Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

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

GRAND ORIENT AND ENGLISH EREEMASONRY

To the Editor of THE FREEUASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND 'BUOTUEK , — -In tho few lines I addressed to you on tho 2 nd instant , I was anxious to show to those of yonr Masonic readers why tho passage objected to by " Q . " in a " iVcc-Mason and P . M . ' s " letter was erroneous in a Masonic point of view . It is true Avhou we cuter tho portals of tho Lodgo wo leave our creed

behind us ; AVO cast it oft as a garment to bo put on again , and clothe ourselves with tho lambskin of purity , and that in all our obligatious wo swear by " one God , " hence wo are deists whilst in the Lodge . But this does not destroy our faith , whatever sect wo belong to in tbo outor world ; sufficient for us that wo refrain from all religious and political discussions Avhilst in tho Lodge , that peace and harmony may roign amongst us . My aim was to draAV tho line

parallel , and show tho Christian who is a Mason and swears by tho G . A . O . T . U . that in so doing ho is swearing by that God Avho Christ called His Father , and of whom be described himself as tbe " seed , " ancl Saviour of Mankind ; so tho Buddhist , in a Masonic Lodge , swearing by tho God or Father of Buddha , of which the latter represented himself as tho " seed " and saviour of mankind , in . so doing AVOUM not cast asido iu . tho outer world his belief in Buddha ,

Yours fraternally , T . B . R , Canterbury , 16 th March 1878 .

The Secretaryship Of The Girls' School.

THE SECRETARYSHIP OF THE GIRLS' SCHOOL .

To the Editor of THE F REEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Now that tho post of Secretary to this Institution is vacant through the lamented death of Bro .-R . W . Little , allow mo to suggest , through tho medium of your columns , that on the election of a successor tho system of proxy instead of personal voting bo adopted ( especially as there is no immediate necessity to

proceed to the election of Secretary ) . To this end lot voting papers with the names of the several candidates bo issued to tho electors , clear instructions being at the same time furnished as to tho manner in which they are to indicate tho particular candidate they are desirous to support . Let these papers , duly filled np and signed , be delivered to tho

Court by a particular hour , on the day appointed , and then let a body of scrutineers be told off to count the votes accorded to each candidate , and , this done , let tbe chairman announce the result , My object in offering this suggestion is obviously to spare our Provincial brethren the trouble and expense of pay ing a special visit to London , which they must do if tho system of personal voting is

persevered in . This plan will in nowise bo injurious to any one candidate , Avhile tho provinces and the metropolis will be as nearly as possible on the same footing ; on the other hand , in the caso of personal voting , it will cost brethren in our remoter provinces , who are determined to exorcise their right , as many pounds , to say nothing of their trouble ,

as it will cost pence to metropolitan brethren for railway , cab , or omnibus fare . There is a second point which seems to me well worthy of consideration . A Special Court must be convened for tho purpose of tho Election , after the Committee appointed by tbe House Committee have sent in their report , ancl as the Election for the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution will take place on the 17 th May , I think it

Avonld be an act of grace on the part of the Committee of the Girls School if they appointed the sarno clay for the contest for the Secretaryship . In snch case , and in the event of personal voting being insisted on , many provincial brethren who are already bonnd to visit London for the Benevolent Election , would be enabled to record their votes at tho election of a successor to our lato Bro . Little .

I am , Dear Sir aud Bro ., Yours fraternally , JOHN COXSTAULE , Vice-Fatron

Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I shall feel obliged if yon will kindly allow me to announce in your columns that Bro . A . Best , of the Freemasons' Tavern , baa generously offered mo the uso of a room , with

every facility for carrying out the ballot for my allotment of Life Governorships and Life Snbscriberships of the Girls' School , on an evening previous to tho forthcoming Festival . The brethren who lave subscribed for my tickets will be informed of the day and hour h y advertisement iu the next number of your paper .

I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours fraternally , ARTHUR E . GLADWELL , Steward ^ 't Great OnnoncUstreet , W . C .

P.M.'S And Their Privileges.

P . M . 'S AND THEIR PRIVILEGES .

To the Editor of THK FREEJIASON S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR , —Kindly answer tho following queries : — 1 . Does a P . M . lose his right of assisting at a Board of Installed Masters , or of Avearing his P . M . ' s jewel if ho docs not subscribe to any English Lodgo ; and can ho be admitted to a Board of Installed Masters under tho English Constitutions ?

