The Recent Exclusion From The Boys' School.

Yorkshire , to fill the vacancy occasioned by the lamented death of Bro . ED .. AR BOWYER , as for tho ensuing year . j

Members of the House Committee . BKO . BELTON , C _ i . _ i _ r . KS , No . 1 , P . M . Nos . 105 , 777 , P . Prov . G . W . ! Surrey ; V .-Patron of Institution . I

„ GODSON , A . V . ( - / . P . ) , P . M ., Dep . Prov . G . M . Worcestershire - , ; P . G . D . ; Patron of Institution . ' „ HUNT , H . W ., P . M . Nos . 29 , 403 ; P . G . Steward ; V .-Prcs . of j Institution . i

„ MATHER , J . L ., P . M . Nos . Go , 1227 , 1471 , 15 S 0 , 1743 , and 1910 ;' P . Z . 174 , 1744 ; P . Prov . G . D . C . Herts . ; P . A . G . D . C . ;! V .-Patron of Institution . „ MOON , JAMES , P . M . No . 49 ; P . G . Steward ; V .-Patron of Institution .

„ MILLER , T . HASTINGS , P . M . No . 1904 ; V .-Patron of Institution . „ MURRAY , J . JOYCE , P . M . No . 1706 ; V .-Patron of Institution . „ PAAS , WILLIAM , P . M . Nos . 28 , 509 , & c . ; V .-Pres . of Institution . „ E . UI . SAY , P . W . ( M . D . ) , P . M . No . 259 , & o . ; Lifo-Gov . of

Institution . „ ROLLS , DUDLEY , P . M . Nos . 12 , 108 , & o . ; V .-Pres . of Institution . „ VENN , HENRY , P . M . No . 23 ; P . G . Steward ; V .-Pres . of Institution .

„ WOBDSWORTET , JOHN , P . M . No . 1019 ; P . Prov . G . W . West Yorkshire ; V .-Patrou of Institution . And in favour of tho Nine following Brethren as , for the year ensuing

Members of the Finance and . Audit Committee . BRO . Cunirr , THOMAS , P . M . No . 157 , & c . ; P . G . Purst . ; V .-Pres . of Institution . „ GILLARD , GEO . P ., P . M . No . 657 , & c . ; Life-Gov . of Institution . „ GOODALL , H . S ., P . M . ; Life-Gov . of Institntion .

„ GRIFFITHS , Titos ., P . M . ; Life-Gov . of Institution . „ HOGARD , CHAS . P ., P . M . No . 205 , & c . ; P . G . Std . Br . ; V .-Pres of Institution . „ MAPLE , W ., P . M . No . 057 , & o . ; V .-Pres . of Institution . „ EICIIARDSON , STEPHEN , P . M . No . 183 , & c . ; V .-Pros of Instifcu .

tion . „ SOPPET , CHAS . EDWARD , P . M . No . 1627 , & c ; P . G . Steward ; Life-Gov . of Institntion . „ YOUNG , HENRY , P . M . No . 00 ; P . G . Steward ; V .-Pres . of Institution .

The above Twenty-one Brethren being the Signatories to this Circular . LONDON , 25 fch May 1888 .

A Mountainous Molehill.

A MOUNTAINOUS MOLEHILL .

WE do not know whether tbe members of that august body , the Board of General Purposes of English Freemasonry , are bereft of their senses , whether they are attempting to perpetrate a mild joke , or whether they are really in earnest in making their latest report to

the United Grand Lodge of England , bufc in either case we think they are going the rig ht way to make themselves appear ridiculous in the eyes of the world , and will most

certainly do no good to Freemasonry by taking up the complaint of the Provincial Grand Secretary of Suffolk in the way they have , and raising tho action of which it complains almost to the level of high treason against the Craft .

In another column we give a copy of the Agenda for the Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge—to be held on Wednesday next—and the report to which we refer stands No . 10 on the paper , so that onr readers may see

for themselves what this " storm in a teacup is about . We do not approve of half and half measures in such cases ; why does not the Board give its opinion outri ght , on the facts submitted to them , 'rather than shift the

responsibility to the shoulders of the whole assembly of Grand Lodge ? It would almost appear the report was prepared with a view of ultimately " sailing with tho "wind . " If Grand Lodge laughs at the whole affair , the

Board will of cource laugh ; if it be found that a crime has been committed , the Board can tarn round and explain how they know it was so , but were hardly prepared to fix a punishment . The Board considers the complaint is not

such as can be dealt with by them , but they do not say " why they thus decide . Is it of too trivial a character for their notice , or is it a capital offence , beyond their jurisdiction ? In either case it would have been well to have

given the cue , rather than to allow the members of Grand Lod ge to go roaming about , to be finally influenced by some read y speaker , rather than by the laws of the Craft , or plain common sense .

