The Recent School Elections.

THE RECENT SCHOOL ELECTIONS .

There was a full attendance of Governors and Subscribers in the great hall of Freemasons' Tavern on Thursday and Friday of last week , when the School Quarterly Courts were held , and the elections of candidates to be admitted into the respective Institutions took place . There was likewise

the usual keen interest observable in the proceedings of both days , more especially in those of Thursday , the proportion of vacancies to candidates for the Girls' School being far less favourable than at the Boys' Election . As regards the contest for admission into

IHE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS , which was held at the Quarterly Court on the 12 th inst ., there were , as we have before pointed out , 37 candidates , and only 15 vacancies to be filled , and , as was to be expected , the contest was exceedingly close , even candidates for whom 2 C 00 votes and upwards were polled failing to obtain

places among the successful . The girl who was fortunate enough to win the first honours had claims on Monmouthshire and London , and , as this was her one and only chance of being admitted , her friends and supporters put their shoulders to the wheel , and polled no less than 4120 votes in her behalf , this being in excess to the extent of upwards of 600 of the number

obtained by the girl who stood second , and for whom the total recorded was 3501 ; this girl was one of ro candidates hailing from London . No . 3 came from Bedfordshire , and won her place with 3326 votes , while No . 4—one of the two lasses from F . ast Lancashire—was close up with 3278 votes ; No . 5 , from Cheshire , and having only this chance of success allowed her ,

compiling 3272 votes , and No . 6 , from | West Yorkshire , 3254 votes . The next in order was the Northumbrian candidate , who received 3138 votes , and then come two girls who ware close together , No . 8 having a total of 3123 votes , of which 136 3 were brought forward from April , while No . 9 scored 3 , of which 1261 were aire idy standing to her credit from the same

election . Of these No . 8 derived her claims from the Western Division ol South Wales , and No . 9 from the same Province and from Foreign Parts and London as well . The Somersetshire candidate secured the lolh place , with 303 1 votes , the Staffordshire girljbeing close at her [ heels with 3026 votes , and the girl from Warwickshire , whose name would have

been struck from the roll if she had failed on this occasion , next with 3021 votes . The three remaining successful children obtained 2771 , 2760 , and 2754 votes respectively , the first in order being one of three from Essex , the second from Northants and Hunts , and the last from London . Thus London carried two out of the 10 cases in

which she was most immediately interested , and two out of the four in which she had a part interest only , while the Provinces were successful in elect ing 11 out of 23 children . As for the unsuccessful , who , however , are all of them eligible at the next election , and will , in the majority of cases , have still further chances of winning admission into the School , the girl who

headed the list was from Essex , and , having 1149 votes already to her credit from two preceding contests , raised her total to 2684 votes , the Middlesex child being next with 2600 votes , and then six London girls with 2324 , 1926 , 1464 , 1415 , 1343 , and 1297 votes respectively to their credit , the second and the last of the six having , the former 486 votes and the latter

537 votes already in hand . Of the other 14 candidates , one half polled votes ranging from 139 to 820 , while the other half had to content themselves with Ie * ss than 100 . As regards the general total of votes , there were 6 348 brought forward from April last , and 64 , 920 issued for this ballot , of which latter all but 5318 passed the Scrutineers . For the election of 26 candidates into the

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS , there were , as we have said , 46 candidates , and as the number among which the votes were to be distributed was greater than at the Girls' election , while the chances of success were greater , the poll was not quite so formidable in individual cases . Here London sent up 13 candidates , and had a part

interest in two other cases , and whether owing to the keener interest in the children that had claims upon her support , or to a better system of organisation we are unable lo say , but her efforts , undoubtedly , proved more successful . I'he two boys who headed the poll were both Londoners , No 1 , with 1880 votes in hand , raising his total to 3575 , while No . 2 , who started with 2023 votes

to the good , obtained such additional support as to increase his figures to 3099- The Middlesex lad , who had this one chance , secured the third place , with 3065 votes , and Jersey the fourth place for its protege , whose total of

2 ° oi was composed of 1388 brought forward , and 1513 additional on the day of election . Nos . 5 and 6 , both hailed from Districts Abroad , the former from Western Australia , obtaining 2793 votes , and the latter , from the Eastern Archipelago , with this one chance only available , 2785 votes . No ,

The Recent School Elections.

