The School Elections.

with claims on London and Essex . ' and 660 votes to thc good from April , received in all 3475 votes . The next in order came from the Province of Hampshire and thc Isle of Wight , and had at starting 4 6 votes to the good . When the poll closed it was

found that 3395 more votes had been handed in in support of his candidature , making his total 3541 . No . 15 , from London , and a last case , started with 1397 votes , and finished with 3418 , while the boy from South America , with I 959 votes standing to his

credit from April , increased that number to 3157 , ant ] by so doing took the . 16 th p lace . The Northanls and Hunts boy polled 305 & votes , made up of 372 brought forward , and 268 4 obtained at this contest , and it is just as well that he had this small start , or

the Dorsetshire lad , who headed the list of unsuccessful candidates with a total of 3051 votes all polled on this occasion , would have won thc vacancy . However , if his friends exert themselves at the election in April , 18 9 6 , there can be little doubt he will gain admission into the School . As for the 28 other unsuccessful

candidates , as many as n of them scored over 1000 votes , namely , the Gloucester and London boy , who brought forward 1591 votes , and finished with 2302 , a new London candidate , who polled 2298 at this election ; the twins , from the Western Division

of South Wales , of whom one obtained 1964 and the other I 908 votes ; one of the three Surrey cases , who polled 1605 votes ; a London boy , with 347 in hand , who increased it to 1478 ; a second Surrey boy , who had 57 8 in hand at starting , and increased that

number to I 372 ; the London boy , who stood at the head of the list with 86 S votes , and was unable to increase his total beyond 1368 ; a London boy , whose total of 1240 votes included 743 brought forward ; the third Surrey candidate , for whom 1093 were polled ,

and another from London , for whom I 080 votes were given on this occasion . There were also two other boys who made a fair show , one of them from London , obtained 997 , and thc other from Suffolk , 929 votcs . but as for the remainder , the one thing that

can be said in their favour is that the few votes they obtained will go to swell their respective totals at the next election . It will be noted with satisfaction that at this as at the Girls' election the day previous , all the last cases , whose names would have been otherwise removed from the list , were . successful .

Well Done, Alfred!

WELL DONE , ALFRED !

But few of the lodges which have had the good fortune to receive centenary warrants have been more successful in celebrating thc honour thereby conferred upon them than that of the Alfred Lodge , No . 306 , Leeds . The lodge was founded in 1795

by the Grand Lodge of thc Moderns , and having been able to furnish satisfactory evidence to the Grand Lodge authorities of the continuity of its working in the century of years that have since elapsed , his Royal Highness the M . W . Grand Master was

pleased lo grant the lodge a centenary warrant , and to its subscribing members the privilege of wearing the centenary jewel . This auspicious event was celebrated with all possible eclat in the

earlier part of thc year in the presence of the Provincial Grand Master of West Yorkshire , the leading functionaries of the Province and a lar ^ e number of more or less distinguished brethren from far and near . But in a certain sense the celebration may

be said to have been going on ever since , the W . M ., officers , and members having determined that their centenary should be made memorable-by their contributions to the Charities of our Order . They therefore voted from their lodge funds donations

to the Masonic Schools and Benevolent Institution amounting together to 200 guineas , and supplemented these handsome gifts with contributions from their own pockets which increased the total sum raised for the Festivals of the three Charities to 500

guineas . However , the centenary year is now drawing to a close , and the members of the lodge have felt and very wisely resolved that before it had run its full course a means should be found of testifying their profound appreciation of the manner in

which their Worship ful Alaster had administered its affairs at this important epoch in its career . Bro . Bl . ACKUURN , whom they had elected to preside ; over them during the year 18 95 , had already rendered valuable services to the lod <> e . lie was known

to possess great tact and judgment , amazing energy , and sincere love for and devotion to the Craft . These qualities he has exhibited during his period of' office to an extent which does him

Well Done, Alfred!

