Correspondence.

of Bro . Binckes ' s effusion ( borrowed from Othello , Act IV ., Scene 2 ) in which , adopting the language of the poet , he describes his brethren in the Craft ( Messrs . M ., T . and P . ) as " rascals , " and longs for a

powerful whip in the hands of honest men to " drive them naked through the world . " Have we so learnt Masonry ? I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours very sincerely and fraternally , A P . G . OFFICER OF WEST YORKSHIEE . 9 th November 1875 .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I had not intended to trouble you further on the matters at issue between Messrs . Tew and Perrott and myself , but there are one or two remarks yet to be made . Those microscopic investigators may detect numberless little flaws in any statement , however carefully published , and they appear to derive immense

gratification from the process . Utterly failing to bring me down on the only serious charge they have urged , tboy attempt to magnify every casual error , however unimportant , and to expand it into a fault . This reminds me of the argument of a celebrated Theologian in reply to similar style of criticism . " If all my critics can do is to prove that I have omitted to dot my i ' s and to cross my t ' s , they , in so

doing , concede the major proportions I advance . " It will add to the content of my two censors to be informed that I have discovered tho discrepancy of £ 3 , and shall present to the " Special Committee " appointed at wy reguest , to examine the " Grant , Outfits , Gratuities Accounts , " a statement that must be convincing to every mind , prejudiced or unprejudiced . It will then be for Messrs . Tew and Perrott

to explain their rash hardihood in asserting that of " £ 314 5 s only £ 172 10 s are accounted for , leaving £ 141 15 s of which no account is rendered . " Such a course may possibly commend itself to thoso whom you describe , but not , I think , to lovers of justice . In the Pamphlet , p . 3 , par . numbered 4 , I read— " There are many apparent errors , and yet the totals are always made to come

right . " In the word made is intended another sting . The totals always do come right , because they have so been audited and examined that they must be right . In splitting them into details there may be mistakes , but surely £ 12 10 s and £ 7 10 s equally mako £ 20 , as do £ 10 and £ 10 . I conclude with au extract from the speech of the late M . W . Grand

Master , when presiding at the Anniversary Festival of this Institution iu March 1874 . After bearing testimony to tho good and economical administration of its affaii-3 , the noble Marquis remarked : " We have no right to mako any charge against those who are engaged in the management of this School , such as those we havo heard on some occasions made by persons who may not possibly have considered all the circumstances of the case . "

I am , dear Sir and Brother , Yours faithfully and fraternally FREDERICK BINCKES . London , 11 th Nov . 1875 .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . Eastfield Villa , Hanwell . 8 th November 1875 . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . —May I trouble you to insert the fol lowing in the next issue of THE CHRONICLE ? In his letter of last week Mr . Binckes , while admitting the mis

takes in reference to James Gasson , in the Report for 1865 , 2 nd edition , with corrections , failed to say why the second instalment of the grant of £ 15 , paid , according to the Secretary , in 1872 , did not appear in 1872 Report . The Secretary turns the remark in tho last Pamphlet as to the trying times the masters , i . e . the Head Masters ( Mr . Russell , B . A .,

Mr . Furrian and myself ) have had to experience into a charge of tyranny against me , which he does not attempt to prove ; such tyranny , had it existed , would certainly have reached the oars of the House Committee , a certain number of whom , as is well known , were deputed to treat with me respecting the withdrawal of my resignation . I have just had placed in my

hands a printed copy of eight letters from four of the old staff of resident Masters , and while the available space iu the columns of your paper would not permit of my dealing with them as I could wish , and am in a position to do , I trust I may be allowed to make a few brief remarks concerning each one , seriatim ; in none of them is there to be found a single statement to justify the Secretary ' s

trumped-up charge of " unparalleled tyranny and persecution , whilst Mr . Benge ' s communication tallies exaclty with our succinct narrative of his case , see last Pamphlet , p . 7 . The House Committee took no notice of it , beyond expressing their dissatisfaction at Mr . Bengo ' s short notice ; the Latin aud French exercises given to their Master to examiue , were such as had been prevumsly gone over with

the boys , aud all this Master had to do was to see that the writing was fair , aud check from the "Tutor ' s Key" the errors which had been pointed out iu class . No knovjlcdge of either language was needed for such work . I quite admit , and often regretted , that Mr . Benge had not more evenings at his disposal , and , as he might say now , if he chose to speak , 1 arranged after Midsummer so that he should ;

to be just , however , he ought to have stated that ho was free , two oi three times a week , during a portion of morning or afternoon school , while the other Masters and myself were at work . The next two letters are from Mr . W . H . Taylor , the former of which called forth very strong condemnation from the House Committee , who thought proper to dismiss him ; the latter charging me with issuing instructions to Mr . Blackwcll , whom , on the evening of his arrival

Correspondence.

