Analysis Of The Returns.

CAMBRIDGESHIRE , Which now has five lodges , owing to the removal of Lodge Alma Mater , No . 1492 , within its borders , and which till recently was more frequently absent than present at these festive gatherings , is now evidently bent on making up its lost ground . OE course , with such a limited array of lodges , it cannot be expected to play a very conspicuous part , but it has done exceedingly well

on the occasions when it has sent up Stewards , as for instance in 1883 , when it raised £ i 2 S for the Girls' School , and again last year , when it proved still more successful , and helped to swell Bro . Binckes's total in June last with £ 174 6 s . It has now contributed by the hands of Bro . Hiscox , of the Lodge of United Good Fellowship , No . 809 , Wisbeach , the sum of £ 106 lis . 6 d . We congratulate this small province on the zeal it is now displaying on behalf of our Institutions .

CHESHIRE has 39 lodges on its roll , and its presence in a Festival list may be looked for with certainty , though the aggregate of its contributions is rarely as formidable as some perhaps might expect from so strong a province . But , as we have had occasion to remark more'than once previously , it bestows a large amount of its care on the local Institution which it set on foot some

22 or 23 years since . On Wednesday seven of its lodges contributed , the total of their lists amounting to £ 244 15 s . Bro . George Bland , as Steward for the King's Friends Lodge , No . 293 , Nantwich , heading the array with £ 73 15 s ., and the Lodge of Unanimity , No . 287 , Stockport , standing next with £ 52 10 s . In June last it raised very little short of £ 500 for the Boys ' School ; the total for the year being some £ 680 . The fair fame of

CORNWALL , With its 29 lodges , could hardly have been in better hands than those of Bro . Charles Truscott , who , as the representative of the province , has succeeded in raising the round sum of £ 200 , which is just a little more than double what it raised last year , when Bro . Controller S . Graham Bake was Steward at all three Festivals , and handed in a total of £ 98 14 s . In 1883 , Bro . Bake being again the most prominent figure , the amount raised by the province was £ 243 10 s .

CUMBERLAND AND WESTMORLAND Has 20 lodges on its roll , and one of them—the Sun and Sector Lodge , No . 9 62 , Workington — contributes , per Bro . P . de E . Collin , the sum of £ 50 8 s . 6 d . This is its first appearance since the Boys' School Festival of

1883 , when , with Bro . George McKay for its Steward , it raised no less than 1000 guineas ( £ 1050 ) for that one Institution . A year's rest after so considerable an effort was justly earned , and doubtless we may now look for a further conspicuous exercise of zeal on the part of the province which is ruled so admirably by Lord Bective .

DEVONSHIRE , Which musters just half a century of lodges , has sent up per Bro . John Lane , of the Jordan Lodge , No . 1402 , Torquay , the sum of £ 135 . Last year it figured , but for small amounts , at all three Festivals , while in 1883 and 1882 it raised £ 595 and £ 565 respectively , and as it is not so very long ago that it started an Educational Fund , there is evidently a sound appreciation among our Devonian brethren of the heavy requirements of our Institutions , and an equally marked desire to contribute towards them .

DURHAM , Which has just had the misfortune to lose its chief—the late Marquis of Londonderry—and has not yet had time to settle down under its successor , has two of its 30 lodges represented , the total of the lists being £ 120 15 s . In 1884 it raised £ 45 2 ; in 1883 , £ 265 ; in 1882 , £ 412 ; and in 1881 , £ 1024 , so that we have good reason to appreciate highly the zeal and liberality of our Durham friends .

