Prov. G. Honours.

offices of Junior Grand Deacon and a Steivard , while Winchester has a Steward , and Aldershott the Grind Sword Bearer . We thus arrive at the fact that the higher offices are distributed between Southampton , Portsmouth and Gosport ; the two next highest go to the single Lodge at Farebam , which , again , for Masonic purposes is almost part of Portsmouth , whilo for a P . M . of the oldest Lodge in the Province ,

who bas just , for three successive years , represented his Lodge as a Steward of each of the Masonio Charities , no better position could be found than that of Junior Deacon . Had I been in his place I would have refused the office ? It must be a subject for salutary reflection among the Isle of Wight Masons , and go far to reconcile them to their Union with Hampshire , when they find themselves honoured with the

appointment of a Junior Grand Deacon and a Steward among their seven Lodges ! Winchester Masons , too , whose Lodge of Economy holds the position of the second Senior Lodge of the Province , No . 35 , being an Isle of Wight Lodge , must naturally be highly gratified at finding a Provincial Grand Steward among them ! I think I have heard somewhere that " Kissing goes by favour , " but verb sap . I am , Sir and Brother , Yours fraternally , T . W . FAULKNER , P . M . No . 35 , P . P . J . G . W . Isle of Wight . Cowes , 17 th August 1881 .

Lodge Work And Craft Literature.

LODGE WORK AND CRAFT LITERATURE .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —While there are few who will deny the justice of yonr remarks as to the monotony of Lodge work , I am greatly afraid it will be some time before even yonr influence will succeed in bringing about a change . The private business of a Lodge , save in very exceptional circumstances , occupies but very

little time . Candidates are not always being balloted for . When , therefore , there is no private business , and no initiations , passings , or raisings , there is literally nothing to do beyond opening and closing the Lodge . Then is the time when some brother might with advantage read a paper on some subject more or less directly associated with Freemasonry . I feel certain it only requires the exercise

of a little courage in order to reconcile the brethren to so slight , and at the same time so desirable , an innovation . A well-written paper , followed by a brief disonsmon , wonld give an increased appetite for the banquet . There is certainly no lack of subjects on which a brother who is so disposed might find it easy to throw some light . Yours fraternally and faithfully , STUDENT .

Lodge Work.

LODGE WORK .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON s CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —It will perhaps be edifying if I give yon a summary of the work done at a Lodge of Instruction daring a period of three months taken consecutively . I have selected the particulars from a volume of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE , but , for obvious reasons , I suppress the name of the Lodge . I am desirous of illustrating the system followed generally , and have no wish to cast

even the semblance of blame on the one I have chosen for the purpose , as it is well conducted , and the brethren work diligently within the limits they have marked out for themselves in common with the members of other Lodges . 1 st Meeting : Initiation and three sections of the first lecture 2 nd „ Passing and four „ „ 3 rd „ Raising and two „ third lecture

4 th „ Initiation and three „ first lecture 5 th „ Passing and raising 6 th „ Passing and initiation '

7 th „ Raising and two sections of the third lecture 8 th „ Passing and initiation 9 th „ Initiation and three sections of the first lecture 10 th „ Initiation and passing and two sections of the firstlectnre

llth ,, Passing and raising and two sections of the first lecture 12 th „ Annual supper 13 th „ Initiation and three sections of the first lectnre This is a lively picture . Faithfully yours , MARS .

To t ? ie Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . London , 13 th Angust 1881 . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I cannot agree with the majority of your correspondents in this matter , and more particularly when they refer to Lod ges of Instruction . They appear to me to forget that before you can learn a language

yon must first master the alphabet . Sorely yon must be perfect in the ceremonies before the explanation of them can be of any profit . Now , observe the members of Lodges of Instruction . 1 st . They work bard , and learn the ceremonial by rote—like a mag-Pw , if yon like .

ftf * They want to know something more , and sections are looked J . ' ^ the lectures on tracing-board , and when that is conquered wheir-j can they obtain more knowledge ? If those brethren an 8 ° l . P tnons ! y speak of the efforts of others to afford assistnce and instruction to their younger friends wonld form a Lodge

Lodge Work.

or Lodges of Oratory , and there lecturo on subjects concerning Masonry , which only a few of ns can hope to discover for ourselves , I feel perfectly snre they would receive a very much greater snp . port from Masters , Past Masters , aud Preceptors than they imagine .

Any attempt to introduce this kind of teaching into Lodges of Instruction wonld simply shut them up , as the members , being mostly young Masons , although possibly of superior education , would be entirely in the dark as to their application .

Sincerely and fraternally yours , ALOERMAN . I enclose card and address .

Grand Officers And Prov. Grand Officers.

