Contents.

CONTENTS .

L EADERS 197 I Roval Masonic Institution for Hois 19 S I C . iiisttcralion of a Kose Croix Chapter at j Leicester i ( j" 8

Cheshire- Masonic Educational Institution 190 Masonic liall 199 Freemasonry in Kew York 199 Grand 1 . otlge of Pennsylvania 199 Punctuality 109

CoRRESPONDEXeEFlection Voting 201 The Coming Elections 201 The Girls' School Election 201 Verv . Hat ! Form , Is it Not ? 201 H . R . H . the Duke of Albany ' s Marriage 201 , Reviews 20 ' I

Masonic Notes ami Queries 201 REI' -. RTS UF MASONIC MEETIXOSCraft Masonry 203 Instruction 202

Koyal Arch 203 Ancient and Accepted Kite 203 Fas . Lancashire Systematic Masonic Filucational and Benevolent Institution 204 Tlie Worshipful Company of Shipwrights 204

Masonic Meetings 111 Dublin 204 1 he Theatres 20 .. Music 205 Science ami Art 20 . , Masonic ami General Tidings 2 o £ i Lodge Meetings for Next Week 207

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WE understand that the coming elections will present some veiy curious features , and that the voting power developed is not only greatly on thc increase , but threatens almost to become unmanageable . The boys and widows seem to be , from what we hear , in greatest demand ; then come the old men , and lastly the girls . We think that there must be some great

change in the inherent gallantry of Freemasons to allow such a state of things to come about . But voting arrangements are alwa ) 's dry , matter-offact realities , and are neither affected by sentiment nor controlled by personal considerations . From what we are informed , we are led to believe that the number of votes polled at all the elections will be unprecedentedly large .

THE announcement of the proposal to elect all the twenty-eight girls bas crime on the Craft with equal pleasure and surprise . It is a resolution which all will support and none cavil al . Perhaps it is a pity thai such intention was not made public earlier , as many arrangements have been made in respect to the election , with which the other elections are mixed up , and we

fear a good deal of confusion and uncertainty , doubt and debate may arise . What the effect , for instance , of the non-polling may have on engagements to pay girls votes on Saturday , must , we think , remain a matter of considerable doubt . It is no secret that the Provincial Charity Organizations and others alike , as Committees and individuals , have , lo aid each others cases ,

entered into a mutual compact to pay , or repay , a certain number of votes on Saturday next , when proposals as regards the Boys' and thc Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution voting are also in progress . Hut all these friendly negotiations are necessarily stopped " in limine " by the non-polling , in all human probability , on Saturday next . What then is the

status of the various parties ? How are the respective interests affected ? are questions which must employ the heads and tongues of our numerous Masonic Solons . The best solution of all such doubts and queries would be an authoritative declaration by our able Bro . the GRAND REGISTRAR , for instance , to which all would defer , and by " communiconsensu " all would be guided .

lie A A auERY elsewhere , in reference lo the subject of the Girls' School election , deserves consideration , and will , we think , produce a reply , at any rate , in the room .

OUR readers will note in another column an agreeable proof of thc good international feeling luppily existing between American and English Freemasons , by the interesting paragraph relating to our worthy Bro . Dr . I - ' SIIER , and the admirable Masonic feeling shown on both sides . = : - ¦ '" *

A CORRESPONDENT , who signs himself "Auauis , " seems to wish to call attention to some blots , as he thinks , in our charity work , but wisely , we think , abstains from doing so this week . Next week we shall hope to receive

and print his communication , and doubt not that it will be worthy of note and perusal . We would , however , beg to remind " ALIAC / IS * " that it is very easy to find fault with existing arrangements , though very difficult to make better ones .

