Disposal Of Lodge Funds.

disproportion , nevertheless—so , at least , it appears to me—between the sum devoted to Tavern Bills , & c , and that voted to Masonic Charity . I imagine I am tolerably safe in assuming that the " Othei Receipts" - £ 259 lis—consist of little eke than subscriptions and initiation and joining fees—or , in other words , that they compose the bulk of the regular income of the Lodge . Close on £ 240 of this is spent

in dinners , & c , and other £ 25 and upwards are required for Grand Lodge certificates and dues , these two items thus exceeding the regular income of the Lodge . I am not anxious there should be no moro cakes and ale , and I willingly acknowledge that this Lodgo has acted prudently . It has £ 300 , of which the greater part is invested , to the good , yet its Charity Grant stands to its Tavern Expenditure

in the proportion of , in round figures , about 8 to 92 . Again , it is very honourable in a Lodge to recognize the services of its Master , but seven guineas is a fairly long price to pay for a jewel when only £ 20 is voted to a Charity , the two sums being as nearly as possible in a ratio of three to eig ht . However , it is easier to play the part of critio than to exhibit oneself as a model of discretion , so I will wind

up by pointing out that if all our Lodges—excluding those abroadonly did what the one cited by " UNION JACK " last week has done in the year mentioned , their contributions to Masonio Charity would represent a round sum of £ 25 , 000 . As much more in the shape of personal contributions from brethren would place our three Institutions on a substantial footing , and enable them to better meet the claims on their resonrces . Fraternally yonrs , OLD FILE .

Custody Of Lodge Funds.

CUSTODY OF LODGE FUNDS .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Bro . Barnes alludes to me , as the Treasurer of the Yarborough Lodge , No . 554 , in bis letter to you of tbe 26 th nit . on the above snbject . I beg to say that in January 18 G 8 ( the year of my Mastership ) a sum of £ 50 , balance of Lodge funds

for the year 1867 , was invested , and that since January 1874 ( the time I was appointed Treasurer of the Lodge ) a sum of £ 163 10 a has been paid to the three Masonic Institutions , and to needy brethren

and widows of deceased brethren £ 131 Is , or a total from the Lodge funds of £ 294 lis in less than five years . According to Bro . Barnes ' s statement the Dorio has paid since October 1872 . —

To the Institutions £ 101 10 0 To Brethren and widows of deceased brethren . 105 12 0 Total . 207 2 C So that the payments from the funds of these two Lodges during the last six years have been as follows i—

To Institutions!—Yarborough Lodgo - . £ 163 10 0 Doric - » - - . 101 10 0 £ 265 0 0

To needy brethren , & c .: — Yarborough Lodge . - £ 131 1 0 Dorio - - - - 105 12 0 £ 236 13 0 £ 501 13 0

I am , Dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternall y , JOHN G . STEVENS , P . M . and Treasurer 554 ,

Lodge Funds And The Great City Lodge.

LODGE FUNDS AND THE GREAT CITY LODGE .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —The snbject of Lodge Funds and their appropriation having received a good deal of attention in the columns of your estimable journal , allow me to remind your readers that to-day will bo held the Installation Meeting of one of our Metropolitan Lodges which , though quite a youthful daughter of our

Grand Ledge , has yet made itself conspienous in the English Craft . The number of its members is considerable , it has persevered in its labours till now there are few Lodges where it will be found the work is better done , and , above all things , it has given the light of its countenance to the frequent exercise of that virtue on which Masons pride themselves with so much or so little reason accorditi "

to the circumstances and conduct of individuals and Lodges . Tbe Lodge I refer to is The Great City Lodge , and this meeting being the great one of the year , I do not see what greater eclat can be given to the occasion than for the Lodge to vote a liberal portion of its surplus funds to one of onr Charitable Institutions . I am assuming the Lodge has a surp ' us of receipts over expenditure , which .

perhnps , I ought not to have done ; but somehow it has struck me that it could not possibly be otherwise , and that there must be sufficient to enable the Lodge to repeat at this meeting one of the many doughty deeds of charity by which its past brief career has been distinguished . Bnt there is also a further reason for this snggestion of mine , which docs not appear on the surface . I have said The Great

City Lodge has already achieved a fame beyond its years , aud the influence its example must exercise on other Lodges is comtneusurate . By signalising its installation in the manner I have p < intcd out itwill afford the best possible proof which a Lodge can give that itheart is deeply set on the promotion and support of our Chan ' tabli Institutions , and that in tbe midst of feasting and plenty it still has-W eye and an ear for those to whom tho bounty of ProvidenQe has

Lodge Funds And The Great City Lodge.

been less abundantly dispensed . The champagne , and the hook , and the sherry will sparkle the more brightly when tbe way to enjoy ifc has been paved with a Vice-Presidency to one of onr Institutions . It will also teach those Lodges which do not inclade a grant for

Charity among the items of their expenditure—the tavern hills ibsorbing all their assets—that these Masons have some other end in view than to gorge six or seven times in the year . Trusting the brethren of the Great City Lodge will take my hint or suggestion in good part , I subscribe myself , Most faithfully and fraternally yours , PETER .

