Analysis Of The Returns.

and we most heartily congratulate the noble Chairman , who is not only G . Master of the Province , but an initiate of the Apollo University Lodge , as well as a P . M . of the Churchill , No . 478 , on the great success achieved by Oxfordshire , under his auspices on this occasion . SHROPSHIRE ,

in which there are a dozen lodges , was very worthily represented by Bro . Sir Offley Wakeman , Bart . —an Apollo University initiate—Prov . G . Master , and his respected Deputy , Bro . Rowland G . Venables , the former ' s list amounting to £ 68 15 s . and the latter ' s to £ 21 , mating together £ 80 15 s . It entered an appearance at all three Festivals in 1897 , the total of its contributions being £ 286 13 s .,

of which this Institution received by the hands of the same two Stewards as acted on Tuesday £ 31 ios ., the Girls' School £ 176 8 s ., and the Boys' School £ 7 8 15 s . In 18 9 6 the . Province subscribed £ 267 lis ., and in 1895 ^ 391 13 s . In 1892 , including £ 456 is . in respect of the Benevolent Jubilee , it raised £ 615 165 . 6 d . and in 1891 £ 455 gs . 6 d . These are excellent figures for a small Province .

SOMERSETSHIRE with a roll of 26 lodges had an Unattached representative in the person of Bro . Lieut .-Col . A . T . Perkins , whose list amounted to £ 31 ios . Last year it took part only in one Festival—that of the Boys' School—to which it contributed £ g 7 , while in 1896 its total was £ 123 18 s ., of which the Girls' School obtained £ 87 3 s . ; but in 1895 the year yielded subscriptions amounting in all to £ 174533 . 7 d .,

the largeness of this total being accounted for by the fact that Bro . Viscount Dungarvan , Prov . G . M ., was Chairman at the Festival of this Institution , and his Province backed him up to good purpose by compiling the sum of £ 1657 17 s . 6 d . At the Eenevoleht Jubilee in 1892 Somersetshire was entered for £ 613 ios ., the remaining contributions of the year raising the total to £ 841 15 s . In 1888 it put

forth great efforts on behalf of the Girls' Centenary , in the Returns of which it figured—thanks to the energy of the late Bro . Stothert—for a total amounting to close upon £ 1000 . Doubtless , we shall hear of it again to advantage before the present year has run its course . Bro . J . Llewellyn Thomas is returned as representing the Province of

SOUTH WALES ( W . D . ) as he has done to excellent purpose at previous gatherings , but up to the present time no list has been nceived from him and we are unable to say if his canvass has been a successful one or not . However , the Province , though numbering only 10 lodges , raised £ 210 for the Girls' School in 1 S 96 ; £ 239 19 s . 6 d . for the

Boys' School in 1895—both these amounts being raised by the exertions of Bro . Thomas . In 18 94 , this Institution benefited to the extent of £ 154 12 s . ; in 18 93 , the Girls' School was the recipient of £ 177 19 s . ; and in 1892 , " Our Boys " were the favoured Institution , and obtained subscriptions amounting to £ 161 is . 6 d . As the Province was an absentee from all three Festivals in 18 97 , we hope to see it included in the Returns for one or other of our Schools .

The Etruscan Lodge , No . 546 , Longton , alone among the 32 lodges on the roll of STAFFORDSHIRE will be found to have taken part in Tuesday ' s proceedings , and the list of its representative would appear to have been confined to his personal donation of £ 10 ios . Last year the Province raised £ 115 10 s . for this Institution , £ 246 5 s . for

the Girls' School , and £ 278 5 s . for the Boys' School , or altogether £ 640 . In 1896 the product of the year was £ 604 us . ; in 1895 , £ 692 13 s . 6 d . ; in 18 94 , £ 428 8 s . ; in 1893 , £ 424 7 s . 6 d . ; in 1892 , £ 7 62 2 s . ; and in 1891 , £ 761 15 s . 6 d . As these Returns average close upon £ 600 a year during the period we have traversed , we may look to find the current year at least as productive as its predecessors .

There are 22 lodges in SUFFOLK , which , though an agricultural Province , has done some great things during the past years . Thus in 1892 it raised in all £ 1419 4 s ., of which £ 1291 14 s . was in

respect of the Benevolent Jubilee ; in 1893 , £ 533 9 s . 6 d . ; in 18 94 , £ 809 5 s . ; in 189 S , £ 851 13 s . 6 d . ; and in 1896 , . 1 : 647 is ., of which the Boys' School obtained £ 388 10 s . Last year only £ 401 4 s . was subscribed , the Old People receiving £ 173 14 s . j the Girls' School , £ 227 ios . ; and the Boys' School , £ 31 ios . On Tuesday a single Unattached Steward contributed £ 21 .

