Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

All Letters must hear the name an I address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , hut as a guarantee of good faith . Jfe do not hold , ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications .

LODGES OF INSTRUCTION .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIB AND BROTHER , —I am afraid it is chieflv my own fault the purpose I have in view in writing about the work done in our Lodges of Instruction has been somewhat misunderstood . lam not opposed to the frequent repetition of our ceremonies and lectures in those Lodges , because Ido nofc seo how otherwise oar yonnger brethren

can acquire the knowledge requisite to make them perfect in the duties of the Lodge . What I do object to is ( 1 ) thafc tho ordinary course as pursued in an average Lodge of Instruction from year's end to year's end ia nothing else than repetition , and the system , therefore , in time becomes so monotonous as to drive away those brethren who would willingly devote some time to the study of something still

moro profitable ; ( 2 ) thafc very many Preceptors , though possessing , as they do undoubtedly , the most perfect goodwill and a determination to do their duty to the best of their ability , are neither intellectually nor educationally qualified to act as Instructors . I do not blame them for their shortcomings , of -which they are in all likelihood in a blissful state of

ignorance j the blame rests with the system or want of system , -which permits the appointment of brethren as Preceptors without taking the slightest trouble to ascertain whether or not they possess the requisite qualifications for so important an office . I again venture to ask—How can an educated brother continue sitting under a Preceptor who , albeit probably the j ' olliesfc of jolly good fellows , has bnt

a very limited knowledge of the grammar and pronunciation of the English language ? If I am desirous of learning a science or an art , I naturally seek out the services of a competent teacher . Why shonld it be so ordered in Masonry , that a brother in search of know , ledge mnst content himself with the assistance of an imperfectly qualitied instructor or go without ? As Bros . " A _ D _ . IAN " and Perceval

both say—and I quite agree with them—there must be repetitions , bnfc I go further , nnd say , additionally—That is no reason why with a little arrangement there should not be occasionally forthcoming » omefcbing in the way of explanation as well . There are , in round nnmbers , in the Metropolitan district some three hundred regnlar Lodges and 110 Lodgea of Instruction ;

consequently , the latter are to the former in the proportion of one to three . Moreover , several Lodges of Instruction meet in close proximity to one another , nofc a few in tha same house . Is ifc , then , absolutely necessary that all of them should follow the same system ? Conld not n plan be devised by which , while a majority of these Lodges were reserved for elementary instruction , the minority were

set apart , under competent guidance , for that hip-ber class of Masonic sfcndy , which I venture to say Bros . " A _ DERMAN , " Perceval , other of yonr correspondents , and myself , are not alone in thinking desirable , if not absolutely necessary . There is another way by which Lodges of Instruction might be turned to far better acconnt than they are now . If on off-nightsthafc is

, when there is little else to do—the regnlar Lodges would occasionally go through a ceremony , or work a section , or two of one of the lectures , I believe it would be welcomed by the members , and the pressure on the time of Lodges of Instruction would be less severe , so that explanatory lectures might find a place in the programme in addition to the work of which ifc now consists .

Fraternally yours ,. _ , 3 IAES . London , W ., 30 th August 1881 .

The Lodge Of Benevolence And The R.M.B.I.

THE LODGE OF BENEVOLENCE AND THE R . M . B . I .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAE SIB . AKD BEOTHEX , —I am glad to learn from Bro . Perceval ' s letter of 20 th nlfc . thafc two propositions having reference to the present system of administering relief in excess of £ 50 will be snbmitted to Grand Lod at its next Quarterly Communication on

ge Wednesday , the 7 th September prox . Both propositions are good , that of Bro . Joshua Nunn being as nearly as possible the same as the ° ? tiT oasn * ? suggested in my letter which appeared in your issue ot thei 6 th instant . But since I have read your article of the same nate , I bave come to the conclusion thafc Bro . Perceval ' s resolution is

decidedl y preferable . As you very properly point out : "The cases auring the last few years in which a grant once made has been revoked , reduced , or even questioned , might be numbered on the "HRers of one hand—a fact which is alone sufficient ; to show how eedlesa is this further provision by which the recommendation of wy grant above £ 50 must not onlv be annroved bv Grand Lodoe .

ova ° PProval mnst be confirmed before the money can be paid ml i ° ' i is yon add , is , " an excess of caution on the part of our mere , with which we conld very well afford to dispense , " and I trust wantl Lodge , in its wisdom , will see fit to dispense with it . So long „ J , , *•* » ¦— '"" » wuym , win BCU UK wj Ul _ . JJt . _ 13-. WlLIl ll > . OU U > L _ g

aeM v -- 7 t 0 be 3 ' - Sed on the ground of necessity , and the essity , it , 8 dear , does not exist , or exists only to an extent that rri W ? ? haWn 8 S ard t 0 the multitude of cases in which relief is administered . think ifc not improbable that any opposition that may be offered

The Lodge Of Benevolence And The R.M.B.I.

