Correspondence

cannot fully explain myself , but elsewhere I shall , if pormittel , take the opportunity to lay before the Craft such particulars as may probably startle certain objectors into another change of opinion . So far , and in my work , I have only been able to deal with abuse of words : not altogether an unimportant matter in the transmission of oral tradition ; bnt I havo yet to deal with acts and incidents which

are far beyond the scope of innocuous innovations . That is , of course , if Grand Lodge will hear mo : and I suppose if only for the sake of consistency and fair play , tho privilege , may I say tho right , of being heard will bo accorded to me . One thing I must say , en passant . It is a pity that , no matter how important a subject may bo to tho best interests of tho Order , the limit of time afforded for

discussion in the Grand Lodge ia so very brief . The whole parliamentary work of tho Craft has to be performed in a period of time which never exceeds twelve hours in one year , spread over four quarterly meetings . It speaks well for our organisation that so little time has hitherto been found ample for tho purpose , but when quostions of imperial importance require a careful and calm deliberation

before a just and impartial decision can be secured , so brief a period is to be condemned as leading to hurried and careless results . But I digress ! I desire to add to my foregoing remarks that my friends and I are equally happy to meet in Lodges of Instruction under skilful Preceptors ( mark the word skilful ) , and hope that at some future day tho certainty of meeting such , whenever and wherever Lodges

of Instruction are held , will be assured by Grand Lodge itself to every member of the Craft . It is not the case at present . Further , that , in our opinion , which does not appear to agree with the writer of the article in question , we are acting wisely , and within our province , to endeavour not only to raise , but to prosecute , this absolutely

necessary and most opportune question ; and we fancy that at least a fair proportion , if not a majority , of "bright" Masons , who aro " not necessarily learned Masons" ( see Mackey thereon ) , will decide that , uninfluenced by pedantic conservatism , or o ' erweeiving prejudice , tho maxim " Quieta non movero" does not apply to the present controversy .

Yours faithfully and fraternally , JAMES STEVENS Clapham , 27 th Oct ., 1879 .

LAUGHTON CHURCH TOWER RESTORATION EUND .

To tha Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I am compelled to appeal to the pnblic on behalf of the Eev . Daniel Ace , D . D . ( Vicar of Laughton-by-Gainsborough , Lincolnshire ) , who , to the surprise of everybody who heard the evidence , and the summing up of tho judge , was made personally liable at the lato Lincoln Assizes for the repairs

of the Church Tower of Laughton . The sum claimed by the builder ( including damages £ G 00 ) was £ 889 15 s 5 d , which was increased by the legal charges of plaintiff ( £ 121 ) to £ 100015 s 5 d . These amounts wore reduced by the special arbitrator appointed by the Judge who tried the case ( Henry Goddard , Esq ., Diocesan Architect , Lincoln ) , from £ 889 15 s 5 d to £ 181 , only £ 2 being allowed for damages instead of

£ 600 . Tho law charges wero brought clown to £ 80 from £ 121 . The sum required to meet this liability and to save Dr . Ace from absolute ruin ( including law expenses , & c , £ 138 ) is about £ 100 , of which £ 120 has already been raised . The Rev . Dr . Aco lias no private means ; he is sixty-seven years of age , and conducts three services on Sunday without assistance . The net income of the united

parishes of Laughton and Wildswortb , of which he is Vicar , is only £ 223 . Tho churches are throe miles apart , which distance he has to walk , the income not being sufficient to supply him with means of conveyance . The repairs of the church tower , for which the Doctor has been made by this decision entirely responsible , were absolutely necessary to save the fabric from destruction .

As in the present state of the law church rates are not compulsory , and as tho parishioners , who are farmers and farm labourers , havo already contributed £ 70 , and are not in a position ( owing to the present depression in agriculture ) to render any further help , I am compelled , on behalf of Dr . Ace , to appeal to the generosity of the pnblic to rescue an old and efficient minister of the gospol from a

position of great distress aud anxiety . Tho sheriff ' s officers have been put in his house ; his library and effects have been sold , and he is threatened with sequestration of his living . I am confident that a clergyman of the Church of England will not

be abandoned in bis hour of need , or allowed to suffer utter pecuniary ruin through his having ( iu his anxiety to preserve the ancient ancl venerable edifice in which he ministers ) , incurred a debt not iu any way for his own personal benefit , but wholly for tho preservation of tho House of tho Lord .

Contributions have already been received ( amongst others ) from £ s d The Eight Hon , Eowland Winn , M . P 5 00 Sir J . D . Astley , M . P 5 0 0

The Eev . J . Teague 5 0 0 The Eev . Charles Babbington , D . D 110 The Eev . C . Mackenzie , M . A ., Prebendary of St . Paul ' s 10 0 The Eev . Duncan Fraser , M . A ., Canon of Rochester 10 0 Henry Thompson , Esq ., 38 Mincing-lane 2 0 0

Further contributions will be thankfully received by the Vicar and Churchwardens of Laughton , Messrs . Smith , Ellison and Co ., Bankers , Gainsboro , or by Messrs . Smith , Payne and Smiths , Lombard-street , London . I remain , Dear Sir and Brother , Fraternally yours , W . H . SAUNDERS , P . P . G . S . D . Middx . 27 Walbrook , London , E . C .

