Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS •441 Provincial Grand Lodge of Cumberland " anil Westmorland ; : 442 Provincial Grand Lodge of Somerset 443 Provincial Grand Chapter of Wiltshire 443 Provincial Grand Mart Lodge of Cornwall 443 Catalogue of the Worcester Exhibition

{ Continued ) 444 Review—Third Notice 443 An Old Balloting Paper 44 ; CoRRESPO . VDE . VCE—. Masonic Charity Sunday 447 Officers' Initials 447 Hughan ' s English Rite 447 The Preparatory School for Boys 447

Notes and Queries 447 Provincial Grand Lodge of West Lancashire 447 REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 44 S Instruction 449

Presentation of an Address to the Baroness Burdett-Coutts 440 Board of Benevolence 449 AV Grand Chapter of QneJ ) ec 449 Obituary . 7 450 Masonic and General Tidings 450 The Theatres 450 Lodge Meetings for Next Week Co \ er .

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THE more we think about it , the more strongly we feel what a mistake was made when the modest proposal of the PRESIDENT of the BOARD of GENERAL PURPOSES for a grant of . £ 50 to the restoration of St . Giles's Church was refused by Grand Lodge by a narrow majority , with all deference , be it said , to that supreme and august body . The arguments of Bro . HUTTON and

Bro . the Rev . R . J . SIMPSON , though deserving of consideration , are based , we feel sure , on a complete fallacy . Grand Lodge , in the first place , was not asked to give qua a Grand Lodge , but as holding property in the parish of St . Giles ' s . And , in the next place , such helpful grants fully accord with the genius and teaching of Freemasonry . We admit , for the sake of

argument , if such grants were pushed to the extreme of frequency , something might be said on the score of a departure from religious and political neutrality . But such applications are very infrequent , and involve no question of denominationalism , and are simply a tribute of respectful help and sympathetic admiration for the needful efforts of a religious body , from which

nearly all our Chaplains are recruited . No one supposes that when the Prince of WALES , Grand Master , laid the foundation-stone of Truro Cathedral , he did it denominationally ; he did it as a bona-fide Freemason , wishful to testify respect and sympathy for a great religious undertaking ; nor when our provincial bodies give windows , and pulpits , and reredoses to

cathedrals , are they in any way mixing themselves up in controversial strife , or expressing any opinion on the "isms" and " ologics " of the hour . They simply wish to testify thereby their unchanging desires to assist religion , and to sympathize with religion in the world . We fear much the vote will be held up as a proof of what the Ultramontane Press declares to be the real

and unchanged animus of all Freemasonry—hostility to religion and religious work in the world . We therefore wish our brethren could have seen their way to agree unanimously to such a reasonable demand , such a seasonable

vote ; and we venture to think that if the vote had been taken at any other Grand Lodge but the September one , the result would have been widely different . It is useless , however , always to " cry over spilt milk , " so having said our say , we make our bow .

# # * A LETTER from the Antipodes last week deserves attention from its very proper tone and fraternal language . Officially certainly nothing has been said to give offence to us in the Mother Country , but we refer to a certain phase of the agitation on the subject of independence , when it was clear that

many brethren were led away by a statement which was reall y not true in itself . The fact , if real , was not an unreasonable excuse for separation . But the fact was not true , and ought never to have been alleged as a reason . Unfortunately with the exception of the small fees for the G . P . Fund , nothing was sent for Benevolence , and yet our Board of Benevolence

constantly relieved non-contributing applicants from the same locale . Had the brethren this reality clearly put before them r We think not ! We do not ourselves wonder at brethren preferring to be governed " at home " by the near and present , instead of the distant and non-resident ; but we cannot concur in the view that all Colonies , & rc , are to have Grand Lodges . Too

many Grand Lodges would become unmitigated nuisances ; and from what we have seen lately , such bodies do not always seem to realize Masonic teaching , or to remember the important precepts of brotherly forbearance , toleration , patience , and good will . And more than this . We think we detect in many of such movements a vulgar appetite for rank and authority ; a

disposition to fight for petty trifles , and the setting up a most mournful regime of " Red Tape . " The older and more elevated views of Masonic culture , duty , and sympathy seem to be waning , and in their place we fear we can trace a disregard of lawful authority , impatience of control , a

departure from old precedents , the creation of novel landmarks , and above all the developement of party feeling , un-Masonic bitterness , and rowd yism . We would fain hope that we are mistaken , and that the future will belie our expectations and remove our doubts and our solicitude .

