Correspondence.

can it claim proxies obtained by funds to which the members of the newly-formed Lodge never contributed one penny ? I have been , and still am , one of the warmest of the supporters of the several Masonic Institutions , and especially so of the one for the relief of our aged

brethren and the widows of departed brethren , and cannot be charged with entertaining a feeling of hostility towards those institutions . The brethren generally have manifested a liberality beyond all praise , and I hope that the growing bounteousness of the brethren and the Lodges will not be met by an illiberal spirit in the matter of

proxies . Yours fraternally , 432 Mile-end-road , E . THOS . J . BARNES . 9 th May 1877 .

THE RECENT ELECTION FOR THE BOYS ' SCHOOL .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I trust I may be pardoned for feeling excessively nervous in essaying a reply to Dr . Ace ' s last letter . The multitude of compliments ho has so kindly paid me is wholly unmerited . My native modesty impels me to disclaim possession of that " superior logical skill and tact , " that " poweiful assistance and

influence , " the " superior dialectics , comprehensive organisation , and influential support" which ho attributes to me , or considers I possess . I confess , when I first read his letter , I came to the conclusion I was somebody else than poor FRATER LONDINENSIS , whose nom de plume has been enduring such agonies of misprint during tho last few weeks . I was reminded of tho story of an Irish officer who had been playing

Othello , and wont to bed with his face still blacked , telling his servant to call him early . The servant did so ; but when the officer looked in his glass , forgetting the ovents of the previous evening , he turned round on the former and abused him . " Why , Pat , you rascal , " said he , " you ' ve awaked the wrong man . " As between Dr . Ace and myself , there is little doubt he has fallen into a grievous error in pic

turing to himself FRATER LONDINENSIS as possessing the marvellous attributes I have quoted above . Premising that in the Lansdowno edition of Milton , certain poems are described as Johannis Miltoni L ONDINENSIS Poemata , I will proceed to touch on one or two points of interest in Brother Dr . Ace ' s letter . I hope , first of all , he will graciously

permit me to express my entire sympathy with him under his present affliction . I allude , of course , to the very grave attack of petitio principii , from which he is evidently suffering . I consider his symptoms are even more alarming than any I have noted in the course of a pretty long experience . However , there is a remedy , which I have invariably found , I must not say infallible ,

but certainly efficacious , in these cases . It is obviously wiser to apply it in the earlier stages of the attack , but a cure is possible even when the patient is enduring the most terrible convulsions . The remedy is so simple that I dare say our learned brother will smile at its simplicity . Nevertheless , I give it , for it is worth knowing . There are , I believe , in petitio principii . as in other diseases , certain

premonitory symptoms . When these set it , let the patient open his eyes continually—I do not mean so much his visual organs , though that will be a part of the process , as the eyes of his understanding . Let him grasp with all the strength of which he is capable the meaning of what is then presented to him ; let him consider it in all its bearings , and having done so , let him interpret it plainly and

pertinently . Let him do this , and the attack will be arrested . For instance , Dr . Ace would have escaped his present suffering , if instead of running full tilt against arguments and assertions I had never employed , he had considered what I really did say , then grasped its meaning , and interpreted it plainly . In such case he would have discovered that I did not proceed on the fallacy that all the

gentlemen who recommended the case " were bound to record all their votes to this candidate , young Cox , and to no other . " On the contrary , having allowed that the Province might have had other more deserving cases , I added , " Many of young Cox's present supporters may not have been in a position to help hiin at previous elections , " that is , of course , record for him their votes . My argument , or rather

my inquiry , until Dr . Ace so ingeniously distorted it out of all resemblance to its former self , was simple enough . I said , in effect : Here is a case of distress emanating from a province which commands certain votes , and supported by certain influential brethren , who Command among them certain other votes . I allow the province may have had other more urgent cases , and that many of these supporters

may not have been able to help with their votes . Yet how comes it that this very deserving case has failed so signally , that at six consecutive ballots only 381 votes were cast for it ? I reckoned the votes at command , not because- I assumed they would all have been recorded in Cox ' s favour , but in order to contrast their total with the nurubor of votes polled , and the numbers—less than 1 , 300 at

two out of the six contests—which had sufficed to secure success . Had Dr . Ace , instead of describing this very pertinent inquiry as irrelevant and vituperative , replied at once , instead of , at the last nioment , that Devon had five or six similar cases , my inquiry would have been disposed of satisfactorily . It would be very churlish in me to grudge Dr . Ace the pleasure

he appears to derive from nothing . I have , it is true , invariably held to the old maxim , E '« nihilo nihil Jit . But if he is pleased at finding me admit what I have never denied or had the remotest intention of denying , I can only say he has my very heartiest congratulations .

