Withdrawal Of Visitors.

brother . Under these circumstances , and seeing that while my remarks were based on tho conduct of a particular brother—who happened to be Bro . Constable , but who might , ! say , have been any one else—they were necessarily general in their character and scope , I feel I was perfectly justified in writing nnder an assumed name . A word as to Bro . Constable ' s letter of tho 28 th nit . He—shall I

waggishly describe him as the Lord High Constable of English Masonry ?—is " astounded"that I—the "IRREPRESSIBLE TOMKINS "" should have been a party to BO unwarrantable a proceeding . " This , to adopt the phraseology of some peculiar people , is quite too awfully dreadful !! I have taken part in the " unwarrantable proceeding" of criticising certain conduct of his , which I

believe to be wrong ; as it was prominently referred to by an anonymous reporter in a public journal , I criticised it publicly in the columns of the same journal , and , having no personal feeling in the matter , I did so anonymously . Moreover , I have the honour to be one of the " friends " from whose malicious designs he so ardently prays to be delivered or preserved . This , I repeat , is quite too awfully dreadful ; but is it nofc the funniest of funny things that Bro .

Constable shonld assume and publicly parade a knowledge he cannot possibly possess ? Far be it from me to say he is nofc above and beyond the reach of criticism , and thafc he , alone of Craftsmen , may do what none dare call in question j but were he , in truth , what I have described him in joke , the Lord High Constable of English Masons , he does nofc possess the power or the knowledge to penetrate the veil which conceals from the public the personal identity of ,

Tour faithful servant and brother , THE IRREPRESSIBLE TOMKINS . P . S .--Happy Thought!—to wish both Bro . Gottheil and Bro . Con . stable " A Happy New Year , and many of them . " This I do with all the pleasure in the world .

The Case Of The Lad Collingwood.

THE CASE OF THE LAD COLLINGWOOD .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIK AND BROTHER , —Ifc will doubtless be in the remembrance of many of your readers that , at the last Quarterly Court of the Boys ' School , a discussion arose concerning the eligibility of one of the candidates for election—viz ., A . H . Collingwood . It had been previously stated publicly that the father of the candidate had left

such an estate as to place his family beyond the need of any charitable aid , but although subsequent inquiry proved that the value of the estate had been erroneously stated , we have now to consider the statement laid before the brethren who attended the last meeting of the General Committee , viz ., that in addition to other funds , a sum of £ 1063 10 s is left invested with the proviso thafc the

interest derived therefrom shall be applied to the education and maintenance of the said A . H . Collingwood , who on attaining the age of twenty-one years will be entitled to the capital sum . Under these circumstances I maintain that A . H . Collingwood , having a sufficient income to pay for his own maintenance and education ought not to be allowed to occupy a place in our Boys' School to the exclusion of another candidate who may

formerly have been accustomed to domestic comfort , and may now be in a state of penury . As a final decision in this case will have to be given afc the Quarterly Court , which will he held afc the Freemasons' Hall , at 4 p . m , on Monday , the 10 th inst ., I trust thafc those of your readers

who may feel interested in this question will , if time permits , attend the Court , and exercise their right of voting . I aro , Dear Sir , yours faithfully , A . E . G .

Obituary.

Obituary .

BRO . C . J . W . DAVIS . TT is with very great regret we announce to our readers the death -A- of Bro . C . J . W . Davis , afc his residence , Oxford Villa ,

Cavershamroaa , on Monday , after only a short illness . Bro . Davis leaves a wife and five children to mourn his loss , as well as a host of friends who esteemed Mm for his many sterling qualities . He was initiated into the mysteries of Freemasonry in the Royal Union Lod ^ e , No . 382 (

Aft A ? laisher > who > at the time » occupied the chair of " the Lodge . ' After filling various offices , he was in due course elected W . Master , and afc the time of his decease was Treasurer and a Past Master of lflQ'r g 6 ' He Wa 8 0 De of fcbe founders ° f the Unity Lodge , No . tod ? , and onl y retired from the chair in the course of last year . His merit had been still further recognised by the bestowal of Provincial honours

, he being Prov . G . D . C . of Middlesex . He was a Royal Arch Mason , having been exalted in the Prudent Brethren Chapter , i ' i vT ' Was 15 kewise Treasurer , and took a deep interest in the well-being of the La Tolerance Lodge of Instruction . He had filled r ^ uB Steward for the Koyal Masonic Benevolent Institntion ana . the Royal Masonic Institntion for Boys , while his name was down , ami , had his life been prolonged , he would have served as Steward at the

Festival nexfc ensuing of the Royal Masonic Institution for th r » made no distinction between Masons and non-Masons in r arannmi of such aid as it was in his power to render . His IWp- ^? aoe y esterda y ( Frid ay ) at St . Marylebone Cemetery , £ xmchley , there being a numerous gathering present of his relarAan w friend 8 ' were all anxious to pay their last tribute of fZn xu . worth y- We offer our warmest sympathy to his family m their sore and sudden bereavement .

Installation Meetings, &C.

INSTALLATION MEETINGS , & c .