Very great praise is due to ESSEX , Which always makes strenuous efforts to be well represented on these occasions , and is invariably successful . Moreover , though it musters 23 lodges , it cannot boast of any large industrial centres , as some of our provinces can , and Lord Brooke , its P . G . M ., must be highly gratified at the zeal of the lodges which pay him obedience . On the present occasion

no less than 9 lodges send up Stewards , and there is one other—Bro . Richard Clowes—who figures independently . The total of their lists is £ 456 13 s . 6 d ., the highest being that of Bro . F . A . White , of Liberty of Havering Lodge , No . 1437 , Romford , whose total is £ 152 5 s . ; Bro . J . Sadler-Wood , Steward for the Brooke Lodge , No . 2005 taking second place wifh £ 63 . Last year it raised in all £ 1546 , of which

£ 1000 found its way inlo the coffers of the Giils School , at whose Festival Lord Brooke presided as chairman . In 1883 '' distributed among our three Institutions over £ 490 , Bro . Terry obtaining not far short of one half , and in 1882 it gave them £ 354 . Such a record for the three preceding years makes the performance of Wednesday still more creditable .

As a matter of course , the chief interest of the Festival was directed towards the province of GLOUCESTERSHIRE ,

THE CHAIRMAN .

Which , though mustering only 14 lodges , has figured very conspicuously during the last few years . Its popular and respected chief , Sir M . Hicks-Beach , Bt ., M . P ., was in the chair , and

consequently there was every inducement for its lodges to put forth their strength , if only that they might show how warmly they appreciate his interest in the central Masonic Charities . When he occupied a similar

position at the Girls' School Festival in 1881 , they gave a specimen of their loyalty by subscribing around £ iooo , and it was in the order of things that his second appearance in the chair should be made the

occasion for a still stronger and a more successful effort . Our anticipations have been realised to their fullest extent ; all its lodges and two out of its three chapters were represented , the

Analysis Of The Returns.

number of brethren acting as Stewards being 56 , and the aggregate of their lists £ 1205 8 s . 6 d . In 18 S 4 it raised £ 609 , of which over £ 429 was contributed to the Benevolent Institution ; in 1883 its total for the three Charities was , in round figures , £ 852 , the Boys' School being the recipient of £ 602 ; in 18 S 2 it raised £ 548 , and in 1881 £ 1547 , of which , as we have said , £ 1000 was handed over to the Girls . Thus , at the last ten Festivals ,

the small province of Gloucestershire has raised no less than £ 4772 ; yet even so large a sum is not surprising when we bear in mind that among the brethren in the province are such constant and zealous workers as Bros . Vassar-Smith , Brook-Smith , D . P . G . M ., and the Baron de Ferrieres . It only shows how true is the old saying " that where there ' s a will , there ' s a way . "

HANTS AND THE ISLE OF WIGHT Has 41 lodges , and a deservedly popular chief to rule over it . It has also many zealous brethren to work for it , and the result is that it never fails to put in an appearance at our Festivals , and , what is still more to its credit , its appearance is always most serviceable to the object in view . Its total on Wednesday exceeded £ 550 , three of its nine Stewards' lists running into

three figures , that of Bro . John Brickwood , representing Royal Sussex Lodge , No . 342 , Landport , amounting to £ 127 3 s . 7 d ., that of Bro . Morris Miles , Steward for Royal Gloucester Lodge , No . 130 , Southamp-Southampton , to £ 110 5 s ., and Bro : J . G . Niven ' s , of the Landport Lodge , No . 1776 , to £ 105 3 s . Eight lodges and a chapter contributed amongst them the total of Wednesday . In June last it raised £ 512 for the Boys' School , in May £ 295 for the Girls , and in February £ 373 for the

Benevolent , giving a total for the year of £ uSo . In 1883 it put forth its strength to still greater purpose , the sum of its contributions ( to the three Institutions being £ 1832 , of which £ 1307 was raised for the . Girls' School , Bro . W . VV . B . Beach , Grand Master of the Province , being the chairman on the occasion . Bro . Mursell , Steward for lodge No . 35 , served in a like capacity at the Boys' School Festival in June last , his lists on the two occasions being £ 60 10 s . and £ 76 13 s . We next in order of sequence come to

