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One of the 14 lodges in NOTTINGHAMSHIRE sent up a small list of £ 27 os . 6 d , but this is very far from representing the average sum of its subscriptions , which is oftener than not about £ 200 , Thus in 1 SS 6 it gave the Benevolent £ 176 iSs . 6 d ., and the Boys £ 102 2 s . In 1885 all three Charities were assisted , the Benevolent with £ 158 13 s . ;

the Girls with £ 261 14 s . ; and the Boys with £ 120 , while in the previous year the Benevolent and Boys' School were the chosen recipients of the Notts contributions , the former obtaining £ 142 14 s . 6 d ., and the latter £ 23 1 103 . 6 d . It is probable , therefore , that the Province is reserving its strength for the School Anniversaries . We can always reckon on

OXFORDSHIRE , albeit a small province numerically , taking part in these celebrations . It did so in the days when the Grand Registrar had charge of it , it increased its efforts under the late Duke of Albany , and it continues them under its present chief , Bro . the Earl of Jersey . On this occasion two of its 10 lodges were represented , Bros . Capt . Aireyand W . H . Seary , of the Alfred Lodge ,

No . 340 , Oxford , making up a joint list of £ 56 2 s . 6 d ., and Bro . Jos . Richardson , of the Bertie , No . 1515 , another Oxford lodge , supplementing this with £ 16 16 s .: total for the Festival £ 72 18 s . 6 d . Last year it raised £ 46 18 s . 6 d . for the Benevolent ; £ 106 for the Girls ; and £ 126 45 . 6 d ., or together , £ 279 3 s . In 1 S 85 it distributed £ 207 14 s ., and in 1884 £ 293 8 s . 6 d . among our Charities . The Pro Grand Master ' s Province of

SOMERSETSHIRE is regularly represented , its contributions being always respectable , and at times weighty . On Tuesday , Bro . W . Adams as Steward for the Lodge of Unanimity and Sincerity , No . 261 , Taunton—a frequent participator in these anniversary meetings—well sustained the credit of his Province b y handing in a list of £ 132 Ss . In June last Bros . Lieut .-Col . Thrale Perkins an'd Nosworthy made up a total of £ 303 , the Girls having received £ 133 7 s . in

May , and the Benevolent £ 173 4 s . in February : giving an aggregate for 1886 of £ 609 lis . In 1885 , the Benevolent obtained £ 17683 . ; the Girls , £ 305 ; and the Boys , £ 136 ios . : total £ 517 18 s . ; while in 18 S 4 the several contributions were—Benevolent , £ 505 53 ., Bro . R . C . Else , D . P . G . M ., acting as sole Steward for the Province—the Girls , £ 71 8 s ., and the Boys , £ 64 is ., making together £ 640 14 s ., or for the three years , £ 1768 3 s . There is no doubt as to this being an admirable record and well worth y of imitation .

Though it has sent up no Stewards , SOUTH WALES , EASTERN DIVISION , has contributed £ 36 15 s ., of which £ 26 5 s . is from the funds of the Prov . G . Lodge , and the remaining 10 guineas ( £ 10 ios . ) from the Bute Lodge , No . 960 , Cardiff . However , if the total is small in this instance it has been

more commonly otherwise , as the £ 160 handed in to the Girls and the £ 200 to the Boys in 1884 ; the £ 200 in each case at the Girls' and Boys' Festivals in 1885 , and the £ 140 ( Girls ) and £ 105 ( Boys ) of last year abundantl y testily . Here , at all events , we have a total of upwards of £ 1000 at six out of the nine Festivals in 1884-5-6 , which is a fair record for a Province with no more than 16 lodges .

STAFFORDSHIRE , with about the same number of lodges as Somersetshire—having some 27 to the latter ' s 25—is likewise a diligent upholder of our Institutions . On Tuesday , its one Steward , Bro . T . R . Lee , acting for Tudor Lodge , No . 1792 , Harborne , made up a total of £ 132 6 s ., or only a fraction less than his Somersetshire colleague . In 1884 the sum of its subscriptions was

£ 646 6 s . —the R . M . B . I . receiving £ 152 5 s . ; the Girls , £ 180 19 s . 6 d . •and the Boys , £ 313 ios . 6 d . The year following they amounted to £ 6 95 2 s ., made up of £ 141 15 s . to the Benevolent , £ 215 5 s . to the Girls , and £ 338 2 s . to the Boys , while last year they totalled up £ 577 ios ., the Benevolent and Girls' School each obtaining £ 204 15 s ,, and the Boys £ 168 total for the triennial period , £ 1938 18 s .

