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GRAND LODGE OF THE PROVINCE OF HAMPSHIRE AND THE ISLE OF WIGHT . THE R . W . BRO . W . W . B . BEACH , M . P ., P . G . MASTER . THE \ V . BRO . VV . HICKMAN , D . P . G . MASTER . A SPECIAL GRAND LODGE Of this Province will be held , by command of the R . W . P . G . Master , at thc MASONIC HALL , ALBION PLACE , SOUTHAMPTON , On Monday , the 2 Sf . l 1 day of August next , at O . 30 p . m ., and be close tiled punctually at 7 p . m . For the purpose of giving a welcome to those brethren who may be visiting the Province on the occasion of the British Association Meeting . Owing to the limited space at thc disposal of the P . G . Lodge , the attendance of the brethren of this Province must necessarily be restricted to actual Members of P . G . Lodge , viz : —Worshipful Masters , Past Masters and Wardens . This regulation will not apply to visitors . By command of the R . W . P . G . Master , J . E . LE FEUVRE , P . M ., Provincial Grand Secretary . Southampton , nth August , 5 SS 2 .

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PRESTON GUILD MERCHANT , 1882 . AN ESPECIAL PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGK OF THE WESTERN DIVISION OF THE COUNTY OF LANCASTER , WILL BE HELD AT THE TOWN HALL , PRESTON , On Tuesday , September $ th , At Twelve o ' clock , From whence the Brethren will walk in PROCESSION TO THE SITE OF THE HARRIS FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY AND MUSEUM , AND THE FOUNDATION STONE Will be laid with Masonic Ceremonial by H . R . H . THH DUKE OF ALBANY , K . G ., & c , & c , PROV . G . M . ONON , P . G . W . By command of the R . W . Prov . G . M ., the Right Honourable the Earl of LATHOM , D . G . M ., H . S . ALPASS , Grand Standard Bearer , Prov . G . Sec . N . B . —Brethren who are not Prov . G . Officers will assemble at the Christ Church Schools , Bow-lane , Fishergate-hill , where the procession will be marshalled .

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ROYAL SEA BATHING INFIRMARY , MARGATE . ESTABLISHED 1791 . THE ONLY ONE EXCLUSIVELY FOR SCORFULOUS POOR . COL . CREATON , TREASURER . JOHN M . CLABON , ESQ ., HON . SECRETARY . This Hospital requires aid . An extra liberal diet table is of necessity required on account of the exhausting nature of this terrible disease . Donors of £ 10 10 s ., Annual Subscribers of £ 1 is ., can recommend patients . 250 beds . Average number of Inpatients per year , 750 , and of applicants over 1000 . Bankers , the Bank of England ; Coutts and Co . ; and Cobb and Co ., Margate . Offices : No . 30 , Charing Cross , VV . JOHN THOMAS WALKER , Secretary .

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DREADNOUGHT SEAMEN'S HOSPITAL , Greenwich , S . E ., and DISPENSARY , Well-street , London Docks , E ., for Sailors of all Nations . No admission ticket or voting papers of any sort required , but both are entirely free to the whole maritime world , irrespective of race , creed , or nationality . Since establishment upwardsof 225 , 000 have been relieved from no less than forty-two different countries , and the number of patients during 1 SS 1 , was 7132 , as compared with 4245 , the average of the preceding ten years . Qualification of a governor one guinea annually , or a donation of ten guineas . New annual subscriptions or contributions will be thankfully received by the bankers , Messrs . Williams , Deacon and Co ., 20 , Birchin-lane , E . G ., or by the Secretary at the Hospital . Funds are urgently needed for this truly Cosmopolitan Charity , which is supported by voluntary contributions . VV . T . EVANS , Secretary .

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VILLA RESIDENCES , to be Let or Sold ( charming ) , rents from £ 35 to £ 55 per annum ; seven , eight , nine , and ten rooms ; close to two Metropolitan District Railway stations and main road , 'bus route to City ; each fitted with gas , bells , bath-room , hot and cold water , Venetian blinds , and every modern convenience ; gravel soil and good drainage . —Apply to Messrs . Gibbs and Flew ( Limited ) , The Cedars Estate Office , West Kensington , Station , W .

