Correspondence.

20 years' monthly experience ) , the surgeon-oculist , and everybody who most have "known of such a thing had ifc occurred in term time . Shortly , then , the Inquiry Committee ( seven in number ) believed tha " tainted " witness against all the others . The Honse Committee ( 12 in nnmber ) believe , and with confidence

ask the subscribers to believe , fche respectable witnesses who con . tradiot this uncorroborated maligner of our boys and the Institution . 2 . As to the badness of sight , Dr . Hogg ' s evidence is perfectly consistent in itself . He says : " I did not expect to find so high an average of badness of sight , bnt , finding it , I can only say that it is

bnfc the average of similar Institutions . " This allegation , that ifc was double the average , did us groat harm in the minds of the subscribers , and now that it is shown to be " directly negatived " by evidence , ifc is attempted to be explained away by " a verbal correction " that " the average " may be under , stood to mean " double the average . "

In my last letter I pointed oufc what the House Committee did to mitigate this evil ( unfortunately too prevalent everywhere nowadays , and when they did ifc j yet the Chairman says ( paragraph 27 )

that " I preserve silence on the point . Certainly , in paragraph 30 he contradicts his own assertion , tor he says , that I " told tho Inquiry Committee what was done to alter the lighting , to whioh this evil is attributed , and when it was effected . "

3 . As to the heating apparatus , in my last letter I mentioned the Bums spent by the House Committee in 1884-5-6-7 on this . The Chairman objects that a sum of £ 300 had nothing to do with this matter . This is not so , —but let thafc pass . The objection to this £ 300 admits that the other sums had been paid for this purpose . How ,

then , were we " doing nothing ?' The Chaiman says , " The first complaint was 19 fch November 1885 . The first notice on the books of the House Committee is 12 th July 1887 . " What a pity the Inquiry Committee did not read the minntes of the House Committee for 1885 .

In April 1885 the House Committee considered the question of heating , and on the 27 th May 1885 , at a special meeting , fche question of new boilers was thoroughly discussed , and contracts for the same were accepted . At a special meeting , on llth June 1885 , this

• qaesfcioa waa again before them , ancl on the 19 fch Jnne a special meeting was held for the purpose of considering the same question of proposed improvement to boilers , among other things . The Chairman says that new boilers were nofc put in till 1887 , and yet the accounts show that they were completed on 21 sfc November 1885 .

The resolution of 12 th July 1887 , whioh has misled fche grossly careless draftsman of the report and the Chairman , refers to some final alterations made to some of the old beating apparatus , which

originally we had every reason to believe wonld do its work properly after the new boilers had been started , bat which , unfortunately , had to be altered at the cost mentioned . The heating apparatus has worked well ever since .

"There are 43 recorded complaints , says tho Chairman . The House Committee only mot 33 times between Nov . ' 85 aud July ' 87 , and five of theso were special meetings for matters outside this question , ancl one-third of tbe remaining 28 would be summer meetings , wheu th < j heating apparatus would not be afc work . This leaves

an average of over two for each meeting . The Head Master ' s report and con-plaint book is produced afc each monthly meeting . I have , in another way , now proved thafc this Eeport is founded upon " unreliable" and " struck-out" evidence , upon "tainted evidence , " upon a " direct misrepresentation " of the evidence of a

ecientuio witness given ou the most important of all the allegations ( having as a lad suffered much myself with my eyesight , I think so ) , and upon a direct charge of gross negligence . The last is confcraaicted up fco the hilt by a class of evidence fco which the Chairman refer-- , bufc which , ifc is clear , the Inquiry Committee never read .

So much for this precious Report , which has hounded on the noisiest of the subscribers against the governing bodies of the Institution , which in turn have indeed received "their support , " as shown at the quiet and truly Masonic meetings of 1 st June and 6 th Jane .

Is it nofc a f acfc thafc all the personal statements as to condition of fche boys , & c , is founded upon a few hours' visit of the Inquiry Committe « ( one absent ) on a cold Saturday afternoon in November . " Cui bono , " to whom has the Eeport done good ? Ib has disgusted

a large number of brethren by the spirit in which ifc is penned , it has done more to assist those who wish the local funds to be distributed in each locality than 50 years of propagandism would have i one ; and , finally , it has affixed a stigma on our boys and the Institution , whioh , though foundationless , will never die away . Yours faithfully and fraternally . A . F . Cousox .

Class Lodges.

CLASS LODGES .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CIIKONICLK . Drc . wt Snt A . M ) BitOTiiEK , — With reference fco yonr quotation fnm tho Daily Tch'tjraph , in your last issue , to the effect that " those members of tho National Liberal Club who are Freemasons are proposing th it they ahould have a Lodge of their own , " & c , seems to

me to invito tho serious consideration of every Craftsman who treasures the tiaditious of the Order as hitherto regarded in our country . The suggestion that a Lodge shonld be instituted for any pilifcical f-ectir . n of men who are Masons is to my mind a ii > ii ) gnrous innovation , and not in keeping with the spirit of British Preeuia-. onry .

