Old Masonians.

OLD MASONIANS .

THE annual dinner of this recently formed Association , established for the purpose of engnndoring a system for mutual help and support among the former pupils of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys took place on Saturday last , the 21 st inst ., at Anderton ' s Hotel , Fleet Street , under the presidency of Bro . Frederick Binckes Past Grand Sword BearerSecretary of the R . M . I . B . Bro . Binckes

, waa supported by Bros . Dr . Ramsay , Joyce Murray , Richard Eve Grand Trea » urer , Dr . Richard Morris , LL . D ., Head Master of the School , Mr . C Priest White ( King ' s College ) , Bro . W . W . Morgan , & o ., together with about forty of the old scholars . After a well , served repast had been done justice to , the following toast list was

proceeded with : the Queen , our Grand Patron ; H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , Grand Master , President of the Institution ; the Royal Masonio Institution for Boys ; The Old Masonians , Dr . Morris , the Head Master j the House Committee ; the Chairman , our President ; and the Visitors . In the course of the evening some

interesting matters w . jt a ponsidered , and we prognosticate that the Association , whioh hues now secured a firm footing , will prove of immense advantage to those who have associated themselves under its banner . It waa announced that Bro . Binckes would be succeeded as President by Bro . Augustus F . Godson , M . P . Mr . E . A . Morris , who has rendered material service to the members at their several

entertainments during the past year , waa made the recipient of a testimonial in appreciation of hia efforts on behalf of the Association . The toasts and speeches were interspersed with songs from the old scholars , and a banjo solo by Mr . T . Hutton waa received with especial favour .

Fortescue Annuity Fund.

FORTESCUE ANNUITY FUND .

A MEETING of the donors and subscribers to tho Masonic Fortescue Annuity Fund was held at the Masonic Hall , Exeter , on the 8 th instant . The prinoipal business waa to elect two annuitants , and to consider a report on the revisal of the rules of the fund . Bros . W . G . Rogers D . P . G . M . presided . Before proceeding to the election of the annuitants a discussion arose as to the mode of

voting . The printed form on whioh the votes were to be given stated that subscribers having one vote could only give the aarne to any one candidate . But it wa « pointed out that in the printed roles or by-laws for the administration of the fund , under the " order of voting , " section first said , " The privilege of voting on applications

may be exercised in respect of as many applicants as there are vacanoies to be filled up . " The Chairman said he should leavo the decision of this question to the meetincr . The discrepancy between the two authorities on tho privilege of voting was , however , to be regretted , as no doubt many voters who had sent their votes bad

followed the instructions of the voting papers . Bro . Lane proposed that the election should proceed in accordance with th « by-laws . This was seconded by Bro . H . Stockev , who Fa > d tho b y-laws must be followed ; the meeting had no authority to alter tbem . The proposition was carried unanimously , and the election took place on that

basis . The voters present who had followed the direction of the forms altered their voting to accord with the rules . There were five candidates , and those elected were a brother aged 65 , formerly of Torquay , now of Moumouthshire , a member of the Bvixham Lodge 248 , who had subscribed for over thirty years , and was a P . M .: and a

brother agsd 78 , of Darlington , a member of the Totnes Loclo ^ 710 who had subscribed for thirty years , and was also a P . M . The votes given to the other candidates were carried on for the next election . During the election it was announced that the votes of several Lodges had been declared invalid in consequence of their not having seut ' in

their Provincial returns before 25 th March . The votes of 954 were also valueless , not arriving at the office of the secretary until after the election was over . It was announced that since the notice was < nveu of the present election two more vacancies had occurred amoti" the annuitants , through the deaths of Bros . Frederick Belton a former

, lessee of Exeter Theatre , and Thomas Brice , aged 87 , of Plymtree near Clysthydou . It was resolved to hold an election on 5 th July , to fill those vacancies , all applications of candidates to be sent in by 5 fch Jane . The report of the sub-committe appointed on 3 rd February , to consider and report on the rules of the fund was then snb .

nutted . Each proposed alteration was read and discussed , aud various modifications were suggested and adopted . The changes that will be recommended at the next Provincial Grand Lodge are made principally for the rendering the by-laws clearer . The points of importance are that the annual meeting for the fund is to be fixed

for the first Thursday in July ; no Master of a Lod ge whose returns were reported by the P . G . Secretary a 3 being in arrears at the last Provincial Grand Lodge shall be entitled to attend or vote at any meeting of the institution ; the appointing of a committee of

management is to bo abolished ; tho P . G . M . and D . P . G . M . are to have five vote 3 each instead of three ; and the Masters , Wardens and members of Lodgea signing certicates for applicants for an annuity must sign those certificates in open Lodge .

