Mark Benevolent Fund Festival.

RESULT OF THE FESTIVAL . Those who judge by figures only will imagine that because there is a somewhat considerable falling off in the total of the Returns as announced , there must be a diminution in the popularity of the Mark Benevolent Festival . For ourselves , we take the results of the last four meetings that have been held in support of this Fund as furnishing the best possible evidence that it has firmly established itself as the great Charitable event of

the year in connection with Mark Masonry , and that , though there will be increases and decreases to record in successive annual totals , the brethren have made , up their minds to give it their regular and generous support , so that the Fund may be able to meet not only the present limited demands on its resources , but also such heavier demands as with the annually increasing strength of Mark Masonry may be expected in

future years . At the Festival in 1887 , the Returns amounted to £ 2207 , and we must not lose sight of the fact that it was the year of the Queen ' s Jubilee . On Wednesday , the Returns as announced were £ 1818 , without the Jubilee impetus , and , as regards its pecuniary result , the Festival of Wednesday will take the second place on the list of Mark Benevolent

Festival Anniversaries , so that if last year ' s triumph has not been repeated , all former results , with the exception of last year ' s , have been surpassed , However , those who watch these annual celebrations will have noticed this already , and , without further preface , therefore , we shall enter on our usual brief sketch , or analysis , of the Returns , so that our readers may see still more clearly the force of the remarks we have just made .

Towards this result London , which was represented by 35 Stewards , sent up £ 243 2 s „ the highest list being that of Bro . Lord Saltoun , P . G . W ., W . M . of the Grand Master ' s Lodge , who returned £ 31 10 s ., while the St . Mark ' s Lodge , which had three Stewards , made up a total of £ 25 15 s . Bro . J . E . Anderson ' s list amounted to £ 17 17 s ., and those ol

Bro . A . Williams and Bro . C . H . Driver's , of the General Board , to £ 15 15 s . each . The three sub-divisions of the London portion of the Returns were as follow , namely , Lodges— £ 90 17 s . ; General Board—£ 42 ; Unattached— £ 1 10 5 s ., making together as we have said £ 243 25 . The Provincial Stewards were 128 in number , and the aggregate of their lists - £ 1575 10 s . BERKS and OXON had five representatives , four of whose

lists amounted to £ 55 I 5 < =. 6 d .. the joint list of Bros . H . D . Crane and Capt . Airey , of the Alfred Lodge , No . 247 , Oxford , being £ 25 os . 6 d ., and the separate list of Bro . H . Creed , of the Leopold Lodge , No . 235 , £ 20 . BRISTOL , by the medium of Bro . Pierrepont Harris , Prov . G . Sec , made an excellent show , the total of his list being £ 55 12 s . 66 ., while the representative of BUCKINGHAMSHIRE had the misfortune to fall ill at a critical time ,

so that we can say nothing as to the result of his efforts . CHESHIRE had two Stewards , Bros . E . Friend and the Hon . A . de Tatton Egerton , whose Returns have not yet been made , and the representative of CORNWALL , Bro . Charles Truscott , has been similarly forgetful . CUMBERLAND and WESTMORLAND , whose representative was Bro . Jas . Gardiner , has £ 20 to its credit . DEVONSHIRE had three Stewards , the Provincial representative being Bro .

Stocker , who compiled the very handsome total of £ 50 , the Returns from the three brethren reaching £ 65 15 s . Bro . Sir R . N . Howard did duty for DORSETSHIRE and gave in a list of £ 10 10 s . EAST ANGLI A , though not so successful as it was last year , figures very satisfactorily , Bro . J . P . Lewin for the Province handing in a list of £ 21 , and Bro . J . R . Green who did duty for the Isaac Newton University Lodge , No . 112 , £ 30 , the general total being

