Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .

A Quarterly Court of the Subscribers of this Institution was held on Monday , the 17 th inst ., at Freemasons' Hall . Bro . John Hervey , V . P .,

occupied the chair , and he was supported by Bros . J . Symonds , Benjamin Head , Geo . Cox , Edward Cox , H . Browse , Major J . Creaton , W Young , Raynham W . Stewart , W . Roebuck , J .

R . Sheen , R . Spencer , Jas . Weaver , W . Farnfield , Leopold Ruf , H . Massey , and F . Binckes ( Secretary ) . The ordinary business was transacted ,

consisting of the reading of former minutes and reports and settling the list of candidates for the October election ; and then Bro . W . Young ' s motion , " That in acknowledgment of the

services rendered by Bro . Joseph Lavender in connection with the erection of the ne w buildings at Wood Green , the rank of Honorary

Vice-President , with full privileges , be conferred on Bro . Lavender , " was unanimously carried ; and the court was closed after a vote of thanks had been passed to the chairman .

Patent Law Reform.

PATENT LAW REFORM .

We have great pleasure in publishing the following report of certain resolutions adopted at a meeting of London Patent Agents , as the injustice done to patentees by the action of the present laws has long been an admitted

grievance : — At a recent meeting of London Patent Agents , convened to consider the proposed changes in the patent laws , Mr . George Haseltine , M . A ., in the chair , the following resolutions were adopted : — First . — " That the chief defects of the patent laws

have arisen from a want of appreciation of the right of inventors to the sole use of their inventions , an unreserved recognition of which right should pervade every patent system , and the true aim of legislation is to harmonise this personal right with the interests of the state .

Second . — " That the granting of patents to mere 'first importers' is an injustice to inventors—an injury to society , as it induces the 'pirating' of inventions—and the reasons for these grants no longer existing , legislation should confine the issue of patents to actual inventors and their

representatives . " Third . — "That , in view of the benefits inventors confer on the public , and the expenses incident to the completion and introduction of new inventions , a patent for fourteen years is an inadequate compensation , and we deem it expedient to grant patents

for a term of twenty-one years without the privilege of extension . " Fourth . — " That the patent laws impose penalties upon inventors in the form of excessive fees , which justice and public policy demand should be reduced to the amount requisite to defray the expenses of

an efficicntadministrationof asimple patent system , and fees often pounds for the entire term—now one hundred and seventy-five pounds—would yield more than sufficient for the purpose . " Fifth . — " That the defects of the present practice should be remedied bvthe introduction of the system

of granting patents , at the risk of the applicants , without any official supervision of the specification or preliminary investigation of the merits of the invention . " Sixth . — " That the rights of the patentees should be determined by a competent tribunal , excluding

all technical objections to the validity of the patent , and we deem it expedient to dispense with jurors and ' expert ' witnesses in patent suits . " Seventh . — " That these resolutions , signed by the chairman , be forwarded to the Parliamentary Select

Committee on Letters Patent , and such other publicity be given them as he may deem conducive lo the success of a liberal measure of patent legislation . " ™

"MORE than a year ago one of my children was attacked with bronchitis , and , after a long illness , was given up by my physician as * past cure . ' I was then induced to try your Vegetable Pain Killer , and from the time I began the use of it the child rapidly got better , and is now strong and healthy . — J WINSTANLEY , 10 , Whitlk-st ., L / pool , 7 . z : i . 1869 . —To P . D . & Son , '

"Dead Masons."

" DEAD MASONS . "

BY BRO . W . B . MELIUS . There are those alive who do not live . In every Masonic lodge can be found Masons who are dead to all the hi ghest purposes of Mason ' s life . They simnlv veeetate—eat drink , and

absorb what they can get of the substance of others . They arid nothing to the common stock of pleasure or of good in the society in which they claim a membership . They have no hand to help on any occasion , no word of cheer

for the brethren of activity and enterprise , in fact , very little , if anything commendable . They sit still , or if they show signs of life at all , it is to drag themselves across the path of progress in such a way as to check the passing

current . If such brethren have their use , as they doubtless have , it is , in the economy of affairs , that of testing the strength and patience of live brethren in passing over and around their dead bodies .

Masonry ! what is it , if it is not a progressive profession ? The end at which it aims is human perfection , and in striving to attain it , there must be a constant battle with ignorance , prejudice , passion , and superstition . If we have

abundance of charity , with plenty of zeal , we dare to stand in the open field ready to move upon the opposer of our institution , drive back the foe , capture his strong hold , and dictate peace to him as a conqueror . The living dead Mason

is nowhere so much out of place as in the lodge ; and yet we have dead Masons in New York State ; some in every county ; one or more in every lodge . Notice the marks by which we know them . Masonry now has a creditable literature . It is easy to collect a hundred

volumes in English , appertaining directly to the Craft . Some twenty magazines are published throughout the country , and as many more papers , filled with the doings of our institution throughout the globe , besides abundant reading matter for the most fastidious .

