Correspondence.

Correspondence .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limitstree discussion .

ACACIA LODGE , No . 2321 . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , As I quite understand that the perusal of your report of the last meeting of Acacia Lodge , No . 2321 , in this day ' s Freemason will be likely to create a misgiving in many minds as to the future of lodges founded on " class "

lines , permit me to express my personal gratification to find that consideration for " first principles " has apparently had full weight with the members of 2321 . This is as it should be , for after all , to stultify the main reason for the foundation of a lodge after such success as the Acacia can boast of must be a more or less hazardous proceeding . With the merits or demerits of the case as a nonmember I have nothing to do , but I shall always take a lively interest in the

welfare of the lodge in question , and I certainly should have been sorry to hear that such a resolution as was proposed had been carried . After eight years acknowledged success I am tempted to state a few facts concerning its foundation , partly to account for my personal interest , but chiefly to 'allay whatever feeling may remain o utside or be growing inside the lodge against the principle of the founders , who had to contend against much misrepresentation , as well as the general prejudice of that time against " Temperance Lodges . "

I have more than once been credited with having conceived the idea and contributed more than anybody to the obtaining of the Acacia warrant ; neither one nor the other honour fairly belongs to me , and I have always denied the statement when present . Bro . S . A . Auty , P . M ., first mentioned the matter to me on returning home together one night from ^ 87 . The recent dying statement of a Mason had been

freely circulated to the discredit of Freemasonry and roused my indignation , so that I was in a frame of mind to take it up , to show the world that Masons could meet and attend to lodge duties without the attraction of " the bottle . " It was only necessary to establish a lodge where the members were willing—teetotalism entirely out of the question—to exercise a little self-denial during the few hours passed at the lodge . This was how it struck me ; and it was the spirit that alone animated the founders of Acacia .

We talked the matter over again , Bro . Last , P . M . and Sec , being the only brother I recollect among the first half dozen to meet in committee . After that I worked hard , which is a thing I can't help when interested , and in doing my best , only did what the rest tried to do . I was asked to be the first W . M . which I declined ( 1 ) because I knew ,

perhaps , better than anyone connected with it what was best for the lodge , and ( 2 ) the proposal was not in accordance with the motives with which I became a founder . I installed its first W . M . in the presence of the Prov . G . Master and his officers , and acted as I . P . M . during the first year of its existence . Since then the Acacia has prospered and distinctly made its mark as „ one of the leading lodges of West Yorkshire . —I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours ' fraternally ,

J . RAMSDEN RILEY , P . P . G . D . C . W . Yorkshire Liverpool , 28 th August .

LODGE CONSECRATION QUERY . To the Editor ot the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Will " One Who Knows " be good enough to inform or enlighten your readers regarding the following query :

Monday , the 30 th ult ., was , Masonically , an important day at Bradford . In the morning Provincial Grand Lodge met at the Masonic Hall , and the brethren marched in procession to the Infirmary , where the memorial stone of the Victoria Nurses Home was laid by the Provincial Grand Master of Derbyshire , Bro . his

Grace the Duke of Devonshire , and in the afternoon the Victoria Lodge , No , 2669 , was consecrated by the Provincial Grand Master of West Yorkshire , Bro . the Right Hon . W . L . Jackson , M . P . Bro . his Grace the Duke of Devonshire , P . G . M . for Derbyshire , also attended , and , as might be expected , the two events induced a large assembly of the Craft .

The consecration of Victoria Lodge took place in the " Supper " Room ( not Ihe Lodge Room ) at Freemasons' Hall , Salem-street , Bradford . It is a commodious room , but with a low ceiling and very inadequate as regards accommodation for the large number of brethren who desired to witness the proceedings . The room was packed , and many other brethren in the town would gladly have attended if they could have been admitted .

Query—As there were several commodious and convenient rooms or suitable places in the town—the Church Institute was close by—a question was asked why a more suitable place had not been engaged for the consecration ceremony . The answer given was ( it was stated by authority ) " That the lodge must be consecrated upon the premises where the meetings were appointed to be held . " I ventured to impugn the correctness of such " ruling , " and to allege that a new lodge

may be consecrated at any suitable and convenient place that may be appointed for the purpose ; that it is the " lodge , " not the " room " or " building " where it is to be held , that is " consecrated . " It occurs to my mind in reading the reports in the Freemason that the ceremony of consecration has frequently been performed in places where the regular lodges were not appointed to be held . This , of necessity , must frequently be the c . ise

