To Correspondents.

To Correspondents .

Bro . J YARKER . — Received . With reference to H . J . Seymour and the Rite of Memphis . Will have full consideration . VVe think the correspondence with regard to " How ' s Annual " must cease . J . HEATON . —In our next . Owing to pressure on our columns the following stand over : —

York Lodgc No . 236 , York . Hemming Lodge , No . 1512 , Hampton Crichton Lodge , No . 1641 . Aletropolitan Chapter of Improvement

BOOKS , & c , RECEIVED . "Keystone , " "Sunday Times , " "The Civilian , " "The Australian Freemason , " "Hull Packet , " "Croydon Guardian , " "Der Long Islaender , " "The Hebrew Leader , " "The Canadian ' Craftsman , " "Boletin Official del Gr . Or . de Espana , " " Jewish Chronicle , " "The Sydney

Freemason , " "Allen ' s Indian Mail , " "Broad Arrow , " "Die Baiihutte . " "Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of British Columbia , " "Report on Foreign Correspondence to the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of the State of Ohio , " " Proceedings of the Grand Chapter of Florida , " " Records of Freemasonry , Florida , 5 SS 0 , " "The Egyptian Gazette , " " The Freemason's Alonthly . "

Ar00805

THEFREEMASON. SATURDAY , DEC . 25 , 1880 .

Warm Thanks And "Hearty Good Wishes."

WARM THANKS AND "HEARTY GOOD WISHES . "

As the Freemason greets its many kind readers in its enlarged form for the occasion of Christmas Day , 1880 , andasbefore itagain appears in its weekly

issue the New Year of 1 S 81 will have dawned on the world on which we live , and we shall all have bidden adieu to another ancient and departed year of Time , Publisher and'Editor desire with this last number of the Freemason for 1880 especially ,

in the first place , to thank their numerous friends and correspondents at home and abroad , indeed , all over thc world , for their continued sympathy and for their unaltered support . The ) ' are also most anxious , in thc next place , to express their "Hearty

good wishes " that allot social comfort and pleasant fellowship may be the unalloyed lot of their many friendly patrons in this their Christinas Tide , and that in the New Year , as in the Old , these all may

obtain and retain , both in their family associations and in every relation of life , all of earthly health and happiness , temporal success , and vigour of body , and peace of mind , in thc good Providence of the

G . A . O . T . U . With no truer or more befitting aspi

rations for those who honour them with their confidence and cheer them with their support , can Publisher and Editor end the eventful year of 1 S 80 , or enter upon the untried year of 1 SS 1 .

Summary For 1880.

SUMMARY FOR 1880 .

Thegood year of 1880 , now fast coming to a close , has been in various ways a most important one for Freemasonry , and will long remain memorable , for many reasons , in Masonic annals . As we go through

the events of the twelve succeeding months we shall see , ere we reach the close of this veracious chronicle of English Freemasonry , that we have both a good deal to record , and that lhat which is faithfully , if concisely , narrated in our pages is really

worthy of narration and preservation . We shall follow thc course which has been so much approved of by our readers in other years , namely , of not making the record too long either for information or perusal . The Old Year left us , and the

New Year found us , hard at work and full of Masonic duties , inasmuch as so late as thc 26 th December , 1879 , a Masonic Hall was opened

at Kidderminster , and in the Christmas week a large number of thc Festivals in honour of St . John was held up and down the country , when the W . M . 's for the New Year were duly elecicd .

J ANUARY . We commenced 18 S 0 with this pleas- . nt fact , most filling for all Masonic annals and labours , that during 1879 we had raised in siippct of our ( Ureal Masonic Metropolitan Chanties the very

Summary For 1880.

striking total of £ 44 . 583 us- 9 d . Remembering that in 1846 and 1847 the whole amount sent up for the Three Charities did not exceed £ 2000 , this "financial statement" is alike deserving of nolo and commendation . Indeed it is a reality of which