SUFFOLK , with its roll of 21 lodges , has done splendidly . We are not surprised at this . It has some good men and true among its members , who work well and are capable of evoking a good deal of sympathy with any object they have in view , and as our Charities happen to have been their object for some time past and to be so now , the generous support accorded them is to

be expected . On Tuesday , a trio of Stewards , acting for as many lodges , compiled a total of £ 418 19 s ., Bro . W . Inglis Mason ' s list for the Stour Valley Lodge , No . 1224 , Sudbury , taking the lead with £ 193 4 s ,, and Bro . Shepherd ' s , for the Abbey Lodge , No . 1592 , Bury St . Edmunds , being a good second with £ 173 5 s ., the balance of 50 guineas ( 52 ios . ) constituting the list of Bro . G . Jones as Steward for the Fidelity Lodge , No . 555

, Framlingham . Last year it gave among the three Institutions a fraction over £ 553 ; in 1 SS 5 , £ 69135 . ; and in 1884 , £ 627 is . 6 d . ; the total for 1884-5-6 being £ 1871 5 s ., of which the Benevolent received £ 774 6 s . 6 d ., the Girls' School £ 674 17 s . 6 d ., and the Boys' School £ 422 is . It looks as if Suffolk intended surpassing all its past efforts during the current year . We are pleased to find

SURREY so well represented , eight of its nine Stewards sending in lists amounting to £ 349 us . 6 d . ; Bro . Ridpath's , for the George Price Lodge , No . 2096 , being a long way the first with £ 152 15 s . 6 d . The list of Bro . West ( unattached ) , is still outstanding . It will be remembered that last year this Province did great things , its contribution to the Girls' School Festival , at which its Prov . G . M ., Bro . Gen . Brownrigg presidedbeing £ 1345 15 s . 6 d .

, , in addition to which it raised ^ 148 1 is . for the Benevolent , and £ 334 14 s . for the Boys' School , making a grand total for the year of £ 1829 os , 6 d . In 1885 it raised £ 507 3 s ., and in 1884 £ 592 , a subsidy to each Institution being given in each year . The total for the three years is £ 2928 3 s . 6 d . It is true the Province has a roll of 32 lodges , but quite half-a-dozen of these are of recent creation , and could not in reason therefore be expected to contribute largely .

SUSSEX is another of our Provinces which has latterly had its resources drawn upon pretty liberally . In June last , the Boys' School Festival was held in Brighton , and Sussex worthily supported Bro . Lord Suffield , the Chairman , by contributing £ 420 towards the general total , and in the February previous it had given the Benevolent £ 122 ios . In 1885 , when its late lamented chief , Bro . Sir W . W . Burrell , Bart ., occupied the chair at the

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Girls' School , it raised the munificent sum of £ 1850 , which was supplemented by a further £ 73 ios . to the Boys' School . In 1884 it gave sixty guineas ( £ 63 ) to the Benevolent Institution , £ 237 6 s- to the Girls ' , and £ 157 ios . to the Boys ' , its total for 1 S 84-5-6 amounting to £ 2903 16 s . Under

these circumstances we are not surprised that the figure of Tuesday was £ 112 7 s ., of which Bro . Markwick ' s list for the Derwent Lodge , No . 40 , Hastings , absorbed £ 100 . We dare say Sussex will see that its average is maintained during the current year . It is somewhat disappointing to find that so influential a Province as

WARWICKSHIRE , has contributed no more than £ 75 12 s . It has some 30 lodges , of which 16 . have their home in Birmingham . Yet only two sent up Stewards , the joint list of Bros Lawrence and Simpson , for the lodge of Rectitude , No . 502 , Rugby , being £ 28 7 s ., and that of Bros . Taylor and Warrillow , for the Temperance Lodge , Nor 739 , Birmingham , being 30 guineas ( £ 31 ios . ) The Howe Lodge , No . 587 , Birmingham , made up the balance of £ 15 15 s .,

but was not represented on the Board of Stewards . Last year the Province raised £ 616 ios ., namely , for the Benevolent , £ 230 2 s ., for the Girls ' , £ 102 18 s ., and for the Boys ' , £ 283 ios . In 1885 , its figures were , Benevolent , £ 101 6 s ,, Girls' School , £ 74 us ., and Boys' School , £ 173 5 s ., making a total of £ 349 6 s . In 1884 , they were , Benevolent , £ 126 , Girls' School , £ 90 6 s ., and Boys' School , £ 73 ios ., total £ 28 9 16 s ., the three years ' aggregate being , £ 1255 12 s . None of the dozen lodges in

WORCESTERSHIRE appears to have been represented at Tuesday ' s Festival , but Bro . A . F . Godson , M . P ., the Deputy of the province , figures in the list with a useful £ 31 ios . against his name , and we shall probably hear more from this district before the year is out . Our Worcestershire friends take very kindly

to Freemasonry , and every one of them displays his zeal for charity in a very substantial measure . Thus in 1884 it raised £ 426 lis . for the three Charities , in 188 5 , £ 39 6 18 s ., and last year £ 413 8 s ., altogether £ 1236 17 s . This is a very fair record , giving an average ot close on 100 guineas per lodge for the triennial period . Three out of the 29 lodges in

