The Recent School Elections.

and Surrey youth , for whom 1660 votes were polled in October last , stood 11 th with 5280 to his credit , and another London lad 12 th wilh 5212 votes . West Yorkshire furnished the next successful . candidate , for whom 49 8 9 votes were given , and

then came one from London with 4973 votes , the N . and E . Yorkshire lad obtaining the 15 th place with 4 850 votes , and one . of the two from Staffordshire the 16 th with 4797 votes . The Somersetshire boy was 17 th with 4723 votes , and one

ofthe two from South Wales ( E . D . ) next with 4720 . No . 19 , from Hants and the Isle ot Wight , has already been mentioned , No . 20 hailing from London , who had 91 votes in hand when starting , being fortunate enough to increase

his tolal to 4020 , and so escaped the unpleasant alternative of having his name erased from the list for future ballots . The Cambridgeshire boy , with 4 61 standing to his credit , won the 21 st place with 3575 votes ,

and London brought up the rear by securing the election of two boys remaining from October last , of whom one , with 2370 votes to the good from three attempts , scored 3270 , and tlie other , with 1244 votes from one attempt , 2958 votes . The

hig hest unsuccessful candidate hailed from London , and polled 2148 votes , the second from Middlesex , 2072 votes , thc third and fifth from London , 2044 and 1919 votes respectively , and the fourth from S . Wales ( E . D . ) , 1990 votes . There

were , in addition , four other candidates , for each of whom upwards of 1000 votes were polled , the total number available being 140 , 790 , of which 129 , 250 were issued for this election ,

but of these 9006 were unused or spoilt , the total poll , including votes brought forward and those added under Law 33 . being i 3 I . 7 4-

It remains for us to express the pleasure we feel at finding that our appeal in behalf of last cases has proved so successful . Originally there were 13 of them , namely , eight girls and i \ vc boys , but one of the former had , as we have said , her name

withdrawn at the last moment . But of the seven girls only one was unsuccessful , while one of the live boys finds himself in the same unfortunate position . This success of 10 out of the 12

last , cases that went to the ballot is tlu : more gratifying because , as the majority of them were girls , and the vacancies for that Institution comparatively few , we were not over sanguine of a result so satisfactory .

East Lancashire's Recent Loss.

EAST LANCASHIRE'S RECENT LOSS .

Quite recently , in our report of the annual meeting , at Bolton , of the Prov . Grand Chapter of E . Lancashire , it was explained by the acting Grand Superintendent that the absence of lhe Grand Superintendent was due to illness , and a telegram was there and then despatched to Col . LE GENIJRE N . STARKIE , expressing ,

firstly , the regret oi the Provincial Grand Chapter at the absence of ^ their respected chief , and the reason which necessitated that absence ; and , secondly , the sincere hope of all present that he might be speedily restored to health . Unhappily for East Lancashire , that hope has not been realised , and but little more than

a fortnight had elapsed since the day on which the meeting was held—the 29 th March—ere the mournful duty devolved upon us of recording his death . In announcing the sad news we tendered our sympathy not only to the family of our deceased brother , but also to the brethren of his Province , by whom he was so greatly

beloved and esteemed , and for the promotion of whose interests he had laboured unceasingly . East Lancashire has , indeed , sustained a heavy loss which reminds us of the similar calamity that less than six months ago befel the contiguous Province of West

Lancashirewhen , in November last , its lamented chief , the late Earl of LATHOM , was taken from it—and which time alone will be able to repair . Wc have only lo refer to the year 18 70 , when having been appointed two years previously lo the chair of

Junior Grand Warden of England in Grand Lodge , and to the office of Grand Scribe N . in Supreme Grand Chapter , our late distinguished brother was chosen to preside over East Lancashire as Prov . ( irand Master and ( irand Superintendent , in order to form some idea of lhe services which Col . S I'ARKIK

rendered to Crall and Royal . Arch Masonry , lie was installed in office by the late Earl of CARNARVON , then Dep . Grand Master , at tlie Free Trade llall , Manchester , on the ylh

November of that year , while to the late Comp . IlENRV MuGGKRlDGE was delegated the duty of installing him as Grand Superintendent , the meeting in this instancebeingal the Town llall , Bury , on the 30 th March , 18 71 , though the patent dated from the ist

East Lancashire's Recent Loss.