2 . Tho Immediate Past Master has resigned , likewise the Senior P . M . ; Avhat is tho duty of tho Master of the Lodgo under tho ciroam . stances . A YOUNU W . M . [ lu our opinion , tho auswer to tho first question is governed h y tho Constitutions , page 18 . A Past Master , who ceases for twelve

months to bo a subscribing member to any Lodge , AVO aro told , " shall no longer continue a member of tho Grand Lodge ; nor can ho regain that privilege until again installed Master of a Lodge . " If , then , tho case contemplated by " A Young W . M . " is one of a Past Master ' s severing his connection with tho Fraternity , wo should say ho would not bo admissible to a Board of Installed Masters under

our Constitutions , nor could ho wear a P . M . 's jewel . If , however , the case is that of a Past Master of an English Lodge ceasing to subscribo thereto , yet retaining his connection with the Craft by joining a Lodgo under a Foreign jurisdiction recognised by our Grand Lodge , then we think he wonlcl still retain all his privileges as an English

Past Master . Let ns take tlio caso of a Past Master of ( say ) our Antiquity Lodge , who changes his residence from London to New York . If ho withdraws from tho Fraternity entirely , he loses his status , and cannot recover it till he has again passed the chair of a Lodgo ; but if ho becomes a subscribing member of somo New York Lodge , it seems to us that ho retains his privileges .

As regards Question 2 . —If tho I . P . M . and the senior P . M . are the only P . M . ' s of the Lodge , it will bo in the position of a newly , constituted Lodge of less than ono year ' s standing , and the W . M . should try to induce somo qualified brother to join , with a view to his acting as I . P . M . ; or if there be already a P . M . among the members , let him be invited to act . But if there aro more than two P . M . ' s ,

there will still be a senior P . M . who will become such by the resignation of his elder brother . " A Young W . M . " may even imagine that , though the I . P . M . has resigned , he still has an I . P . M . in his Lodge ; for the junior P . M . bnt one would certainly , out of the P . M . ' a subscribing to tho Lodge , be the Past Master who had immediately preceded the W . M . in tho chair , there being no other subscribing member of the Lodge who had intervened between them . —ED . F . C ]

The Late Bro. Thomas Austin

THE LATE BRO . THOMAS AUSTIN

ON Saturday , the 13 th instant , tho remains of Bro . Thomas Austin Avere interred iu the ToAver Hamlets Cemetery , Bow-road . Tho funeral cortege , which was conducted by Bro . 11 . Ayton P . M . 033 , consisted of a hearse drawn by four horses , ancl four mourning carriages . Tho first carriage contained Bro . Stedman ( a nephew of the deceased ) , Bro . E . Williams ( the executor ) , ancl Mr . Woybret ( an old friend ) ,

In the second carriage wero Bros . J . G . Stevens , T . J . Barnes , Wainwright , and Myers . In the third carriage were Bros . Brown , Jonathan Taylor , Tucker , and W . Yetton . In tho fourth carriage were Bros . Cnndick , T . Yetton , and Eastwood . On the arrival at the Cemetery , the Rev . Bro . David Shaboo joined tho procession to the church : ho

was accompanied by a numerous assemblage of brethren , amongst whom woro Bros . Lacey , Barnes jun ., Mole , iVdams , Dudley , Gilchrist , Webb , J . J . Marsh , Lazarus , Job , Houghton , I . P . Cohen , Abrahams , Cotter , Jones , Edney , Battran , Waterer , McDonald , Holliday , McCarthy , Hogarth , Gaskell , Johnson , Lindus , Pinnoll , John Taylor ,

Hewlett , and others , representing tho following Lodges : —viz ., 933 , 554 , 171 , 1421 , 186 , 1306 , 1178 , 1326 , 188 , 1607 , 1076 , 205 , 1579 , 1445 , 1107 , & c , & c . After the impressive ceremony of the service for burial of the dead had been read in the church , the procession Avas formed and followed

the remains of the deceased to the grave , each brother being supplied with a sprig of acacia . On the arrival at the grave , and after the coffin had been lowered to its resting place , the concluding portion of the service was read ; dnring Avhich the coffin was bestrewed with acacia sprigs , ancl a bunch of white camelias was gracefully added by a lady , the daughter of a respected P . M . of the Doric Lodge .

Many expressions of regret and fraternal regard were tittered as to the genial temper ancl urbanity of Bro . Austin , and the universal opinion of the brethren testified to his worth , and ability as a Masonic Preceptor , his love for Freemasonry , and earnest desire to " look with an eye of charity on tho failings of a brother . " S1i-

The Lodge Of Benevolence.

THE LODGE OF BENEVOLENCE .

LOUGE of Benevolence met on Wednesday evening , at Freemasons ' Hall . There was a laif-i attendance of brethren . Bro . J . M . Clabon presided ; Bro . Joshna Nunn Avas in the Senior Vice-President ' s chair , ancl Bro . James Brett in the chair of Junior Vice-President ; Bros . Rawson , Levander , Cubitt , Hogard , Joseph Smith , tfoutts , Dr . Woodman , Case , C . P . Cobhani , John Constable , Rev . Dr . Brette ,

John Hervey , If . G . Buss , J . M . Klenck , D . II . Still , Nelson Reed , and C . B . Payne Grand Tyler , were among the other brethren who •attended . There Avere twenty-five candidates for relief , and of these assistance was given to twenty-one , to the extent of £ 135 . Three cases Avere incomplete , and the consideration of them was deferred . In one case the petitioner had died since his application was sent in ,