Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC MSS . I have read Halliwell ' s Poem carefully , and I can find no evidence of speculative Masonry in it . However , if " A Masonic Student " thinks he does so , let him point out or quote the passage , and we shall see what it is worth . As to its age , Mr . Bond , the keeper of MSS ., British Museum , says it " is of the middle of the loth century . " However , the chief point is its contents . —W . P . B .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents

INDISCRIMINATE ALMSGIVING AND MASONIC IMPOSTORS .

TO IKE EfllTOK OF THE PEEEITASOXS' iTAGAZKOJ AND MASONIC MIE 3101 ! . Dear Sir and Brother , —Would you kindly allow me to call the attention of the Masonic public , to the habit of giving relief to unknown and unworthy Masons , and to ask if any of your readers can make known a way in which these impostors could be

made public . The desirability of establishing a good system of relief having been long felt by the brethren of Liverpool , Manchester , and Birmingham , they have organized in these towns , for the purpose of carrying out this object , certain committees . These Committees have been successful in their operations , and

by a weekly interchange of Reports , find that they mutually protect each other from imposition , whilst opportunity is frequently afforded of giving more substantial relief than may be at the disposal of a single Committee . My object in addressing you on this subject is to

ask the large towns where no Committees are established to join in this good work , and to adopt a similar system , and I shall be glad to lay our plans before your readers . Our -Committees have no desire to monopolize the relief of allstill less to check the flow of private

, benevolence ; on the contrary , they wish to see charity widely exercised , but on deserving objects only , and not on impostors and vagabonds . I will now give you two cases of the many that come before our Committees , and will need no comments of

. Relief Committee'Liverpool . August Qth . Mxtract from Beport : — H ¦ G n , l 7 , New York , relieved by the Liverpool Committee with 20 s . to go to London to meet his mother . Instead of going to London he went to Manchesterwhere he stated he had come

, direct from Glasgow by rail ,- had never been relieved in England ^ He was furnished with the Liverpool Report of the 20 s . granted , he then admitted having been relieved by us in Liverpool . Of course the Manchester Committee gave him nothing , and sent him away empty .

JACQUES L s , of Paris . This was a Frenchman ; he came before the Liverpool Committee for means to go home ; we Dent him to the Distressed Foreigners' Society , they granted him a passage home , and we granted him 20 s . also . Instead of going home he went to Manchester , and when asked if he had not had his passage paid , he said he had not ; he denied having been in Liverpool . This case is in the hands of the ^ Distressed Foreigners' Society to deal with .

Correspondence.

He must be a great impostor . Hoping you will find room in your next . Yours fraternally , THOMAS MAESH , Hon . Sec , Liverpool Relief Committee . Hope-street , Liv erpool . [ The insertion of the foregoing letter has been delayed until the results of some special inquiries had been ascertained . —ED . F . M . ]

Masonic Sermon.

MASONIC SERMON .

TO THE EDITOE OP THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIBBOB . Dear Sir and Brother , —I have recently read elsewhere what I suppose is intended to be designated a Masonic Sermon . I read said " sermon , " and I beg to say that , as a Freemason , I am thoroughly ashamed of it , although I am not astonished at it . It was delivered by the " Rev . Charles LeeM . A . " & c . at

, , , the St . John ' s Centenary , No . 167 ; and such a production to come from the pulpit in Oct . 1869 ! I could hardly have believed my ears had I heard it , but here it is in print ! Has the reverend brother been asleep during these last three years ? Or is he quite sane ? Or was he delivering a practical joke ? I do

wish he would send me that "Royal Charter in 926 , " of which he says , " The very original of that charter remains , I believe , to the present day ! " If he would only do that , I verily believe that I would throw my 1717 date to the wind . Then how refreshing it is to read in a Masonic Sermon of our old

friends Adam and Eve , Solomon , Pythagoras , St . Alban , St . Augustine , Alfred , Edward III ., and Henry VI ., with a lot of other " Grand Masters and nursing Fathers ! " I consider that the ignorance of general , Masonic , and architectural history displayed in that " Sermon " is not creditable . Save us from

similar clerical inflictions in future , or the pouring forth of such Masouic Arabian Nights' tales as Gospel . Yours fraternally , W . P . BUCHAB " .

Archives Of The Grand Lodge Of Holland.

ARCHIVES OF THE GRAND LODGE OF HOLLAND .

TO THE EDITOR OF TnE FREEMASONS MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRBOE . Dear Sir and Brother , —The subjoined information communicated by me a few days ago to a very distinguished Mason , may be acceptable to some of your readers . The portion of the correspondence between the Grand Lodges of England and Holland , which our Brother S . H . Hertzvoldof the Haguehas

, , printed , consists of the four following letters : — 1 . —Thomas Manningham , Deputy Grand Master of England , 3 rd December , 1756 . In French . 2 . —S . H . Lauer , 12 th February , 1757 . In French . 3 . —Th . Manningham , 12 th July , 1757 . In English . Printed Freemasons' MagazineVol . 19 p . 133 . Two

, , paragraphs omitted . 4 . —Baron De Boetzelaar , Deputy Grand Master of Holland . 15 th November , 1757 . In French . In his letter to Bro . Hertzvold states that he himself copied the four letters from the originals which exist in the Archives of the Grand Lodof

ge Holland , observing the same orthography . There is nothing in the letters bearing upon the question now so much discussed in your columns , except the passage to which attention was drawn a year ago . — CHAELES PUETON COOPEE .