Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

WARWICKSHIRE . Name of Lodge . No . Patron or Steward . Athol ... 74 Fenn , Joseph , P . M . . 80 17 0 Smith , T . H ., M . D . . 15 15 0 Groavenor . . 938 Zair , John , Jan ., P . G . Dir . 283 10 0 Cers ., P . M . Howkins , Thomas , P . G . A . Dir . of Cers . P . M . 468 and 938 . Handley , Edward . .

WILTSHIRE . Royal Sussex of Emu- 355 Chandler , John , P . Pro . lation . . G . W . 663 , 1295 . . 91 7 0 YORKSHIRE—NORTH AND EAST . Minerva . . . 250 Thompson , John , P . Pro . G . S . B ., P . M . ¦ . . 36 15 0

YORKSHIRE—WEST . Probity ... 61 Edwards , Lieut-Col . Sir Henry , Bart ., R . W . Pr . G . M ., V . P . Scarborough , George Tasker , William , P . M . Britannia , . . 139 Hayes , Simeon , W . M . Short , W ., P . M ., P . P . G . J . D . Morris , T . S . . . . Tysack , W . A . ...

Unanimity . . . 154 Simpson , Edward , S . D ., Vice-Pat . of the Inst . Harmony . . . 275 Shaw , Bentley , W . P . Dep . Prov . G . M ., Vice-Pres . Huddersfield . . 290 Harrop , W ., W . M . . Brunswick . . . 296 Chaindry , J . F . Hope .... 302 Farrar , Hanson , Treasurer Broughton , B ., P . M ., V . P . Alfred . . . 306 Seanor , Saml . Exley , W . M . Integrity . . . 380 Wordsworth , John , V . P ., P . Pro . G . W . St . James . . . 448 Rhodes , C . T ., J . W . . St . John's . . 827 Tattersfield , Joseph Phoenix . . 904 Fawcett , John , S . W . Perrot , Clement , Hamil ,

P . M . St . Oswald . . 910 Tew , Thos . William , P . M ., Dep . Pro . G . M . . Simpson , John , P . M . . Shakespeare . . 1018 Longley , William Sincerity . . 1019 Newton , George Excelsior . . 1042 Beedlo , Joseph , P . M . Savile . . . 1231 Crossley , Frederick , P . M ., Pro . G . S . B . ¦ . . Crossloy , John Edward ,

P . M Friendly . . . 1513 Watson , J . H . . Marquis of Ripon , 337 Pegler , Chas . . RA . Ch . Prov . G . Mark Lodge Cooke , William , Prov . G . Mark Secretary Total Collected in the Province . . 815 1 0

INDIA . Presidency of Bombay ] Leith , E . Tyrrell , P . Dist . G . W . . . . 21 0 0 Hay Andrew . . . 10 10 0 MARK DEGREE . Royal Sussex . . 75 Sabine , T . J ., P . M . and P . M . 22 , P . G . A . D . C . . 514 0 0

ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED RITE . Palestine Chapter of E . C . Venn , Henry . . 21 0 0 Grand Total . . £ 12 , 704 7 6 FREDERICK BINCKES , Secretary of the Institution , Hon . Secretary .

The Provincial Grand Lodge of the Province of Hertford , of which the R . W . Bro . T . F . Halsey M . P . is the Grand Master , will be held at the Town Hall , St . Albans , on Wednesday , the 28 th instant , at half-past one o ' clock precisely . A banquet will take place in the Town Hall at four p . m .

Obituary.

Obituary .

We regret to have to announce the death of Bro . Donovan , of the Burdett Coutts Lodge , No . 1278 . Bro . Donovan was Editor of the Hast London Observer , and was justly esteemed as an energetic and conscientious Mason .

Freemasonry In Ecuador.

FREEMASONRY IN ECUADOR .

WE are indebted to a writer in Le Monde Maeonnique , who signs himself " Un Equatorien , " for the following interesting details of the rise , progress , and position of our Order in this country . It was during the war of independence that Freemasonry

penetrated into Ecuador . I am able to affirm that , m 1821 , just one year before the battle of Pichincha , which sealed , the independence of this Republic , there was , at Quito , a well organised Lodge , known as the Ley Natural . Wben the Grand Orient of Peru was constituted , this

Lodge p laced itself under the jurisdiction of that power , and its name figured in the list of Lodges of that Orient down to a very recent period . Nevertheless , during my sojourn at Quito , I could glean no knowledge whatever of this Lodge . It is probable it had ceased to exist for a

long time previously , owing to causes of which , we shall speak presently . At Guayaquil , there had been both a Lodge and a Chapter . These bodies disappeared for a period of some ten years , when , in 1856 , the Lodge Philanthropiie des Quayas was organised . At that time

there reigned at Guayaquil a remarkable ardour for Freemasonry , and every day the Lodge saw its numbers increasing , but this ardour was unable to revive the zeal of the people of Quito . In those days Ecuador was chiefly influenced by liberal views . The Lodge of Guayaquil was a democratic one . On the other hand , the Masons of Quito

showed a decided tendency to maintain the aristocratic character of the ancient , or , to speak properly , false Masonry , and to turn it to political purposes . Unable to plant this system in a liberal country , they preferred not to extend the influence of their temple . The Lodge of

Guayaquil had , in its own ranks , to contend against analogous tendencies , promoted chiefly by those who possessed the high grades , but the democratic or Masonic element proved victorious in the struggle . In 1860 , when , at the close of the civil war , the conservative party triumphed , its

chief , M . Garcia Moreno , sought initiation in the Lodge of Guayaquil . The latter had serious reasons for distrusting this gentleman . The violent and haughty character of tho man was certainly not in keeping with the ordinances and prescriptions of Masomy . Moreover , M . Garcia Moreno

had proscribed many members of the Lodge of Guayaquil ; he claimed to enter the Lodge as a Master , but where all are brothers , there unquestionably was no place for him . By way of reply to the conditions demanded by the Lodge , he authorised the Jesuits to return to the country . And

when , in 1869 , by the aid of the Ultramontanes , he had managed to get complete possession of the chief power in tho state , then M . Garcia proscribed very many Ecuadorians ,

and framed a decree directing that every person denounced as a Mason should be tried by court martial . Hence , at this present time , there are no longer any Lodges in Ecuador .

Masonry In South Africa.

MASONRY IN SOUTH AFRICA .

ACCORDING to the Graaf Beinet Herald , a movement is on foot towards the establishment of an inde » pendent Grand Lodge for South Africa . The initiative has been taken by the Jaffa Lodge , No . 864 , Cape Town , which has submitted the question to all the Lodges in the Colony , and we presume that , in course of time , some

decision will be arrived at . Meantime , the Graaf Reinet Herald wisely cautions the craft against any precipitate action , and urges the various Lodges to consider well and seriously before they commit themselves by supporting a movement which must sever all connection between them

and the Grand Lodges of England and Holland . It pertinently asks , "Are the Lodges in South Africa prepared to withdraw the allegiance they now owe to H . R . H . the

Prince of Wales , M . W . G . M . of England , and H . R . H . Prince William Frederick Karl W . M ., Grand Master National of the Netherlands ? " If so , to whom will they offer it .

Among other Masonic items of news , to which the Graaf Reinet Herald has recently opened its columns , wo learn that Bro . G . G . F . Hurford P . M . has been elected W . M . of the lodge " Midland , " No . 882 , Graaf Reinet , Cape Town , for the ensuing year , and that Bro . G . G . Munnick P . W . has heen elected W . M . of the Lodge " Yeereniging . "