The Masonic Vagrant.

We then offered to take upon ourselves the responsibility of compiling and distributing amongst all who cared to have it a list of all the " Masonic Vagrants " as to whose operations we received information ; and we undertook to furnish the list , from time to time , to all those lodges which subscribed for it on payment

of a small fee , just sufficient to cover the cost of printing and postage . But , though each suggestion was , in its turn , received with a certain amount of favour , the innate unwillingness of the English brother to do anything that might involve any personal trouble prevailed over all other feelings , and the only result of our offers has been that we have been favoured with a few more

letters of caution against Masonic impostors . In the United States and Canada there is a Society known as the " Masonic Relief Association , " which has been established with a view to putting down imposture , or , at all events , reducing it to a minimum . Quite a number of Grand Lodges belong to this

Association , and each , in consideration of a certain small annual payment , receives such a number of lists of vagrants and others who try to live by preying upon members of the Masonic body , as will suffice for the requirements of its private lodges . The

p lan is found to work well , and , according to a statement we quoted some time ago from— -if we remember rightly—the annual address of a Grand Master of Canada , several thousand dollars are saved yearly to members of the Craft by means of this Association .

But , though Englishmen , whether Masons or not , are notori-, ously unwilling to concern themselves about what is everybody ' s business ; though they may be disposed to look upon acts of imposture at their expense as being too petty to trouble about , has it never occurred to those who aro

Masons that it is not they who are in comfortable or affluent circumstances who suffer when they are defrauded of a few shillings or a sovereign ? True , the money they have given to an impostor might , as it afterwards turns out , have been usefully employed , but they do not feel the loss .

Those who are injured by this indiscriminate almsgiving arc . the really deserving poor Masons who are without food and shelter . " Once bit , twice shy . " The brother who has listened to the plausible tale of one whom he afterwards discovers is a thoroughpaced rogue and vagabond , immediately jumps to the conclusion

that every subsequent applicant for his charity must be tarred with the same brush . Certain letters we have recently published show that in the case of a man who appends to his name the impressive capital letters " B . A . T . C . D ., " even imprisonment

does not deter him from his fraudulent practices . Why then should there bc this indifference to an evil which we are all interested in suppressing as far as possible , if only that the poor but honest brother may not be denied , as too often happens , the relief he sorely needs ?

Provincial Grand Chapter Of Cambridgeshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND CHAPTER OF CAMBRIDGESHIRE .

A convocation of this chapter was held at the Masonic Hall in Cambridge , on Wednesday , the ioth inst . The Grand Superintendent ( Comp . Col . R . Townley Caldwell ) appointed and invested his officers as understated :

Cimps . E . M . Miney , 859 ... ... ... Prov . G . H . ., VV . P . Spalding . 88 ... ... Prov . G . J . ' „ W . H . Jarrold , 88 ... ... ... Prov . G . Scribe E . „ H . E . Gretf , 441 ... ... ... Prov . G . Scribe N . „ W . H . Francis 859 ... ... ... Prov . G . Treas . „ Rev . 1 .. R . Tuttiett , 88 ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ A . Hill , 859 ... ... ... Prov . G . P . S „ P . IVamall , 8 . 9 ... ... ... Prov . lit Asst . S . „ P H . Young , 441 ... ... ... Prov . 2 r , d Asst . S . „ R . H . Adie , S 59 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B . „ J . G . Chennell , 88 ... ... ... Prov . G . Std . Br . „ S . H . Sharman , 441 ... ... ... Prov . G . D C . „ H . Davies , 809 ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ C H . Ellis , 859 ... ... ... Prov . G . Janitor . After t' e despatch of business , the companions adj turned to banquet at the Lion H J ' . LI

Royal And Select Masters.

ROYAL AND SELECT MASTERS .

The annual meeting was held at Mark Masons Hall , Great Queenstreet , on Wednesday , the 10 th inst . Present : Bros . C . F . Matier , P . D , G . M ., Recorder ; R . B rridge , G . Treas . ; R . Loveland Loveland , A , Balfour Cockburn , Dr . Clement Godson , Rev . R . Russell Finlay , R . J , Voisey , W . A . Scurrah , W . Wright , F . Bevan , W . F . Williams , W , Vincent , R . CloA-es , J . C . F . Tower , J . A . Braik , and others ,

Royal And Select Masters.

The meeting was opened by Bro . C . F . MATIER , P . D . G . M ., who apologised for being in the chair , as the Grand Master had telegraphed to say he was prevented from coming by most important business . The Grand Master , the Earl of Euston , had asked him to take the chair and instal Bro . R . Loveland Loveland as Deputy Grand Master . Bro . Loveland Loveland was then obligated , invested , and installed , and proclaimed as Deputy Grand Master .

The minutes were taken as read , on the proposition of Bro . W . VINCENT , seconded by Bro . R . BERRIDGE , and wefe unanimously confirmed . The report of the progress of the Order during the past year was read by the GRAND RECORDER , and showed that 24 certificates had been issued , increasing the total membership to 797 . Bro . B . R . Bryar . t , who had

resigned the office of Grand Lecturer after many years , had had the rank of P . Principal Conductor of Works conferred upon him . The report was received and adopted . On the motion of Bro . Rev . RUSSELL FINLAY , Bro . R . BERRIDGE was re-elected Grand Treasurer , and returned thanks . The following Grand Officers were appointed and were invested , with

three exceptions : Bro . Col . Lockwood , M . P . ... ... ... G . P . Con . of Wks „ Rev . R . Russell Finlay ... ... ... 7 „ Rev . R . C . Fillingham ... ... ... J ^ Chaps ' „ R . Berridge ... ... ... ... G . Treas . „ C . F . Matier ... ... ... G . Recorder . r > T \ r ~; r * r _ . i \ vi eci

,, . j . vuiscy ... ... ... , L . _ urcr . „ A . Balfour Cockburn ... ... ... G » D . C . „ Dr . Clement Godson ... ... ... G . A . D . C . ,, W . A . Scurrah ... ... ... G . Con . of Council „ W . Wright ... ... ... ... G . Capt . of Guards

„ i < . Bevan ... ... .,. ... Or . Urg . „ W . F . Williams ... ... ...- ) „ J . C . F . Tower ... ... ... [ G . Marshals . „ F . E . Bailey ... ... .,. ... J „ W . Barnwell .,, ... ... Ip 0 . j I , J . A . Braik ... ... ... ) G . Stwds . " E . 1 . Mills ... .,. ... . ' . ' . G . Outer Guard .