LODGE OF LIGHTS , No . 148 , WARRINGTON . ON the 16 th of October 1646 , the first " gentleman" Mason was made at Warrington , in the person of Elias Ashmole , the author of the well-known " History of the Order of the Garter , " and founder of the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford . It is a matter for groat regret that the antient records of the Lodge aro lost , and that the history of Freemasonry in Warrington cannot now be consecutively traced further back than 18 th November 1765 . However , it is our pleasure

to place on record the fact thafc at no previous period of its history has the Lodge been in a better condition , both as to its work nnd Constitution , and St . John ' s Day 1880 will long bo remembered as ono of its brightest red-letter days . Tho principal bttsincss of tho day was tho installation of tho W . M . elect , Bro . A . H . Young , M . B ., F . R . C . S . E . & c , and the old Lodge exceeded itself in tho eclat which

characterised the whole proceedings . Punctually at three o'clock the Lodgo was opened , the minntes read and confirmed , and Bro . Warner passed to the degree of Fellow Craft . Tho W . M Bro . Charles E . Hindley then invited the senior member present , Bro . John Bowes P . M . P . P . GJ . W . Cumberland and Westmoreland , to take tho chair as Installing Master , and during the long and interesting ceremony ho

was assisted and supported by a largo number of brethren , 20 ofwhom were P . M . ' s . Among those who signed the Tyler's book , besides thoso named , were Bros . W . Sharp P . M . P . P . GJ . W ., D . W . Finney P . M . P . P . G . D . C ., W . Harrison P . M . P . G . D . C , J . Rymer Young P . M ., Thomas Tunstall P . M ., W . H . Robinson P . M ., Thomas Sutton P . M ., Jos . Piokthall P . M ., John Harding P . M ., John

Armstrong P . M ., J . R . Tomlinson P . M . 368 , J . Schonstadt P . M . 1502 , George Bailey P . M . 613 , Thomas A . Collinson P . M . P . P . G . D . C , W . Richardson P . M . 1250 , J . H . Galloway W . M . 1250 , A . H . Young S . W . W . M . elect , James Paterson J . W ., Thomas Grime S . D ., Charles Skinner I . G ., George F . Curzon , Thomas M . Pattison Organist , Christoph Ekkert , Thomas B . Carter , John Pierpoint P . W ., R . W .

Francomb , Captain Deacon , John Laifchwaite P . W ., W . Warner , S . E . Johnson , J . Paul Ryland , F . S . A ., Thomas Robinson , John J . Thompson , Thomas Morris , A . Crawford , W . Bnrn , James Bayley , John Brown 1280 , James W . Carlisle S . W . 1384 , Edward Greenall jnn . 1354 , W . Robinson , Dr . Gornall , Dr . Mackie , Edward Howarth , W . Barton , and Thomas Domville Tyler . The W . M . elect was presented

to the Installing Master by the W . M ., Bro . Charles E . Hindley , and , the first part of the ceremony completed , the Lodge was opened in the third degree , when the brethren of the lower degrees retired . The W . M . elect was then entrusted and retired for a brief space . A Board of Installed Masters was then constituted in ample form , the west and south being presided over by Bros . P . M . ' s Rymer Young and

W . H . Robinson . The W . M . elect now applied for re-admission , and was received in due form , and installed in the chair of K . S ., according to ancient custom , and was greeted , sainted and proclaimed as an Installed Master . He then invested the I . P . M ., who was addressed by the Installing Master as to the nature , duties , and responsibilities of his office , and afterwards entrusted . The Board was next " called

off , " and the newly-installed W . M . congratulated and " cemented " in his high position . Labour resumed , the Board was dissolved , and the brethren admitted by regular gradations , and the W . M . honoured and proclaimed in the three degrees . The W . M . invested aa his Officers for the ensning year : —Bros . James Paterson S . W ., J . Paul Rylands J . W ., Thomas Tunstall P . M . Treasurer , John Bowes P . M .

& c . > Sec , Thomas Grime S . D ., Charles Skinner J . D ., Councillor Francomb I . G . Each Officer was addressed by tbe Installing Master before and after being placed in his appointed chair . The Installing Master then delivered the ancient addresses to the W . M ., Wardens , and brethren , whioh being completed , he took his seat in the south-east . The W . M . then presented , in the name of the Lodge , and

on its behalf , a gold P . M . 's jewel to the I . P . M . Bro . Charles E . Hindley , whioh thafc brother suitably acknowledged . The auditors presented their report , and some routine business having been transacted , the Lodge was closed , and the brethren adjourned to the Lion Hotel , where a splendid repasfc awaited them . Grace before and after meat was said by the Secretary . On the cloth being

removed , the toast list was proceeded with , and we must say thafc we never listened to better post-prandial speeches . The W . M . set the example , and the speakers thafc followed in most cases imitated the good pattern set them . The W . Master ' s health was proposed and accepted with the utmost enthusiasm . Bro . J . Rymer Young P . M ., in proposing the health of the Installing Master , remarked

that he should require the attention of the brethren for a few moments only , inasmuch as he felt it was difficult to say anything concerning their esteemed Bro . Bowes that had not already been well said . He would remark , however , that , notwithstanding the loyal manner in which they had responded to the toasts of the Queen and the Prince of Wales , and not forgetting , too , the hearty manner in

which they had received the name of the W . M ., he felt certain that , of the entire list of toasts , none would be moro heartily responded to than that of their worthy Secretary , the Installing Master . To tell them thafc Bro . Bowes had performed that beautiful ceremony , perhaps a dozen times in their own Lodge , would be to repeat a simple matter of hisfcorv ; to inform them that he invariably

diacharged his duties in a manner that made the ceremony always interesting and instructive , would be to sing once again a very old song indeed ; they all knew that ; and to remind them thafc Bro . Bowes had the goodwill and regard of every member of their ancient Lodge of Lights would be to afford another gratuitous piece of information that was totally unnecessary . In short , it would nofc be

advisable to detain them while he recited the entire catalogue of Bro . Bowes ' s virtues . He should therefore content himself by asking them to drink , in as hearty a manner as possible , the health of tho Installing Master , and so renew , as it were , an annual vote of confidence in their worthy brother . The toast was received with the utmost enthusiasm ; indeed , it met with nothing short of an ovation .