The Approaching Boys' School Election.

THE APPROACHING BOYS' SCHOOL ELECTION .

The Spring election of candidates into the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys will take place at the Quarterly General Court appointed to be held at Freemasons' Tavern , on Friday , the 25 th inst ., the poll opening immediately on the termination

of the ordinary business , and closing precisely at 3 p . m . The number of vacancies to be filled is 30 , and the number of approved candidates 68 , of whom 17 hail from London , and four are partly of London and partly of Provincial origin , while the

remaining 47 are Provincial or from Districts abroad . We note further that 50 of the boys remain over from the election in October last , two of them having already stood five elections , eight four elections , and as many three elections , while 12 became

candidates for the first time at the election in April , 188 9 , and 20 at that of the October following ; the number of new candidates being 18 . Five of the children have lost both parents , and live have both living , 55 are fatherless , and three are motherless .

In 14 cases the father had rendered services to one or more of the Institutions , either by contributing to their funds or acting as Steward at one or more of their Anniversary Festivals , while a considerable number of them were P . M's ., and in cases hailing from the Provinces or Abroad Past Prov . or Dist . G . Officers .

Of the 17 London boys , No . 6 brings forward 2326 votes from four previous elections ; No . 9 has 1354 votes in hand from the same number of attempts ; Nos . 17 and 18 have 790 votes and 2591 votes respectively to their credit ; and No . 20 only 146

votes . No . 23 has 1625 votes , and No . 24 none , while No . 29 brings forward 2374 votes . No . 37 has 1558 votes to the good ; No 41 has 314 votes ; No . 44 has 93 votes ; ancl Nos . 47 ancl 4 8 have gjg votes and 7 68 votes respectively . Nos . 53 , 54 , 57 , and

68 are candidates for the first time . The four partly London and partly Provincial cases are No . 42 , from Kent , London , and Sussex , with 1081 votes to the good ; No . 4 6 , from Kent and London , with 145 votes ; No . 49 , London and Middlesex , with

177 votes ; and No . 62 , a new case . As regards the 47 Provincial and District cases , Cumberland and Westmorland , Derbyshire , Durham , and Warwickshire are responsible for three each . No . 2 , with 27 votes ; No . 11 and No . 45 , being from Cumberland and

Westmorland ; No . 34 ancl Nos . 59 and 61 ( new cases ) , from Derbyshire ; No . 12 , with 146 votes ; No . 14 and No . 6 4 ( new case ) , from Durham ; and Nos . 25 , 32 , and 40 , from Warwickshire . Hants and the Isle of Wight , Kent , West Lancashire ,

Shropshire , Somersetshire , Sussex , West Yorkshire , Jersey , and Madras furnish two each , namely : Hants and the Isle of Wight , Nos . 10 and 39 ; Kent , Nos . 56 and 60 ( both new cases ) ; W . Lan . cashire , Nos . 3 S and 65 ; Shropshire , Nos . 16 and 43 ;

Somersetshire , Nos . 21 and 33 ; Staffordshire , Nos . 22 and 6 7 ( new case ); Sussex , Nos . 51 and 66 ( both new cases ); West Yorkshire , Nos . 31 and 5 8 ; Jersey , No . 3 , with 1950 votes to the good , and No . 5 , with 1831 votes ; and Madras , No . 4 , with

1680 votes , and No . 2 b with 79 votes . As regards the rest , No . 1 has claims on Somerset and Devonshire , and 232 votes in hand , and No . 7 on Jersey , Cheshire , and Staffordshire . No . 8 , Lincolnshire , brings forward 1307 votes ; No . 13 , Norfolk ,

1590 votes , and No . 15 , from Nottinghamshire , 216 votes . Bristol is responsible for No . 19 , Worcestershire and Warwickshire for No . 26 , Suffolk for No . 27 , with 1080 votes to his credit , and Durham and N . and E . Yorkshire for No . 30 , to which

