Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

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

VIEWS ON CHARITY VOTING .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I must respectfully but earnestly demur to tho running commentary introduced by your reporter into the few remarks I made at the consecration of the Clapham Lodge in returning thanks for the Officers of Grand Lodge . In the first place , I hold that it is scarcely becoming in a reporter

to take such a self-sufficient line , on whatever side of a question his sympathies may lie . In the second placo I dispute the accuracy of almost every state , ment he has been pleased to make . It is in my humble opinion tho province of a reporter to report what has been said , or if he thinks it worthless , to omit it altogether

but it is not his function to suppress what has been said , and give instead thereof his own personal commentary , thus taking the place of judge , jury , and witness . Now , as to his statements . 1 . With all due deference to him , I contend my views on charity voting are not peculiar , but held by three men out of every four who

have no vested interests to serve , and havo not been involved in tho haphazard jobbery which tho preseut system so manifestly fosters . 2 . I deny that theso views are even " antagonistic to the Craft at large ; " on the contrary , I assert that if Masons were polled to-morrow , three-fourths would be found on tho side of enquiry , justice and mercy , and therefore opposed to the abuses of the present system . To ono

thing I can speak without hesitation , that I know of dozens of influential Masons , holding high rank in the Craft , who have denounced these abuses in no measured terms , and who will before long speak out ( as I have dared to do ) their minds upon this subject . 3 . Though tho brethren present did not express any " concurrence " in the views put forth , I have yet to learn that such silence meant

dissent ; and as to " disapprobation , I certainly did not catch the faintest sound of it . I may add , that in far the larger proportion of Masonic meetings at which I have named the subject , the views I have ventured to express have been received with loud concurrence and approval . 4 . I never even named the " Charity Organization Society , " but

simply stated that if any of the brethren happened to have opportunity to attend the annual meeting of tho " Charity Voting Reform Association , " nest clay , they would hear from Lord Derby some instructive statements on this subject , so deeply interesting to Masons . The " Alexandra Palace meeting" was not in my mind when I named this , nor shr . ll I stop to show which of the two meetings was

likely to confer more dignity and real profit on Masonry . But I think I coald do this , and easily too . And now , Dear Sir and Brother , permit me to say that I shall always feel myself perfectly at liberty to express my opinious in every assembly of Masons , on any subject that is good for Masonry in general , or for tho "Lodge in particular" of which I mav bo a

member ; aud no amount of sneer or perverse comment , either on the part of Secretaries or reporters , shall deter me from havin" the honesty of my convictions , and expressing them too . Plainer nth must be evil-spoken of at least for a time , and reform must ever encounter much opposition aud obloquy , but both will and must eventually triumph ; as in the case of the Royal Medical Benevolent College it has recently done , wherein 2 , 770 as against 364 Governors

endorsed our views , which were carried by resolution at the annual meeting by 5 to 1 , in tho face of the Council , the majority of whom were hostile to reform j and so , please God , wo shall have it in Freemasonry soou , and while our votes remain , they will be stripped of those unjust , undignified , wasteful , and cruel accompaniments , — voting days , exchanges , trafficking , aud wholesale convassing , which are " spots on our Feasts of Charity , " and on our Charity itself . I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours fraternally , R . J . SIMPSON .

"WHICH IS CORRECT ?"

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —By a printer ' s error iu my letter of last week you have caused mo to uso the word dependent instead of despondent , a very different signification to what I bad intended .

Please correct in your next , and oblige , Yours truly and fraternally , A PROVINCIAL GRAND OrncEii . Plvmouth , 30 th June 1870 .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , — "A PROVINCIAL GRAND OJTICER ' S " letter in your last impression is evidently so kindly meant tliat I cannot feel regret that doubts as to the success of my endeavours are expressed , and that in some quarters " difliculty ancl

disappointment to myself" are anticipated . I may bo sanguine , as ho supposes , —even as faultily so ; but I am quite as persistent as I am sanguine ; and whilst certain my object and the means adopted to gain it are proper , I shall net spare myself the necessary labour to attain it . The Knight of de la Mancha may be my prototype iu some respects , but I aim at the perseverance of another type of

Correspondence.

