The Charities.

THE CHARITIES .

LONDON , SATURDAY , FEBRUARY S , 18 C 2 .

The Eirst Festival of our Masonic Charities for the year 1862 , that of the Eoyal Benevolent Institution for Aged Masons and their "Widows was held last week—and though the results have not been so large as last year , we cannot regard

them , on the whole , otherwise than as satisfactory , upwards of £ 2000 haA'ing been added to tbe funds of the Institution ; for though rather under that amount was announced , we cannot forget that the bulk of the subscriptions of "West Yorkshire , as

represented by seventeen absent lists , are yet to come in , having been delayed by various causes . In the first instance the brethren of "West Yorkshire exerted

themselves for this charity to a considerable extent last year , and were this year reserving their strength for one of the other Charities , when it was suddenly announced that their Prov . Grand Master , the Eight Hon . the Earl de Grey and Ripon , would take the chair ; and it was not , therefore , until after the publication of the first list of Stewards that a number of

brethren from that province sent up their names as Stewards ; then came the death of the Prince Consort , which , combined with commercial depression , has prevented for a time so full an attendance at various lodges throughout the country as usual ; and lastly , a brother who had undertaken to collect the lists iu

West Yorkshire AA'as , through illness , prevented at the moment from doing so , though we are informed that those lists may be safely calculated to add £ 200 to £ 300 to the subscriptions announced at the Eestival , and which will make an aggregate subscription

exceeding that of 1860 , though some hundreds inferior to that of 1861 . An average of £ 2000 a year , looking Aipwards , would , a few years since , have been regarded as altogether beyond the reach of the Institution ; and when we were agitating for annual instead of

triennial festivals—a collection of £ 1500 at which was something remarkable—we were told that we were tending to injure the Institution and also the other Charities , as the brethren could not stand so constant a pull at their purses . Experience , however , has proved the correctness of our prognostications

, and the noble sum of upwards of £ 7000 has been added to tbe funds within tbe last three years , instead of the £ 1200 or £ 1500 which used formerly to be obtained in a like period , whilst the other Charities , so far from suffering , have rapidly increased in

thensubscription lists . The Eestival of last week , though not so numerously attended as some which have preceded it , was one of the most pleasant' we bave ever witnessed , the utmost order prevailing throughout the whole of the proceedings , ancl every attention

paid to the speakers , who throughout the evening confined their observations within fair and reasonable limits—a rare merit on these occasions . The speech of the D . Grand Master in proposing the toast of the evening was manly , straightforward , and

to the purpose , and we heartily agree with bis Lordship in recommending the brethren ever to recollect that however much they may do , there will always remain more to be done by the hand of charity ; for as our Order grows in importance and numbers , so

will there ever be brethren falling into distress , widows and orphans claiming our assistance . There was one point in tbe proceedings to which , however , we would particularly wish to direct attention—the statement made by Bro . Stephen Blair , tbe

Prov . Grand Master for East Lancashire , and reiterated by the Deputy Grand Master , that this Charity is not sufficiently known and appreciated in the provinces . If it is not so it is tbe fault of the brethren themselves , for no Charity ought to be better

known . Every Lodge in virtue of a grant from Grand Lodge of £ 800 per annum , and every Chapter in virtue of a grant of £ 150 per annum , have votes for the election of annuitants ; so that once in every year tbey bave the objects of the Institution brought

under their notice by tbe receipt of tbe balloting papers , which we do not find tbey are slow in using . The truth is , an impression got abroad in the provinces some years since that the Institution was mainly supported by Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter , and when tbe Eestivals ivere allowed to

be held only like angels' visits , but few and far between , tbe claims of the Institution came so rarely under notice as to lend a colour to tie impression ; but that feeling ought no longer to exist , as , in addition to their proxy papers , each lodge now yearly receives

an appeal from tbe Committee through their excellent Secretary , Bro . Earnfield , to support the Institution , either by sending a steward or subscriptions in aid of tbe Annual Eestival , irrespective of the Annual Report , wbicb is forwarded to tbem every June ; and

THI ? FH ' EEJIASONS' MAGAZINE can fairly boast that jt has not been backward in keeping tbe claims of tbe Institution to support fully before tbe brethren . Moreover , in order that the difference between tbe income arising from Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter ,,

and tbe amount of tbe annuities , may be fairly understood , we now set it before tbe brethren , without reference to tbe necessary expenses of conducting tbe Institution : —

Annual Grant from Grand lodge £ 800 ditto from Grand Chapter 150 Together £ 950 77 Male Annuitants after the Electionjn Maylast 1736 48 Female ditto eitto ... 980 Together £ 6127