In a recent issue of the Nottinghamshire Express the Editor makes the following comments : •—The Freemasons of England are always careful , from their Grand Master the Prince of Wales downwards , when they stand by the grave and toss a sprig of evergreen acacia ou the coffin of a

deceased brother , to give fnll . Toiced utterance to the beautiful ritual which disclaims interferoneo in politics , prejudice in religion , or any raison d ' etre for the " mystic tie , " except the sublime cult of brotherly love , relief , and truth . " We are , therefore , pained to hnd the Daily Telegraph ' s correspondent declaring that the excitement over the " Boulanger Question" has penetrated to the Lodges

Fortescue Annuity Fund.

of French Freemasonry , and f at in " the sunny land of France politics form as prominent a feature i the buisttfsa >> f th " Ci-ift " a * its " Ritual , " and the rise to statesman's rank of various imn of little or no talent is often to be * xp l ; iiued by the fucfc that they happened to be high-up iu their Lodges . The outer world will , iu all

probability , never know the enormous part which Freemasonry has played among the politicians of the Third Republic . Efforts , it is alleged , are now being made to rally the " Freu and Accepted " to the anti-Boulangist side . This may be no more than one of the characteristic canards of our contemporary ' s clever and imagiuativo

Paris Correspondent ; but if it is a lie , it needs none the less to bo nailed . People often shake their heada gravely and suspiciously when they vote the inexplicable rise of some Freemasons in the commercial or social scale , and it would be a very disturbing element if the idea got abroad that the mysterious Craft , whioh tha Prince of Wales rises in the East to rule and govern , really discusses

and interferes iu politics behind its closely tyled doors . Such a suspicion as appears to attach to French Freemasonry makes an outsider feel not 80 much astonished that a reactionary Pope like P > o Nono " banned" the Order .

We reproduce the following interesting communication from the Western Mail . " MOIRA . "

To the Editor of the Western Mail . SIR , —Your correspondent " E . J . T . " has told us that the pluceB in Cardiff called "Moira" " , no doubt , named after the maternal grandfather of Lord Bute , who waa second Earl of Moira , and afterwards first Marquess of Hastings . " Iu this I think he is correct , so

it would be interesting if he , or some of your correspondents , would give us , in your able paper , the etymology of " Moira , " which rather seems to be a Celtic appellation . Earl Moira was a brave and gallant offioer , who greatly distinguished himself in America at the Batttle of Bunker's Hill , and it was said the Battle of Camden was chiefly

decided by his heroism . At the beginning of the French War he waa major-general , and ably aided the Royalists in Brittany . In 1794 he reinforced the Duke of York in the Netherlands with muoh ability . He declined to . accept pay , and spent more than £ 30 , 000 of hia own money in hia country ' s service . In India during his administration ,

as Governor . General and Commander-in . Chiet for nine yeara , his hospitality had no bounds . This prevented him from becoming wealthy in the lucrative situation hia lordship held . He twioe received the thanks of the Court of Directors and both Houses of Parliament for suppressing the Pindarries , the warlike Goorkhaa of

Nepaul , and the Mahrattas . As " E . J . T . " well remarked , " many of your readers who are Freemasons would find it interesting to remember that the Earl of Moira was an active aud distinguished member of the Craft . " In India the Freemasons are far more enthusiastic and in much greater force

than in this country . There can be hardly better proof of this than the splendid Grand Master ' s jewel , worth 1 , 000 guineas , which was presented to Earl Moira in Calcutta . After his time in ludia one or two of the Governor-Generals who succeeded him became also Graud Masters . When the late Marquess of Daliiousie ax-rived iu Calcutta

as Governor-General , Dr . John Grant , many years Master of the Mint and Apothecary-General , was thou , aud for a long time a'terwarde , tho Graud Muster , to the great satisfaction of his Masonic brethren . Ho shortly gut his lordship to become their Grand

Master , to the great ciehght of all concerned . At , tho first grt ; . t Masonic banquet presided over by Lord Dalhousie aa Grand Master a favourite Masonic song ( composed by Dr . Grant ) was heartily joined in , of which below I beg to give a few lines , which may please your numerous Masonio readers : —

" Are your glasses charged in the east and west ? " the Worshipful Master cries ; "They are charged in the east , they are charged in the west , " are the Wardens' prompt replies . " Theu to our final toast ; this night your glasses fairly drain' Happy to meet , sorry to part , happy to meet again . '

" When ' er we meet , where ' er wo go , true friendship is our aim , Our Brotherly fidelity shall ever be the same ; We prize each brother , fair or dark , who bears no moral stain' Happy to meet , sorry to part , happy to meet again . '

" The Mason feels the noble truth the Scottish ploughmin told , That rank is but the guinea-stamp—the man hirnself ' s the gold . 'Ihe poor and rich unite with us , and equal ri ghts maintain' Happy to meet , sorry to part , happy to meet again . ' " CAKDIFI' . Iam . & c . ROYAL ARCH .

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