioth place with 5171 votes . The East Lancashire applicant was next in order with . 5107 votes , while two London widows followed with 5061 and 5055 votes respectively ; one of three candidates from Suffolk who

started with 70 votes to her credit , from three previous ballots , securing the last of tho annuities immediately available with 4 8 92 votes . The three elected to deferred annuities were a Suffolk widow who started with 1266 votes to the good , and

increased her poll to 3584 , and two London widows of whom one scored 3564 , including 1822 brought forward from last year , and the other 327 6 votes . The three highest Unsuccessful

Candidates who become entitled to shares in the interest of the John Hervey Memorial Fund and the grant by the Emulation Lodge of Improvement were a London applicant who began the day with 14 68 votes and finished it with 2861 votes , and another