Proxy V. Personal Voting.

PROXY v . PERSONAL VOTING .

r \ URING tlio past tliveo weeks a number of letters have JLJ appeared in these columns , the writers of which unanimously agree it is desirable—and , indeed , not only desirable , but a simple act of justice—that the voting- at the election of a successor to the late Bro . Little should be conducted much in the samo manner as the half-yearly elections of candidates for admission into our Schools .

In other words , they propose that voting papers should be issued to all entitled to vote . These papers would contain the names of the several candidates for the post , and instructions would be inserted for the purpose of enabling the voter to indicate the particular candidate he was

desirous of recording his vote for . The reason set forth by Bro . Constable , who first drew attention to the matter , is that , as the law now stands , those of our provincial brethren who now enjoy the privilege of voting , will find themselves at a very serious disadvantage as compared

with those London brethren who enjoy the same privilege . In the case of the latter , the exercise of this privilege is accompanied by little or no trouble or expense , while the former have , in many instances , the choice between sacrificing their votes or incurring the outlay of several pounds .

and undergoing the fatigues of a journey of several hundreds of miles in order to record their votes . As ono of our correspondents has pointed out , this kind of arrangement virtually places the election in the hands of the Metropolitan voters ; and that it should ever havo been

incorporated in the rules of the Institution will surprise most people who are in the habit of exercising anything which can in any way approximate to common sense . Wh y should not the voter , resident at Berwick-on-Tweed , at Penzance , or in North or South Wales , who has a right to

claim the exercise of an undoubted privilege , and he who lives within a stone ' s-throw of Freemasons' Hall , be in every respect on a footing of equality ? What more has the latter done for the Institution that he should enjoy such great privileges , while his unfortunate colleague

must either lose his vote or his money ? What , indeed , becomes of that sacred equality we Masons profess to one another , when the London brother expends an inappreciable sum in shoe-leather , or in omnibus or cab fare , in order to record bis vote , while the Provincial has , it may be , but

little change out of a five-pound note , and has to endure , into the bargain , the fatigue of several hours' travelling ? Surely there must be something wrong when such a state of things is even dreamt of ; and if so , how utterly wrong must it be when we find that this monstrously unequal

arrangement is deliberately permitted . How long do our readers suppose a law would be permitted to remain on our Statute Book , which required that the voters at a Parliamentary election in a county should all be required to record their votes at one and the same polling

place ? Our House of Commons is not remarkable for wisdom in its statutory enactments ; at all events , there is the old saying , to the effect that a coach and four may be driven through any Act of Parliament ; but unwise as it occasionally may bo , wc do not think it would

be guilty of the folly of granting the same rights and privileges to certain classes of the community on such manifestly unjust terms , as that one person , in order to record his

vote , should have only a few yards to go , while another must travel many miles ; and if so grievous an error were committed , no long time would elapse ere it was remedied . Well , in the case of our Schools this kind of mistake has

Proxy V. Personal Voting.

been made , and if tho Governors will bestir themselves , there is ample time to rectify it . Less than five minutes will suffice for preparing the necessary resolution to substitute proxy for personal voting . As it is impossible to advance anything appi'oaehing to an argument against the

propriety of such a resolution , its adoption will bo a merely formal matter , and if tho regularly appointed meetings of the governing body or bodies aro found to be insufficient for the passing of such resolution , then the law which permits a special meeting to be called may be put in operation .

Thus tho present exigency may be mot forthwith , and in such case tlie successor of the late Bro . Little , whoever he may be , will havo the satisfaction of knowing , and there is no doubt it will be a source of satisfaction for him to know , that ho has been elected by a majority of the whole

constituency , instead of by a majority of the Metropolitan voters , supplemented by a few stray Provincials . As for the manner in which the proxy system may be carried outj the simplest plan would bo for voters to send their voting papers , duly filled up and signed , to the Chairman of the

governing body which conducts the election , but thero is another plan , which was proposed last Aveek by " A Chairman of a Provincial Charity Committee , " by which tho Provincial Grand Secretaries of each Province should bo empowered to act as Deputy Chairmen , receive tbo balloting

papers , and transmitting them , under seal , to the Chairman in London . The scrutineers would then examine the papers and report the result . The voting would take place simultaneously throughout tho country , and in twenty-four , or forty-eight , hours after the close of the poll tho result might

be known everywhere . If there is an objection to the former of these two plans , on the ground of its extreme simplicity , the latter will commend itself to those who prefer a little complexity in the arrangements . Either plan , howover , will suffice to this extent , that it will place all who

are entitled to vote on the same footing . Surely there is something of value in the very pertinent question submitted by "A Chairman of a Provincial Charity Committee "namely , " Who is to be the next Secretary ? " and we entirely and most cordially agree with him in the expression of a

hope that " every brother , Metropolitan and Provincial , will look carefully into a matter which may for many years to come affect the best interests of the Girls'School . " This , after all , is the matter which claims our first consideration ,

that out of the candidates who present themselves , one shall be chosen to fill the office to whom the general voice of tho electors shall point as being the most eligible , and this is the end we have in view in offering these few remarks .

The Consecration of the Royal Savoy Lodge , No . 1774 , will take place at Ashley ' s Hotel , Henrietta Street , Covent Garden , on Tuesday next . Bro . James Willing jun . is the W . M ., J . Douglas the S . Warden , and J . H . Clemow the J . Wai ^ len designate . Bro . James

Terry , Provincial Ox . D . of C . Herts , is the officer appointed to perform tbe ceremony of Consecration , and he will be assisted on this occasion by Bro . H . G . Buss , Assist G . Secretary , and Bro . Clarke Provincial G . D . of Ceremonies , Suffolk .

Bro . Alfred Durrant , P . M . 1185 , and M . E . Z . elect Lewis Chapter , has been nominated to fill one of the vacancies on the House Committee of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys .