Correspondence.

Correspondence .

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

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS . Tb the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I desire to call the attention of all subscribers to , and others who are interested in , the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , to the case of a child ( O'Neill by name ) who is a candidate at the next election for admission .

The girl is an only child . Her mother is dead . Her father is alive and is now a Battery Quartermaster-Serjeant in the Royal Artillery . He is paid at the rate of 4 s . 2 d . a day , and , even if he retires at once , is entitled to a pension for life of over 2 s . a day . In addition to his pay he receives his daily rations like other soldiers ; is clothed free by the State ; receives free medical attendance and accommodation in hospital ; and a house , or quarters , rent and taxes free . The child is entitled to live with her father in married quarters , and further receives free medical attendance , and free education at the expense of the State .

_ Is this a fair case for the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls ? When the Petitions Committee passed it last year , the above facts were not before it . The only fact that was vouchsafed to it was that the girl ' s father had 4 s . a day pay . I communicated the additional facts above mentioned to the General Committee at the end of last year , with the result that the Committee recommended that the name of the girl be removed from the list of candidates at the April election . This recommendation , however , was not accepted by the General Court , and the name , therefore , remains on the list .

If cases like this are considered proper ones to take up , I submit that we are only providing for those whe are already amply provided for , and , in fact , paying twice over for them . It appears to me to be most unjust to ask for donations to an Institution to support such cases , and to thereby directl y deprive some other

child of help , who is in dire need , and who has no bread-winner . —Believe me , yours faithfully and fraternally , J . H . LESLIE , P . M . i 960 , E . C Hathersage , Sheffield , March 9 th .

FRIENDLY LODGE , No . 239 . To the Editor of the "Freemason : ' Dear Sir and Brother , Having special interest in anything pertaining to our old lodges , I have perused a copy of the " History of No . 239 , " kindly sent me by Bro . Emil X . Leon , with some satisfaction , and congratulate this foreign lodge on its having been able to obtain a centenary warrant .

If , however , the reprint of the warrant is correct , 1 feel that it is much to be deplored that one of the newest of these documents should contain a most inaccurate recital . The Grand Lodge warrant , No . 342—reprinted in the History —was not issued until 31 st January , 1809 ( the lodge having been previously

working under a provincial warrant , No . 8 , Jamaica , which was never returned for registration to Grand Lodge ) , yet the centenary warrant distinctly states that in 1797 a Warrant of Constitution was granted , which was then registered in the books of the Grand Lodge as No . 342—i . e ., 11 years prior to its appearance on the Grand Lodge records .

I have , unfortunately , had very painful experience of the mischief which these inaccurate recitals produce , and in this instance it is quite reasonable to infer that in years to come the centenary warrant will be treated as a document of record , and its contents not to be questioned . —Yours fraternally , JNO . LANE . Torquay , March 14 th .

Reviews.

Reviews .

"PROCEEDINGS OF THE MASONIC VETERAN ASSOCIATION OF MINNESOTA . "The present part is in continuation of the volume of transactions of this real live Masonic organisation , having our zealous Bro . Dr . George R . Metcalf as President , and the courteous Bro . G . VV . Merrill as Secretary . The Society was started in 1 S 92 , and the sixth annual re-union was held at St . Paul in January last . Some of the papers read to the members are of special interest , and they wisely refer to the origin and progress of the Craft in that Grand Lodge as their chief object , thauzh , of course , not

exclusively . Bro . G . W . Speth , the Secretary of the celebrated " Quatuor Coronati " Lodge , by desire of the President , secured enough wood from the old house of the Goose and Gridiron , London , to make a gavel , which he gracefully presented to the Association ; a veritable Masonic curio . Bro . Speth was elected one of the honorary members in 1 S 93 , and at the last meeting a similar compliment was paid Bro . W . J . Hughan ( one of the founders of that lodge ) in recognition of his valuable services to the Fraternity as a " Masonic Historian and Arch .-eologist . " Twenty-eight honorary

members have been elected since 1 S 92 , the onl y brethren from Great Britain being the two noted , and 270 active members have likewise been received in connection with the same Association , of whom there are now 22 and 257 respectively . In the former class there are several well known and esteemed Craftsmen in the United States , including . Past Grand Masters J . H . Drummond , T . S . Parvin , General J . C . Smith , and other distinguished brethren . There are several illustrations , and the pamphlet is neatly got up and a credit to the editor .

