The Recent School Elections.

obtained support to the extent of 2684 votes ; and Nos . 26 and 28 , the former of whom , with a start of 147 8 votes , won his vacancy with 2495 votes , while the latter with 997 votes in hand , just contrived to secure the last of thc vacancies with 23 6 7 voles .

The two partl y London and partly Provincial cases were placed at Nos . 7 and 9 respectively , No . 7 , a new candidate from London and Middlesex polling 2914 votes , and No . 9 ( Gloucester

and London ) receiving 28 30 votes , of which 2302 were alread y to his credit . Of ( he 28 hoys from the Provinces and Districts Abroad Kent furnished three and had the i / ood fortune to win for

them thc Iirst , second , and tourth p laces ; No . I , who started with 379 votes to tbe good , polling 3006 more on this occasion and thereb y raising his total to 33 8 5 ; No . 2 , who had 26 4 in band , finishing up with 333 . 2 voles ; and No . 4 , who had 197 to start wilh ,

increasing that number lo 3 1 25 votes . Surrey also furnished three candidates , and though these were nol p laced so hi g h on the poll as the three from the contiguous Province of Kent , they all had the satisfaction of being numbered amongst the successful , one

who had 1093 votes in hand , securing the 12 th place with 2708 votes ; a second , who started with 1605 , taking the 25 th vacancy with 2554 votes ; and the remaining one , who had 1372 votes to his . credit from last October , standing 27 th in order with 23 S 5

votes . 1 here were lour Provinces which furnished each of them a brace of candidates , but of these Essex was able to carry onl y one , who came out 24 th on the list with 2574 voles , of which 455 were alread y lo his credit al starting . South Wales ( Western

Division ) sent up twins , who m October last polled 1908 and 19 6 4 respectively , and on ( his occasion were placed , the former at No . 16 wilh 26 91 votes and the latter at No . 21 with 26 43 votes . West Lancashire had'two cases on thc list , both of

them new , and of these one was p laced at No . 15 with 2692 votes and ( he other al No . 19 with 26 72 votes , while the boys from West Yorkshire stood at Nos . 13 and 17 with 270 S and 268 9 voles respectively . The other seven who succeeded in

obtaining p laces were as follows : the candidate from Buckingshire , who began with 137 votes and finished the day with 2992 voles , thereby being awarded No . f > p iact ;; the Suffolk lad , who came out 14 th with a poll of 26 97 votes , of which 929 wen- in

hand from the previous election ; the Shropshire boy at No . 22 with 26 35 votes ; the North and East Yorkshire and Norfolk candidates at Nos . 8 and 10 respectively , the former polling 2 S 54 votes and the latter 2821 votes respectively ; and the

Leicestershire' and Rutland and Somersetshire youngsters , ( he former obtaining a p lace at No . 20 with 26 ON voles and ( lie latter at No . 23 with 2600 votes . Of the above successful candidates , only the Kentish boy , who stood No . 2 on the poll , was a last

case , and another boy , who was similarl y circumstanced , had his name withdrawn , while ( he remaining last case , who had claims on London , Norfolk , and Suffolk , polled onl y Si votes , and therefore his name will be removed from ( he list altogether . 'There

thus remain 20 boys , who will have , all of them , one or more opportunities of competing for vacancies , and as two of these obtained over 2000 votes , six others over 1000 but under 2000 ; and yet 1 ' ive otl ] crs between Koo and muo votes each , there can

be no question that in due course we shall be in a position to report that a large- proportion have succeeded in winning p laces . Out of the eight highest unsuccessful boys , no less than six derived theirclaims from London . As regards ( he- votes brought forward by

the candidates who remained over from the Election in October , 18 95 , the voles standing to their credit amounted in the aggregate to 23 , 57 0 , while the number issued for this Election , including 25 added under Law 33 , was 77 , 0 71 . The total polled vvas 71 , 444 , so that the votes unused and spoiled were 62 . 27 .

Royal Arch Masonry In Sheffield.

ROYAL ARCH MASONRY IN SHEFFIELD .

