The Approaching School Elections.

THE APPROACHING SCHOOL ELECTIONS .

The voting- papers for the School Elections , which will be held next month , have been issued , and in both cases we find an increase in the number of candidates—an increase which in that of the Girls' School is slight , but which in the case of the Boys' School is over 30 per cent , as compared with the number which competed for vacancies at the election in October last . As regards the ballot for the

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS , which will be held in the great hall of Freemasons' Tavern on Thursday , the 13 th April , there are 30 candidates for 19 vacancies , the former being distributed in manner following : London furnishes seven candidates , and has a joint interest with sundry of the Provinces in three others , while the

Provinces and Abroad furnish the remaining 20 . The seven London g irls are all of them new applicants , and comprise Nos . 4 and . 11 ; No . 13 , who has this only chance afforded her of obtaining admission into the Scoool ; and Nos . 16 , 25 , 26 , and 28 . The three in whom London has a part interest are No . 3 , whose father

was initiated in London and ^ migrated to Birmingham , and who brings forward 753 votes from the election in October , 1 S 92—which , as this is her last chance , ought to suffice to make her election sure ; No . 9 , whose father was initiated in Trowbridge , and subsequently joined the Victoria Lodge , No . 1056 ; and No . 17 , whose father started on his Masonic career at Llanelly , in the

Western Division of South Wales , and subsequently joined lodges at I ' ernambiico , in Ceylon , and in the Punjab . The 20 Provincial and Foreign candidates comprise three from West Lancashire ; two each from Hants and the Isle of Wight , South Wales ( Western Division ) , and West Yorkshire ; one from each of the nine Provinces of Buckinghamshire ( No . 27 ) ,

Cornwall ( No . 29 ) , Essex ( No . 1 ) , Kent ( No . 10 ) , Lancashire Hast ( No . 18 ) , Lincolnshire ( No . 22 ) , Somersetshire ( No . 23 ) , and Yorkshire , North and Fast ( No . 7 ) ; while No . 20 has claims on Kent and Surrey , and No . S hails from the District of Northern China . The three West Lancashire girls are No . 19 , whose father was a subscribing member for 12 years , and

who has this one and only chance of success ; and Nos . 21 and 24 . The Hants and Isle of Wight pair are No . 2 , who scored a lew votes in October last , and No . 6 ; the South Wales , West , girls are placed at Nos . 14 and 15 ; and the West Yorkshire at Nos . 5 and 7 , the former having only this one chance of gaining admission . It should be added that the Essex child , who stands

at No . 1 was a candidate for the first time in October last , when she had 111 votes polled for her . In the case of about one-third of the candidates , their fathers rendered services to one or more of the Institutions either as contributors or Festival Stewards , while as regards one half of the children , their fathers were subscribing members to a lodge or lodges for 14 years

¦ ind upwards . Three girls have both parents living , two have lost both , one is motherless and the remaining 24 fatherless . But the material point to be borne in mind is that No . 3 ( London and Warwickshire ) , No . 5 ( West Yorkshire ) , No . 13 ( London ) , and No . 19 ( West Lancashire ) are

last cases ; that is to say , if they do not win places at this election , their names will be removed from the list as being no longer eli gible in respect ° f age , and we trust , therefore , that strenuous efforts will be made in order to prevent this very serious disappointment befalling them . The election of candidates into the

ROVAL MASONIC INSTITUTION TOR BOYS will be held at Freemasons' Tavern , on Friday , thei 4 th prox ., when 23 boys will "e chosen b y ballot from an approved list ol 49 . Of the latter , four commenced 'heir candidature in April , 1 S 92 , and eight in the following October , the remaining 37 being newly accepted applicants , whose petitions have been

examined and approved since the last election . In the case of this Institution , London furnishes only 10 candidates , and has a part interest in another , the remaining 38 hailing Irom the Provinces and Abroad . The London boys are as follow , namely : Nos . 7 , who polled 1479 votes ; 8 , who fared nearly * well , by obtaining 1476 votes : and 9 , who scored 108 ? votes , at their first

'allot in October last , and who , as they have these votes standing to their cr edit respectivel y , can hardly fail to win places if their friends exert themselves sufficiently . The other seven are Nos , 15 , 17 , 21 , 26 , 36 , 41 , and 42 , •"le a candidate in whom London has an interest conjointly with Essex ... Lincolnshire , sta"ds at 13 . Ofthe Provinces—Devonshire , Lancashire ,

est i Sussex , and Yorkshire , North and East , send up three candidates r 'i , the Devonshire three , comprising No . 3 , who brings forward Co votes ni his two previous ballots ; No . 10 , who scored 33 votes last October ; and •3 ° . The three West Lancashire lads are No . 14 , who has this one ° ' y chance of obtaining admission ; No . 44 , who is in the like rci licaiT ) ent , and No . 48 ; while No . 38 has claims on the same

The Approaching School Elections.

