Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS 2 ji United Grand Lodge 2 $ 3 Grand Lodge of Mark Masters 254 Royal Masonic Institution for Girls 356 Masonic History and Historians 25 -6 " Lone- Livers " . _ ztt

The American Past Master ' s Degree 357 Presbyterianism and Freemasonry 257 CORRESPONDENCEThe Election R . M . B . I 25 s A Typographical Mistake 25 S Reviews 259 Masonic Notes and Queries 259 . The Boys' School Cricket Match 25 - 9

Laying the Foundation Stone of a New Freemasons'Hall at Meltham ,. , 259 Royal Masonic Institution for Boys 360 REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 260

Royal Arch 261 Mark Masonry 261 Red Cross of Constantinc 261 Rosicrucian Society 261 famaica 263 ' Ohituarv' 262 General ' Tidings 262 Masonic Tidings 262 Lodge Meetings for Next Week I .

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THE Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge took place on Wednesday , under the Presidency of Bro . BEACH , , M . P ., Prov . G . M . of Hampshire . A very large gathering assembled . Bro . J USTICE CAVE , G . J . W ., was greeted with loud p laudits . The usual business was transacted , and all the recommendations of the Board of General Purposes were carried . The election

of the Boards was proceeded with , for which we refer our readers to the report . Bro . MAJOR BOND being absent , his proposition "dropped , " and we hope we have heard the last of it , as its bearing , if carried , on the provinces would be most serious . Bro . BEACH presided over Grand Lodge with great tact and firmness combined .

* * A SHORT conversation , which took place on the confirmation of the minutes of the Girls' School on Thursday last week , deserves some little attention , as a very important question arises out of it . Is it Masonic or in " good form " to reiterate the printing of circulars on any ground whatever in which

reference is made in painful tenns to a departed brother ? " De mortuis nil nisi bohum" is the recognized . adage of all civilized Societies , and as Freemasons we are especially taught to be generous and considerate , tolerant and forgiving . In the present case the poor , brother alluded to , than whom no worthier or better Mason ever existed , was dead and buried before the

present foolish controversy in respect to some building operations in the Girls' School arose , and one . can hardly realize on any grounds of sanity , of decency , or of Masonic good feelings why such circulars should be issued , or why such remarks be made . We do trust that we have heard the last , as all will agree , of most painful and unmasonic proceedings .

* * THE interest of our brethren is now fixed on the approaching Festival of the Boys' School ; that , for many reasons , we hope will be a great success . For the Boys' School has most undoubted claims on the goodwill and sympathy of us all . In one sense it requires more aid than the other Charities , in that it is

deficient of capitalized property , but what with Charitable Trusts Bills and other contingencies , we are not quite sure that income arising from " dividends " is much to be desiderated . Still it seems to us that the friends of the Boys' School should not rest until its accumulated income represents a considerable amount . The School is weli and carefully managed , is well

worth a visit , the governing body is most anxious to do all that lies in it , to augment and uphold its usefulness , and under the superintendence of Bro . MORRIS , whom the School Committee are fortunate in having as Head Master , the School is now in a thorough state of work , activity , and efficiency . We are only repeating the observation of all—that the manners of

the boys , who played so vigorously at the Girls' School Festival , are peculiarly engaging , and we say this pointedly because some time back a controversy arose in our pages on this very subject , which , though we regretted to see , yet we could not refuse lo insert . Our own experience is exactly the reverse , and we can only express our humble opinion that the best thanks

of the Craft are due to all who have aided officially and ministerially in bringing the Boys' School , despite much opposition and hindrances of various kinds , to its present state of thorough efficiency . We , therefore , beg to call the attention of our readers to the subject of the Boys' School once

againits needs , its claims , its approaching Festival , —as all brethren must feel an interest in an Institution which is so needful to our Fraternity , and so useful and beneficial in its work and "outcome . " We may add that the list of Stewards is yet far too small , and we hope that the Secretary may shortly receive many additional names .