for instance , take the case of a new lodge in a small country town , the room where the meetings are intended to be held , perhaps , will only accomm odate , say 30 or 40 members , it would be practically impossible for the Prov . G . Officers and a large array of brethren to perform the ceremony of consecration in such a small room wilh any degree of comfort or dignity . Surely it would be more

convenient to conduct the special ceremony in a more commodious room or building where ample accommodation could be afforded for all attending the ceremonial . This is what was suggested should have been done as regards the Victoria Lodge , Bradford , on the 30 th ult ., but it was stated by authority that such a course could not be taken ; if not , then why not ' t That is the object of my enquiry . —Yours fraternally , SECRETARY P . M .

THE ALTERATIONS IN THE CONSTITUTIONS . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , The opposition cffcred at the recent meeting of Grand Lodge to th t portion of the minutes of the preceding Grand Lodge which gave effect to the recommendations of the Committee specially appointed by Grand Lodge at its meeting on the 3 rd March last , was a surprise to many ; and , although the attempt to non-confirm the minutes was defeated by a very large majority , it is a

Correspondence.

little astonishing that so many as 78 brethren could be found to support a proposition for the rejection of resolutions which had been previously carried by an overwhelming majority . The probable explanation is that many of the members of Grand Lodge attended the meeting last Wednesday for the first time , and , doubtless there were many others who had no knowledge of the circumstances ot the case , beyond what they gleaned from the speeches on the occasion .

So far as could be gathered , the opponents of confirmation grounded their opposition on the allegation that sufficient time had not been allowed the Masonic authorities abroad to express their opinions on alterations in the Book of Constitutions , which would mainly affect them . Now , what are the facts of the case ? The Districts abroad affected by the alterations are no less than 28 in number , distributed over various portions of the globe . A very considerable portion of these can be reached by post much within

a month , and the remotest within six weeks . It must , therefore , be apparent that every District has had ample opportunity for expressing its opinion on the proposed alterations , of which notice was given as long since as the 17 th February last . But I am authoritatively informed that with the exception of a telegram purporting to come from four of the five District Grand Masters in New Zealand , and a couple of letters from private lodges , no objection whatever has been taken

by Lodges Abroad to the alterations confirmed on Wednesday last , and which it will be remembered were finally settled and approved by a Committee specially appointed by Grand Lodge at the Quarterly Communication on the 3 rd March last , such Committee being almost entirely composed of brethren with great Colonial experience , and Bro . Eve , who has specially identified himself with Colonial questions .

I will not prolong this letter by entering into the merits of the alterations which have now become law , further than by expressing a confident belief that they will tend to promote the best interests of Masonry in our Colonies and foreign possessions , by enabling brethren in distant lands to give effect in a legitimate manner to those aspirations for self-government , which experience shows has been so successfully adopted in our Colonial possessions , and which , without doubt , has done much to strengthen and cement that happy union with the Mother Country whi ch has never been closer than now .

There are probably no lodges in the empire animated by warmer feelings of adm iration and respect for the Grand Lodge of England than those composing the independent self-governing Colonial Grand Lodges , of which his Royal Highness cur Grand Master has been pleased to accept the high position of Patron . — Yours fraternally , A CONSTANT ATTENDANT AT GRAND LODGE . Sept . 6 th , 1897 .

Reviews.

Reviews .

* ' FREEMASONRY IN POOLE . "—Being a History of the Lodge of Amity ( 1765—1 S 97 ) and of the Royal Arch Chapter , No . 137 , in the Province of Dorset ; with a Sketch of the Amity Mark Lodge , No . 132 . Compiled by W . Bro . Alexander C . Chapin , I . P . M . No . 137 , & c . Price 7 s . 6 d . nett . Published under the Authority of the Lodge , Chapter , and Mark Lodge ; A . D . 1897 , A . L . 5901 . Poole : W . Bro . C . J . Woodford , P . P . G . P ., P . Z ., P . P . G . P . S ., Stamp Office . London : W . Bro . G . Kenning 16 and 16 a , Great Queen-street . —There is no stronger or more gratifying evidence of the ever-increasing interest that is being taken in Freemasonry than is to be found in the

