Correspondence.

Correspondence .

We do not hold ourselves responsible tor the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish , in a spirit o { lair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limitsfree discussion .

ENGLISH FREEMASONRY IN THE COLONIES . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , In your " Masonic Notes" of September nth you state that you do not concur in the opinions expressed by VV . Bro . Egan , the D . G . M . for the Eastern Division of South Africa , or of myself , as to the pernicious effects of the recent alterations to the Book of Constitutions .

Sixteen thousand miles is a long way off , and an object viewed at that distance through the wrong end of a telescope becomes microscopic in proportions and conditions . You evidently have gazed at this subject through W . Bro . Philbrick ' s glasses , and so like that Worshipful brother cannot be in touch with Masonic matters here any more than is the Grand Lodge itself .

The English Masons of Queensland , as a body , are both loyal and proud of their Constitution , and would undoubtedly have ever remained so if it had not been for the recent changes in the law . If such haste had not been shown to rush the matter to a conclusion , and those immediately concerned had been afforded an opportunity of expressing an opinion on the subject , W . Bro . Eve , whose efforts on our behalf are gratefully acknowledged by the Fraternity here , would have had a very strong backing , and the results would in all probability have panned out differently .

We feel that our desires and wishes have never bten consulted in the matter and that we have been slighted . Our opponents now industriously circulate the idea , that the Grand Lodge of England wishes to get rid of us , and this idea is very difficult to combat , owing to the facilities recently granted by the Grand Lodge , for what is termed here " cutting the painter . "

As the dripping water wears away the stone so surely will the constant misrepresentations and malicious suggestions of those interested in forming a Queensland Grand Lodge , taken in conjunction with the amended rules of the Book of Constitutions , seduce the younger members of the Fraternity here from their allegiance .

As an example of what is going on here ; At the refreshment table after the regular meeting of the St . Patrick's Lodge , I . C , a past high functionary of the Grand Lodge of New South Wales , in a speech urged the Irish brethren to start the Queensland Constitution by themselves , and so force the hands of their English and Scottish brethren .

At another meeting , a present District Grand Lodge Officer of the Scottish Constitution urged the union of the Irish and Scottish Constitutions as by so doing it would compel the English Masons to chip in . This same Constitution with an extraordinary facility for opening new lodges and admitting all and sundry , boasts that it will shortly obtain a voting power which in conjunction with the Irish vote , would place the English Masonic fraternity in a hopeless minority .

And so on ; these cases could be quoted to any extent . Viewed shortly , we , as English Masons , take particular pride in our Constitution and feel that to be an English Mason carries with it the same proud relative eil ' ect as the " Romanus sum " of old , had amongst the neighbouring States . By granting constitutional means for promoting Masonic schism , and fostering envy , hatred , malice , and all uncharitableness , in our opinion , the Grand Lodge has not only committed a very serious error , but has inflicted a great wrong on the loyal Fraternity in Queensland , as well as elsewhere .

At this end of the world we know that things are no better now in Victoria , New South Wales , New Zealand , & c , than before the recognition of those Grand Lodges . We know that matters Masonic in the Colonies are in a chaotic state , and that if it were possible to retract many , very many of the brethren would do so . Just such conditions will obtain here if , unfortunately , a Grand Lodge of Queensland is established .

The Grand Lodge of England does not grasp the fact that we are being forced to give up our Masonic birthright , and the current feeling is , that we have neither the sympathy nor backing of our brethren at home , and naturally buck at being compelled to give up that which we all count so dear , or remain outsiders—English Masonic Ishmaelites . —I am , Sir , yours fraternally , EDWARD H . GIBBON , D . G . Sen . Deacon

Thorn-street , Kangaroo Point , Queensland , Queensland , December 12 ,

PERPETUAL AND LIFE PRESENTATIONS . To the Editor ot the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Will you permit me to point out two little errors that have crept into your article on the above subject in your issue of Saturday last , the 22 nd instant . The insurance policy money ( £ 840 ) would come to the funds of the Institution every 15 or 40 years , not annually , and the proposed investments were to be made

In " Trustee " securities , not Consols , the yield from the Utter being insufficient for the purpose . My main contention /* •—that it is far better for the Institutions to have a sum —say / 840—coming into their coffers at recurring periods by dealing with Life Presentations , and insuring a life—a male aged 21 can be insured for £ 1 13 s . per £ \ oo—than to take a larger sum , one for a perpetual presentation , and not insure a life .

