Contents.

CONTENTS .

L EADERS io ? United Grand Lodge of England 108 Masonic History and Historians 109 Memorandum on the Status of the Masonic Charities no Freemasonry and Judaism in C ORRESPONDENCEThe Festival of the Girls'School 113 Bro . Hcrvey ' s Memorial 113 A Tyler 113 Book of Constitutions at Initiation 113 Number of Lodges 113 The Swedcnborgian Rite 113 Reviews 113 Masonic Notes and Queries 113 Royal Masonic Institution for Girls 113

Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts 114 Ball of the Royal Sussex Mark Lodge , No . 1 i , Brighton . ' 114 Consecration of the Lcchmcre Lodge , No . 1874 , at the Masonic Hall , Kidderminster 214 Consecration of St . Austcl Mark Lodge , No . 'IS "S Red Cross of Constantine 116 REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry T .. 116 Royal Arch nj Scotland 117 District Grand Lodge of China 117 Masonic Tidings 118

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THE meeting of Grand Lodge , although not important generally in itself in respect of business to be transacted , was very important relatively to the Craft at large .. Before a goodly muster of the brethren , under the presidency of Bro . the EARL OF LATHOM , H . R . H . the PRINCE OF WALES was unanimously re-elected Grand Master for the ensuing year , amid the hearty

app lause of Grand Lodge . Our excellent and esteemed Bro . COL . CRBATON was as unanimously re-elected Grand Treasurer , amid loud cheers , all opposition having happily yielded to the strong claims of Masonic service and common sense ; in fact , we never professed to understand upon what principle the original opposition to Bro . COL . CREATON ' S election was based .

The communication from the Grand Lodge of the Netherlands was properly laid on the 'table , the Grand Lodge of England having nothing to do either with political or religious questions . Bro . TUDOR TREVOR ' S motion was referred to the Board of General Purposes . Bro . MAJOR BOND very

unexpectedly objected to the ruling of the PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF MASTERS with respect to a notice he ( Bro . MAJOR BOND ) had given for a Committee of enquiry into the three Masonic Charities . That the ruling of the PRESIDENT was perfectly right Bro . MCINTYRE , the G . Reg ., conclusively showed . We cannot understand how there can be two opinions on the subject .

* * THE returns of the 390 Stewards for the Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution are now before us , and deserve the most attentive consideration . The whole amount , so far , appears to be £ 14 , 262 4 s ., and of this £ 6435 7 s . 6 d . were given by the London lodges and brethren ,

and £ 7826 16 s . 6 d . from the Provinces , including the noble sum of £ 3500 from West Yorkshire . Of the London lodges , the first is No . 657 , represented by our excellent and esteemed Bro . H . G . Buss , A . G . S ., which contributed £ 315 ; the next is Chapter 174 , and Comp . J AMES TERRY , the zealous Secretary of the Institution , £ 315 . He is followed by Bro . H . J .

WALDRON , Lodge 1383 , £ 133 7 s ., and he again by Bro . UNDERDOWN KNELL , NO . 1471 , £ 131 6 s . 6 d . ; then comes Bro . J . G . STEVENS , NO . 554 , with £ 126 , who is closely followed by Bro . GEO . J ONES , NO . 174 , with £ 124 3 s . Next to him is Bro . T . C . SANDERSON , NO . 569 , with £ 117 2 s . 6 d . Bro . W . CLANSON THUE , NO . 1622 , brings up £ 115 10 s ., as also

does Bro . J . GARROD , No . 754 ; while our well known Bro . EDGAR BOWYER appears with £ 115 , and they are succeeded by Stewards each slightly varying in amount down to £ 100 , namely , C . E . FERRY , No . 65 , £ 106 is ., and Bro . ROBERT ROWELL , NO . 201 , also £ 106 is ., Bro . W . Topp , No . 879 , £ 105 , Bro . BERNARD GROVER , No . 1613 , £ 105 , Bro . A . FISH , No . 1366 , £ 104 .

The remaining London lodges , though the amounts are most creditable and respectable , do not reach three figures . From No . 1700 , we regret again to note , that only nine lodges are represented in the Metropolis . The Provincial account is £ 7826 16 s . 6 d , a good " tottle , my masters all , " of which West Yorkshire comes to the rescue with £ 3500 . We believe that Bro .