Yours faithfully and fraternally , P . A . G . D . C . England . Luuduu , 25 th June lSy'J .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Middlesex And Surrey.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF MIDDLESEX AND SURREY .

MARK MASONRY .

THIS Grand Lodge met , for their annual meeting , at the Ship and Turtle Tavern , Leadenhall-street , E . G ., on Friday , the 21 st inst . Among those present were Bro . Col . Sir Francis Burdett , Bart ., Prov . G . Master who presided ; he waa supported by : —

Bros . G . Gordon Robbins , Rev . Jas . Hutchins , C Hammerfcon , W . A . Scurrah , W . G . Brighten , P . Dakin , Jno . Larkin , C . Slater , S . Fonntaine , F . R . Hales , W . Potter , P . Saillard , G . J . Dnnkley , C . Pullman , D . P . Cama , J . K . R . Cama , G . H . Newington Bridges , W . Poore , H . Lovegrove , T . Clark , J . M . Klenck , Egbert

Roberts , E . Hoare , J . T . Briggs , Ernest Flower , J . H . Clare , John Barnett jnnior , George Graveley , T . C . Edmonds , W . T . Heath , Hugh M . Hobbs , H . J . Sparks , C . W . Mapleton , S . H . Parkhouse , H . E . Vickers , J . Cater , J . S . Eraser , Rev . G . W . Weldo *> , J . T . Calloway , J . Barrett Leonard , R . H . Cowan , G . Gregory , H . Burgess , H . H . Wells , W . S . Neale , C . W . J . Bird , W . G . Wise , E . Storr

E . 0 . Bliss , H . Tipper , J . T . Griffith , W . M . Stiles , R . A . Hose , J . N . Forge , Chas . Lee , J . H . Thomson , E . H . Wilkinson , W . H . Forge , R . J . Chitson , Nelson Prower , T . Rnshby , J . T . Rowe , W . W . Lee , & o . & o . After the Provincial Grand Lodge had been dnly

opened , and the minutes of previous meeting read and confirmed , the roll of Lodges was called , and goodly response made . The report showed an increase both in number of members and in Lodges . The Treasurer ' s accounts showed

a satisfactory balance , and on motion mado and duly seconded , were unanimously adopted . The warrant of reappointment of the Prov . G . M . for the ensuing period was read . This document dates from the 29 th December 1870

from which period Bro . Col Sir Francis Burdett , Bart ., has regularly been re-appointed every three years , and the warrant endorsed accordingly . The following Officers were invested to serve during

the ensning year : — Bro . F . Davison - . Deputy Master Henry Lovegrove - - - Senior Warden J . F . Griffith , M . D . . . Jnnior Warden G . H . Wilkinson - - - M . O . J . Hugh Thomson - - S . O . Nelson Prower , M . A . - . J . O . Rev . R . W . Joseph Cater , M . A . - *) „ , . .

Rev . G . H . Weldon - . f ^ apiams C . Hammertou - - - Treasurer Phillip Saillard - - - Registrar W . G . Brighten - - - Secretary William Heath ... Senior Deacon J . H . Clare - - - Junior Deacon Wm . Lloyd Wise - - - Inspector of Works T . 0 . Edmonds - * - Director of Ceremonies

F . R . Hales - - . Assist . Dir . of Ceremonies W . F . Potter - . . Sword Bearer . R . J . Chitson - . . Standard Bearer Charles Lee - - - Organist Harry Tipper - - . Inner Guard

Hy . Burgess - ~ ) J . T . Briggs . . . | John Barnett jnn . . . } . Stewards J . N . Catley - . . 1

J . Byford - . -J John Gilbert - - - Tyler Bro . Dnnkley was appointed a Steward f JI- the Mark Benevolent Fund , and on the proposition of the Provincial

G . Secretary , seconded b y Bro . Storr , the sum of ten guineas was voted to his list . The Lodges in the Province having the privilege of nominating Stewards for the Grand Lodge are taken in rotation , and the following were

accorded the honour for the forthcoming year : —Croydon Lodge , Earl of Carnarvon Lodge , Temperauuc-in-the-East Lodge , and Royal Savoy Lodge . Bros . Scratchloy , Robbins , Stiles and Newington Bridges wero elected as

members of the Committee for General Purposes . The Prov . G . Secretary stated that the brethren had every reason to be satisfied with the year ' s progress ; although the increase in numbers was small it was in the right

direction , and there was also a good balance to the credit ofthe Provincial Funds . In conclusion , he congratulated them on the rc-appointmenfc of their esteemed Prov . Grand Master , who he hoped would reign over them for many

years to come . This completed the business of Provincial Grand Lodge . Tho brethren now adjourned to an excellent banquet . In giving the toast the Qieen and

Mark Masonry , tho Prov . Grand Master said there was nothing he could say iu Her Majesty ' s favour of which tho brethren were not already aware . This toast