Miss Davis And Her Pension.

148 ; in 18 78 , 200 ; in 1888 , 243 ; and in 18 9 6 , 269 . Thus her salary and the labours of her office have gone on increasing pari passu , but at no time can it be said with truth that her emoluments were in excess of the

duties and responsibilities she was charged to fulfil . She now retires , after 35 years of successful service such as we have described , with her health enfeebled b y the unceasing wear and tear , both mental and bodily , entailed b y her position , and

who is there who will venture to say , after what she is known to have accomplished , that a pension equivalent to her full salarywithout her remuneration in kind—is excessive ; and , considering that it is mainly through the excellence of her work the

School has attained its present hi g h standard of efficiency , and is in receipt of such an income subscribed b y the voluntary contributions of the Craft , who will venture to affirm that the payment of this pension out of the funds thus subscribed is a diversion of

the money from the purpose for which it was contributed ? Had it not been for the success of her administration , the School would not be in a position to command the generous measure of support it receives . She and those who have worked with her

have helped to bring the grist to the mill , and we repeat it is sheer nonsense to allege that the payment of this pension is a misappropriation of moneys raised for the purpose of Charity . We will go further , and say that it would have been a lasting

discredit to the General Court of Governors and Subscribers if they had allowed Miss DAVIS , after devoting all the best years of her life to the service of the School , and undermining her own health in doing so , to retire unpensioned .

The New Zealand Question.

THE NEW ZEALAND QUESTION .

A special communication of United Grand Lodge will be held on Wednesday , the 29 th inst ., at 5 p . m ., when there will be submitted for the consideration of the brethren a message from the M . W . G . Master in which his Royal Highness , after

remarking that an application for recognition as an independent sovereign Masonic authority has been addressed to the Grand Lodge of England b y the Grand Lodge of New Zealand and having satisfied himself of the general state of Masonic feeling

in the Colony , is of opinion that the time has arrived for according such recognition . Accordingly , he is desirous that the voice of Grand Lodge be taken on the following resolution , namely , " That taking into consideration the message from the

M . W . Grand Master , Grand Lodge requests that his Royal Hi g hness will be pleased to take such steps for the recognition of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand , and for the establishment of fraternal good feeling with our New Zealand brethren as he

may consider consistent with the honour of this Grand Lodo-e , and with just consideration for those lodges which may desire to maintain their connection with the Grand Lod ge of England . " It is only a fortnight since that we remarked in reference to a

statement in the proceedings at a recent communication of the District Grand Lodge of Canterbury , New Zealand , under our Constitution , that if the report as to the Grand Lodge of New Zealand having resolved to decline

recognition "if our Grand Lodge attached to it a condition conferring equal ri g hts " on " the E . C . Masons of New Zealand" proved correct , "then farewell to all prospects of an ultimate reconciliation of the present conflicting interests of the

different Constitutions . We assume that the Grand Master has satisfied himself that this conditional recognition , which he now proposes shall be accorded to the Grand Lod ge of New Zealand , will be accepted by that body ; that the rumour to

which currency was given in the proceedings of the District Grand Lodge of Canterbury ( E . C . ) is unfounded ; and consequently , that we way look forward to a speedy termination of the inharmonious relations now existing among the brethren of

the several Constitutions in the Colony in a manner honourable to all parties concerned . Wc shall be pleased beyond measure if this turns out to be the case , and shall gladl y welcome the

news that the distracted condition of Freemasonry in New Zealand which has existed latterly has at length come to an end . We trust also that all the lodges which have hitherto held aloof from the movement in behalf of the Masonic inde-

The New Zealand Question.

pendence of the Colony will g ive in their adhesion to it , so that absolute unanimity among all parties may be found to prevail ; or that , if that is hoping too much , the lodges still holding aloof

will be so few in number as to secure what will practicallv amount to unanimity . If these hopes arc realised , Freemasonry in New Zealand will speedil y recover itself and become onr-e again a united brotherhood .

As for the suggestion contained in the June number of the Canadian Craftsman— " That it would have been a very nice way of celebrating the 21 st Anniversary of the election of the Prince of WALES to the Grand East b y granting to the Grand Lodge of Quebec full and complete Masonic rights as an

independent Grand Lodge '—we take leave to point out that 21 years ago our Grand Lodge offered to recognise the Grand Lod ge of Quebec , on the usual condition , namely , that the ri ghts and privileges of the English lodges in Montreal , which were still desirous of retaining their connection with our Grand Lodge

should be respected . This condition the Grand Lodge of Quebec declined to accept , and it is not in the power of the Grand Lodge of England to deprive those lodges of the ri g hts and privileges secured to them under their respective warrants . In fact , our Grand Lodge has done all it is in its power to do ,

and if the difficulty is ever to be brought to a close , it must be either b y the Grand Lodge of Quebec accepting the conditional recognition offered it in 18 75 , or b y the English lodges in Montreal casting in their lot with the Grand Lodge of Quebec , and determining their connection with the Grand Lodge of England .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Berkshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF BERKSHIRE .

