Diary For The Week.

348—St . John , Bull ' s Head Iru , Braclshawgate , Bolton 432—Abbey , Newdegate Arms , Nuneaton 694—Downshire , Masonic Hall , Liverpool 78-1 -Wellington . Masonic Rooms , Park Street , Deal BO?—Cabbell , Masonic Hall , Theatre Street , Norwich 901—Phcenix , Ship Hotel , Rot lerham 935—Harmony , Freemasons' Hall , Islington Square , Salford

966— St . Edward , Literary Institute , Leek , Stafford 971—Trafalgar , Private Room , Commercial Street , Batley 1313—Fermor , Masonic Hall , Southport , Lancashire 1325—Stanley , 214 Gt . Homer Street , Liverpool , at 8 . ( Instruction ) 1437—Liberty of Havering , Rising Sun , Romford 1459—Ashbury , Justice Birch Hotol , Hyde-road , West Gorton , nr Manchester 1505—EmulatiorMasonic HallLiverpool

, , 1514—Thornhill , Masonic Room , Dearn House , Lindley 1580—Cranboume , Red Lion Hotel , Hatfield , Herts , at 8 . ( Instruction ) 1626—Hotspur , Masonic Hall , Maple-strv 3 t , Nowcas ; le 1817—St . Andrew ' s , Cambridge Hotel , Shooburycoss 1892—Wallington , King ' s Arms Hotel , Carshalton . ( Instruction ) R . A . 57—Humber , Freemasons' HallHull

, R . A . 216—Sacred Delta , Masonic Hall , Liverpool R . A . 279—Fortitude , Freemasons' Hall , Halford Street , Leicester R . A . 431—Ogle , Masonic Hall , Norfolk-street , North Shields R . A . 442—Sfc . Peter ' s , Masonic Hall , Boroughbury , Peterborough R . A . 1503—Francis Burdett , Albany Hotel , Twickenham M . M . 3 * -St . Andrew , Freemasons' Hall , Cooper-street , Manchester

PBIDAY , 29 th JUNE .

Emulation Lodge of Improvement , Freemasons' Hall , ab 8 25—Robert Burns , Portland Arms Hotel , Great Portland Street , W ., at 8 . ( In ) 167—St . John ' s , York and Albery Hotel , Regent's Park , N . W ., at 8 . ( Inst . ) 507—United Pilgrims , Surrey Masonio Hall , Camberwell , at 7 . 30 . ( Inst . ) 765—St . James , Princess Victoria Tavern , Rotherhithe , at 8 . ( Irstrucrion ) 766—William Preston , St . Andrew ' s Tavern , George St ., Baker St ., at 8 . ( In )

780—Royal Alfred , Star and Garter , Kew Bridge , at 8 . ( Instruction ) 834—Ranelagh , Sis Bells , Hammersmith . ( Instruction ) 1058—Metropolitan , Po- * tugal Hotel , Fleet Street , B . C ., at 7 . ( Instruction ) 1186—Lewis , Fishmongers' Arms Hotel , Wood Green , at 7 . 30 . ( Instruction ) 1228—Beacontree , Green Man , Leytonstone . ( Instruction ) 1293—Royal S andard , Alwyne Castle , St . Paul's Road , Canonbury , at 8 . ( In ) 1365 White Hart at 730 Instruction

—Clapton , , Lower Clapton , .. ( ) 1381—Kennington , The Horns , Kennington . ( Instruction ) 1642—E . Carnarvon , Ladbroke HaU , Netting Hill , at 8 . ( Instruction ) 2030—The Abbey Westminster , King ' s Arms , Buckingham Palace Road , S . W ., at 7 . 30 . ( Instruction ) R . A . —Panmure 0 . of Improvement , Stirling Castle , Church Street , Camberwell R . A . 78—Pythagorean , Portland Hotel , London Street , Greenwich . ( Inst ) .

