Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS 493 The First Grand Stewards and their Lodges—V 49 + French Freemasonry in England 495 Bro . Sir Albert Woods , G . D . C 496 Royal Masonic Institution for Girls 497 Annual Outing of the Mariners" Lodge ,

No . 249 49 V Summer Outing of the John Itervcy Lodge , No . 1260 497 First Annua ! Garden Party of Chiswick Lodge , No . 2 or 2 497 Masonic Presentation at Stonehouse 497 The Washington Bible 497

CORRESPONDENCEBro . Binckes' Testimonial ... 499 The Quatuor Coronati Lodge 499 REPORTS OP MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry ; 499 Instruction < co

REPORTS OF M ASONIC MEETINGS ( Continued)—Royal Arch 500 Instruction 501 Mark Masonry sor Scotland 501 India 501 The One Hundred-aiid-Fiftieth Anniversary

of the Lodge of Industry , No . 4 S ... 502 An Internationa 1 Masonic Dilliculty 503 First Annual Summer Festival of the Covent Garden Lodge of Instruction , No . 1614 $ 02 Chinese Masonry 502

A General Benevolent rund for New Zealand ,,., 503 Coloured Masonry ... " , , 503 The Craft Abroad 503 Masonic and General Tidings 504 Lodge Meetings for Next Week iii .

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A REPORT appears elsewhere of a most pleasant meeting which took place at the Girls' Institution on Tuesday , when an illuminated address on vellum was presented to the Head Governess , Miss DAVIS , in commemoration of her'having completed a period of twenty-five years'service , and in testimony of the valuable services rendered by her in that all important capacity . But

we should consider we had left unfulfilled one of the most agreeable duties that has ever devolved upon us , if we were to let slip the opportunity of adding our slight tribute of congratulation to that of the House Committee of the Institution . We cannot presume to know so much of Miss DAVIS personally as the members of that Committee , nor have we enjoyed the

same opportunities of judging as to the extent and character of the influence she has exerted so beneficially over the children entrusted to her care . But the many prize meetings at St . John's Hill , which we have had the privilege of attending , have enabled us to note the kindly relations existing between Miss DAVIS and her pupils , while the successful results which have been

achieved by the latter at the University Middle-Class and other public examinations , and which we are every now and then called upon to publish , demonstrate clearly how excellent an instructress she must be . We , therefore , tender to Miss DAVIS our congratulations on the auspicious event of Tuesday , and trust she may be spared yet many years to continue her successful labours ,

# « WE must congratulate Bro . the Earl of HARDWICKE on his selection of a successor to the late Bro . J . NEAL YORK as Deputy P . G . M . of Cambridgeshire . Bro . A . J . Mo YES is a member and Past Master of the Scientific Lodge , No . 88 , Cambridge—Bro . YORK ' S lodge—was Prov . G . S . Warden

of Cambridgeshire in 1882-3 , and is a P . Z . of the Pythagoras Chapter of R . A . Masons , as well as a member of other Degrees . He is also a supporter of our Charitable Institutions , his name figuring among the Life Governors of the Benevolent Institution and Girls' School . No doubt Bro .

MOYES has his work cut out for him in succeeding so able and popular a man as the late Bro . Y ORK , but time , tact , and temper are the three essential qualifications for a good Deputy , and we venture to think he will justify the favourable expectations formed of him and the choice of his respected chief .

«* # WE have much pleasure in giving publicity to certain efforts which are being made by Bro . W . A . BASKCOMB , of the Drury Lane Lodge , No . 2127 , in behalf of the Gordon Boys' Home . Our readers do not need to have explained to them the value of an Institution which , while it perpetuates the

name and fame of the heroic soldier who died at the post of duty in Khartoum , is intended to fulfil the object which was nearest to- that soldier ' s heart , that is , to provide for the outcast boys of this country such a course of training as will fit them for a life of honourable usefulness in the Army , the Navy , or other calling , either in the old country or in its colonies .

