Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS 26 3 Royal Masonic Institution for Boys 26 4 Royal Masowic Uev . cvolevit Inst \ U \ vUm 26 4 Provincial Grand Chapter of Devonshire ... 26 4 Masonry and the Bible 26 4 Extracts from the London Newspapers relating to Freemasonry 26 3

Answer to Queries 266 CORRESPONDENCEThe Girls'School 26 G The Error of the Scrutineers 266 A New Grand Officer 266 ' The Punjab Masonic Institution 266 A Masonic Archa'ological Association ... 2 G 6 Lawrence Dermott 266

CORRESPONDENCE ( Continued )—Bro . Trevor's Motion in Grand Lodge 267 Reviews 2 &} Masonic Notes and Queries 267 New Zealand 267 Grand Lodge of Texas , U . S . A 261 ) Dervish Freemasonry 25 i

REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 26 9 Instruction 26 9 Royal Arch 26 9 Masonic Tidings 270 General Tidings 270 Rambles Among the Shops of London 271 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 272

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THE gathering for the Boys' School Anniversary at Brighton promises to be one of unusual interest in more ways than one . It willjolve , probably , one or two doubtful problems , and settle the course of that great Charity for the " coming years . " If the " change of venue" to Brighton be successful in all respects , helpful to the Charity , and welcomed by the Craft ,

it cannot be doubted but that a precedent will be established for subsequent provincial gatherings . If the festival can be most successfully held at Brighton , why not at Manchester , Liverpool , Leeds , Bath , and other great towns ? Indeed , the issue is a very eventful one for the Charity , and the " outlook" very striking , though what the " outcome " will be who can

pretend to prophesy ? Let us all hope for the best , and help in bringing the festival to a favourable and triumphant conclusion . There still may be lingering doubts as to the wisdom of the course , and the prudence of the move , but in Masonry , as in other matters , the minority ought to yield gracefully to the openly expressed views of a decisive majority .

* * * THE advance of our great educational Charities has been very rapid and is very striking . In 1 S 59 a report was printed which stated that there were then in the metropolis 1048 subscribing lodges and brethren to the Girls ' School , 307 provincial lodges and brethren , and 113 Colonial , & c , while

there were 2942 votes , and of these 21 S 8 were in London , 4 S 1 were provincial , and 273 were Colonial . At the same period and in the same report it was said that there were 667 subscribing lodges and brethren to the Boys ' School , 236 provincial , and Co in the Colonics , & c , in all 072 ; that there

were 2544 votes , and of these 1 S 10 were metropolitan , 456 provincial , and 277 Colonial . What the present number of subscribing lodges and brethren , and what thejiumbcr of votes is after these twenty-two years , we need hardly mention here , though they might be told more than ten times over .

* * * AT the monthly meeting of the Governing Committee of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution several new cases , we note , were placed upon the list

of candidates , and the usual business was transacted . We trust that the gathering at Croydon will be , as usual , a complete success , as we all must feel deep and abiding interest in all that concerns the progress and welfare of that excellent Institution .

WE are very glad to note that all the recommendations of the Board of General Purposes were carried at the last meeting , wise and seasonable as we deem them to be in themselves , and we feel no doubt but that the provinces , benefited by the proposition , will gladly avail themselves of this

new provision of the Book of Constitutions , when it is duly confirmed . We were exceedingly amused by the proposition to have a "Grand Trumpeter , " which we fancy was hardly a serious one , but as we all know of some good people who like to " blow their own trumpet" on all occasions , we think that we had better rest " contented with the situation , " and bear the "ills we have , than fly to others that we know not of . "

* * WE believe that we are betraying no confidence in mentioning to our readers that we understand an able and learned brother , well known to many of us , is actively engaged in the careful preparation of a new history of Freemasonry .