GRAND OFFICERS AND PROV . GRAND OFFICERS .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Every one must necessarily entertain a great respect for the opinion of any brother who has attained to the office of Deputy Provincial Grand Master , especially when , as tha writer of a letter which appeared in your Masonic contemporary of last week tells ns , he brings to bear upon this question of precedence

an experience extending over more than eight and twenty years , during which he has almost continuously held office . Bat much as I respect a brother ' s opinions , as I do those of " ANOTHER DEPUTY PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER , " and the Rev . C . W . Arnold Prov . Grand Chaplain , who is Deputy Provincial Grand Master of Surrey , I cannot necessarily bring myself to accept them . I have already

endeavoured to show that the Rev . C . W . Arnold's opinion in favour of the Grand Registrar ' s views as to the relative precedence of Grand Officers and Provincial Grand Officers are untenable ( see FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE for 16 th July last , Vol . XIV . p 52 ) . In the letter of mine yon published in the number for that date I pointed out that if our Rev . Brother's interpretation were correct , his statement that in seo .

2 , p 51 of the Book of Constitutions " Grand Officers " meant nothing more than " Provincial Grand Officers " was tantamount to saying that Provincial Grand Officers were Provincial Grand Officers ; and I expressed my belief , in which I think the majority of your readers will agree , that " theframersof the Constitutions would hardly have been at tbe pains of announcing in solemn terms so self-evident a

proposition . I cannot see that in his letter of last week to the Freemason " ANOTHER DEPUTY PROVINCIAL GRAND M ASTER " has added anything to his side of the argument . He says the status of Provincial Grand Officers is determined by section 2 , p 51 of the Constitutions , which I take leave to quote in full : — " The Grand Wardens and subordinate Provincial Grand Officers

( except the Treasurer , who is to he elected ) are to be annually appointed by the Provincial Grand Master , and such Officers are respectively to be invested in the Provincial Grand Lodge , and shall possess within their district the rank and privileges of Grand Officers ; but they are not by such appointment members of the Grand Lodge , nor do they take any rank out of their district , though they are entitled

to wear their clothing as Provincial Grand Officers or Past Provincial Grand Oflicers in all Masonio meetings . " Section 2 , page 50 , which treats of the Deputy Provincial Grand Master , may also be quoted . " He "—that is , the D . P . G . M . — " is invested with the rank of a Deputy Grand Master within the Province , and may preside , unless

the Provincial Grand Master be present , in any Lodge he may visit within his district . He is not , by his office , a member of Grand Lodge , nor does he possess any rank out of his district , thongh he is entitled to wear the clothing of a Provincial Grand Officer , or Pasfc Provincial Grand Officer , in all Masonic meetings . " But if Provincial Grand Officers , nofc being , by virtue of their

office , members of Grand Lodge , are not Grand Officers even in their own Province , then I revert to my former proposition , namely , thafc the Constitutions in the above sections solemnly proclaim the selfevident truth that " Provincial Grand Officers are Provincial Grand Officers . " Now , a careful examination of the exact words used in the set sections will enable us , I imagine , to arriveat a correct

understanding of what is meant . Had they been intended to mean whafc those who take the same view as the Grand Registrar affirm they do , we should have had the word " of" or " over " substituted for " within , " for there is a very wide difference between Grand Officers of a a Province , and Grand Officers in a Province . The former are Provincial Grand Officers , while the latter are Grand Oflicers .

" ANOTHER DEPUTY PROVINCIAL GRAND OFFICER , " argues the Rev . C . W . Arnold , " is quite right , " when he says , " Provincial Grand Officers are Grand Officers in their own Province , but they are nofc Grand Officers of England , and therefore in the presence of Grand Officers yield their precedence . " But it strikes me that just as the Master and Wardens , and other Officers

of a regular Lodge , in their own quarters , take precedence of the Officers of other Lodges of the same relative rank , so Provincial Grand Officers , being Grand Officers in their own Province , take precedence of other Grand Officers . " YORK" put the matter clearly and pithily when he argued that" Provincial Grand Officers in their district shall have the rank and privileges of Grand

Officers whatever that rank , or whatever those privileges may be ; and , therefore , in any Province Grand Officers cannot have further or greater privileges than its own Provincial Grand Officers . " The Constitutions lay it down that the Grand Master , in his absence the Pro Grand Master , and in the absence of both these , the Deputy Grand Master , may preside in any Lodge—and any , of course ,

includes Provincial Grand Lodges as well as private Lodgesand either of them may invite the Grand Wardens to act as Wardens , but not a word is said about the rest of the Grand Officers , thongh as a matter of course , they will be received in whatever Lodges they visit with the respect due to their exalted rank . But to maintain they are to take priority of Provincial Grand