The Master , or any officer who takes an interest in the growth of his lodge , feels interest in the one who says " I come seeking , and want more light . " If he can feel in the sli ghtest manner that his mission is to benefit that one , he will surely find means of procuring and reading

some of these books and papers . But these are those who do not , and who would not , if they grew spontaneous , go to the trouble of picking them off the trees that stand by the highway or street along which they crawl on their way to the lodge . Their whole life seems to tend to dry up the stream of life in others .

These aead Masons seldom attend regular meetings if they can help it , but if forced to attend , their ears . ire deaf to what is said , their eyes are blind to what is done ; they sit , but

do not even look . 1 he two pillars with the pedestal placed befor the Master could not be more indifferent ; and yet these brethren arc without knowledge , while , like the miser ' s money , it is corrodin '' for want of use .

1 hose who sit next to one of those torpid fellows in the meeting , invariably grow cold by the contact . Even the eye of the Master , full of life and fire , as he urges the brethren , or inspires them with greater zeal in tlie

performance of known duty , necessary for the elevation of the Order , loses its lustre as it rests for a moment upon the cold , blank countenance of the dead Mason before him . The dead Mason has a certain amount of exercise that he follows

day after day with as little variation as if he was turning the crank of a grind-stone . If the lodge runs he has no right to have any anxiety , only he don ' t want too many members to get sick , or die , for fear the ! funds may run short , and the dues for another year will be raised .

The joys and sorrows , wishes and wants , of his lodge are nothing to him . He hopes everything will " come out right . " If he is placed on a committee , he attends to it with the most melancholy interest , and is sure to forget to report at the proper time . I often think , my dear , dead brother , that you

"Dead Masons."

made a great mistake in thinking the institution " called" you a member , or that it is benefited thereby , and I fear when the Master calls for the designs upon the trestle-board of your life , it will be found unfinished !—Gavel .

The Antiquarian Explora- Tions And Discoveries At Timpendean Muir.

THE ANTIQUARIAN EXPLORA- TIONS AND DISCOVERIES AT TIMPENDEAN MUIR .

( Extractedfrom The Scotsman of i & tli fitly , 1 S 71 . J Mr . John S . Phene , F . G . S ., F . R . G . S ., Memof the British Archaeological Association , has commenced explorations for the discovery of relics of early British art in the neighbourhood of Jedburgh , with the Marquis of Lothian ' s head

forester , and a staff of assistants acting under him . Excavations have already been commenced , and it is understood that Mr . Phene will open a celebrated tumulus which , it is believed , has never hitherto been disturbed , near Monteviot , on the estate of Lord Lothian .

( Extractedf > om The Scotsman of 19 / A July , 1871 . ^ The Antiquarian Explorations alluded to yesterday as being at present carried on by Mr . Phen 6 have resulted in some very interesting discoveries . Mr . Phene first surveyed the

various points of interest on the estates of the Marquis of Lothian in the nei ghbourhood of Jedburgh , and selected Timpendean Muir as his field of operations . Several small tumuli and British camps were examined , and evidences

were obtained of cremation in the tumuli , and selection as regards adaptation for defence in the positions occupied by the camps , but as these results were only of average interest , a more minute survey was made , and Mr . Phend

selected a spot where some out-cropping stones , arranged in a more or less circular form , seemed to mark it out as best deserving attention . On removing the grass and the " brackens , " the outline was found to be oval , and the area enclosed

by the stones formed of green turf . A trench was partly cut in a line eastwards from the Eildon Hills , and on removing the turf , the area was found to be carefully paved at a depth of nearly a foot below the surface . When the stones were

taken up to continue the trench , the soil was found to be undisturbed , but on close inspection the pavement was observed to be defective at several points , all equi-distant from the external stones forming the enclosure . These blank

spaces in tlie pavement were found also to be discoloured , and , on being excavated , showed several round patches of charred wood , apparently oak . Digging downwards to the rock , a depth of about 3 feet from the surface , the charred

material gradually disappeared , and soon assumed only tlie black appearance resulting from decomposed wood , stained probably by the infiltration of the charcoal , which had been carried down in small particles through the

interstices . I he trench , the direction of which had been designedly chosen , was found to have at each end one of these charcoal spaces , which appear to have been the remains of oaken supports to the roof . Near the one farthest from

the Eildons a small circular stone amulet , neatly bored through the centre , and indented on the edge , was found . It is similar to those described by the late Mr . Tait as having been found in dwellings at Greaves Ash . On the side nearest

the Eildons was found a fine urn , inverted and filled with human bones , mixed with vegetable charcoal , the bones showing signs of cremation . The placedoes not appear to have been designed for sepulture , and it is probable that it was

destroyed hy fire , and that the possessor had afterwards been buried under his own domestic hearth . Quartz pebbles were found near the urn . The moor is traversed by a Roman road , which runs into Watling-street . The dwelling ,

from the oval form , depth of deposit above it , and the remains of wooden supports , appears to be of the same class as those on Loch Etive in Argyleshire , mentioned in Wilson ' s pre-historic annals of Scotland . Mr . I'hcne still continues his researches ,