Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS 30 ^ History o £ the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys ( Continueil ) 306 The Boys' School Festival 307 Board of Bcuex-olence 307

C ORRESPONDENCELondon Orphan Asylum 309 Not Fair .: 309 A Needful Correction 309 The Hughan Testimonial ' . 309 Reviews ' . 3 o Notes and Queries 30 a

REPORTS or MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 310 Instruction 311 Royal Arch :.... 311 Red Cross of Constantine 311 Scotland ' . „ 311

Provincial Grand Lodge of Berks and Bucks 311 ¦ Provincial Grand Lodgeof Surrey 313 Prox-incial Grand Chapter of Cambridgeshire 313 Nexx * Masonic Hall at South Shields 313 The Vatican and English Freemasonry ... 314 The Theatres 314 Masonic and General Tidings 314 Lodge Meetings for Next Week ... Page 3 Cover .

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WE are informed on the best authority , that very grave errors exist as to the position of our English Lodges in South Australia . It is true , undoubtedly , that a large majority of all our lodges have joined the movement , but still leaving a minority averaging about a dozen in each lodge faithful to the Grand Lodge of England . The Book of Constitutions says , that when a

majority leave a lodge , the poxver of assembly remains xvith the minority , provided three brethren continue , so that practically a / lour lodges remain under us , and , xve are bound ( as in case of Montreal ) , to support them . In any

question of recognition , the rights and existence of our lodges xvould be safeguarded by his Royal Highness the GRAND MASTER and Grand Lodge . Tha truth is , that all these movements are more or less "factitious , " and proceed from a small body of agitators .

* * # WE reprint in another column a communication from its Correspondent at Rome which appeared in the Times ot Monday last . We think it but right and fair to bring it to the cognizance of those of our readers xvho do not peruse the Times : " The Monitenr de Rome , after briefly informing its readers that the

Grand Lodge of English Freemasons had , through its President , protested against the POPE ' S Encyclical , •De Secta Massonum , ' reprints the fexv remarks xvhich * Lord CARNAR \* ON made , xvith reference to LEO XIII ., at the beginning of his protest , and the text of the resolution voted '; but refrains

from giving the xvords of the protest itself . The Pontifical organ makes no critical observations , beyond stating , that the language employed by his lordship in speaking of the POPE was respectful . " The suppression of the " protest " by the " inspirers " of the article is very noteworthy .

# * # WE call attention to the review elsewhere of a very carefully-written article in the Roman Catholic magazine , " The Month , " against Freemasonry . If marked by much polish of diction and apparent courtesy of expression , it is not the less characterized by'intense bitterness of feeling and antagonism .

Its entire injustice towards Anglo-Saxon Masonry is not less conspicuous than-its evident inability to appreciate the real views and aims of English Freemasons . We are still , it seems , responsible for proceedings xvhich xve have utterly disavbxved , and for a state of affairs xvhich xve so utterly disapprox'e of , that xve decline to receive in our lodges any who have thus

revolutionized Freemasonry in some jurisdictions abroad . But all in vain . Despite the high character of those xvho openly avow themselves members of our loyal , charitable , and useful Order , notwithstanding that the Prince of WALES and the Duke of CONNAUGHT are " of our sodality ; " though Bishops and Deans , and Archdeacons and Canons , and a large number of

the Anglican Clergy are in our midst ; though a large section of the nobility , Ministers of the Croxvn , Members of the House of Commons , and citizens of various classes , and of the highest culture and gravest character and distinct respectability , joyfully declare themselves to be Freemasons ,. our good Roman Catholic censors declare that xve are ignorant of our own

principles , that we are " participes criminis" in the violent and erractic proceedings of some foreign jurisdictions , and that xve are " atheists by inadvertence " and " revolutionists in ignorance . " Now , the truth is , that all this violence , under specious words and civil glozirig , betrays the fact that Roman Catholics-find themselx'es between "Scylla and Charybdis . " A

large section of the Roman Catholic clergy and laity , xvhether openly or privately matters nothing , disapproves of an infallible authority making so great a blunder a , s before the public , dubbing , that is to say , xvith sxveeping and indiscriminate censure as atheists and destructives those fellow-citizens

of theirs , with whom they live , daily see and hear of , as xvell as those foreign agitators xvho make a trade and a cat's paw of Freemasonry proper . And then , "on the other hand there lingers in Roman Catholic circles the taint of the old intolerant heresy of forced adhesion and compulsory communion

