The School Elections.

Both parents are dead , and there are seven children to be provided for , so thafc our readers will admit that the case was one really deserving of sympathy . Tom Allison , who made a start of * 706 at the last election , polled only ona less on Monday , and the united figures raised the total to 1 , 411 . His late father had been connected with three Lodges , and at tho time of his death , in 1875 ,

was J . W . of Lodge of Industry No . 48 , Gateshead j the widow being left with four children . Similarly situated is the mother of Arthur Salter , who was elected with 1 , 408 votes . She also was left with four children , her husband , who was treasurer of the Sphinx Lodge No . 1 , 329 , Camberwell , having died a little over six months ago . Geo . Wm . Southam came with 254 votes from the last election

which number was increased to 1 , 387 . Our late Bro . Southam was a member of St . Peter ' s Lodge No . 442 , Peterborough , and left his widow with six children unprovided for . Last but one within the charmed circle of success is James Baker Green , who on his first application last October secured 554 votes . On Monday , these figures were supplemented by 772 , to the great satisfaction of

the Dorsetshire brethren , who had laboured hard and unitedly to ensure such a result . The case was a very deserving one , a family of six children being bereft of both parents . Our late Bro . Green , who died just over five years ago , was a member of the Honour and Friendship Lodge , No . 1266 , Blandford , where for many years he was deservedly respected . Last on the list waa John Gibbs , for whom

second application was made , with 117 votes to the good . To this number wore added 1173 , making a total of 1290 , a figure that was very closely approached by some of the unsuccessful boys . Bro . Gibbs belonged to the Nyanza Lodge , No . 1197 , Ilminster , and at his death six years ago , left a widow and two children . Our Somersetshire

brethren had a very close run , but they maintained their confidence to tho last , and we congratulate them upon well-earned success . Of course , there were many disappointments , with all of whom the friends of the Institution sympathise , but which they are powerless to meet under present circumstances . The following is a detailed return of the voting , as declared afc four o ' clock :-

—SUCCESSFUL . N l ° l ' st NaIno Forward Pollo < l Total 33 Thorn , William Richard . - 418 1174 1592 11 Chandler , Arthur John . . 1153 419 1572 12 Ward , Jamen .... 1221 308 1529 42 Landless , John Greenwood 3 1525 1528 50 Walker , James Alexander . . — 1504 1501

40 Warner , Richard John . . 347 1156 1503 18 Keighley , Geo . Norman C . . . 734 759 1493 64 Waud , Frank Sydney - . — 1489 1489 37 King , Henry Hugh ... 7 1438 1445 15 Nicholls , Richard Howell - . 1013 418 1431 53 Sissons , Ernest William . . — 1419 1419 35 Alison , Tom .... 706 705 1411 51 Salter , Arthur .... — 1408 1408 28 Southam , George William . , 254 1133 1387 39 Green , James Baker . , . 554 772 1326 14 Gibbs , John .... 117 1173 1290

UNSUCCESSFUL . 2 Wilkinson , Percy Charles - . 919 666 1285 8 Parker , George Shadwell . . 708 547 1255 6 Alliu , Charles James Fox . 375 844 1219 47 Colbeck , Frank .... — 1065 1065 38 Henderson , John ... 4 925 929 34 Beckett , Ernest George . . 272 647 919

67 Garstin , Paul Bel more — - — 861 36 Norrish , Herbert ... 340 479 819 13 Spalding , Edmund Purcell . . 437 328 765 1 Barclay , Henry G . Hacketfc . 466 210 676 30 Brooks , George Bertie . . 290 329 619 32 Hounslow , Herbert Rich . . 231 383 614 41 Thomas , John M . Alex . . . 19 656 675 3 Wait , Emanuel .... 477 64 541

b & Stone , Percy Herbert . — 512 512 27 Bazley , William Henry . . 94 806 400 29 Ganntletfc , George Fredk . . . 212 165 377 17 Scott , John Sheppard - . 203 172 378 31 Grave , Richard Arthur . . 194 164 358 59 Kennedy , Arthur James • — 316 316 63 Seddon , James Albert . . — 313 313 4 Ridpeth , Lovell Hope - . 216 18 234 48 Wagstaff , Charlos C . .. . — 199 199

44 Wilton , Ernst Colville C . . . 34 132 166 66 Shrapnell , A . E . Scropo . — 158 158 43 Crane , Harry Samuel J . 2 140 142 26 Tracy , William ... . 93 42 135 5 Frost , Christian Frederic . 10 117 127 60 Neville , Fredk . John ... — 106 106 54 Fellows , Arthur ... — 103 103 62 Coo , Albert Edward ... — 102 102

21 Marshall , Phillipson ... 50 51 101 68 Woollons , Walter H . ... — 84 84 56 Goldsbrougb , Jno . Tom . . — 79 79 57 Uuwin , Fras . Arthur ... — 67 57 45 Fellows , Herbert M . . 7 42 49 22 Jones , Ernest Handel 23 22 45 1 Cole , Alfred Thomas 10 32 42 9 Bell , James Herbert ... 15 7 22 52 Brown , Walter Boston - — 16 16 19 Gay , George John ... 14 1 15 10 Giles , Frank Arthur ... 3 7 10 24 Bartley , William James 8 — 8 46 Steinbauer , George W . — 5 5 20 Winter , Richard Thomas — 6 6

The School Elections.

