Masonic Banquets.

house . These they serve first , beginning from the chair , then all the members , and last of all the guests , beginning with the' juniors , and ending with the distinguished guest ofthe evening . By-and-bye the hospitality of the lodge is duly commemorated and trumpeted . It is to be noted that in these houses the lodge

rooms have nothing Masonic about them ^ but , on the contrary , not even common care . A distinguished guest from the Continent or the States—we will not say Scotland or Ireland—such a person coining to one of our Craft lodges will be left to find a seat for himself , and will work his way up to a bench or seat .

In the event ofthe M . W . G . M . himself , or R . W . Bro . Havers , Chairman of the Building Committee , or any Grand Officer attending as a visitor one of the lodge rooms in the new Freemasons' Hall , will find himself seated on a bench like the rest of the members , and the S D ., ludicrously enough , seated in an armchair

between hirn and the W . M . Musical instruments in such places there are none , aud the M . W . G . M . may clothe himself in the same ante-room in which a candidate is being prepared . It is to be expected in time Freemasons' Hall will set an example to allthe others when finished . Yours fraternally , AN HONORARY MEMBER .

Looseness In Masonry.

LOOSENESS IN MASONRY .

TO THE EDITOR OE THE FUEEAIASOXS * STAGAZHSTE AlfD iTASO-MIC IIIRROR . Dear Sir and Brother , —Your correspondent " Z ., " who , in the Magazine of the 2 nd of last November , very properly inquired as to the initiation of " Box Brown" in Jersey , " after waiting very patiently , " has again in your number of the 21 st ult . asked for informationand appealed especially to me for iton

, , the ground that I voluntarily took up the gauntlet on behalf of some of the lodges in that island , and repudiated their having done so . Thus far he is right ; but not so when he charges me with promising to furnish the details of some other lodges , < fcc . I confess that I was jealous of the reputation of

certain lodges with whicli I had been connected , and that I believed I could exonerate some others , and confine the charge of an improper admission made by " Z . " within the limits of three lodges . In reference to his other statement as to my promise , I ask him again to look at my letter on page 372 where

, he will find nothing of the kind . My closing remark was— " It is probable that ' Z . ' s ' letter will not be seen by those whom it most affects ; I will , however , write to a brother there about it . " The fact that no one in . Jersey has furnished the information required justifies my impressionand explains my taking the

, matter up , with every desire to comply with ' - 'Z . ' s " wish . In fact , I wrote at once , ancl so far kept my word , but could not compel a reply . However , I did more . No answer having been received by me , I did not lose sight of the matter , but , after a week or two had passedin writing to another brother on other

, subjects , I asked him to remind the former one of my query . He did so ; and the reply was that full occupation hacl prevented attention to my request , but that he would see to it at the first opportunity .

Looseness In Masonry.

Though the information is not yet forthcoming , I hope " Z . " will see that it is from no neglect on my part . I have now written to a third brother about it , but , as before , do not pledge myself to supply what is wanted . If I were still residing in Jersey I should have no difficulty . Should I still fail , "Z . " may , perhaps , be able to learn all the particulars of " Box

Brown ' s" initiation by application to the Grand Secretary , and referring to the returns aud registrations of lodges 244 , 245 , and 491 , in one of which , I think , he will find it between the years 1 S 5 S and 1863 . Yours fraternally , H . H .

The Fire At Her Majesty's Theatre.

THE FIRE AT HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE .

TO THE EDITOR OF THE rREEiTASO-MS' -MAGAZINE AND 3 TAS 02 TCC MIRROR . Dear Sir aud Brother , —By the above calamitous event Bro . Sam May , who was always ready to lend a helping hand in the cause of charity , has lost the "labour of a life , " to use his own words . Cannot something be done by the brethren to help to meet this great loss ? I have spoken to a few friendsand

, our esteemed Bro . W . Ough , P . M . 749 , Assist . G . Purst ., of Wellington Wharf , Belvidere-road , Lambeth , has kindly consented to receive any contributionsthat may be forwarded to him for that purpose . I may perhaps mention that the first person asked immediately wrote a cheque for ten guineas ; this

was-Bro . H . Johnson , P . M . 134 . I shall be happy re contribute my mite . Yours fraternally , GEO . PYMM , J . D . 749 . [ We trust Bro . Pymm ' s appeal will be responded to most heartily . Bro . May is a highly-esteemed and much-respected member of the Craft . —ED . F . M . ]

AYRSHIRE MEN . —Those who have been watching the Manchester election will have noticed the very amusing speeches of one who has done service on the side of Jacob Bright . I refer to Mr . Alderman Mackie , who is one of the most sensible , burly , humorous , and best-liked of the public men of Cottonopolis . Thrice has he been tbe Mayor of that great city , and a splendid portrait of Mr , Mackie has been placed already in the Town Hall by his grateful and admiring fellow-citizens . Yet be began life

as a poor and almost friendless boy at Givvsn ; in Ayrshire , and served an apprenticeship to the mason trade in Glasgow . When he was Mayor of Manchester he considerably astonished a number of his colleagues with whom he was calling ou the Postmaster-General in St Martin ' s-le-Grand . As the deputatien wereentering the General Post Office , Mr . Mackie called a halt , and asked his friends what they thought of one of the pillars in the splendid vestibule of that edifice . They admired it much j

very upon which the worthy Mayor told them that it was chiefly his handiwork , and that as a working mason he had surveyed the public opening of the building from one of its most elevated points . Mr . Marine's early life would read like a romance , and he is only one of many Ayrshire men who have risen in England from a lowly position to great wealth and influence . Mr . William Gibb , who , like Mr . Mackie , has been several times Mayor of Manchesterand who has twice contested Stockportbegan life

, , as a weaver at Ayr . Mr . W . S . Lindsay , the great shipowner , and formerly M . P . for Sunderland , first sailed from Ayr harbour as a cabin boy , Mr . M'Coniiell , one of the first of locomotive superintendents in the south , was once a poor boy on the Garrick shore . And the story of Mr . Alderman Lnsk , M . P . for Finsbury , and , like Mr . Mackie , a native of Girvan , is one excelling in romantic interest even that of tho famous Wliittington . —Perthshire Advertiser .