Freemasons In The Jury Box.

FREEMASONS IN THE JURY BOX .

TT is not often that Freemasonry is alluded to in a Court - * - of Law , but such was the case last week in the Dartford County Court . It appears that one of the parties to

a dispute was a member of the Craft , while several of the gentlemen who were summoned on the jury also belonged to the Order . The opposing counsel objected to them , and Judge Bmden held that this course was reasonable under the

circumstances , and discharged the Freemason Jurors from attendance . This was probably a novel experience so far as this country is concerned , although we have seen a record of

similar action in the United States—we certainly hope it will not be made a practice' of , else the good name and reputation of Freemasonry will be brought into disrepute . Of course it is but fair that anything like partiality should be avoided in the

composition of a jury set to try a case , but we can hardly believe a Masonic litigant would stand any better chance of securing a verdict if he were tried by a body of Brother Masons than he would if his case went forward in the ordinary

course . We should certainly hope that the Masonic tie between the parties would not be disgraced by any undue preference , and believe that the opinion of the general body of members of the Craft will be that partiality would not be shown .

Some of our contemporaries , commenting on the case , observe that should this sort of objection become common , it may lead to awkward results , for if litigants who are not Freemasons are to insist on having none of the Order on the

jury , those who belong to it might as reasonably object to submit the fate of their actions to the arbitrament of men who are outside the Mystic Tie , all of which and very much more might reasonably be urged in connection with the occurrence ,

but happily , as our contemporaries put it , Freemasonry does not meddle with law or civil rights , and that being so we can but hope it may remain as much unknown in Courts of Law in the future as it has been in the past .

The Benevolent Institution Dispute.

THE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION DISPUTE .

TTX 7 E are very pleased indeed to hear from Bro . John » » Mason , the Collector of the Eoyal Masonic Benevolent Institution , whose letter we publish in this issue , that the dispute in regard to the annuity claimed by the representatives of the late Bro . Woolrich has been settled , the Committee of

Management having decided , at its meeting on Wednesday last , to pay the £ 10 asked for , and which , as appears in the letter referred to , is recognised as having been due . All ' s well that ends well , and perhaps it will be best for us to say

nothing further in regard to this very unsatisfactory case , but we cannot dismiss the feeling that someone has blundered . We are sorry the course we have taken in this matter has

been regarded in some quarcers as unfavourable to the Institution , as our object throughout—not only in our pages , but by private influence—has been to allay , as far as possible

The Benevolent Institution Dispute.

the irritation associated with what can hardly be regarded a a creditable display of the inner working of Masonic benevolence . If we have appeared to err we regret it , but we are satisfied that the course we adopted was the best in the interests of the Order whose welfare we endeavour to promote .

Supreme Grand Chapter.

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER .

THE Quarterly Convocation was held last week at the Freemasons' Hall , with Comp . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., Grand J . Prov . G . Supt . Hampshire and Isle of Wight acting as Grand Z .

Sir G . D . Harris President of the Board of General Purposes , moving the adoption of the Eeport of that body , as printed in our issue of the 1 st , referred to the great regret of the members at the retirement of Comp . Eobert Grey .

The report was adopted , and then the acting Z . presented to Comp . Grey a jewel , which he hoped that Companion would long regard as a memorial of the kindly feelings entertained towards him by all with whom he come in contact . Comp . Grey suitably acknowledged the presentation .

The Notice of Motion standing in the name of Comp . Garrod , in regard to the exclusion of Companions at the opening of Chapters , was brought forward , being seconded by Comp . J . S .

Cumberland . Comp . T . Fenn opposed , and warned Grand Chapter not to tamper with the beautiful ceremonies of the Degree , which had stood for upwards of a hundred years . The motion was lost .

The two propositions standing in the name of Sir George Harris were carried , and the business of Grand Chapter was thus concluded .

Anti-Masonic Congress.

ANTI-MASONIC CONGRESS .

r jpHE following telegram from Vienna , dated Monday night , JL has appeared in the daily papers : An International Anti-Masonic Congress is to be held , under the auspices of the Eoman Catholic Church , at the end of September , at Trent , in Austria . According to the programme , the object of the Congress is to make known to everybody " the immense moral and material

evils done by Freemasonry to the Church and Society , and to seek a remedy by help of a permanent International organisation against Freemasonry . " Only those persons will be allowed to take part in the Congress " who confess the most absolute obedience to the Church and the Pope . " The organisation of

the Congress is in the hands of a Central Committee , with its seat in Borne , to which the different National Committees are to be subordinate . The work of the Congress is to embrace the question of the Historical study of Freemasonry , and of the practical conclusions to be drawn from it , in order to combat

Masonry . The work will be divided into four sections , the first and second dealing with Masonic doctrine and action , its ends and means ; while the third and fourth deal with the means for combating Freemasonry . Among the latter are public and

private prayers for conversion of the Masons ; secondly , encyclicals and other acts of the Pope and Church in reference to Masonry ; thirdly , the organisation of all Anti-Masonic elements and the founding of fresh Societies , and finally , the publishing and spreading of Anti-Masonic books .

The following advertisement appeared in the "Agony " column of the " Daily News" on Wednesday , and in a slightly altered form in the " Times " of the 13 th : DISTRESS . — HAIL BEO . implores immediate and Substantial AID . —Boaz , Eookwood , Stamford-hill , N .