BRO . TUDOR TREVOR did us the honour of alluding to us in the debate of Grand Lodge on Wednesday week , but as his words may be misinterpreted by some of our readers , we think it right to say that our expressions of sympathy with Bro . TREVOR related to the untoward action at law by

Bro . VOIGT . We never shut our eyes to the Masonic questions which must necessarily arise from Bro . TREVOR ' S action relative to the "ballot , & c , " and we said so at the lime ; but we always regretted the law suit , and wished that it had been stopped " ab initio " by the provincial authorities . On a calm reconsideration of the case , and the " explanations" on both sides , as we under-

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stand them , we cannot doubt but that the decision of the Board of General Purposes was a righteous one , befitting the justice of the case , and the dignity and interests of Grand Lodge . * * * THE position of Freemasonry in China is a very interesting one , and it is

increased by the intellectual tone adopted by many of our brethren in China . It seems to be quite clear , from the able works of Bros . GILES and PICKERING , that there is no real native Masonry . The secret societies of China may have been , and probably were , at one time Masonic , and

" CONFUCIUS himself is said on fair " data " to have been a member of an original Masonic Order . But the native societies in China now , though retaining some faint allusions to Masonry and Masonic symbols , are purely political , and can in no sense be claimed as true branches of the great Masonic family . Freemasonry has nothing to do with secret political societies .

* * * WE call attention elsewhere to some facts " anent" Freemasonry which appear in the London papers early in the last century . It seems that none can be found after a diligent search in the British Museum , though we will not say that none can be found at all in the years 1717 , 171 S , 1719 , 1720 , and that in

1721 the first public reference to the Order occurs . This "fact , " if it be a fact , opens out a new field of research to Masonic enquirers and students , and it 13 just possible that the industry " of a GOULD , a HUGHAN , a MASONIC STUDENT , a WHYTEHEAD , and others , may light upon an obscure

paragraph in some forgotten old paper , which may throw material light on the hazy history of English Freemasonry in the two first decades of the last century . There are no Grand Lodge minutes before 1723 , though we have heard of an earlier minute , not in the possession of Grand Lodge , going back to 1721 .

* * THE death of Professor LITTRE , the well known " Positivist " Teacher , and whose admission into Freemasonry was the cause of a regrettable scandal , . and of subsequent deplorable " aberrations" among French Freemasons , seems to deserve a passing notice in our pages . And for this reason . The new

school of Positivism loudly talks of toleration , but is most intolerant , as has been quite exemplified by the mistaken and painful course adopted at his funeral . We quite agree with the correspondent of the Times , that a true spirit of toleration , real tenderness of conscience , would have prevented the

display of a melancholy "fanaticism , " and would have caused those friends and disciples , eager to air their " Positivist views , " to think of the weeping widow and daughter at home unable to be present , and protesting against such a parody of toleration , sympathy , and common sense .

* * WE are happy in being able to state that we have received from an able correspondent in Spain his assurance that he believes " there is not one single individual belongs to our Order in Spain who has not an utter and instinctive abhorrence of everything Nihilistic . " This is in reply to

some remarks of ours relative to the attack of a French Ultramontane paper . " Nihilism " as we understand it , is most opposed to all Masonic teaching ; the two systems cannot co-exist together ; and if the " Illuminati "

during their short existence may be fairly charged with such hateful and violent teaching , Freemasons in all countries , ( whatever the isolated words or acts of individuals may be ) , have always been and still are a loyal and ' a peaceful Order .

* * By the report of the Grand Lodge of New Brunswick , we find that , on the 27 th December , 18 S 0 , there were 2059 members and 34 lodges , and that Bro . ROBERT MARSHALL , G . M ., has been succeeded by Bro . B . R . STEVENSON .

* * WE call the attention of Masonic students to the publication in the " Masonic Magazine" for June of the so-called "WOOD MS ., " which is a very

interesting one for many reasons . The attention now paid to Masonic evidences and archaeology is a proof—if proof be needed—of the "life " which is happily prevalent in Masonic lodges and among Masonic writers to-day . Long may it continue . It is truly an augury of good .

* * OUR readers will notice elsewhere an elaborate article from an American magazine—the " Masonic Review " —headed " Masonry and the Bible . '' We are among those who hold strongly to the great landmark of the Bible

in all English lodges , from which " point " of universal precedent and cosmopolitan observance we never , can swerve . But we quite concur " salvo jure " of the "Word of God" in the reception of proper and legitimate candidates in the manner most binding on their own consciences .