The Anniversary Festival Of The Boys' School.

Vice-President and Treasurer of the Institution ; Benjamin Head , P . G . D ., Vice-Fatron of the Institution ( H . C . ); J . C . Parkinson , P . G . D ., V . Patron ofthe Institution ; J . Wordsworth , P . G . Std ., Vice-Patron and Trustee of the Institution ; Sigismund Rosenthal , Vice-Patron of the

Institution ( H . C . ) ; Raynham W . Stewart , P . G . D ., Vice-President of the Institution ( H . C . ) ; Hon . Treasurer : "VV . B . * o . Thomas Cubitt , P . M . 183 , P . G . Purst ., Vice-President of the Institution ; Hon . Secretary : W . Bro . Frederick Binckes , Vice-President ( P . G . Std . ) , and Secretary to the

Institution ; and all the Vice-Patrons and Vice-Presidents of the Institution , Present and Past Grand Officers , Present and Past Grand Stewards , and Present and Past Provincial Grand Officers . We are very glad to hear that non-Masons are not to be present , while we equally approve of

the attendance of our fair sisters . Bro . Binckes , far-seeing in his generation , has learnt by experience , what great help can be obtained by us poor " men" from the kindly countenance and active sympathy of " woman , " and we have no doubt that his past successes will be even more

successful in this year of Lig ht and Grace 1878 . Wishing the governing body goodly lists and fine weather , we anticipate with confident expectation that the approaching Festival will be an "Alba Dies" in the memorable annals of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys .

The Girls' And The Boys' Schools.

THE GIRLS' AND THE BOYS ' SCHOOLS .

When these lines meet the eyes of our readers the elections for the House Committees and Audit Committees of these two Institutions will be over . We shall have selected those brethren for 1878 , to whom we have thought well to

confide the immediate and internal government of our two important Schools . It will have Struck many of our brethren how much more interest has been manifested this year than is usual in elections , which have often seemed to be a mere matter of form . All of a sudden the

Board-room is filled with an eager and excited crowd of voters , and the positions of the old Committeemen and the claims of new aspirants for office , are warmly upheld , or zealously opposed . The reason of all this is not far to seek . The Institutions are becoming very great and

remaikable ones in every sense , and it is not unnatural that with an increased constituency there should be a larger number of applicants for office . We think it well then , as such is the case now , and such is still very likely for many reasons to be the case for the future , to call the

attention of the authorities of both the Schools to some irregularities , as we deem them , which are allowed , no doubt ignorantly , so to say , to exist , but which if not corrected and removed ¦ will in time materially affect the progress and welfare of those two noble Institutions . 1 . First of

all , there seems to be an objectionable system of the House Committee issuing a " list " of themselves , and those theij think " proper and fit to be on the Committee . " We are aware that in many institutions there is a "house list , " and we , therefore , do not make any complaint abont a

common custom , though it be one , we think , for various reasons , very unadvisable in itself . And we will tell our readers why . The one great evil of all such institutions is , the asseition of quasi-vested interests , the unwillingness to improve , to reform , to progress , the objection to

" new blood " on the Committee . It is not advisable , we venture to think , to have the same Committee every year , and it isperlectly natural for the Life Governors to seek to put on new members year by year . If , however , the House

Committee make it a " personal question , " and form a ' clique ' or a "caucus , " and resist change , any attempt to put on new members , ( except by a very strong " whip , ' ) becomes an herculean labour . We need not go far to find an illustration of this fact in

one of the recent elections . 11 . We also object to the practice that nominators of brethren should bs scrutineers . The scrutineers should certainl y be always Selected from those who are not nominators , as , though we know the high character of our brethren who kindly act as scrutineers , yet as long as human nature remains human nature ,

The Girls' And The Boys' Schools.

under similar circumstances it will be impossible to prevent complaints as to favouritism , doubts as to " absolute purity of election . " * ' Caesar ' s wife should be above suspicion , " remarks a classical friend of ours , and while we agree in the truism , we think that its moral may fairlv be

applied to all such voting arrangements . in . " n the third place we do not think that any brethren connected with the supplies to the Schools should be-on any of the Committees . It is certainly not the custom in other like

