Reviews.

REVIEWS .

AH Books intended for . Review should be addressed to the Editor of The Freemason ' s Chronicle , 23 Great Queen Street , "W . C . The Story of the Preservation of Tipping Forest . By John T . Bedford . London : W . H . and L . Collingridge , City Press Office , Aldersgatestreet , E . C .

Iif a neat little brochure Mr . John T . Bedford , who is well known as a prominent member of the Corporation of London , presents to ns a lecture delivered by him to the members of one of the City clubs , beyond whose precincts it is well so admirable and interesting a treatise shonld find readers . Since the date on which this discourse was listened to with pleasurable attention in Fleet-street , where it

was uttered , it is well known that Epping Forest has been secured to the public for ever as a place for recreation and enjoyment , the ceremony having been most graciously presided over by our beloved Sovereign , amidst a scene of royal splendour but rarely witnessed in modern times . There is a special interest in this event to ns as Freemasons , inasmuch as it was commemorated by fche Queen's con

ferring the distinction of a baronetcy upon Bro . John Whittaker Ellis , the present Lord Mayor of London , and Grand Junior Warden of England . In his chatty and admirable discourse , Mr . Bedford tells the story of the means adopted by the City to secure for its inhabitants the possession of the magnificent Forest as the " people's p layground" for ever ; and it is hardly necessary for us to

recount the praises which have been showered npon the Corporation of London for their patriotic zeal in persevering , against stupendous odds , in claiming this priceless boon for so many millions of all classes of society to whom fche opportunities for healthful recreation and pleasure are so few and far between . The writer begins by relating how the resolntion of Mr . Cowper Temple in the House of Commons— " Thafc

it is the duty of the Government to preserve Epping Forest for the recreation and enjoyment of the people , " was opposed by Mr . Robert Lowe ( now Viscount Sherbrook ) , the then Chancellor of the Exchequer ( 1871 ) , wbo said that " Epping Forest belonged to the lords of the manors , and was vested in them to do as they liked with , " and who afterwards , although tbe resolntion was carried by a majority of

nearly one hundred , informed the people of Glasgow that " It was treated by the Government with stupendous indifference ! " This seems to have aronsed Mr . Bedford ' s eager attention to the snb . jeofc , impelled to the task of " mastering all the facts of fche case " by Mr . Cowper Temple's allusion , in his speech in support of the people of the metropolis . He then goes on to state how that originally

all Essex was a forest , the pleasures of which were mainly reserved to royal hunters after venison , and how , under that prescient King , Edward I ., the boundaries of the Forest were perambulated , and its boundaries settled for some centuries . Following the chronological events whioh occurred from that period up to 1871 , the writer reminds us thafc he proposed in the Court of Common Council the

following resolution : — " Thafc a committee be appointed to seek a conference with her Majesty ' s Ministers to ascertain on what terms nnd conditions the Corporation can secure to the people , for purposes of public health and recreation , those parts of Epping Forest which have nofc been enclosed with the assent of the Crown or by legal authority . " That motion was seconded by Mr . Pedler , whose name

is never mentioned without respect in the important ward of Farring . don Without—afc that time Chief Commoner of tho Corporation ; was warmly supported by Mr . Deputy Fry , to whom we owe the Holborn Viaduct , the grandest City improvement of modern times ; and was carried unanimously . Mr . Bedford then calls to mind the Chancery suits , the details of

which are ever green in fche memories of the citizens of London , and the " red-handed " injunctions which were obtained to plough up some of the most glorious spots in the Forest j tbe depredations of the London roughs in cutting down the holly bushes ; and the costs imposed upon the Corporation by a " shabby Government" in the prosecution of the suit ; and imparts considerable humour into his

narrative by relating how that at one time half-a-dozen Common Councillors were " nearly starved to death , " whilst engaged in perambulating the Forest in company with the Epping Forest Commissioners ^ We will nofc spoil the readers' interest by anticipating the succeeding chapters in which Mr . Bedford describes the troubles through which the Corporation passed , the result of which is now

so generally known , and will be remembered so long as Epping Forest lasts . It ia sufficient here to state that the battles waged so long and so unwearied ly ultimately resulted in complete success for the people ; aud we are told who were the leaders who took prominent P art in the varions legal battles fonght on behalf of tho City . Mr . Bedford , with commendable modesty , conceals the part which he himself

took in those memorable campaigns , but his deeds are nevertheless none the less known and recognised , for they appear in letters ° fgold whenever tho subject of Epping Forest is mentioned . In , apsod y , however , he exclaims : — ' During- tho many years that jjwe elapsed since fche memorable 25 th of May 1871 , seldom has a ortnight passed , exceot in the denth of winter , without mv visitine

pping Forest . Ifc is fairyland to me—always fresh , always beautiful , Ways interesting . I gaze upon its many lovely spots with a kind ° fflental rapture difficult to explain . I constitute myself a willing j ? , ' ° the wanderers I meet there ; and on great occasions , such as ank Holidays I have my abiding reward in witnessing the

enjoy-, „ ,, tons of thousands of those who , hut for Epping Forest , ™ ° nld scarcel y know how beautiful God made the world . " This is ^ ery pardonable piece of modest exultation and pleasure , after all ace Wr 'f ^ d ° ne to help forward the great work which has been onaplished ; and the thanks due to him on thafc account arc onlv

com vf ^ ' P laciu f ? before the world this brief but thoroughly 3 P ^ hensive record of the means by which the Forest has been sty ] t tlle P P ' The work is got tip in the most approved Wthtk 'k ° typographic art , as all may expect who are acquainted bB ver y eminent firm from which it emanates .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

All Letters must bear the name an I address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . We cannot undertake to return rejected , communications .