£ 77 5 s . ; while GLOUCESTERSHIRE and HEREFORDSHIRE , which had the same number of Stewards as East Anglia—namely five—returned £ 36 15 s . HAMPSHIRE and the ISLE OF WIGHT appears to be as conspicuous a contributor to this Mark Festival as to those of the general Institutions , and as liberal as it is conspicuous . Its Stewards on Wednesday were seven in number , the Dep . P . G . M ., Bro . R . Loveland-Loveland , returning as

representative of the Province £ 22 us ., while the other lists , amounting together t 0 £ 55 3 - > raised the general total to £ 78 4 s ., or about twice what it raised by the medium of lour Stewards in 1887 . The ISLE OF MAN had a representative in Bro . Heron , whose list , however , does not seem to have made its appearance yet , and HERTFORDSHIRE is not far short of last year ' s total , the seven

brethren who did duty on Wednesday , raising amongst them £ 55 7 s ., Bro . C . E . Keyser , of the Watford Lodge , No . 241 , heading the array with £ 15 15 s ., while Bros . F . S . Knyvett , Prov . G . Sec , and F . T . Bennett representing the Province , and No . 354 respectively , each returned £ 10 10 s ., Lodge No . 354 , with two Stewards figuring , however , for £ 15 15 s .

Last year , when Bro . Earl Amherst , P . G . M ., occupied the chair , KENT sent up no less than 25 Stewards , and their efforts proved so successful , that the sum entered for the Province was £ 500 . On Wednesday seven out of its 17 lodges were represented , and their lists , with that of the four Unattached brethren—of whom Earl Amherst was one—made up the excellent total of £ 131 is ., Bro . Palmer , W . M . of the Excelsior Lodsre , heading

the array with £ 24 , and the Prov . G . M . M ., Bro . the Rev . T . Robinson , following with £ 21 . LANCASHIRE , which is one of the strongholds of the Mark Degree , contributed £ 143 7 s ., the number of Stewards being 13 , and the hi ghest amount , that of Bro . Reginald Young ' s list , which was £ 31 ios ., Bro . Capt . Garnett , of No . 146 , raising £ 20 , and Bro . Lees , for the Province , and Bro . John Kenyon , of St . John ' s ( T . I . ) Lodge , each

£ 15 15 s . This latter lodge , however , had four Stewards , who amongst them returned £ 39 7 s . 6 d . LEICESTERSHIRE and the counties conjoined with it as a Province under Bro . W . Kelly , Prov . G . M . M ., had five Stewards , and contributed £ 74 3 s ., Bro . H . C . Okeover ' s list of £ 31 12 s . 6 d . being the most conspicuous item , while LINCOLNSHIRE , with two Stewards , Bro . Jack Sutcliffe , Prov . G . M . M ., being one of them , sent up £ 10 ios ., Bro . Sutcliffe ' s Return being still outstanding .

The strongest of the Mark Provinces is that of MIDDLESEX and SURREY , which has a muster roll of 31 lodges . Of these 19 sent up Stewards , while Bro . L . G . G . Robbins did duty for the Province and to very excellent purpose , his list reaching £ 29 18 s . 6 d . But the chief honours were secured b y Bro . the Earl of Euston , S . G . W . and W . M . elect of the Onslow Lodge , No . 361 , as well as W . M . of No . 245 , whose total is £ 61 83 . 6 d . Bro . W . Woodward , of the Davison Lodge , No . 3 ^ 1 , figures with £ 34 13 s . to his credit

, and Bro . J . K . R . Cama , one of two Stewards for the Percy Lodge , No . 114 , with £ 26 5 s ., the £ 13 13 s . of his brother Steward—Bro . J . C . Collier , raising the total for the lodge to £ 39 18 s . Bro . G . H . Wilkinson , jun ., of the Keystone Lodge , No . 3 , returns £ 24 3 s ., Bro . Philip Saillard , W . M . of the Grosvenor Lodge , No . 144 , £ 22 is ., and Bros . Holdgate and E \ M . Lott between them £ 20 ios . The whole number of Stewards for Middlesex and Surrey was 23 , and the sum total of their lists £ 373 5 s .

