The Analysis Of The Subscription List.

eleven Lodges , stands well , as ifc mostly does , with over £ 218 , tho joint contributions of four Lodges and ono of its four Chapters , the King Harold No . 1327 , of Waltham New Town , taking tho lead with £ 92 7 s , and tho Cranbourne No . 1580 , of Hatfield , being a good second with £ 75 lis .

Jersey , which figures occasionally at our Festivals , sends a useful contribution of fifty-fivo guineas on behalf of its seven Lodges . It is a comparatively remote Province , and tho amount is probably on that account tho moro welcome . Seven Kent Lodges , by tho hands of eight

Stewards , send up over £ 236 . Last year it gavo nearly twice as much to tho Benevolent , and over £ 480 to tho Girls . In fact , Kent never misses an opportunity of showing its sympathy with Masonic distress . Ifc is a well organised Province , and invariably , therefore , appears to

great advantage whenever these periodical appeals for assistance are made . Lancashire has moro Lodges than any other county in England , excepting of course the metropolitan counties , and though for its Eastern and Western

Divisions , together tho amount reaches only £ 213 15 sone-fourth being tho sum of the former ' s contribution , and three-fourths being the latter ' s—still we know that both are liberal and make strenuous efforts on occasions .

Thus East Lancashire , as wo havo said already , contributed one-fourth of the grand total of £ 14 , 000 subscribed at tho Benevolent Festival last year , when its chief occupied the chair . Western Lancashire liberally supported Lord Skelmersdale not long since , when ho occupied a similar

position m 18 / 6 , and as his Lordship has accepted the presidency for tho approaching Boys' Festival , wo may anticipate ifc will shew its full strength then . Middlesex , with nine Stewards , acting on behalf of eight of its Lodges , contributes £ 356 6 s . As it is a regular

contributor , and on a considerable scale , no comment of ours is required for purposes of encouragement or as an appeal . We may , however , congratulate ifc , as we do most heartily . Monmouthshire , though a small Province , is represented by ono Steward , to tho extent of £ 46 15 s . Last year it

gavo tho Benevolent over £ 136 . Its appearance is frequent , if not invariable , and its subscriptions aro in proportion to its zeal . Norths and Hunts , with ono Steward , sends £ 115 10 s . It liberally supported its Grand Master in 1878 , to the extent of £ 300 , and has not been

found wanting on other occasions . A ten guinea subscription by a brother , on his own behalf or that of his Lodge , is all wo have to note in connection with North Wales and Salop , with its numerous array of Lodges . We think it might be more strongly represented afc times . Oxford ' s

contribution is within a fraction of £ 232 , upwards of two hundred guineas coming from Apollo University , which was represented by three Stewards , of whom one achieved the honour of a threo figure list . It always does well , and doubtless will make a supreme effort for tho Girls

in April , when its chief , Prince Leopold , has undertaken to preside . Suffolk , as regards the Province , gives £ 100 8 s , and there is a list yefc to come from tho Steward of Lodge British Union , No . 114 , of Ipswich . Last year ifc subscribed £ 171 to the Benevolent , and almost

invariably contributes . Ifc has in its ranks some very able and active Masons , among them the Rev . C . J . Martyn . We aro not surprised , therefore , at the regularity of its attendance . As there is one list still outstanding , wo may look to the comparatively modest total of £ 69 5 s

for Surrey being increased ; in fact , it may already havo been so . This is not as large a sum as was given to the Benevolent last year , but then tho Province is always sending up representatives . Sussex stands second among tho Provinces , with a total of £ 600 , a very handsome

amount , reflecting the highest credit on tho Province and its representative , tho worthy Deputy Grand Master thereof , Bro . J . H . Scott . Here , too , it is only necessary wc should remark that Sussex plays its part well , though in this instance it has surpassed the efforts of more

recent years . We now come to North and East Yorkshire , tho total of whose contributions is £ 855 4 s . The personal contribution of its chief , who was the Chairman of tho Festival , is one hundred guineas . His Deputy , Bro . J . Pearson Bell , acting for the whole Province , figures for £ 325 13 s ,

the Steward of the Old Globe , No . 200 , of Scarborough , has a list of one hundred guineas , while the York Lodge , No . 236 , and the Zetland Chapter attached , together

contribute £ 116 7 s Gd , Sir James Meek being Steward for tho former , and tho Hon . W . T . Orde-Powlett acting in the same capacity for the latter . As wo have had occasion to lament the non-appearance of this Province at former Fes-

The Analysis Of The Subscription List.

