Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

Jill Letters must bear the name and address of the Write )' , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . fl ** 0 cannot undertake to return rejected communications .

GIRLS * SCHOOL ELECTION . To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHROVICLE . D EAU SIE AND BKOTHER , —Pity the sorrows of a poor old voter . I hear that all the Girl candidates are to be received on Saturday

next , and I , who am involved in all kinds of exchanges—of votes for Boys , for Old Men , and Old Women , —am utterly at sea as to how I shall fulfil my engagements . I am under the impression I shall be able to carry the election of the Girl candidate I am interested in by exchange of Boys' votes , bufc now no exchange of votes is necessary , and moreover , I have to pay a heap of Boys' votes for whioh there is

now no exchange available . I know there is very little time between now and the day of election , but if you have a spare moment and a notion as to what I might , could , would , and should do under the oiroumstances , please enlighten me by a note either in your columns or privately . Yours fraternally .

EliECTOR . P . S . —0 , wise Polonins , when—if I remember rightly he suggested" Neither lender nor a borrower be . "

THE LATE WILLIAM PRESTON LODGE OF INSTRUCTION , No . 766 .

To th » Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Your correspondent "Q . " errs somewhat on the side of severity in his remarks re the William Preston Lodge of Instruction , and the action taken by the majority of the brethren present at the meeting on the memorable 3 rd of February . At the same time I agree with him as to the illegality of the

whole proceedings , and that is why the meeting was held in the regular Lodge room ( but without the Lodge furniture , whioh was already in the hands of the auctioneer ) on the following meeting night ; to protest againsfc the undue haste with which the whole affair had been caned out , according to Br . Coop's letter in your last impression , every sentence of which I endorse . There was

a combination of reasons why the Lodge did not prosper dnring the last year or two , and had the late Secretary not suppressed the names and the numbers ot the attendances of those members who , at his special invitation , took so active a part in the proceedings on the 3 rd ultimo , I am of opinion they would nofc have shewn up in the list much , if any , better than those to whose names he

gives so much publicity . He suggests that , to be " a worthy ancl zealous Craftman " it was necessary to put in a certain nnmber of appearances afc the William Preston Lodge of Instruction , held at the house of an intimate friend and near neighbour . " I am afraid that standard is not the one usually adopted in measuring the worth and zeal of a brother , bufc when that brother , as in the case in point ,

can say he is a Life Subscriber to each of the Masonic ( as well as to other ) Charities , and thafc hearing , quite by accident , the furniture of the Lodge of Instruction was to be sold , bnys it , and presents it to the brethren freely for their nse , I think he displays a large amount of zeal , especially , as ( Bro . Coop points out ) there were

several very cogent reasons why the attendance at the William Preston Lodge of Instruction fell off so much during the last two years . But , Sir , all this is quite beside the question , which really lies in a nutshell .

Firstly , was the circular convening the meeting such as should be sent out under the circumstances ? Secondly , were the resolutions carried on thafc occasion in the Lodge constitutional , and in accordance with the Bye-Laws ? and—Lastl y , should those resolutions have been confirmed before being acted upon ? I maintain the circular should have stated ifc was in contemplation

. close the Lodge . The late Secretary says there was no such intention . If that be so , what was the other important business which m , ght affect the future of the Lodge , after the Eeporfc of Audit mmittee and election ot Officers , in which we were invited to take part ? He must have known ifc was nofc constitntional for the memers of the Lodge then assembled , without any previous intimation notice

' , to dissolve the Lodge then and there , on the spur of the wnent , simply because there were no Officers elected on that parti n ar evening . And that , had such resolutions been properly carried , * nilQ ntes , especially on so important an occasion , should have been nrtned . Brother Hayes , according to these minutes ( which not

fina ¦ i con ' , rm f , d are legally of no value ) , says , the Lodge was of ft T a failure - Yet there was a Glance of funds in the hands Inaff 7 . reasnrer i which was voted to the Koyal Masonic Benevolent void t for Aged FreemasoDS , and the brethren were also able to „„ , 0 . . of the fund * the snm of £ 2 2 s to Mrs . Webster , who hacl

c * tL f by jnerself or through any of the brethren , made any appli-<*¦* •» ^ assistance whatever closecl ^^ * ' " * DaiJrs 5 s of tDe minntes of the Lodge meeting , which was Secret ^ ° * "" * ' " P erfect harmony , as now supplied by the late n 3 ) tw ^ . ' Won , t 1 0 , | ly tend to prove ( as Bro . Coop kindly reminds tn ew rV / heIc - on that memorable night on which ono of J ° 9 mn » f u - " LoT , aon has ever experienced was in full force , and that Wiiiiam p 6 P enefcrated > and made itself very distinctly felt , in the Weston Lodge of Instruction—hence the roceedings . The