Having regard to the pressure on your valuable space , I must not follow Dr . Ace through all his elaborate arguments as to what constitutes an assertion , or when a statement is " relevant to the cogency of reasoning . " I am already sufficiently bewildered about my own identity to dream of undertaking a labour so Herculean , I will merely say in

Correspondence.

conclusion that I admire the thorough earnestness with which ho is pleading the cause of this orphan , and I hope I may be in a position to help him at the next election . It is no fault of mine that he has over-rated both my skill as a dialectician , and my iuflnence as a

Craftsman . Further , as it seems that though " unknown , " I am nevertheless a " well-known" writer , it will obviously increase Dr . Ace ' s perplexity if I sign my true name . Hence in my last , as in my very first letter , I subscribe myself , Fraternally yours , FRATER LONDINENSIS .

Ancient Ebor Preceptory K . T . — On Wednesday , m emergency meeting of this Preceptory was held at York , E . Sir Knight T . B . Whytehead presiding , when Comps . W . T . Orde-Powlett and A . G . Duncombe were duly installed , and proclaimed according to ancient usage .

York Mark Lodge ( Time Immemorial ) . —The regular meeting of this Lodge took place at York , on Tuesday evening . Tho W . M . Bro . George Balmford being supported by Bro . Thos . Cooper P . M . and the following brethren : —T . B . Whitehead S . W ., Geo . Simpson as J . W ., M . Cooper M . O ., C . G . Padel as S . O ., J . Tissiman J . O ., J .

Hollins S . D ., J . S . Cumborland J . D ., M . Millington I . G ., L . Banks Org ., & o . A successful ballot was taken for five candidates , three of whom were advanced to the honourable degree of Mark Master . After the close of the Lodge , the brethren met at supper , and a pleasant evening was spent .

Metropolitan Chapter of Improvement . —The usual weekly convocation was held on Tuesday , the 8 th inst ., at the Jamaica Coffee House , Cornhill . Present—Companions C . W . Nochmer M . E . Z ., J . C . Cox H ., A . A . Drew J ., Thos . W . White Scribe

E ., F . Brown Scribe N ., J . Constable P . S . ; also Comps . J . Rumsey , G . Waterall , E . J . Row , E . H . Finney , Thos . Griffiths , S . Pounceby . Upon the regular proceedings having been gone through , the

ceremony of exaltation was completely rehearsed , Comp . Row acting candidate . The election of officers for the ensuing fortnight resulted as follows : —J . Constable Z ., A . A . Drew H ., T . Griffiths J ., F . Brown S . W ., S . Pounceby P . S .

The Drama.

THE DRAMA .

"Tom and Jerry" at the Surrey . SCARCELY a theatre in London offers , at the present time , a more entertaining programme than the SURREY . The revival , by Mr . Holland , of Tom and Jerry , affords an opportunity , that should not be missed , of witnessing a play which , in its timo , was probably as successful a production as Our Boys now . So successful was it ,

that the names of the principal characters may be said to have become part of the literature of the nation . Tom and Jerry , and Bob Logic are known to most of us , at least from the description of our fathers , and although somewhat antiquated in point of costume , and in the character of their diversions , we welcome them

none the less heartily for their ready wit , their boisterous good nature , and their unflagging spirits . As played at the Suit REV , the fun of the piece is admirably rendered , and iu particular , the representatives of Bob Logic ( Mr . A . C , Lilly ) , Corinthian Tom ( Mr . H . C . Sidney ) , Jerry Hawthorn ( Mr . H . Taylor ) , and Jemmy Green

( Mr . A . Williams ) , are to bo congratulated for entering so thoroughly into the spirit and humour of the work . Tom and Jerry has been preceoded during the week by an excellent comedy-drama , entitled Alone , the result of the united authorship of Messrs . Palgrave

Simpson and Hermann Merivale . The chief parts in this piece are effectively sustained by Messrs . Arnold , Lilly , and Sidney , and by Miss Florence Gerard and Miss Annie Travers . The programme is tho best we have seen at the SURREY for some months .

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