Servants' Characters.

seems likely to land us in a discussion alike profitless and interminable . But here , as we have ventured to point , is not the real " hinge " on which the whole question turns . That is to be found rather in the '' honesty" of the characters we give to those who ask ns for them . In

nothing do many of all classes so sin against right and duty and their fellow-creatures as in the cunningly worded and evasive replies they give to honest and bona-fide questions as to character . No " Dienstbtich " in the world would meet that difficulty , it could only add to existing

comp lications , by providing another machinery of surveillance , which might be turned to the worst and basest purposes . So , leaving chimerical proposals and childish platitudes on one side , let us seek to realize the truth , most ieiiportant for us all alike , that if we wish to amend a great

evil and extinguish a greater nuisance , we must try and learn all of us a little more honesty , kindness , fellow-feeling , and loyalty in our dealings one with another . Another letter from Mr . Pollaky , in Saturday ' s Times , seems to show that the period of " great gooseberries" and

" sea serpents , " & c , is set in , or that our esteemed contemporary is very short of " copy "' just now . Otherwise we can hardly deem the writer sane who pens the nonsense we read under an august signature . For now we have a cool and a calm proposal to place all servants under " police

surveillance ; " indeed , Mr . Pollaky looks on this as a sine qua non of his magnificent and sensible scheme , and adds , that all servants are to have their '' signalement'' or description recorded in this remarkable book . Mr . Pollaky offers , we do not know if from memory and personal

verification , a very unflattering descripticn of the British cook , and intimates this as exactly what he wishes all our servants to go through . Why , we shall have a servants' strike ! Sincerely , we have never read or heard of so absurd a proposal , so utterly unreal and unpractical , so entiiely opposed to every feeling of the English people .

So let us hope we have heard the last of this unprofitable discussion . There is many an old courier who could tell amusing stories of how " Dienstbucher " may subserve the very worst of purposes , and how much of " bunkum " is to be found in the exaggerated praises of the system , for some purpose or other , we have lately read .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ We do not hold ourselves responsible for , or even approving of , the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish in a spivit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . ]

PROVINCE OF HAMPSHIRE AND THE ISLE OF WIGHT . To the Editor of Hie " Frconason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I think Hampshire Freemasons have cause to congratulate themselves on the interest which is from time to time displayed ( on paper at least ) in the proceedings of

Prov . Grand Lodge , and that this year we have passed from the profound question of clothes , which was the subject of complaint last year , to that of the distribution of Prov . Grand honours . That the Prov . Grand Master is sensible of the impossibility of distributing a collar each year to every lodge in the province , seeing that he has only ten at his disposal as against over thirty lodges ,

must be patent to all from his remarks at several Grand Lodges in succession , if it were not too obvious to need any apology . The fault , as " An Old P . M , " seems to hint by his suggestion , rests rather with these at ihe head of affairs than with the I ' rov . Grand Alaster , in that some jears since the small Province of the Isle of Wight was added to that of Hampshire , already unwieldy and very

extensive , instead of taking advantage of the increase to divide the district . Surely from Aldirshot and Basingstoke , in the north , to Portsmouth and I ' ctcrsneld , in the east , and from Ringwood and Bournemouth , in the west , to Ventnor , in the south , any one who looks at the map will admit the pro \ ince is sufficiently extensive fairly to call for a division . If this be not enough , let me say that for

some of the brethren living at the furthest distances from Ventnor to attend this yeat ' s lodge wou'd have necessitated their starting from heme overnight or their getting up at an unreasonable hour in the morning , as it certainly would have involved a very late arrival home . I'acts like these cannot fairly be overlooked in any return of honours conferred , however elaborately prepared , especiall y since it is a rule of the province—and was acted

upon at Ventnor—not to confir a Provincal Grand collar upon a brother who is not present , or who at least has not been present during the business of the day . There are also other considerations to which I find no reference in the returns of "An Old P . M ., '' such as the number and the social status of members if lodges , with the services those members may have rendered to Freemasonry in general or their own lodge or neighbouring lodges in par-

Original Correspondence.

