Correspondence.

Correspondence .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our corresponden ts but we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limitsfree discussion .

BOYS' SCHOOL ELECTION . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , You generally have a few remarks to make on the Schools' Elections , and your advocacy of any deserving case always brings good results , by some of your readers recording or sending their votes to the cases you mention .

I am pleading for a helpless case ( No . 6 ) on the list—James Murdoch Burnett . The father of the candidate subscribed 34 years ; 12 years a P . M ., Secretary nine years . I have taken up the case on account of its being so isolated , and the province so small , and relying on outside help , shall try if I can possibly get it elected .

For the furtherance of the case , I have taken the office of Steward for Lodge 84 , Guernsey , and hope to get a good subscription list , and so increase the voting power of the province . May I ask your very kind co-operation by inserting this letter or by a paragraph from you bearing on the case ? I enclose you a circular . Anticipating which , I return you the thanks of tbe widow , and in which I join , and remain , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , THOS . L . WELDON , 84 , 195 .

I am pleased to say that votes are coming in daily for this case , and I hold records of about 1750 .

RECOGNITION OF THE GRAND LODGE OF NEW ZEALAND . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , It is very satisfactory to learn that the advisers of the M . W . the Grand Master of England have formulated , as one of the conditions of the recognition of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand , that no warrants shall be issued for lodges outside that colony .

Only last year there was some danger of a rupture between the Grand Lodga of England and that of Victoria on this very point , inasmuch as applications had been made for one or more Victorian Warrants for Western Australia . A rather heated discussion , in fact , took place in the Grand Lodge of Victoria thereanen : ; but , thanks to the tact and decision of the presiding officer , the project for planting this erroneous American notion in the Australian Colonies was promptly nipped in the bud .

Quite recently , also , a similar application was received by the Grand Secretary of Tasmania from Western Australia , and his common sense reply was to the effect that Western Australia is outside the jurisdiction of Tasmania . This , it will bc admitted , is very creditable on the part of the youngest Grand Lodge in the Australasian colonies .

Personally , I am pleased to find that the information I conveyed to the Grand Secretary of England , in regard to the Victorian proposal , has been so usefully applied to New Zealand . —Fraternally yours , W . F . LAMONBY , March 2 Cth . Past Deputy Grand Master of Victoria .

RE ORPHAN GIRL O'NEILL . Tothe Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sit and Brother , As nearly all your readers are acquainted with the J . II . Leslie , P . M . ir ) 6 a , whose letter appeared on p . 144 of your issue of the 19 th inst ., let me beg them not to take his ungenerous effusion seriously .

Bro . Major Leslie started his crusade against the motherless child O'Neill by writing direct to the Petitions Committee , who accepted his ex parte and incorrect statements , and it was by merest accident that the W . M . and P . lts . of Bro . O'Neill's Lodge , No . 178 9 , heard of this . Grand Court thereon investigated the subject , and promptly threw Bro . Leslie overboard ( see the Freemason cf 15 th January last , p . 33 ) . He now makes use of your columns to display his

want of deference to the decision of Grand Court . The only objections are that the father has 4 s . daily pay while serving in the army and 2 s . to live on with his family when discharged , and that meanwhile the motherless girl can live in barracks with tbe father and obtain free schooling , thus being " amply provided for for life , " and too well off for the girl to be admitted to the R . M . I . The objections arc obviously absurd .

Bro . Sergeant O'Neill ' s position is not what it was when many years since he became a Mason , in that after having served his country and Masonry during 33 years' of service in the army at home and abroad , he is in view of discharge on a pension of about 2 s . daily , and before facing civil life on this pittance with his motherless girl , he appeals to the sympathy and generosity of the Fraternity to place his child in the R . M . I . G ., and as the approaching election is her last

chance , I earnestly hope the appeal will not be in vain . —Faithfully and fraternally , ROBERT H . MURDOCH , Major R . A ., S . W . and W . M . elect No . 1789 . Royal Dockyard , Woolwich , 28 th March .

