The Election To The Boys' School.

death . The father of No . 36 is set down as " Steward and L . G . R . M . I . G . " No . 38 's as « Steward and L . G . R . M . I . B ., " the " Petitioner also as L . G . R . M . I . B . ; " No . 43 's " presented a Life Vote to Limestone Rock Lodge 1870 ; " No . 55 ' s was serving office of " Steward at time of death , both for

Boys' and Girls' Schools ; " and No . 57 's for the " R . M . B . I . " Thus the fathers of twelve out of tho fifty-seven candidates were supporters of ono or other of our Charities . Again , one of the candidates has a brother in the School , and one a sister in the R . M . I . G . As to the Masonic districts

whence they hail , London is down for twenty-one candidates , Devon , Warwick , Lincoln , and E . Lancashire for three each , N . Wales and Salop , S . Wales , Essex , and N . and E . Yorkshire for two each ; while E . Indies , Middlesex , Cambridge , Durham , Westmoreland , Hants and Isle of Wight ,

Norfolk , Cheshire , Staffordshire , Monmouthshire , Derbyshire , Bengal , Sussex , Northumberland , Bristol , and Dorsetshire , furnish one each . As regards " votes brought forward , " No , 1 on the list , with five previous trials , has only 191 to the good ; Nos . 2 , 3 , and 4 , who have already

stood four times , have 765 , 378 , and 360 respectively . Of the remaining 30 , No . 34 has 1 , 247 , No . 15 1 , 073 , No . 14 1009 , No . 21 819 , No . 31 802 , No . 25 763 ; while No . 11 has exactly 11 from three previous ballots , No . 16 has 17 from two , No . 22 two from two ballots , and No . 33 one from one ballot .

We have thus analysed the list with the view of placing before our readers the chief points of interest which it is at all likely they may be anxious to know . As to the approaching election , it is certain that only twelve of the fifty-seven can win a vacancy ; and . our hope is , that the twelve

winners will be in all respects the most eligible , and prove an honour to the School . The other forty-five must remain out in the cold , and the majority of them for at least

another six months , and many for even a longer period still . This being so , it is evident onr Boys' School is not nearly equal , as regards accommodation , to the many heavy demands made upon its resources .

Washington's Masonic Career.

WASHINGTON'S MASONIC CAREER .

WE are indebted to the Keystone for the following particulars respecting the Masonic life of this eminent man , Bro . G . H . Ramey being the writer of the article from which they are taken . There seem to be rival claims

respecting the maternity of Washington as a Mason . The records of Lodge No . 4 , Fredericksburg , which held its warrant under Grand Lodge of England , contain the following : — " 1752 . Nov . 6 th Received of Mr . George Washington , for his entrance , £ 2 3 s . " " 1753 . March 3 d . George Washington passed Fellow Craft . "

" 4 th August 5753 , which day the Lodge being assembled ; present R .: W .: Daniel Campbell , & c . Transactions of the evening are—George Washington raised Master Mason . "

On the other hand the English claim that he was made a Mason in a military Lodge , No . 227 , which worked in America during the French war . Bro . Ramey says it is supposed that when Washington was on a visit to Philadelphia in 1756 , in order to enable him to visit the military

Lodges in that city , " he may have been ' healed ' or remade for that purpose . " During the War of Independence , Washington evinced great interest in the military Lodges attached to the American army , and it is said that on one occasion he sat in a Lodge presided over by a sergeant .

On St . John the Evangelist ' s day , 1776 , he took part in the festivities which the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania held , and was honoured with the chief place in the procession . On 6 th October 1779 , the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts granted a warrant to a new military Lodge which was

named in his honour , the " Washington Lodge . " The same year he was unanimously chosen by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania to be Grand Master of the proposed Supreme Grand Lodge of the United States . Other Grand Lodges concurred , but as no such Grand Lodge ever came into

being , the election was only a further testimony of the respect and affection in which Washington was held by the Craft . In 1781 he was presented with a beautiful sash and apron , manufactured at Nantes , and these relics are held by the Alexandria Washington Lodge , No . 221 on the roll of

Washington's Masonic Career.

