Our Fourth Volume.

OUR FOURTH VOLUME .

AT the commencement of our fonrth volume it behoves lis once more to survey our position , to review the ground we have traversed , and to consider in what respects our past experience may afford us guidance and help in the future . The half-year just closed has been a period of almost universal depression in trade , and newspapers , in

common with every other description of property , have suffered ill effects from the prevailing dearth of enterprise . Remembering this , we . cannot but feel gratified and encouraged by the fact that , during the whole of this eminently dull season , our circulation has steadily

continued to increase , and that ab the present moment the popularity and repute of this journal stand at the highest point they have yet attained . We could wish that our progress were more rapid , cela va sans dire , but we have still the great satisfaction of knowing that , if slow , it is at least

unceasing . As we glance through the goodly list of Lodges in the three kingdoms , we feel , at times , that there must be a large number of members of the Craft who , if they did but know the strong efforts we were making to maintain this journal at the high standard we have chosen

for it , to uphold before the world a worthy representative of the aims , principles and sympathies of the fraternity , would gladly come forward and assist in the good work . To such as these , and we are sure their name is legion , we offer the hand of fellowship , and cordially invite their

sympathy and co-operation m carrying the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE to a still higher stage of excellence than it has yet reached , so that it may in time become what the organ of the English Freemasons should bo , —the acknowledged leader of the Masonic press throughout the world .

During the past half year we have continued , with what success we will leave it to our readers to declare , the series of Masonic Sketches commenced in the preceding volume . Suffice it for us to say that they have afforded gratification to the personal friends of the distinguished Masons whom

our artist has portrayed , and occasioned some degree of interest among the still larger circle of their acquaintances . Where criticism has been administered , it has been dealt out with a gentle hand , and if a little good-natured banter has at times been introduced , we have reason to know that

this has not been unkindly taken by the subjects of the sketches . In one instance we may mention the name with which our artist dubbed his hero may be expected to hold a place in Masonic annals . The sketch of " Bayard , "

published in our impression of the 1 st of April last , has given the title to a new Lodge , " Bayard , No . 1615 , " which was consecrated on the 17 th of May , the original of the sketch being himself present on the occasion .

With regard to the future , we may state that it is our intention to publish a series of articles upon the History of the most celebrated Lodges , tracing their antecedents from the dates of their foundation down to the present time . The facts which will be required to make this series reall y

valuable , will be supplied from the archives of the various Lodges , and we need hardly say that no pains shall be wanting on our part in preparing and presenting them to our readers . In all other respects it will be our endeavour

to make good the ground we have gained , and to extend the usefulness of the CHRONICLE b y the introduction from time to time of new and attractive features . We wish it to be understood that our prime object is to benefit the Craft , by extending tfye means of intercommunication amongst members of the fraternity , and by upholding before the

Our Fourth Volume.

world the standard of our Order . Any hints or suggestions therefore that are calculated to conduce to this object , we will at all times gladly receive . To the many brother Craftsmen who have aided us in this way hitherto , we

tender our sincere thanks . And with a loyal and lofty purpose , with energies undaunted and faith unimpaired , we look forward in hope and confidence to the completion of our Fourth Volume .

Lord Leigh's Criticism Of Ourselves.

LORD LEIGH'S CRITICISM OF OURSELVES .

I IN the early part of this year , or to be more precise , two or three weeks after the Festival of the Koyal Masonio Benevolent Institution , we published an article headed " The Subscriptions at the Recent Festival . " In it we stated its purpose to be " to show our readers not only what was done on that occasion , but also where brethren of

energy may find fields open to them in their zealous promotion of the cause of charity . " A long and careful analysis of the ( then ) recent subscription list formed the bulk of the article , and in noting the Lodges and Provinces which had not contributed , occurs the following passage :

" But Warwickshire , which includes the wealthy and important town of Birmingham , sends nothing . Birmingham , the centre of the hardware trade , with 14 Lodges , is whclly unrepresented this year , and only one of these 14 ( Lodge No . 925 ) contributed , last year , the sum of £ 35 . " A few

sentences further on was the following remark ,. " while Birmingham raised only a paltry sum towards the service of Masonic charity . " A fortnight after this leader appeared , we published a letter from " P . M . 468 "—No . 468 being a Birmingham Lodge—in which he took us

somewhat severely to task for the general tone of our article , bnt especially for the seemingly disparaging remarks we have quoted above . We rejoined with a second leader , in which we endeavoured to point out that we had studiousl y sought to avoid giving offence to any Craftsman ; that our

remarks were intended to be general , and that we had only specified particular Lodges or Provinces where such specification was unavoidable . We stated further that our purpose had not been to establish any invidious comparisons between this and that Province or Lodge , or to hold up any

one of either to the reproach of our brother Masons , but simply to point out where brethren of energy might find new opportunities for exercising their zeal in the cause of Masonic charity . We said also that we had striven to

account in every possible way for the absence from the list of sundry Provinces . Staffordshire , for instance , we noted had done well the year before ; so had Lincolnshire . Some , again , we suggested , had supported our other Institutions , and in the case of others there were local charitable

Institutions which required and received assistance from the local Craftsmen . We added , however , that Birmingham , as one of the most populous and wealthiest towns in England , should under no circumstances be absent from any subscription list . There the matter rested till the Festival

of the Boys School on Wednesday , when Lord Leigh , the respected Grand Master of Warwickshire , in proposing , as Chairman of the Festival , the toast of Prosperity to the

Boys' School , referred , towards the end of his speech , in very pointed terms , to the criticisms we had passed in February last . His lordship did not , it is true , mention this journal b y name , but there can be no question it was