Old Lodges.

OLD LODGES .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —The following extract from my Notes on the Old Lodges , now respectively Nos . 45 ( Strong Man ) and 35 ( Medina ) , may possibly interest your able reviewer .

Description : —Cole's Lists 1752-53-54 and 55 . No . 98 . Samson and Lion , East Smithfield . Feb . 2 , 1734 . Late yo Ship at ye Hermitage . No . 99 . City pf Norwich , Winford St . Feb . 17 , 1732 . Near Brick Lane , Spittlefields .

Description : —Cole ' s Lists 1756-57 and 58 . No . 57 . City of Norwich , Winford St . Feb . 17 , 1732 . Near Brick Lane , Spittlefields . No . 68 . Sampson and Lion , East Smithfield . Feb . 17 , 1734 .

Late ye Ship at ye Hermitage . Yours fraternally , II . F . GOULD .

The "Four Old Lodges."

THE " FOUR OLD LODGES . "

To the Editor of the FREEMASON s CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —We had intended keeping tho few words of ours as to Bro . Gould's "Four Old Lodges" until the series was complete , but in response to his fraternal queries and friendly notice of our previous articles on the subject , aud also of our correspondence with him , wo have decided to at once state , as briefly as

possible , a few thoughts on this important subject . First of all leb us say , that until recently but littlo has been known as to the old Lodges , and that little—unless in a few most honourable instances , we have had to acquire and discover after patient toil , for years . Now , however , we have access to several engraved Lists of Lodges from 1723 , in and out , to 1778 , aud Bro . Albert Pike , of U . S . A ., has

issued a reproduction of Pine s List of . 1725 , the writer having followed , in the Freemason , with one of 17 i 9 , and in the Masonic Mujazine of others bearing the years 1733 ( Ravvlinson ) , 1734 ( Pine ' s ) , 1763 ( Cole ' s ) , & c , & c . We did the best with the material formerly at our disposal , but had we left our analyses until now , it is likely we should have been preserved from several errors , through the mistakes

and erroneous statements of our first- authorities . However , we have been always rtady to admit that the best we could do was much of a tentative character , aud mainly as the herald of better and more correct data on which to found positive conclusions . We trust we have not dogmatised , and have always been ready to welcome earnest students as accessions to the small band of zealous labourers in

Masonic Archaeology . Nob one anywhere has done equal to Bro . Gould in the department he has so completely made his own , and in which he has so effectually cleared up doubtful points from au ex . animation and reproduction of the several valuable Lists to which he has had access in the Grand Secretary ' s Office , & e . We are in hopeB that the aeries of interesting articles when complete , will be printed

in a book form , so that they may attain the full pub . icity and consideration they so amply deserve . Few seem to care to critic so them , and few indeed cau thoroughly do so for several reasons ; first , because they are well niyh perfect , aud next because those who have the materials and knowledge at hand to do so , see so few blemishes that it would be a pity to touch any portion which is uiei ely stated as

a matter of opinion ; tbe collected facts , reproductions of Lists , and the easy , happy arrangement , of the whole , being so thoroughly useful and satisfactory . Not having any side to keep up , aud being anxious only lor the truth , we are quite content to bavtj any of our old statements set aside that have been proved uf late to be erroneous . We have been accumulating a quantity of facts as to these old

Lodges , and not having the time to arrange theoi for the Press , we have been p leased to aid our Brother liotild , by any information at our command , whenever possible , for he has cleaerved no less from us , and more we could not do , and certainly we are now relieved from the duty of attending to tliis special subject through his able articles . The able reviewer of oar rt print of "Pine ' s List , 1731 , " may rest

assured that the changes of dates , years , & c , will go Jar to explain many peculiarities as to certain old Lodges , and that il we could only have been sure that 1734 » as the wrong year for the constitution of the" Strong Man " Lodge , * there would have been no difficulty iu connecting it with an old Lodge of 173 ^ -3 . The worst is , ttiut liequeutly

in these Lists the days , months , and years do not agree with those on the original warrants . We think it well nigh certain that the lurmise of the " Reviewer" has turn d out be exact as to fact with •espect to tbe "Strong Man" Lodge , and we much woutier—with tim—that so few Lodges do aught to elucidate their own histories ,