Institutions . They are barred properly from the " House Committee , " and they ought to be from the Audit Committee , as it is an act of great absurdity for a " Contractor" to audit his own accounts ! If such be the case in either of the

Institutions , the sooner it is put a stop to the better . We say all this in a most kindly spirit . We are simply anxious for the present and future welfare of our admirable institutions , and , therefore , what we say we trust will be taken in good part , and in the spirit in which it has been

penned . It is the duty of the Freemason to seek in all fraternal good feeling and modesty to endeavour to lead and form our Masonic public opinion , but in this case we venture to say that we reflect the feelings of the great majority of our readers , and of many of the most zealous and cultivated friends of our admirable and useful Institutions .

The Collision In The Channel

THE COLLISION IN THE CHANNEL

We shall all be truly sorry to read of and hear of that mournful collision by which a great German ironclad has been sunk , and 300 of its gallant crew lost . We shall all deeply deplore so sad and unaccountable an accident , and the lamentable destruction of so many valuable lives .

It does , at first sight , appear a great reflection on human skill and science thatsuch fearful accidents ' involving such awful waste of human existence , should take place before our eyes . But let us not too hastily blame or condemn . The very advance of naval architecture , under altered

conditions and with new forces , seems to entail upon us also grave drawbacks and novel dangers , and the recent grievous accident will , in all probability , turn out to be , like that of our own " Vanguard , " a matter almost beyond human skill to avoid , or earthly power to prevent . In the meantime , our sympathies with the poor

friends and relatives of the lost will be widespread and earnest , and we rejoice to hear that a subscription list is about to be opened , under the auspices of the Lord Mayor , for those whom this awful catastrophe has lett bereft of their natural protectors and support . We feel sure that alike to Germans and Englishmen , such a veritable calamity will not appeal in vain .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ We do not hold ourselves responsible for , or even as approving ef ehcopinions expressed by our correspondents , taut we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary i-nits—free discussion . —ED . 1 ELECTION OFTHE HOUSE COMMITTEE OF THE

GIRLS' SCHOOL . 7 * o the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I think it hut right , in the face of the forthcoming election of the Girls' School , to show the brethren who intenel to vote on that occasion , anel were not present at the above election on Thursday week , the mode of precedure

on . that day , in oieler that they may be present at next General Committee , anel insist upon some better plan being adopteel . The meeting commenced by appointing scrutineers , some of whom were actually candidates for the Audit Committee .

The poll having been declared open , voting papees were supplied , carefully arranged , printed with the names of the olel Committee in elifferent type to that of the new candidates . This was , no doubt , for the guidance of the voter ., - , who had been previously supplied with a card issued by the Committee .

Those papers were supposeel to be handed to voters after they had signed the attendance book , but I challenge those in charge to deny the possibility of unprincipled voters getting a double supply . In the fearful confusion there was in obtaining them—the noise and bustle being so great that the meeting was conclueled with the greatest difficulty

the Chairman , who really deserved the sympath y of every one present , declared it impossible to proceed with the business . Now , sir , there were 216 signatures as voting power present , I counted them myself , and this is borne out by your report of Saturday last . 230 were eleclared to have voted . How comes this ? Where did the other fourteen votes come from ? And even then some had obtained two

Original Correspondence.

papers instead of one , by signing twice , for I saw the signature of one brother twice . In what capacity eloes he vote twice ? Let those who had charge of this matter say i they consider this a legal election . But I go further , and say it was a dishonest election , when one of our brethren , well known , stood at the table where the papers were issued , and with a handful of papers , as though officially

placed there , and when he saw brethren who were not up to these sharp practices ( many of them never having been at an election before ) , got their papers from them , telling them it was all right , he would fill them up for them , which he did to his own liking . Many of the brethren , I am sure , will bear me out in this , and are ready to give evidence if needed , as it was a subject of general comment .

This , I am informed , was an old " confidence trick , " practised last year to serve this sime individual ' s election . Surely , such things cannot be too widely known throughout the Craft , that those intending to vote on the next occasion may frustrate these practices of packing and nun ing Committees , and I think after such a scene we

should endeavour to alter the constitutions of these Committees , by making it imperative that a certain number shall retire annually , and shall not be eligible for re-election during the same year . Apologising for having taken up so much of your valuable space , I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , OBSERVER .

