Cliqueism And Class Lodges.

characteristics in days gone by ; cliqueism and strife will take their place in days to come .

The Irony Of Masonic History.

THE IRONY OF MASONIC HISTORY .

MUCH sport has been made of Lord Macaulay ' s picture of the New Zealander sitting on the ruins of London Bridge , pondering on the remains of an ancient civilisation there visible to his wonderiug gaze . For aught

we know the fancy may be realised . Death comes to civilisations and cities as well as to men and women , and often there are not merely monumental ruins , but the grim irony connected with the revolutions of time . For example ,

it is said that the site of ancient Nineveh is to-day marked by the modern town of Mosul , and by the irony of history the city once renowned for its skill in clothing men in iron , is famous in our era for its skill in clothing women in

gauze ! And yet ancient Assyria had its Freemasonry , which also has passed from the iron to the gauze stagenay , more , has entirely vanished from that portion of the earth . Once its initiates , as we do , revered Wisdom ,

Strength and Beauty , personified by them in the winged bull with a human head—the representative of their god , Nin , the origin of the Phoenician and Greek Hercules . The human head to them symbolised Wisdom , the body of

the bull Strength , and the eagle ' s wings Beauty . The operative Masons of Assyria builb the famous palace of Sennacherib—perhaps tho greatest structure , except that at Karnalc , ever built by man . Fergusson has " restored "

this edifice on paper , and it is truly a world-wonder . Its history has been discovered , written on cylinders , and on them have also been found incriptions such as Franklin

might have written , to the effect that " knowledge is power , since the seeing eye and the earing ear are the foundation of greatness . "

The Masonry of Assyria has disappeared from the earth , as has also that of Ancient India , Chaldea , Phoenicia , Egypt and Greece . When civilisation vanished it vanished with it . There is nothing in Freemasonry which guarantees its exist '

ence when the men who compose its membership are no longer men . A name , when it is only a name , is but the shadow of a shade , after the fact which was its substance has departed . Let us remember that the substance of

Freemasonry must remain among us , if we would have it retain its prestige and power . What would King Solomon have said had he been told that his Temple would disappear , so that not one stone should remain upon another , and that the

operative Masonry of his nation would vanish with it , and thousands of years afterwards be replaced by a speculative Masonry , imported from a country five thousand miles away ? And yet such is the fact , and an American Mason

was the instrument by which ifc was accomplished—the late Past Grand Master Bro . Rob Morris , of Kentucky , who obtained a Warrant from the Grand Lodge of Canada for the organisation of a Masonic Lodge in the city of

Jerusalem , which he himself aided to constitute . Such is the irony of Masonic history . True , there is a contrast—one small , weak Lodge on the site of the Temple which was the

wonder of the world ; but still this Lodge has a Lodgeroom , and it stands for the greater Temple of Freemasonry —the mystic world-society which is located everywhere , and thus by its universality overshadows the globe .

Will a Freemason of Jerusalem ever sit on one of the approaches of the Brooklyn Bridge , and mourn over the desolation which he sees scattered around him ? Will he find among the debris of the Astor Library a phototype of

Liber B , revealing to him the existence of a Masonic Lodge in Philadelphia in 1731 ? Will he discover that a Free mason named Lawrence was instrumental in cancelling the debt of the Freemasons of New York , and with the

assistance of another Freemason , named Hodge , founded a Masonic Home , which was long a living monument to the charity of the Craft in the metropolitan jurisdiction of America ? Will be find a trace of the Grand Lodge of

Massachusetts , in a fragment of the " duly-constituted " tombstone of Bro . Henry Price , lying on the ground ? We know not . Stranger things have happened . But they have always happened in consequence of , not in spite of

, Freemasons' actions . If Masonic principles are conserved if the ancient usages , customs and Landmarks of the Craft are maintained in their integrity and practice ; if the character of every applicant for initiation is critically examined ; if Freemasonry be regarded as a life rather linn a theory , a

The Irony Of Masonic History.

living entity rather than a dumb show , a personification of the noblest principles rather than an amusement for a passing hour , then the Grand Lodge of New York will not become a ghost , nor Freemasonry in Philadelphia a name ,

nor Freemasonry in Massachusetts evidenced only by a fragment of a tombstone , or a copy from a copy of a document which may never have existed . That would be the irony

of profane rather than of Masonic history . That the Masonic shadow of King Solomon may never grow less in this land of ours will bo the prayer of all earnest Freemasons . —Keyslcme .