NORTHUMBERLAND and DURHAM , two Stewards , raised £ 64 ios ., the list of Bro . J . Strachan for the Province being £ 54 . NORTH and EAST YORKSHIRE —three Stewards—raised £ 18 13 s . j and NORTH WALES—one Steward— £ 5 5 s . ; but NOTTINGHAMSHIRE—two Stewards has made only

Mark Benevolent Fund Festival.

one Return at present ; SOMERSETSHIRE , which also had two Steward returns £ 32 us . ; and STAFFORDSHIRE — two Stewards— £ 2 2 s . 0 n ' list being yet to come . SUSSEX—three Stewards—figures for £ 48 * t „ principal item being the £ 30 of Bro . Joseph Belcher represents the Royal Sussex Lodge , No . 75 . WARWICKSHIRE , of which the noble Chairman is Prov . G . Master , played its part excellent !

well , considering it musters only four Lodges , of which three were direct ! represented , while Bro . T . H . Smith , the Dep . P . G . M ., took the Province generally under his wing , and six other brethren , including the Chairman were Unattached . The total for Warwickshire was £ 136 ios ., the highejt lists being those of the Marquess of Hertford and Bro . McCalmont for £ 26 5 s . each , and the next that of his Deputy , Bro . Smith—who raised A ,

WEST YORKSHIRE , with five Stewards , compiled £ 27 os . 6 d ., two Returns being still due . WORCESTERSHIRE , two Stewards , £ 16 j . 6 s The ROYAL AND SELECT MASTERS had two Stewards , but their Returns appear elsewhere , and the ALLIED MASONIC DEGREES , with three brethren to represent them , gave £ 13 ios . Two Stewards from SCOTLAND and one from IRELAND complete the list , and if the general total is not as high as it last

was year , we may be sure it is due to no weakness in the noble Chairman ' s advocacy , no lack of energy on the part of the Board of Stewards , or to no oversight on the part of Bro . C . F . MATIER , who has put forth his energy as loyally as ever , if not with the same result . However , the falling off is only what we must be prepared to expect from time to time . Next year we hope to see the fluctuation in the direction of excess

Provincial Grand Mark Lodge Of Cumberland And Westmorland.

PROVINCIAL GRAND MARK LODGE OF CUMBERLAND AND WESTMORLAND .

The annual Grand Lodge of this province was held in the Freemasons ' Hall , Maryport , on Wednesday , the 18 th inst ., under the banner of the Whitwell Lodge of M . M . M ., No . 151 , when , in the absence of the R . W . P . G . Master , Bro . Col . F . R . Sewell , Deputy P . G . Master , presided , supported by the Present and Past Prov . G . Officers , and a large number of members from the various lodges of the province .

Previous to opening Prov . Grand Lodge , which was fixed for 3 . 15 p . m ., the Whitwell Lodge was opened at 1 . 30 p . m . by Bro . J . Abbott , P . P . G . Swd . Br ., W . M ., and a candidate ballotted for and advanced . The ceremony was worked by the Prov . G . Officers , the Deputy Prov . G . Master

having expressed a desire to see the ceremony of advancement gone through by the Prov . G . Officers of the year , which proved highly satisfactory . The D . P . G . M ., with his officers , then retired for a short time , and at the hour stated upon the agenda were reported and re-admitted , and opened Provincial Grand Lodge .

The minutes of the last annual Provincial Grand Lodge held at Workington were read and confirmed . Bro . J . GARDINER , P . G . Treas ., read a statement of accounts , which , after voting 35 guineas to two Benevolent Institutions and other general expenses , showed a balance to the credit of Provincial Grand Lodge of £ 29 4 s . On the motion of the DEPUTY PROV . GRAND MASTER , seconded by Bro . NICHOLSON , the accounts were passed as read .

The DEPUTY PROV . GRAND MASTER then said the time had again arrived when the province had to recommend the R . W . P . G . M . to the M . W . G . M . for a further period of three years , and it gave him much pleasure to move that the Right Hon . the Earl of Bective , M . P ., be again the Grand Master of the Province .

