Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

Gallery Chapter , No . 19 28 . , INSTALLATION OF COMPANION E . A . PEACHEY . THE annual installation of the three Principals of this , the only Press Chapter in the metropolis , was carried out at a Convocation ; held by dispensation at the Criterion Restaurant , Piccadilly , W ., on Saturday last . The Chapter was formally opened by Comps . Orlton Cooper Z ., Ernest A . Peachey H ., and George Tarran J . The minutes of the two previous meetings were read and confirmed , and the Treasurer ' s report was accepted and referred to the General rurposes Committee .

A Board of Installed First Principals was then constituted , when Comp . Ernest A . Peachey Z .-elect , was presented by Comp . Herbert Wright P . Z . and was regular ! } ' installed in the chair of Z . by his predecessor in Office . Comps . George Tarran and Lionel F . Gowing H . and J .-elect respectively were installed in the second and third chairs by Comp . John Read P . Z . Past Grand Organist , who

conducted the ceremony in a very admirable and impressive manner . The new Principals having been saluted , the following Officers were invested : Comps . Herbert Wright P . Z . Scribe E ., A . F . Robbins Scribe N ., Cornwallis Smith Treasurer , George Ribbons P . S ., E . C . Froom ist Assist ., W . F . Patterson 2 nd Assist ., J . J . Fretwell P . Z . D . C , T . Buchanan Steward , and J . Shepperd Janitor .

The First Principal's chair was then resumed by Comp . Orlton Cooper , and Bro . James Reginald Thomas , of the Gallery Lodge , who had been previously elected , was admitted and regularly exalted to the Supreme Degree . Every endeavour had been made to render the ceremony ias perfect as possible ; the work of Comp . A . F . Robbins as P . S . was particularly p-ood ; whilst the delivery of the historical and symbolical lectures by Comps . Tarran and Peachey elicited the highest commendation of those present .

Another candidate was proposed for the next meeting , and some minor business having been transacted , the Chapter was closed in due and ancient form . The Companions subsequently dined together and a very pleasant evening was enjoyed . ******************

Government By Freemasonry.

GOVERNMENT BY FREEMASONRY .

A REMARKABLE PROTEST FROM TAMWORTH

THE municipal elections at Tamworth appear to be turning in a singular fashion upon the question of Freemasonry in the Town Council . An appeal has been issued to the electors by the Tamworth and District Ratepayers ' Association , in which the hope is expressed " that they will

unite not only in resisting the importation of any further Freemasonry into the authority and Council , but that stringent efforts will be made to expel this undesirable element from the public life of the town , as the first step towards the promotion of its higher interests . "

Along with the appeal there is printed a long letter from Councillor Frederick Alldritt , J . P ., showing the extent to which the Tamworth Council is permeated and dominated

by members of the Masonic Fraternity . Mr . Alldritt declares that from 1888 down to the present year every Mayor of Tamworth , with one exception , has been a Freemason . With a single exception likewise ,

ALL THE ALDERMEN HAVE BEEN FREEMASONS , and are so to-day . " Until the County Court Judge , Mr . H . W . Sadler , and myself were placed on the Commission of the Peace the Bench consisted of four Freemasons and four others , with a Freemason always in the chair . " The Borough

Council , according to Mr . Alldritt , contains six Freemasons out of a total membership of sixteen , and they hold the chairmanships of the Estate , Lighting , General Purposes , Fire Brigade , Castle , and Waterworks Committees . " All Committees , " the writer says , " have been carefully constituted so

as to afford the Freemasons and their unswerving supporters power to swamp and monopolise the whole of the Council ' s proceedings , " and he adds that the Town Clerk , the Surveyor , and the Medical Officer are also Freemasons . The charges pressed against the Masonic Fraternity by Mr .

Alldritt are that " on any and every question , almost invariably , the Freemasons always act together on any matter introduced by or affecting the interests , directly or indirectly , of a

Freemason , " and that " every piece of extravagant or unreasonable expenditure , during my connection with the Council , has emanated from , or been supported and carried out by the aid of ; Freemasons . "— " Birmingham Daily Argus . "

The following letters have been addressed to our con temporary in reference to this item :

To the Editor of the DAILY ARGUS . SIR , —I observe in your issue of to-ni ght that Mr . Alldritt has carried a domestic squabble from this borough ' to your columns , so

as , I suppose , to obtain a wider publicity than he can obtain here , we in Tamworth are all familiar with Mr . Alldritt's catalogue of insinuations , innuendoes , and baseless assertions in respect to public work in our borough , and we value them at their true worth . But since he hag obtained by your paper a medium for further

Government By Freemasonry.

spreading his absurd statements , I trust in all fairness you will permit me a reply on behalf of a large number of ratepayers . First , let me say that in the early part of this year Mr . Alldritt made similar assertions against the Tamworth Rural District Council , but the members of that authority quickly brought him to book , and when- Mr . Alldritt was asked to substantiate without

any evasion his assertions he was totally unable to do so , with the result that the District Council unanimously passed a vote of censure upon him . Since then the Rural District Council has heard no more of Mr . Alldritt . At the present moment this gentleman , . who airogantly assumes to himself all the honesty and

fair mindedness of the borough , has launched a series of charges directed against the Borough Surveyor , who has discharged his duties honestly for the last twelve years . Not one of these charges has Mr . Alldritt been able to substantiate , despite the fact that he has access as chairman of the Finance Committee to every detail of information .