Moreover , though the late General GORDON was not a member of our Society , there was something so purely benevolent about his character , and something so essentially Masonic about the Home which bears his name , and the purpose for which it has been established , that we need make no apology for bringing the matter under the special notice of our friends . We trust our brother ' s efforts will be productive of good , and we may add , that

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any contributions , however small , will be most thankfully received and acknowledged if addressed to " Mr . W . A . BASKCOMB , Marlborough House , Pall Mall , S . W . "

* e A MASONIC journal may have no particular respect for its reputation , or it may have no reputation that is seriously worth respecting ; but it is under a certain obligation to respect that section of the press of which it is a constituent member . Moreover , it is always possible for a journal to express

opinions which may be directly at variance with those of other organs of its class without violating the proprieties . For instance , there is no reason why this wretched Quebec difference with the Grand Lodge of England , so far as it is arguable at all , should not be argued in a friendly spirit . It is a misfortune that any differences of opinion should have arisen

upon this question ; but it is doubly unfortunate when those who take part in the controversy adopt a course which can have no other effect than to embitter the dispute , and make wider than ever the breach already existing between the disputants . The active hostility of Quebec towards England may be justifiable ; the passive resistance of England to what she considers

the absurd pretensions of Quebec may be considered the right policy to pursue under the circumstances . Vermont may give its view in favour of Quebec , and New York may decide for itself that the position taken up by England is above reproach—all these opinions may reasonably be urged by those who hold them , and until one or other is proved to a demonstration to

be wrong , no one need hesitate about upholding or defending them . But it is quite another thing when the advocate of a policy or opinion sets to work abusing his opponent , and roundly asserts that he is actuated by sordid motives in the course he is pursuing . Conduct of this kind is indefensible , and should have no other effect than to bring general disgrace upon its

author . The Grand Lodge of Vermont , for example , may be right in supporting Quebec , in which case it must follow that the course pursued by New York in siding with England is wrong . But the Toronto Freemason has no need to " regret New York's cowardly action , " a public and very decided expression of opinion in favour of one or other of the disputants

being the reverse of "cowardly . " Neither is it possible to affirm , as our Toronto contemporary has had the hardihood to affirm , that New York , in declaring in favour of England , " has stultified its record . " On the contrary , the policy it has pursued on the present occasion is framed on precisely the same lines as the policy it pursued a few years since under prei '

cisely similar circumstances , that being the reason why Grand Master LAWRENCE recommended , and the Grand Lodge of New York adopted it . This being so , the disgraceful insinuation that New York has " sold its principles for GOODALL ' S English jewel " —Bro . GOODALL being the representative of the Grand Lodge of England at the Grand Lodge of New

York—has only to be quoted in order to be reprobated by all honest Freemasons , whether hailing from British North America , the United States , or England . This kind of advocacy is like certain guns we have heard of lately which are calculated to injure their friends rather than the enemy .

Quebec must blush for very shame at support of this description . For ourselves , who are thinking chiefly of the effect such low abuse as this must have on the outside world , we can only trust the Toronto Freemason will mend its ways , if not for its own sake , at least out of respect for Masonic journalism generally .

• *» AND the cause of all this extremely bad form , what is it but a wretched attempt on the part of Quebec to evade the honourable obligations contracted more than thirty years since between the Grand Lodges of Canada and England , the Grand Lodge of Quebec being an offshoot of the former

and a section , therefore , of one of the high contracting bodies , when the treaty was signed ? With the exception of New York , which bases its resolution in favour of England in great part on the articles of this treaty , and some few other Grand Lodges of the United States , the majority of the Grand Lodges of the North American continent , which , like Illinois

and Vermont , have entered into the squabble with so much unnecessary violence , either ignore or are ignorant of the terms of the Anglo-Canadian engagement , and our belief is that , if they really understood the

origin and nature of the present dispute between England and Quebec , they would steadfastly avoid having anything to do with it . Do they know , or , knowing , will they be at the trouble of calling to mind that the Three Anglo-Montreal Lodges , whose desire to remain under the Grand Lodge