What Next, Indeed ?

our often grovelling manhood , and therefore , within due limits none will welcome our well dressed and gentle , ; , nd sympathetic , and graceful sisters more heartily than ourselves . But we feel bound to say , that the movement . thoughgood ; itself , will be gravely impeded amongst us , if

instead of gradually improving our habits 111 this respect , we hastily sweep away all turners which Masonic prudence woulel suggest , or Masonic ritual would demand . We go a long way for the " rights " of our Masonic sisters , knowing well their worth , their truth , their virtues and

their impoitance to us all ; but \ va do not think it well to initiate even the best of movements , with a wrong both to Masonic icelihg , and the ancient laws of our excellent Order . It is unwis ? , in our opinion , to rush from one extreme to the

other , and we in Great Britain , shall prefer to make the pleasant presence of the ladies , the exception , if even a most agreeable exception , to the sterner law of Masonic ritujlism , and the unchanged requirements of ceremonial secrecy !

Der Freimaurer Of Vienna.

DER FREIMAURER OF VIENNA .

We welcome a new illustrated Masonic paper , " Der Freimauier cf Vienna , " as a very promising and creditable production of the Viennese Masonic Pres ; -. We wish it all success , and

trust th . it it may have a large circle of readers , and of fraternal supporters . It Vias reached its second r . umbe r , and appears to be carefully edited , and well got up . Bro . Carl Fischer—we

presume a reh tion of the well-knoA'n and able Brother Kobeit Fischer—is the editor , and we beg to assure our latest and not least worthy confrere , that from us he will always receive all fraternal courtesy , interest , and sympathv .

The Grand Orient Of France.

THE GRAND ORIENT OF FRANCE .

We have received the last bulletin of the Grand Orient de France , and though space does not permit us to call attention to it this week , we shall do so next , as we think that our worthy Bro . St . Jean , and the Conseil de L'Ordre deserve great credit for their loyal ende-avours to uphold the Constitutions coute qui coute .

P.G. Lodge Of West Yorshire.

P . G . LODGE OF WEST YORSHIRE .

We have received the printed report from the D . P . G . M . of West Yorkshire , with reference to thj Boys' School , but as we are clearly of opinion that the appointment of such a Committee was" ultra vires , " and have grave djubts of the legality of the Committee ' s appointment which has made this report , we decline to take an / further notice of it . The whole of these

unfortunate proceedings have a personal and partizan hue , and are in our opinion subversive of every true principle of the Craft to which we profess to belong .

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .

At the Cambridge Local Examination , Christmas , 18 75 , three boys from this school passed with first-class honours—the only ones in this class of those examined at the London Main Centre . Of these one was distinguished for mathtm . tics and one for English . In the second

and third classes there was one ; and nine satisfied the ex iminers . Total passed , 14 , out of 18 candidates sent up for examination . In all London and suburbs thete were two schools ahead of the Royal Masonic School . —Mill Hill School , Hendon ] passed eight ; and Christ ' s

Col . ' e ^ e , Finchley , four . —In all England , three , Mill Hill School , eight- Finchley , Christ ' s College , four j and Brighton Grammar School , tour . Four schools were equal—University School , Hastings , three ; Huddersfleld College , three ; Wolveihampton Grammar School , three ; and Framlingham Middle Class School , three .

The Wilson Ms. Constitution.

THE WILSON MS . CONSTITUTION .

i »> M ' ve to " tiay thc commencement and the close ol the Wilson MS . Constitution . "PHILLIPS MSS . 6 . 151 . 11 * r " Thc Book of Constitutions . 1 , u , might of the Father of Heaven and the wiselo . ne 01 the glorious Sone , through the grace and goodn-s of the MOIJ ohost , yt . bene three p . sons and one God , be witn

The Wilson Ms. Constitution.

us at our begimnge and give u > grace soe to govern us heere in gur living * -, that wee may come to his blisse . that never shall have endinge . Anion . * * * IS * " Theis charges that wi hive n . mve rehersed unto yon , and all other that bel > nge to Masons yee shall keepe , so helpe your Go 1 an 1 yonr Halli lome . "

I believe that the Wilson and Edinburgh Kilwinning are " replicas , " so to say , from one common ori ginal , or the Edinburgh Kilwinning may be a transcript of Ihe Wilson , MS . which , as Preston knew about so distinctly , may have had something to do orig inally with York . A . F . A " . WooDioiio .

Alleged Certificate Of The Pope's Admission Into Freemasonry.

ALLEGED CERTIFICATE OF THE POPE'S ADMISSION INTO FREEMASONRY .