Correspondence.

late Secretary tiot having deigned to answer my official application for the Lodge books , except through the medium of your columns , now informs me ancl your readers in general , that there is a some . thing which renders theso said books so exceedingly valuable that nothing less than tho archives of Graud Lodgo are considered worthy of their keeping . I was totally unconscious of any such reason ,

I have had the presumption to think that these books , containing no doubt valuable MSS . of the late Secretary , which wore " placed in his hands " ( I presume by the members of the Lodge ) , would have been equally as safe in my keeping ( as his duly elected successor ) as in his . However , he probably knows best , and I can only hope when Grand Lodge is summoned for the express purpose of receiving

theso books it may be made a special occasion , ancl one in every way worthy of so important an event . Potting all joking aside , I exceedingly regret ; thafc there has been any personal feeling exhibited in the discussion of this matter . It would have been more graceful on the part of the seceding members ,

finding thoy had made a mistake , to have tried to smooth the matter over than to attempt to justify their action . No one doubts for a moment ; their bond fides , bnt thero is no doubt such ill-considered action and precipitate proceedings were un . Masonio , and a fit subject for editorial comment .

Tonrs faithfully and fraternally , H . MOORE , Hon . Seo .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I cannot quite agree with Bro . Coop that it is unfortunate any notice of the recent disturbance in this Lodge of Instruction should have been taken in your columns . I think the matter was of too great importance to be overlooked . Bufc I fully

sympathise with him in his objection to Brother Godden ' s table of attendances of himself and the other brethren now engaged in revivifying the Lodge . I think Bro . Godden should have obtained the permission of the brethren in question before parading their names and performances in the columns of your valued journal . Fraternally yours , SEMM .

A meeting of tho General Committee of the Royal Masonic Institntion for Girls was held on Thursday afternoon , when there were present Bro . Colonel Creaton ( in the chair ) , Bros . Letchworth , Caley , Peters , Gladwell , Richardson , Rncker , Nunn , Dubois , Grey , Mather ,

Weller-Poley , Tattershall , and F . R . W . Hedges Secretary . When the routine business had been disposed of , one petition was read , and ordered to stand over for further inquiry , and the following notices of motion for the next General Conrt were given * . —First , by J . S . Cumberland P . Prov . G . W . of

N . and B . Yorks ., " That the day of election for the Girls ' School be altered to Thursday instead of Saturday as at present , except when the Boys' election falls on Thursday , then on Wednesday ; and that the rules of the Institution be altered accordingly . " Second , by Colonel Creaton ,

" That the additional vacancy ( caused by the retirement of one girl , through ill health ) reported by the General Committee , be rilled at this election , and that six further vacancies be declared , making in all twenty-eight

vacancies for this election , and thafc the twenty-eight approved candidates now on the list be declared duly elected accordingly thereby raising the number of elected girls in the Institution to 236 . '"

We learn from the Evening Nexus of Thursday that a Special Provincial Grand Lodge for North and East Yorkshire was held on 29 th ult ., afc the Masonic Hall , Duncombeplace , York . The Right Worshipful Prov . Grand Master the Earl of Zetland presided , and was supported by the

Deputy Provincial Grand Master Bro . J . P . Bell , M . D ,, of Hull . Amongst tbe rest of the brethren ( who would nnmber about 100 ) were the Very Rev . the Dean of York G . C . of England , Sir James Meek , and many other prominent Masons of the Province . Amongst tbe rest of the business

of the Special Grand Lodge was the adoption of an address to the Queen expressive of the horror and indignation felt by all Free and Accepted Masons in that Lodge at the recent atrocious outrage committed on Her Majesty , and their deep sense of gratitude at Her Majesty ' s happy

escape under Divine Providence . After the adoption of the address the brethren sang the National Anthem . The Lodge also made a grant of 100 guineas to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls . The proceedings passed off with great enthusiasm .

The Clerkenwell Lodge , No . 1964 . will be consecrated on the 22 nd April , at the Holborn Viaduct Hotel . The ceremony will be performed by Col . Shadwell H . Gierke , Grand Secretary .