AN OLD MASONIC BOOK .. To the Editor ofthe " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I have a book that the 6 th chapter of the ist part of it corresponds with the " mutilated copy in possession of the J . W . 168 . " "Chap . VI .: The state of Masonry from Grand Master Seleucus Nicanor to the death of Herod the Great . ( Note : in mine Nicanore not

Nicator ) . The paragraphs quoted by Bro . J . D . 168 from it also correspond ; there is at the end of it a collection of Masonic songs , a List of Grand Masters or Patrons of the Free Masons in England from the coming-in of the Anglo-Saxons to the year of our Lord 176 ; , a List of Preivincial Grand Masters eleputed by and under the protection of the Grand Master of England , which appeared in the Freemason about two years ago , copied from this book .

Also a copy of the Charter of Incorporation of Free and Accepted Masons , which appeared about the same time , in the Freemaso-t . The title eif it is " The Constitutions of the Ancient and Honourable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons , containing the History of Masonry from the Creation throughout the known World , w ' . th the Charges , Regulations , &_ ., & c .

Will this be of any use to "Masonic Student ?" In reading Bro . Dr . Dalcho's Masonic Orations ( Grand Master of the Sublime Grand Lodgeof South Carolina ) , delivered in the Sub . G . Lodge of S . C , in Charleston , on the 21 st of March , A . L . 5807 , A . D . 1803 , to which is

added an appendix containing an historical inquiry into the origin of the difference of Antient and Modern Masons , usually so called , & c , & c . At p . 78 : "In the year 173 6 , a provincial deputation was maele by Lord Loudon , Grand Master cf England , for South Carolina .

On looking over the list of lodges , & c , as altered by order of the Grand Lodge of England , April iS-H , 1792 , the following appointments for South Caroliu . are recorded , viz . : — "A . D . 1735 , No . 45 , Solomon ' s Lodge , Charleston , S . C , Lorel Viscount Montague being Grand Master .

„ 1743 , No . 75 , Prince George ' s Lodge , Winyard , S . C , Lorel Viscount Dudley and Ward I being Granel Master . 11 ' 755 > No - Il ( i i Union Lodge , Charleston , S . C , Marquis of Carnarvon being Grand Master . „ 1756 , No . 125 , A Master ' s Lodge , Charleston , S . C , Marquis of Carnarvon being Grand Master .

„ 1756 , No . 126 , Port Royal Lodge , S . C , Marquis of Carnarvon being Grand Master . „ 1763 , No . 173 , St . Mark ' s Lodge , S . C , Earl Ferrers , Grand Master . Three years before the existence of that body in London calling themselves Ancient York Masons , the first lodge was established in this State , under the Grand Lodge of

Free and Accepteel Masons . " In Cole ' s List from 1770 , Solomon ' s Lodge numbered 62 , while in the list above in 1792 the number is 45 . According to Bro . Dalcho I fine ! in p . 77 that he gives the date of the Earl of Crawford as Grand Master in 1738 , which must be a mistake for the Marquis of Carnarvon . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , R . W . O .

ELECTION OF COMMITTEES , R . M . I . FOR GIRLS . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Perhaps few operations are more painful than ha ving one ' s eyes opened against their will . As a Mason of some ten years' experience I am grieved to say I am more frequently conscious of acute pain in this direction

m connection with Masonic work than is consistent wilh our Masonic professions . Unsophisticated Ma-ons do believe in the vital forces of those great principles of honour , right , truth , and justice , which are so elaborately formulated in our Masonic ritual . I wish some of our very active members had those principles more eleeplv

en graven on their hearts—then such an unseemly scandal as the disorderly proceedings at the elections on Thursday , May 30 th , would have been avoided . I cannot conceive any body of men -vho could have paid less respect to our distinguished Chairman , and Bro . Coltmel Creaton must be blessed with great forbearance , or he would have dissolved the meeting as incompetent to discharge the