Holiday Haunts.

a very pictnresqne character . Weymouth is ono of the most healthy spots " on the coast , and furnishes excellent bathing accommodation . From hero steamers run to Guernsey and Jersey , and do tho distance in six and nine hours respectively . Many pleasaut excursions can be made from Weymouth , and altogether it may take rank among the best of our watoring places .

Those who desire to follow our remarks , and to pick ont a journey for themselves should get the Great Western Time Table . They will bo somewhat embarrassed in their choice , but they cannot fail to find something that would suit them . Of this we can assure our readers , that wherever they go they will secnre comfort in transit not surpassed by any other line in the kingdom .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . All Letters must bear the name ani address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of yoodfaith . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications .

— : o : — BRO . "WATCHMAN" AND HIS VIEWS . To tlie Editor 0 / tlie FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR StR AND BROTHER , —I do not know who Bro . " WATCHMAN " is , but I am inclined to think he is a member of tho House Committee of the Girls' School ; becauso Bro . Stevens ( who , by tho way , cannot very well return even the complimentary compliment ) , in his views about the House Committee , evidently trod upon a pet corn .

Bro . " WATCHMAN " knows tho duties of the House Committee , how the money was to be raised to pay for the ground , and what will be tbe probable action of the Committee if the land at that part of Battersea Rise shall prove to be of anything like Mr . Whiting ' s value . As regards the proffered rebate , I am against the principle entirely , as being nothing more nor less than a bribe to pay more for a purchase than it is worth .

Bro . " WATCHMAN , " in his first paragraph , lines G and 7 , p 53 , states that it was not worth above £ 18 , 000 ; yot in paragraphs 3 and 4 , that he would not have minded giving £ 33 , 000 or £ 34 , 00 C for it . Again , I do not think it a wise thing to " grease a horse's tooth ; " in other words , to suggest to Mr . Whiting , or any woukl-be purchaser , what annoyance and mischief they can cause . If they know

this , they do not require to be told it ; if they do not , there is no occasion to tell them . With regard to Bro . " WATCHMAN ' S " paragraph on what he miscalls " almshouses , " ( thereby unnecessarily hurting the feelings of the residents at the Insticntion , many of whom have seen as prosperous times as any of ns , and do not care to bo cruelly reminded of their misfortunes ) , I am rejoiced to think that there is

only a chance some day of his returning to the subject , as between then and now ho will have timfb to learn something about the matter on which he writes ; he will know that it is perfectly optional on the part of the annuitants whether they enter tho Institution or remain with their friends ; he can , by personal inquiries , find out whether the inmates are hnppy and contented or otherwise ; ftlso YJnether they

have any friends outside , or if they have , whether they would care to live with them always ? By the word friends , I take it relations are understood , and they are not always friends—far from it , I am afraid . Now , do they not find themselves more independent in the homes which the late husbands of the widows , or tho brethren themselves have , in common with the Craft at large , contributed

towards building and maintaining , and for this reason the word 1 " almshouses" is entirely out of place , and must have been used by him thoughtlessly , without thinking of tbe pain it might ) cause to those to whom it applies . Other diligent inquiry as to the " white elephant" might bo of use in ascertaining—What is the annual cost P This frightful waste of money ? Whether it would be

true economy to dispense with it ? What is the opinion of those who have visited it and watched over it ? Would Bro . " WATCHMAN " like , from motives of economy and kindness , to relegate the boy 3 and girls to their parents or friends , with a certain sum of money each , to be spent at their discretion ? I trow not ; and if the young are to be nurtnred and cared for on their entering into life , so should the old

bo looked after and kindly treated in their declining years . Brother ' ^ WATCHMAN ' S" frieud ' s simile of Greenwich Hospital is unhappy in another respect ; the pension allowed to onr sailors is what they are entitled to by law for their services in their country ' s pause , and is certain , according to their term of service and behaviour , whilst onr annuitants have to make many repeated efforts ,

and often in vain , to obtain tho annuity , which is derived , not from a settled income , but entirely from voluntary contributions , which might decrease any year , thereby either lessening tho amount of annuity or number of th recipients . In the one case all are entitled to what they have earned and contracted for ; in the other , all cannot , participate , but only the successful few . Thcro was ono remark in Bro .

" WATCHMAN ' " " Pricked Windbag " of tho 21 st nlf ., " If there was confusion at the Special Grand Lodge when only 200 were present , what would it have been had there had been 700 there ? " He fails , or does not choose to see , the gist of my remark , that it was not from the nnmber present , but from the manner in which the business was conducted , —viz ., the President of the Board of General Purposes

merely giving the suggested alterations , approved or disapproved without the context , and then , immediately after , without any appreciable delay , the opinion of the brethren being as-ked ; both in my estimation wrong . The context shonld have been given so as to gather the sense intended , and a delay of at least three minutes should bo given where any alterations are contemplated . 1 sec that the Special Grand Lodge is to meet again on tho 8 th inst ., at 4 . 30 p . m . If tbe shorthand notes of the official reporter have

Correspondence.

not been recovered , I shall move that such portion of the minutes shall be reconsidered before being taken as correctly entered or eon . firmed , whichever may bo the correct phrase . In point of fact , a Select Committee of twelve brethren , six from London and six from

the Provinces , should bo chosen and paid , for carefully and systema . tically going over the work done by the Revise Committee of the Board of General Purposes , and tho judgment of tho Select Committee shonld be final , and not that of the Revise Committee , only known to and chosen by the Board of General Purposes . Yours fraternally , P . M . 1607 .

