Approaching Election Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

13 previous attempts , and No . li , with 19 votes from five years ; Bristol , No . 8 , with 20 votes from nine ballots , and a new case at No . 4 8 ; Staffordshire , No . 10 , with 9 8 votes in hand from the last eig ht , aud No . 14 , with 40 votes from the last three years ;

East Lancashire , No . 2 , with 333 votes obtained at 13 elections , and No . 13 , with 32 votes from four ; West Lancashire , No . 16 , with 13 votes from the last three years , and No . 2 g , a newcase ; Middlesex , Nos . 35 and 42 ; Kent , Nos . 45 and 51 ; and

Bedfordshire , Nos . 49 and 50 . The Durham widow at No . 4 starts with 271 votes from 11 years ; the Cornish widow at No . 6 with 114 votes from the last 10 years ; the Lincolnshire widow at No . 12 has 42 votes in hand ; thc North Wales at No . 17 , 21 votes , and

those from Oxfordshire and Cheshire , at Nos . 21 and 22 , 439 and 7 votes respectively . No . 31 , from Bengal , No . 38 , from West Yorkshire , and No . 4 6 , from Leicestershire and Rutland , are new

cases . As regards matters relating to their late husbands' membershi p and services , the remarks we have made in respect of the male applicants will hold good here likewise , the claims of all having been deemed worthy of acceptance .

"The Finest Hoax Of The Century."

" THE FINEST HOAX OF THE CENTURY . "

Now that M . LEO TAXIL , the convert from Atheism to Roman Catholicism , has unblushingl y avowed that he is the ori g inator of the DlANA VAUGHAN story , and has publicl y thanked the Romish priesthood for the very valuable assistance

they rendered him in perpetrating " the finest hoax of the century , " it will be interesting to know if the priests are prepared not only to acknowledge that they have been outrageousl y gulled , but also to offer some kind of apology to a reputable

Societ y , at which , for reasons of their own , they have always been ready to throw mud . There is no doubt that in other European countries the Freemasons , as there established , have allowed themselves so far to deviate from the orisdnal scheme

of Freemasonry as to take part in the political and religious controversies of their fellow-countrymen . But even ASMODEUS himself , the alleged husband of the mythical DlANA VAUGHAN , would have some difficultv in associating Freemasonry , as it is

professed and practised in the United Kingdom and the United States of North America , as well as in Germany , Denmark , Sweden , and other European States , with any of the passing

political and reli g ious movements of thc day . Indeed , in English-speaking communities all the different parties into which the political world is divided include in their ranks an almost unlimited number of members who are Freemasons .

Hence these men , when they enter the lodge , leave their politics outside , and have but one desire in common—how best they can show respect for constituted authority , and the reli g ious opinions of their fellow men . Some few among the Roman Catholic

laity , and it may be also among their priests , have grudgingl y g iven us credit for possessing these attributes ; but thc Roman Catholic priesthood , as a whole , are our bitterest enemies , and never miss an opportunity of doing us all the injury in their

power . Even the grotesque absurdities of the DlANA VAUGHAN story appear to have strengthened all but the few amongst those who had not taken leave of their senses in their hostility to the Craft . Some of them , no doubt , may even have gone so far

as to chuckle over the monstrous immoralities ascribed to us b y DlANA VAUGHAN , "Palladian Grand Mistress of the Supreme and Mysterious Lodge of Universal Freemasonry , " not because they were in love with immoralities , but because the possession

of these immoralities by the Freemasons furnished them with some sort of justification for their und ying hatred of Freemasonry . But the whole thing has now , according to the statements contained in one of the most influential orp-ans of

the English press , proved to be a hoax . AL LEO I AXIL has avowed himself the author of it , and the Romish priests , as a body , have received his thanks for enabling him to carry out his hoax successfully . As they are now shown to have

been in the wrong and to have hail no foundation for their most recent calumnies at the expense of Masonry , it is manifestl y their duty to make us the amende honorable and acknowledge

that the charges ( hey have made against us on the faith of the DlANA YAIT . HAN story are baseless . The doctrine of Papa ! inlVillibililv has not had thc e ffect of preventing * the Romish

"The Finest Hoax Of The Century."

Church from being gulled b y M . LEO TAXIL in this matter and it ought not in reason to keep them from publicl y retracting their error and avowing that , on the faith of statements which have since been proved to be false , they have unwittingl y slandered a

body of reputable men whose watchwords are Loyalty and Charity . They can easil y do this in a dignified manner and sincerely . We have no desire that they should humble themselves before the world , but only that they should cease their

enmity towards a Society which has clone them no harm , has always shown them , as it has shown to every other reli g ious organisation , the utmost respect , and has no other object in view than to live in Charity with all men , whether they be

Masons or non-Masons . Perhaps , too , if they realise that they are in error in ( heir more recent charges , they may bethink themselves of looking more closel y into previous charges they have recklessl y made against us ; if so , we imagine they will have but

little difficulty in discovering that they , too , are baseless , and that Freemasonry , after all , is not and never has been anything but the sincerest friend of religion and good government . We must

not , however , be too sanguine . To acknowledge they have been misled in this particular case will be a bitter p ill to swallow , and we must leave it to time to •correct the other errors respecting Freemasonry into which they have fallen .