REVISION OF THE BOOK OF CONSTITUTIONS .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLR . DEAR SIR . AXD BROTHER , —I have read yonr remarks on tbe disenssion which took place on the above subject at the last meeting of G . L ., and , in reply , will quote an extract from the Constitutions of Freemasonry , for which I am indebted to my excellent friend and Brother , John Newton , F . R . A . S ., P . M . 174 , 1607 .

MEMO . At a Grand Lodge assembled on the 27 th December 1813 , ifc was resolved : — " Thafc tho Laws and Regulations which existed in the two Societies ( York and London ) previous to the reunion , shonld be referred to tlie Board of General Purposes , with directions for them to form one system for tho future government of tho United Craffc . "

The Board having attentively considered all the laws then existing , as well as thoso of most of the other Grand Lodges in Europe , propared a code of Laws , which was submitted to tho consideration of a Special Grand Lodge on tho 1 st of February 1815 , whereupon it was ordered that copies shonld be mado and left afc two convenient places for the perusal of all the members of G . L . for one month . Dnring

this month the Board of General Purposes met weekly , to receive and discuss any alterations or amendments whioh might be suggested . The Laws thus approved wero again read and discussed afc . a Special G . L . on the 31 st May , and were then ordered to lie open for another month for the perusal of the brethren . At a Special G . L ., held on 23 rd August , these Laws were a THIRD time read , discussed , and unanimously approved , and ifc was resolved thafc they should be in

force for three years from 1 st of November 1815 , aud then be subject for revision . In order to make these Laws as perfect as possible , and to enable the G . L . to avail itself of the best experience , it was further resolved that any Brother who can suggest any useful alterations or amendments be requested to transmit his opinion to the G . Secretaries , and when the Laws are revised snch suggestions will receive due consideration .

W . WILLIAMS P . G . M . Dorset . By the foregoing , yon will perceive that so far back as 1813 , or nearly seventy years ago , ifc took the Board of General Purposes from 27 th Deo . 1813 to 1 st Feb . 1815 to revise the Laws . Another month was allowed for any members of G . L . to suggest alterations ; and ifc was another two months before they were again submitted to a

Special G . L ., and it was only iu August , or yefc another throe months , before they were unanimously approved , and then another two months before they were to be in force , —oven then only for three years , —at the end of which time they wore to undergo a final revision . So that from the time when tho question was first mooted , in December 1813 , till tho time when they were finally adopted , was

a matter or five years , during which period any member of G . L ., of the Craft , or any Brother , had a right to a voice in tho framing of the Laws , and yet now objection is taken because a desire is expressed t o grant time for allowing Provincial Grand Lodges—to say nothing of private Lodges or individuals—time to consider this long-wanted revision of onr Book of Constitutions . In tho paragraph in your article

p 179 , lines 7 to 12 , " No member of the Craft has yet , to onr knowledge , put forward anything different to what has boon decided by tbe Board , and ifc can hardly be said thafc tho brethren had not been able to consider fche alterations fully as thoy could ' easily ' * bo seen at Freemasons' Hall , or in the hands of the Prov . G . Secretaries . " Now , Sir , brethren cannot easily inspect the new alterations , not from any

opposition by the officials , for they are always most courteous and obliging , bufc because fche brethren are for the most park men of business , and they cannot afford to spend the most valuable part of two or three days on fche matter , and no cursory glance would suffice for an opinion worth having . Whereas , by discussing fche matter in a regnlar Lodge or a Lodge of Emergency , or , better

still , purchasing and taking a copy home for perusal of an evening , any member could easily make himself acquainted with the whole matter , by comparing it with the book now in use , and so , when the Special Grand Lodge was held , he would be in a position to speak , and thafc with weight and authority . I do nofc attach much weight to Bro . Fenn's objection , " becansc the olcl copies have run ont , " as thafc

can be remedied at a very small cost , by having 1000 or more struck off , with the present slips and alterations—as in page 10-1 , section 16—inserted in thoir proper places . This will have to bo dono I feel certain beforri the new laws have been definitely decided upon . When I have had the opportunity of ascertaining the status of Freemasonry

in 1813 , as compared with what ifc is now , yon will most probably hoar again from , Yours fraternally , 0 . J . PERCEVAL 1 Cecil-street , Strand , 9 th September 1882 .

P . S . If any zealous Mason , whether a member of Grand Lodgo or noU has waded through my letter , this is to remind him to make an application to the Grand Secretary ' s office for a copy of tho proposed revised laws , and every W . M . should see that his Lodge is supplied with one . PPS . —Since writing tho above I have made inquiries afc fche Grand Secretary's" office , and find that so far from the edition of 1873 of the