Consecration Of The Prince Of Wales Chapter, At Tredegar.

Officers of the Chapter , to which Comps . Horlick , S . N ., and Tapson , P . S ., replied . The M . E . Z . proposed " The Health of Bro . Spencer , " and expressed the satisfaction of the companions as to the way in which he had provided for them .

Bro . Spencer returned thanks . The final toast was given , and terminated the proceedings of the day .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

THE BALLOT FOR W . MASTER . To the Editor of The Freemason . Sir and Brother , — I shall be g lad to be informed , through the medium of your columns , the proper way of conducting the ballot for the election of W . M . in a Craft lodge .

In the lodge of which I am a member , the last election was conducted thus : —The Secretary having read a list of those eligible for the office , each brother wrote the name of the member for whom he voted on a slip of paper , folded and deposited it within the ballot box . The papers were then examined by the W . M ., and he for whom most votes were thus recorded was

declared elected . This method , however , is evidently open to grave objection , since a brother might be elected W . M . without obtaining anything like a majority of the votes present . It appears to me that it would be better to proceed by the method of exclusion—taking the

ballot as many times as tliere are candidates , and each time excluding the candidate with the lowest number of votes . If one candidate obtained a clear majority of the votes present , it would , of course , be unnecessary to proceed further .

The book of " Constitutions says simply , " Every lodge shall annually elect its Master and Treasurer by ballot . " Mackey , in his " Masonic Jurisprudence , " from which work' one may generally glean full information on such matters , does not throw any light on this subject . He

merely says , " the election of an officer may be taken by show of hands , if there be no opposing candidate . " But what is to be done if there are opposing candidates ? I am , Sir , Yours fraternally , WILLIAM DATE . Crewkerne , August io , 1872 .

Bro. Emra Holmes, And "Knight Templary." V. " Good Templary."

BRO . EMRA HOLMES , AND "KNIGHT TEMPLARY . " v . " GOOD TEMPLARY . "

To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — May I be allowed to advise my friend and brother , Emra Holmes , in his earnest and zealous defence of Knight Templary to let Good Templary alone ?

He may not be aware , but nevertheless it is a fact , that several worthy Knight Templars are also Good Templars . I am not a Good Templar myself , but I am well aware that all Knight Templars will agree in respecting the neutral rig hts of Freemasonry . We do not discuss social

questions in the columns of the Preemason , and therefore I am not going to enter upon the defence of the society in question . I have been a total abstainer from all intoxicating liquors , from birth , ( as a beverage ) and no doubt Bro . Holmes and many others will agree with me in stating

that a number of the Craft would have been all the better Masons had they acted in a similar manner ! So much of my personal history would not have been thus introduced , were it not to declare that I am fully prepared and willing to prove that the Good Templars have as valid a claim to their title , as the Knights Templar have

to theirs . As it scarcely seems a suitable topic for discussion in the Freemason , I will be quite willing to pay for my defence as an advertisement if desired j and at any rate I must enter my protest against Bro . Holmes' description of the Good Templars , as being the supporters of " ridiculous titles , and self-assumed name , " unless indeed we

Bro. Emra Holmes, And "Knight Templary." V. " Good Templary."

look upon all titles as ridiculous and self-assumed . With every respect for Bro . Holme ' s abilities and zeal , I am fraternally yours . K . T .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

BRITISH , FOREIGN , AND COLONIAL . SCOTLAND .

On Saturday , J oth inst ., the inhabitants of the beautifully-situated town of West Kilbride , Ayrshire , held a general holiday in honour of laying the foundation stone of the new Parish Church , the ceremony of which was performed by Colonel Mure , Provincial Grand Master of Ayrshire

The following lodges were represented : —Mother Kilwinning j Irvine , St . Andrews , No . 149 ; Leven St . John , No . 170 ; West Kilbride , Royal Arch , Ardrossan , Neptune , Kilwinning , No . 442 , No . 314 ; Dairy , Blair , No . 290 ; Largs , St . John ' s , No . 173 ; Stewarton , Thistle , No . 127

Beith , St . John ' s , No . 157 ; Stcvenston , Thistle and Rose , No . 169 ; Commercial , Glasgow , No . 360 . The lodges met in the Parish School about two o ' clock , and , after being marshalled into procession , they proceeded through the principal streets , accompanied by the Beith and Daly instrumental bands . On returning to the site of

the building , the office bearers of the various lodges took up positions on the platform , the Mother Lodge members , of course , officiating at the ceremony . After the Chaplain ( the Rev . A . Inglis , Kilmaurs ) had engaged in prayer , Mr . H . C . Hyndman , of Springside , convener of the heritors of the building , presented Colonel Mure

Original Correspondence.