_ : WE have often heard , all of us , of the old proverb , " Pouring oil on troubled Waters , " and those of us who have had much to do with human life in its

various phases and developements must have been often ready to exclaim , as tne y have journeyed onwards through trials and troubles , and difficulties and Cr oss-purposes , " Blessed are the peacemakers . " Nothing in life is so detestable as the " Marplot * " as the being who repeats tittle-tattle ; relates l "e idle utterances of unguarded moments ; hands on those winged words

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which say so much and mean more . Still , as of old , the mischief-maker creates lasting animosities , and the whisperer scparatcth chief friends ; and many a lodge is suffering just now from lhat most unruly member— " the tongue . " Curiously enough , according to the Graphic , a Mr . J SHIELDS , of Perth , has , by pumping oil for forty minutes in a stormy sea at Peterhead , made the proverb strictly and materiall y true .

XV ? . a .-e astonished , wc confess , lo find our esteemed Bro . J SIMONS , of New York , claiming the paternity of the public installation meetings . In our humble opinion , il isa very rickety and unhealthy bantling , and will sooner or later come to grief . In England we do not even profess to understand such a " modus agendi ; " and we of the Freemason entirely agree with our excellent contemporary , the Keystone , on the subject .

Bro . Lieut . Col . SOMERVILLK BURNEY , P . G . D ., is said to have made an eloquent speech about the universality ot Freemasonry at the last meeting of the lodge of Antiquity , when in the social circle ; and we quite agree with our distinguished brother that it is a very wonderful and striking fact , explain

it as you will , illustrate it as you may , go where you will Freemasonry is , and its universality is alike , not only its great rise , but its prevailing distinction . How far Freemasonry is indigenous or introduced is the " Crux " which has baffled the researches of students and the labours of the historian . Mason-marks are found even-where ; we believe in every land ;

and if we are to assume that such marks point to a Cosmopolitan Building Society , or Sodalities of Masons , it is very difficult to avoid the conclusion to which such a presumption might seem to lead us . But even now we are not quite certain what the marks really are , and above all , what they point to . As a rule , they arc alphabetical ; that is , the

earliest form of the literals of the country where they are found ; but they are also numerals ; and as , in addition to these alphabetical marks , such as the early Greek , Phoenician , Coptic , Etruscan , Semitic , Latin , we have symbolical figures and Hermetic signs common to all countries , the difficulty of adequately explaining them is materially increased . It is said that

at Herculaneum and Pompeii , for instance , the marks assume that square form which has been afterwards adopted as the Hermetic and Alchemical alphabet , and later still as a Masonic cypher . Amid this general doubt and grave uncertainty , so far , it appears to us , that it is unsafe to lay down dogmatically that we can fairly derive any clear argument from Masons ' marks . We cannot , however , afford to ignore them altogether .

* * * THE Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race has now become one of the events of the year , and some think that it may be said to begin the London season . Oxford has again been successful , and the race took place amid line weather , vast crowds , and much pleasurable excitement . Oxford seems lo have had it

all its own way , and Cambridge was under-boated and over-rowed . We trust that the race will long continue to flourish , inasmuch as it affords a day ' s agreeable amusement and festive sociality to old and young . To say ,

as some papers do , that the crews find the crowds and noise rather trying and antagonistic to good rowing is simply absurd affectation . There is more genuine " row " after successful "bumps " on the Isis andthe Cam than there ever is on good Father Thames . .. * .,.

J now our fair friends seem to be agitated with the serious announcement of a radical change in dress , and the mystical announcement of the "divided petticoat . " On enquiry we find that this is a proposal for a resuscitated

" Bloomerism , " neither more nor less ; and whether it has aristocratic patronage or not , we feel sure that it may be safely left to the good sense and better taste of the female part of our creation . As Freemasons , we have entire confidence in them .

* * WE are always pleased to light upon a bit of genuine sentiment . In an American exchange we find the following , which we think worthy of note and perusal : " Age is but a relative term , after all . The liquor fresh from

the still is sold as ' prime old stuff , twenty years old , sir ; ' venerable fowl are but chickens at the market-house ; antique furniture is made to order ; eggs that have been in the shop a month and more are fresh laid ; the men who painted the ' old masters' which adorn your wall walk briskly about the