Correspondence.

Correspondence .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondent hut we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limitsf r e discussion .

BRO . THE REV . CANON COOPER , M . A . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Kindly allow me to inform the many brethren who were good enough to provide me with the means of taking the long voyage ordered by my doctors , that my health , which began to improve from the time I left England in

May , has been so much benefited by the voyage that on my arrival at Melbourne I was ableto undertake four weeks full duty . The bright , clear , and bracing Australian winter weather , since my arrival , has done wonders for me , so that now I feel stronger and better than I have for the last two years . I am now going to Sydney to be present at the Jubilee of the Board of Australian Missions and give Missionaiy addresses at the meetings , and then I pay a long visit to my old friend the Bishop of Goulburn , who has a light post ready for me in his Diocese .

I cannot tcil grateful enough to the brethren for the kind help they gave me in my time of need , and I would now express my deep gratitude to them . —Yours fraternally , W . HENRY COOPER , P . M ., P . P . G . Chap . Sussex . Bishopsthorpe , Goulburn , New South Wales , ioth August .

Board Of Benevolence.

BOARD OF BENEVOLENCE .

The monthly meeting of the Board of Benevolence was held on Wednesday evening at Freemasons'Hall . Bro . J . H . Matthews , President , occupied the President's chair . Bro . D . D . Mercer , Senior Vice-President , and Bro . Henry Garrod , Junior Vice-President , were in the Vice-Presidents' chairs . Bros . W . Lake , Asst . G . Sec . ; G . S . Recknell , and Inglis represented the Grand Secretary's office .

The other brethren present were Bros . C . A . Cottebrune , F . W . Hancock , James Block , W . M . Bywater , W . Kipps , E . W . Nightingale , S . I . Notley , S . H . Goldschmidt , John EHinger , W . C . Caton , Charles Henry Stone , C . H . Webb , Major Henry Wright , P . G . S . B . ; R . T . Palmer , Christian Horst , James Robert Whittle , John R . Carter , John F . Roberts , J . W . Burgess , W . Stone , H . Massey , Edwin George , Charles Sheppard , W . A .

Bowser , J . Bartlett , F . W . Golby , G . M . E . Hamilton , Alfred Ford , J . R . Johnson , James Grose , James Campbell , and E . S . Lardner . The brethren first confirmed recommendations to the Grand Master made at the August meeting to the extent of £ ip . One brother , who was recommended to the Grand Master at that meeting , for ^ 40 , and to whom £ 20 was paid on account , had died since the recommendation was made . There were only 16 cases on the new list who were qualified through lodges

in the Metropolitan district , and at Feltham , Newton-le-Willows , Umballa , Witney , Durham , Liverpool , Chingford , St . Helen ' s ( Lane ) , Johannesburg , Gloucester , and Pembroke Dock . Two of these were dismissed , and one was deferred . Grand Lodge was recommended to sanction a grant of £ 75 in one case , and £ 50 in another . The Grand Master was recommended to approve of , £ 40 being given in two cases , and £ 30 in one case . Five gifts of £ 20 each were made , two of £ \ o each , and one of £ 5 . The total amount voted was £ 360 .

Scotland.

Scotland .

1 RUTHERGLEN PARISH CHURCH . LAYING OF MEMORIAL STONE-MASONIC DEMONSTRATION .

An imposing demonstration of Freemasons , members of friendly societies , and other bodies took place at Rutherglen on the 15 th instant , on the occasion of the laying of the memorial stone of the new Parish Church by Major F . W . Allan , the Dep . Prov . Grand Master of East Renfrewshire . The church occupies the site on which the old church stood in Mainstreet , near the centre of the burgh , and which has been devoted to a

