The Freemason.

butcher , and one accountant . Of these cases sixteen are London and sixty-three provincial and colonial .

* * So many reckless statements have been made , so many unwise remarks put forward in re- the "Bitual Question , " that we feel sure we are exercising a wise discretion , in the best interests of Masonry , and meeting the wishes of

many zealous friends , in keeping for the future the the subject altogether out of the columns of the Freemason . Wc shall not henceforth encourage any discussion as to " what is this use" or " what is t ' other , " or " what is correct" or what is " vice versa . "

* * MANY objections are made to a Masonic press , mainly on the ground of the publication of " aporreta , " of things which only concern the lodge , and ought not to be dealt wiih out of

lodge . No one who has not had to do with the conducting of a Masonic paper , especially in this age of free discussion , —and following the bad example originally set , be it remembered , by Dr

Oliver , —can realize the difficulty of excision or suppression . But we fully admit we have long felt that " ritually " we are publishing far too much , and greatly against the laws of Masonry and even good taste .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ Wf . do r . ot hold ourselves responsible for , or even approving of , the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish in * spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within cerfatn necessary limits—free discussion . ]

BRO . J . B . MONCKTON . To the Eilitor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , To answer individually the mass of congratulatory letters I have received and am receiving from brethren

all over thc country , except in the unworthy form or a circular , is impossible within the limits of time that courtesy would prescribe . Allow me to say in your columns how very much I appreciate the " Hearty good wishes " thus conveyed . I am , faithfully and fraternally yours ,

JOHN B . MONCKTON . Queen Anne ' s Mansion , Queen Anne ' s Gate , S . W . 18 th March . QUALIFICATIONS OF A GRAND TREASURER .

To thc hdttor qf the " Fi cemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Referring to a letter from " Lex " on the qualifications of a Grand Treasurer , I think it might be well just to point out that for a salaried official of the Craft , for such I take Bro . Binekes to be , to bring forward any motion whatever in Grand Lodge is a very great impropriety , as it

shows that he , ami in a less degree thc brother who seconded his proposition ( and whom I was very sorry to sec did so ) , fail to understand tbe relation in which they stand to the Craft at large . They are its servants , and as such have no business to express opinions unless they are called upon to do so , and then only upon their own

special subjects . I am , yours fraternally , S . M . M . C . O . [ We publish this leltcr on the principle of " free discussion , " always upheld in the Freemason , but we note that " Lex ' s " letter alluded only to " principles-, " this letter bears rather on " persons " and not principles . See our remarks in leader . —En . ]

CORRF . CTION . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Kindly correct the following misprint which appears in my letter in your last issue , viz ., in the third paragraph , eighth line , read " Board of Past Blasters " instead of " Board of Installed Masters . " Yours fraternally ,

MANCUNIUM . March i sth .

MASONIC RHGALIA . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Can you or any of your correspondents inform me why Masters and Past Masters disregard the instructions contained in the last paragraph on page 125 in our Book of Constitutions ?

It is there stated , " The Masters and Past Masters of lodges to wear in the place of the three rosettes on the Master Mason ' s apron perpendicular lines upon horizontal lines , thereby forming three several sets of two right angles , the length of the horizontal lines to be two inches-and-ahalf each and of the perpendicular lines one each ; these emblems to be of rill-on , half-an-inch broad , and of the

same colour as the lining and edging of the apron . " At the last Quarterly Communication I noticed that , instead of conforming to these simple instructions , at the least computation , 80 per cent , of the brethren wore on their aprons chased initial emblems . A notice has been issued by Grand Lodge relating to certain irregularities which have taken place with respect

Original Correspondence.

to the Charity jewel , but tbe point I have raised appears to have escaped attention . The matter may not be of very great importance , but as we have a rule to guide us , would it not be better to adhere to it ? Yours fraternally , P . M . 176 S , 421 , & c .

ROYAL MASONIC PUPILS' ASSISTANCE FUND . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I have pleasure in sending you a list of amounts subscribed to the Royal Masonic Pupils' Assistance Fund

to the present time ; also copy of a letter from Bro . Meggy , both of which I shall be glad to see published in the next issue oE your paper . Yours fraternally , DICK RADCLYFFE . 129 , High Holboin , London , W . C , nth March .