SURREY is one of the Provinces which are to be commended for the excellent work they did at this " gathering . There were seven of its 43 lodges represented , mostly by a single Steward , and one brother Unattached , the total compiled by these eight being £ 200 19 s ., the principal list being that of Bro , Tom Cookes , representing the I . n-ne Lodge , No . 1347 , Sutton , who had the good fortune to raise £ 165 18 s .

Last yeir , the total was £ 1272 18 s . 6 d ., made up of £ 325 12 s . to this Institution ; £ 622 7 s . 6 d . to to the Girls' School ; and £ 324 to the Boys' School . In 18 96 the total was £ 106843 . ; in 189 S , £ 1043 ios . ; in 1894 , inclusive of £ 1399 2 s . in support of the lote Bro , Col . Money's Chairmanship for this Institution , £ 1673 4 s . 6 d . ; in 1893 , ^ 913 3 s . 6 d . ; and in 1892 , the year of the Benevolent Jubi ' ee , £ 2817 10 s . 6 d . One of the 31 lodges on the roll of

WARWICKSHIRE —Charity , No . 1551 , Birmingham—sent up three Stewards , whose Returns amounted to £ 31 ios . Last year the Province raised £ 493 , distributed thus ; £ 235 15 s . to this Institution ; £ 219 to the Girls'School ; and £ 47 5 s . to the

Boys' School . In 1896 it subscribed £ 981 13 s ., of which the Boys' Institution received close upon one half ; in 1895 , including £ 525 for a Life Presentation to the Boys'School , the Returns reached £ 1155 ; in 1894 , £ 6 37 6 s . 3 d . ; in 18 93 , £ S 3 ° 7 - 6 d . i and ln iHo , 2 i-C & t'O 4 s ., of which £ 2186 was contributed to tlie Jubilee Festival of this Institution .

WORCESTERSHIRE was represented by a single Steward , whose list amounted to £ 27 6 a ., the lodges represented being Stability , No . 564 , Stourbridge , and the Arter , No . 2654 , Moseley . In 1897 the Province contributed £ 504 to the Old People , . £ 1 99 10 i . to

" Our Girls , " and £ 5 ° 8 s . to " Our Boys , " or in all £ 753 iSs . In 1896 the total was £ 653 2 s . ; in 189 S , £ 558 ; in 18 94 , £ 193 os . 6 J . ; 111 1893 , £ 308 7 s . ; and in 1892 , , £ 49 8 15 s . We hope to hear at ieast as favourably as last year from this Province , even though the number of its lodges is only 14 . The contribution from

WEST YORKSHIRE is £ 350 , the number of lodges taking part in the subscription being n out of the 80 on the roll , and the number of Stewards , including one Unattached , 14 . There is no need for us to dilate upon the generous support vouchsafed to all our Institutions by this large and influential Province . At the same time , we are taking

the liberty of pointing out that as it receives some £ 1100 a year in return for the moneys it contributes to this particular Charity , a larger sum would have harmonised better with the quid pro qiiu it receives . At the last three Benevolent Festivals it has subscribed in all X 1660 , or on an average a little over £ 550 per annum . Doub ' . k ss , this is an oversight , which will be remedied in the near future . Both sections of the

Analysis Of The Returns.

CHANNEL ISLANDS had a share ir Tuesday ' s proceedings , one of its six lodges—the Mariners , No . 168 , Guernsey , in the Province of GUERNSEY AND ALDERNEY —being represented by Bro . T . Pengelly , whose list amounted to £ 52 ios ., while that of J ERSEY , which

comprises seven lodges , had Bro . M . T . Pugsley for its Provincial Steward , and he amassed a total of £ 130 12 s . We congratulate both these Provinces , which , though remote from the centre of Masonic activity , are not infrequently participators in our Festival work , on the good they have just accomplished . There were StewarJs from threi

FOREIGN STATIONS , among them being Bro . George Richards , Dist . G . Master of the Transvaal , the other two—Bros . Surgeon-Capt . Kiddle and James R . Bell—hailing from Madras and Malta respectively . Their lists amounted in all to 30 guineas , and we dare say Bro . Terry would have rejoiced exceedingly had he succeeded in enrolling Stewards from 30 stations instead of from three .

CONCLUDING REMARKS . J We havfi now completed our accustomed task , and trust that in doing so we have avoided offending the susceptibilties of any Province , Lodge , or individual brother . Our sole regret is that the Returns it has been our privilege to analyse are not on a larger scale .