English Freemasonry may well bc proud . Quite early in the New Year , ( January 3 rd ) , and a good forecast of Masonic work in 1880 , a Special General Court of the Girls' School took place , when £ 6500 were voted by a large majority for the

purchase of I ^ yncombe House . This purchase , so essential to the safety , the progress , and the developement of that admirable Institution , was , strange to say , opposed wilh a heat , an animosity , and a bitterness to which we remember no analogy

in the course of a longish Masonic career , and which , utterly unaccountable and unreasonable in itself , the impartial chronicler must now regard wilh astonishment , regret , and reprehension . Not only was the proposal vehemently assailed " per

se , " but a personal controversy , both un-Masonic in taste and untrue in fact , was angrily carried on . The good sense of the subscribers , however , supported the wise proposal of the Building and House Committees . This is a subject

which has always appeared to us an unwelcome " souvenir " of Masonry in 1 SS 0 , though we believe that all who took part in that untoward agitation now deeply regret thc fact . For many reasons we feel bound to advert to it . The New

Year s entertainment at tbf Boys School , the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , and at the Girls ' School took place respectively on January the 6 th , 7 th , and 10 th . Thc Supreme Grand Council , 33 , Golden-square , on the 7 th presented a gift of 130

volumes of standard works to the Asylum at Croydon . On thc 21 st thc Lodge of Benevolence voted £ 530 to thc various applicants . On the previous 19 th Sir Francis Wyatt Truscott , Lord Mayor of I ^ ondon , had been installed for the second lime in

succession W . M . of the Grand Masters' Lodge , No . 1 . On the 24 th an adjourned Special Court of thc lloyal Masonic Institution for Girls was holden , when thc minutes of the meeting of January 3 rd were confirmed after several speeches , and a

menace of law proceedings , ( alike unusual and undignified in Masonic matters ) , by a significant majority of sixty to seven , —a good reply to malcontents . On the 24 th an illuminated address and a beautiful purse , containing £ 100 , were presented

to our old friend and able contributor , Bro . the Rev . W . Tebbs , P . M . 285 , and P . P . G . C . for Somersetshire , by the parishioners in Caterham Valley , on leaving for the vicarage of St . Matthew ' s , New Zealand , where he has safely arrived ,

and whence he has sent a contribution from his facile pen for the Christmas Freemason . During January the following lodges were consecrated : The Ebrington , 18 47 , ° y Viscount Ebrington , Prov . Grand Master of Devonshire , assisted by

13 ro * . W . J . Rogers , Deputy Grand Master , and his Wardens and Chaplain ; the Fcrrum , 1 S 48 , by the Earl of Zetland , Provincial Grand Master N . and E . Yorkshire , assisted by Dr . Bell , Deputy Grand Master ; the Caxton , 1853 , by Bro . Tames

Terry , assisted by Bros . W . Stephens , Dr . Kempster , C . A . Cottebrune , and others ; and the Iiboracum Chapter , 1611 ,. by Comp . Dr . John P . Bell , Grand Superintendent for the Province of N . and I *' . Yorks , assisted by Comp . Sir James Meek , and others .

FEBRUARY . The Supreme Grand Chapter was holden on the 4 th , when charters for five new chapters and that for the Aldershot Chapter were granted . The Annual Festival of thc lloyal Masonic Benevolent

Institution took place on the 9 th , under the presidency of the Earl of Zetland , Provincial Grand Master for N . and E . Yorkshire , and nephew of our old Grand Master . The Metropolis , with 126 Stewards , returned £ 7270 , and the Provinces , with 98

Stewards , £ 4735 , in all 224 Stewards , and £ 12 , 005 , a most noble beginning for Masonic Chanty in 18 S 0 , though it is . 1 trile observation lo make , that as yet the Charities have not received the support of

large numbers of lodges , chapters , and brethren . The meeting of the Lodge of I 3 enevolence took place on the 18 th , when £ 915 was voted . On the 20 th the foundation stone of the Children's Hospi-

Summary For 1880.

tal , at Brighton , was laid with Masonic honours by the Prov . Grand Master for Sussex , Sir W . W . Burrell , Bart ., M . P . On the 21 st , thefirstmeetingof the Board of Stewards for the Girls' School Festival was held , when Sir Francis Wyatt Truscott

was elected President of the Board of Stewards . In February the Worsley Lodge , 1814 , was consecrated by Bro . Col . Le Gendre N . Starkie , Prov . Grand Master of E . Lancashire , ( by appointment of Lord Lathom , Provincial Grand Master W .