R . A . 749—Belgrave , Ship and Turtle , Leadenhall Street R . A . 820—Lily of Richmond , Greyhound , Richmond , at 8 . ( Improvement ) R . A . 890—Hornsey , Porchester Hotel , Leinster Place , Cleveland Square , Paddington , W . ( Improvement ) M . M . —Old Kent , Crown and Cushion , London Wall , B . C . ( Instruction ) M . M . 223—West Smithfield , Cathedral Hotel , St . Paul ' s Churchyard

463—Chigwell , Public Hall , Station Road , Loughton , at 7 . 30 . ( Instruction ) 810—Craven , Devonshire Hotel , Skipton 1102—Mirfield , Assembly Rooms , Eastthorpe , Mirfield General Lodge of lustruction , Masonic Hall , New Stree ; , Birmingham , at 8 R . A . 242—Magdalen , GuildhaU , Doncaster

SATUBDAY , 30 th JUNE .

179—Manchester , Yorkshire Grey , London St ., Tottenham Court Rd ., at 8 . ( In ) 198—Percy , Jolly Farmers ' , Southgate Road , N ., 8 . ( Instruction ) 1275—Star , Five Bells , 155 New Cross Road , S . E ., at 7 , ( Instruction ) 1288—Finsbury Park , Cock Tavern , Highbury , at 8 . ( Instruction ) 1364—Earl of Zetland , Royal Edward , Triangle , Hackney , at 7 . ( Instruction ) 1624—Eccleston , Crown and Anchor . 79 Ebury Street , 6 . W ., at 7 . ( Inst ) 2012—Chiswick , Windsor Castle Hotel , King Street , Hammersmith , at 7 . 30 . ( In ) Sinai Chapter of Improvement , Union , Air Street , Regent Street , W ., at 8

1462—Wharnclifie , Rose and Crown Hotel , Penistone 1965—Eastes , Parish Rooms , Bromley , Kent M . M . 14—Prince Edward ' s . Station Hotel , Stansfield , Todmorden E . G . —Stanhope , Queen Hotel , Chester

Quips And Cranks By A Quizzical Craftsman.

QUIPS AND CRANKS BY A QUIZZICAL CRAFTSMAN .

YOU will never offend a man who is the proud possessor of what we vernacularly term a " handle " to his name , by impressing the fact on him with as ranch iteration as possible . The more you remind him of his titular superiority the better he will like it . "Whether he be a peer of long descent , a Knight of no descentor

, even an " Honourable " by the suffrages of a colonial constituency , never omit in season and out of season to acknowledge as much as possible his superlative right to a style or title above his insignificant surroundings . There may be some people who regard a colonial knighthood as a redundant growth , an excrescence of onr social

economy , though it may be a coveted award for merit , or one coveted and conferred for no merit at all ; who think fche prefix of " Honourable , " sanctioned and allowed by a paternal Government , with restricted territorial limitations which its pro tem possessor invariably disregards , aa a distinction that as often as not marks the

people ' s misrepresenfcative , and a very misleading patronymic embellishment to boot . Bufc this is very bad form on their part ; they should know we cannot all have greatness thrust npon us . We must confess to a preference for a good assortment of high-soundino * titles amongst us ; our ideas and sympathies have been educated up

to it—it is a perquisite which the Colonist likes to have and to hold , even if he enjoys ifc vicariously . Ifc may be asked , " What has this to do with Freemasonry ? " We may say with Captain Bunsby , "the bearings of this observation lays in the application on it . " We have been reading some correspondence in the London Freemason ' s

Chronicle on " outside titles in Freemasonry . " An Inner Guard started fche subject , by stating his difficulty in announcing some brethren attending his Lodge , who might claim in society to rank as something more than plain Mr . Acting on the plausible assumption thafc all members of the Craft were on an equality when met

together as Masons , he , in pursuance of that belief , concluded that the simple unadorned title of " Brother " should suffice in all cases , and so acted on his conviction , much to the scandal of others of his Lodge , who considered he had done that which waa to the detriment of certain brethren's dignity and social pre-eminence above their fellowa wherever assembled . This led the Inner Guard to seek

Quips And Cranks By A Quizzical Craftsman.

