Reviews.

REVIEWS .

All Books intended for Review should be addressed to the Editor of The Freemason ' s Chronicle , Belvidere "Works , Hermes Hill . Pentonville , London , N " . — : o : — A Eandbook of the Electric Lighting Act , 1882 , with Hints to Local Authorities , Explanatory Notes , and Amended Rules of the Board of Trade . Also detailed information expressly prepared for the use

of Metropolitan Vestries and Electric Light Companies . By Arthur P . Foley , B . A . ( "Late Scholar of St . John's , Oxford ) , of tho Inner Temple nnd Midland Circuit , Barrister-at-Law , and Frank Dethridge , Vestry Clerk of Paddington and Vice President of the Metropolitan Local Government ( Officers ) Association . London : Simpkin , Marshall & Co ., and Waterlow & Sons ( Limited ) . 1882 .

THE authors of this little work are fully justified in stating in their preface , that " care has been exercised to make tho book as perfect and accurate as possible , " and we donbt not ifc will be found of use by the local authorities , for whose benefit it has been chiefly undertaken In tbe introductory remarks are briefly noted what has been done by the City authorities and what by the Metropolitan Board of Works ,

and the reasons which may deter local authorities from consenting to applications for licenses , while stress is laid on the provision " made in the Act for the compulsory purchase by a local authority of any undertaking at the expiration of a given period , such purchase to be based upon a fair marketable value only , and no addition is to be made in respect of the purchase being a compulsory one , or of good .

will , or of any profits which may or might have been made out of the undertaking . " In the "Hints to Local Authorities " are described the various courses open to them . They may avoid taking any action , in whioh case a monopoly would be established , for at least one-and-twenty years , subject to its being terminated by their compulsory powers of purchase . They may oppose the

companies applying for a provisional order , which , in any circumstances , would be costly . They may seek to impose conditions , in which case the pretensions of the several applicants should be sifted , and the company proposing the most reasonable terms supported . Or they may become undertakers themselves and apply for a license , whioh is for a period not exceeding seven years , in which case they might

enter mto a contract with one of the Electric Light Companies , bufc they would nofc be able to divest themselves of their liabilities as undertakers . The plan that is looked npon by the authors as the best is that the local authorities should remain inactive until such time as the new illluminant shall have passed from the realms of sppculation . The bulk of the book is occupied with a clear and able criticism of the Act on Electric Lighting passed last year , the Act itself being

printed in full , and supplemented by the rules enacted by the Board of Trade . There is likewise a well-compiled Index , which greatly enhances the utility of the work . In short , the book is , as we have before remarked , admirably calculated to assist the local authorities in determining the course ifc will be best for them to pursue in con - nection with any scheme for lighting the districts they preside over by means of electricity .

The regular monthly meeting of the General Committee of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institntion was held at Freemasons' Hall , on Wednesday . After the nsual preliminaries , the Secretary announced three deaths , —of a male annuitant , a female annuitant , and a male candidate not

yet elected , as well as the removal from the list of candidates of one who had succeeded in obtaining employment . He farther announced that the complete list of candidates

for the May Election comprised seventy-one widows and fifty men , as against five female and twelve male vacancies . Bro . Colonel Creaton , Grand Treasurer , proposed , —but subject to the donations at the Eestival allowing of the

increase , —and it was agreed to , that over and above the three fflale and three female deferred candidates provided for by the laws of the Institntion , there should be an addition to the number of those to be elected of eight males and seven

females , thus raising the number of the total to be ballotted for to twenty-two men and fifteen women . Bro . Terry also stated that Bro . Col . Creaton had kindly given fortytwo volumes of . Punch for the amusement of the old folk

at Croydon . Brother 0 . J . Perceval gave notice of lotion , for the next meeting , for the insertion of 'he following Clause in the Rules of the Institution , oarnel y , that " Every Vice-Patron , npon completion of a farther donation of one hundred guineas to either fund , or

partl y to each fund , in one sum , or in sums of not less than ten guineas each , shall become a patron of the Institution , With twelve votes for every ten guineas subscribed . " * n the course of the meeting a vote of thanks was passed t ? the Board of Stewards , and also to Brother General

¦ orownri gg P . G . M . Surrey for having undertaken the chairmanshi p at the approaching Festival . Among those present were Brothers Colonel Creaton ( in the chair ) , ^ d gar Bowyer , John Bulmer , W . Raynham Stewart , W . ¦^ arcb , Bolton , Stephens , Brett , Quitmann . Girard , Belton , A dlard , Goodall , Bush , Perceval , Webb , Daniel , Cubitt , t attershall , Moore , Massey , James Terry Secretary .

Reviews.

A temperance Lodge of Freemasons is being formed at Manchester , to be called the Wolseley Lodge , in honour of Lord Wolseley of Cairo , who hns written an autograph letter to the provisional Secretary Bro . P . Howard Davis ,

thanking the brethren for the honour conferred on him in naming the Lodge after him , wishing the Lodge the success it deserves , and soliciting to have his name enrolled on its list of members . R . W . Bro . Col . N . Legendre N . Starkie

Prov . G . Master East Lancashire , has signed and f orwarded the petition for a consecration warrant to H . R . H . the Prince of Wales Most Worshipful Grand Master of

Masons in England . The first W . M . of the new Lodge is to be Bro . Daniel Edwards Past Master and Treasurer of the Callender Lodge , a life abstainer , and thirty years a member of the Independent Order of Rechabites .

On Monday last Bro . P . Perl was entertained at supper by a few members of the New Concord Lodge of Instruction , of which Lodge he is the Secretary , for the purpose of congratulating him on his recent marriage . Before the

company separated Bro . Perl was presented with a handsome tea and coffe service , the gift , of the brethren . The supper took place at the Cock Tavern , Highbury , and waa served in Bro . Baker ' s well-known liberal style .

Dalhousie Lodge of Instruction , No . 860 . —Held afc Bro . Smyth ' s , Sisters'Tavern , Pownall-road , Dalston , on Tuesday , 13 th instant . Present—Bros . Carr W . M ., Clark S . W ., Wardell J . W . ' , Christian S . D ., Robinson J . D ., Bunker I . G . ; also Bros . Gray , Cosh- ' ing , Brasted , Smyth , and Wallington P . M . Preceptor . After preliminaries , the ceremony of , initiation was rehearsed , Bro . Gushing

candidate . Bro . Gray then offered himself as a candidate for pass , ing , and was interrogated and entrusted . Lodge was opened in tha second degree , and Bro . Gray was passed to that of Fellow Craft . Bro . Christian worked the first section of the lecture , assisted by the brethren . Lodge was opened in the third degree , and regularly closed to the first . Bro . T . Clark was elected W . M . for the ensuing week . Lodge was then closed and adjourned .

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