Lancashire ) , assisted b y Bros . Alpass , Provincial Grand Secretary ; R . Wylie , Past Provincial G . D . ; and other eminent brethren ; the Royal Leek Lodge , 1849 , by Bro . W . H . Spaull , Provincial Grand Secretary N . Wales and Shrops .,

and Bro . J . Salmon , Past Provincial Grand Warden ; the Forest Lodge , 1852 , by Bro . John Watson , Deputy Grand Mastcr Notts , assisted

by Bro . Newton , Provincial Grand Senior Warden , and others ; and the West Smithfield Chapter , 1623 , by Comp . James Terry , assisted by Comps . Edgar Bowyer and William Stephens .

MARCH . On the 3 rd the Quarterly Communication of the Grand Lodge took place under the careful presidency of Bro . the Earl of Carnarvon , Pro G . M ., when the minutes were confirmed , with thc

exception of that portion which related to the " Committee oi Ritual " and which was non-confirmed , as was much to be desired , by an immense majority . Bro . Frank Richardson re-nominated the Prince of Wales as Grand Master , which was carried

unanimously amid the loudest plaudits . His Royal Highness was then proclaimed in due form Grand Master of English Freemasons for the ensuing year by Bro . Sir Albert Woods , G . D . of C . Bro . Sampson Pierce , P . M . 2 , proposed , and Bro .

Cantle , P . M . and Secretary of the Creaton Lodge , seconded , Bro . Lieut .-Col . Creaton as Grand Treasurer , and Bro . Winn was proposed for the same office by Bro . F . Binckes , and seconded by Bro . J . Terry . On the names being submitted to

Grand Lodge , Bro . Ueut .-Col . Creaton was elected by an overwhelming majority , and the result was hailed with very loud cheering . The grant of £ 500 to the Duchess of Marlborough Fund was unanimously acceded to on the proposal

of Bro . the Earl of Carnarvon , amid hearty applause . At thc same meeting a Special Committee was appointed to enquire relative to a purchase made by the Board of General Purposes without the previous sanction of Grand Lodge ,

and a gratuity of £ 150 was accorded to Bro . H . G . Buss , Asst . Grand Sec . The I ^ odge of Benevolence for March voted £ 1 115 to numerous applicants . It is complained that these grants are becoming too large , but a good deal may be said on both sides .

APRIL . On thc 10 th of April the Quarterly Court of the [ Girls' School took place , when , on the proposition of Bro . I _ . ieut .-Col . Creaton , G . Treas ., twenty-five additional girls were ordered to be

provided for in Lyncombc House . Thirteen girls were elected , —thc highest polling 1775 , the lowest successful 1308 . On the 12 th the Quarterly Court of the Boys' School took place , and the time ol meeting of the Quarterl y Courts in January and

July was decided , on a motion made and carried , should be four instead of twelve o ' clock . This vote has to be confirmed . Twenty candidates were then elected out of a list of seventy-nine , — the highest polling i 860 , and the lowest successful

1281 . On the 7 th of April the Creaton Lodgeof Instruction was inaugurated , amid a large assembly of brethren . On the 16 th the festival of the Girls ' School took place , H . R . H . Prince Leopold presiding , with a large number of Stewards and 500

brethren present . His Royal Highness , who was very warmly received , made an admirable address , and £ 13 , 508 ios . were announced , —a magnificent return . On the 21 st thc Lodge of Benevolence met , and voted £ 865 . On the 28 lh thc Grand

Festival took place , when the new officers of Grand Lodge were invested , and it was announced that our esteemed D . G . M ., Lord Skelmersdale , was created Earl of Lathom . Thc following chapters were consecrated : The Ravensbourne , 1601 , by