Speakers And Speeches.

man at table as to expect him to sing or talk French . "The cobbler to his last" is a very old , but a very true proverb . Let us invite speeches from speakers , and songs from men who sing . The old rule , that every man who attends a Lodge dinner must contribute , as the saying is ,

to the harmony of the meeting , is an absurd one . Those who can will do so , if they are tho genial fellows we take them to he ; the rest aro quite content to sit quietly and listen . We once heard of a man who was required to sing . For half an hour he went on uttering , in a dismal

chant" At tho Battle of the Nile , I was there all tho while . I was there all the while , at tho Battle of the Nile . " It is almost needless to add that he was never called upon

to sing again . If chairmen will be careful to select speakers to make speeches , and singers to sing songs , our meetings , enjoyable as they are , will , we feel sure , bo still more enjoyable .

Obituary.

Obituary .

Feelings of deep regret were experienced at Brighton by the announcement of the death of Bro . W . Curtis , P . P . G . W . Sussex , P . M . York Lodge , No . 315 , P . M . 1141

and P . Z . 732 , which took place at sea . Out late respected brother was only 47 years of age at the time of his decease . He was formerly associated with his father , as proprietors of the Brighton Gazette , and , on the death of the latter , became sole proprietor . He afterwards relinquished the

paper , and went to Hong Kong , to edit and superintend the Hong Kong Times , and to manage the printing establishment connected with it . A telegram was received on the 5 th of June , stating he was ill of rheumatic fever , which compelled him to relinquish his duties . He proceeded to

Macao and Australia , in the hope of recruiting his health . Failing to derive benefit from the change , he resolved to return to England , accompanied by his eldest son , but a relapse took place , and he died on the homeward journey . He leaves a sorrowing widow and four children to deplore their sad loss .

On Saturday last , 14 th August , Bro . J . Robinson P . P . J . G . D . Sussex , P . M . York Lodge , No . 315 , died at his residence , 11 King ' s Road , Brighton , at tho age of 57 . He had been in failing health for somo time past , and had

been unconscious the previous week , when dropsy set in , which put an end to his sufferings . Ho was interred on Monday afternoon , at the Extramural Cemetery , where a numerous assemblage of the brethren and a large circle of private friends were present to pay the last tribute of

respect to one whom they had known so well , and to show their appreciation of his sterling Avorth through life . Among those present at the melancholy ceremony Avere Bros . J . Dixon P . G . D . C . Sussex , C . Sandeman W . M . 315 , Devin Secretary , W . T . Nell S . W . 315 , Foat J . W . 315 , C . P . Smith , G . Smith P . M . 811 , W . Smith P . M . 811 , J . W . Stride P . M . 315 , A . Cowley 315 , J . Pearson P . M .

811 , J . Eborall Staples , T . Chandler , H . Payne , G . Emery , and several others .

Death , the great leveller , makes no distinction between young and old ; he has snatched from our midst Bro . E . H . Finney , son of Bro . H . E . Finney , at the early age of 27 . Though our late brother ' s health had been failing for some time , he rallied , and it Avas hoped by his friends that he

Avould entirely recover , but a relapse took place , and he expired on Sunday , 1 st August . He Avas I . P . M . of the United Service Lodge , No . 136 , H . of Hope and Unity Chapter , and Assistant S . E . of the Metropolitan Chapter of Improvement . He Avas also a member of the various " High " degrees .

Answers To Correspondents.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS .

ALPHA . —As the law requires that every petition for a new Lodge should be signed by a certain number of Brethren , it is clear that all tho Brethren who sign such a petition have an equal right to be regarded as the "founders , " without distinction or seniority . Bat , under the circumstances described by you , there can be no doubt who was the original " promoter . "

T . B . W . —Bret' ren joining the Club at the present time will only be liable lor their annual subscription , £ 3 3 s for town and £ 1 lis 6 d for country members , but should they join after the fust 500 , they will , most probably , have to pay an entrance fee and a higher subscription ,

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

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

OUR FREEMASONRY . To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AXD BROTHER , —Certain members of my family aro somewhat amused at the venerable antiquity which "Masonic Investigator" assigns me , in contradistinction to Bro . Bnchan , who , by tho way , places words in my month which I never used , at page 70 or elsewhere . Aubrey ' s manuscript is in the library of the Eoyal

Society , my version of it was made from an extract by Mr . J . 0 , Halliwell , who may be depended upon . I before quoted two sources which I consider undeniably to prove tho antiquity of tho system of three degrees . It is clear that I cannot go into the question freely in yonr pages , even had I tho necessary time to do so , which I have not . I can merely , therefore , direct

attention to the salient points , upon which I am content to rely , supplemented , as they are , and confirmed by numberless documents from tho earliest time . Your readers must compare intelligently for themselves , and draw their deductions accordingly . The first of those is the Sloano MS ., No . 3309 , recently edited by the Eev . Bro . Woodford , as a MS . of 1650 , which I consider it is , and

possibly one alluded to by Dr . Plot . Tho second is an Aberdeen ritual of 1727 . Both are operative , but quite distinct in their character , the ono professing to be a ceremonial , tho other a memorandum of secrets and signs . One is a confirmation of tho other , but , nevertheless , there is such a diversity in the treatment as to prove a distinct origin ; they aro the Masonic system of different

parts of the country at a time when Masonic communication was difficult , springing separately and independently at a distance of time out of tho oral Masonic instruction of South and North Britain . A comparison of the two , and the " Grand Mystery , " shows : — 1 . That although there are signs and secrets in one which are not in the other , yet out of a numerous system of operative modes of

recognition tho bulk aro identical . 2 . Both distinctly mention the three recognised degrees by name , and both wholly or partially give the present recognised secrets of E . A . P ., P . O ., and M . M . ; those of tho M . M . being given in both with evident corruption , which proves the great value of tho evidence . The Scotch Ritual gives our present modes of preparation ( perhaps what

is alluded to by Dr . Plot as the other secrets ) , and also tho ceremonial of E . A . and F . C ., but only a part of the M . M . secrets , not given in the other MS ., which again gives a different part . 3 . In no English MS . whatever is there any " mark " registration ; whilst tho Scotch ritual states that there was no ceremony beyond the selection of the Apprentice's Mark , and the-rcgistration at the fee

of one Mark Scots . This fact is clearly confirmed and alluded to by all the old Scotch Minute books , no fact in Masonry is so certain , there is no question to decide , it already rests upon the most certain documentary evidence . Shaw ' s Mandate in effect converted tho Speculative Craft Lodgo into a sort of Operative Heralds College for tho registration of Marks used by the operatives , and the

fee was to pay tho trouble of recording . Your correspondent may as well ask why there is a fee for registering trade marks . In spite of tho thorough certainty of this evidence , Grand Mark Lodge will go on asserting , and will find believers . Nothing will suffice for people who will not read history , and cannot think . 4 . Although these two documents enclose the whole of our present

Craft secrets and ceremonials ( confirmed by numerous other MSS . ) , there is no allusion whatever , even of tho slightest kind , to anything belonging to the Arch degree , thus proving clearly that it had no old pretensions to be considered a Craft ceremony . Some French rituals , used in certain rites , state however that Hiram ' s jewel enclosed the sacred name . The value of this and other sacred names was the

great study of the middle-ago magicians and later Eosicrucians , and the English Eoyal Arch degree was doubtless introduced to instrnct old Masons on these points . I think " Masonic Investigator " ( if an Arch Mason ) cannot have read my " Speculative Freemasonry , " at p . 116 , or ho would have no doubt that the " fifth Order , " there alluded to , is the Eoyal Arch degree . I feel certain

that , if you , Bro . Editor , applied to Capt . F . Cr . Irwin , be would willingly place at your disposal the evidence of the 1721 Bosicrucian work . There is no proof of Ramsay's system having been started in 1728 , but I see no valid reason to deny the usual historical assertion ; his " Travels of Cyrus " appeared in 1727 , and embodies a good deal of high-grade information . I merely mentioned d'Assigny as alluding ,

in 1744 , to three steps above M . M ., but without positively asserting what they were . I thought I had sufficiently guarded myself from acknowledging any of the present degrees above Master Mason as ancient ceremonies . There is none of the present ceremonials above a few years old , and the ancient rites have all been long since abandoned , and are now only

the perquisite of the Masonic antiquary . The word " Primitive " in the A . and P . Eitc is simply derived from tho Primitive Philalethes , an Order which had preserved the old genuine high-grade Masonry and dogma , as derived from the independent old Hermetic Eites of the continent , which were being transmitted side by side with Lacorne ' s and others last century . Its value consists in tho genuine nature of its

archreological lectures ; that which it hastaken me twenty years hard study to acquire I could have got much better in one year from this valuable Eite , had I not been kept ont of it by the stringent and degrading oaths and mummery of the ancient and accepted Scottish Eite , an Order , withont a spark of truth , started in 1802 . I must , however , caution brethren against giving up their time to these or