similar purpose for centuries . Its area has been increased , and the amenity of its surroundings materially enhanced by the removal of a number of old houses immediately to the west , which were purchased some time ago by Mr . Chrystal , of Shawfield Chemical Works , and presented as a gift to the parish and congregation . The new church , which is from designs by Mr . J . J . Burnett , A . R . S . A ., F . R . I . B . A ., is an elegant structure in the Early English Gothic style of architecture , and will afford accommodation for

about 1200 persons . The cost is estimated at about , £ 10 , 000 . 'I he tower of the old church—a conspicuous landmark for generations—has been left standing , more probably on account of cherished associations than for its architectural or artistic merit . For the ceremonial the weather was exceptionally favourable , Salurday being one of the finest days of the late Indian summer we have been enjoying for a week past , and the inhabitants of the ancient and loyal burgh crowded the streets by the thousand in manifestation of the sense of the importance of the event .

The Masonic brethren met in the rooms of Lodge Royal Arch , No . 116 , . Rutherglen . The office-bearers of the Prov . Grand Lodge present , in addition to thc Dep . Grand Master , were : Bros . J . Gunn , acting Dep . P . Grand Master ; Geo . Glen , Substitute Prov . Grand Master ; J . D . Ramsay , Senior Warden ; Alexander Brown , junior Warden ; Rev . VV . F .

Stevenson , P . Grand Chaplain ; M . Mackie , Secretary ; and Robert Traill , Treasurer . There were also representatives from the Provincial Lodges of Dumbarton , l . an . irk , and Glasgow , and from Lodges Nos . 103 , 114 , 116 , 12 S , IJIJ . 133 , ' 35 . ' 5 . ? . -77 . 347 , 35 L 37 ° / 4 > D » 4-1 " , 458 . 4 <> 5 . 5 ' 2 . 5- ' 4 > 592 , and 617 . The Provincial Grand Lodge having been opened , the brethren proceeded to the Kildare Park , at the westiend of the town , where , under the direction

Scotland.

of Bro . Colonel Murray , the procession was marshalled in the following order : ( 1 ) Foresters , ( 2 ) Gardeners ( British Order ) , ( 3 ) Oddfellows , ( 4 ) Shepherds , ( 5 ) Gardeners ( Blue Bell Lodge ) , ( 6 ) Good Templars , ( 7 ) Orangemen , ( 8 ) Freemasons , in the order of the lodges , the highest number going first . The route of the procession was by Chapel-street , Mainstreet , Stonelaw-street , Greenhill-street , Mill-street Wallace-street

, , Harriet-street , Ferry-street , and Cathcart-street , and , with banners and flags flying and to the music of numerous instrumental bands , they made an effective display as they marched through the crowded thoroughfares . At the church , the erection of which is well advanced , a platform had been constructed for the performance of the ceremony near the top of the walls at the north-western corner of the building , and on the ground in

front and at the west side of the site the members of the Town Council , the Parish Council , the choir of the church , and others who were to assist in the proceedings were accommodated ; while in the adjoining streets the townsfolk had assembled to the number of not fewer than 7000 or 8000 , every window and casement and the roofs of many adjoining houses having their quota of spectators .

On the head of the procession reaching the church the various sections took open order , lining the route , and allowing the Masonic brethren to advance to their places on the platform . Among others present were Colonel Buchanan , Eastfield : Provost

Kirkwood , Bailie Bennett , Messrs . Geo . Gray ( town clerk ) , James Edmiston . Andrew M'Callum , John Fleming , & c , & c . The proceedings were opened with the singing of the National Anthem , and Bro . the Rev . W . F . Stevenson , P . G . Chap ., minister of the parish , then offered prayer .

Mr . J AMES ANDERSON , in the name of the heritors and congregation , next asked the Depute G . Master to proceed with the ceremony , whereupon Bro . Park , in the name of the contractors , presented Bro . Major Allan with a silver trowel , which the Depute G . Master suitably acknowledged . A box containing coins of the realm and various documents relating to the sacred edifice having been placed in a cavity prepared for their reception , the memorial stone was lowered to its bed , and laid in due form with all the rites of Masonry .

