The School Elections.

THE SCHOOL ELECTIONS .

The Quarterly General Court of the Boys' School will be held at Freemasons' Tavern to-day ( Friday ) , when , after the conclusion of the ordinary business , there will be an election of 30 out of an approved list of 68 candidates , the poll closing precisely at 3 p . m . We have already given a full account of the

distribution of these latter and the more salient features of their candidature , and therefore we shall content ourselves with reiterating the hope we have already expressed that Governors and Subscribers who are not already committed to the support of any particular case or cases will give their votes and exert their influence in behalf of the children whose names will be struck off

the roll when the election is over , if they do not succeed in obtaining places among the 30 . There are ten such children on the list , namely : No . 2 ( Cumberland and Westmorland ) , No . 4 ( Madras ) , No . 5 ( Jersey ) , No . 19 ( Bristol ) , No . 24 ( London ) , No . 32 ( Warwickshire ) , No . 33 ( Somersetshire ) , No . 43 ( Shropshire ) , No . 49

( London and Middlesex ) , and No . 55 ( East Lancashire ) . As we said in our former article , " The other candidates can afford to be defeated this time , because one or more chances of election will remain to them , " but with these " it is a case of ' now or never / " and " we trust the result of the ballot will declare itself

for the former alternative . The Quarterly General Court of the Girls' School will be held in the same place to-morrow ( Saturday ) . The chair will be taken at noon , as in the case of the Boys' School , and when the ordinary business is concluded , there will be an election-of 21

from an approved list of 43 candidates . Here , too , as we have already described the more important features of the several cases , it is unnecessary we should do more than draw attention to the following seven candidates , who must win places this time or fail altogether , namely : No . 10 ( Essex and Kent ) , No . 12

( Warwickshire ) , Nos . 16 and 24 ( London ) , No . 29 ( East Lancashire ) , No . 33 ( London ) , and No . 43 ( West Yorkshire ) . In the case of these seven , as in that of the ten " last" chances , we think

it is the duty of those who have votes unpromised to give them all the assistance they can ; the justice of their claims to be admitted into our Schools has been recognised , and it seems to us to be the duty of the electors to help them .

Dublin Masonic Orphan Schools.

DUBLIN MASONIC ORPHAN SCHOOLS .

It will be seen from the reports we laid before our readers last week that the Charitable Institutions fostered by the Craft in Ireland , though on a smaller scale than in this country , and devoted only to educational purposes , are both well organised ,

and , in respect of the work they do , most creditable to their patrons and supporters . The building in which the Schools are housed is , we believe , in the neighbourhood of Ball ' s Bridge , and has often been described as one of the most substantial and

attractive of its kind in Dublin and its vicinity . As regards the Schools themselves , the Reports of the progress made during the past are in all respects most gratifying . The Boys' School now contains 60 pupils , the full number for which the premises were built , and the statement of accounts shows that the income for

the past year was £ 2105 os . 4 d ., while the expenditure reached £ 206 9 3 s . id ., leaving a small balance of £ 35 17 s . 3 d . to be carried forward to the next account . Educationally , the boys seem to have made very considerable progress , the results of the annual School examination , as well as at those conducted by the

Board of Intermediate Education , showing that a wise system of instruction was in force , and that the tutors had zealously and faithfully performed their important duties . In the matter of health , the tenour of the Report is all that could be wished , there having been no serious illness of any kind whatever among the

inmates , and on no occasion was it found necessary to use the infirmary attached to the School . The only drawback to the gratification afforded by this Report is that the School is still burdened with a debt of about £ 500 in respect of the building , and an earnest hope is expressed—a hope which we have no doubt

Dublin Masonic Orphan Schools.

will be in great part , if not wholly , realised—that this small liability will be cleared off before the close of the current year . The Report of the Female Orphan School is still more favourable , it being described as " now completely equipped for the reception of 80 pupils , " and as being " the absolute property

of the Governors , ' and "free from debt . " There is not , however , as yet the full complement of 80 girls , the number at the beginning of 188 9 having been 72 , and at the close , 76 , four additional children having been placed on the establishment , in addition to 10 that were elected to fill vacancies . In addition to

these , there were 16 outgoing or former pupils to whom outfits or other form of assistance was granted , so that the number benefited during the year was 92 . The amount received in the shape of donations and subscriptions— £ 1964 6 s . gd—is described as having been the largest since 18 7 6 , the annual income from

all sources , exclusive of the purchase money of the Burlingtonroad property and legacies , being returned as ^ 2890 12 s . 4 d . On the other hand , the total expenditure for keeping 74 girls is set down as £ 2462 13 s . id ., the result being that the average per child receiving benefit was ^ , 26 15 s ., while the average

expenditure for outgoing and former pupils was £ g 6 s . 3 d . "The expenditure for board , lodging , clothing , and educating , with the maintenance of the premises and resident staff , for each pupil in the School during the year was £ 27 13 s . " After this , we are not surprised to find the Governors expressing their belief that this

outlay , as compared with that of other similar Institutions , " is exceptionally small , " and affords " a convincing proof of the excellence of the management . " The educational progress of the pupils , we are told , was " on the whole satisfactory , " a form of statement which looks very much as if it were intended

to convey the idea that the progress made during the year might well have been more satisfactory . However , if our surmise is correct that the progress might have been greater , this is clearl y not due to any shortcoming on the part of the Matron and Governesses , who , as the Report tells us , " have continued to

deserve the gratitude and confidence of the Governors and to promote the welfare of the children in their charge by their unwearied attention . " What pleases us most , however , is the evidence we glean from these Reports that the condition the Schools are in is not the result of a mere spasmodic effort , but

that there is every likelihood that their efficiency both financial and educational , will be well maintained . The income of the last 10 years has , it is said , " steadily kept pace with their efficiency , " and the Governors look forward with the utmost confidence to an equally prosperous future .

Masonic Reprints Of Lodge, No. 2076.

MASONIC REPRINTS OF LODGE , No . 2076 .

The reproduction of the rare and valuable " Book of Constitutions" of A . D . 173 8 , leaves nothing to be desired , and is a real treasure . There has never before been such a faithful and exact reproduction of any work of the kind , and I venture to predict for it such a warm welcome that the edition of 250

copies will be exhausted in a week or two . It is sure to be at a heavy premium in May , and then keen will be the disappointments on finding the splendid volume wholly subscribed for . The circular respecting its publication states " It is one of the rarest ,

and , to the student , one of the most important books in the whole range of Masonic literature , giving as it does , the earliest account of the first 21 years of the Grand Lodge of England . A copy has been sold for £ 20 , and even at that price it is seldom to be procured . "

This statement is within the mark , for the rarity and importance of the volume cannot be over estimated . Sometimes a copy has been sold for about half the sum specified , but then it lacked the frontispiece . I know of one just now for sale of this kind ,

but only one . The value being so great and the book so rare , few libraries contain originals , but this facsimile issued at such a low figure , will enable collectors to delight in the possession of what , for all practical purposes , is equal to the volume of 1738 .