"The Old Masonians."

arrr . y ; " Mr . A . H . Stephenson , " Best of all " and " Simon the cellarer ; " Mr . W . J . Packer , " The Lorgshoreman ; " and Mr . Robb , " The Bandellero . " The humorous element was contributed by Messrs . V . J . Lee , Harry Elliott , and J . Haversop . Two mandoline selections were played by Mr . C . W . Barber . Mr . J . H . Hewett acted as accompanist . During the interval between the parts ,

Mr . CHANDLER stated that on the 30 th ult . he had , by the desire of the Committee , written her Majesty the Queen . Grand Patron of their old School , and conveyed to her Majesty the congratulations of the members of the Association on her Majesty having attained the longest reign in English history ; at the same time expressing their love and loyalty to her Majesty ' s person . He added that , by

a peculiar appropriateness—ilmost , in fact , as if the time had been ca ' culated—1 letter had that minute arrived from the Ri ght Hon . Sir Matthew White Ridley , Secretary of State , informing the members of the Association that the resolution had been laid bcfi re her Majesty , and that her Majesty had been most graciously pleastd to receive the same—an announcement which was received with cheers .

At the conclusion of the concert , Bro . R . H . WILLIAMS proposed a vote of thanks to the Chairman , which was passed with musical honours , and the evening closed with the National Anthem .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Gloucestershire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE .

A meeting cf the above Provincial Grand Lodge was held at Stroud on Tuesday , the 27 th inst ., when there was a large attendance of the brethren . This annual festival should , in the ordinary course , have been held abjut Wh tsuntide , but it was postponed till the autumn owing to the small-pox epidemic which was raging at Gloucester earlier in the year . The meeting was held in the Lansdown Hall , which was handsomely fitted up for the eccasicn , and the brethren ranged themselves under their respective banners .

The proceedings commenced with a procession into the lodge-room of the Piov . Grand Officers . After the usual salutations , the minutes of the Prov . Grand Lodge held in Gloucester on June 5 th , 1 S 95 , were passed . The report of the Prov . G . Treasurer was then submitted , from which it appeared that the balance in hand was £ JA .

Proceeding to receive the report of the Operative Masonry Committee , Ihe Provincial Grand Lodge was informed that the work at Gloucester Cathedral would cost £ 520 , towards which the lodges and brethren of the the province had already subscribed £ 422 . It was then agreed , on the motion of the P . G . M ., that 40 guineas be voted from the Provincial Grand Lod ge funds .

After the transaction of other business in connection with the Charities , and the re-election of the P . G . Treasurer and P . G . Tyler , a vote of confidence in the Board of Management of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys was passed , consequent upon their recommending the removal of the School from Wood Green to B ishey .

Bro . BAKER brought forward , and Bro . Sir J . li . DORINUTON , M . P ., seconded , a motion cordially approving of an appeal to be made by Bro . Baker to the whole of the lodges in the kingdom for subscriptions towards the restoration of Tewkesbury Abbey . The Prov . Grand Master then invested the officers for the ensuing year as follows :

Bro . L . Bretherton , 2541 ,,, ... ,,, Prov . S . G . W . „ C . G . Claik 493 ... ... ... Prov . J . G . W . „ Rev . L . Wilkinson , IC 67 ... ... Prov . G . Chap . „ J * . L . Ticke . ll , 82 ... .., ... Prov . G . Reg . „ Bruton ,,. ... ... ... Prov . G . Treas . ,, J . B . Winterbotham , 82 .,. ... Prov . G . Sec .

„ G . J . Holluway , 702 ... ... ... P , ov . S . G . D . „ T . H . Re a , 246 ... ... ... Prov . J . G . D . „ Dr . A . J . Campbell , 7 61 ... ... Prcv . G . S . of Wks . „ R . W . lus , 900 ... ... ... •) „ ~ nr „ F . B . Budgett , 1363 ... ... J Prov . G . D . Cs .