HENRY SMITH only originally promised £ 1500 , thus , like others , his "Jacts " are better than his " words : " not only has he the "luxuriance of blossom" but he developes the " perfection of fruit . " Next to Yorkshire , though necessarily "longo intervallo , " comes Hertfordshire , with £ 448 r 5 s ., and then again at some distance appears Kent , with £ 358 14 s . 6 d .,

which is closely followed by Middlesex , with £ 346 3 s . 6 d . Hants and the Isle of Wight are next on the record with £ 297 13 s ., while Gloucestershire sends up £ 258 6 s ., West Lancashire £ 257 5 s ., and the Channel Islands and Cheshire £ 241 10 s . each ; Northamptonshire and Hunts succeed with t' 9 1 7 s ., to which Staffordshire , \ vith £ i 78 10 s ., Sussex , with £ 175 is ., and

Durham , £ 174 2 s ., quickly follow . East Lancashire with £ 136 10 s ., Suffolk , with £ 131 14 s ., Derbyshire , with £ 110 16 s ., Oxfordshire , with A'oS 14 s ., complete the list . The remaining Provinces of Bristol , Cornwall , Devonshire , Dorsetshire , Monmouthshire , North Wales and Salop , Somersetshire , Surrey , Warwickshire , and North and East Yorkshire do not reach

three figures . The highest list is £ 3500 , the lowest £ 10 10 s . We regret a | so to note that from No . 1700 , exclusive of the West Yorkshire list , only two oclges , from the other provinces have sent a return . In W . Yorkshire we

ave reason to believe , that the younger lodges have done their duty as well ¦ is the older . But , as we said before , these are striking returns , and deserve attention from all who like ! o study the' <¦ : istics " of our Masonic Charity efforts .

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WE congratulate West Yorkshire on its very remarkable and effective support to its esteemed Prov . Grand Master , and its hearty aid to a most excellent Masonic Charity . Since 1861 the contributions of West Yorkshire to the great Metropolitan Charities have been continuous and considerable ,

and we are not saying too much when we repeat to-day that to West Yorkshire must be conceded the great merit of inaugurating that provincial movement which has resulted in such noble efforts from other distinguished provinces also to our central and valuable Charities .

* * * THE result of the efforts of 390 Stewards and of Bro . TERRY ' S appeals is so magnificent that we doubt not the number of vacancies to be filled will be considerably increased at the next meeting of the Managing Committee . At the

same time we say this we do ' not wish to encourage extravagant speculations , or unthoughtful precipitation . Stilll there is , happily , a margin for increase , and , congratulating all concerned in the recent successful anniversary , we trust that the Committee will deal with the matter liberally and befittingly . * * *

A GOOD deal . has been said by a correspondent about " Thrift , " and we go with him a long way . It is lamentable to note , in a large number of cases which come before us , on petitions for relief and aid , how many of our Order have never thought to consider the possibility of a " rainy day . "

We are not quite sure that a Masonic Institution's the true answer for the want or the difficulty , the more so as there are so many excellent non-Masonic associations which would do all that our correspondent urges . We shall be most happy to give any publicity to letters or proposals for this most reasonable and desirable end .

* AT the last meeting of the General Committee of the Girls' School three notices of motion were given for the next Quarterly Court , we understand , which we hope however will be withdrawn . _ Bro . MASSA has a question of usage and etiquette , in respect to the employment of an architect , as between

himself and the House Committee , and he gives notice of motion to obtain estimates from Masonic architects alone , to build a supplementary Girls ' School for seventy-five girls , in lieu of Lyncombe House . Now as the Managing Committee see no necessity for an increase , and they have just put Lyncombe House into working order , it requires but little foresight to

predict what must be the fate of such proposals . We should doubt if Bro-MASSA will find a seconder , and we do hope that , in Masonic good feelingj and to save valuable time being wasted , Bro . MASSA will withdraw these hasty and unseasonable notices at once . It is rather hard on the Managing Committee and on the subscribers to have a discussion forced upon them

relative to the increase of the School , and a large expenditure , when no one wants either one or the other , or has even contemplated such a measure . We trust that our hopes and anticipations may be realized in this respect . It is also quite clear , we think , that the appointment of an architect must rest in the House Committee absolutely .

WE publish Bro . Major BOND ' pamphlet elsewhere , because we think , as he wishes to lay his proposals before the subscribers of the Schools , like any one else , he has a perfect right to be heard . His proposals will encounter keen criticism , and though , for obvious reasons , we say nothing editorially , we think it proper to add that as it is our peculiar province to

encourage legitimate discussion , we have not thought it well to refuse the appearance of a pamphlet which has been sent to us for publication . On one point we , however , feel it right to be explicit . If Bro . Major BOND ' S proposal points to what is technically termed " farming out , " such a proposal , we can say at once , we feel sure will never be acceded to by the subscribers to the Charities .

* * * WE understand , and we are pleased to hear it , that the sixty Yorkshire brethren , who , under their distinguished Provincial Grand Master , Bro . SIRH . EDWARDS , Bart ., visited trie Girls' School on Thursday week , expressed their highest approval of all they saw , and of the order , discipline , neatness ,

and efficiency evidently and markedly prevading the whole establishment . They also testified their sense , when on the spot , of the need and value of the purchase of Lyncombe House , now and henceforth to be called the Junior School . They were met and conducted over the School by LIEUT .-COL . CREATON , some of the House Committee , and the SECRETARY .

* * * THE SECRETARY of the GIRLS' SCHOOL calls our attention , forcibly and clearly , to an absurd " canard " which , no one knows how , has obtained currency in some Masonic circles—that the promises of support for the Anniversary Festival in May are so many and liberal as to preclude any need of further exertion . Such an idea , such childish gossip , is a grave