"FREEMASONS'CALENDAR FOR THE PROVINCE OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE , 1 S 9 S . " ( Derry and Sons , Ltd ., Nottingham ) . —This excellent Annual , compact and exhaustive , cannot fail to prove a great boon to the province , and is ably edited by the respected Prov . G . Sec , Bro . Arthur Stubbs . The information is of an extensive character , embracing as it does lists of the members of each of the lodges , chapters , and other Masonic bodies , and a roll of all the Present and Past Officers of the Prov . G . Lodge ,

as well as of the Voters in connection with the Royal Masonic Institutions . There are 143 G votes held in the province by the S 53 members of the 18 lodges . The chapters number eight , with 262 companions , and there are four Mark lodges with 155 Mark Masters . There is one preceptory of the K . T ., and there are two Rose Croix chapters . The particulars afforded of the adjoining provinces are most useful , and add much to the interest and value of this handy Guide , which is published so early in the year .

" HiuiiwAVS AND BYWAVS IN DEVON AND CORNWALL" ( London : Macmillan and Co . Ltd . ) , 1 S 9 S . —A new book on the West-country is not an every-day occurrence now , for so many have rapturously dilated on its entrancing beauties and wild grandeur , that few would care to try their hand at such a work , particularly amid so many candidates already in the field . Mr . Arthur H . Norway has the courage of his convictions and has not only written a work " which proposes as its object to gather up some ol the chief aspects of those counties , " but has succeeded most admirably . " Devon contains sceneiy of a beauty which is not surpassed , and of a variety which is nowhere equalled in all England . " It is rather amusing to read that the author , though bent on doing justice to the most westerly county , as never before , found that Devonshire " had

Reviews.

already spread itself into almost half the book , " before Cornwall nominally came on the scene . So , however , would it have been with Devonshire bad Cornwall first been considered , for their claims are each so strong that a friendly rivalry is almost unavoidable . The susceptibilities of Cornishmen are relieved by the admission that " we may cherish a conviction that the relation of Devonshire to Cornwall is that of the ante-room to the presence chamber , or the hars d ' eeuvres to the binquet . " One of the burning questions

asked is , Was it neighbourly to steal her cream and cill it " Devonshire" ? " Not even the Devonshiie Association has ventured to claim that the ships of Tyre or Sidon brought their scald cans up the Tamar or Dart . " But it will not do to enter into particulars when the tasty volume can be had for the small sum of six shillings , though it extends to nearly 400 pages and is abundantly illustrated by Joseph Pennell and Hugh Thomson .

" HISTORY OF THE POST OFFICE PACKET SERVICE BETWEEN THE YEARS 1 793 . 1 S 15 , by Arthur H . Norway . —( London : Macmillan and Co . )—This is a most entertaining volume on a subject but little known , and is as interesting as a novel . There is not a dull page in all the 300 , and the engravings are very spirited and valuable , because the originals are both rare and curious . * ' No Nation can afford to forget its past history , and England , of all others , whose power is so deeply rooted in sea-fights , shou'd not be careless of her naval records . " As respects the great sea-battles , justice has been done

our naval heroes , but one service has been quite overlooked , and its history has remained untold until now , viz ., that of the " Post OjjicePacket , " with which Falmouth ( Cornwall ) , was associated for over a century and a half . This town was selected by the Postal Authorities , in 16 SS , as the point of embarkation and departure for the Spanish Mail Boats , then recently arranged . In all of the marvellous tales of the eventful past , in which several of the old Cornish towns played such a conspicuous part , such as Fowey , Looe , and Penryn , Falmouth took no share , for that town was then " bare hillside , when

the Fowey men vindicated their claim to rank among the Cinque Ports . " Early in the 17 th century , however , the prettily situated town at the entrance to the Fa ! had blossomed into activity , prosperity , and importance , and was a busy , thriving seaport . The news for which all England was anxiously waiting reached Falmouth first of all , and became common property in the county , long before it travelled to the Metropolis . Mr . Norway recounts all the stirring events of the period in a most sympathetic manner ,

and the extraordinary engagements and hairbreadth escapes unite in making one of the most readable and unusual works published during the present decade . The chapters on the North Sea Packets , the Second French War , and the American War , must be read to be rightly valued , and cover a most important period in which the Post Office Packet Service took a prominent and most praiseworthy part . The exciting details are too numerous to be even slightly referred to , so we recommend the purchase of the volume at Ss . Gd . net , from any bookseller .