THE ALLEGED CONSPIRACY . To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I am not in the habit of coating my pills with " sugar , " hence Bro . Perceval ' s difficulty in swallowing them . Indeed , ho oasts them aside and makes a spurious compound for him . self , which , no doubt , is pleaiantor and more gratifying to his selflove . I am uot anxious to prove Bro . Perceval in the wrong ; I am

only desirous that right should prevail , and that the business of Grand Lodge should bo couduoted with perfect fairness to every brother . I am content to be twitted with " innocenco of mind ; " it is something to be innocent in these days of sham and shoddy , and I take it as compliment to be ranked among the few . My complaint against Bro . ' Perceval is , that he has brought a direct charge against the

Grand Registrar , his " reputed successor , " and the Grand Director of Ceremonies , and by inference against the Pro Grand Master , which amounts to conspiracy . How does he meet it ? He falls back upon the Pickwickian method , and says if the offending brethren will say they did not do what Bvo . Perceval has accused them of doing , in the strongest possible terras , he will accept their statement . What ,

and eat his own words ? Why should the alleged offonders do auy . thing of the kind ? Bro . Perceval has made a deliberate and offensive charge , and he is bound to formulate that charge . ^ proceed to proof , or unconditionally withdraw his imputations . It is not for tho accused , in a court of first instance , to prove their innocence ; the onus of proof of guilt rests upon the

accuser , and Bro . Perceval ought not to shirk the responsibility he has voluntarily taken npon himself . It is not a question of apology at present . When tho charges are either proven or withc ? rawn , then an apology will be in order 3 it is possible it may have to come from the accused , and if it should bo so , however much I might regret the

circumstance , I should be ready to give all the credit that would be I fairly duo to Bro . Perceval . He would thou be a patriot ; he is ! now simply a scold . i I hardly follow Bra . Perceval ' s arithmetic—my " innocenco of mind " again—but I suppose it is according to " Cocker . " As in the case of the Officers named above , so in that of the Executive

Com' mittee , I want proof . As far as I can perceive , no arrangement could havo been mado that would have met the convenience of Provincial brethren who came up to London on the occasion of either of the Festivals , so that the charge , that they wero pnrposely or wan-1 tnnlviVnored . has no existence except in the mind of Bro . Perceval .

What object conld there be in passing over the brethren from the country , and how was it possible to hold the Special Grand Lodge , according to tho instvvsotions given to the Board of General Purposes , when the London Lodges were in session ? I deny that there is any proof that the General Purposes Committee were actnated by any improper motive when they secretly began the rovision of the rules ; I havo shown that they could not

possibly meet the convenience of the Provincial brethren , and that the position of the London Lodges had nothing whatever to do , either one way or the other , with the holding of Special Grand Lodge . Neither body were in any way prejadiced , and only those afflicted With chronic faultfinding could see evil motives in the course the business took . Supposing the Revise Committee were

orderedrequested would be perhaps a better term—to report at the Quarterly meeting in June and failed , does it necessarily follow that they wished to stifle discussion ? Is it not possible that there were good reasons for not reporting at the time mentioned , that the date for the Special Communication had not been fixed on 6 th June , and that it was deemed prudent to be silent until all arrangements had been

completed ? Bro . Perceval permits no such charitable couclusion 3 to enter his mind ; ho sees nothing but tho cloven hoof and the sp iked tail of the evil one , and forthwith he denounces a body of mon against whom in private life he dare not lift up tho finger of scorn . It might have been better to have stated at the Quarterly Coniuiunication that a Special Grand Lodge would be held , giving or omitting

the date as circumstauces warranted ; it might have been more couvenienfc if a night other than that of Friday had been selected to such special meeting ; but what right has Bro . Perceval to conclude that the Committee were influenced by improper motives ? Where is his evidence ? I say nothing about charity . I can see nothing in the action of the Committee that is not consistent with the conduct of honourable men ; if Bro . Perceval thinks otherwise , he is bound to

prove his charges or withdraw them . It is not enjoyable work this breaking flies on a wheel ; I s not , therefore , follow Brother Perceval into his speculations about figures . Nothing is more deceitful aud misleading . I have al ready rlisnnsnrl nf Hie innnnsistencv of the position as to the number ot

members at Special Grand Lodge and the work done . Bro . Perceva leaves my exposure untouched . I do not care to deal with trifles , and I would scorn to take advantage of a printer ' s error or the mistakes of a writer . I do not desire tho notoriety that Bro . Perceva courts , and am content to keep my visor down ; at tho same tirne shall nob fail to gnard my stronghold , relying upon my good ngn arm and justice , truth and charity , as the arbiters of auy cause

I may espouse . Tours fraternally , W ATCHMAN .