YORKSHIRE , NORTH AND EAST , were represented , the total of the three lists being £ 93 7 s . Last year its total for the three Institutions was £ 165 14 s . 6 d „ but in 1885 it raised £ 535- i ' 1 l 8 s 4 » £ " 559 > and in l 8 83 > £ 9 ° > or f ° '' the period 188 3-4-5-6 , close upon £ 2180 . Doubtless we shall hear of the Province figuring more conspicuously at one or the other of the School Festivals . As regards

WEST YORKSHIRE , if we state that it sent up 33 Stewards headed by Bro . T . W . Tew , the respected Provincial Grand Master , and that its total was £ 750 , we shall have said enough to prove that on Tuesday this Province played its part quite as effectively as usual . During the last 12 years , as we pointed out in

our Analysis of the returns at the Boys' School Festival in June last , West Yorkshire ' s contributions to our three Institutions total up to £ 24 , 566 , being an average of £ 682 per Festival . Thus the present amount is in excess of that average . However , we will not mar the effect of this admirable picture , which tells its own tale eloquently enough , without the aid of any superfluous comments .

CONCLUDING REMARKS . These , we promise , shall be sufficiently brief . We have gone through the Returns pretty minutely . We have given credit to the donors , whenever possible , without exposing ourselves to the charge of flattery , and it only remains for us to repeat our congratulations to all who have had part in obtaining so grand a result . The immediate effect will no doubt be that

the Committee of Management will feel itself justified in recommending a further increase in the number of annuitants , and so reduce the list of applicants to more manage ? ble dimensions . If this should happen , the pleasure which those must feel who have contributed to the brilliant success of Tuesday will be greatly enhanced , while others will be encouraged to emulate their example .

Consecration Of The St. Chads (Mark) Lodge, No. 374, West Yorkshire.

CONSECRATION OF THE ST . CHADS ( MARK ) LODGE , No . 374 , WEST YORKSHIRE .

The consecration of this new Mark lodge took place on Wednesday , the 16 th inst ., at the Masonic Hall , Great George-street , Leeds . There was a large gathering of brethren , including—The R . W . Prov . Grand Master , Bro . C . L . Mason ; the W . Bro . Rev . W . C . Lukis , D . P . G . M . M . ; Bros . George Allthorp , P . S . G . W . ; J . H . Gration , 137 , P . J . G . W . ;

Rev . W . Dunn , m , P . G . Chap . ; George Norminton , 58 , P . G . Treasurer ; W . Cooke , 58 , G . P . S . O . of Eng ., P . G . Secretary ; W . F . Tomlinson , in , Prov . G . M . O . ; W . Fincken , 137 , P . G . Org . ; J . W . Monckman , P . P . G . W . ; H . France , no , P . P . S . G . W . ; Charles Woollons , no , P . P . G . D . of C . ; F . Smith , 352 , P . G . D . C ; John Barker , 59 , P . G . Stwd . of Eng . ; Henry Smith , no , P . G . Std . Br . ; J . W .

Bailey , in , P . P . J . G . D . ; Ceorge Hill , in , P . J . G . D . ; G . H . Radcliff , 58 , P . P . S . G . O .. George Chapman , 324 , P . P . J . G . D . Notts ; Thomas Howden , 110 , P . G . Stwd . ; G . H ; Locking , in , P . G . Stwd . ; A . Lotriez , Bradford ; S . S . Young , 24 ; R . Hodgson , 5 S ; John Green , 58 ; W . J . Beck , 58 ; William Acl-royd , 58 ; J . G . Lee , ;

P . M . 58 ; H . Oxley , no ; ] . A . Conner , 110 ; W . Furze , in ; C . Middleton , in R . Craig , in ; T , Myers , in ; S . Barrand , in ; E . Billington , 127 ; S . Evans , 352 ; and the founders of the lodge—the Rev . T . C . Smyth , M . A ., D . D ., LL . D ., Grand Chaplain o £ England ; J . M . Hollingsworth , A . F . McGill , W . S . Blackburn , and J . W . Fourness .

The Prov . Grand Master , assisted by his officers , * opened the lodge at 4 . 30 . A successful ballot was taken for four brethren for advancement , namely , Bros . Clayton , Clements , H . G . Blackburn , and Scattergood , and being duly admitted , were advanced to the Degree of Mark Master Masons by the R . W . Prov . G . Master , after which the ceremony of consecration

was proceeded with . The Prov . Grand Secretary having stated the wishes of the brethren , handed the warrant of constitution to the Prov . G . Master , who directed him to read the same , which was duly accepted by all present . The Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master , Bro . C . L , Mason , then addressed the brethren as follows ;—It is not my intention to keep y ° many minutes to-day , but I deem it well on thisoccasion of the inauguration