Scarcity Of Provincial Honours.

SCARCITY OF PROVINCIAL HONOURS .

THE unanimity that should at all times characterise Freemasonry seems to follow its troubles as well as its benefits , if we may judge by the general

expressions of regret and disappointment on the part of our Provincial Grand Masters , at their inability to award the honours of Provincial Office to all the

Brethren under their rule who are annually deemed worthy of preferment . ' On every side we hear of our Provincial chiefs regretting that they are unable to distribute the honours of the purple more lavishly , and

it is very certain that in a large number of the English Provinces actual hardships regularly occur , because the regulations of the Craft preclude the possibility of awarding one of the coveted collars of

Provincial Office each year to many of the subordinate

Lodges , and it would seem desirable for the rulers to take some united action , with the view of approaching the Grand Master and inducing him to sanction an extension of the number of Officers attached to each division of the English Craft .

We are aware an addition was made a few years back , but in view of the great increases in the number of Lodges the augmentation can only be described as very meagre , and it by no means met the difficulty

which then existed , and is every day becoming more acute . It would seem desirable to allow something in the way of a sliding scale : permission might be given to the Provincial Grand Masters to award collars in

the proportion of , say , three to each four Lodges ; by which means the larger districts would be put on a footing with their smaller neighbours , and it would not be so difficult for the Provincial chiefs to make a

selection year by year , while it would also lessen the number of grevious disappointments that periodically occur among the members of our country Lodges .

Secret Societies In China.

SECRET SOCIETIES IN CHINA .

CHINA is honeycombed as no other country in the world with secret societies , embracing all classes , having an existence dating from the second century of the Christian era—an existence not of tradition , but vouched for by record . They are diverse in the elements of which they are composed ,

in their rules and practices , although most of them , especially the Triad , which is the most important of them all , have such extraordinary analogy with Western Freemasonry as to imply a community of origin . The symbols and tenets are the same , the ceremonies of initiation are

similar , the test questions bear a close resemblance thereto , and , in fact , the only foreigner who ever obtained admission to the Triad , namely an Englishman of the name of Mason , achieved this feat on the strength of his belonging to the higher grades of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry .

Originally a form of Oriental mysticism , founded on moral and cosmological theories , these societies became political factors towards the seventeenth century of our era , and , until a year or so ago , had in view as their principal object the overthrovv of ' the Manchu , or Tartar dynasty and as watchword , " China for the Chinese . " The Taiping

rebellion of forty and fifty years ago was fostered and

Secret Societies In China.

promoted by the Triad , and came near overthrowing the Pekin Government , which it could doubtless have accomplished had it enjoyed the co-operation of the other secret societies . To-day the meaning' of the watchword of the various

secret societies , namely , " China for the Chinese , " in changed . For the aim is jio longer anti-dynastic , nor do they seek . the expulsion of those 10 , 000 , 000 or 12 , 000 , 000 Manchus who for the past 200 years have imposed themselves as the ruling class over 400 , 000 , 000 Chinese , compelling them to adopt

the Manchu style of hair dress , namely , a pigtail , in token of subjection . To-day the secret societies have for their object the expulsion of the foreigner from the land . It is a mistake to believe that John Chinaman is a stranger to

patriotism . Indeed , so passionately devoted is he to his native country that he makes arrangements for the return of his bones to the Flowery Kingdom in the event of his dying in foreign lands . — " JJarlington Echo . "

R. M. I. Boys.

R . M . I . BOYS .

fr \ HE following ; additions , to the Stewards' lists in JL connection with the recent Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys are announced : London , Lodge No . 1608 , per Bro . G . V . Wood , £ 3 , 1 os , making £ 103 IDS .

London , Lodge No . 1584 , per Bro . Millsom Rees , ; £ io 10 s , making £ 57 15 s . Essex , per Bro . George Corbie , ; £ ' io 10 s , making £ 21 . Middlesex , Lodge No . 1309 , per Bro . J . A . Cory , £ 5 5 s , making £ 30 18 s .

Middlesex , Lodge No . 1637 , per Bro . W . Hillier , ^ 9 9 s , making £ 130 4 s . Oxfordshire , Lodge No . 357 , per Bro . L . S . Davies , £ 8 4 s , making £ 34 4 s . NEW LIST : —London , Lodge No . 6 , per Bro . G . A . Williams , £ 21 .

Brother Eve's Bequests.

BROTHER EVE'S BEQUESTS .

I l - \ HE late Bro . Richard Eve , it is stated , left £ 500 to JL the Kidderminster infirmary , and £ 500 to the New Meeting , Kidderminster , together with £ 100 towards the provision of a room for social purposes in connection with the New Meeting , in addition to the sums already announced in our pages , it is recorded by the " Birmingham Daily

Post" tnat a number of private bequests to Kidderminster and other friends are understood to be included in the disposition of his property . It may be remembered , says our contemporary , that Bro . Eve purchased the Greenhill Estate

at Kidderminster when it came into the market , and there is good reason for stating that he had recently been considering the question of making it available as a public recreation ground .

Freemasonry In Roumania.

FREEMASONRY IN ROUMANIA .

THE Freemasons of Roumania are about to publish the first number of their journal , " Roumania Masonica . " Freemasonry was introduced in Roumania , says the " Independance Beige , " in the time of Constantine Mavrocordal , in the eighteenth century , by the famous Cara , Secretary of that

Prince , and author of a history of Moldavia and Wallachia . From 1821 to 1865 Freemasonry was political in its aims , for under the shelter of its institutions the patriot Boyards could secretly propagate the principles of liberty , and help forward the work of the Revolution . — " Globe . "