Now as to the particular charge he brings against Freemasonry , that also is baseless , as can be easily proved . He says , first of all , that from 18 SS down to the present time every Mayor has been a Freemason . The facts are that in each of the following years , namely , 18 90 , 18 91 , 1894 , 18 95 , 1896 , 1897 , and part of 18 9 S , the Mayoral chair was occupied by gentlemen who were not Masons . The Town Clerk was appointed several years before he

became a Mason . Mr . Alldritt says that , with a single exception , all aldermen have been Masons . There are only four aldermen in the Council , and until quite recently these were not Masons . He also says that a Freemason has always been in the magisterial chair . That is also incorrect . The senior magistrate is not a Mason , and , again , the Mayor of the borough is chief magistrate and always takes the chair by virtue of his office- , and it follows ,

therefore , that during the years I have stated above the magisterial chair was not occupied by a Mason . Mr . Alldritt further says that out of sixteen members of the Council , six are Masons . He is correct there , but he fails to remember that the election of the Mayor and of the Aldermen is made by the Council , so that if the Masons had been such a bad lot . as he says they are , they could not , of course , of themselves have elected a single alderman , so that Mr . Alldritt's shaft in this respect fails to hit the mark .

Further , the same remark applies to the election of the chairmen of the various committees , but as a matter of fact every chairman was elected unanimously . Mr . Alldritt says that the M-asons have always acted together and that " every piece of extravagance or unreasonable expenditure has emanated from and been supported and carried by the aid of the Masons , " but the thing is absolutely absurd . The Masons according to Mr .

Alldritt ' s own showing are in a minority of four , so it follows if any piece of extravagance or unreasonable expenditure has taken place it has been with the sanction of those who are not Masons . But the fact is that this as well as every statement of Mr . Alldritt ' s has no substantial basis , and if certain members of the corporation and certain officials would only do the bidding of Mr . Alldritt everything would be as well in this world as it could possibly be .

NOT A MASON . Tamworth , 24 th October 1901 . To the Editor of the DAILY ARGUS . SIR , —In your issue last night a correspondent , " Not a Mason , " makes a long story in the hope of showing that Mr . F . Alldritt , of

Tamworth , is wrong in his statements that the town is under Masonic rule . I am closely connected with the public life of that town , and there is no gainsaying the fact that it is completely honeycombed by Freemasonry . All the public positions of any note are held by Masons , the chief offices are occupied by the Brotherhood , and it is absolutely impossible to proceed with any scheme in the hope of

success if it has not their will and pleasure . New blood is wanted in the local Council ; the members have got into a groove ; they are dictated to and often overruled by officials—P . P . G . ' s & c , of the Order—and the rates are ever on the increase . The thanks of the public axe , I consider , due to the Ratepayers' Association , headed by so loyal a Liberal and fearless a fighter as Mr . Alldritt , for

coming forward with such a progressive and economic policy . They are to be congratulated upon their wisdom and courage . Organisation is the only method by which the clique can be fought . Their actions have forced it upon the town . The fact that the Ratepayers' Association is composed of many of the best tradesmen is a proof that dissatisfaction exists with the present Government .

There has been a good deal of abuse , but this brings no return , and the Masons will onlv have themselves to thank if they are turned out of office . No wonder this indignation , seeing that they have " ruled the roost" for the' last thirty years . The electors will mistake if they regard it as a "domestic squabble , " There is a great principle involved , WORKING MAN .

Market Street , 25 th October , To the Editor of the DAILV ARGUS , SlR , —I think it quite time the Town Council ahd their supporters here should attend more to the interests of the overburdened ratepayer than to be continually blaming Mr . Alldritt for all the petty things which do not please them . We know ( and it is common

conversation amongst the working classes ) things have been grossly mismanaged , and by this clique of Freemasons , and , whatever they say , we shall be able to give them our reply at the elections . We have placed confidence in these men , and they have deceived us again and again . If ever an investigation was required into the affairs of a public body , it is in Tamworth . Why , sir , lam living to-day in a cottage which you could get in Birmingham for 53 per week inclusive , and here we are paying