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If some honest minds unequi \* ocally condemn the loathsome horrors of the past , the persecution of the . Jews , Huguenots , Vapdois , and the like , the fiery de \* elopement of the Inquisition , the cruel xvorking of the " Secular Arm , " xve have not far to go to find those . xvho can still make excuses for the massacre of St . Bartholomexv , the Mairian murders , and the deaths of Huss ,

and Jerome , and Sax'anarola . Rome , jwe . fear , never changes from its " antiqua supcrstitio , " and , as some one said a short time ago , " would burn still all Freemasons if it could , " such is the detestation of the great principle Freemasonry ever more inculcates Toleration . And if the civil

spoken critic of the " Month " can betray the deep und unfaltering animus xvhich underlies his xvell turned sentences from first to last , xvhat can xve expect of that " vulgus profanum " xvhose associations are unchanged arid unchanging , and xvhose fanatic feelings are fanned and augmented by foolish " Mandemens " and prolix Papal Allocutions .

* * * ¦ SINCE we wrote the above the Moniteitr de Rome has published a leading article , xvhich , without noticing the Grand Lodge protest or the PRO GRAND MASTER ' S admirable address , simply reproduces in other words the whole

of the vulgar incriminations ot which Lord CARNARVON so properly complained , and against which he so forcibly protested and Grand Lodge xvith him . These reiterated allegations against Freemasonry will be treated like the Allocutions by Freemasons henceforth everywhere xvith the contempt they deserve . We call attention to it elsewhere .

* * # Wn . said last week that xve should recur to the subject of the Grand Lodge of Quebec , and we do so , though xvith much reluctance , for many reasons . In the first place enough has been said , we think , on a very painful case , and in the next , the more xve look into the whole matter the less xve like it , as

symptomatic or representatix'e of true Masonic teaching , and the realization of Masonic sympathies , duties , and propriety . Yet xve must make a fexv remarks . It would seem from an " extract " published last xveek , that the Grand Lodge of Quebec in its earlier da 3 's fully knew and recognized the exact position of the English lodges in Montreal . Hence their actual

illegality xvas an after thought . The whole question seem to have arisen from the discussion xvhich arose betxveen the Grand Lodge of Scotland and the Grand Lodge of Quebec . For in the letter Bro . GRAHAM xvrote to H . R . H . the Prince of WALES , Grand Master , in 1 SS 0 , if xve , remember rightly , he first raised the question of the English lodges consequent on

the " invasion " as he termed it of the Scottish Grand Lodge . The recognition of the Grand Lodge of England xvas asked for , and the Grand Lodge of England very properly made the legal position of its lodges , already admitted by the Grand Lodge of Canada , a " sine qua non " of recognition on its part of the Grand Lodg ' e of Quebec , a ' sxvarm from the Grand Lodge

of Canada . •This xvas refused on the ground of " Universal Sovereignty , " but not one word xvas said as to the agreement of the Joint Committee , xvhich has been quietly suppressed . And then it xvas that on the report of the Board of General Purposes to the Grand Lodge of Quebec , Bro . GRAHAM being again Grand Master , that the nexv departure xvas-originated

by action of that Grand Lodge , xvhich has since marked its proceedings , and xvhich constitutes a virtual repudiation of the agreement of the Joint Committee , the effect of xvhich xvas to recognize the legal position of the English lodges until a friendly settlement could be arrived at . Whereas in 1 S 81 , the legal position of the English lodges is absolutely denied and the

Grand Lodge of Canada blamed for having conceded it , and here the matter rests . We hope the good sense of our brethren in Quebec xvill prevent any further complication . Were any distinct action to be taken against , the English lodges and chapters undoubtedly legal in their position and according to every requirement of Freemasonry , despite modern "dicta "

and irresponsible fire-brands , the Grand Lodge of England might have "its hand forced , " and might be compelled " nolens volens" to protect officially those who have committed no legal or Masonic xvrong . We hope

therefore that the sensible and sound advice of the GRAND SECRETARY of England xvill be taken , viz ., to leave to the peaceful " efflux of time , " always sedative and healing , the settlement both of burning questions and awkward difficulties .

# * WE understand that Bro . B INCKES has up to date received the names of 288 Stexvards . We trust that this , our last , Charitable Festival for 1884 , will be a most successful one , and that , under the special circumstances of the case ,

a very large number of Stewards will be present to testify their respect for the memory of their Royal and lamented brother , their regard for the LORD MAYOR , and their unchanged and unchanging sympathy for the Boys ' School , We hope , to announce a fuller list of Stexvards ,