There being no further business for transaction , the meeting was dec ' ared closed by the DEPUTY G . MASTER . A banquet was subsequently held at Freemasons' Tavern , under the presidency of the Deputy Grand Master , which was well attended .

Ladies' Night Of The Sir Walter Raleigh Lodge, No. 2432.

LADIES' NIGHT OF THE SIR WALTER RALEIGH LODGE , No . 2432 .

The annual ladies' night of the above lodge was held at Freemasons ' Tavern on the 25 th ult ., and was the most successful of those which the lodge justly boasts of having established for the entertainment of the non-Masonic members of their families and among their friends . The lodge is now a well-known lodge—a class lodge certainly , being established by and for those

engaged in the tobacco trade—it has pursued an excellent Masonic course for the last five years , and has not forgotten the Charities . The charitable object was not forgotten at this enjoyable meeting , for the Daily Telegraph Prince of Wales ' s Hospital Shilling Fund cropped up in the course of the evening , and in the result produced . £ 5 13-5 . Besides its Masonic work , it has a keen eye for enjoyment , for the members , while pursuing their lod ^ e business , do not forget th it there are social and domestic ties which must not be overlooked , and that the lodge and

chapter are not to absorb the whole of their attention . Keeping this truth in view , they introduce wives , daughters , sweethearts , and sisters once a year to a partly Masonic gathering , in which a ball is the most attractive part for the ladies , and in the summer time ladies also participate in a country outing . The brethren of the lodge have become experts now in making arrangements for the production of these enjoyments , and those who visited Freemasons' Tavern on the 25 th ultimo were not at all surprised to find that everything went off well .

The proceedings commenced with a reception by the W . M ., Bro . W . Klingenstein , P . M . 73 and 1540 , the Stewards of the day being Bros . G . Ransford , G . Emblin , D . Phillips , W . H . Lowry , W . F . Bates , R . Ambler , Louis Weenen , C . Ransford , H . Cosins , O . C . Moore , and W . H . Bullock , P . M ., Hon . Sec . The party which attended consisted of 130 ladies and gentlemen . They were Bros . W . Klingenstein , W . M . ; W . H . Lowry , P . M ., S . W . ; W . F . Bates ,

P . M ., J . W . ; C . H . J . Ransford , S . D . ; David Phillips , P . M ., I . P . M . ; George Ransford . P . M ., P . P . G . S . B . Middx ., Treas . ; W . H . Bullock , P . M ., Sec ; R . Ambler , Stwd . ; J . H . Butt and party j Harrold a . id party ; A . S . Benjamin an ^ l party ; O . C . Moore , H . Cosins and party ; E . Grahnert and party j L . Weenen and paity ; I . L . Van Geider , E . Asser and party ; G . SUven and Hughes , F . C . Buckingham , A . Simpson , W . Pearson , S .. F . Atkins , H . Evenden , P . M ., Tylej-j C . R . Lee , P . M . 2128 and party ; Happold , 2128 ;

Dreyfus , A . Klingenstein , E . S . Webb , H . Massey , P . M . 619 and 1928 , and Miss Massey ; W . E . Buxton , R . Bullock , Mrs . Bullock and the Misses Bullock ; Mrs . Webb and the Misses Webb ; Mr ., Mrs ., and the Misses Ansbachtr ; Mrs . Arthur Klingenstein . Mr . Schubach , Mr . and Mrs . Carwitham , Mr . A . Levy , T . Fitch , Julian Bell , A . H . Forbes Fisher , Mr . Hughes , Gore Ouseley , Salaman , Mr ., Mrs ., and Miss Southee ; Mr . A . Davis , Mr . H . Bullock , Mrs . Ransford , Mrs . Buxton , Mr . and Mrs . Lazirus , Mr . and Mrs . S . Cohen , and Mr . and Mrs . Westcott .

During the reception some beautiful music was performed by Miss Ethel Bullock , who is r . ot yet 15 years of age . Af . tr the reception a choice banquet was provided in the Crown Room , where every arrangement was prepared for the comfort and convenience of the ladies and brethren . When the banquet was concluded and grace had been said , every lady was presented with a box containing two silver hat pins . At the first of these ladies' dinners , the W . M ., Bro . W . H . Bullock , gave each lady perfumery ; at the second , Bro . George Ransford gave fans ; at the third , Bro . G . Emblin gave handerchiefs ; and at the fourth , Bro . D . Phillips presented purses .

Bro . W . K I . IN (; KNSTHIN , W . M ., proposed '' The Queen " and " The . Prince of Wales , M . W . G . M ., " who he said embodied everything which could make the Jlasonic Order what it was . ' Bro . VAN GEI . DKK proposed "The Ladies , Our Fair Guests this Evening , " and said that although Masons were somewhat exclusive they always honoured the fair sex , and although they only welcomed them very rarely among them he need scarcely say they were delighted to see them present that evening . He could assure the ladies that notwithstanding Masonic gatherings were gatherings of