Devon Educational Fund.

really imagine that in the future the Province of Devon intended keeping "II its orphans at home , and " sustaining " them there . Does " A P . M . AND P . P . G . J . W . of D EVON " know susteu ta t ion is no part of the scheme of tlio Devon Educational Fnnd , which was founded to give education , clothe and advance in life thoso orphans whom the Province could not hope to get elected into tho London Schools , in

addition , and as distinguished from tho children that aro selected by the Committee of Petitions of tho Province , and who do get elected to tho London Schools . Referring " A P . M . AND P . P . G'J . W . of DEVON " to hje-Taw 6 of the Devon Educational Fund , what becomes of his expression of " sustaining them at home ?"

I ask the brother to post himself in this and kindred matters in connection with tho Fund before giving vent to perhaps harmless but most misleading statements . Under no circumstances would I wish ifc inferred that Devon has been lax , or even neglectful in rendering good and liberal support to the great London Masonic Charities .

The Provincial Grand Lodge of Devon in this respect might be accepted as a pattern to be followed by other Provincial Grand Lodges in tho aid so often rendered to tho great Charities . Many of the Lodges and Chapters throughout Devon have daring the last few years subscribed handsomely , and supported Stewards for the London Charities , but unfortunately , bo it remembered , during the same

period the candidates having claims , or rather making claims on Devon , have been many , and far out of all proportion to votes held by the Province . By a system of organising this voting power , and the jndicions use of votes obtained from other provinces , Devon has thus been enabled to placo on the funds of all the Masonio London Charities her moro

than full quota of candidates—hence , so far as those surplus orphans of the province were interested , it became an absolute necessity that the Devon Educational Fnnd should exist ; but not to keep at " home and sustain" our urgent and most deserving cases ; but to send those to the great Charities , working for their admittance to fche utmost of onr power , giving the benefit of the local fund to those

surplus cases which the province havo no power to work into the great Schools , in addition to those previously named . Provincial Masonic Educational Funds are no new idea ; we have the experience of Lancashire , Cheshire , ancl Yorkshire , and during the past twenty years each of those named have flourished . These local funds , auxiliary to the great Charities , and not antagonistic ,

find their main support from individual brethren of their province , who become Life Governors and Annual Subscribers to the local fund ; thus fully recognising the fact that to ask for aid from the funds set apart by the respective Prov . Grand Lodges at annual meetings for the great Charities in London , would be most unwise ; to say nothing of the manifest unjustness of such a course .

If tho Devon Educational Fund is to prosper , let the Province be wise in her generation . The brethren—the rank and file of Masonry in the Province—must come forward as Life Governors and Annual Subscribers , and give aid to their local institution for purely local purposes of a secondary nature . To ask the Provincial Grand Lodge or the other governing bodies of Masonry in Devon for monies

that should bo devoted to the great Charities , as some adequate return for the present large sums received by Devon orphans and annuitants now on the funds of the several great Charities . Trench upon these Funds for the local Educational Institution , and the power now possessed by the Province in the great Charities will fade away . Do this ; embrace the shadow , and , in

the act , lose the substance . So far as Devon is concerned ; such is the aid received by hor orphans and annuitants from the great Charities , her voting power at each election of those Institutions ; and her returns in kind to the great Charities ; as well as the features of the Devon Educational Fund .

I , without egotism , beg to subscribe myself , Yours very fraternally , Au FAIT .

The Projected Extension Of The Girls' School.

THE PROJECTED EXTENSION OF THE GIRLS ' SCHOOL .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I am sorry to have incurred the displeasure of our Bro . Perceval , but will ask him to believe that it is neither offence nor anger that impels me to decline his offer to be my backer in a contest for supremacy in personal abuse . If , however , Bro . Perceval desires to discuss in a friendly spirit through your

columns the pros and cons of what many subscribers consider an illadvised project , I shall have great pleasure in doing my best to convince him that the opinions of himself , and those who adopt his views of the proposal , have been formed too hastily , without sufficient consideration of the Laws of the Institution , and with too little regard for the principle which , I submit , should govern all charitable efforts

viz ., tho greatest good to the greatest number . An inexcusable blunder in tho previous proceedings , in consequence of which it has been found necessary to convene a new meeting to do that which was supposed to have been already clone , is in itself a proof that haste rather than judgment has been the guide , resulting at all events in tho uncalled for expense of two meetings in tho placo of oue . Ifc will scarcely bo contended that this was for the

benefit cf the children for whoso education and support the funds were collected . The subscribers arc indebted to the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE for pointing out this irregularity , which certainly ought not to have occurred . Mistakes , like misfortunes , seldom come singly , and I believe it can easily be shown that the second notice is as illegal as its predecessor . It is satisfactory to havo an admission that the sum named for the

The Projected Extension Of The Girls' School.

purchase of a property we do not want is " a fancy price , " but may I beg Bro . Perceval to further consider whether Trustees of Charitable Funds subscribed for a specific purpose are at liberty to expend those funds in /« ney speculations or investments ? I think he may find that Parliament has dealt with this subject in a manner which

renders the position of Trustees who may indulge in such whims par . ticularly unpleasant from a financial point of view . A military friend suggests that the promoters of this project would do well to execute " a strategic movement to the rear , " and I have pleasure in placing his suggestion at their disposal .