United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

The following is the bu iiness to be transacted on Wednesday next , the 2 nd prox . : — 1 . The minutes of the Quarterly Communication of the 1 st December for confirmation . 2 . Communications from the Most Worshipful Grand Master—( 1 ) The Most Worshipful Grand Master has been pleased to sanction

the following addition to the Regulations respecting the Charity Jewels , at Page 143 of the Book of Constitutions , and has ordered that the same be inserted immediately after the paragraph relating to Vice-Patrons . " A Patron of any one or more of the Masonic Institutions may have embroidered on the right and left sides of the ribbon

referred to in the preceding paragraph a sprig of acacia one and a half inches long , meeting in the centre , over the colour appertaining to the Institution of which he is a Patron , and the jewel ensigned with a representation of the coronet of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , Most Worshipful Grand Master ; the sprig of acacia and the

coronet to be of silver for a Patron of any one of the Institutions , of gold for a Patron of two , and enamelled in their proper colours for a Pa' . ron of the three Institutions . " ( 2 ) The Grand Secretary has been commanded by the Grand Master to communicate to the Grand Lodge , that a brother has been convicted of felony , for which he is now undergoing penal

servitude , and to submit to Grand Lodge the propriety under the circumstances of removing the said brother from the rank to which he had been appointed . 3 . To read a communication from the Most Worshipful Pro Grand

Master . 4 . Election of Most Worshipful Grand Master . 5 . Election of Grand Treasurer j Bro . Lieut .-Colonel Clifford Probyn , P . M . of Lodge , No . 18 , London , the only nomination . 6 . Report of the Board of Benevolence for the last quarter , in which are recommendatiors for the following grants , viz . :

The widow of a brother of the Royal St . Edmunds Lodge , No . 100 S , Bury St . Edmunds ... ... ,.. £ 50 o 0 A brother of the Nelson Lodge , No . 700 , Plumstead ... 50 o o ' A brother of the Mayo Lodge , No . 140 G , Secunderabad ... 75 o o A brother of the Derwent Lodge , No . 40 , Hastings ... 50 o o A brother of the Friends in Council Lodge , No . 13 S 3 ,

London ... ... ... ... ... 100 o o A brother of the Southdown Lodge , No . 1797 , Huistpierpoint ... ... ... ... 50 o o A brother of the Rock Lodge , No . 12 S 9 , Birkenhead ... 100 o o 1 he widow of a brother of the Albert Edward Prince of Wales Lodge , No . 1429 , Newport , Mon . ... 100 o o

7 . REPORT OF THE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES . To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient , Free , and Accepted Masons of England . The Board have to report that the following presentations have been made to the Library and Museum since the last meeting of Grand Lodge , all of which have been accepted with thanks :

TITLE OR OBJECT . BY WHOM PRESENTED . An old Masonic Certificate lames Terrv , P . G . S . B . An old Silver Collar Jewel Felix Kite , P . P . G . D . C . Kent . Royal Arch Medal , 1 S 25 Mrs . Horatio Nelson . Centenary Jewel of NJ . 124 W . Logan , P . P . G . Reg . Durham . Sundry Masonic Calendars and Pamphlets ... Mrs . Gerard Ford .

Centenary Jewels of Nos . 97 and in ... Robert Hudson , P . G . S . B . Old Silver Deacon's Jewel ... J . C . Main , P . M . and Sec . 157 . Programme of Consecration of Victoria ~ j Diamond Jubilee Lodge , No . 2675 > C . J . Smith , W . M . 2675 . Woodford J Bible and Church Service , Black Letter , 161 G L . E . B . Halcrow , J . D . 153 S .

Address to Harmony Lodge , No . 156 ... I'rank Mabin , 105 . Portrait c f William Watson . P . G . 3 . ... Henry L . Davis , P . M . 25 . Two old Masonic Aprons , C"llars and Jewels John S . Abbott , W . M . 2077 . Constitutions of G . L . South Carolina ... G . L . of South Carolina . Old Masonic Apron A . G . Browning , P . M . 33 . History of the Oak Lodge , No . tyo The Oak Lodge , No . 190 . A Scarce Masonic Medal ( French ) ? w , „_ ,. _ pen An old Master ' s Lodge ( A Reprint ) j - J" ^ ' ' "

Sir Henry Harbin ( A Biograghical Sketch ) ... Robert F . Gould , P . G . D . An old Mark Jewel ( Silver Gilt ) Gjorge Graveley , A . G . D . C . R . A . Centenary Jewel of No . 137 A . C . Chapin , P . M . 137 . Engraved Portrait of the Earl of Zetland ... John G . Stevens , P . M . 933 . Large Seal of Chapter No . 313 , Bengal ... Williim Baddeley , W . M . 115 . Victoria Diamond Jubilee Medal ( Silver ) ... M . Carteighe , W . M . 231 ^ 4 . A Masonic Halfpenny Token E . L . P . Valeriani , P . G . Std . Br .

The Board also submit a statement of the Grand Lodge accounts presented to the last meeting of the Finance Committee , held on Friday , the nth day ° ' February instant , showing a balance in the Bank of England ( Law Courts