* * THE numbers polled at the election of the House Committee for the Girls ' School unmistakeably demonstrate the feeling of the subscribers in respect of these meaningless and unseemly contests , which proceed on no recognized principle , and give a great deal of trouble to many brethren . It is ,

no doubt , perfectly lawful for any brother to wish to be on the House Committee of the Girls'School , and there is no " vested interest" in certain names merely . But we can neither admire the " animus" nor the " outcome " of the last nominations , and which gave rise to the contest , some of which had to be withdrawn because the ' * nominees " had not even been asked by the " nominator " if they would serve . The largest number polled was

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140 , the lowest 4 . One brother , who declared himself an "independent " candidate , polled 33 ; but the lowest number of the 12 re-elected was 134 . Too much praise cannot be given to the old House Committee for their careful , judicious , and economical management of the School . * . -

IT is amusing sometimes to note how Masonic history is manufactured even in 1881 ; how calmly incorrect we are and beautifully slipshod . We take the following little " gem " from the New York Dispatch of May 8 th , 1881 , and we only wonder that such incorrectness could be tolerated under the able regime of our most esteemed confrere . It is only because it

appears in the New York Dispatch that we think well to call attention to it : " GEORGE . — ' Was the late Pope Pius IX . ever made a Mason ? If so , where and when ? ' There is little doubt but that Pius IX . was a Mason . A writer in the Masonic News , of Glasgow , Scotland , stated a few years ago that Mastai Ferretti was admitted to a Masonic lodge during his college days . At that time there was no prohibition by

the Catholic Church , either in its canon law or any other of its laws , of its members becoming Freemasons . It also asserted that when he was a missionary on the River Plate , and then known as Mastai Ferretti , he frequently visited lodges there , and his signature as a Mason is still , or was lately , preserved in the archives of one of the subordinate lodges of the Argentine Republic . "

It is as clear as anything well can be now that " Pio Nbno " was not a " Freemason , " though probably as a member of the " Young Italy Party " he may have in his green youth belonged , as we believe was the case , to " Madre Natura " or the " Carbonari . " But a Freemason he was not . All the reported cases turn out to be unadulterated " myths , " hopelessly

inconsistent , historically impossible , and utterly untenable . And what can the brother who answers " George" mean by saying that "at that time there was no prohibition , & c . " Has he forgotten the Bull of CLEMENT 1738 , placing all Freemasons under sentence practically of the " greater excommunication ? " of the subsequent confirmatory Bull of LEO ? of the

Allocutions of Pius VII ? To this day the Roman Catholics , alike in America and England , base their opposition to Freemasonry on these Papal interdicts . What then can be the meaning of such a statement delivered from the editorial " Cathedra" of the New York Dispatch in 1 SS 1 ? What say you , Bro . GOULD ?

* * AT the close of the meeting of the Quarterly Court of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution on Friday week , Bro . BIRCH , of East Lancashire , suggested that the Reiyal Masonic Benevolent Institution , like the Boys' and Girls' Schools , should have half-yearly elections . Without at all ignoring

some patent difficulties in the way , at first sight , of accepting this seasonable and sensible proposal , we think that the obstacles are not insuperable , and that great good would arise from this alteration , alike to the Institution and the recipients of its bounty . Then all the three Charity Elections could be attended to half yearly—a great convenience to our good " country cousins" —and to ourselves , denizens of the " little village . "

* * THE bye-laws of the Warwickshire Masonic Benevolent and Pupils' Aid Fund have been sent to us , which , confirmed by resolution of Provincial Grand Lodge January 7 th , 1881 , demand a notice from us . The object of this Association is ( a ) the granting of relief to aged or decayed Freemasons

and the widows of Freemasons ; ( b ) the boarding , clothing , and educating , wholly or partially , the children of deceased brethren and the children of brethren who , from misfortune , are prevented from properly educating or

providing for their children ; ( c ) assisting the advancement of any such child on leaving school . So far the Association is in its infancy , and as such we commend its views and objects , and shall be glad to watch over , and report upon , its active and successful progress . >

V * * THE report of the Punjab Masonic Institution for 18 S 0 has also reached us . It seems it is in a very healthy condition , and has now eighteen children under its charge for education . * 4 c *

A WRITER in the Hebrew Leader finds the derivation of the word Freemason in the Egyptian and Coptic languages . Ra—Egyptian for sun ; Ph , a Coptic prefix ; Mes , the Coptic word to " regenerate ; " Sn the pre-nomina third person plural . Hence Phre-mes sn , the " sun regenerates them

"—symbolically the " sonsof light . We need hardly comment , we think , on the patent absurdity and incompatibility of any such a derivation , and may well remember , without incivility , old CARLYLE ' terse formula of " bottled moonshine . "

* ' * THE growth of Freemasonry in America is exemplified strikingly by the Grand Lodge of Michigan , where , a little over thirty-five years ago , nine brethren united to form it , and where there is now a membership of 26 , 000 good brethren and true .