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OUR friendly discussions in the Freemason about the archeology of the Royal Arch , and of Masonic Degrees , are growing more interesting , and serve to show what a deal may be said , and what a " terra incognita " has

yet to be explored by Masonic students before we can safely pronounce on this or that disputed point , this or that doubtful proposition . We trust that such a fraternal discussion may continue and close in the same kindly ^ spirit of toleration and consideration .

* * * WE have seen some remarks lately upon various archaeological questions , in our opinion un-masonic in temper and in tone . Everybody is a blockhead or a dunderhead who sees differently to , or dissents honestly from , some self-constituted Oracle , not quite so clear , and certainly

not so diffident , as Delphi of old . Masonic criticism , and Masonic archeology are not advanced by such a course . There is not the slightest warrant for any one to claim for himself any such position of infallible accuracy and perfect information . We will speak more openly . We have noticed in some American papers , original and

reprinted , lately some remarks of Bro . J . NORTON , which seem to us not only utterly undefensible in taste and good form , but completely unsupported by any of the known facts of the case , by any reality in the position of universal critic assumed by that veteran controversialist . We can admire his clearness of expression , and forcibility of utterance . We can make every allowance for

his specific and incisive style , for his idiosyncrasies and peculiar views , his rationalistic and iconoclastic principles , his dislike of tradition , his preference of distinct evidence . But we think he assumes a little too much in his character of continual and consistent fault finder . He has himself made one or two very great mistakes in the

propositions he has put forward from time to time , and the allegations he has made , and we think we may fairly complain of his one-sided views on almost every subject . He is , in fact , almost a Masonic Ishmaelite , and we can quite enter into the feelings of our good American brethren , who are rather weary of being constantly " girded " at in every possible form and way in

respect of the St . John's Masonry . We understand from our American brethren that one great grievance is , that Bro . NORTON , though a Freemason , belongs to no lodge , and does nothing in any way for Masonic work or Masonic Charity . He was originally , we understand , made in England , but is now among the unattached , alike in America and England . Such a

fact certainly renders his position a very peculiar one in our Masonic circles , and we feel that we are among his best friends when we recommend to him alittle more moderation and self-restraint in the constant remarks he makes about the ignorance , superstition , and fetichism of his brother Freemasons . It is a pity that a writer of his marked ability should fail to obtain a hearing ,

on account both of the recklessness and exaggeration of his views on certain subjects , and want of proper consideration for others , which mark far too many hasty asseverations , and far too vehemently expressed doubts , criticisms , and abnegations . We must say we sympathize

much with our American brethren under such unfair and unwise attacks ; the more so , as archreologically the question of the two St . John ' s is a very recondite one in itself , for which a great deal may be advanced on both sides , and which cannot be disposed by some often very irrational articles , and some very needless sneers . ##

# THE lists of the Girls' and Boys' Schools are now before us for the October Elections . In the former there are 30 candidates , and 13 vacancies , though it is almost a pity the Managing Committee cannot see their way to elect 15 , —one-half . Of these , one has made 4 , 6 , 3 , 5 , 2 , and 18—their first

application ; but of these ( which ought to be noted ) , No . 14 , AUGUSTA GILBERT ; No . 23 , EDITH J ARMSTRONG ; and No . 27 , ETHEL FIELDING , are last chances . Of the 30 candidates > we have three daughters of solicitors , two architects , two accountants , two commercial travellers , one commission agent , one merchant , one master mariner , one bookseller and stationer , one

printer , one inspector of police , three licensed victuallers , one shipwright , one furrier , one bootmaker , one surveyor and auctioneer , one military schoolmaster , one provision merchant , one judges' clerk , one sack merchant , one shipyard manager , one military tailor , one veterinary surgeon , and one watchmaker .

Oi' the Boys' there are 57 candidates , and 27 vacancies . Of these candidates one has made 6 applications , 2 , 5 , 7 , 4 , 9 , 3 , 8 , 2 , and 30 are first applications . Of these four are sons of merchants , two farmers and farm bailiffs , one

commander merchant service , one master mariner , two shipwrights , one steward in the Navy , one commercial traveller , one corresponding clerk , one engineers' clerk , one superintending clerk , one shipping clerk , one clerk , one law clerk , one treasurer to a railway , one engineer , one gas engineer , one