Many people are shy of tackling figures ; they are half afraid of them ; they hold them in awe , but they don ' t like to own it . In reality figures are very harmless and docile things ; one can do almost anything with them . For instance , take the . £ 1365 that the Girls' Quarterly Court was inclined to accept by a majority of one ( 21 or more brethren being present ) . It is not quite enough

money ; another 100 guineas would improve it ; divide this sum—take , £ 840 and invest it as the life presentation purchase fee , and take the remaining £ 525 and invest it as a life insurance premium fund , and the " Heaton " presentation becomes a perpetual presentation so far as the buyers are concerned , and remains but a renewable life presentation so far as the Institution is concerned .

I have been found fault with for making this too much of a pounds , shillings , and pence question , but my opinion is that anybody really charitably disposed should be ready and willing to deal generously with our Institutions , and give more than the sum absolutely necessary to attain the object in view rather than calculate down to the last farthing . —1 remain , dear Sir and Brother , fraternally

yours , W . RUSSELL Gravesend , January 24 th .

Correspondence.

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION ELECTION , 1 S 98 . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , The V . W . Bro . Henry Smith says that the reason why candidates appear , year after year , is probably , that they never ought to have been on the list at all , not having been nominated by the Province they belong to , and that he

knows of one case who will never receive the Votes of his Province , being deemed unworthy , then , why is he allowed to remain on the list , together with any other that may be deemed unworthy cases ? But the above reason cannot apply to all the Widows and Brethren whose cases I am endeavouring to draw attention to . Why not strike off all the unworthy cases , and then reserve some of the Vacancies that arise after the Polline papers are issued for those who have been

longest on the list . I feel sure that course would commend itself to a large number of of the Subscribers , and would redound to the credit of the Committee . It must be acknowledged that an imperfection exists , and , if possible , it ought to be removed , and I for one do not see the difficulty . But if it is allowed to continue , I do not see the likelihood of the subscriptions being increased . —I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally ,

WILLIAM C . PARSONS , P . M . and Sec . 1 S 0 , P . Jl . and Sec . 16 S 7 51 , Loughborough Park , Brixton , January , 26 th .

NORTH LONDON , OR UNIVERSITY COLLEGE , HOSPITAL . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Sir , At a time when University College Hospital is peculiarly in need of

assistance from the genorous public , certain events have happened which appear to suggest that it cannot possibly be in difficulties . I desire , therefore , to point out how pressing these difficulties are , and to show why a very urgent appeal is made at the present time for a substantial sum to enable us to carry on the work of ( he institution .

The hospital is an old one : in fact , according to modern ideas , it may be called antiquated ; it is situated in a densely-populated district , doing a vast nmount of work amongst the poor , and serving as a field for clinical instruction to an important medical school . For these reasons it had for years been contemplated to rebuild and enlarge it , and accordingly a site , which , including that upon which the hospital now stands , is double the present area , was obtained with money

for this special purpose . At this stage , Sir Blundell Maple , M . P ., came forward with a munificent offer to defray the cost of the rebuilding , and one wing and the central block of the new edifice are in course of erection , while the work in the old hospital continues as before . The public very naturally on hearing of this large donation , and not discrimating between money given for building purposes and that required for maintenance , diverts its Charity into other channels . But it is obvious that more , and not less , will be required under the altered circumstances .