Supreme Grand Chapter Of Royal Arch Masons Of England.

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER OF ROYAL ARCH MASONS OF ENGLAND .

A QUARTERLY Convocation of the Supreme Grand Chapter will bo held at Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C , on Wednesday , tbe 5 th day of November , at 7 o'clock in the evening , punctually . Business : —The Minutes of tho last Quarterly Convocation to be read for confirmation , after which the following Eeport of the Committee of General Purposes will bo submitted : —

The Committee of General Purposes beg to report that they have examined tho Accounts from tho 17 th July to tho 14 th October 1879 , both inclusive , which they find to bo as follows : — £ s . d . £ s . cl .

Balance Grand Chapter 1157 9 0 Disbursements during „ Unappropriated the Quarter - - 194 6 0 Account - 170 14 1 Balance - - -1231 4 G Subsequent Receipts - 267 17 6 „ in Unappropriatod Account - 170 10 1 £ 1596 0 7 £ 1596 0 7

which Balances aro in the Bank of England , Western Branch . Tho Committee havo likewise to report that they have received the following Petitions : — 1 st . From Companions Thomas William Adams as Z ., George Samuel

Elliot as II ., John Bairstow Shackleton as J ., and eight others for a Chapter to be attached to the West Smithfiold Lodgo , No . 1623 , London , to be called " The West Smithfield Chapter , " and to meet at the New Market Hotel , Snow hill , West Smithfield , in the City of London .

2 nd . From Companions Richard Nicholas Howard as Z ., William Smith as H ., James Jesty as J ., and eight others for a Chapter to be attached to the Portland Lodge , No . 1037 , Portland , to be called " The Portland Chapter , " and to meet at tho Portland Hall , Portland ,

in the County of Dorset . 3 rd . From Companions James Keith Grosjean as Z ., John Smorfitfc as H ., Georgo Archer as J ., and eight others for a Chapter to bo attached to the Zetland Lodge , No . 1157 , Alexandria , to be called "The Zetland Chapter , " and to meet at Alexandria , Egypt .

4 th . From Companions Thomas B . Whytehead as Z ., John Spite Cumberland as H ., Philip Henry Rowland as J ., and nine others for a Chapter to be attached to the Eboracum Lodge , No . 1611 , York , to be called "Tho Eboracum Chapter , " and to meet at the Queen ' s Hotel , in the City of York .

5 th . From Companions John Fenn as Z ., Alexander Richardson as H ., Richard Croisdale as J ., ancl six others for a Chapter to be attached to the Aldershot Camp Lodge , No . 1331 , Aldershot , to be called " The Aldershot Camp Chapter , " and to meet at the Assembly Rooms , Aldershot , in the County of Hants .

Tho foregoing Petitions being in all respects regular , the Committoe recommend that the prayers thereof bo respectively granted . The Committee have likewise to report that , in consequence of a statement made by the Provincial Grand Scribe E . for North Wales and Shropshire , that tho Star of Gwynedd Chapter No . 384 , Bangor ,

was extinct , and it appearing by tho Grand Chapter Records that no return had been received f . oui that Chapter since 1357—one Companion only having been exalted therein since tho date of the Charter 27 th Jnne 1856—tho Chapter , No . 384 , was taken out of tho Register .

It now appears that the Charter of tho said Chapter is in the custody or possession of the St . David's Lodgo No . 384 , Bangor , and that no present member of that Lodgo is now , of ever has been a member of the Chapter . The Lodge has therefore been directed by the Committee to surrender tho Charter to ho cancelled , but as the

Lodge has refused or neglected to comply with this Order , tho Grand Chapter Committee refer the matter to tho Board of General Purposes , and beg to request that the W . Master of the St . David ' s Lodge No . 384 , may be ordered to forward to the Grand Scribe E ., the Charter of tho said lato Star of Gwynedd Chapter No . 381 .

( Signed ) JOHN CRKATON , G . Treasurer , President Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C . 15 th October 1879 .

Prince Of Wales Lodge, No. 1705

PRINCE OF WALES LODGE , No . 1705

THE animal meeting of tho members of this Lodge , for the installntion of Worshipful Master and appointment of Officers , was held on Thursday evening , 23 rd ult ., at tho Star Hotel Assembly Room , Gosport . There was a large attendance of members of tho Craft , including the W . M . ' s of most of the Lodges in tho neighbourhood . Bro . George Grant was dnly installed in the chair by the outgoing

Worshipful Master ( Bro . C . B . Whitcombe ) , who performed tho ceremony in a very impressive manner . Tbe new W . M . appointed his Officers as follow : —Bros . C . B . Whitcombe I . P . M . and Treas ., J . W . Stroud S . W ., Count des Geneys J . W ., T . Batchelor Sec , C . Johnson S . D ., C . J . E . Mnmby J . D ., Cave D . of C , George Darby I . G ., Webb and Senior Stewards . At the conclusion of the ceremony Bro . C . B . Whitcombe

was presented with a magnificent P . M . ' s jewel , of special design , as a token of appreciation by the members of tho Lodge of the manner iu which ho had conducted its bnsiness during the first two years of its existence . About forty of tho brethren afterwards met at the India Arms Hotel , where a capital banquet was provided by Miss Eastland ,