Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS 199 Royal Masonic Institution for Girls 200 Royal Masonic Institution for Boys 200 Provincial Grand Lodge of West Yorkshire 200 Freemasonrv in York 201 Consecration of the Duke of Cornwall

Chapter , No . 1839 203 CORRESPONDENCEThe Late Elections 204 The Late Bro . W . Wainman Holmes ... 204 Reviews ¦ ' ° S Masonic Notes and Queries 205 Banquet of the Henley Lodgeof Instruction , No . 1472 205

Dedication of thc Lullingstonc Masonic HaU , Wilmington , Kent 205 REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonrv 206 Instruction 20 S Royal Arch ; 208

Mark Masonry 208 Ancient and Accepted Rite 209 Cryptic Masonry 209 American Knight Templars Coming 209 Obituary 209 The Theatres 209 Masonic and General Tidings 210 Lodge Meetings for Ncxt Week 211

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THE Quarterly Court of the Girls' School took place on the 14 th inst ., and the annual business having been transacted , and Bro . Lieut .-Col . CREATON being unanimously re-elected Treasurer , amid hearty applause , the poll was declared opened . The result of the election was announced at five o'clock , when 22 out of 28 candidates were declared duly elected . The

highest number polled of the successful candidates being Shervill , 2485 , and the lowest Smith , 1781 . There were in all 3 6 , 228 votes polled , and 32 , 081 issued , which with the votes brought forward made the total 41 , 674 . as to reckoned in the voting . 2133 votes were polled for the unsuccessful candidates , thus 3313 votes are unaccounted for . It is quite possible

that each preceding election will witness even larger numbers . Bro . MATIER as Chairman of the Scrutineers on Saturday announced at the close of the Girls' Election that there were 157 spoiled votes , the majority of them being unsigned . It is a most curious fact of Masonic idiosyncrasy explain it as you will , this tendency to deposit unsigned proxy

papers in the ballot box , inasmuch as not only might such gross carelessness really cause the loss of an election , but it reflects no little discredit on the "liches " and inattention of the " filler up " of the paper

In respect to the amusing case of a lady voter signing herself" deceased , it seemed unexplicable at first , but an old bachelor friend of ours suggests that the widow meant to point out that she was the widow of her deceased late husband . Anyhow it was a Masonic bull .

# * # The Quarterly Court of the Boys' School took place on the 16 th inst ., when the annua ! business was transacted , and Bro . ROEBUCK withdrew his motion . The election of 13 out of 65 candidates then took place , and the polling was very heavy , the highest successful candidate polling 4520 ; the

lowest 2872 . The last figures were somewhat lower than had been anticipated , inasmuch as some had thought that nothing under 3000 could possibly be safe . There were 4 i , 505 ' votes issued , and 29 , 990 brought forward , in all 48 , 090 . The number polled for the successful candidates was 41 , 784 , and for the unsuccessful ones 29 , 154 , leaving , as with the Girls' voting , a

large margin of unaccounted votes , namely 1495 ! the hall was thronged the whole day , and the poll was not declared until a little before 6 p . m . In the Boys' School Election there were also several unsigned voting papers , which had to be rejected by the Scrutineers ; and we confess , that we are

ourselves at a loss to feel most surprized at the carelessness or recklessness of those who affect to fill up their voting papers properly in the face of rehearsed warnings and the constant announcement after each election . Let us hope to see an improvement in this respect .

# # THK system of exchange of votes which is now so much in vogue amongst us , and which has been ruling our last few charitable elections specially , is , we venture to think , not a little unreasonable in itself , and we must even beg to add in an opinion , rather is in truth very absurd . For the system as a

system does not appear to be affected by the actual monetary or other value of the votes themselves , but to depend truly on some mysteries of arbitrary differences , some unseen manipulation which affixes a fictitious value to such votes , and which is blindly followed either by a few faithful adherents or the credulous many , and of course as always happen in like cases with

patent exaggeration of " user" and developement . We think therefore as we said before , that the system is an unreasonable and absurd one , and not only this , but we also deem it most unjust and unfair to the poorer

candidates , when votes thus to a certain extent are depreciated and rendered almost nugatory . It is only the prosperous candidates and their friends who can afford this intense liberality of exchange . But having experienced the difficulty and the drawback and the anomaly , it is not always so easy to