ticular . In town ? , too , where there happen to be more than one lodge it not unfrequently occurs that members on whom Provincial Grand Lodge honours are conferred belong to several lodges , and occasionally a lodge number may appear in Grand Lodge returns which does not represent , practically , the lodge to which the particular member gives his most prominent labour ; hence some lodges will

appear to be favoured at the expense of others , when , in rtality , the other lodges , equally with those named , claim the credit . Take some instances within my own knowledge . The " Vale of Avon , Fordingbridge , " which appears as having received only two honours in the returns of " An Old P . M ., " was practically defunct for some time , until several years ago it was removed to Shirley ,

near the residence ot the Deputy Provincial Grand Master , who assisted in resuscitating it , and was its first Master in its new sphere . Its present Master is a Provincial Grand Officer of Oxon , and its Immediate Past Master now resides at a distance and out of the province . Even " An Old P . M ., " I presume , would scarcely find cause for complaint that this lodge is credited with so few modern

provincial honours . In like manner , the "Twelve Brothers , Southampton , " I have reason to believe , is in as full working as it has ever been . It is a kind of terra incognita to many , I may , perhaps , say to most , local Masons , but it is understood to have been for many years , if such is not the case at the present time , limited to twelve , all of whom are Past Masters , and probably the greater part of

whom , from their known services and their social status , wear the purple . In view of facts like these , and of the impossibility ¦> £ ascertaining how far brethren have complied with the rule to be present before they can expect to receive Provincial Grand Lodge honours , I beg to submit

that the returns , however useful and instructive , are not to be taken as an infallible guide in the matter . I should be glad , with your courtesy , to hear the opinions of others on this subject more competent to pass judgment in respect to it than myself . I am , fraternally yours , YOUR SOUTHAMPTON CORRESPONDENT .

To Ihe Editorqj the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — The appointments made at the last Prov . Grand Lodge have caused a vast amount of dissatisfaction , and a glance at the tabular statement , furnished by ar " Old P . M . " in your paper of the 30 th August , is quite sufficient to show that some alteration is necessary , as it is evident

that some influence is used when we find that any honour worth accepting rarely falls to any lodge which does not happen to have one of the permanent officers as a member , and in the tabular statement above alluded to we find that of tu-enly-four Wardens' collars ten have been given to members of the three lodges to which one or other of these officers belong , and taking the total number of collars ,

viz ., 120 , we find that twenty-four , or one-fifth of the whole , are given to these three lodges . Looking at thise facts it is impossible to believe that the appointments made are always the result of uninfluenced selection , and I can quite understand the difficulty the Prov . Grand Master expeiiences in distributing the ten collars among twenty-nine lodges if the Lodge 487 , of which

the Prov . Grand Treasurer is a member , is to have ten , and Lodge 130 , to w hich the D . P . G . M . and P . G . S . belong , is to have eight in twelve years . The brethren of the province can in a small way assist the P . G . M . out of his difficulty by every year placing at his disposal one other collar , viz ., that of P . G . Treasurer , whose duties are of such a nature as to allow of their

being as easily passed to a successor as those of a Warden . Therefore , let the brethren of Hampshire look around tbcm , and select annually some brother whom they would like to honour , and exercise their undoubted prerogative of electing a Treasurer , and by this means increase the number of collars to be given away . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , A PAST PROVINCIAL OFFICER .

Sept . ist , 1879 . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I am very sorry to see another attack made upon our R . W . P . G . M . respecting the appointment of his P . G . Officers ( there was a similar one made last year ) , because I do not think that any R . W . P . G . M . takes more care in

this respect than Bro . Beach , and I think the writer of the letter forgets " that it is not so much the number of the lodges in the province as the quality of the respective members of the lodges that has to be taken into consideration in appointing P . G . Officers . " I will take , for instance , my own mother lodgp ( so to speak ) in the province , St . Hubert ' s , 1373 , Andover , where there is a S . G . W . and a

G . D . C . in the list quoted . The S . G . W . is a well-known Mason ( working one too ) , initiated in the Apollo Lodge , at Oxford , P . M . of that , of No . 10 , Keystone , of 1373 , and very high in the estimation of the Craft . The D . C . G . is a young member , comparatively speaking , but a thorough good working Mason . And again Royal Gloucester , Southampton—all the P . G . Officers in the years mentioned are , to my knowledge , men who have earned

their laurels . Also as to Oakley , 694 , Basingstoke , all good men ; and I have no doubt the members of all the other lodges are equally deserving . Let the "Old P . M . " give his name , as I do mine , and we will try conclusions . 1 may add that I never got P . G . L . rank for seventeen years after I was made a Mason , and justly so , because I never worked for it until 1868 . I am dear Sir and Brother , yours faithfully and fraternally ,

EVAN YORKE NEPEAN , P . G . Chaplain Hants and Isle of Wight ; 497 , Mother Lodge ; P . M .. 1373 and 139 . Applcshaw Vicarage , Andover , August 31 st , 1879 .