THE DUCHESS OF ALIUNV has consented to open the annual sale , in the Portman Room ? , in aid of the work of the Church Army ainonj the outcast and destitute . TH ' UKE OF CONNAUGHT will preside at the O . Ticers' Club Hous'j on Tuesday , the 5 th i , when Major E . S . May , Royal Horse Artillery , will deliver a lecture on " The Problem of the Attack . "

COL . THE HON . EVERAKI ) DliiRV has been salmon fishing in the Tay during the last week on Ihe celebrated Meikleour water , which belongs to his brother-in-law , the Marquis of Lansdowne , and he has obtained excellent spirt . H . R . H . THE PRINCESS OF WALES arrived at Copenhagen on Tuesday evening . Her Royal Highness was met at the station by the K'n ^ and Qjeen of Denmark , the Dowager Empress of Russii , and other members of the Dinish Rjyal firily .

PRINCESS CHRISTIAN OF SCHI . FSUK ; HOI . STHIN , accompanied by Princess Henry of Battenberg , and attended by Colonel Clerk and Miss Cochrane , inaugurated an Munday the new Victoria Ward of the Foreign Hospital at Nice on behilf of the Quten , and alter the cboir of Holy Trinity had sung a hymn , prayers were offered , and ( rinccss Christian declared the new ward open . 'Ihe ceremony concluded with the singing of " ood Save the Queen "by the choir . The Princesses then visited various oaits of the hospital .

The Recent Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

THE RECENT FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

The following additions have been received since last week : Lodge LONDON . £ s . d . 174 Bro . G . A . W . Griffiths ... ... ... 12 1 o ( raising his list te , £ , 205 4 s . ) 1766 ,, S . C . Kaufman ... ... ... 330

Unattached ( raising his list to £ 94 IOS . ) Bro . W . C . Parsons ... ... ... 10 10 o Unattached ( raising his list to £ 23 2 s ) Mrs . Griffiths ... ... ... ... 5 5 0 ( raising her list to £ 26 5 s . )

Scotland.

Scotland .

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER .

The annual communication of this body was held in the Freemasons ' Hall , Edinburgh , on Monday , the 2 ist ult ., the Depute First Grand Principal , Comp . C . C . Nisbet , W . S ., presiding . The following were elected the office bearsrs for this year , and Lord Haddington and the others who were present were installed :

Comp . the Earl of Haddington ... ... ist G . Prin . ,, Lord Saltoun ... ' ... ... Past 1 st G . Prin . „ CC . Nisbet ... ... ... Dep . 1 st G . Prin . „ William Black ... ... ... 2 nd G . Prin .

,, James A . S . Kerr ... ... ... 3 rd G . Prin . „ R . S . Brown ... ... ... G . Scribe E . „ W . Munro Denholm ... ... ... G . Scribe N . ,, James Melville ... ... ... G . Treas . „ [ ames Simpson ... ... ,.. G . Recorder .

,, W . lvison Macadam ... ... ... G . Chan . ,, P . L . Henderson ... ... ... ist G . Soj . „ W . Watson Newton ... ... . ... 2 nd G . Soj . ,, John M . M . Morton ... .... ... 3 rd G . Soj .

,, Thomas Hope ... ... ... G . S . B .

,, J . A . Trevelyan Sturrock ... ... G . D . C . „ John G . Sprunt ... ... ... Dep . G . D . C . „ VV . W . Robertson ... ... ... G . Supt . of Works . ,, Alexander Bruce ... ... ... ist G . Std . Br . „ John Mellish ... ... ... and G . Std . Br . ,, George Hay ... ... ... G . Janitor .

After the business meeting , the companions celebrated the Festival of the Vernal Equinox—the First Grand Principal , the Earl of Haddington , presiding ; while the croupiers were Comps . P . L . Henderson , Edinburgh , and W . VV . Newton , Glasgow . The toast of " The Navy , Army , and Reserve Forces" was ' proposed from the chair .

Comps . Major J . W . WOODALL replied for the Navy , Col . CADDEL for the Army , and Col . IVISON MACADAM for the Reserve Forces . Comp . Major WOODALL , representative from the Supreme Chapter of England , proposed " The Supreme Grand Chapter of Scotland , " and expressed the best wishes for its prosperity , and the hope that its members would on an early occasion Masonically invade England and Ireland .

Craft Masonry.

Craft Masonry .