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TO ADVERTISERS . THE FREEMASON has a large circulation in all parts of the Globe , In it thc official Reports of the Grand Lodges of England , Ireland , and Scotland arc published with the specia sanction of the respective Grand Masters , and it contains a complete record of Alasonic wortc in this country , our Indian Empire , and the Colonies . The vast accession to the ranks of the Order during the past few years , and the increasing interest manifested in its doings , lias given the Freemason a position nnd influence which few journals can lay claim to , and the proprietor can assert with confidence that announcements appearing in its columns challenge the attention of a very large and inlluential body of readers . Advertisements for tbe current week ' s issue are received up to Six o ' clock on Wednesday evening .

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TO OUR READERS . THE FREEMASON is published every Friday morning , price y \ ., and contains the fullest and latest information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . Subscriptions , including Postage : — United States , ,. . ,-,,. . Canada , the Continent , India , China , Ceylon , United Kingdom . Australia , New Arabia ,, Sec . Zealand & c . 13 s . 15 s . 6 d . 17 s . 6 d . Remittances may be made in Stamps , but Post Ollice Orders of Cheques are prefer-ed , tin- former payable to G EORGE KEXNIXO , Chief Ollice , Lcn lon . the latter crossed London Joint Stock Bank .

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© 0 Corregpoiitientg . BOOKS , & c , RECEIVED . "The Broad Arrow , " "The Citizen , " "The Court Circular , " "Die Baiihutte , " "El Taller , " "The Hull Packet , " " History of Portland Commandery , No . 2 , of Knights Templar , " "John Bunyan and the Gipsies , " " Proceedings of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Freemasons of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts , " ' ' Regular Communication District Grand Lodge of Freemasons of South Africa ( Eastern Division ) " " The Royal Cornwall Gazette , " "The Pianoforte Dealer ' s Guide , " "The West London Advertiser , " " Keystone , " "The Masonic Review , " "Freimaurer Zeitung . " "Allen ' s Indian Mail . "

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pj ^^ c ^ - ^/^; -jg ^^* Ji ^ j ^ A /? L 5 A ^ l ^^^^^^^g SATURDAY , AUGUST 26 , 1882 .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

two do not hold ourselves responsible for , or even approving of , thc opinions expressed by ourcorrespondents , but we wish in aspirit of fairplay to all to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . ]

RE PAST MASTERS . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Ibis interesting discussion began with "M . M . " in the Freemason , July 22 nd , and it strikes me that the point be raised has been lost sight of by some of thc

correspondents , though their communications are of value otherwise . I takeit , thatifabrotherwhohasservedasMaster of two lodges , and leaves a third lodge whilst the VV . M ., and before serving the full period , being a non-subscriber to any lodge under the English Constitution for twelve months , he cannot regain his privileges as W . M . or P . M .

in the Grand Lodge of England until he has been again re-installed . In other words , he ceases to be a member of the Grand Lodge if he continues a non-subscriber to any lodge after twelve months from his resignation . By resigning as W . M . in the third lodge he does not forfeit his membership of Grand Lodge , so long as he subscribes to

some lodge , as his qualification rests on being a P . M . and subscribing . Of course , if he subscribe to no lodge the case is settled by Clause 1 , Book of Constitutions , page iS ( edit . 1 S 73 ) . The new regulations are equally emphatic on the subject . " No pay no privileges" is the law , and a good one too .

" Prov . G . D . Lancashire , " and " H . H . " allude to their experiences , which I believe to be samples in many respects of vcry many Past Masters . My own opinion is in favour of Past Masters of or in lodges being on the same footing , only as a matter of precedence , P . M . 's of should come before P . M . ' s in ; but that is not of much consequence ,

for it would be of much benefit to the Craft if each P . M . as joining member took precedence from that date as a P . M . I have known most useful brethren excluded from all meetings of P . M . ' s , simply because they had not served in the lodge in question ; and what is more , 1 know of instances where they do the " work " for the W . M ., and know more about the Craft and its ceremonies than all the other

P . M . ' s put together . As a Committee , appointed by thc Provincial Grand Master of Cornwall to consider the revised rules , we have petitioned for this vexatious difference to be done away with , by placing PM . ' s of or in lodges on an equality , so as to make P . M . ' s in lodges in the province , members of the Provincial Grand Lodge , the same as P . M . ' s of such lodges .

Original Correspondence.