So bad , indeed , had become the financial position , that last month the Committee were most reluctantly obliged , after selling out the last available Stock , to close some of the beds , and thus greatly diminish the work of the hospital . We have , however , within the last few days received ^ 2581 5 s . from the Prince of Wales ' s Hospital Fund for London . But of this sum , £ 1400 is given on the

understanding that , unless 25 of the 50 beds which were closed be again opened , it will not be allotted to us next year . Again , however the public maybe expected to say that we have received another windfall , and have no right to make any further appeal ; but it need not be pointed out how fallacious such a conclusion would be .

As a matter of fact , though the strictest economy has been observed , our annual expenditure has been about £ 19 , 000 , while the income on which we can depend , namely , that from investments—about £ 3000—and that from annual subscriptions , & c , does not amount altogether to more than , £ Sooo , and there is at the moment a considerable outstanding debt . When the new building , which will contain about 290 beds is completed , the expenditure must be considerably greater .

Unfortunately , there has been a very great falling off in legacies , only , £ 722 having been received in 1897 . as against an average of £ 688 3 during the last 10 yenrs . The amount of work done by the institution may be gathered from the fads that during 1 S 96 the average daily number of in-patients was 1 S 3 , and that 3020 patients were admitted to the wards , while no less than 43 , 681 out-patients and casualty cases were treated at the hospital .

It would require a large sum to place the funds of this great free hospital in anything like a satisfactory condition ; but I cannot think that in this wealthy city so important a Charity will be allowed to be hampered in its work for want of the necessary support . —1 am , Sir , your obedient servant , BEDFORD , President . London , W . C , January ,

Reviews.

Reviews .

"THE COSMOPOLITAN MASONIC CALENDAR , 1 S 9 S . "—This very useful and welcome annual has been published for so many years , thit , taking the antiquity of some Degrees as a guide , it might b : said to have been issued from Time Immemvrial . At all events , as a matter of fact , it is now in its 2 Sth year , and practically coninued a much older publication , so that , either directly or indirectly , it goes back long beyond the memory of most Craftsmen , and as the well-known " Cosmn , " the same Proprietor , Publisher , and Printer happily continues , viz ., Bro . George Kenning , of Freeiinsun fam :

and wide-spread celebrity . The official Calendai of the Grand Lodge is the authority for all matters appertaining to all that concerns the welfire of thit great orginisition , the' Cosmo " falling naturally in as the complement , and so supplies all the needful details as to the Mark Grand Lodge , the Grand Council R ^ al and Select Masters , the Ancient and Accepted Rite , Royal Order of Scotland , the Great Priory , the Red Cross of Rome and Constantine , the Rosicrucian Society , and last , as well as least , the Secret Monitor . Besides these bodies , duly and carefully attended to , the Grand Lodges of

Scotland , Ireland , the Continental Grand Lodges , and those in Americi , & :., & :., are treated at cwsiderable length , as also the vinous Grand Organisitions which control the additional Degrees , the Colonies especially being fully describsd , so that , apart from the Grand Lodge of England , the "Cosmo " may be referred to for information as ti all the other Organisations . Copies may b ? hid , p st free , for thirteen pence from the Publisher , rii , C-eat Queen-street , Little Britain , and Aldersgite-street , London ; 2 ji Williamson street , Liverpool ; 47 , Bridge-street , Minchcster ; y , West Ho . vard-street . Gin seme ; or of any Booksellers .

"M ASONIC CALENDAR I ' OK THE CRAFT P ROVINCE OF N OKTIIUMIIERI . AM ' AND THE MASONIC DISTRICT , " iSyS . —This handy compilation , compict , accurate , and exhaustive , of matters Masonic in Northumberland , and also beyond , occupy nearly 300 pages in one form and another ( for even the advertisements are often useful ) , and is published at the small sum of is . Gd . per copy , which may be had from the Calendar Committee , Central Masonic Hall , Newcastle-upon-lyne . Although some