Correspondence.

Correspondence .

We do not hold ourselves responsible tor the opinions expressed by our correspondents but we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limits—? " : e discussion .

THE KING AND THE CRAFT . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother As the immortal Crummies said , " How do these things get into the papers ? " In the present case the whole business seems most undignified and uncalled for with respect to these speculative and premature notices in the daily

papers regarding his Majesty King Edward VII . and the Grand Mastership By enclosed from to-day ' s Westminster Gazette , which is a rehash of your paragraph in last issue , we are told that "The Freemasons have lost their Grand Master , " which is certainly not true ; then , " in accordance with anticipation the King will resign his position . " Then follows a lot more speculations and surmisings , all said to be based upon information received this morning from Freemasons' Hall .

IT" I should like some old and wise head to tell me what precedence and etiquette have to say on the subject . At present I can but hope that his Majesty does not see the papers on the subject . I should have thought that common politeness would have caused silence upon the matter till some hint or suggestion had been received from his Majesty that he wished or desired some different arrangement with regard to his Grand

Mastership , for as such indecent haste is being shown his Majesty , that he is expected to resign , in fact , desired to do so , before his royal wishes are known , it would seem that it is considered derogatory and displeasing for a King to be Grand Master of the Fraternity . 1 should have thought that added lustre would have been imparted to the Craft by his Majesty ' s Mastership , if he so desired it .

We are further assured that "he will remain connected with it under the title of Patron , or , more likely still , perhaps that of Protector . " One can only repeat with the Dominie in Sir Walter Scott's novel , " Prodigious I" how kind , condescending , and obliging indeed it all is . Supposing his Majesty , possessing a will of his own , thinks otherwise , what will happen then ?

It certainly seems to the casual observer that there is no evidence at present that his Majesty will resign the Grand Mastership , nor that he will agree to take the title of Patron or Protector ; whatever this last means , it smacks reminiscent of the Oliver Cromwell era . In any case , I do think that silent tongues and pens should rule , and so lend dignity and respect to his Majesty on this present solemn and sad occasion . —I am , yours fraternally ,

T . MAY , 754 High Cross February 5 th .

NUMBER OF LODGES ABROAD . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother I am much obliged to my friend , Bro . W . F . Lamonby , for pointing out that the figures relative to the Grand Lodge of England , for the end of 1900 , were obtained from the official calendar ; so that my article on " The Grand Lodge , 1801-1901 , " includes the 35 lodges of Western Australia , which have " severed their connection with the English Constitution . " That is so .

It seemed to me better to confine myself to the total supplied in that publication , as then for another year , the losses would appear in due course ; though , had it occurred to me , I should have mentioned that the state of the Register as respects Lodges Abroad was not so good as it appears in the Calendar , but good nevertheless .

As the " Grand Lodge of Western Australia recently formed by lodges under the District Grand Lodge , " was recognised by our Grand Lodge on March 7 th , 1900 , I presume that the Board of General Purposes will soon report , how many , and what lodges have left our Roll , in consequence . Wishing the new Grand Lodge the utmost prosperity on the old lines so long followed by the premier Grand Lodge . —Believe me , yours fraternally ,

WILLIAM J . HUGHAN " Dunscore , " Torquay . February 2 nd .

GALLANT RESCUE IN THE ATLANTIC . To the Editor of the " Freemason , " Dear Sir and Brother , I enclose you an account of my son's latest achievement , which I hope you may think worthy of insertion in your columns . I venture to say that if ever a man deserved the Albert Medal my son does , and why he did not get it in 1888 or 1893 is , I suppose , owing to his modesty or the lack of influential friends to put his case forward .

If you will kindly refer to " Whitaker's Almanac , " page 114 , you will find that the decoration is given "for gallantry in saving , or attempting to save , life at sea or ashore . " Is it possible to get a clearer case of going into the jaws of death to rescue a fellow creature than deliberately jumping into water well knowing it was swarming with sharks , and this more than once ?

If you should think so , I hope you will deal with the matter in your own way . The decoration is bestowed by the Reigning Monarch , who now is our present M . W . G . M . —Yours fraternally , W . H . BULLOCK , P . M . and Sec . 2128 and 2432 .

172 , High-road , Tottenham , February 4 th . On the 15 th of January the Leyland liner William Cliff , which was bound from Liverpool to the West Indies , fell in with the Norwegian barque Arabia in a sinking condition . She was bound from Glasgow to Capetown , and her crew , who had been at the pumps for three days and nights , begged to be taken oil at

The commander of the steamer , Bro . Lieutenant W . H . Bullock , R . N . R ., signalled that he would stand by them , and make every effort to rescue all on board . The outlook , however , was not very hopeful , thc weather and sea were about as

bad as they could be , and the William Cliff was rolling heavily . Captain Uullock at once lay to to windward of the barque , and put out the No . 4 lifeboat , manned by his chief officer , Mr . Chadwick , and eight A . B's . As the boat was leaving she wa » struck by a tremendous sea , and Mr . Chadwick and three seamen were washed out of her . Mr . Chadwick and one man regained the boat , but the

Correspondence.

others failing , were with great difficulty hauled on board the steamer . The crew , then short-handed , got under weigh , and after a hard and long pull , got under the lee of the sinking ship . It was impossible to lay alongside , so the Norwegians had to watch their chance and jump , some falling into the sea in the attempt , but ultimately all , 14 in number , were got safely into the

lifeboat though much exhausted . By this time Captain Bullock had steamed round to leeward of the barque , and making a lee for the boat endeavoured to pick her up . This was without avail , and try as he could he could not get her alongside , he , therefore , had to give up the attempt , and decided to get them out with ropes , this was successful , and the rsscued men were pulled aboard .