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suggest as we all know a remedy . It is difficult to see how we can legislate for such a state of things , indeed it is well nigh impossible . The matter can only be left to the general good sense of the subscribers , and the thoughtful considerations of those who have to do with such episodes , which now constitute a great " crux " for us all , and threaten lo become a deplorable nuisance .

* * THOUGH we have spoken somewhat strongly on one or two little defects inour voting system , we must not be ' supposed as at all countenancing extreme views , or sentimental measures on the subject . Some of the proposals for reform in our Charity voting procedure

are in themselves utterly impractical , and unreal , and unreliable , and if we hastily adopted them we should find the " remedy worse than the disease . " Evils would soon grow by accretion under the new system , which would be far more intolerable and unjust than any

we know of now , and we believe it is a fact beyond dispute that whenever the reformed system has been applied in its fullest extent it has led to one of two conseqences , either a withdrawal of support or an actual retracing of procedure altogether .

# * * IT may interest some of our readers to know that on analysis of the lists of the candidates for the Boys' and Girls' Schools , we find the following summary of the " contrasted classes , " which constitute the staple of the condi . tion of those who become the inmates of these admirable Institutions : In the

two lists , 93 in all , we find there are 32 trades , 18 in professional employment , 11 trained professions , 4 in military , 1 in naval employment , 5 clerks , 6 hote ] keepers and licensed victuallers , 2 of the fourth estate—the press , 2

commercial travellers , 2 employers of labour , 5 farmers , 2 schoolmasters , and 1 brewer . The technical merits of our Schools must be very great when they succeed in " levelling up " their educational programme so as to render them suitable and beneficial for all alike .

* * THE meetings for the School Elections are striking in themselves and most agreeable to rightly minded Freemasons . Theinterest felt in ourgreatEducational Institutions is very commendable and kindly , and does credit to the head and heart of the brethren of our Order . Very pleasant are the meetings

between old friends and fellow workers , for with some of us this work has actually been going on a quarter of a century and more , and the " town mouse" can sympathize with the " country mouse" in like labours , all united in comity , and fellow feeling , and fraternal good will for a common purpose to a common end . # * # WE have not alluded to the names of the Grand Officers , though others have done so , because there is a little point of Masonic etiquette involved respecting to which we deem it better to adhere . It is impossible to prevent or restrain conversation or paragraphs on the subject so interesting to many .

But until the list of Grand Officers is officially announced , we think it better for the Freemason to maintain a discreet reticence . There are many ways naturally in which such matters ooze out amongst us , but the Freemason has always sought , and wa believe not unsuccessfully , to respect the legitmate feelings and views of those in authority over our Order .

# * # WE understand that the Lord Justice FITZGIBBON , one of the lords justices in Ireland paid a visit to the Girls' School , on Thursday last . He was received by Bro . FRANK RICHARDSON , the Chairman of the month , with

Bros . HAMMERTON and MATHEWS and Bro . HEDGES , the Secretary , and conducted over the establishment . Miss REDGRAVE put the children through their calisthenic exercises , and his lordship expressed himself greatly pleased not only with the buildings but with the happy and healthy looks of the children .

WE understand that at the installation of Bro . THOMAS GATES at the Skelmersdale Lodge , No . 1599 , the selection of music , which was under the

direction of Bro . J AMES WEAVER , and in which Miss BLANCHE PAIGE , Miss HELEN HEATH , Bro . FRANKLIN CLIVE , and Bro . J AMES BUCKLAND took part , gave the greatest satisfaction , and was much admired and deservedly applauded .

. * * WE understand that H . R . H . the GRAND MASTER , will lay the foundation stone of the Indian Institute at Oxford on May 2 nd , with Masonic honours ,