Provincial Grand Mare Lodge Of Leicestershire And Rutland.

PROVINCIAL GRAND MARE LODGE OF LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND .

The annual meeting of the above Provincial Grand Mark Lodge was held at Freemasons' Hall , Leicester , on Thursday , the 3 rd inst . Bro . the Right Hon . the Earl of Euston , Pro G . M ., Prov . G . M ., presided , supported by Bros . j . W . Woodall , P . P . G . M . North and East Yorkshire ; VV . J . Freer , Deputy Prov . G . M . ; and other Prov . Grand Officers , Present and Past .

The Provincial Grand Lodge having been opened , the P . G . M ., Dep . P . G . M ., and G . Officers were saluted . On the roll of lodges being called , each lodge was found to be

represented . Reports from the W . M . of each lodge were read , as also the report of the Committee of General Purposes , all exhibiting Mark Masonry in the province as in a flourishing and healthful condition .

The PROV . G . TREASURER read a statement of accounts for the past year , showing a balance in hand of £ 39 19 s . 9 j . The thanks of the Provincial Grand Lodge were given to Bro . J . H . Thompson for his services , and he was again unanimously re-elected Prov . G . Treasurer .

The PROV . G . SECRETARY , after reading an appeal from the Secretary of the Boys' School asking for support at its Centenary Festival , proposed that the sum of 10 guineas be taken from Provincial Grand Lodge funds , and placed upon the list of Bro . B . A . Smith , P . P . G . W ., who has

undertaken to represent the province as Steward on the occasion . This being seconded by Bro . W . VIAL , was agreed to . The Prov . Grand Master then appointed and invested the Prov . Grand Officers as follows :

Bro . Wm . Jesse Freer , P . M . ... ... Dep . Prov . G . M . „ Wm . Vial , P . M . ... ... ... Prov . S . G . W . „ William A . Musson , W . M . ... ... Prov . J . G . W . „ T . G . Charlesworth , P . M . ... ... Prov . G . M . O . „ H . Goodacre Marriott , P . M . ... ... Prov . S . G . O . „ Geo . Carter Oliver ... ... ... Prov . J . G . O . ,, Rev . R . Wharton Lancaster ... ... Prov . G . Chap . „ J . H . Thompson , P . M ., P . G . Stwd . ... Prov . G . Treas . „ John Joseph Sharp ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ Rev . H . J . Mason , P . M ., G . C . ... ... Prov . G . Sec . „ Wm . Finn , W . M . ... ... ... Prov . S . G . D . „ Walter Sheen , W . M . ... ... ... Prov . J . G . D , „ John Wm . Barker ... ... ... Prov . G . L of Wks . „ H . Howe ... ... ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ John Wigg ... ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B . „ Frank Birch ... ... ... .,. Prov . G . Std . Br . „ W . Hurst ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ W . H . Wootton ... ... ... Prov . G . I . G . ,, R . L . Adkinson ... ... ,,. " " \ ,, G . B . Chalcraft ... ... ... I r , r >

Prov . Grand Maik Lodge was then closed , after which the brethren adjourned to the banqueting hall , at which the Prov . G . M . presided , and the usual Masonic toasts were honoured . 4

THE DUKK OF CONNAUGHT has , in the district orders , arranged for a staff tour { torn \ Vie 21 st until the 15 th inst . His Koya \ Highness , whs will be accompanied by »" Aide-de-Camp , will direct the operations with a staff consisting of Major-General Hiljj " yard , C . B ., Colonel Talbot Coke , A . A . G ., and Lieut-Colonel Douglas , D . A . A . G . ThB assistant-directors of operations will be Lieut .-Colonel Henderson ( York and Lancaste r Regiment ) , with the " Red" force and Licut .-Colonel Walker , R . A ., with the "Blue .