I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Fraternally yours , 1 st January 1880 . H .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —My letter iu the C HRONICLE of the 20 th inst ., advocating grants of say £ 20 per annum each for education , & o ., of children in the vicinity of their homes has drawn forth the inquiry from Bro . Chas . John Perceval— "Are we sure that the money so voted would be properly applied ? " Your remarks on this

question in your article in tho CHRONICLE of the 27 th ult . are exceedingly apposite , as is also the letter of " A P . M . and P . P . G . J . W . of Devon . " For the information of your readers I will briefly state the course adopted by tho East Lancashire Institution to secure the proper application of tho grants made for education , & o ., of children . On the election of a child , some brother of the Lodge to which the father

belonged is selected by the Education and Relief Committee to undertake the supervision of the child ' s education , and generally to act as its foster father ; and by this brother arrangements are made with the schoolmaster or schoolmistress , tho school in all cases being approved by the Committee , and reports are regularly furnished by the school to the Committee , by whom the school bills are paid , after

being certified as correct by the foster father . By this means I apprehend the Committee ensure the proper application of the grant . I do not deny that the education given in our noble Institutionsthe Girls' and Boys' Schools—is superior to that whioh conld be obtained by a £ 20 grant , but that is nofc the question I raise . What I wish is , the benefits of these Institutions to be extended to the

greatest possible number , aud thia I maintain will be better acoora . plished , and at much less cost , by the system of home education than by an extension of the present system . There is no doubt at all that the provinces , finding it almost impossible to carry their candidates at the Girls' and Boys' Elections ,

are earnestly taking up this home system , and as it becomes more general , the Metropolitan Institutions must of necessity lack the liberal support hitherto extended them by the provinces , unless indeed the benefits of the Metropolitan Institutions can DO extended in the way I have indicated . Youra fraternally , East Lancashire , 29 th December 1879 . J . W .

Uniformity Of Masonic Ritual And Observance.

UNIFORMITY OF MASONIC RITUAL AND OBSERVANCE .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . 8 Thurloe Place , S . W . 27 th December 1879 . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —The letter of a P . P . J . G . W . which appeared in yonr issue of to-day speaks volumes as to the kind of opposition to bo expected with regard to the motion brought forward

by Bro . James Stevens at the last Grand Lodgo Meeting , " Uniformity of Ritual . " Now , I take it that the word " Uniformity " has been greatly misunderstood by a number of the brethren , and the "pishing , " " pshawing , " " ridiculous , " "impossible , " "can't be dones , " " Brothers , stand close , " uttered against poor Uniformity , have been

amnsing and surprising , considering the sources from whence they sprang ; why , one would have thought that Bro . Stevens imagined that he was capable of performing a miracle , that he was going to build Rome in a day , that ho was uprooting the foundation of Freemasonry with his wonderful attempts at what ninety-nine ont of a hundred will tell you is much to be desired ; the others do not see how

it can , or expect it ever will be done ; and such brethren I would refer to one of iEsop ' s fables , about the man whose cart was stuck in fche mud , and instead of putting his shoulder to the wheel ancl helping to get it out , went and knelt down on the roadside and prayed to Jupiter to get it for him , with the result , —cart remained stuck . To such brethren let me say , if each one of you will only put

a pound weight of your help and assistance , our beautiful ritual will be lifted out of the various quagmires into which she has been allowed to sink bit by bit , in fact , so unlike herself , that her own mother could not possibly recognise her . Now what is it that Bro . Stevens is aiming at—Perfection ? No , for that ia impossible ; but he asks in a straightforward commonsense way for a constituted

authority , evoked from tho combined talent of some of the most distinguished ( by merit and ability ) of our brethren , an authority whose decision shall be final , an authority to whom any W . M . desirous of fulfilling his obligation for the well-ruling of his Lodge can refer , for there wonld be no compulsion in the matter ; but , at the samo time , he could plead no excuse if doubtful of his working .

I havo been informed that there is an authority recognised by Grand Lodge—viz ., the working of tho Lodge of Reconciliation at tho Union , 1813 , and handed down to us by the late eminent Mason Stephen Barton Wilson , that that Ritual is still in existence , and that the Emulation Lodgo still carries it out ; but , in tho samo breath , I am told if our late eminent ritual-