This document has been published by " II Precursore di-Palermo , " January 31 , 1870 . O . . di Nuremberg . Loggia—Fedelta Germanica , ftglia derlla Gran Loggia eli Baviera—con costituziemi della Gran Loggia Medre —/

Ire Glohi di Berhno . Consta nell'Archivio con il N . 13715 il seguente documento , certificate eel autenticato in debita e voluta forma , scritto in Italian > , munito 0011 il gran Sigillo derlla Gran Loggia Luce Perpetua di Napoli . " Loggia Mass . " . Elerna Catena in Palermo . " Noi Maestri dignitari eel Official ! dei trc gradi Massoniei

di San Giovanni : Certifichiamo nel nome del Supremo Maestro , che tutti dirige , che oggi in cjuesta data , arle ore dodTci della nolle , abbiamo ricevuto in questa Loggia con le norme presciitte dal suo rituale e con intiera sottomi < sione alia sua costituzione , il Fratello Giovanni Ferretti Mastai , nativo degli S-ati Pmtifici . il quale dopo di avere prestato il giuramento in presenza di tutti noi , dichiareY di

non appartenere a nessuna societa secreta , tranne a questa Loggia , cd ha pagato i diritti che le spettano . " Per cio ordiniamo a tutte le Loggie Massoniche del Monelo , di riconascerlo e ritenerlo come reale e vero Massone , ricevuto in una reale e perfetta Loggia , e cosi giudichiamo e testimoniamo , come uomini conosciuti e onurati , che ri - tengano tutti il presente documento come vero , e firmiamo

in Palermo , nell'anno profano c civile 18 . 39 nclla . prima quindicina del mese di agosto . " Ac varietur . Giovanni Ferretti Mastai , 11 Venerabile della Loggia Matlco Chiaen II Segretario della Loggia Paolo Dttplessi ., II Gran Maestro della R . Loggia di Napoli , Sislo Calano . li certifico essere vero quanto si afferma piii s-ipra , e

che consta nell ' archivio questo documento sotto il numero indicate firmato . Guglielmo De JVtllelshorh , Grin Maestro della . Gran Loggia di Baviera ( Principe di Baviera ) . It would aprcar that this document originally appeared in the " Gazetta de Napoli , " July 26 th , but we do not understanel the statement that it was approved by the Ttepresctative of Germany , or what he has to do with it .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ We do not hold ourselves responsible for , or even as approving of the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain iiecesr-ary limits—free discussion . —ED . ]

FRENCH LODGES IN LONDON . Orde Londres le , 187 An tie la V . L . 000 , 003 , 000 , Monsieur le Redacteur enchef du " The Freemason . " Jc viens vous prier au nom de la lodge francaise " les Philadelphes ct la Concorde Reunis , " dont je suis I'Oratcur , de vouler publier parmisles annonces des loges

l ' avis suivant . " Aux Francmacons anglais et etrangers qui patient ou entendent la langue francaise j Maconnerie Progrcssiste et Scientifique—Loge francaise les Philadelphes et la Concorde Reunis , tenu tous les Mecredis soir , a 9 heures , 6 , Charles-street , Middlesex Hospital , au Spread Eagle ; Orateur le F . II . Valleton . "

Je vous serait personellement tres oblige si vous voulez bien fixer cettc annonce dans les renscignmentv NHepninques . —Voire devouc " , II . VALLETON . [ We publish the above at the request of the writer , who is , we believe a correspandent of the " Monde Macjnnique , " which is edited by our esteemed Bro . Caubet , but as wc do not feel sure that the Lodge " Pnilaelelphes ct la

Concorde Reunis isa regular lodge or lawfully warranted , we shall be glad of " reuseignments Maconniques " on that point . Some time back the Board of General Purposes issued a circular to lodges , with reference to the " Philadelphes , " & c . We should be glad to know , therefore , what is the exact position of the " Philatlclp hes et la Concorde Ileum ? , " before alluding publicly to the matter . —Eu . ]

BYE-LAWS OR BY-LAWS . To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir ' and Brother , — I send you a cutting from a Bath newspaper of the 12 th of February bearing upon the spelling of the word " Bye-law , " alluded to in " Frater's" letter in the " Freemason" of same day , an extract from which may be useful . His Spelling Bee idea hadbecn anticipated at Bath . Yours fraternally , WILLIAM TOFF .

THE " SPELLING BEE . " To the Editor of the Bath Herald . Sir , —The spelling erf the word " bye-law " at the Assembly Rooms has not only caused a little excitement , but has also been productive ^ of _ some correspondence on the subject . The following " extract from a letter from no less an an authority than the Recorder of Bath will doubtless be interesting to all readers and spellers : — "

Original Correspondence.

