Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS 1 253 Swedish Freemasonry 254 Hoard of Benevolence 254 Royal Masonic Institution for Girls—Anniversary Festival and Stewards ' Visit ' . 2 S 4

Presentation to Bro , James Willing , Jun . 259 Presentation to R . W " . Bro . Col . Ramsay , Past District Grand Matter Punjab 3 $ o CORRESPOKntXCE' Peterborough Cathedral : 261 Reviews 261 - Notes and Queries 261

Annnal Elections of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution 262 Presentation to Bro . John Mason 26 3 Consecration of the Lebanon Mark I . odge , No . 23 S , Fowey 26 3 REPORTS OF MASOXIC

MEKTIXCSCraft Masonry 36 3 Instruction 365 Royal Arch . 263 Ancient and Accepted Rite 36 J Masonic and General Tidings 266 The Theatres 366 Lodge Meetings for Next Week ... Page 3 Cover .

Ar00100

THE Royal Masonic'Institution for Girls held its annual Festival under the presidency of Lord BROOKE , Provincial Grand Master for Essex , on Wednesdaylast . 285 Stewards brought up the goodly amount of £ 13 , 937 14 s . We congratulate Bro . HEDGES and all concerned on this most satisfactory result . London has supplied £ 6300 5 s . and the provinces £ 6737 os . The

highest amount from a London Lodge is £ 26 4 12 s ., Bro . A MCDOWALL ; whilst the leading Provincial return , that of Essex , is £ 1000 . There are one Provincial and four London lists yet to come . We think it right lo mention-that the highest individual Provincial return is that of Rev . J . MARSDEN , South Wales , Western Division , £ 262 10 s .

»* # BRO . BINCKES has secured the services of our eminent brother the Right Hon . the LORD MAYOR as Chairman for the Boys' School Festival .

Lieut .-Col . Sir HENRY EDWARDS , Bart ., Provincial Grand Master for West Yorkshire , is President of a numerous Board of Stewards . We hope that Bro . BINCKES may receive the warm support of the Craft , as after his anxious efforts and his mournful disappointment he so fully deserves .

# # THE annual gathering for the " Benevolent" Election is past again for 1884 , and a large assembly of metropolitan and provincial brethren has filled for a few hours the great hall , and then separated to meet again 12 months hence for the same exciting process and the same excellent object .

We confess that we arc among those who like to see the hall filled with our brethren , the old familiar faces of past years , and to realize that the great end of their animated meeting is Charity . There can be no doubt that few benevolent organizations do so much real good and afford such effective help as our well managed Institution of benevolent and seasonable

annuties for old age and decay . It is a very striking fact for Freemasons to remember and for the non-Masonic world to appreciate , that we are now granting annuities to destitute brethren and their widows , amounting to many thousands yearly . Indeed , each year witnesses a significant increase of the liberality of the Craft to make good the demands which only 12

months bring , and there is as yet no sign that our truly beneficent brotherhood is weary of well-doing . On the contrary , it would almost seem from what is going on in our midst as if . we are destined to witness a yearly advance in charitable efforts and charitable results . One of the most striking features of our system of benevolent annuities for the aged and

. forlorn is to be found in this , that the annuities themselves are the result of careful calculations and humane common sense . They are neither lavish nor [ capricious in amount and distribution , but are , we venture to think , just what they ought to be , so as to prevent unreasonable and unworthy applications for their timely aid and sustenance . We were therefore

rejoiced when our worthy Bro . CHARLES LACEY withdrew his motion to reduce the amount . He had a perfect right to raise the question , but as the intense preponderance of opinion-alike in town and country was "to leave well alone , " we are certain he exercized a wise discretion , and we owe him many thanks for-saving us from a long and perhaps heated discussion .

As we said before , our annuities are not too lavish , and we trust therefore we have heard the last for some time of any such well iritentioned proposition , which if carried , we feel sure , would do serious harm to the Royal Masonic Benevolent . Institution , and' reduce it to the level of an inferior Friendl y

order . Those who know Bro . CHARLES LACEY are quite aware that his motives were excellent , and feel that his desire is natural and laudable to extend the number of annuitants . But this can best be done by increasing our support to the . parent Institution , and to this end let us devote our efforts in 1884 and for 1885 .

