Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS i * - *; Royal Masonic Institution for Girls 176 Royal Masonic Institution for Coys 176 Masonic History and Historians * . 177 CORRESPONDENCEThe Girls' and Boys' Schools Elections ... 178 Libraries of Masonic Literature 17 S Reviews , 178 Masonic Notes and Queries 17 S Provincial Grand Lodge of West Yorkshire 179 Provincial Grand Lodge of Cumberland and Westmorland 179

Provincial Grand Chapter of Cumberland and Westmorland i / 9 Laying the Corner Stone of a New Church at Egremont 179 REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 1 S 0 Royal Arch 1 S 1 Royal Masonic Benevolent lr . stitution 181 Masonic Tidings 182 General Tidings 182 Lodge Meetings for Next Week III . Advertisements I ., II ., IV ., V ., VI ., VII ., VIII .

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THE Quarterly Court of the Girls' School took place cffi the 9 th inst . at Freemasons' Hall , with a large " muster " of subscribers—Lieut .-Colonel CREATOR in the chair . The gallant Chairman was unanimously re-elected Treasurer , and other . routine business having been gone though , Bro . THOMAS MASSA brought forward his motion , or rather series of motions ,

which , as Bro . GOVER pertinently observed , ought to be read really and truly "from bottom to top , not from top to bottom . " Bro . MASSA having proposed the first in the series , and , after some delay , having found a seconder , Bro . GOVER proposed as an amendment , and Bro . CLABON seconded , " the previous question , " which amendment on being put to the meeting

was carried unanimously , with the exception of the mover and seconder of the original resolution . In response to several appeals , and cries of "withdraw , " Bro . MASSA then gave up the subsequent motions . The discussion is now at an end . Let us , therefore , forget an " episode " which , painful in itself , could only , as Bro . CLABON well put it , have been made more painful

still , and could in no way raise , but might greatly lower , Bro . MASSA ' S professional reputation , about which he appeared to be anxious . We can quite understand and make allowance for thc honourable feelings of professional persons , be they who they may , but as we have always contended , Bro . MASSA misapprcciated the action of the House Committee , and , above all , our friendly remarks . But here , we repeat , let the matter rest .

* * * THE meetings which thronged Freemasons' Hall on Saturday and Monday last from twelve to five , and were so intent , anxious , and excited about the Elections , the mustering of friends , and the marshalling of votes , must have suggested many thoughts to those

who often , not looking below the surface of things , undervalue 01 fail to realize the worth and the work of our great Masonic Charities . Each election as it passes brings ' up more votes and voters , and if any one was sceptical as to the earnestness of Freemasons in this great cause of charity , of benevolence , of beneficence-, of humanitarian kindliness , of zealous

endeavours to help a suffering fellow creature , they had better come up and witness the process and the progress of our Masonic elections . Others have found fault with them , others have openly said or obscurely hinted that great abuses and undignified scenes accompanied their advent , their

proceedings , their results : but once for all we beg to say , that we never feel prouder of our great and common Order , than when we behold so many excellent and energetic brethren toiling in the ever pleasant and refreshing cause of Masonic good will and fraternal sympathy .

* * VVE have been requested to say that , as regards thc recent Girls' School Elections , such was the extraneous and independent support given to the excellent cases of MARSH , PENNY , and ANSCOMBE that with the exception of a few filled up papers for the two former , the London Masonic Charity

Association was not called up to fulfil its guarantee or complete its offers of aid , which , however , were " kept open " until after 2 p . m . ANSCOMBE was materially helped , though , as it turned out , unnecessarily . The Association ,

therefore , aided and brought to a successful issue the excellent case of SMITH , and only was short with thirty-five votes for ORRIDGE . ORRIDGE ' S election in October is thus rendered safe , and many other good cases will now come forward .

* * THE Quarterly Court pf the Boys' School took place at Freemasons' Hall on the nth inst ., and after some normal business , and the re-election of Bro . PLUCKNETT as Treasurer , Bro . MATIER brought forward his motion , which , after a short discussion , was carried by an overwhelming majority .

