A Dangerous Practice.

A DANGEROUS PRACTICE .

WE must certainly join issue with the Editor of our Australian contemporary , " Masonry , " and question the correctness of his views in regard to what is right and proper under certain conditions when it is unfortunately

deemed desirable to exercise the rights of the ballot , and so secure the rejection of a candidate . The facts of the case are fully set out in the article , & c , on page 293 which we extract from our contemporary , and although some may imagine we

are wrong in discussing the case while it is , apparently , sub judicc , we may excuse ourselves by saying that we do not propose to deal with this particular case , but rather to confine our observations to the one point on which the whole controversy seems to hinge .

It appears that two members of a Lodge under the English Constitution felt it their duty—or it may be they had some other motive—to black ball a candidate , in spite of which the Master of the Lodge declared the ballot clear , and

from the meagre details before us it would appear that notwithstanding the protests of the members who voted adversely , and because the implements of the ballot had been disturbed , the Lodge accepted the verdict of the Master , and

even went so far as to exclude the protesting members , on the charge that they had acted un-Masonically in declaring how they voted . But even with the scanty details before us it

is pretty clear that the offending members hays brought upon themselves the ill-will of their fellows , who seek to avenge one injury by the commission of another .

We can hardly understand the "Master of a Lodge allowing a ballot to stand when it was challenged in so marked a manner as appears to have been the case here The proper course under such circumstances would have been

to take the ballot a second time , and it would almost appear to an outsider that the Master stood self convicted by refusing to do so . As the Colonial Board said in their letter on the subject it would be impossible to guard against the fraudulent

use of the ballot if members of a Lodge were precluded from challenging the correctness of an announcement by the W . M ., that there were not a sufficient number of black balls in the box to cause a candidate ' s rejection , and it seems to us to be

not only a strange , but also a very dangerous course to attempt to argue that Brethren who black-balled a candidate , or who intended to do so , have no right to question the announcement of -a Worshipful Master should he state that the ballot was clear .

Happily instances of such irregularity on the part of a Master are so very rare as to be almost beyond belief , but , if the facts are as stated by our Australian Brethren , the unexpected has happened , and there is now a question of oath

against oath between members who intended to cast adverse votes , and the Master who may have been mistaken when he said the record was clear . It will be observed we give each side the benefit of the doubt , but what is wanted is a method of declaring the ballot that prevents the possibility of error .

Board Of Benevolence.

BOARD OF BENEVOLENCE .

ryiHE monthly meeting of the Board of Benevolence was I held on Wednesday evening , at Freemasons' Hall , when the three chairs were held by Bros . Eobert Grey President , D . D , Mercer Senior Vice-President , and C . A . Cottebrune Junior Vice-President during the first part of the evening , and by Bros . D . D . Mercer , C . A . Cottebrune , and C . J . B . Tijou afterwards .

The Brethren first confirmed the recommendations at last meeting for the approval of the Grand Master , to the amount of £ 270 , and afterwards dealt with thirty new cases . Five of these they dismissed , and two they deferred ; but they granted

£ 575 to the remainder , in sums of £ 50 , £ 40 , £ 30 , £ 25 , £ 20 , £ 10 , and £ 5 each .

Staffordshire Charity.

STAFFORDSHIRE CHARITY .

A MEETING of the Executive Committee in connection with r \ the proposed festival in aid of the Benevolent Fund of the Staffordshire Masonic Charitable Association was held at Stokeon-Trent on Thursday , 4 th inst ., Bro . E . V . Greatbatoh presiding . Final arrangements were- made for the festival , which , by kind permission of the Duke of Sutherland , will be held at Trentham ,

on St . Swithin ' s Day . The contract for the catering was given to Mr . Zella , of the Stork Hotel , Walsall , and it was decided to engage Mr . Gladman ' s band from Lichfield , and the Apollo Glee Singers . . There are fully 100 Stewards subscribing five guineas

each , and , given fine weather , it is estimated that the attendance will be upwards of 1 , 000 . A special train will run from Birmingham , and will pick up passengers from Wolverhampton and Walsall at Wolverhampton , and from Stafford , Lichfield , Rugeley , and Cannock at Stafford .

Devon Widows' Fund.

DEVON WIDOWS' FUND .

THE Widows' Annuity Fund , which is being formed for the benefit of Aged Widows of Freemasons in the Province of Devon , has already a subscription list of over £ 500 from Lodges and Brethren . The promoters anticipate that the fund will be duly inaugurated in August , at the Provincial Grand meeting , with fully £ 1 , 000 subscribed . Bro . Sir Edward Clarke , M . P .,

has sent a donation constituting him a Vice-Patron of the Charity , and the recently-appointed Provincial Grand Master the Hon . Sir Stafford Northcote , C . B ., M . P ., has given his support ' and sanction by forwarding a cheque to the chairman of the fund , Major Geo . S . Strode Lowe . —" Western Morning News . "

Essex.

ESSEX .

rT ^ HE annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge will be JL held at Maldon , on Wednesday , 15 th July . The Countess of Warwick having been invited to the banquet , ladies accompanying Brethren will be cordially welcomed , and it is hoped that many will be present to support her ladyship . As a . large

attendance is expected , members are asked to intimate to the Secretary , by the end of the month , how many tickets they will require Gentlemen 10 s 6 d , Ladies 7 s 6 d . For the entertainment of non-Masons , a Promenade Concert and Military Tournament is being arranged .

The May issue of the " New Zealand Craftsman " completed the first volume of that paper under its present management , who are enabled to give a satisfactory report of its progress , although they " cannot claim to have been exempt from any of the inevitable difficulties which are inseparable from ¦ . . . a fraternal publication . " We wish our contemporary a long and successful career in the cause of Masonic journalism . - ¦ ¦ - £