23 Read , John .... — 2 2 16 Black , William .... — 2 2 25 Bowman , George Frederick - — — — 49 Hawke , Edwin Ernest . . — — — 55 Barker , Arthur .... — — — 58 Foot , William Robert D . - . — — — 61 Pratt , Robert Williamson . — — —

The proceedings closed with tho usual votes of thanks to the Chair , man , Scrutineers , and others , and Bro . F . Binckes , the Secretary , intimated that the successful boys will bo admitted by tho School Committee at the end of August next , and that tho parents or guardians would have duo notice , with the particulars of admission of every candidate who had just been elected . The company the * separated .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Cor . respondents . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications . All Letters must hear the name and address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith .

BRO . NORTON'S CRITICISMS .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Your frequent correspondent , Mr . Jacob Norton , in his comments on the series of papers furnished by me to the " CHRONICLE , " raises many interesting points , upon the majority of whioh I offer no remark afc present ; thongh it will afford mo pleasure to discuss them hereafter , when my book has seen the light ,

and to attempt to vindicate myself from the charge of undue credulity , which is inferentially preferred in the friendly strictures of thia excellent Masonio critic . In the examples given of Bro . Preston ' s inaccuracy , ifc is , indeed , only fair to observe that Bro . Norton under , states his case . No account of the history and privileges of the old Lodges appeared until 1781 ( 3 rd Ed . Illustrations of Masonry ) , when

Preston was under sentence of expulsion from tho Society , and it ia reasonably to be inferred that tho circumstances under which he then applied himself to the task of recording the privileges of his Lodge would operate in favour of a more trenchant assertion of its rights than might have occurred before the memorable secession of the Lodgo of Antiquity ( A . D . 1778 . ) I thinkhoweverwo should go too far in rejecting all his

state-, , ments which aro incapable of verification . The proper course , as it seems to me , being to take them for what they ara worth , or , in other words , to yield credence to such only as are not improbable or in con . sistent with well attested facts . I cannot bring myself to believe that in any case Preston resorted to sheer invention , and think therefore that be expressed views which wero in entire harmony with the traditions of his era . I am unable to follow Bro . Norton in the conclusions

he arrives afc with regard to "Ancient Landmarks . " According to my view , there are , and must be , certain settled customs , ceremonies , and obligations of the Craft npon which Grand Lodges ( or the brethren at large ) are powerless to innovate . Indeed , were thia nofc tho case—by a general vote of the fraternity the " Freemasons " of to-day might be turned into the "Fenians" ( or anything else ) of to .

morrow . It must , however , bo freely admitted that many alterations have been made in the " Old Constitutions , " notably at the Union in 1813 . But thia deplorable fact should , I think , rather stimulate us to preserve what " Ancient Landmarks " are remaining , than to break down all the " old inclosnres , " and thus indefinitely extend

the boundaries of the Society . For my own parfc , I deprecate change of any kind ; but if any alteration or amendment of fcho existing Masonio system is , in the fulness of time , judged expedient and desirable , I heartily trust the viewa of tho " backward " school may prevail , and that we may return to the native simplicity of the only

Ritt which was known to our Masonio ancestors . Yours fraternally , R . F . GOULD .

FREEMASONRY AND ITS CHARITIES .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —It is the duty of every Freemason to subscribe to our noble Charities . We often hear this j we frequentl y read it in tho Masonic press ; whenever we attend a Lodge meeting we are reminded of this claim upon us . Seldom do we sit down to a Lodge dinner without an invitation to place our names on the lists of one or more Stewards . On paying f » es at tho Lodge of Instruction wo are informed that the whole of tho funds are devotad to Masonio

Charities . The postman brings appeals from energetic brethren , urging us to take tickets in a monster raffle for Life Governorships ; Masonic acquaintances bntton-hole ns at street corners for donations ; charity associations solicit ; us to become members ; everywhere the same , same cry , —Give , give .

Aro these repeated appeals responded to ? The best ; answer to this question is in the summaries you furnish from time of the ever increasing amounts announced at successive Festivals . The Committees have little reason to complain that donors aro either few or niggardly ; or that Stewards are sparing of their trouble or pockets , in their efforts to secure satisfactory returns . During the past year there appears to have been a total Jof about £ 27 , 000 placed at tho