1990 votes are already credited . No . 36 , with 9 61 votes , hails from Surrey , and No . 3 8 , with 1524 votes in hand , from Northumberland , while the other four cases hail from Monmouthshire , Leicestershire and Rutland , East Lancashire , and Cheshire . There are 10 cases in which the children ' s names will be struck

off the list in the event of their failing to obtain places among the successful , namely : No . 2 ( Cumberland and Westmorland ) , No . 4 ( Madras ) , No . 5 ( Jersey ) , No . 19 ( Bristol ) , No . 24 ( London ) , No . 32 ( Warwickshire ) , No . 33 ( Somersetshire ) , No . 43 (

Shropshire ) , No . 49 ( London and Middlesex ) , and No . 55 ( East Lancashire ) ; and , for these , as for the similar cases in the Girls ' School , we most earnestly appeal to the Governors and Subscribers of the Institution , if they are not already committed to

the support of particular candidates , to give them all their votes and use all their influence to save them , as far as lies in their power , from being unsuccessful . The other candidates can

afford to be defeated this time , because one or more chances of election will remain to them , but with the ten we have enumerated it is a case of " now or never . " We trust the result of the ballot will declare itself for the former alternative .

The "Clapham" Ms.

THE "CLAPHAM" MS .

I warmly congratulate Bro . William Watson , of Leeds , on the discovery of another copy of the " Old Charges , " and especially because it is domiciled in the " W . Yorkshire Masonic Library , " for which he has laboured so strenuously from its commencement , and of which the distinguished Bro . T . W . Tew , Prov . G . M ., is the honoured President .

At the first glance it struck me that the " Clapham MS . was similar to the " Colne MS ., No . i , " which I gave in the Christmas Freemason for 188 7 , through the kind offices of Bro . J . H .

Sillitoe , of Manchester . A careful examination has confirmed my first impression , so that the missing portion , so greedily swallowed by the industrious non-Masonic mice , can be supplied by consulting the rather ( possibly ) older document .

Dr . Begemann , in his classification , places the " Colne MSS ., Nos . 1 and 2 , " ancl the " Stanley MS . " with the Grand Lodge Family , but as a distinct branch ( e ) . To the latter the "Clapham MS . " should be added . My impression is that it may fairly be dated late ifth century .

Peculiar readings in the " Colne MS . " may be noted in the one now under consideration . Bro . Watson has drawn attention to " divers workmen , " instead of " wars . " There are many more such , of which " Hiram of Tickus" is the most

conspicuous . In the text of both MSS . the name of Edwin is omitted by the scribe , though evidently intended to be written immediately after the introduction of " Athelston that was a worthy Kinge of England . "

The " other things singular both for Masters and fellows " which follow the " charges in generail" consist of seventeen clauses . The ist and 2 nd and the 16 th and 17 th ( not the No . 10 , as in Bro . Watson's transcript ) are preserved . To my mind , the chief feature , as well as the most important

one , of the " Clapham MS . " is the code of rules known as the " Apprentices' Charges , " which are only to be found in eight other scrolls . These are , according to Bro . Gould's numeration in his able Commentary to the "Regius MS . " ( Masonic Reprints of Lodge No . 2076 ) as follows :

8 . Harleian MS ., No . 1942 . 17 . Melrose MS ., No . 2 . 18 . Hope MS . 21 . Colne MS ., No . 1 . 25 . York MS ., No . 4 .

35 . Gateshead MS . 45 . Wren MS . with the "Watson MS ., " which I have numbered 21 b . The "Clapham MS . " will make 21 c , and form the ninth of this series . Under the " Colne Family , " there will now be

21 . Colne MS ., No . 1 . 26 . Colne MS ., No . 2 . 30 . Stanley MS . 21 c . Clapham MS .

For the "Tew MS . " the number 21 a . should be noted , which with the " Watson MS ., " 2 ia , come properly under the Sloane branch ( a ) . I am waiting now for the next ! W . J . HUGHAN .

Consecration Of The Lombardian Lodge, No. 2348.

CONSECRATION OF THE LOMBARDIAN LODGE , No . 2348 .