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .

THE October Quarterly Court was held on Friday , the 26 th ult ., in the large hall at Freemasons' Tavern . Bro . William "Roebuck P . G . Sword Bearer presided . A large number of supporters of the Institution were present . Afto >» t . ViA rnnrli-nof ar \ i \ nnnfirmfttinn nf flio nniirnfna rvf Wn \

July Quarterly Court , and the reading o £ other minutes for information , Bro . J . Stevens , L . G ., introduced the following motion , of which he had given notice : To expunge law 55 , including second paragraph , and to enact in lieu as follows : —

" A Boy shall not be eligible for Election unless the Father , if living , has beon a Subscribing Member to a Lodge , or Lodges , for seven years . If the Father be dead , ho must havo been a Subscribing Member to a Lodge for throe years . But should death , or permanent incapacity ,

occasioned by Paralysis , Blindness , Fire , Shipwreck , or other calamity , have occurred within three years of his Initiation , this Rule shall not apply , providing , nevertheless , that at tho time of such occurrence the Father was a Subscribing Member . "

Bro . Stevens said he did not know he had anything to add on the motion , but he might observe that it did not in any way affect the principle of the law ; it was intended merely for the purpose of explaining a rule which had been to a great extent misunderstood , or not fully understood , by the Committees with regard to applicants , and their qualifications

for admission to the School . Bro . A . E . Gladwell , and

other brethren wished to know whether instead of being a member of a Lodge it should not be " a member of the Craft . " Bro . Binckes said the object was that the brother should have been a member of a Lodge or Lodges for

seven years . Bro . James Stevens , alluding to the awkwardness of these suggestions as affecting his motion , said he was afraid he should have to fall back upon the word " concurrently" after all . A Brother wished to know if a

brother who had not subscribed for three years , but had become a Life-Governor or a Vice-Patron of the Institution , was to have his son excluded . Bro . Stevens said his wishes went in favour of a brother

so qualifying himself , though certainly his motion did not embrace such a case . It was here suggested that , as the present was not the proper occasion to settle the wording of a

motion or resolution , Bro . Stevens should withdraw the motion , and bring it forward in due form at another meeting . Bro . Richard Eve proposed that , instead of " a

Lodge or Lodges , the words should be , " some Lodge . "

Bro . Stevens remarked that of late , there was no doubt about it , many persons came into Freemasonry for the sole object of benefiting themselves or their wives or children . As the contingencies of life went , they might be persons

who at the time were fairly entitled to enter the Order .

But there were other cases where the initiates were hardly ably to pay their initiation fee . If the father were alive , it should be distinctly shown , when his child was a candidate for the School , that when he joined Masonry he was in a condition of life to warrant his going into the Order .

Bro . C . J . Perceval thought that Life Governors or such qualified persons should have an exception made in their favour , and he proposed an addition to the motion to that effect . Bro . A . E . Gladwell opposed the amendment . Ten

guineas would be a very cheap and advantageous investment . Bro . Binckes also opposed . To do such a thing would render Freemasonry and its Institutions a benefit society . Ultimately the motion was carried in the following form : —

"A Boy shall not bo qualified for Election unless the Father has been a Subscribing Member to some Lodge for seven years . If the Father be dead , he must have been a Subscribing Member to a Lodge for three years . But should death , or permanent incapacity , occasioned

by Paralysis , Blindness , Fire , Shipwreck , or other calamity , have occurred within seven years of his Initiation , this rule shall nut apply if at the time of such occurrence the Father was a Subscribing Member . " On behalf of the House Committee the motion was agreed to ; consequently the election for 24 Boys was then

proceeded with . The names of those succeaafal will be