..W . J . Jenkins , 493 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B . „ J . Owner , 270 ... ... ... ¦) __D „ W . J . Jeffer . es , 592 ... ... j Prov . G , Std . Brs . „ L . Hann , 82 ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ Llewellyn Evans , 82 ... ... ... Prov . A . G . Sec .

„ S . B . Darke , 2407 ... ... ... Prov . G . Purst . „ J . T . Woolwrgnt , 702 ... ... ,.. " ) „ . . Brown , 2407 ... ... ... C p rov . G . Stwds . „ J *' . Esiopp , 2407 ... ... ... J

„ Window ... ... , ... ... p rov . G . Tyler . To hav Past rank in commemoration of the completion of the 21 st yearol H R . H . tie Prince of Wales ' s Grand Mastership : Bros . Edwin Dming , 951 , and G . C . Hewift , 1363 , Past Provincial Junior Grai . d Warden-,. Subsequently the brethren partock of a banquet in the Subscription Rooms , under the presidency of Bro . Sir M'chael Hicks B : ach .

Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS .

The large Alexandra Hall was thror ged with visitors on Saturday afternoon , the 17 th insranr , on the halt-ycarly occasion of the performance of Calisthenics , Marchinp , Music , and Singing by the girls . It was the first " reception " under the n . w Hiad Mistress , Miss Redgrave , and additional interest was consequently excited . In loyal tribute to the Royal jubilee year , the National Anthem , musically arranged in parts , was sung at the commencement of the proceedings .

which Irom first to last were of the most satisfying and successful character , and the enihus asm , which was hearty thioughout , culminated when , at the close of the cahsthenic exercises , the girls , after a series of circular and semi-circular evolutions , performed with the most accurate precision , were found on halting to fnrm r a mammnth scale the figures of the year iSg 6 . This novel and pretty effect literally " brought down the house . "

.,. ^ i .. ti , y , i , suiement was made by Bro . Sir J B . MUNCKION , Chair , mm ( , f the House Commune for the month , in the course of a few remarks , that tio-e was literally no illne-, s in the School , two children with colds beiog the sole i . ocup xifs of the Infirmary , a state of things on which Miss Buck , ihe es'imable Vlair . m , was heartily congratulated . A more successful or satisfactory ' afternoon " has seldom , if ever , been given at the Institution ,

Roman Catholicism And Freemasonry

ROMAN CATHOLICISM AND FREEMASONRY

It may be said that all the world is aware that 400 Catholic prelates assembled at Trent to curse Freemasonry and bless the lying revelators who attribute Manicheeism and the worship of Lucifer to our Order . Very few Masons , how . ever , are aware of the gravumen of the charges brought against the Order , and I was myself ignorant of this literature , until I read Mr . Arthur Edward Waite ' s new work entitled " Devil Worship in France , " published by George Redway , f London , 325 pp .

The charges made against Freemasonry in the penny dreadfuls of Paris is shortly this . The late Bro . Albert Pike was a mat . of great magical power and kept Lucifer in almost perpetual seance at the seat of his S . G . C . 33 ° in Charleston along with a goat-like Idol termed Baphomet , and the skull of Jacques de Molay .

He also renovated and attached to his Rite an Androgyne order termed the Palladium which he had the courtesy to extend to Mizraim and Memphis Rites . Personally I may say that if Lucifer had been at his back , he would have done his best to use him for the destruction of the latter rites . Bogus rituals are also attributed to him of the most horrible description .

Amongst many other writers who vouch for these things , may be named a Dr . Bataille , Segr . Margiotta , and a Diana Vaughan , the fiancee of Lucifer before she perverted from Freemasonry , and for whose existence the 400 prelates have vouched . Most Freemasons will think that these writers are harmless lunatics , but the

matter should not be lightly estimated . With the Catholics these writers are believed , their numbers and homogeneious cohesion is great , and the books have been blessed by all the Catholic Bishops and Archbishops , and the Pope has given his Apostolic Benediction over the seal of St . Peter . It is an organised conspiracy .