Rule So of the revision reads— -- --membership of Provincial ind District Grand Lodges— " the Masters , Past Masters , ind Wardens of all lodges within the province or district . " vVe should like it to read—the Masters , Past Masters , of or In , and Wardens of all lodges , & c . The remarkable letter from " H . H . " should alone prove

mfiicient to secure the equal privileges of joining P . M . 's ; ind I hope , ere long , he and others of such great value to : he Craft will be honoured accordingly . Bro . Budden , in nany respects , gives a fair account of the present law , but , ve want him to go one step further and assist us to get all lisqualifications removed , re joining P . M . ' s . Yours fraternally , VV . J . HUGHAN .

THE STATUS OF P . M . ' s . To the Editor ofthe " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Nothing can be more courteous and fraternal than

: he tone of the letters from "M . M . " and " P . Prov . G . Deacon " anent the above subject ; and as they rather ; hallenge some further remarks from me , they will , I hope , peruse them with the same amiable spirit as they have my former letter .

"M . M . " repeats his contention— " That the status of P . M . 's is obscurely treated in the Book of Constitutions . " If we add thc sign of universality—which is understood , though not expressed in his contention—we shall see at ance that it states too much . Thus , in the statement "The status of all P . M . ' s is obscurely treated in the Book of

Constitutions , " we have the form of a universal proposition . But we have already shown that , as regards the status if a P . M . " in relation , firstly , to Grand Lodge ; secondly , to Provincial Grand Lodge ; and , thirdly , to the lodge ivherein he has filled the chair , " the Constitutions are clear ind explicit enough . And as this is admitted , tacitly by

"M . M ., " and avowedly by a "P . Prov . G . Deacon , " there only remains , fourthly , " the status of a P . M . in relation to the lodge whicii he joins , after attaining Past Master ' s rank . " Thus , instead of an universal proposition , we have a particular proposition , viz ., " The status of some P . M . 's is

obscurely treated in the Book of Constitutions . " This appears a fair and concise summing up of thc charge against the Book of Constitutions made by your correspondents . Having reduced the subject of discussion to its proper dimensions , let us see how far the particular proposition can be sustained by an appeal to the book itself . ^

The status of a P . M . in relation to a lodge which he joins after acquiring Past Master ' s rank , is not treated of at all . The Book of Constitutions is absolutely silent on the matter . So that the charge of " obscure treatment " resolves itself into the charge of " absence of treatment . " Anditis this "absence of treatment" which " H . H . "

and " P . Prov . G . Deacon" wish to supply , by a new Constitution , or by new legislation of some kind , on this particular point . But , is the privilege , or status , for which the sanction and authority of a new law is invoked , on which can be granted consistently with the autonomic constitution * of

each individual lodge ? How is it possible that a brother can be a P . M . of a lodge without being previously VV . M . of the same ? When Past Masters render such useful and valuable services to lodges , as those related by " H . H . " and "A P . Prov . G . D ., " they lay such lodges under deep

obligations , and the remedy for any insufficiency of status should be supplied by the brethren electing them to the W . M . 's chair , as opportunity offers , or can be made . However eminent or useful a brother P . M . may be , this appears the only method by which he can be placed entirely on " all fours , " with the Past Masters of the same lodge .

For , lodges have no power to confer past rank , apart from the execution of the office to which such rank is attached . If a Past Officer of a private lodge claims to be a Past Officer of any lodge he may subsequently join , why may not a Past Provincial Officer make a like claim on removing into another province ? And yet , a Past Prov . G . Deacon of Lancashire would hardly claim to be a Past

Prov . G . Deacon of Hampshire , if he came to live in the latter province ; though I ' m sure , we should be glad to welcome so useful a brother . The extreme case put by M . M . cannot be answered properly without a definition of the term " suspended . " Is it used in the same sense as in B . of C , p . So , act 3 ? Yours fraternally , K . T . BUDDEN , P . M . 622 , 3 S 6 , and member of 195 .

To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Though I thought that my remarks on the status of a P . M . were exhaustive , I beg your indulgence for a few more words . My present lodge has a bye-law that none but those who

have served in its chair can attend meetings of the P . M . ' s , an arrangement I do not remember to have seen elsewhere . I should state that after an exclusion of five years from thc time I joined it , though a P . M . of twenty-five years' standing , and a P . P . G . S . W ., I at last obtained admission by

being unanimously elected W . M ., in which capacity I have since served . 1 have now carefully gone through thc revised Book of Constitutions , and have made some suggestions , which I have placed in the hands of the W . M . to use as he thinks proper . There is some justice in Bro . Budden ' s remarks