The brethren of Beikshirc assembled in considerable numbers on Tuesday , the 14 th inst ., in the old county town of Abingdon , which is not only one of the strongholds of Masonry in this part of the country , but is also the home of the able and much respected Deputy Prov . G . M ., Bro . John T . Morland , who , since the lamented decease of the Djke oi Clarence , has been in charge of this province , directing its affairs with an efficiency which has

given the greatest satisfaction to all . The large attendance ^ this occasion maybe taken as a deserving compliment to Bro . Morland , inasmuch as Abingdon is on a branch line , and somewhat inaccessible from certain parts of the province . The majority of the brethren rciched Abingdon at about two o clock , and were received with much cordiality by the officers and brethren of the Abbey Lodge , who had hospitably provided light refreshment for the visitors in a spacious room adjoining the Council Chamber .

The Board of General Purposes assembled at 2 30 , and audited the annual accounts , and an hour later the Provincial Grand Lodge was opened in due form in the handsome Council Chamber , which , like the apartment where refreshment was served , contains portraits of many distinguished men who , in various ways , have held important posit i ons in connection with this ancient borough .

The P . G . Secretary , Bro . J . VV . MARTIN , first called over the list of lodges in the province , when it appeared that the whole of them were represented . The Prov . Grand Officers present included—Bros . C . Stephens , J . W . Martin , G . H . Morgan , W . Ferguson , A . C . A . Higerty , the Rev . W . M . Hope , H . Por . king , E . Hewett , C . L . Lovett , E . A . C . Brcquet ,

H . D'Almaine , J . Tomkins , E . Grisbrook , E . Margrett , S . G . Kirchhoffer , E . Home , E . L . Shepherd , G . D . Leslie , R . A ., the Rev . A . W . N . Deacon , the Rev . A . T . Morland , B . Challenor , Stephen Knight , C . Belcher , L . N . Nixon , G . Saxby , W . Fenton , E . Prince , C . Luker , W . Hickie , R . Nicholson , W . W . Ridley , H . S . Hanington , J . B . King , T . W . Walford , G . J . Cosburn , C . Batting , E . Marshall , W . R . Cook , T . E . Robertson , J . Freeman , J . M . McLeod ( Sec . R . M . I . Boys ) ,

W . Lewis Morgan , F . Ryman Hall , Stevens . Hemmings , and others . Among the brethren also present were Bros , the Revs . J . L . Turbutt and P . H . Ditchfield , Col . E . Molyneux , ' G . T . Phillips , D . N . Heron , D . Wilton , E . H . Simmons , A . S . Cooper , F . King , F . Kedge , F . H . Buxton , Harry G . W . D'Almaine , C . 0 Burgess , I . W . Maurice , J . T . Ransley , W . Bonny , S . Knight , jun ., Percy Coward ,

Morris McD . Stevens , E . Gould , J . Rolfe , J . Robertson , | . Wright , Jackson Lawrence , J . H . Wilson , S . 1 . Baker , ] . T . Gale , Thomas Skurray , J . Hill , W . J . Higgs , G . Mitchell , A . Shephefd , Coxeler , F . J . Lawes , V . Knowles , W . B . Fer . dick , C . H . Stradling , E . Ridley , C . VV . Sisley , J . J . Alexander , Harry Pates , F . Foxlty , W . Tucker , G . Winship , J . Kick , E . J . Harris , H . G . Powell , T . R . Barnby , VV . Holloway , G . I . Phillips , and others .

The roll of Prov . Grand Officers having been called over , the minutes of the annual Prov . Grand Lodge , held at Reading last year , w . re taken as read , the same having been printed and circulated throughout th . 2

province . The P . G . SECRETARY presented the annu il [ financial statement , which showed a balance in hand of £ 130 odd , this b ^ ing an increase on last year ' s balance . Bro . MARTIN mentioned that the Masonic Calendar account yielded a slight balance in favour of the province , an increased number of cop ies having been disposed of during the past year . There was a balance of £ jS 9 s . 2 d . on the Charity Fund account .

Bro . TOMKINS remarked upon the very satisfactory character of the finance report , and moved its adoption , which was seconded by Bro . KIRCHIIOFEER , and unanimously adopted . The P . G . SECRETARY read a circular which had been received from the Charity Association of the Province of North and East Yorkshire , relating to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , and objecting to a sacrifice of the property by its sale in the event of the School being removed to another site .

A discussion on the subject ensued , the brethren taking pa-t in it including the D . P . G . M ., the P . G . SECRETARY , Bros . Rev . A . W . N . D EACON , TOMKINS , KIRCIIIIOITER , STEPHENS , FERGUSON , D'ALMAINE , and L . MARGRETT , the latter being a member of the Board of Management of the Institution in question .