Our Masonic Charities.

didates for admission , a number of poor and deserving children , some of whom are orphans , several fatherless , and all anxiously waiting to be admitted , but the limited state of the finances of the charity will not permit an extension of the present number .

" It is hoped that many of the nobility , gentry , and others , and particularly the lodges and members of the ancient fraternity will contribute to the support of this useful and laudable Institution . " ( To he continued . )

English Gilds.*

ENGLISH GILDS . *

( Continued from page 165 . ) The very soul of the craft gild was its meetings , which brought all the gild brothers together every week or quarter . These meetings were always held with certain ceremonies , for the sake

of greater solemnity . The box , having several locks like that of the trade-unions , and containing the charters of the gild , the statutes , the money , and other valuable articles , was opened on such occasions , and all present had to uncover their

Beads . These meetings possessed all the rights "which they themselves had not chosen to delegate . They elected the presidents ( originally called aldermen , afterwards masters and wardens ) and other officials , except in those cases already

mentioned , in which the master was appointed by the King , the bishop , or the authorities of the town . As a rule , the gilds were free to choose their masters , either from their own members , or from men of higher I'ank , though they were sometimes limited in their choice to the former . Did the

election fall on a member who would not accept it , he was subjected to fines . Of a council , which ( like that of the court of assistants of later times ) stood by the side of the masters , we find in early days at most but a trace , in the quorum of

members which had to co-operate with the master on various occasions , as , for instance , in the exercise of jurisdiction . The wardens summoned and presided at the meetings , with their consent enacted ordinances for

the regulations of the trade , saw these ordinances properly executed , and watched over the maintenance of the customs of the craft . They had the right to examine all manufactures , and a right of search for all unlawful tools and products . They formed , with the assistance of a quorum of gild

brothers , the highest authority in all the concerns of the gild . No gild member could be arraigned about trade matters before any other judge . We have still numerous documentary proofs of the severity and justice with which the wardens

exercised their juridical duties . Whenever they held a court , it was under special forms and solemnities : thus , for instance , in 1275 the chief ward en of the Masons building Strasburg Cathedral held a court sitting under a canopy . The local trad es of the towns continued under a certain amount ocontrol by the town authorities even after the craft

gilds had obtained power . The elected wardens had to be brought every year before the mayor , and had to swear " faithfully to execute their offices . " The mayor also decided disputes between the several gilds , and could flue and ini "

prison the wardens of companies at his pleasure . The control of the sale of the most necessary provisions , such as bread , meat , drink , and fuel , was the special' care of the town authorities , in order to prevent adulteration and overcharges .

The punishments which the craft gilds decreed consisted in the payment of fines , or , in earlier times , of certain quantities of wax , or of beer or wine to be druuk at their feasts . In case of more

serious offences , such as perjury , persistent disobedience , & c , exclusiou from the gild was the consequence ; and this was accompanied with loss of the right to carry on the craft . Princes , churches , aud city authorities frequently received

a share in the fines , as well as in the entrance fees and conti'ibutions of the members . This was especially the case in France , where permissio n to carry on a trade had often to be purchased direct from the king . For enforcing payment of entrance fees , contributions towards paying the fermes ( dues ) , as well as of fines , the craft gilds made use

of the very means so much talked of in the case of the Sheffield trade unions , namely , rattening , that is , they took away the tools of their debtors . It is true that they , as their claims were legally recognized , could sell the tools and take what was

due to them out of the proceeds , whilst the want of such recognition compelled the trade unions to enforce payment of arrears by hiding and detaining the objects seized upon . This coercive measure existed unchanged even in the seventeenth century ;

so that this rattening , probably enjoys an uninterrupteddescent fromemployers'associations up to the time of Edward II . But it is even far older . It is the old right of distraint of the creditor against