After all , what does the complaint amount to , even if it he founded on facts ? The present Grand Treasurer is charged with having employed a gentleman at Ipswich ,

A Mountainous Molehill.

who is not a Mason , to solicit votes for him when a candidate for that office , and to distribute printed invitations to a luncheon , at the Holborn Restaurant , to all who were willing to support Rro . Barfield ' s election . The

fir . fc section of the charge displays an amount of depiavity some would hardly have anticipated , while ou the other hand Micro are many who will not be afc all surprised . A prominent Mason—an experienced man of tho

worldsecured the support of his friends , both in Masonry and ont of it , to help him in winning a position of honour , to whioh the Craft has widely pronounced him to be fully entitled , and he even went so far as to tolerate the

co-operation of an outsider rather than leave his interests in the town of Ipswich to the cave of his brother Masons . But then we must remember all is fair both in love aud war , and if subsequent events are a sample of the brotherly

feeling existing in the district specially concerned we think there is ample evidence that Bro . Barfield knew best ou whom ho mi ght rely . Then comes , however , that awful " bribe , " a luncheon afc tho Holborn Restaurant , bufc if

that was a sufficient inducement to bring ono Ipswich brother up to the great metropolis , or to lead one Suffolk Mason ' s vote into tho desired channel , we must express

sorrow for the standard of moralit y of our East Coast brethren . As the case now stands , more could nofc have been made made out of ifc if Bro . Barfield had chartered

special trains from all parts of the kingdom to convey members of the Craft to Grand Lodge , have kept them sumptuousl y while in town , and presented . ach with a

bank note for pocket money or petty expenses . But a modest luncheon , after asking a man to journey 140 miles , as a token of regard—is it bribery and corruption ? or is it not rather a natural outcome of kindly feeling ?

There is one feature in connection with this case which makes it very gratifying . English Freemasonry is in such a state of order and regularity at tho present time that nothing more serious than this mountainous molehill has to be brought under the notice of its rulers . Lonp *

may such a happy state of affairs exist , and Jong may tho Board of General Purposes remain without anything worse to disturb tlie oven fcenour of its way than the interference of a Non-Mason , and a modest luncheon afc a popular London restaurant . Such is tho cordial wish of ourselves and of many other Craftsmen .

The Centenary Festival Of The Girls' School.

THE CENTENARY FESTIVAL OF THE GIRLS' SCHOOL .

AFTER months of anxiety , and continuous exe tion on the part of a large section of English Freemasons , headed by the Mo ^ t Worshi pful tho Grand Master , fche time for the celebration of the Centenary Festival ef the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls has at last arrived .

Ere another issue of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE appears fche result' of tho gathering will have been proclaimed throughout the conntry , if not throughout the world , and

we venture to think the Mason Craft will have nothinoto be ashamed of when the total is publisher ^ while they will have much to boast of , and good reason to be proud of their achievements .

We are pleased to announce thafc the Board of Stewards now includes the names of upwards of 1400 brethren , and although there are but a few clays left in which to increase that number , we should not be surprised to hear a total of

fifteen hundred announced at the Festival , especiallv as the entertainment to the Stewards and their friends is fixed to take place on Monday next , the great event following three days later . Although such a large sudden increase would

severely tax the resources of fche executive and the various sub-committees , we know they would cheerfull y undertake fche extra work entailed , and would only bo too happy to think there was a chance of adding to the already

handsome expectations entertained in regard to the Festival . We hope their capabilities in this respect will be put to the test , and that the worst calamity thafc may happen will be a difficulty in accommodating- all who attend .

Various estimates have been formed as to what will be the outcome of the Festival , but of course no reliable figure can yet be spoken of ; there is absolutel y nothing on

which to base an opinion . We know what has been achieved in years gone by , and could easily strike an average , but it would bo unwise to apply the average of Boards of Stewards ranging from two hundred in number