Basenesses.

BASENESSES .

My dear Bro . Kenning , — As a real and lasting remedy against the sad and painful frauds which are being practised daily upon so very many of our brethren , such as " T . F ., " I beg leave to suggest that each and every Almoner be requested to have his

m possession a number of small books , in which to enter the date , name of applicant , number and name of his lodge , amount supplied , where going , purpose of going , and any other particulars he may deem necessary . Any ordinary note book would answer this purpose . Almost any stationer would supply them at about 6 s . the gross .

The Almoner , being in possession of necessary books , could supply one to every individual he may relieve , be he net already in possession of one . Let me rest here , my dear brother , to observe the smiles of some of my unsuspecting (?) brethren as they read this , for they know full well that my scheme would fail if allowed to rest here . But read on , ye whose eyes are dancing , I will now continue .

ft grieves me to be compelled to make the confession , yet I feel that common justice calls upon me to make it . There are those who would destroy these books , and deny that they ever received them ; to prevent this , therefore , let the Almoner , on delivering the book , make this note on the back of applicant's certificate , at right hand , top corner .

R . B . S ., place and date of issue . Of course where no certificate can be produced , no relief should be given . If this be done there can be no distroying of books , and the fraternity will soon be freed of those parasites it is now compelled to support ; and , furthermore , a genuine case of distress will receive proper attention .

Should applicant plead he has lost his book , ( for of course the Almoner will see if he ever had one ) , let him be supplied with another , and , as a matter of course , an additional entry of " R . B . S ., " place , and date of issue , be made on certificate . I may explain that " R . B . S . " are the initials of the words Relief Book Supplied .

It should be imperative upon all Almoners that they give no relief whatever without the applicant produce the book , unless it be to a member of his own lodge . Thi « can be enforced by a proper motion in lodge . Nor should private aid be given by one brother to another ( stranger ) till the one applied to has satisfied himself as to the relief

book , & c . The above may , in the eyes of many of my good brethren , appear hard , yet I trust they will allow it is quite time our honourable Society be weeded of what is a great disgrace to it . Almoners have confessed to me that there are those going the rounds of the country " whose faces are as

familiar to them as the face of the clock , " whom they as regularly—I had almost written relieve—supply with money . I doubt not this would be proved to be too true could we examine and compare Almoners' books . I trust you will allow the subject to be an excuse for the length of my note . I am , dear Bro . Kenning , yours fraternally , ONE WHO WAS ONCE IN DISTRESS .

STEWARDS' COLLARS . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I see a letter in your last interesting issue , signed " An Old Past Master , " respecting office in Prov . Grant ) Lodge of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight , in which I

regret very much indeed to read the following passage " A Steward ' s collar , we all know , is never received as an honour by the Master or Past Masters of a lodge , and but for their dread of making a scene in' Prov . Grand Lodge they would almost invariably refuse to accept it , as its possession subjects them to continual annoyance from the rest of their brethren . "

If this statement be correct all I can say is the Hampshire brethren indulge in most lin-Masonic ideas , and such as are utterly unworthy of our Order . In one of the largest provinces of England the Steward ' s collar is properly highly valued , as a " passport" to subsequent honours . Yours fraternally , AN OLDER PAST MASTER .

A TYPOGRAPHICAL MISTAKE . To ihe Editor of the ' t" Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — As by a mistake " someveres " the end of my leader on " Charity Reform " is turned into utter nonsense , in the Freemason ot August 30 th , I beg to say , for the information of your readers , that the mistake is not mine ,

and that the whole sentence ought thus to run : " detrimental to the best interests of the Institution , and derogatory to the character of the subscribers . " " Mistakes will occur in the best regulated families , " but " derogatory to the imputation" is a " strongish order , " and requires , I venture to think , " note and comment" in your usually most correct columns . I am , yours fraternally , THE WRITER OF THE ARTICLE .

A CAUTION . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I notice in your issue of the 30 th ult . a letter headed " A Caution , " in which a name almost identical with my own is used . In 1877 , or perhaps late in 1876 , my Grand Lodge certificate disappeared , under circumstances which could only