frequent publication of lodge histories and the occasional issue of works of a more elaborate character . Years ago , the appearance of a history of any lodge or Province was an event of the very rarest occurrence , nor did our periodical Iiterature , beyond recording the proceedings in Grand , Provincial Grand , and such private bodies as the Editors obtained the entree to , contribute much towards furnishing an insight into Masonic history . Even when they did so , they were not particularly careful about what they were good enough to collate , and innocently palm off upon their readers as facts . All this is now changed , and there is seldom a year passes which does not witness the

publication of one or more histories , derived from authentic sources , and throwing a most interesting light upon the persons who belonged to our Society , and the events in which they took part in the more or less remote past . It was but the other day we had the pleasure of reviewing an elaborate account , compiled by Bro . Zillwood Milledge , of the All Souls' Lodge , No . 170 , Weymouth , the second senior lodge in the Province of Dorset , and now we have before us a history , which is certainly less elaborate , but equally meritorious , as regards the authenticity of its facts , of the Lodge of Amity , No . 137 , Poole—the senior lodge in the self-same Province of

Dorset—which its I . P . M ., Bro . A . C . Chapin , has compiled from the minute books and other trustworthy sources . No comparison is possible between-these two histories of Dorset Masonry , nor were such a comparison possible , should we dream of instituting one . The author of each of them has formulated and successfully carried out his own particular mode of dealing with the materials he worked from , and each has merits of its own which those who read them will not be slow to discover . The two together undoubtedly afford such an insight into the progress of Masonry in this favoured province as could only be exceeded by a complete history of the Craft in Dorsetshire .

Bro . Chapin , in his compact and business-like volume , takes us very carefully through the history of the Lodge of Amity , laying particular stress on the more important events which have graced its career , but making no attempt at recording them in the form of a connected narrative . On the contrary , he treats each event which he deems worthy of notice separately , and when there are several events of a similar character , but occurring at different times , he groups them together under one head . This plan has many advantages , but , at the same time , it has this material disadvantage , that until you have accustomed yourself to the author's mode of treatment

you find yourself continually moving backwards and forwards in the matter of dates . Thus , to give just one illustration of our meaning : At page 30 the last paragraph but one reads thus : " 1 S 14 . —LODGES OF INSTRUCTION . —The P . G . M . held a Lodge of Instruction at Dorchester after the P . G . L . had been held . " Following this is a * series . of paragraphs relating to lodges of instruction , and lectures given by brethren in lodge , dated respectively—1859 , 1862 , 1865 , 1393 , 1 S 9 O ; ani then we hark back to 1 S 16 for the "Confirmation of Minutes . " This , for on : e in the way , would not greatly matter , but when the grouping is continually being repeated , and the

process of harking back—say from 1893 to 1 S 13 , or 1823—has continually to be repeated , our sense of chronological order runs the risk of beceming somewhit c mfused , and we begin at times to wonder where we are . But we do not lay great stress on what is after all only a matter of arrangement , and , as we have said , if until we have become accustomed to it , there is the disadvantage we have spoken of , we profit by the grouping of similar events under one head . As for the history itself , we must not deprive our readers of the pleasure they cannot fail to derive from the study of Bro . Clapin ' s work . Suffice it to say , that from 17 C 5 onwards , the progress of the lodge is carefully traced , while the

most prominent members are mentioned , and the events recorded with which they were connected . Perhaps the most interesting episode in the history of Amity Lod ^ e is that concerning "THE BISCUIT , " under the date of the year 1 S 13 , which is fully recorded at pp . 25-27 . This " Biscuit" is still religiously preserved by the lodge among its ancient archives , and the inscription thereon , which will be found in the appendix at p . S 5 , and which we take the liberty of transcribing in full , is as follows : "This biscuit is preserved by the lodge of Amity , as a memorial of their gratitude and brotherly affection for Jacque de Bon , Captain of the Gunon , a French privateer of St . Maloes , who captured at sea on the 13 th December , 1813 at 11 a . m . in latitude

49 50 and longitude 7 vest , the brig Oak , of Poole , Br . Stephen Pack , Master , belonging to Bro . G . W . Ledgard and John GJSS , on her passage from Bilbao to Poole , who , after treating him and his crew with every mark of kindness , returned him his vessel and sent on board a dog , which before had been taken from a brother , with this biscuit suspended with a string round his neck signifying that he would not keep a brother ' s dog in bondage nor see him want bread . Thus the man who holds forth his hand for the relief of his necessitous brethren is fully repaid by the gratitude of those whom he obliges , by the approbation of his own mind , and the favour of the Omnipotent Being who cannot behold such a bright display of Masonic Virtue without asserting his Divine and everlasting approbation . "