Supreme Grand Chapter.

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER .

The Quarterly Convocation ol Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of F . ngland was held on Wednesday evening at Freemasons' Hall . Earl Amherst , Grand H ., presided as M . E . G . Z . ; His Honour Judge Philbrick , O . C , Grand Superintendent of Essex , as G . H . ; and Comp .

I . ieut .-Col . R . Townley Caldwell , M . A ., Grand Superintendent of Cambridge , as G . J . Comp . E . Letchworth , Grand Scribe E ., occupied his usual seat , and Comp . Sir John B . Monckton , acted as G . Scribe N . ; Comp . W . B . Coltman acted as G . P . S . ; Comp . W . Smithett as ist Asst . G . Soj . ; and Comp . Ralph Glutton as 2 nd Asst . G . Soj .

There were also present amongst a large number of companions of the Order Comps . Robert Grey , W . W . B . Beach , G . J ., W . M . Bywater , Thomas Fenn , Sir G . D . Harris , Frank Richardson , Major T . C . Walls , A . C . Spaull , Dr . Clement Godson , L . G . Gordon Robbins , R . Horton

Smith , Q . C , General Randolph , W . Lake , Henry Lovegrove , T . W . Whitmarsh , John N < ewton , J . J . Thomas , W . A . Scurrah , George Graveley , S . V . Abraham , J . E . Le Feuvre , George Read , Col . Gordon , and James Stephens .

After the Grand Chapter had been opened and the minutes read and confirmed , ihe appointment and investiture of Grand Officers took place . Eail AMHERST announced that the Princeof Wales was again M . E . G . Z . and that his Royal Highness had appointed the Earl of Lathom , G . C . B ., as Pro M . E . G . Z . ; himself ( Earl Amherst ) as G . H . ; and Comp . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., as G . J . The other appointments were :

Comp . Edward Letchworth ... ... ... G . S . E . „ Thomas Fenn ... ... ... G . S . N . „ Sir George David Harris ... ... Pres . Com . of G . P Alderman W . Vauehan Morgan ... G . Treasurer .

„ Judge Philbrick , Q . C . ... ... G . Registrar . „ ft . Horton Smith , Q . C . ... ... Dep . G . Registrar . „ Sir Francis Boileau , Bart . ... ... G . P . S . „ Malcolm A , Morris , F . R . C . S . ... ... ist A . G . S . „ Richard Wilson ... ... ... 2 nd A . G . S .

„ W . Russell ... ... ... G . S . B . ,, Deputy-Surgeon General Ringer ... ... Dep . G . S . B . „ Geo . C . Kent ... ... ... ist G . Std . Br . „ A . Stubbs ... ... ... ... 2 ndG . Std . Br . ., H . W . Kiallmark ... ... ... 3 rd G . Std . Br . .. Walter Ebbetts . F . R . I . B . A . ... ... 4 th G . Std . Br .

„ Pierrepont Harris ... ... ... 5 th G . Std . Br . „ Major G . H . . N . B . idges ... ... 6 th G . Std . Br . „ Frank Richaidson ... ... ... G . D . C . ., Stanley Altcnboroueh ... ... ... Dep . G . D . C .

„ T . A . Bullock ... ... ... ist A . G . D . C . „ J . Stocker ... ... ... ... 2 nd A . G . D . C . „ E . C . Mulvey ... ... ... 3 rd A . G . D . C . .. Walter Martin ... ... ... Ath A . G . D . C .

,, Geo . F . Smith ... ... ... G . Organist . „ W . Lake ... ... ... ... A . G . S . E . „ H . Sadler ... ... ... ... G . Janitor . On the motion of Comp . Sir GEO . D . HARRIS , seconded by Comp . F

RICHARDSON , the report of the Committee of General Purposes—as published in the Freemason last week—was taken as read , and ordered to be received and entered on the minutes . Also on the motion of Comp . Sir J . D . HARRIS , seconded by Comp . FRANK RICHARDSON , the different recommendations contained in that report wtre confirmed , and charters were granted for chapters to be attached

to Lodge No . noo , Bombay ; No . 16 45 , Slaithwaite , West Yorks ; No . 2030 , London ; No . 1708 , North Fmchley , Middlesex ; No . 2385 , Oldbury , Worcestershire ; and No . 2034 , Mjseley , Worcestershire , and an unconditional grant of a chapter to be attached to Lodge No . i 6 f > 2 , Lo-idjn , was also made . Chapter No . 1839 , London , was authorised to change its place of meeting to the Holborn Restaurant ; and further time was allowed to Chaptet No . 40 , 15 , Port of Spain , to reply to the summons sent to it .