" 1 , Elm court , Temple , London , E . G ., "Feb . 4 th , 1876 . " Dear Sir , —When in Bath yesterday , and in conversation with a friend relative to the late " Spelling Bee " meeting . I was informed that you failed in consequence of spelling-bye-law as I have written it , instead of by-law ( without the letter e ) , the referees deciding that the latter is the

correct way of spelling the word . I should have called upon you on the subject had I time , and I now take the first opportunity of affording my testimony to the accuracy of your spelling . The word bye-law is essentially a legal word , and we certainly find it in a prominent position in Acts of Parliament , and always spelt as you have spelt it . Not a session of Parliament has passed for the last so

years in which thc word so spelt is- not to be found in a doz : n different Acts . In that popular Act of Parliament , the Municipal Corporations Act of 1825 , the word s > o spelt is to be found at least a hundred times , and in the statutes eif the list session you will find the word so spelt at least a thousand times . In truth , in our Acts of Parliament it is never spelt in any other way , and the spelling : of by-law is

not to be found in any Act of Parliament for the last 50 years . Now , although erroneous spelling ( like bad grammar ) is occasionally to be met with in Acts of Parliament , it is always recognised as bad spelling , and is only exceptional ; but in the case of the word bye-law , this spelling is the adopted and recognised spelling of the highest authority in the land , and which never departs

from it . This , in my mind , is really a legislative declaration that this is the proper way of spelling the word . " Believe me , yours very truly , "To Mr . Davies . THOS . WM . SAUNDERS . The " Penny Cyclopaedia " also states : — " The word is of Saxon o igin , and derived from the worel by , or bye , a town ; hence , town laws . " There is therefore evidently a good ground forthe alternative spelli . i ' , and it is strange

that the three dictionaries used as authorities should not have admitted both ways . In this case the referees could not do otherwise than rule against the competitor , although it was most evident that those assembled at the rooms and many who were not present consielered that the word was correctly spelt bye-law . Apologising for thus trespassing upon your valuable space , I remain , Sir , THE COMPETITOR RULED OUT " BV-LAW . "

MASONIC CO-OPERATIVE STORES . To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — So much has been said by ^ our ) Masonic brethren in trade in the leading thoroughfares of London of the evil effects upon their business by the different Co-operative Supply Associations , that I am induced to asked through

the " Freemason the reason we have not started a " Ma . sonic Co-operative Store ? " Surely it would be a source of pleasure and benefit to the Craft to know that we were doing business with the brethren only . The Mas inic Club I have not the slightest doubt will be a great success , and so would the " Masonic Co-operative Stores , " if starteel—I feel certain the shares would soon be

taken up , and if conducteel anything like the " Civil Serxice Stores" would pay a fair interest on the outlav , and the balance to be carried to the accounts of the Masonic Charities . The brethren only to supply and belong to the affair . We are numerous enough without the outside public . A small annual payment would clear all the working ex * penscs , and the charities could have innumerable articles

from the stores , much to their benefit . I think wc ought , in justice to ourselves take the matter up at once , and meet our competitors with their own weapons on their own grountl . I remain , dear Sir and Brother , yours most sincerely , A MASTER MASON . [ VVe confess we do not quite comprehend the logic of "A Master Mason . "—En ] .

THE PROPOSED SCOTTISH MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION . To the Editor of the Freemason . Sir , I hope you will not doom my letter to the editorial limbo of the waste paper basket , because it is indited by a Mason ' s wife , who , of course is not one of the

" mystic tie . " My excuse for thus addressing you , is in the hope that more ladies may come forward and support the call made upon their husbands in the second appeal for the above institution . It is a call which ou ^ ht to interest thtm most deeply , one which ought to eli . it their best and noblest feelings . If some of my sister wives wjuld just give up the idea of

that " charming new hat " or joining the link this season , and send a subscription to their husband's lodges instead , they would not only have the satisfaction that always foll-. iws a good acli > n , but the blessings of the aged and the orphans . I feel sure the women of Scotland will put their shoulder to the wheel , and then Mr . Harriott need not despair about being last in tV field . My friend your bard of the Scottish

Grand Lodge has written truly when he says " The last whiles are first , there ' s an Eye aboon Tho' we seldom look up , never tires looking 'doon , That lake s a' the feckless aye under its ken , The wee hungry birds , and the weak Sons o' Men . " I am sure if the Masons of Scotland will only let their good dames reael Mr . Harriott ' s letter , there is not a waman ' s heart but will glow with kindly feeling and " To the weary wandering puir ,

Find comfort aye to spare . And although you may not think so good Mr . Editor , we women can really accomplish wonders when you win us over in the right way ; i . e . by touching the nobler warmer feelings of our hearts , I am sir , yours truly , BARBAKINA .