Contents.

CONTENTS .

L EAOBBS 61 Supreme Grand Chapter 62 The Chairman at the Approaching R . M . B . I . Festival and his Province t ) 2 Provincial Grand Chapter of Hampshire and the Isl ; cf Wight 63 Freemasonrv in Ireland 63 Colonel Clerke's MS . ( " Old Charges" ) 63

The History of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls from its Origin , 1788 , to its Centenary , 1888—{ Continued ) 6 4 " The Old Masonians" and the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution 65 The Pro Grand Master in Victoria 6 J Presentation to Lord Carnarvon by Victorian Mark Masons 65 Annual Dinner of the Gavel Club 6 < j

CORRESPONDENCEA Question of Custom 67 In Aid of the Masonic Girls' School 6 7 History of Lodge Industry , No . 1 S 6 68 REPORTS OK MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 6 S Instruction 73 Royal Arch 72

Mark Masonry 73 Ancient and Accepted Rite 73 Allied Masonic Degrees 73 A Lecture on the Three Epochs of Freemasonry 73 Theatres 74 Obituarv 74 Masonic and General Tidings 15 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 76

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WE regret exceedingly to find that very little progress has ing Festival been made in the way of strengthening the Boatdof Stewards of the R . M . B . I . r or tn j s year > Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution during the fortnight that has elapsed since we drew attention to the

near approach of this important annual celebration . When we wrote last on the subject there were some 216 brethren who had sent in their names to act as Stewards , and if we state that , after allowing for the further withdrawals that have taken place , the Boaid of Stewards now musters only some 230 members , we shall be slightly beyond instead of within the mark .

We know there are unusual difficulties this year , in consequence of its being the Centenary of the Girls School , in obtaining the services of brethren for the Festivals of this and the Boys' Institution , and we are most anxious that an anniversary which is so worthy of being commemorated on a scale of unusual splendour should prove a grand success . But cur zeal in behalf of this

particular event must not incline us to forget that the responsibilities which the Craft has so generously undertaken in connection with the Benevolent Institution and Boys' School must be met as usual , and that , Centenary schemes notwithstanding , the 405 Old People on the funds of the one Charity , and the 260 Boys on those of the other Charity , must still be

provided , the former with their annuities , and the latter with their maintenance , education , and clothing . To this the Craft stands pledged by its approval of the acts done on its behalf by the Governing powers of the two Institutions . But as regards the Benevolent Institution , which , as its annual Festival will take place on the 29 th instant , claims our

immediate attention , the prospect , we regret to say , is the reverse of encouraging . Ten or dozen years ago , a Board of 230 Stewards within little more than three weeks of the appointed day would have been the subject of universal rejoicing ; but in those days only about one-half of the present number of annuitants—taking the two Funds together—had to

be provided for , and we may well be excused , therefore , if , with so small a body of brethren to raise the large sum which is necessary for the year ' s requirements , we begin to feel somewhat anxious about the result . For how stands the case ? The permanent income of the Benevolent Institution , consisting of grants from Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter and the

dividends on its invested moneys is , in round figures , about £ 3600 , while its expenditure is about ^ 18 , 000 , of which nearly £ 15 , 000 is required to provide the annuities of 178 old brethren and 227 widows , and the half annuities of , it may be , a score more widows . Therefore , we shall not be very far out if we suggest that , in order to make both sides of the year's account

balance comfortably , the Festival , now close at hand , should produce somewhere about £ 15 , 000 . Again , as we pointed out a fortnight since , there are 131 approved applicants—men and widows together—for admission to the benefits of the Institution , and the number of annuities which , so far as we know at present , will be available for distribution amongst them is , including

the three deferred on each Fund , only 15 , viz ., 11 male and four widows , while even if , as we then assumed , this number should be doubled between now and election day in May next , there would still be 4 } candidates to every vacancy , and 100 of the poor old applicants wouid be compelled to wait for at least another twelvemonth for a further chance of being elected . Our

readers must be familiar even , to weariness with these particulars , and we can assure them the duty of recounting them time after time with each recurring Festival is by no means pleasant . But if the Stewards and the secretary , and others do not keep pegging away in this fashion , and placing

oeiore the Craft both the requirements of the Institution and the heavy demands which are being continually made on its resources , there is reason to fear that the funds will show a serious diminution . The provision of some £ 15 , 000 for the Benevolent Institution is a very great task , but the uty of providing it has been undertaken , not hurriedly or in a passing fit ° t generous enthusiasm , but with the utmost deliberation and a full sense of

esponsibility , and this duty , severely as it may trench upon the resources ° t the brethren , is one that cannot be left unfulfilled . We again appeal , ^ erefore , to all lodges , chapters , and all Masonic bodies , which as yet are inrepresented on the Board of Stewards , to encourage or commission one their number to act on their behalf ; so that the funds necessary to defray