to either proposition , and especially to that of Bro . Perceval's will be on the ground that there can be no hardship , when the conditions are - - clearly sot forth in the Constitutions , and that ifc is the brother ' s own fault if he has nofc made himself acquainted with those conditions . That is all very well as regards those who have all tho Constitutions afc their fingers' end , but how many are there who are so well

circumstanced ? There are few brethren who can speak with greater experience than Bro . Nann , the Senior Vice-President of the Lodge of Benevolence , and ifc is extremely unlikely ho would have announced his intention of moving the resolution to whioh Bro . Perceval refers , had he not felt that the delay of which yonr correspondents have been complaining involved a very considerable hardship to worthy members

of tho society whose misfortune was their only fault . I trust Bro . Perceval ' s motion will find favour with Grand Lodge , but shonld Bro . Nunn ' s be preferred , we shall , afc leapt havo the satisfaction of knowing thafc a step has been made in tho right direction , and that thedistressed brothers whose necessity has been proved to ba tho greatest will no longer be subjected to a delay so cruel . As regards the Royal Masonio Benevolent Institution , I trust

everything will be done to assimilate , as far as possible , or afc least desirable , its rules and regulations to those of the Schools . A Lady or Lewis who subscribes to the Benevolent is certainly entitled to the same advantages as are accorded to them if they subscribe to either the Boys' or the Girls' School . Similar steps towards this assimilation havo already been taken , as when some years since the benefits of tho Charity Jewel—if I may so speak of distinctions honourably won —were extended to those who served the office of Steward afc a

Benevolent Festival , and fulfilled certain ofcher conditions . Still more recently , the word " pounds " has been altered into " guineas , " in those regulations respecting Life Governorships , & o ., in which the former occurred . But as to the resolution of which Bro . Perceval speaks , and by whioh the Committee of Management will be authorised to put on annuitants , male or female , in the order in which they stand

on the unsuccessful list , in order to fill np vacancies that may occur dnring the six months following the election , I have my doubts about this being the besfc plan for meeting an acknowledged difficulty . Let the process of assimilation to which I have just referred be carried a step further , and let there be half-yearly elections to tbe Benevolent , as there are already to the Schools . I know the

expenses for election must be considerable in postage alone , and I feel sure ifc will entail a very considerable amount of labour on Bro . Terry and his officers . But I shonld be inclined to think the savings resulting from annuities which fall iu from time to time through the death of annuitants would amply suffice to cover the outlay . There are , I will say , ISOmale annuitants , among whom , at £ 10 each , the sura of

£ 6 , 000 is d e and payable yearly . But almost every month sees tho death of one or more annuitants , and the full sum of £ 6 , 000 is never quite expended . So it is with the female annuitants , among whom , if they are , say , as numerous , the same amount of £ 6 , 000 has to be distributed . Hence a little inquiry -will show that the money saved by deaths in the course of the year will suffice to cover the expenses

of a second election , and leave a slight margin for remunerating additionally those on whom the additional work must fall . This , I think will be a better plan , because , as one of your correspondents some weeks since pointed out , the position of an unsuccessful candidate on the poll is not always a true criterion to his real voting

strength . I think the brethren need not be afraid of making such changes as these , which merely involve the adaptation ' of existing ' rules to an altered state of circumstances . I thank Bro . Perceval for his courteous reference to my former letter . Fraternally and faithfully yours , S . E . Y .

Bro. Perceval's Suggested Amendments.

BRO . PERCEVAL'S SUGGESTED AMENDMENTS .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAE SIK AND BROTHER , —I am afraid Bro . Perceval is committing a great mistake in piling up his amendments to our laws . Every one he has brought forward is of importance , and any change in the direction he has indicated will be an improvement in the law as ifc now stands . But it is questionable policy , I think , for any one to

propose a number of important changes all at once . In such case people are apt to get frightened , and without pausing to think whether or not the proposed changes are likely to prove beneficial , reject them off-hand . Within the past few weeks Bro . Perceval has brought under the notice of your readers no less than four propositions or suggestions , two of which concern the Eules of the

Benevolent Institution aud two the Constitutions . These in order of their suggestion , are ( 1 ) a motion for dispensing with the confirmation of Grand Lodge in the case of grants in excess of £ 50 which have been recommended by the Lodge of Benevolence and approved by Grand Lodge ; ( 2 ) proposal for a further assimilation of the laws of the Benevolent Institution to those of the Schools , so thafc Ladies

and Lewises may be on the same footing in respect of qualification for Vice-Patrons , & c , & c , to all three Charities ; ( 3 ) that the highest unsuccessful candidates on the poll for the two Funds of the Benevolent should , in the six months following the election in May , be placed on the Fund as vacancies occur ; ( 4 ) that the law requiring that the widows and children of deceased Masons must apply for

relief within two years from the death of the latter or not afc all should be rescinded . I see nofc the slightest objection to any of the proposed changes . On the contrary , I think each and every of them will be a decided improvement on the existing laws and regulations . Bnfc , as I have said already , the Craft generally will think a great deal

more about the number and importance of the changes than of the benefits thafc are likely to result from their adoption , and in our eagerness to grasp too much , we shall stand an excellent chance of losing all . __ s regards the last of Bro . Perceval ' s propositions , it certainly seems anomalous that where the widow and children of a deceased Mason are