The DEPUTE G . MASTER thereafter addressed the assemblage . He considered it a very high honour , he said , to have been commissioned by Lord Blythswood , Grand Master of the Province , as his Depute , to lay the foundation-stone of this the new parish church of Rutherglen . They had heard it declared that the stone was plumb , level , and square , and his prayer was that the church might , when completed , be perfect in all its

nartscreditable to the architect , builder , minister , and people . The ceremony of laying a foundation-stone was always interesting and attractive , more especially when laid with Masonic honours , for to the uninitiated there was a sort of mystery . The corn , wine , and oil were emblematical of prosperity , strength , and rejoicing , and he trusted such might be the case here , and that when completed the church would be a blessing to the people , as well

as a thing of joy and beauty , a church of which all in the burgh and parish might be proud . Mr . Stevenson informed him that when the old church was taken down a silvered plate was found in the foundation-stone bearing the date 1794 , and that Robt . Park was provost and Andrew Harvie and Robert Fairbarn bailies , the contractors being Robert Shields , Andrew Johnstone , and Richard Letham . Looking over Ure ' s " History of

Rutherglen , he was interested to note that the church previous to the last one was an ancient building of the Saxon Gothic style of architecture , which was pulled down in 1794 "tomake room for one of more modern style . " He thought they would all agree with him that , if modern , it had no pretension whatever to art . The first church was a small but very ancient structure , 62 feet long by 25 feet broad , the walls beintr 4 feet in thickness , and about

20 leet high . Ure stated that the community of Rutherglen was strongly attached to the Established Church , which he hoped they still were , and that probably no burgh in Scotland possessed a political constitution more free and more unencumbered than Rutherglen . He would only further refer to the new church by saying that Mr . Stevenson had accomplished a very satisfactory work in having the old , unsightly , and uncomfortable building removed , and a church up-to-date and worthy of the parish nearly erected

—a church which would be such as to make the worshippers feel that they were in proper surroundings . He trusted Mr . Stevenson mi g ht be long spared to the parish , that he might see the church completed to his satisfaction , and that , surrounded by a loving and united people , the work of the Lord might prosper in his hands . ( Applause . ) The P . G . Chaplain , Bro . STEVENSON , then proposed a vote of thanks to

the Depute Grand Master for his services . They were also indebted , he said , to Mr . Chrystal , of Shawfield Chemical Works , for the gift of the site of the old houses which he purchased , and he proposed that they should give to him a cordial vote of thanks . ( Applause . ) Provost KIUKWOOD afterwards presented Bro . Stevenson with a mallet

made from one of the timbers of the old church . Bro . STEVENSON made a brief and humorous reply . The proceedings afterwards terminated . In the evening a company numbering about 200 dined together in the Town Hall .

Bro . Stevenson presided , and the croupiers were Provost Kirkwood and Bro . James Fleming . Alter the usual loyal and patriotic toasts . Bro . FLEMING gave " The Grand Lodge . " b Bro . Major ALLAN responded .

Mr . ANDERSON proposed "The Church of Scotland , " Bro . W . F . STEVENSON replied . Provost KIRKWOOD gave " The Contractors . " Messrs . KENNEDY and PARK replied . The toasts of " The Chairman " and " The Croupijrs " weru also duly pledged .

Craft Masonry.

Craft Masonry .

New Forest Lodge , No . 319 . There was a large attendince atth ; monthly mcet : n ? of th ; abo / c lod ^ c , on the 1 ith instant , held at the Masonic Hall , Ashley-lane , Ly . nington , th's bein ? the St . Jokn day of the lodge . The lod ^ e was clos e lyled at no in , when tbe usual business was transacted , leaving the afternoon free forth : < : ? remoiy of installation , the unanimous choice of the brethren having fallen upon Bro . G . S . Lave , of Bournemouth , as W . Mfor the ensuing year .