The Privileges Of Past Masters.

tion is a further support of my argument . But , on the other hand , I do not admit ( and iu this I am supported by several Masous of authority in this neighbourhood ) the right of a lodge to exclude visitors on any occasion . The lodge may request their withdrawal as a favourand no visitor would be so discourteous as to

, refuse it but even this should not be done except in cases where the visitors Avould themselves see the propriety of retiring . Whether a lodge can formally form itself into a committee for the consideration of private business I am not prepared to say , but certainly it cannot be done until after the

confirmation of the minutes , or rather , I should say , the minutes cannot be confirmed by such a lodge committee . The only way in Avhich I think it could be managed or evaded would be to move that the consideration of the subject be deferred to a special committee to consist of all the members of the lodge ;

and even then the result of their deliberations would have to be reported to the next regular lodge , when it would be recorded on the minutes , and could not be carried into effect until confirmed at an open lodge following . Yours fraternally , STONIER LEIGH .

[ A Past Master , by ceasing to subscribe to any lodge for twelve months , becomes disqualified from attending Grand Lodge until such time as he gets anew qualification by subscribing and passing again as a Warden or Master of a lodge . Having once served as a Master , and being a subscribing member , he is eligible to be put in nomination for the chair of K . S . iu any lodge ,

providing the by-laws are not in opposition to it . tie has no right , on rejoining another lodge , to take his seat amongst the Past Masters of it , inasmuch as he is to them a stranger , and cannot rank as a Past Master of the lodge , simply from having filled the chair in some other lodge . If his health is proposed in company with the P . M . ' s of the lodge at the banquet , it is simply an act of courtesy , but he has no right to appear amongst them . —ED . F . M . ]

MASONIC ANECDOTE . —Tho Minerva , a Butch merchantman returning from Batavia to Europe , . Juno 1-1 , 1823 , with several rich passengers , nearly all of tlicm Masons , among others Bro . Engleharclt , Deputy Grancl Master of the lod ges in Inelia arrived on the coast of Brazil , where it encountered a corsair under Spanish colours . The . Dutchman was attacked , and after a bloody engagement , was obliged to strike . The corsair irritatedordered pillage and massacre . The had

, conquerors fastened one party of the vanquished to tire masts , but the passengers , by pray era and tears , at length obtained permission to be taken on board the corsair . Tliey were taken on board but nothing could assuage the fury of the captain . In this extremity Bro . Engleharclt made the sign for aid , and on the instant the same man , who the moment before was insensible to pravers and entreaties , became moved even to softness . He was himself well several of his

a Mason , as as crew , who were members of a lodge at Ferrol . However , although he acknowledged the appeal , he doubted the truth of it , for the signs , tokens and words agreerl but imperfectly with his—he demanded proofs . " Unluckily , the Dutch brethren fearing , and with some reason to excite the anger of the pirates , whom they considered to bo the enemies of Freemasonry , had thrown overboard , previous to the battleall their and Masonic

, jewels papers . It was , however , providentially ordained that among some fragments that were floating was a torn parchment di ploma ; it was seized , and on being shown to the captain of the pirates , his doubts ceased ; he acknowledged the brethren , embraced them , restored their vessel and property , repaired the damage , demanding , as the only remuneration , affiliation with a Dutch lodge ; he then gave the ship a safeguard against the Spaniards for the remainder of the voyage . —Masonic Eclectic .

Masonic Mems.

MASONIC MEMS .

* # * All communications to be addressed to 19 , Salisbury-street , . MIRROR MASOMC THE Strand , London , AV . C .

EOVAXJ FEEE - SIASONS' SCIIOOI , EOB FEIIAHS CHILDREN . — The Quarterly General Court o £ this Institution was held on Thursday , the 11 th inst ., in the Yarborough Room , Freemasons ' Hall , Bro . John Udall , V . P ., in the chair , who was supported by a large number of the brethren , among whom we noticed Bros . J . W . Frost , Samuel May , John Boocock , A . H . Hewlett , J .

Creaton , H . Law , Magnus Ohren , John Symonds , F . C . Adlard , A . Robinson , W . H . Warr , W . Young , and J . H . Sheen . The minutes of the last quarterly court , in January , having been read and confirmed , the minutes of the subsequent committee meetings were read and approved , and tbe Treasurer was authorised to sign cheques for the tradesmen ' s bills for the

quarter to the amount of £ 950 2 s . lid . Bro . C . H . Fatten ,, the Secretary , announced that the anthem , "Thine , 0 ! Lord , is the greatness , " would be sung by the children at the ensuing festival , on the 8 th proximo , and that Bro . Donald King had offered to teach the children part-singing . Thirty annual subscribers were then appointed on the General Committee , and

Bro . B . B . Cabbell was re-elected Treasurer of the Institution . The scrutineers were afterwards appointed , and the election of seven out of seventeen candidates was proceeded with , the name of one candidate , E . C . Clark , having been first withdrawn , as she was to be purchased in next week . The following is the result of the election : —Emily Blair , 839 ; A . M . Ingram , 565 ; H .

L . Madely , 537 ; G . A . Fleck , 534 . ; E . J . Baxter , 527 ; M . H . Travers , 522 ; C . B . Fletcher , 485 . The undermentioned candidates will have the numbers placed against their names carried forward to the next election : —M , J . Witherwiek , 416 ; A . B .

Allen , 3 S 2 ; A . M . AI . Batley , 237 ; A . Rennell , 213 ; E . Geere ,. 196 ; C . M . Gregory , 119 ; E . J . Brookes , 96 ; M . A . Bryant , 13 ; K . J . Barrett , 9 ; E . A . Dunn , 3 . Votes of thanks to the Scrutineers and Chairman closed the day's proceedings . MASONIC FESTIVAL TO BE HEED IN 3 ? AK , IS OS THE 15 TH : or JUKE , 1 S 67 . —The Grand Orient of France having decided

on holding a Masonic Festival on the 15 th day of June next , which will be followed by a banquet , as announced in the MAGAZINE of the 16 th ultimo , the Secretary-General of the Grand Orient has communicated to us the pleasure of the Grand Orient that all brethren holding under the several Masonic jurisdictions in Great Britain may make application

through the office of the FEEEMASONS' MAGAZINE for any information they are desirous of obtaining relative to the Masonic meetings , and the general arrangements for the reception of foreign brethren visiting Paris at and after the opening of the Exhibition . "We have now the pleasure of announcing to our readers that we have completed such arrangements as will ,

we hope , materially facilitate their being received by the officers of the Grand Orient in Paris , as also to insure such brethren the opportunity of assisting at the Masonic festival , and being present at the banquet should they desire it . The following is a copy of the circular announcing the general arrangements for the festival : — "General Arrangements . —The festive lodge to

open at two p . m ., and the bancjuet at six p . m . Subscriptions received at the office of the Secretary to the Grand Orient of France , 16 , Rue Cadet , Paris . Subscription fee , 20 francs ( 16 s . ) . Subscriptions received down to the 1 st of May from members of Continental and Algerian lodges , and to the 15 th of May from Transatlantic lodges . The committee are under the