7 , from Essex , who started with 12 S 6 votes , finished up the day with a total of 2774 , while No . 8 , who made his first attempt at this election , and derived his claims from London , polled 2682 . The Cheshire and Derbyshire boy , who had a few votes in hand , but only this one further chance of securing admission , had the satisfaction of

being placed ninth with 26 77 , the next in order being a new candidate from London , to whom 2604 votes were given , one of two boys from West Lancashire being almost on a level with him with 2602 votes . No . 12 hailed from London , and having obtained support to the extent of 1159 votes in April , converted this into 2560 , while the East and West Lancashire youth ,

who stood last on the list of candidates , won the 13 th place with 2517 votes , No . 14 , from Sussex , and No . 15 , one of two boys from Worcestershire , scored totals of 2514 and 2473 votes respective ! }' , the Hertfordshire boy following next in order with 245 s votes , and the second Worcestershire candidate next with 2447 votes . One of the three Devonshire boys was placed

at No . 18 with 2425 votes , and the Suffolk boy at No . 19 with 2374 votes , of which 355 had been obtained at the elections in April last and October , 1 S 92 . No . 20 was one of two claimants from Oxfordshire , who had received 1374 votes at his two previous contests , and now scored a total of 2358 , while No . 21 , from West Lancashire and Hants and the Isle of Wight , was

only two votes behind , converting the 270 votes won in April last into a final total of 2356 . The West Yorkshire boy scored 2320 votes right off the reel , and took the 22 nd place , while the Dorsetshire candidate , who had obtained 1276 votes as the result of three previous efforts , raised his total to 2293 , and so obtained the 23 rd vacancy . No . 24 , from London , No . 25 , from Kent ,

and No . 26 , from Shropshire , polled respectively 225 S votes , 2200 votes , and 211 S votes , while the only new successful candidate who made ; anything of a fight was one of two Norfolk boys , who had obtained 48 votes at three elections , and now raised his total to 2099 , the next in order ( London ) scoring

1247 votes , the next , from North and East Yorkshire , S 61 votes , and then three London candidates , for whom there were polled respectively Sri , 7 64 , and 74 S votes . The votes brought forward were 11 , 422 , and the votes issued 71 , 290 , of which latter all but 5207 were passed by the Scrutineers .

It only remains for us to express our satisfaction in one particular respect with the result of the elections . In both instances there were three candidates who had only this one chance of being admitted , the three girls thus circumstanced being placed at Nos . 17 , 27 , and 28 , and the three boys at Nos . 10 , 28 , and 35 , and it is with very great pleasure we announce that all

of them have succeeded in their efforts . It is indeed especially gratifying to us to find that our earnest appeal in behalf of these six children , of the merits of whose claims wc knew nothing more than that they had satisfied the Petitions Committees of the respective Schools , has been attended with such beneficial results to the children .

Celestial Pseudo-Freemasonry.

CELESTIAL PSEUDO-FREEMASONRY .

Very few British freemasons know anything whatever of the widelyramified Society which , in China , answers to the Craft amongst ourselves It is both like and unlike its Western sister . Possessing lodges , and performing ceremonies bearing some analogy to our own , it is avowedlya secret society with a political aim—the overthrow of the existing Tartar

dynasty-With such an end in view , it is naturally alien to all that makes Freemasonry admirable , and able to include amongst its votaries such differently placed individuals as the Heir Apparent to the Throne and the humblest workman . It in effect , bears a greater resemblance to the bodies known as I Carbonari or la Carnmorista than to the nobler Association whose interests form our

special care . As a league for mutual help and protection to members , it is far and away the most powerful in existence . The thief , forger , or murderer can , if a member , as surely count upon aid to escape from justice , as can a visiting brother of vouched-for position upon a courteous reception in a Masonic lodge . Perverted , however , as this extreme fulfilment of the pledge

of brotherhood may be , the Tien ti huei ( pronounced Tefin tee hway ) , or ' ' Heaven and Earth League" ( otherwise known as the "Sam Hap " or " Triad Society" ) , is doubtless of benefit in a less objectionable way to its numerous m-mbers . We propose on this occasion to give only a sketch of its origin and aims , res rving till a future issue the details connected with the working of the lodges .

In 1628 the Ming ( or " bright " ) dynasty , which had for some centuries ruled over the destinies of the " Middle Kingdom , " was overthrown by the victorious Tartars who founded the present Ching or " pure " dynasty . As conquerors they were naturally regarded with dislike by the Chinese , properly so called , and the badge of servitude they imposed upon the defeated party , by requiring them to shave the head , preserving only the now