By this time , the barque had gone down , and Captain Bullock had to give his attention to his own gallant boat ' s crew . For hours he tried to get the boat alongside , but finally had to get his men out of her by ropes also , and it was not until daylight the following morning , when the weather had moderated somewhat , that the lifeboat was secured , though in a very damaged condition . The

unfortunate men had no time to save anything , simply bringing with them the clothes they stood in . They were soon , however , made comfortable on board the liner . Captain Bullock at once stood away for the nearest land , Fayal , in the Azores , where he landed the rescued men and handed them over to the Norwegian Consul . He then continued his voyage with all speed , having mails and passengers on board .

It has been our pleasure o n three previous occasions to refer to Bro . Bullock in these columns , each time to chronicle his gallantry in saving life at sea . His first effort was in 1888 , when second officer of the ship Athelston . On that occasion he jumped overboard at Chanaral , in Chili , into a sea swarming with sharks , bringing back safely two of his drowning shipmates . This secured for him the bronze medal of the Board of Trade and the silver medal of the Shipwreck and Humane Society , accompanied by a framed vote of thanks .

Again , in 1891 , when chief officer of the ss . Floridian , he sprang overboard into Colon Harbour after one of the ship ' s fireman ( although he knew there were sharks alongside ) ,, and got the man safely on board . In that instance he was awarded the Board of Trade silver medal , and the Shipwreck and Humane Society again presented him with a framed vote of thanks , and added a bar to his silver medal and a pair ot binocular glasses .

In 1898 , when in command of the ss . Floridian , he fell in with the disabled Cunarder Cephalonia , drifting helplessly in the Atlantic , and' brought her safely into Queenstown , with 500 souls on board . For this Mr . Justice Barnes , in the Admiralty Court , awarded him the sum of £ 300 ( three hundred ) . Bro . Bullock is a member and first initiate of the United Northern Counties Lodge , No . 2128 , of which lodge his father is P . M . and Secretary .

SOME MASONS' NOTIONS OF " CHARITY . " To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , It is singular what peculiar ideas filter through persons' brains , controlling their actions—more or less—for good or bad , for instance , it has always been an accepted fact that" Charity " begins at home , benefitting your own kith and

kin , who may urgently require assistance before going abroad to help needy strangers ; but I have recently had an abominable suggestion made by an exalted member of the Craft , which , it is to be most earnestly hoped , is not universally accepted ( as he protests ) , viz ., that a poor brother is in no case to strive for the privileges and advantages of Freemasonry , in order to secure for himself a livelihood . How this discovery came about was as follows : I applied to the

member referred to , asking him , as a good and true brother , to secure me some employment if such lay in his power , stating my lowly requirements , enclosing copy of testimonial received from last engagement of over 10 years , and referring to certain brethren in the nei ghbourhood if he deemed same necessary . In response to this , a reply came from the firm ( of which he is a partner ) , being the usual cold , formal regret at having no vacancy , and by way

of postscript ( apparently an after thought ) , the following bitter , unreasonable , and ( I consider ) uncharitable statement : " Take my tip , and do not use Masonry for your advancement in life ; business is one thing and Masonry another , and the man who combines the two is usually regarded with thc contempt hc deserves . " ( The italics are mine . ) I was considerably taken aback on receipt of this sharp rejoinder . It was so far from any thought I had with regard to the doctrines of

the Order , as laid down in all Masonic literature , and I , therefore , addressed this ( to be hoped ) erring brother as follows : " Pray accept my acknowledgments for the advice you give ; it is the very first time I have received any intimation , or had any notion , that it was deemed contemptible to apply the advantages and privileges of the Fraternity to my-only-one object , that is , of securing a position in life , however lowly may be

the requirement ; if such is not permissible , without contumely , being attachable to the application , where comes in the boasted word ' Charity , ' that is so constantly referred to , for surely the means of obtaining a livelihood is a necessary preliminary to , and ( upon its fulfilment ) follo-. ued by the maintenance of our Institutions , for the one is contingent upon the other . Supposing my condition

was that of a well-to-do official , seeking honour and glory additional thereto , a contemptible employment of the advantages and privileges could be understood , and the term rightly applied ; but where , as in the present case , it was to secure the actual necessities of life , I fail to see the application , as No . 6 of the * ' General Heads of the Charges , " paragraph the second , distinctly intimates otherwise . "

Now , will any brother deserving that name say whether the word charity can be considered as of any meaning when opprobrium is cast upon a lowly member , who thus demeans himself by exposing his poverty , and solicits the privileges and advantages for the merest necessities V for in the 2 nd E pistle of Peter , 1 st chap . 7 verse , I read as follows : ( add ) " to godliness brotherly kindness , and to brotherly kindness charity , " but it appears to me one of the brethren ( at least ) would reverse the order of virtues .

Apologising for thus intruding upon your valuable space , —I am , dear sir , yours fraternally , A POOR BROTHER . 6 th February .

A Friend Of His Majesty.

A FRIEND OF HIS MAJESTY .

BRO . LORD SUFFIELD .

Many , no doubt , took notice of the departure of the King from St . James ' s Palace to meet the Privy Council and assume his position as monarch of thc realm in succession to Oueen Victoria . On that memorable occasion his Majesty was attended by two lords-in-waiting , one of whom is

a personal friend of very long standing . VVe refer to Lord Suffield ; and as he is likely to occupy an important position in close proximity to our King , some information as to his lordship may prove of interest to our readers .