ROYAL MASONIC PUPILS' ASSISTANCL FUND . 1 ith March , 1880 . The following is a list of the amounts subscribed : — DONATIONS . £ s . d . H . R . H . the Prince of Wales ... ... 26 5 o H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught ... 20 o o

H . R . H . Prince Leopold ... ... to a o Rosslyn , Right Hon . tbe Earl of ... ... 26 3 o Clarke , Hyde ... ... ... 10 10 o Egerton , the Hon . Wilbraham , M . P . ... 10 10 o Ferrieres , Baron de ... ... ... 10 10 o Guest , Montague J . ... ... ... 10 10 o

Martyn , Rev . C . J . ... ... ... 10 10 o Tew , T . W ., J . D . ... 5 5 ° Adams , Herbert J . ... ... ... 500 Bagshawe , Rev . Agustus H . ... ... 5 5 ° Barfield , A . ... ... ... 110 Blackburn , George ... ... ... 10 10 o

Bodenham , J . ... ... ... 5 5 o Clarke , Stephenson ... ... ... 10 o o Constable , J ohn ... . . ... 10 10 o Cronin , D . ... ... ... 5 5 o Cronin , F . ... ... ... 5 3 o Cousins . C . ... ... ... 160

Davy , C . R . ... ... ... 1 1 o Gibb , T . Eccleston ... ... ... 10 10 o Godfrey , Henry ... ... . . 5 5 ° Greenfield , John ... ... ... 5 S ° Higham , P . ... ... ... 13 13 o Higham , Mrs . P . ... ... ... 5 1 °

Hopekirk , W . ... ... ... 1 1 o Howkins , Thomas ... ' " ... ... 1 1 o Jacobs , J . ... ... ... 3 S o James , W . H . ... ... ... 1 1 o Johnson , E . ... ... ... 5 5 o Mortis , Rev . R . ... ... ... 1 1 o

Neilson , James Horner ... ... 5 c o Pears , Andrew ... ... ... 5 5 ° Robinson , Rev . George ... ... too Short , Rev . W . F . ... ... ... 5 5 o Spice , R . P . ... . ... ... 500 Storr , E . F . ... ... ... 550

Wentworth , T . J . ... ... ... e 5 o Winkfield , A . P . ... ... ... s 5 o Woodward , E . C . ... ... ... 10 10 o Woodward , Mrs . E . C . ... ... 10 10 o Anness , S . R . ... ... ... 250 Morgan , jun ., W . W , ... ... ... 10 10 o

Radclyffe , Dick ... ... ... 20 o o The Provincial Grand Lodge of Hampshire and the fsle of Wight ... ... 10 10 o Lewis Lodge , No . 1185 , Wood Green ... 5 5 ° Lodge of _ Economy , No . ; 6 , Winchester ... 5 e , o

£ 377 1 ° ° Donations ( as above ) ... ... £ 377 10 o Annual subscriptions ( as other list ) ... 27 9 6 £ 404 19 6 ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS . £ s . d . Hickman , W . ... ... ... 1 1 o

Ayling , T . ... ... ... 1 1 o Bagshawe , Rev . Augustus A . ... ... 1 1 o Challen , Charles ... ... ... 1 1 o Davy , C . R . ... ... ... 110 Eynon , R . ... ... ... o 10 o Frere , E . T . o e o

Godfrey , Henry ... ... ... 1 t o Hodges , H . Howard ... ... ... 110 Hopper , W . ... ... ... o 10 o Johnson , H . J . ... ... ... 1 1 o Miskin , II . ... ... ... o 10 o Petts , E . J . 1 1 o

Pollitzer , S . ... ... ... 1 1 o Ravenshaw , Rev . F . F . ... ... 1 1 o Shaw , Rev . R . D . ... .. ... 1 1 o Smith , H . R . Cooper ... ... ... 1 1 o Snelling , W . Walton ... ... ... 1 1 o Taylor , T . ... ... ... 1 1 o

Thiellay , E . H . ... ... ... 0106 Wentworth , T . G . ... ... ... 220 Adair Lodge , No . 936 , Aldborough ... 1 1 o Lord Warden Lodge , No . 1096 , Deal ... 1 1 o St . Luke ' s Lodge , No . 225 , Ipswich . „ 220 Tranquillity Lodge , No . 185 , London ... 3 3 o

£ 27 9 6 22 , Bedford Place , Russell-square , London , W . C , nth March , 1880 . 1 hereby certify that I have examined the receipt books

Original Correspondence.

of the Royal Masonic Pupils' Assistance Fund and compared them with the bankers' pass book , and that the total receipts to this date amount to £ 110 2 s . ( say one hundred and ten pounds two shillings ) , of which £ 108 6 s . is paid into the bank , as well as a country cheque for £ 1 is ., and that 15 s . has been received in postage stamps .