September of the previous year . In the 29 years that have since elapsed the Province has made immense strides both in Craft and Royal Arch . When the late Bro . Col . STARKIE was installed there were some 77 lodges on the roll , now , on turning to Grand Lodge Calendar , we find there are 113 . In 1871 there were

about 2 ° > or rather more , Chapters , now there are over 40 , the increase in Craft Masonry having been , speaking roughly , at the rate of between 45 and 50 per cent ., and in the Royal Arch about 34 or 35 per cent . But the remarkable progress which East Lancashire has made under his rule has bv no means

been restricted to mere increase in thc number of lodges and chapters . The Province has throughout his official career been doing some splendid work on behalf of our Central Charitable Institutions . In 18 79 , when Col . STARKIE presided at thc Annual Festival on behalf of the Royal Masonic Benevolent

Institution , East Lancashire subscribed over ^ 3500 , or not very far short of one-fourth of the entire . total of the sums raised by London and the Provinces . In 18 S 8 it purchased two Perpetual Presentations to the Widows' Fund of the same Institution , and consequently was less able to work for the

Girls Centenary , than doubtless it would have done , had it not committed itself to the purchase just mentioned in commemoration of the QUEEN ' S Jubilee . In 1892 , it did well for the Old People , while last year in connection with the Boys' Centenary , it surpassed all its previous records by subscribing over £ 5 ^ 00 , there

THE I . ATK 11 R 0 . CO ! .. I . IC Ci'NDSF . N . STARKIE . being only one other Province—that of West Yorkshire—which contributed a larger amount . Then as to its own Systematic Educational and Benevolent Institution , it was under Colonel STARKIE ' auspices that thc Provincial Charity was

re-organised and so enabled to do better work for distressed East Lancashire brethren , while the splendid success of thc Festival held only a few years since on its behalf when . tYooo was raised is too recent in our ' memory lo need more than a passing reference . In the other duties which devolve on

Prov . Grand Masters , and particularly that of laying foundation and memorial stones , the late chief was always ready and willing to bear his part in these ceremonies ; while , in 1888 , when his Royal Highness the M . W . Grand Master laid the first stone of certain Technical Schools about to be erected at

Blackburn , Col . STARKIE , Prov . Grand Muster , and his officers were in attendance , and assisted the Prince in his duty . In fine , our late lamented brother did all , and more than all , that was required of him , and did it well and thoroughly ; while in the kindness and geniality of his rule he endeared himself to the brethren everywhere throughout his Province .

Provincial Grand Mark Lodge Of Leicestershire And Rutland.

PROVINCIAL GRAND MARK LODGE OF LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND .

The annual meeting of the ab ; ve Provincial Grand Mark Lodge was held at Freemasons' Hall , Leicester , on Thursday , the Oth instant . Bro . the Right Hon . the Earl of Euston , Pro G . M , Prov . G . M ., presidrd . supported by Bro . VV . J . Freer , D puiy Prov . G M ., and other Grand Officers , Present and Past .

The reports from the W . M . of each lodge showed an increase in the number of members , notwithstanding the heavy death roll thit had befallen the province , no less than seven members having pas sed to their rest during the previous year . The brethren expressed their gra ' . itude to the G . O . O . T . U . for the restoration to health of the Prov . G . M ., and tendered their congratulations to his lordship on being present 011 that occasion .

1 he Prov . G . Treasurer ' s account showed a b il . ince fir the past year ° f £ 7 6 s . id . The thanks of the Provincial Gr . ind Lodge were accorded to him f < r his services , and Bro . H . J . Thompson was again unanimously reelected Prov . G . Treasure * . liro . B . A . Smith was appoinled the representative of the Provincial Grand Lodge at the Quaiteily Courts ai . d Elections of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys .