Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

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

Late Hours In Freemasonry.

LATE HOURS IN FREEMASONRY .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I have the honour to belong to a " compact" little Lodge . The members are splendid fellows ; the work is fairly done at all times ; we meet at pleasant quarters , and the Lodge has distinguished itself by the way it has supported

the Charitable Institutions . But we have a " skeleton in our cup board , and whenever I invite a friend to visit us I am in dread as to whether or no the said " skeleton's " bones will rattle . We call the Lodge for say six o ' clock , but we cannot induce the members to attend at the time fixed on the summons . Sometimes some half

a . dozen , or perhaps more members , di * op in , but as all the Officers are not in attendance , delay arises before Lodge is opened , and though I have striven to the best of my poor ability to get this defect remedied , we are generally thirty or forty minutes late before the gavel is sounded for the business to commence . I read your article

with the above heading last week , with much pleasure , and at our next meeting shall take opportunity to call the attention of our Lodge to what it says , and I trust it may do something to inaugurate a new rule as to punctuality . A few months back I was invited to attend a consecration meeting ,

and on looking at the agenda paper I was surprised to see * he time fixed for the proceedings to commence was " High Twelve . " It happened on this same day I had an important engagement , which gave me much concern as to whether I should be able to get back to town in time to fulfil it . My friend , to whom I thus expressed

myself , assured me he knew the brethren who were to be engaged in the work of consecration ; they were men of business , and might be relied on in regard to punctuality . Under these circumstances I agreed to visit , and the result was I spent one of the most agreeable and profitable days I ever remember in connection with Freemasonry .

As 12 o'clock struck , the brethren entered their Lodge room , and not a hitch occnring throughout the proceedings , all were enabled to sit down comfortably to the luncheon , which was served at 2 o ' clock . The after proceedings were equally well carried out , and I was able

to keep my appointment in town at 6 o clock , without any of the rash and scramble I so much detest . Trusting your efforts to induce punctuality in Lodge work will meet with their reward .

I remain , yours fraternally , A "FUSSY" OLD CODGER

The Equality Of Freemasons.

THE EQUALITY OF FREEMASONS .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Your correspondent " CELTIC " has rendered a strange version of the extent to which Masonic equality goes , and I do not think that his view will be generally accepted , although I must candidly admit , now he has raised the question , that my long

cherished notion of absolute equality has been rudely shaken . I have been in the habit , perhaps unwisely , of taking the words , eqnality among Masons , in their abstract sense , but now I can recognise that Masonic equality only exists in Freemasonry , and that as soon as a Brother leaves the Lodge he should be as free from

Masonic interference as if he was not associated with the Order . Were this not so it would of course be possible to approach , as " CELTIC" implies , the heir to the throne of England , or any official or nobleman known to be associated with Freemasonry , and how absurd even the idea of such a proceeding now appears .

I think it would not be at all a bad idea to work more np to ' CELTIC ' S " idea of equality , and to publish it to the world at large that Masonio equality only applies to matters Masonic . In that

case I believe some of those of whom we frequently hear so much , who join Freemasonry for unworthy motives , would be frightened away , as the Order would lose that attraction it now presents tu them .

In conclusion , I must thank " CELTIC " for having enlightened me ° u a subject concerning which I had an erroneous opinion , and apologising for troubling you , I remain , yours fraternally , E . C .

Equality And Preference Among Masons.

EQUALITY AND PREFERENCE AMONG MASONS .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR g [ K AND BROTHER , —The question of equality among mom-. ° f the mystic tie is one on which a great deal of mistinderstanclln g exists , and it has often surprised tm that it should bo so . That an yono should imagine that by joining Freemasonry he was raised to

j "i equality with every other brother is absurd , aud yet I venture » e opmion that many have considered such a " levelling np" poss , ble , and do still enjoy that opinion . --j-j - t

i'tere is another point to which I would direct attention , as it is equally opposed to the true stato of affairs , and is , I believe , productive of no good to tho reputation of Freemasonry . I alludo to the ° piuiou that exists among outsiders that Freemasons combine in

Equality And Preference Among Masons.

business and in the conduct of public affairs , to the detriment of those who are not associated with the Craft . I have always expressed a strong opinion on this point , and have frequently assured inquirers that there is no such unholy compact among Freemasons as ia generally supposed to exist , but that in all affairs of a public character a

Freemason stands no better chance of succeeding than a non-Mason . A proof of the existence of this feeling occurred to me some few weeks back , when a friend who was a candidate for a Municipal appointment assured me he had little or no chance of obtaining the situation , because his principal opponent , the only one indeed whose " iuteresfc" he

feared , was a Freemason , as also were most of the members of the Town Council , who had to decide tbe appointment . I told him he had nothing to fear on that score , and subsequent events have proved the truth of my assertion , as my friend secured the appointment by an overwhelming majority as compared with the " brother" whom

he opposed . The view of this candidate in regard to the possible side influence of Masonry was adopted by a very large number of his supporters

and fellow townsmen , and I believe that had the Mason been appointed to the office , the selection would have been ascribed to the influences of Freemasonry , a x'esult which would have been of no service to the Order or the brethren of the district . Yours , & c , A PROVINCIAL MASON .

Notices Of Meetings.

NOTICES OF MEETINGS .

Fidelity Lodge of Instruction , Wo . 3 . —At the meeting

on Wednesday , the 11 th instant , at the Alfred , Koman-road , B » rnsbury , Bro . Messer took the chair ; he was supported by Bros . W . H . Boss S . W ., R . Boss J . W ., Ferguson Preceptor , Silvester Treasurer , Anient S . D ., Bleakley J . D ., Gregory I . G ., Pitt , Dimsdale Secretary , & c . Lodge having been duly opened , and minutes of last meeting

read and confirmed , Bro . Messer vacated the chair in favour of Bro . Silvester , who rehearsed the ceremonies of passing and raising , Bros . Dimsdale and Bleakley acting as the respective candidates . Between the ceremonies Bro . Ferguson worked the second and third sections

of the second lecture . Bro . Dimsdnle reported that the brethren of the Koyal Standard Lodge of Instruction had unanimously agreed to work the Fifteen Sections in this Lodge of Instruction on the fonrth Wednesday iu October . Bro . W . II . Ross was unanimously elected W . M . for the ensuing week , and then Lodge closed in due form .

Creaton Lodge of Instruction , No . 1791 . —A meeting was held on Thursday , the 19 th inst ., at the Wheatslnaf Hi tel , Goldhawk Road , Shepherd ' s Bnsb . Present—Bros . Sims P . M . W . M , Breitbart S . W ., Purdue J . W ., Child P . M . S . D ., Wood J . D .. Cave s I . G ., P . M . 's Spiegel , J . Davies Preceptor ; Bro . Chatvvin . After

preliminary business , the W . M . rehearsed the ceremony of par-sins ; Bro . Chatvvin as candidate . The 2 nd section of tho lecture was worked by Bro . Davis , assisted by the brethren , and the 4 th section by Hro . Spiegel P . M . and the Preceptor . Lodtje was then opened in the 3 r I degree , and closed to the 1 st . Bro , Brtitburt S . W . was elected W . M . for next Thursday . Lodge was then closed .

Tho Grand Lodge of Mississippi has just donated fire hund-ed dollars to the Natchez Orphan Asylum . The Grand R . A . Chapter of Massachusetts was < Tj ; an zed in Boston , 13 ih March 1798 . .

How TO UNDERSTAND MASONRY . —TO understand Miso ' . rv properly we mnst carefully analyze each principle . We will then di . O"ver beauties which we did not see before . These do not app -ur hy reeii'i the work exemplified , but by study .

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