( Signed ) THOMAS MEGGY , Public Accountant . Rev . C . J . Martyn announced at the meeting that nothing had been drawn out from the bank . D . RADCLYFFE .

7 b the . Editor of thc " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I am glad to see that the promoters of the new Charity Fund have published a list of sub ; criptions and donations , which is satisfactory ; the difference between the total and the amount paid into the bank would , I presume ,

be accounted for by sums not yet paid . It would have completed the satisfaction of that large section of the public who are always " wanting to know " if a statement of the liabilities that bad been incurred up to the date of the meeting had also been published . Yours fraternally , P . M .

To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — It will have been seen by your report , that when I challenged the proposals of this expansive " fund " I was met with cries of " No , no . " In the interests of truth , I beg to inform you that in the hands of those who cried " No , no" was a list of the supposed necessities of the

pupils who leave the Masonic Boys' School , and this list distinctly laid down that the proposed " fund" was to stand as the parent and guardian , not only to the youths , but even to watch over them "through life , " to find them the means of learning professions , of actually " later in life" ( I quote the exact words of the programme ) purchasing businesses for them , and of creating scholarships ,

maintaining them at universities , and of " obtaining" for them commissions in the army and navy . Your faithful report of the proceedings will show that thc proposals were not even " damned with faint praise , " for the common sense of every one plainly expressed that , when not Quixotic , the proposals were idiotic . There is one point to which I should like to call Lord

Rosslyn ' s attention . He expressed his astonishment at the proposals , and virtually withdrew from them . I was aghast at hearing this , for I had received a circular in which I was particularly requested to favour " Lord Rosslyn personally , " by allowing my name to appear as a supporter of the proposed " fund . " Having a keen sense of the great responsibility attached to those who start a new

" Charity , " I had no idea of connecting myself with any cut and dried organisation , in which , as I have seen before , all the Committee are merely so many puppets for some clever manipulator to conjure with ; but it is worth while directing Lord Rosslyn ' s attention to the fact that the large " Committee " appear to have given their names because they were ? iven to understand that Lord Rosslyn

" personally" desired them to assist him in doing some charitable work which he thought necessary to be done . It is now seen that the extent of the work is to assist a few boys who may be friendless . The question is , how far any boys can be absolutely Iriendless when they have conquered the difficulty of an election to a Charity like the Masonic Boys' School . To attain this initial success in

life requires many and influential friends , and if the education given in the School does not fit the boy at sixteen to commence the start in life , well , then I consider it is so much the worse tor the School , and that it is time to consider whether a less expensive and more useful education could not be given—an education which would not be " wasted . " When a school so educates the boys that

on the threshold of life they are helpless unless a new " fund " is created to carry them on to universities , and to " obtain " for them commissions in the army or navy , it is time to consider whether the whole itself is not a mistake . Then , too , what about the Masonic girls ? Is there to be a similar " fund " for the girls , to provide thrm with marriage portions ; to look after them through life ; to sec to

the vaccination of their children , & c . & c , & c . ; to stand in the position of mothers-in-law to litem , simply because they , like the boys , were lucky enough to commence their career in life with many friends who voted them into the School , and then were cruel enough to desert them , leaving them still dependent upon the Masonic brotherhood ? We want no such "fund . " If there are any cases which

require help , it will be forthcoming , but we want no lrrationably enthusiastic brothers advocating that we should go without great coats for a winter , or breakfasts three times a week , or installation banquets , and other means of " saving , " in order to endow with the blessings of a paid Secretariat a new fund with a charity-run-mad programme . Yours faithfully and fraternally , JOHN WHILE , P . M . 228 .

MASONIC CHARITY . The following appears in Saturday ' s Times . To the Editor of the " Times . " Sir , —Reading thc paragraph hereon in Thc Times of today , I beg the favour of a few words . A very old Mason myself and an ardent supporter of our Benevolent Institutions , I earnestly deprecate this new

movement as unnecessary and uncalled for . Lord Rosslyn ' s good-natured remarks a year or two since have heen strained into far more than was intended , and a little personal vanity has done thc rest . Anything in the semblance of a fourth charity will inevitably damage the three that exist and prosper , and I trust that those high in the Craft who have kindly , but ,