Mr . Waite ' s well-written book is as interesting as a romance , which in some soft it is , and , though a non-Mason , the Order has fallen into good hands , and owes him some graitude ; the book is critical , scholarly , and dispassionate . He concludes his inquiry , whilst admitting that the Parisian world may have a sect of

Luciferians , by saying : " I can find no Mason of what grade or Rite soever who has ever heard of Pike ' s ' Zepher d' Hebarim , ' his book called 'Apadno , ' or lectures in which he imparted unacknowledged extracts from Eliaphas Levi ; they may rank with Triangular Provinces , Lucifer chce lui , the skull of Molay , and the Palladium ; in other words , they are lying myths . " JOHN YARKER .

Removal Of The Boys' School.

REMOVAL OF THE BOYS' SCHOOL .

We publish the following documents , which we doubt not will be read with attention by all who are interested in the important question of the removal of the Boys' School from its present site at Wood Green . The first is a letter from the owner of the property at Bushey , which testifies to the healthiness of the site selected by the Board , while the others are the resolutions passed by the Provincial

Grand Lodges of Leicestershire and Rutland and Gloucestershire at their annual meetings , on the Sth and 27 th instant , respectively : Enderfield , Chislehurst , October 6 , 18 9 6 . Dear Sir ,

Bushey Grove Park . I don't think a more healthy or desirable climate or subsoil could be found . The whole of the Park is clear of the great bed of London clay , and in other respects is almost identical with , but superior to , Croydon , which is the healthiest large town in England , the mortality per tooo population for 18 95 being I 4 " 6 . That of Bushey and Watford for 1894 was 10-46 , and on the average for the last seven years 13 ' 12 .

The elevation above the sea level is at Bushey Hall corner 234 feet , rising along the Avenue to 274 feet at the Old Bushey end . The Colne Valley water ranks in the last report as the purest and softest of any of the London inner or outer circle water companies . The solidity and suitability of the subsoil as a foundation for a large building is unquestionable .

I have referred to these subjects in consequence of your stating that some ol the points were said to be doubtful . Yours faithfully , R . PALMER TEBH . J . M , McLeod , Esq .

Copy of resolution passed at meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge of Leicestershire and Rutland , held on the 8 th instant : " In view of the proposal to remove the Boys' School , the members of this Provincial Grand Lodge desire to express their entire confidence in the judgment of the Board of Management , feeling fully assured that its decision will be in the best interests of the Institution . "

At Provincial Grand Lodge of Gloucestershire , held ' at Stroud on 27 * inst ., it was proposed by the Prov . G . Secretary , seconded by the Prov . G . J , Warden , supported by the Prov . G . M ., and carried unanimously" That this Provincial Grand Lodge desires to express its entire confidence in the good judgment of the Board of Management of the R . M . I . B . in ^ recommending the removal of the School to a healthier and more rural locality . "

We have been favoured by the Prov . Grand Secretary of Northumberlan with the following : , The vote which the Charities Committee of the Province of Northumberland passed in favour of the removal of the Boys' School was mainly brought about y a consideration of the unfitness of the surroundings of the present site , the situ tion of the site itself , and the unfavourable nature of the subsoil . It was ? ¦

thought that a new building , designed in its entirety for the purposes desiderai , would provide more ample accommodation and could be more economic * J worked than the present building , even in the same amount of space . The Co 1 mittee also , while not deprecating a handsome design , hoped that mere ornam would give place to the comfort and suitability of the internal arrangemci ¦ Thpv are also at one with the educationists of the . rlivin desirine for the 0 )•

every opportunity of cultivating bodily vigour in conjunction with menu ' moral development . They feel that agreeable and healthy surroundings are ^ - ^ small item in the production of a good citizen , and the ,- desire that the boyi ^ our brethren should have the best of every educational influence which ca ^ obtained for them by the funds which a large-hearted Fraternity are Willing supply ,