The Masonic Mirror.

AVe are of opiuiou that it will be a great assistance to the charities' member of each Lodge , much facilitate his operations , and be attended with many other advantages , if , in future , the annual statements of donatious and subscriptions distributed at the anniversary festivals and forwarded to the subscribers , be arranged so as to show the districts and provinces whence these contributions have been respectively received . Some of the large charitable societies who have contributors iu the country , ancl in particular districts , have published lists divided

accordingly ; and we have reason to believe they find their object better promoted by this mode than by that of alphabetical arrangement . Collectively , tho Provincial Committee would , we hope , direct the attention of the Provmcial Grand Chaplains and ; other of the ministers of religion connected with the Order , to the great amount of good they have it in their power to effect , by setting apart one day , at such intervals as other calls upon them may admit , to sermons on behalf the schools or charities . It may fairly be anticipated that , in each Province , at least one sermon in the year might be preached , and although iu

some oases the individual collections might be but small , in the aggregate they would be considerable . The Provincial Committee would also be able to point out in then- report to the Provincial Grand Lodge , the benefits which the province from time to time hacl derived , aud iu some instances might be still deriving , from the Schools . Many of the provinces are probably not aware of the extent to which they are under obligations to the Schools . In the Province of Devon , for instance , we cannot , but think there must be considerable misapprehension upon this point . AVe under ; , stand ( although we have no direct intimation of the fact ) that a proposition to the effect that the Provincial Grand Lodge should present donations ancl also become annual subscribers to the Schools , has beeii set aside in favour of a scheme for

confining the charitable contributions of the province exclusively to local objects . AA e are quite sure the Brethren present at the Provincial Grand Lodge when . 'itliis ' - ' scheme was approved , could not have been aware that there is at present one-child from that province in the Girls School , aud one in tho Institution for Boys ,, andthat at the recent election for the latter institution , out of sixteen candidates no less than three were the children of Devonshire Masons . AVe cannot , . will , , notbelieve—we have too high an opinion of our Devonshire Brethren to permit -jus i to , believe—that , had these facts been within their knowledge , they would haye

adopted a course which virtually hands over to the Brethren in other Pr & vmces ., and in London the cost of the education , clothing , and maintenance of ' children from the Province of Devon . * AA o can but hope that such complete-isolation'Of so important and wealthy a province will not long be sustained , but that they , will J ultimately join with their Brethren in London aud throughout the-i ' country .- iu ; giving effectual support to the general Masonic charities . ,, .. ,,.. ,- , - The advantages of combined over isolated efforts in furnishing the means of improving the quality of the education imparted , and of perfecting- the-domestic

arrangements ( both matters of the greatest importance , inasmuch as- 'th & n-ih ' stiiiu- '' tions are intended for the children of Brethren who have seen bettgi & day " 3 )' ' are ScV obvious that we do not think it necessary to enlarge on them hfi-e \' -- 'dii a'MStter i from Bro . F . Binckes , which appeared iu the Freemasons' Magazine , . of lst , D , ec ,, 1 S 5 S , they are set forth with a lucidity which gives us all the more reas , on ., i , q regret j his retirement from this Committee , whereby we have been deprived ; . pf h-i'i ; ,- ? ial U ; f -, able assistance in drawing this report -n < hi- ] : ¦¦ ' 'i

, , v ..,.- < . n - r J If Provincial Committees be formed , either in the mode we ^ uggesij . qr , iu ,, spnie ; i other , there will necessarily be incurred certain expenses , for , printing theh-aijiiuall report , perhaps for collection , aud other purposes , which expenses the . committee ' s will , of course , have power to deduct from the subscription ' s" aiid' ^ idiiatioiis rbmitted . . ¦ ¦ > ' -h-. !; AVe cannot conclude this report without tendering otu-ithahks -to l theV Brethren