Province as well as on Hants and the Isle of Wight . The Sussex cases are No . 5 , who starts with 270 votes , brought forward from the election in October , 1892 , and who , as his name will be removed from the list if he does not win a place this time , will need all the support which his friends can procure for him , in order to carry him in ; No . 11 , who polled 103 7 votes last time , and has this much in the way of advantage over most of his

competitors ; and No . 22 ; while the three who hail from North and East Yorkshire are Nos . 18 , 19 , and 40 . Dorsetshire , Kent , and Norfolk furnish each of them two cases , those hailing from the first-named being No . 1 , who starts well with 837 votes to the good from the elections in April and October of last year , and No . 16 , whose name will be removed from the list if he fails to gain a place next month . The Kent boys are placed at Nos . 32 and

37 , and the Norfolk at Nos . 4 ( with 37 votes from his two previous attempts ) and 28 respectively . There remain 19 candidates to be accounted for , and on reference to the list it will be found that 15 of them , hail from the Provinces of Cheshire , Cornwall , Derbyshire , Essex , Gloucestershire , Hants and the Isle of Wight , Hertfordshire , Jersey , Middlesex , Northumberland , Oxfordshire , Shropshire , Somersetshire , South Wales ( East Division ) , and

Suffolk , the other four having claims on Cheshire and Derbyshire ( No . 24 ); Dorsetshire and Hants and the Isle of Wight ( No . 31 ); Leicestershire and Rutland and Hertfordshire ( No . 34 ) ; and Bengal and Gloucestershire ( No . 43 ) . As regards other particulars , we note that in not far short of 20 cases the fathers of the children did what they could to support our Charities by subscribing to their funds or obtaining donations and subscriptions as

Stewards , while upwards of 20 were subscribing members of a lodge or lodges for 10 years and upwards . There are 38 of the children who are fatherless , and one motherless , while five have lost both parents and five have both parents living , though one of the latter may be set down as being as good as fatherless , seeing that the father is in a lunatic asylum . But , as in the case of the Girls' School , the detail on which we lay the greatest stress is

that Nos . 5 ( Sussex ) , 14 ( West Lancashire ) , iG ( Dorsetshire ) , 18 ( North and East Yorkshire ) , 44 ( West Lancashire ) , and 49 ( Hants and the Isle of Wight , have this solitary chance afforded to them of obtaining the benefits which they have found worthy to receive , and we trust that no efforts will be spared by their friends and supporters to obtain sufficient votes to

prevent them from being rejected . Let all who are not already committed to the support of any particular candidate or candidates , either for election into this or the Girls' School , give their votes and influence to these children , and we shall have the satisfaction of knowing that none of the applicants have been sent away empty .

Be it added that the elections will take place at the respective School Quarterly Courts , and that the chair will in each instance be taken at 12 noon , punctually .

Provincial Grand Chapter Of Cambridgeshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND CHAPTER OF CAMBRIDGESHIRE .

A meeting of the Provincial Grand Chapter of Cambridgeshire was held at the Lion Hotel , Cambridge , on Tuesday , the 14 th instant , for the dispatch of Masonic business . Comp . Col . R . Townley Caldwell , Grand Superintendent , presided , and of the officers appointed in 1891 the following were present : Comps . C . Geldard , 859 , Prov . G . H . ; W . H . Jarrold , 88 , Prov . G . S . E . ; G . Cole , 441 , Prov . G . S . N . ; | . V . Pryor , 88 , Prov . ist A . G . S . ; J . Sheldrick , 441 , Prov . 2 nd A . G . S . ; Frank Piggott , 88 , Prov . G . Std . Br . ; and C . H . Ellis , 88 , Prov . G . Janitor .

The attendance also included Comps . B . Cheimell , acting P . G . J . ; J . S . Youngman , F . Dewberry , Oliver Papworth , A . E . Chaplin , L . R . Tuttiett , W . P . Spalding , W . B . Money , J . Fuller , H . King , W . Bray , M . Cox , W . H . Francis , A . Morreil , G . Chennell , and others . The Prov . G . Treasurer ' s accounts were shown to be in a healthy state . The Grand Superintendent appointed and invested the following Prov .

Grand Officers : Comp . W . Bray , S 09 ... ... ... Prov . G . H . ,, J . S . Youngman , 441 ... ... Prov . G . J . „ W . H . Jarrold , 88 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . E . „ J . V . Pryor , 88 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . N .

,, A . E . Chaplin , 88 ... ... ... Prov . G . lreas . „ J . Sheldrick , 441 ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ F . Piggott , 88 ... ... ... Prov . G . P . S . „ Mark Cox , 809 ... ... ... Prov . ist A . G . S . „ W . H . Francis , 859 ... ... ... Prov . 2 nd A . G . S .

„ W . P . Spalding , 88 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B . „ E . M . Money , 859 ... ... ... Prov . Std . Br . „ H . E . Greef , 441 ••¦ ¦•¦ ••¦ Prov . G . D . C . „ F . Dewberry , 441 ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ C . H . Ellis , 88 ... ... ... Prov . G . Janitor .

The revised by-laws were considered and adopted , with slight verba ! alterations . Upon the motion of Comp . O . PAPWORTH , it was agreed to vote _ £ io to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , to be placed on Comp . B . Chennell ' s list , The Provincial Grand Chapter was then closed , and the companions adjourned to banquet .