tho Grand Lodge of Virginia , of which he was the first W . M . as a Virginian Lodge . In 1784 he joined his brethren of the Alexandria Lodge—which , by the way , was at the time No . 39 on the roll of Pennsylvania—in celebrating St . John tho Baptist ' s day . The same year he was

visited by General de la Fayette , who presented to him an apron , most elegantly worked by the fair hands of Madame de la Fayette . This relic is now in the possession of the Grand Lodge of the country . On the 18 th September , when a second time President of the United States ,

Washington laid the corner-stone of the Capital in the city named after him , with full Masonic ceremonial . It may likewise be mentioned that among the numerous presents he received was a sword given by Frederick the Great of Prussia , himself the foremost Mason in that country . The illustrious

hero died , after a brief illness , on 14 th December 1799 , at his seat , Mount Vernon , State of Virginia , and in the funeral rites accorded , the Freemasons of the United States were foremost in showing the depth and sincerity of the affection they bore him .

Almost at the moment of writing the above , Part V . of the History of the New York Grand Lodge has reached us , and from it we extract a few additional particulars as to the conduct of Masonry on this sad occasion . On the 23 rd December of the year , 1799 , an extra meeting of the G . L . of

New York was called , for the purpose of testifying to the love and respect in which Washington was held . A resolution was passed to the effect that all the Lodges in the State should wear mourning for the space of six months , that a memorial in his honour be erected in the hall of Grand Lodge ,

and that a committee be appointed to take part with other committees in preparing some public testimonial of his public and private worth . On the 30 th of the same month a second extra meeting of the same Grand Lodge was held , for the purpose of holding a funeral procession to

his memory . The Knights Templar , ten Lodges , and Grand Lodge took part in this ceremonial , the most prominent figure in the line of march being W . Bro . Cadwallader D . Golden , bearing in his hand a short standard , with white pendant trimmed with black , on which was

written"BROTHER WASHINGTON , THE GREAT , THE WISE , THE VIKTUOUS , and expressing also the figure of an hour-glass run out , and a sickle . " Such is only one instance of the respect shown to the illustrious deceased . In thus honouring its most illustrious member , Freemasonry did honour to itself .

Coloured Masonry In The United States.

COLOURED MASONRY IN THE UNITED STATES .

BY BRO . JACOB NOBTON . IN 1868 tho Coloured Masons of Massachusetts petitioned the White Grand Lodge for recognition . Similar petitions had been presented previously , when , according to American fashion , somebody moved to lay the petition on the table ; it was laid on the tablo accordingly , and the subject was thus disposed of without discussion .

But , in the above-named year , P . G . M . John T . Heard presented the petition , and moved that it be referred to a committee , which was done accordingly . Bro . Heard , no doubt , meant well ; but , from the proclivity of the managers of the G . L ., no one doubted that it would turn out a moro farce .

The late O . W . Moore then wrote a letter to Bro . Hervey , G . S . of England , inquiring as to when the African Lodge of Boston was stricken off from the English register ? Also as to whether Bro . Hervey considered the African Lodge a legitimate Masonic body ? Bro . Hervey replied that the said Lodge had been erased from the

English list in 1813 , and that he did not think tho Lodge was legitimate . But immediately after the answer was mailed , Bro . Hervey wrote again to Bro . Moore , stating that he recalled his opinion about the illegality of the African Lodge , and , providing the said Lodge had kept up its meetings regularly , the Lodgo did not lose its legal status .

In 1869 I conversed with Bro . Hervey npon the subject , when he told me that the African Lodge was erased from the English register ; at the same time that all other American Lodges were erased , and for the same reason ; and he also said that , upon reflection , he could not see any difference between tho legality of the white and coloured American Lodges—they were either both legal or illegal .

In order to make tho question intelligible , I must remind the reader that obedience to the laws of the G . L . is strictly enjoined at every Masonic step , from the initiation to the installation of a W . M . and of a Prov . G . M . As the Constitutions never provided for a legal secession from the jurisdiction of tho G . L ., secession seems , therefore , to be tho highest kind of disobedience j indeed , it is tantamount to rebellion . But yefc the history of Masonry since 1717 furnishes many