r personally introduced to Mr . Taylor and two or three of the other Masters , to hold no communication with any of them is in direct contradiction to Mr . Blackwell ' s language , see letter in last Pamphlet , pp . 33 and 34 , wherein this gentleman states that my advice was " to steer an independent course . " As regards the next two letters , I have been informed quite

recently by one , who heard the Secretary make the admission respecting the Matron ' s "highlyimproper" letter , that he acknowledged having had a hand in these too ; I had no favourites , and asked for no support , bnt I did , what I Bhall ever do , as far as lies iu my power , I protected the weak against the strong . Tho letters from Messrs . Mansell and Blackwell ( pp . 33 and 34 of last Pamphlet ) give some

idea of what they had to put up with . The best comment on tho next letter would be , the production , did space permit , of a subsequent note from Mr . Taylor : one extract is given , and , its acknowledged impropriety being taken for granted , I would say " Crimine ab uno disce omnes : " " Mr . W . H . Taylor has to request the Head Master that he will not pester him with any further notes

during his stay here . It is not the intention of Mr . W . H . Taylor to take any part in the School work , or out of School duty , " & c . This is from the Master , whom , dismissed by the House Committee , the Secretary ( see last Pamphlet , letter 23 , p . 39 ) paid in advance . The next , from Mr . Webb , may be briefly dismissed , as , from its date , the correctness of tho statements in note to letter 11 ( p . 35 last

Pamphlet ) may be tested . The noises and jealousies were the Master ' s own seeking , and brought condign punishment . There are two points in the last letter from the Master I wish to clear up : tho first , with regard to the " long past , " the request emanated from me , though claimed by the writer ; the second , with regard to the atrocious charge , that I tried to " set Master against Master , "

when I had ossayed , some months before , to reconcile this Master with Mr . Taylor , who alone of the Masters revealed to mo ( there is no denying it ) the existence of a " clique" against himself and me . The Drawing Master , to whom tho reference is made , and myself were ; ilw ; iys on the best of terms : letter 14 , p . 36 of last Pamphlet , and my Iotter . ( No . Sin Pamphlet ) showed how earnestly I desired

peace and mutual reconciliation . Of the next letter I know nothing , though I have in my possession correspondence , whioh , if published , would demolish the Secretary ' s arguments . As regards the last , I ask , what could Mr . Hall , from his occasional visits once or twice a week , know of the teacfivag going on when he was never once seen in the class-rooms during the hours of study . In no single instance did

his advice interfere with the routine work of school duties ; there was no serious illness in tbe school from January 1874 to July 1875 , and I saw but little of him , having no need of his professional attendance . The statement in Pamphlet respecting the use of wind instruments , was the expression of my opinion , that Mr . Hall did not approve of them for delicate boys , as the Secretary informs us

tho Masonic boys are , and my conviction as to his opinion being so , I do not intend to withdraw it , while it is certain that three boys have discontinued the practice ( the Secretary knows the names ) I give them to tho best of my memory—Sparke , Pawley and Green—and , whether it is " nonsense" or not , tho fact remains the same . Beforo concluding my letter , I would ask , in accordance with a

suggestion from a distinguished brother , whether the " vote of censuro" on the Matron ' s conduct was formally communicated to her as desired at the Special House Committee meeting on the 24 th of Novembor 1874 , and how far the report is correct , that the Secretary this year drew up a list of those whom he desired to be on the House Committee . I am informed , and , if need be , am prepared to give the name of my authority , that , on being taxed with this most

unjustifiable procedure , tho Secretary justified his action on the principle of " self-preservation . " There are , I need hardly say , other ways of looking at the question , and , in bringing my remarks to a close , I would observe , with reference to the wishes of Mr . Binckes , in his last letter , that the class of persons alluded to by Shakspeare , as flagollators , would hardly accept at the Secretary ' s hands the instruments of scourge .

I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours fraternally and faithfully , 0 . G . D . PERROTT .

Reviews.

REVIEWS .

All Books intended for Beview should be addressed to the Editor of The freemason ' s Chronicle , 67 Barbican , E . C . Discoveries and Inventions of the Nineteenth Century . —By ROBERT ROUTLEDGE , B . Sc , F . C . S . Assistant Examiner on Chemistry , and on Natural Philosophy , to the University of London . With numerous Illustrations . Loudon : George Routledge & Sons , The Broadway , Ludgate ; J ^ ew York : 416 , Broome-street , 1876 .

Tins is a perfect Cyclopaxlia of useful knowledge , and so clearly aud entertainingly written , as fully to merit the character of " a popular account , " which tho author claims for it . The work does not profess to deal with all the discoveries aud inventious which have thus far distinguished the present century . On the contrary ,

selections have been made , and iu making the selections , the author has bceu hardly less successful than iu his treatment . Nor , in treating the various subjects which are contained in this volumo , has Mr . Routledge confined himself wholly to Nineteenth Century progress .

Iii order to mark tbe great strides that have been made in these latter days , it was incumbent on him to refer to the work and the workmen that had gone before . Thus , in treating of Steam Engines , while the bulk of the matter is devoted to the progress made since 1800 , the labours of Newcomen and Watt are not only referred to . but clearly