with a magnificent silver trowel with which to lay the stone . Colonel Mure having briefly returned thanks , the stone was duly laid according to the rites and ceremonies of the Masonic Order . The ceremony being finished , the Provincial Grand Master delivered an address

appropriate to the occasion . The Hon . G . R . Vernon , and the Rev . Mr . King , minister of the parish , having both thanked the deputations , and especially Colonel Mure , for their attendance , the proceedings terminated by the band p laying " Rule Britannia . "

SPAIN . " A villainous and odious crime has been committed on the night of the 18 th ult ., in one of the most central streets of this city . The Head of the Realm and his virtuous Consort were rudely assaulted by some miscreants , who , discharging their guns , tried to fill our noble country

with sorrow and ignominy . The Spanish great Masonic Family protests against so iniquitous a crime j gives thanks to the G . A . O . T . U . for having frustrated the evil designs of cowardl y assassins , and though the mercenary culprits are within the reach of the law , we exhort all our

brethren abroad to help us , by the means of our wise organization , to facilitate the finding out of the true instigators of such an horrid crime . " Our Dep . G . M . Bro . Simon Gris Benitez lays on a bed of sickness , and notwithstanding 3

change for the better , he is yet unable to attend the several duties devolving upon the hi gh position in the Government the G . M . has been called to . During his illness he receives in * cessant marks of the sympathy and of the esteem in which he is held by the brotherhood . —Boletin ,

Ar00504

AMERICAN ROYAL ARCH STATISTICS . The following tabular statement of the position of Royal Arch Masonry in the United States , and the Dominion of Canada , was compiled by Comp . Josiah Drummond , Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Correspondence of the Grand Chapter of Maine : —

_ S <•*> -a o a < « £ •c , 2 cj n in * _ r o - £ bo C _ Sin GRAND CHAPTERS . ** S *| g ^ § g | § 8 j jf g . 8 . 8 S 3 M ¦ *§ : i- 2 8 J g SS » -2 i»J*I1U.1II$£1* ¦ 3 Q & W <*! Q W w a > Q {*•*•*!

Alabama 62 51 1909 108 ( 58 74 1 1 73 33 8 Arkansas 61 38 1561 168 4 6 58 1 2 41 21 California 40 40 176 9 244 35 lie , 3 1 33 _ 6 21 Canada 44 43 1814 352 69 79 o n ... 21 Connecticut 31 31 4 ° 9 2 3 ** 5 5 19 1 o 8 36 Delaware 4 4 187 25 1 300 o 1 ... Dist . of Columbia 7 7 910 150 26 25 o o 71 80 Florida 13 8 496 68 , 10 25 1 4 o 9 Georgia 49 4 6 2061 187 30 59 1 27 167 26 Illinois 147 147 9000 833 107 262 13 134 ... 85 Indiana 84 7 . 5 3757 4 5 5 ° I 2 < 5 5 ll •¦•47 ...

Iowa 05 03 2772 303 45 10 S 3 31 25 is Kansas 20 19 650 66 37 21 o o o 9 14 Kentucky 102 87 3469 357 47 152 j 2 51 51 27 Louisiana 29 28 1576 118 26 60 4 15 48 35 5 Maine 35 3 $ 33 * 9 a 7 •••44 ° * ** " ° 3 & 28 Maryland 11 11 1100 188 8 12 2 o 9 10 5 Massachusetts 57 57 68 , 53 837 ... 333 1 1 22 63 Michigan 83 82 5927 648 50 180 15 37 ... 59 Minnesota 19 19 968 126

Mississippi 80 7 , 5 2663 186 140 9 6 5 3 156 50 Missouri 74 72 3406 4 62 79 112 , 5 8 ... 27 44 Nebraska 6 6 3 , 59 65 11 12 1 o 8 20 New Hampshire ... 17 17 1804 126 ... New Jersey 26 26 2233 409 16 51 o 21 6 17 New York 184 183 16812 1885 150 367 7 7 427 178 North Carolina ... if , 14 608 13 13 7 1 ° 8 8 r Nova Scotia 3 3 136 30 o 4 o o o o o Ohio 118 114 7060 786 172 266 20 3 203 77 00

Uregon , ** 5 170 5 o 501 o Pennsylvania 81 76 766 4 1132 . no * i $ j ... - ( -124 32 Rhode Island 10 10 1381 177 2 28 o o o 7 32 South Carolina ... 37 37 894 70 5 15 1 2 12 10 1 Tennessee 90 90 4122 313 77 272 8 42 ... 52 Texas 91 75 3268 392 167 187 6 114 ... 82 22

Vermont 24 24 1 , 502 135 3 22 o 5 o o Virginia 43 40 1841 15 11 81 3 fpi ... 27 West Virginia ... 11 11 Included with Virginia . Wisconsin 41 41 2488 i _ f 3 $ 86 2 4 6 ... 25 22 Total 1 , 919 1 , 811 112 , 594 12 , 156 1 , 641 3 , 471 115 745 1 , 368 1 , 182 240 * Including deaths . t Including suspensions for non-payment of dues .