An Irish Centenary.

section of the Craft retaliate on the Catholic orphan in the hopo of punishing their misguided chief , the Archbishop of Dublin . The following is the letter from the Archbishop , and which was read in tho Catholic Churches of Dublin : —

Dublin , 29 th April 1892 , VERY REVI * \' I > AND DEAR FATHER , —Within the last few weeks several questions havo been addressed to me as to the duty of Catholics in reference to the Masonic celebration which , is to ho hold in Dublin a few weeks

hence , and for which such elaborate preparations aro now being made hy tho members of tho Society of Freemasons in overy part of Ireland . Strong influences of many kinds are , it seems , actively at work to induce Catholics to take some part in the proceedings .

It becomes , then , my duty to point out that by the law of the Church it is most strictly forbidden to Catholics to take any part in those proceedings , or to give countenance to them , either by being present at the coming Masonic celebration , or by promoting in any other way the object for which the celebration is to be held .

The Holy See , in its repeated condemnations of Freemasonry , has forbidden to Catholics , not only membership in tho Society of Freemasons , but everything that could in any way tend to the furtherance of the interests of that Society .

The object for which the coming Masonic festivities are to be held is , no doubt , one that is naturally calculated to appeal to the charitable sympathies of our people . An Orphanage—one of the many established in this city and its neighbourhood by the practical benevolence of the

people of Dublin and of Ireland — has reached the hundredth anniversary of its foundation . With commendable enterprise those interested in the welfare of the Institution are taking advantage of tho occasion as an appropriate one for a combined energetic effort in aid of its work .

For them nothing could be more natural . But with ns , Catholics , the case is very different . We aro not in a position to regard that Orphanage merely as a benevolent institution . We have to remember also that it is , essentially and exclusively , a Masonic

Institution . By its very constitution its sphere of work is limited to the children of deceased Freemasons . Supported with generosity , as it always has been , by the moro affluent amongst tho brethren of the Order , it necessarily

constitutes one of the props of Freemasonry in Ireland . It is this that must determine our attitude towards the attractive festivities that are now being organised in its behalf .

There is then , I feel confident , no danger of its being supposed by our Protestant fellow-citizens or fellowcountrymen that it is in any spirit of censoriousness towards any of tho Protestant supporters of the Institution that Catholics will hold aloof from all share in the work now

in progress on behalf of the interests of the Freemason Orphanage . Faithful to their duty as Catholics , they will respect the stringent obligation under which they are placed—an obligation binding them , under penalty of incurring the

severest censures of the Church , to abstain not merely from membership in the Freemason Society , but from everything that could in any way tend to the advancement of the interests of that society , or to the promotion of any of its objects .

But for the questions that have been put to me on this matter I should not have thought it could be necessary for mo to address any instruction on the subject to the faithful of this diocese . I remain , Very Rov . and Dear Father , Your faithful servant ,

+ WILLIAM , Archbishop of Dublin , & c , & c

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TTI / T'DAT ? T A TffT WATT / " * " !? Tllc MAOIC MIRROR con-X 1 U . X UXlJbilll X il U J . JLtrJEi . tains invaluable advice on an important , subject to mon contemplating marriage . Information in matters you ought to know . Send for it to-day , Oralis and Post Free . Address . THE SECBBIABY , 4 Fitzallan Square , Shofliold .

Annual Meeting Of The R.M. Benevolent Institution.

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE R . M . BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

THE Subscribers to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution held their annual meeting on Friday of last week at Freemason ' s Tavern , under the presidency of Bro . J . A . Farnfield P . A . G . D . of C , Treasurer of the Institution . There was a large attendance of brethren , among them being several who take an especial interest in

tlie conduct and general welfare of this branch of the Masonic Charity Funds . The first business was the submission of the Auditors' Report , which was duly received , after which the Report of the Committee of Management was read by the Secretary of the Institution , Bro . James Terry . *

On a proposition that the Report should be adopted Bro . Hawkins expressed a desire to know the cost of managing the Charity during the past year , upon which the Chairman said the accounts would be printed and circulated among those interested in the Institution through .

out the Kingdom , and , in future , accounts would be sent out with the voting papers . It was not possible to give tho information asked for that day , nor could tho Secretary or Auditors give the total in round numbers . Ho

admitted , " however , that the question asked by Bro . Hawkins was a reasonable one . The report was then unanimously adopted , after which Bro . Farnfield was reelected Treasurer , and Bros . Tattershall , Kempton , and Stanley Attenborough were elected Auditors .

Bro . Daniel next rose to call attention to a matter which had occurred in connection with the Institution , and which he thought deserved notice . At a late meeting of tho Committee of Management Bro . Perceval gave notice of motion that 150 guineas be given out of the funds of

the Institution to Bro . Terry , and 50 guineas to Brother Stevens , for their exertions in connection with the late Jubilee Festival . The Committee was composed of 26 or 27 brethren , and , seeing that there was a strong desire to carry it , he ( Bro . Daniel ) thought it was a most unfair

thing that they should decide what ought to have been decided by tho large body of subscribers , and that the Provincial brethren should have no opportunity to have a voice in it . He , therefore , moved that it stand over to the annual meeting for the general body to decide .

However , it was put to the vote , and his amendment was lost by 17 to 9 . Of the next meeting in May , to his surprise , he did not receive a notice ; he was told it was posted , but he did not receive it . He was told it was summoned only for general business . Tho Chairman on that occasion intimated that Bro . Perceval ' s motion was not a matter

that should be delegated to the general meeting , and on being asked if he so ruled , he said he did . A great many of the brethren now present did not know that Bro . Terry

had had voted to him by the Board of Stewards of the recent Festival 200 guineas , and Bro . Stevens 100 guineas . It was so , however , and he thought they were well rewarded for their special services to the Institution .

The Chairman asked what Bro . Daniel moved ; he must make a motion . He had made a statement and attacked

him ( the Chairman ) . He must not attack every one all round without making a motion . For himself , he did not mind the attack . Bro . Daniel must finish with a motion . That was a natural corollary . Bro . Daniel said he moved that Bro . Perceval's notice of

motion at the Committee meeting in April last be now disposed of nt this meeting . He begged to mention that in what he was doing he had not a word to say against the great services to the Institution rendered by Bro . Terry or

Bro . Stevens , but he thought that in the votes of 200 guineas and 100 guineas from the Stewards they had been amply rewarded . Bro . Harris rose to second the motion .

The Chairman , however , asked what Bro . Harris was seconding . Bro . Harris said the Chairman knew what the motion was . The Chairman did not want it in that general way . He wanted to know exactly what Brother Harris was seconding .

Bro . Harris : You know what the motion is . We heard it over here . Bro . Daniel : So elated was Bro . Perceval with tho Chairman ' s ruling that he then and there gave notice that