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the current year ' s expenses may be forthcoming . We assure them , and individual brethren likewise , that it is no mere figure of speech employed by Bro . TERRY , when he says that " brethren are earnesly invited to accept the office of Steward , " and that " donations towards the funds ot the Institution " " were never more needed than at the present time . " The details

we have recited in this and former articles relating to the same subject more than justify the earnestness of his address , and we trust it will be responded to with that generous promptitude which has characterised the Craft in all former emergencies . * * *

The Girls' WE were under the impression that , in our recent article on nary 0 premuirri the " Premium Votes" which the Quarterly Court of the Votes . Girls' School have resolved on granting to all brethren who g ive their services as Stewards at the approaching Centenary Festival of

that Institution , we had sufficiently described the plan which had been determined upon , as well as " the manner in which it will work , and the extent of the privileges it will secure " to the said Festival Stewards . It appears , however , from a correspondent ' s letter which we published last week , that we were somewhat too hasty in adopting this conclusion .

Accordin o- to Bro . C . L . Mason—the correspondent in question—there is one matter which he has " heard warmly discussed , both in London and the Provinces , viz ., Are additional votes given to brethren subscribing but not acting as Stewards , or are additional votes given only to Stewards ? " Bro . Mason explains that he does not think they are intended to be given to contributors

who do not act as Stewards , and he is quite right in his surmise , but it seems " many others hold the opposite opinion , " though by what process of ratiocination any person can have arrived at such a conclusion it is impossible to say . The resolutions which the Quarterly Court adopted at its meeting last month refer to Stewards only—indeed , as regards the first of them , it

is merely an extension , for this particular Festival , of the privileges conferred on Stewards under Clause 1 of Law 24 , while as regards the second resolution , it is in substitution , also for this particular Festival , of Clause 3 of the same Law . A reference to the Code of Laws of the Institution will show that this Law 24 with its three Sections or Clauses defines the

" Privileges of Stewards , " and that whatever maybe the effects , as regards the Stewards , of its temporary extension or the temporary substitution for it or for any one of its Clauses of a new Law , such extension or substitution cannot possibly have anything to do with contributors who do not act as Stewards , In fact , it was because Law 24 , the temporary plan just adopted by the

Ouarterly Court " pro hac vice in extension , of its Clause 1 , and in substitution for its Clause 3 , and the " carefully compiled table " which served as our guide in the recent article , referred only to brethren acting as Stewards , and not to any other class of contributors , that we did not consider it worth while mentioning to the latter . However , we must thank Bro .

MASON for having brought the matter to our notice , and the more especially , as it enables us to place more clearly and emphatically before our readers the great advantages which intending contributors to the funds of the Girls' School at the coming Centenary Festival will derive if they give likewise their services even as Unattached Stewards . A brother , not acting as

Steward , who contributes 10 guineas to the School , receives 2 ( life ) votes in return ]; if he gives 50 guineas , he will receive 10 ( life ) votes ; if 100 guineas , 30 ( life ) votes , and so on . By paying an extra 2 guineas , and ' so qualifying as Steward , he will secure 5 ( life ) votes in the case of a 10 guinea donation ; 25 ( life ) votes for one of 50 guineas ; 61 ( life ) votes for one of 100 guineas . Or ,

to put the cases differently , a donor of 10 guineas , who is not a Steward , receives only 2 votes , but if he qualifies as such by paying 2 guineas , he will receive 5 votes—that [ is , as many votes as the contributor of 25 guineas who is not a Steward ; the donor of 50 guineas , who is not a Steward , will receive 10 ( life ) votes , but by paying the Steward's fee of two guineas , 25 ( life ) votes ,

or as many , plus 1 vote , as the contributor of 85 guineas who is not a Steward ; and a donor of 100 guineas , who is not a Steward , receives only 30 votes , but by paying the Steward ' s fee of 2 guineas he will become entitled to twice that number of ( life ) votes plus 1 vote . Thus the contributor , who is not a Steward , will receive only the same number of votes in return for his

donation as in ordinary years , and no additional privilege unless he becomes an annual subscriber of 1 guinea into one Centenary list and continues one for 6 years , when he will become a Life Subscriber ; while by paying the Steward ' s fee of 2 guineas , in addition to his donation of 10 guineas or

upwards , he will become entitled , "for this once only , " to more than twice as many ( life ) votes . We trust this further explanation will be found sufficiently explicit . # ^ *

IT gives us considerable satisfaction in being the chosen medium Ci k- ° MS ^ t ' le re P ° duction of another copy of the " Old Charges . " We have done our utmost to induce competent brethren to search for such documents , and we do not despair of hearing of more " finds " in this particular and important department of Masonic research .