Bro . P . DE E . COLLIN supported the . recommendation , and it was carried , Bro . Col . SEWELL moved , and Bro . MANDLE seconded , that Bro . Jas , Gardiner be Prov . Grand Treasurer , which received a unanimous vote . The Provincial Grand Officers for the ensuing year were then appointed and invested as follows : Bros . Rev . E . M . Rice , P . M . 282 , Prov . S . G . W . J . Dickinson , P . M . 151 , Prov . J . G . W . ; Bryce Craig , P . M . 216 , Prov ,

G . M . O . j J . Eden , P . M . 282 , Prov . S . G . O . ; J . Abbott , W . M . 151 , Prov . J . CO . ; Rev . J . Anderson , Chap . 213 , Prov . G . Chap . ; J . Gardiner , P . M . 151 , Prov . G . Treas . ; E . B . Penrice , P . M . 151 , Prov . G . R . of M . ; G . Dalrymple , P . M . 216 , Prov . G . Sec ; Dr . J . J . Lace , W . M . 216 , Prov . S . G . D . ; T . Brakenridge , W . M . 213 , Prov . J . G . D . ; J . H . Braithwaite , W . M . 195 , Prov . G . I . of W . j T . Black , W . M . 229 , Prov . G . D . of C . j

W . Carlyle , 282 , Prov . A . G . D . of C . ; Sergeant-Major Locker , 60 , Prov . G . S . B . ; John Jenkinson , S . W . 282 , Prov . G . Std . Br . ; J . Smith , Org . 151 , Prov . G . Org . ; J . Kendall , S . W . 151 , Prov . G . I . G . ; Ouartermaster Wright , 60 , W . D . P . Field , J . W . 213 , Dr . J . F . Muir ^ is , and T . Atkinson , J \ W . 229 , Prov . G . Stwds . ; and John Gordon , Tyler 216 , Prov . G . Tyler .

The following brethren were elected to serve on the Committee of General Purposes lor the ensuing year : Bros . J . Nicholson , P . M . 151 j P . de E . Collin , P . M . 151 j T . Atkinson , P . M . 213 ; and B . Craig , P . M . 216 . As per notice of motion upon the agenda , Bro . P . DE E . COLLIN , P . M . 151 , moved— " That , as Bro . Gardiner was going up as a Steward to the Grand Mark Festival , five guineas be voted him from the province . "

Bro . T . ATKINSON , P . M ., suggested that not less than 10 guineas be placed upon Bro . Gardiner ' s list , which was unanimously agreed to . The D . P . G . M . then moved , and the P . G . SECRETARY seconded , the motion— " That a similar amount be voted to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , " which was carried .

Bro . B . CRAIG , P . M . 216 , P . G . M . O ., then moved as a recommendation to the R . W . P . G . M ., for the next annual Prov . Grand Mark Lodge , to be held under the banner of the Henry Lodge , 216 , Frizington , Bro . J . - ROBINSON , P . M . 151 , P . P . J . G . O ., suppported the recommendation , and it was unanimously carried .

The D . P . G . MASTER then briefly referred to the progress Mark Masonry was making in the province , and said that a brother , when the time came , had always been found to be ready to represent the province as a Steward . This year they had Bro . Gardiner j last year Bro . Ryrie carried with him a list perhaps the largest for the Provincial Grand Mark Lodge that had ever gone from Cumberland and Westmorland j and he had no doubt when the time came round again a volunteer would turn up . i 01

Letters of apology , and conveying " Hearty good wishes ' ^ brethren from a distance , were read from Bros . Geo . J . McKay , ^• ^•> I 9 ?' P . S . G . D . Eng . j T . B . Whytehead , P . M ., P . G . O . Eng . ; G . Tay lor , P . MP . S . G . D . j Dr . Lace , W . M . 216 , P . J . G . D . ; J . Mills , P . A . G . D . C ; »• D . Cook , P . G . Org . ; J . O . Scott , P . G . I , of W . Colorado ; and others . Provincial Grand Lodge was then closed , and the brethren adjournea the Star Hotel , where an excellent banquet was served , presided over by D . P . G . M ., supported by his newly invested officers . The usual loyal anu Masonic toasts were duly honoured .