The large number of Metropolitan lodges vvas further increased on Friday , the 28 th ult ., by the consecration of the Lombardian Lodge , No . 234 S , at the Ship and Turtle , Leadenhall-street , under circumstances auguring well for its future prosperity . The ceremony vvas performed by Bro . Col . Shadwell H . Gierke , Grand Secretary , assisted by Bros . George Cooper , P . G . D ., as S . W . ; Charles Belton , D . G . D . C , as J . W . ; Rev . R . W . M . Pope , P . G . Chap ., as Chap . ; Frank Richardson ,

P . G . D ., as D . C . ; and C . Fitzgerald Matier , P . G . Std . Br ., as I . G . ; and it is therefore unnecessary to say that the beautiful ritual vvas rendered in the manner it deserves . The founders of the new lodge , all of svhom svere present , are Bros . S . J . Attenborough , W . M . designate ; R . T . Bowman , P . M ., S . W . designate ; H . J . Tuson , P . M ., J . W . designate ; R . C . F . La Feuillade , P . M . ; W . G . Lowe , H . T . Telling , E . E . Attenborough , W . F . Grirnmett , R . I . Ty ler , T . C . Thomson , W . Lawley , and G . J . Hanson .

The large number of visitors present included Bros . Richard Eve , P . G . Treas .: A . A . Pendlebury , Asst . G . Sec . ; H . Sadler , Grand Tyler ; VV . Haydon , S . D . 134 ; W . Glazier , [ . VV . 34 ; A . Norris , W . M . 1997 ; T . Gordon , J . W . 1769 ; L . Crick , S . W . 134 ; VV . C . Claridge , P . M . 1962 H . Collings , P . M . 134 ; F . H . Smyth , 34 ; W . W . West ^ y , W . M . 13 S 1 ; M . Hearn , j . D . 1381 ; S . Cochrane , P . M . 3 VV . Radcliffe , P . M ., Sec . 211 ; E . J . Jones , J . VV . S . Kelton ,

P . M . 1056 ; G . Roberts , 913 ; A . Bosvman , VV . M . 134 ; J . Hepburn Hastie , P . M . 121 G ; P . T . Chamberlain , P . M . 134 ; E . VV . Thompson , 55 ; J . K . Gwyn , I . G . 142 G ; S . G . Bresvett , I . P . M . 1339 ; P . H . Schsveiser , 1 S 5 ; J . M . Cottrell , W . M . 15 W . J . Tosvers , P . M . 15 ; W . Eldridge-Johnson , P . M . 134 ; J . H . Buckeridge , S . W . 15 ; T . Parkin , 917 ; G . Everett , P . M . 177 ; VV . Cranford , P . M . 127 ; E . VV . Mackney , P . M . 134 ; F . Bei'an , I . G . 1706 ; H . VV . Schartau , Prov . G . Org . Middx . ; VV . Morley , W . M . 1769 ; F . Flood , P . M . 1149 ; H . F . Nash , S . VV . 1769 ; H . F . Kimbell , 1541 ;

VV . Mecham , I . G . 1381 ; T . B . Wenley , P . M . 34 ; T . R . Beaufort , P . M . 217 ; W . M . Wells , W . M . 34 ; J . Cooper , P . M . 1769 ; J . IT . Tomlinson , P . M . 1238 ; A . Rixon , P . M . 34 ; S . M . Bush , 15 ; A . Dutton , D . C . 34 ; J . Carpenter , 15 ; C . T . Thorn , 697 ; G . Myers , W . M . 1339 ; J . H . Date , P . M . 34 ; J . Ingoldby , VV . M . 1601 ; R . Perkins , P . M . 34 ; Millner Jackson , P . M . 95 ; J . S . Cumberland , P . M . 212 S ; H . R . Hales , P . M . 34 ; H . C . Thorpe , I . P . M . 34 ; E . Richardson , 14 ; W . VV . Davies , 1238 ; C . J . Perceval , 231 ; G . Neildson , 13 S 1 ; J . IT . Hasvkins , P . M . 65 ; J . K . Hooper , 14 S 6 : and W . W , Lee , 1897 .