HERTFORDSHIRE , A small province numerically—having but 13 lodges—but a regular and generous contributor to all our Institutions . Its total on Wednesday reached £ 353 13 s . 6 d ., the most considerable lists being those of Bro . the Rev . C . E . Mayo , who acted for the Gresham Lodge , No . 869 , Cheshunt , and Bro . C . E . Keyser , representative of the Watford Lodge , No . 404 , the former ' s total being £ 85 is ., and the latter ' s- £ 65 12 s . Six other lodges

were also represented , and there were in addition two unattached Stewards , of whom Bro . John E . Dawson , D . P . G . M ., was one . Last year it contributed £ 470 and a few odd shillings , in 1883 some £ 496 , and in 1882 not far short of £ 1050 , the Benevolent Institution being successful in obtaining by far the largest share in each year . But this is not surprising when we remember that Bro . Terry has been intimately connected with the province for several years past .

Turning to KENT , With its 53 lodges , we have a somewhat similar picture presented . It is true that only three of these lodges and a chapter figure in the returns , but the aggregate is £ 531 12 s ., while in 18 S 4 it made up a total of some £ 1332—Benevolent , £ 271 ; Girls' School , 562 ; and Boy ' s School , £ 499—and in 188 3 it showed to still greater advantage , the sum of its contributions

being £ 2700 , by far the greater portion of which—some ] £ 23 i 6—was raised at the Boys' Festival , when Lord Holmesdale , P . G . M ., presided . Here , then , and without carrying our researches further , we have a total of some £ 45 63 at the last seven Festivals , which by the usual arithmetical process is found to represent an average per Festival of little short of £ 653 , which even for a strong province , must be set down as handsome . But then , they always do the thing handsomely in Kent .

LANCASHIRE ( EAST DIVISION ) , Considering that it has 93 lodges on its roll , six of which were repre- . sented on Wednesday byio Stewards , does not , it must be admitted , show to very great advantage , its total being only £ 136 10 s . all told . Yet there have been Festivals when it has figured in a manner worthy of its strength , and there is also this to be said , when , as in this instance , the total is comparatively small , that like its two immediate neighbours—West Lancashire

and Cheshire—it bestows a very liberal amount of support annually on its local Charitable Association , and by so doing , of course , helps materially to lighten the pressure on our central Institutions . It is necessary to bear this in mind when analysing these returns , or the false impression will be conveyed that our strongest province—speaking numerically—is not so earnest in its support as others which are not so well provided with lodges . Our remarks in reference to

LANCASHIRE ( WEST DIVISION ) , With 82 lodges , must be similar in character . Three of these and a chapter were represented on the present occasion , the number of Stewards being six , and the sum of their lists amounting to £ 330 15 s ., that of Bro . Wm . Goodacre amounting to £ 134 8 s . Here again we have a large province with a comparatively small total , but here also we

recognise that it will not do to judge things superficially . We must recollect the amount of money which is annually raised for the local Provincial Association ; nor must we lose sight of the fact that when it is called upon to put forth its strength adequately , West Lancashire knows well how to set about it . Under these circumstances its present contribution as well as its totals of £ 731 in 1884 , and £ 813 in 1883 , are both worthy and acceptable . The Province of LINCOLNSHIRE ,

After a prolonged absence from our Festival lists , made a fresh start in June last , and though the amount which its single representative handed in was not excessive—if we looked upon it as representing the assistance that might be forthcoming from the whole province—yet we took the opportunity of offering our congratulations on such renewed evidence of the vitality of Masonry in this part of the country . On Wednesday two lodges and a chapter sent up Stewards , the joint representatives of the latter—Comps .

1 hos . Loates and 1 . C . Hill , of Oliver Chapter , No . 792 , Grimsby—making up between them a list of £ 47 5 s ., while the other two Stewards handed- in £ 29 10 s . and £ 13 respectively . Thus Lincolnshire figured on Wednesday for close on £ 90 , and we hope and believe it will show to greater advantage at the two remaining Festivals of the year . It has 21 lodges , and , encouraged by the traditions it has received from past Lincolnshire worthies , will no doubt go on contributing progressivel y larger sums . MIDDLESEX , As the metropolitan county , and having a strong array of 34 lodges under