Industry Lodge , No . 48 . The annual installation meeting was held on Monday , the 28 th ult ., at the Masonic Hall , Gateshead , when there was a bumper attendance of members and visitors , some ol whom came a considerable distance as a compliment to the new W . M . Bro . A . Simpson , W . M ., presided , and was supported and assisted by the following brethren : Bros . Robt . Whitfield , P . M ., P . P . G . D . C ; Wm . Dalrymple , P . M . ; Wm . Brown , P . M ., DC . ; W . J . Jobson , P . M ., P . P . D . G . D . C , Treas . ; Wm . Stafford , P . M ., P . P . G . S . of W . ;

T . R . Jobson , P . M ., P . P . G . S . B . ; A . Dodds , P . M .. P . P . G . Stwd . ; W . C A . Holzapfel , S . W ., W . M . elect ; J . Aimstrong , P . M ., J . W . ; Rev . W . Bowker , P . P . G . C , Chap . ; J . T . Pragnell , Sec . ; T . Douglas , S . D . ; H . H . Pitt , J . D . ; W . li . Peacock , I . G . ; R . Ferry , Org . ; R . Hewett and R . Laverick , Stewards ; and Joshua Curry , Tvler . Amongst the numerous visitors were Bros . John Page , P . M . 406 , P . P . J . G . W . ;

Wm . M : Lyon , P . M . 406 , P . P . S . G . D . ; R . W . Liddle , W . M . 4 S 1 , P . P . G . Org . 1 !• Tindale , W . M . 424 ; J . Burrell , I . P . M . 424 ; R . Stewart . P . M . 424 ; T . R . Short , P . M . 424 , P . P . G . D . C . ; F . F . Schnitger , P . M . 541 . ; O . Jackson , W . M . 991 ; K . A . Jaque ? , W . M ISOJ ; Rev . A . H . McEUee , P . M ., P . P . G . C . ; S . Brown , J . W . 2674 ; and others .

In due course , the VV . M . elect , Bro . W . C A . Holzapfel , was duly presented by Bro . R . Whitfield , P . M ., to the Installing Master , Bro . Alfred Simpson , and was r ^ ularly installed as W . M . The whole ceremony was very effectively and smoothly wo-ksd . The W . M . appointed his officers as follows : Bros . A . Simpson , I . P . M . ; J- Armstrong , P . M ., S . W . ; LT . Pragnell , J . W . j the R = v . W . Bowker , Chap .: W . J .

Jobson , P . M .. Treas . ; Thomas Douglas , Sec . ; H . H . Pitt , S . D ;; W . E . PeacucK , | . D . ; Wm . Brown , P . M ., D . C .: T . R . Jobson , P . M ., Asst . Sec . ; R . Ferry , Off , : R . Hewett , I . G . ; R . Laverick , T .-H . Armstrong , P . Cash , and G . T . Bootes , St-vds . i and J . Curry , T > ler . Notices of motion were made for the disposal of £ 47 for charitable purposes , after which the new W . M . received the best wishes of the visiting brethren , and Ihe proceedings closed .

ALerwards the brethren adjourned to the Royal Hotel , where the annual binquei was held undsr the presidency of Bro . Holzapfel , VV . M . There was a capiu attendance , over So sitting down to dinner , which was excellently citered by "' ° ' TwiLell . During the evening the usual loyal and Masonic toasts were honoured . , Thc musical brethren , comprising Bros . Guthrie , Craven , Gibbon , Lyall , Perrv . ' , . ' ! ie Richardson , entertained the company with glees , quartetts , and songs , and maJs after-oroceedings very eniovable . j

Thus another milestone was reached in the long and successful journey of tn <; K ° old Iodge .

Gladsmuir Lodge , No . 1385 . The third regular meeting of the year was held at the Red Lion Hotel , ChipP" ^ Bamet , lleitr , on Fiiday , the 25 th ult . Bro . J . Mcleod Rainsford , W . M ., P rC ! , J , V and there were also present Bros . F . G . Mason , P . J . G . W ., I . P . M . ; Cranston , 1 _•> 250 . 1 , S . W . ; H . G . Grimwade , J . W . ; R . Fisher Youn ? , P . M ., P . P . G . D ., Treas . , Gray , P . M ., P . P . G . S . B ., Sec . ; Billson , S . _) . ; W . IHddeley , W . M . 25 . L < J ; ' ,, ... Lewis , P . M ., P . P . A . G . D . C , D . C ; Jno . Brittain , P . M ., P . P . G . W . ; Dr . H ^ ""' Org . ; Cooke , and others . _ _ u | l The minutes of the previous lodge having been read and confirmed , Mr . ^ . " . ^ 11 , was initiated by the W . M . A sim of five guineas was , on the motion of Bro .