To the thoughtful Craftsman the extraordinaril y rapid progress which Freemasonry has made during the past few years , opens up serious and important questions . That progress is shown by the constantly increasing number of lodges . We

do not on this occasion intend to discuss the points which will naturally present themselves , especiall y lo those whose zeal and love for the Craft woulei render them the jealous guardians of its honour and reputation . The why and the wherefore of our continually enlarging roll of brethren we will nol just now take ;

Royal Arch Masonry In Sheffield.

up . Nor will we raise the question ol caution and discretion in the admission of new members . Let us confine ourselves for the moment to the undoubted fact that Freemasonry is spreading in our midst to an extent , which , if we could bc quite sure if was justifiable , would rejoice the heart of the entire Fraternity .

Wc are told on high authority that "in the visible church , the evil be ever mingled with the good , and sometimes the evil hath the chief authority in the ministration of thc word and sacraments . " Now , if this be so—and who can doubt it ?—we cannot be surprised if there are men who seek to enter our lodges with

motives entirel y un-Masonic . hor the time , however , we will let lhat pass , having the comforting reflection that , although it is possible for an unworthy person to bring discredit on the Craft , it is utterl y beyond conception that the practice of thc princi ples of our Order can do anything but tend to ethical advancement .

Let us rejoice then in our increasing numbers . Nor is this prosperity confined to Craft Masonry . It shows to a proportionate extent in the Royal Arch Degree . Scarcel y an issue of the Freemason appears which does not record the

consecration of one or more new chapters . Last week we chronicled those of Fellowship , 2535 , London , and White Rose of York , 2491 , Sheffield . Let us for a moment confine ourselves to thc latter .

Sheffield , as all readers of our columns must have noticed , has made great . strides in Masonic progress of late years . 'The fact lhat out of the eig ht lodges last formed in West Yorkshire , no less than four have arisen in Shellield , proves our statement most readily . Craft Masonry , as has been noted b y Bros . W . II .

StACKY and JOHN' l . \ MOSS , in their brief history of thc Royal Brunswick Lodge , existed previous to 17 60 in that city , and there is evidence to show that the Degree of Royal Arch was also worked between that date and 1795 . Down to 1868 there were only two lodges , Britannia and Royal Brunswick , lo

each of which a chapter was attached ; but though the lodges have increased during the last 28 years from two to ei g ht , the number of chapters has remained stationary . This condition of things could not , of course , continue , nnd on the 25 th ult . another was added to the West Yorkshire roll . When the

White Rose of York Lodge was formed in 1 S 93 , we commented upon the favourable omens under which it began its career , and we have mort ; than once had occasion to note , as ils annual festival came round , its steady and persistent advancement . We are not , therefore , surprised lo find that this young ,

but singularly enterprising lodge has been the first to put forth a petition for an additional chapter for Sheffield . 'The prayer of that petition , we need scarcel y say , was freel y and speedily granted , and the consecration of the White Rose of ^ ork Chapter , as recorded in our columns , was dul y solemnised on Lad y Day last .

Thc Iirst Principals of the new chapter arc Companions J llrxT , P . Z . 139 ; J SHAW . P . Z . 139 ; and THOMAS II . VERNON ' , Z . 1 39 , all of whom were founders of the White Rose

of York Lodge , 2491 . 'The able and judicious management , as well as the administrative skill of Bro . JOHN HUNT , largely contributed to the success of the nciv lodge , and we have " ° reason lo doubt that , aided by his fellow Principals , and

supported b y such a band -jf active and devoted officers as Comps . W . GADSBY , W . GIW ' STONK , C . F . BRINDLKY , Dr . J S TOICS , and GiiOKGic Wisil , Comp . HUNT will bc enabled to start flunew chapter as prosperously and continue it as successfull y , as he , wilh their help , did in lhe case of the new lodge .

Of course ; , on so important an occasion many Provincial Oflicers wen- present . The consecration of a new chapter 1 " West Yorkshire is a somewhat rare occurrence , and taking l » ; lCl ' as it did in the hospitable city of Sheffield , we are not surpri . ^ ' '

to lind that it was largel y attended . 'The Grand Superintended of the Province , Comp . the Ri g ht Hon . W . L . JACKSON , M ;' " was unfortunately absent . His powers as Consecrating Olli * - ' c were delegated to Comp . ENSOR DUCKY , P . P . G . H ., than whom low

no finer exponent of Koyal Arch Masonry could be Comp . ENSOU DRURY , whose ability is so fully valued and > ° thoroughly admired al home , has acquired a reputation m work ' ni !/ of this Degree so high , that it deserves , we do n ' hesitate to say , to be more widely known and recognised .