THE Benevolent Elections of last Friday were very severe , the Widows especially so , the highest Widow polling 2237 , and the lowest of 31 ( let us note this ) 1103 . The highest Male candidate polled 2163 and the lowest 681 .

Ar00101

As usual many voting papers were lost through the carelessness of voters , among the widows , fewer than usual . Some ( ill up their voting papers for more votes than the paper covers , some do not sign the voting paper at all , some do not apportion their votes to any candidates , and for those and other similar childish reasons many voting papers are lost every election . One .

curious fact remains , that a large number of subscribers never use their voting- papers and old voting papers of this and the other Institutions . are ' sent in , as if to proclaim that some subscribers lo our Institutions never open their voting papers , or throw them away when received into the waste paper basket . Such is Masonic life .

• • • ' LET all those who cavil at or anathematize Freemasons ponder , over the-one fact that the first two Festivals of our much maligned Order in 1884 have produced £ 27 , 000 . Of what other earthly society can it be said at this ' hour that it is doing so much and so well for Charity ?

« ¦» WE call attention elsewhere gladly to a mark of distinction conferred by our Royal and Illustrious Brother His Majesty the KINO OF SWEDEN on our

esteemed and valued Past Grand " Chaplain , Bro . R . P . BENT . We shall all rejoice to note that he has been so distinguished by the august head of another jurisdiction , and trust that he may have many years of health- and happiness to bear his " blushing honours thick upon him . "

* *» WE ' are immensely amused with . a statement in the Australian Freemason , either made by or for the Grand Lodge of Italy , that it is " the oldest

Grand I . odge in Europe . " What such an assertion means in 1884 we cannot even presume to guess , or how our confrere at the Antipodos could have admitted such a childish and foolish " par " into his usually carefully edited paper .

• • • A OUESTION is asked in the same paper , which appears to us , as the great J OHNSON liked to say , " mighty absurd . " It is this : Can a person be initiated with a " cork leg " : ' The editor of the Australian Freemason , or of some other paper , cooly replies , " Our answer is , unquestionably no . "

Wc say , on the contrary , " certainly yes . The old law as regards " limbs " was made no doubt by the Free Guilds , at a time when serfs wrro cruelly treated . ¦ Then no doubt none could be received but free inch or the sons of free men and " unmutilated , " lor it may bo a question whether the man freed from a state of vassalage by manumission or

servitude was eligible . His son undoubtedly was , but it is more than doubtful whether he was himself . Whatever may have been the custom of the Guilds , or even later years , the English Grand Lodge now only makos this " sine qua non , " that the candidate is a " Freeman and of full age , —

21 years . " We remember a question years ago whether a man with a wooden leg could be made a Mason , and it was given in favour of wood , We can have no hesitation in pronouncing in favour of the more artistic form of cork : It is the internal not the external qualifications of the man with which Freemasonry properly ought most to concern itself ,

* * m WE have received the Victorian Masonic Journal of April 2 nd , by which it appears that not only has the appointment of Sir W . CLARKE as District Grand Master been deeply appreciated by our loyal brethren at Melbourne , but that the formation of the illegal Victorian Grand Lodge is likely ere

long to be only a " vision of the past . " Three thousand brethren attended to . attest their loyalty and to support the English Masonic Constitution , and we rejoice to note and to chronicle in the Freemason that our reliance on the steadfast loyalty of our Victorian brethren was not announced in vain . The whole proceedings were very striking , and we wish all true Masonic progress and prosperity to the District Grand Lodge of Victoria .

Vk . * * WE regret to see the suggestion of a brother , in thesame journal , under the Irish Constitution and of high rank , to begin as it were a fresh agitation for a Grand Lodge of Australia . Surely this p laying at making Grand Lodges is very childish and inopportune . # * #

WE understand from the best authority that the so-called Grand Lodge of Victoria is a failure , that it has-no real support in the colony and may soon be expected to collapse . Peace to its Manes i