There can be no doubt that it is a step in the right direction , and a seasonable and long-needed change . An amusing incident occurred : the ladies , who are now everywhere , had managed to introduce themselves into the " sacred recesses " of a Quarterly Court , and the gallantry of our esteemed and respected Chairman was put to a sore test , when he had , in compliance with the unanimous wish of the meeting , to request the " fair intruders " not

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being Life Governors to withdraw . As regards the Election itself , we have never known an election where the voting was so keen and so energetically carried on until even two minutes to three . Each Election becomes harder ancl harder to arrange ancl carry out .

* * WE understand that in the Boys' Election as in the Girls ' , owing also to independent and extraneous aid , the London Masonic Charity Association

had very little to do for MARCH and LEWIS , though it aided CAREY , and ESTLIST , and FELLOWES a good deal . FELLOWES , unfortunately , just missed being" " in , " a fact greatly to bc deplored .

* * WE understand that thc appointments to Grand Office are now all made , and from what we have heard will give general satisfaction . They seem lo

have been most carefully considered , and most properly apportioned . It is not deemed lobe in accordance with " good form " lo announce them until the )' arc before thc Craft officially . But wc repeat that when thc " list" is announced in Grand Lodge , we feel certain lhat il will be entirely approved of .

WE hope that no technical difficulty will be allowed to stand in the way of an increase in the number of the annuitants for the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . The success of the last festival and the returns of the

recent anniversary were so striking that it appears lo us the governing body cannot do a more graceful act , per se , or give more pleasure to the whole body of the subscribers , than by liberally adding lo the number lo bc elected . All other outgoings should be made subordinate lo this most

straightforward , legitimate , and befitting course of action . Wc are quite sure that if no increase of annuitants bo made after such laudable and effective exertions on behalf of that most excellent Charity , expressions of regret will be heard that so large a margin of unsuccessful candidates must be left unattended to for another year .

* * * THE growth of Provincial Charitable Associations of various kinds is a fact both to be noted and commended , in that it points to much praiseworthy

activity in our provincial Masonic life to-day . lhis has not always been the case , and " your Chronicler , " therefore , refers to the " undoubted reality " gladly , and in terms of unqualified approval and gratification .

* * WHAT an odd thing it is that Freemasons , who are always professing " brotherly love" and "humanitarian goodwill , " cannot steer clear of "personality . " It does not much matter how this outcome of individual

idiosyncrasy is developed ; whether it be in correspondence or controversy , whether it be in discussion of differences , Freemasons often seem to delight in avowing and proving themselves to be " most personal" among the "

personal . " Why this abnormal state of Masonic impropriety should exist , deponent knoweth not and cannot profess to explain . Can any kind correspondent throw any "light on this dark and mysterious puzzle ?"

* * WE are pleased to note signs of the continued interest taken in Masonic literature by our trans-Atlantic brethren . The Freemasons' Repository

contains an announcement to the effect that a liberal gift of books has been recently made to the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts by Bro . WILLIAM SUTTON , of Salem . This library now contains over 4000 volumes , besides a rich collection of Masonic papers , documents , & c .

* * # As will be seen from a report in another column , some important business was transacted at the meeting of the Committee of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . We are pleased to note the significant fact of

a further investment of the sum of ^ 3000 , and the honorarium of one hundred guineas to Bro . TERRY , in consideration of his great zeal on behalf of the Institution . A discussion took place on a question as to tho purchase of a perpetual pension to commemorate the Provincial Grand Mastership of

Devon of the late Bro . the Rev . J HUYSHE , which resulted in the adoption of J 3 ro . CASE ' S motion , that the sum be fixed at £ 1200 . Bro . RAYNHAM STEWART ' S motion to obtain an estimate for the enlargement of the hall at Croydon was carried . A vote of £ 50 to the widow of the late COLLECTOR , who is in abject poverty , very appropriately ended the proceedings , j