personally infinite credit , and which has been the means of conferring upon the lodge a prestige it had not previously known . And thus it came about that when the regular meeting was held on the 4 th instant , and thc routine business in lodge had been

disposed of , the brethren and their ladies , with a number of distinguished visitors from other lodges in the Province—amonowhom were thc Deputy Prov . ( irand Master , the Prov . Grand Secretary , the Assistant Prov . Grand Secretary , and Bro . W . F

SMITJISON , P . G . D . England—who in many cases were accompanied by ladies , sat down to a choice banquet , and in thc course of the evening Bro . Bi . ACKHUUN was presented with a beautifull y illuminated address in album form , together with a service of

plate and a diamond brooch for Mrs . BLACKBURN , thc presentation of the Past Master ' s jewel , which the lodge makes a practice of voting to every one of its out-going Masters , beinoheld over till the December meeting , when the W . M . will vacate

thc chair in favour of his successor . The circumstances attending the presentation were so fully reported in our columns last week that we need not dwell upon them a second time . We are , however , anxious to place on record our appreciation of the

brilliant manner in which the centenary year of thc Alfred Lodo-e has passed , and to offer to the members generally , but more especially to its respected Master , Bro . BLACKUUR . V , our sincere

congratulations on the series of celebrations which have marked its progress . Well done , Alfred ! May your future career be still more brilliant and successful !

Free Masonry In South Africa.

FREE MASONRY IN SOUTH AFRICA .

Every now and then we obtain a glimpse at the inner life of Freemasonry in South Africa , which is pleasant to ponder over , showing , as it does , that in this remote part of the British Empire not only has the Craft ( irml y established itself in our earlier possessions , but that it is making rapid progress , and

almost every day obtaining a surer foothold in those newlyacquired territories which have more recently come under oui dominion , or in which , if they do not actually belong to us , we exert the just influence of a powerful neighbour . Grand

Lodge Calendar tells us that the District Grand Lodge of the Eastern Division of South Africa comprises 30 lodges , while in the Western Division , which includes Cape Town , thc seat of Government , there are 11 lodges under Bro . the Very Rev . C . W . P ) . Ci . ARKK , as District Grand Master . In the District Grand

Lodge of Natal there are 17 lodges , while in that which was lately constituted for the Transvaal there are n lodges . In addition , there are lodges at Kimberlcy , in Bechuanaland , Mashonaland , the Orange Free State , and even in Matabcleland , as well as at other outlying stations , so that in all probability the

lodges which have been set up in this part of the world by our Grand Lodge more nearly approach to 90 than 80 , and there is every likelihood , to judge from our experiences of thc past fewyears , of the roll being still further extended . In . addition there are the Irish , Scotch , and Dutch lodges , and as the members

of the different Constitutions contrive to work together most harmoniously , it is no mere figure of speech lo say that thc condition of Freemasonry here is most prosperous . Indeed , the report we published last week of sundry doings at Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Division points to a very remarkable

degree of vitality in thc Craft , of which our South African brethren have good reason to be proud . First came the annual meeting on Wednesday , thc nth September , of the District Grand Lodge itself , under the presidency of Bro . CHARMS JAMES EGAN , District Grand Master , who has held office for some

18 years , and who is deservedly respected by the brethren under his charge . Thc strongest evidence that was presented at tlun gathering of the state of Masonry in the district was furnished by the Board of Education , which reported that as many as 105 children of Masons had been educated by means of the fund

under its control , the number in receipt of its benefits at the present time being 33 , and the income for thc past year / . 4 lint the proceedings at this meeting , though necessarily of commanding importance , appear to have been somewhat thrown into the shade by those of the following day , when the District Gram

Master laid with the customary Masonic ceremonial the mcin < - " ' stone of St . Mary ' s Collegiate Church , of which Bro . l - WiRCMAN , the D . J . G . W ., is the rector . This is the oldest church in the Eastern Division of the Colony , its foundation-stone hav |» . ^ been laid as far back as 1825 , while it was opened for Divi ' -