enlightenment throngh the columns of the paper named , with tho usual result of eliciting a great diversity of opinion and wide diverg . ence of practice on the point , whioh left him aa much in doubt aa when he started on his quest . Brother Inner Guard , if yon had profited by a study of human

nature— -which ia an open book before yon—instead of trying fco assert an abstract principle thafc won ' t wash , yon would have learnt thafc in respect fco titular distinctions , however derived , a man is jealous of his possession , and never a consenting party to its being

ignored or omitted , on any pretext or occasion , Masonio or otherwise ; that whatever rank or title he may have , whether unfairly acquired or honestly gained , whether his claim to auoh be genuine or bogus , he fully understands the value of it to himself , and a confiding public will generally take him at par and even quote him afc a

premium . Should your poor Quizzical Craftsman ever rise to the sublime height and important post of Inner Guard , he would make a very exhaustive study of those mystifying initials with whioh some Masons ' names are rigged fore and aft , whioh must puzzle the profane as

much aa the cuneiform characters of a Babylonian inscription do most of us . His announoementa should be models of completeness , and every one should have hia due in the matter of titles , rank , distinctions , both outside and inside the Craft , though they were aa

numerous and aa extensive as those of fche present august Grand Master of England , or his worthy contemporary brother , the M . W . I . S . G . W . S . A . C . Equality among Masons , indeed , pooh ! bah ! 'Tis a mere delusive sentiment , and like Macbeth's phantom dagger" a false creation : there ' s no such thing . " —South Australian Freemason .

The Royal National Life-Boat Institution.

THE ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION .

A STEAM LIJE . BOAT . —For several years the Committee of the Royal National Life-boat Institution have been earnestly endeavouring to find a means of propelling Life-boats mechanically . In April 1886 , a Special Sub-Committee was appointed fco inquire fully into the question . This Committee , after visiting fche Liverpool

International Exhibition , wifch a view fco examine fche various models of steam and other mechanically propelled Life-boats exhibited there , and hearing fche evidence of fche Life-boafc coxwains who had had the greatest experience in the help to be obtained by the employment of steam tugs , in assisting fco perform Life-boafc services ,

regretfully reported that fchey were " unable to recommend the adoption of any pattern of steam Life-boafc afc present . " The following May , nothing daunted by the lack of success in former endeavours , the Committee of tho Institution offered gold and silver Medals to competitors all over the world , for , " models or drawings

of a mechanically propelled Life-boafc besfc adapted to meet the conditions under which Life-boats are called upon to perform their work . " In response to thia offer , numeroua models and drawings were received from all parts of Great Britain , the Continent , and even from fche United States . These were submitted to Sir

Frederick Bramwell , F . R . S ., Sir Digby Murray , Bart ., of the Board of Trade , and Mr . John I . Thornycroffc , gentlemen of world , wide celebrity for their knowledge of kindred matters , bufc in no way connected wifch fche Institution . These judges , after a careful and lengthy examination of all the models and drawings whioh had

been sent in , reported thafc not one of them was suited for the purpose for which it was intended . The Committee , although disappointed at this termination of the competition , nevertheless still hoped that science might yet help them in the matter . Afc fche beginning of the present year a model of a steam Life-boafc was

submitted to the Institution by Messrs . R . and H . Green , the wellknown shipbuilders afc Blackwall , whioh , having passed through various modifications as the result of consultation with fche Committee and their Professional Officers , was accepted by the Institution , and Messrs . Green have been instructed to build , as

an experiment , a steam Life-boat on the proposed principle . The new boat is fco be 50 feet long with 12 feet beam , and to be propelled by a turbine wheel , worked by an engine developing 170 horse-power . Such a boat , if successful , will necessarily only be able to be used at

a limited number of stations . The Committee are to be congratulated on the energy and determination with which they have persevered in their endeavours fco bring the Life-boat service to the highest pitch of perfection , and it is fco be sincerely trusted thafc success may crown their efforts .

A banquet took place on Wednesday , at the Cannonstreet Hotel , under the presidency of Bro . J . L . Mather P . G . A . D . C , to celebrate the appointment as manager of that establishment of Bro . J . A . Berther , who has

for some years been associated with the Freemasons' Tavern , Great Queen-street , London . There were about fifty gentlemen present to support Bro . Mather . In the course of the evening Bro . Berther was presented with a valuable gold watch , which bore the following inscription : —¦

Presented to J . A . Berther , Esq ., on fche occasion of his appointment aa Manager of the Cannon-street Hotel , at a Banquet given in his honour by a number of sincere friends and admirers . J . L . MATHER , Chairman . JOHN BAKNETT jun ., Hon . Sec . 20 th June 1888 .

Ad01304

FUNERALS properly carried out and personally attended , in London and Country , by Bro . G-. A . HTJTTO'N * , 17 "Newcastle Street , Strand . W . C . Monuments erected . Valuations made .