tivals , it is with infinite pleasure wo noto tho great success ifc has achieved on this occasion . Tlio We ^ fc Yorkshire Board of Stewards , headed by tha P . G . M . Sir II . Edwards , and including Worshipful Bro . 'few , his Deputy , and other Masons of weight and eminence , are together responsible

for £ 370 , which would not seem excessive , considering tho strength of tho Province , were it not that we know it is always represented , its contributions being always reckoned by hundreds , even to tho extent of somo £ 900 . South Wales West , but for Lord Kensington ' s apparently personal

donation of ton guineas , would havo been out in tho cold . Last year ifc figured afc tho Benevolent for £ 225 , whilo in 1878 it gavo tho Girls over £ 236 , apart from its contributions afc other Festivals . "Wilts , though with a solitary list of £ 15 15 s , is a small yet willing Province , and every now

and then shows that ifc has in ifc plenty of true Masonic stuff , and so likewise docs Warwickshire , though only ono of its Lodges was represented on this occasion , and tho ono list returned was comparatively a small one , twenty guineas , there being one other yet to bo returned . A sum of fifty

guineas by the hands of that prominent and justly popular Mason , Bro . Major Ramsey , District Grand Master of tho Punjab , is the only contribution from abroad , and this is very far from being tho first occasion on which our Charities have had tho benefit of his assistance . With this remark

wo bring onr analysis to a conclusion , and wo can only hopo that at tho other Festivals yefc to como our task may bo as agreeable as it has proved in this instance .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

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

THE MASONIC RITUAL . To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . _ IY DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —There is so much go anil verve in Bro . Jacob Norton's communications to your columns that thoy compnl attentive perusal oven when , as I fancy is often tho caso , they fail to carry with thorn the conviction of tho reader . Permit mo to offer a few remarks in connection with Bro . Norton ' s

letter in yonr issue of tho 7 th inst . I do not purpose to re-open tho controversy on Uniformity of Ritual ; and this the rather because , as ib appears to mo , Bro . Norton has availed himself of the movement led by Bro . Stevens merely as a peg to hang a hat upon . The real gist of Bro . Norton ' s remarks is tho introduction of a

proposal , which wonld , if carried into effect , produce an entire revolution in Freemasonry as it is accepted everywhere , so far as I know , except in France . The proposal seems to bo to render Masonry nniversal in a wider degree than it is at present , or than it ever has been , by striking out of oar Ritual and Lectures not only tho abundant references to

Scripture history , but also to any belief in tho existence of God , a future life , and a resurrection of the body . AU these matters Bro . Norton classes together , and condemns wholesale , as being " accumulated rubbish . " But our worthy brother seems to me to have a bee in his bonnet . Yonr readers will not have forgotten Bro . Norton ' s defence of tho action of

tho Grand Orient of Franco two years ago in throwing open the doors of the Craft to Atheism pure and simple ; nor his condemnationsomewhat gratuitous , as corning from a brother hailing from the U . S . — of the action of our own Grand Lodgo in tho matter . And now bo gallantly returns to tho charge , and challenges Bro . Stevens to enlist under his banner aud tear up Freemasonry , as it is now accepted , roor .

and branch , substituting for it a society which owns neither God nor heaven , nor any motive for righteous living , except such as shall bo drawn from purely mundane considerations . Suffer mo to ask on what ground does our brother suggest or defend such a serious upset of all our preconceived ideas ? If ho could urge that tho lines at present drawn exclude unfairly a

large and estimable class of our fellow-creatures , that there aro many , in all other respects eligible candidates , whose accession wonld ho of great service to tho Craft , who complain that their conscientiouscruples will not permit them to join ns under our present constitntion . Wero this the case , tho question would bo worth our serious consideration , but nothing of tho kind is stated .

Instead of this , Bro . Norton assails tho existing constitution of tho Order on tho ground that it is based on " sectarian dogmas . " Here , Sir , I beg to join issue with tho worthy brother . Tho bases of Freemasonry aro not dogmas , aud they aro not sectarian . Bro . Norton reminds me of tho well-known definition of a crab , as being " a Ht . tlo red fish that walks backwards . " An excellent and accurate

definition , barring tho facts that a crab is not necessarily small , is not red by nature , is not a fish at all , and does not walk backwards . A dogma is a definition or exposition of theological truth put forth by tho authority of the Chnrch as a corollary to Diviuo revelation . Sectarian implies that tho nonn qualified by tho adjective belongs t : ) or is connected with a sect or section , that ia a part of the body aa