man to whom the lesson of the spider ' s oft-repeated failures and subsequent success was not lost . Any way , the work I havo announced is all but " in the press . " It is true that at the present the requisite number of subscribers to cover cost of publication has not been secured , but somo two hundred copies are subscribed for , and I have every hope that the

remaining thr « e hundred will be forthcoming when it is perfectly understood I " mean business . " I scarcely understand your correspondent's expression " nervous and dependent . " I certainly am not the former , and as to tho latter , I venture to express the hope that beyond seeking the reasonable support of my brother Masons , who will receive " quid pro quo , " the publication of the work will be

undertaken without obligation ( except for grateful co-operation ) on my part towards any one . The suggestion of your correspondent as to what he is pleased to term the " scheme" for the formation of a Lodge of Preceptors shall bo carried into effect , as I plainly see—and thank him for pointing it out—that unless the practicability of its establishment can be generally understood approval and support could not expected .

I have yet very many " points " to submit for the consideration of the members of the Craft interested in the subject , but the compilation of the proposed work is sufficient for my present leisure , so I defer their introduction until after the publication of " Uniformity of Masonic Ritual and Observance , " which I anticipate will be not later than the last week in July . Meanwhile I shall of course be glad to receive tho names of further subscribers for the work . Yours truly and fraternally , JAMES STEVENS P . M . P . Z . 112 High . street , Clapham , 30 th June 1879 .

" ASSISTANCE" FUND . To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Permit me to call attention to a matter which I think will prove of great importance to the Craft generally , viz ., tho suggestion of tho M . W . Bro . tho Earl of Rosslyn as to the advisability of establishing a fund for tho assistance of Boys and Girls after leaving our institutions .

This is not a now topic , as it has often been discussed by me , aud no doubt many brethren ; it has at last happily been brought protniuently and gracefully before the brethren by the M . W . P . G . M . of Scotland , the Earl of Rosslyn , in his speech at tho Boys' Fes'ival . As chairman of the Festival ho remarked : " I will tell you a little fault , aid I am sure I havo only to mention it to find it immediately corrected . It is

not impossible that at tho end of their schooling caraer some of those boys may leave the school homeless and in need . It may bo that the good seed sown may boar fruit during their scholastic caresr , but ik may also bo that tho fruit will perish for want of cultivation at a later period . It may be that they leave the institution to fall into evil courses aud evil ways , and even to suffer penury and poverty . This is

the only blot I can find in your excelleut institution . I think another blot his Lordship has overlooked is the desirability of providing a sinking fund for the institutions , that they might be more independent of individual exertions , and not suffer from the vicissitudes of trade , hard times , & o . ; however , this is digressing , so I return to the subject of his Lordship's remarks . I think he has struck a happy chord , thero

can bo no doubt the children receive a splendid education , and are thoroughly cared for whilst in the institutions , but is it not proved that the comfort and caso the children experience in their early years makes it doubly hard to bear privations , when they have to face tho stern fight of life . How often is it fouud that they are discouraged to give up , where others , who from childhood have been nursed in the

rough school of life and are not so sensitive , plod on and succeed ; a little assistance in such critical moments might be tho meaus of laying the foundation of a life ' s success . I feel I am not competent to plead the children's cause as ably as I should like , and can only hope these remarks may -strike tho heart of somo able writer who will take up the cause . I shall , therefore , content myself by stating a

remedy . The M . W . and noble Chairman expressed hia willingness to subscribe to such a fund , started for the purpose of assisting the children . I would propose therefore that on the next Stewards ' papers a column is left for subscriptions and donations to tho "Assistance" Fund . This would save expense of collecting , and as an inducement to brethren and Stewards to collect for the fund , to

allow one vote say for every twenty pounds collected for this purpose . There need be no special banquet or festival . Simply let it be recognised as a special fund , and Stewards for the Boys' and Girls ' Festivals invited to solicit subscriptions . As such a fund only wants a start to be a reality , I would propose that one hundred brethren volunteer to raise subscriptions , and

guarantee , say within two years , to collect at least one hundred pounds each , and if our M . W . Chairman heads tho list , as he has promised , I have no doubt a good round sum would bo soon forth , coming . This , invested in the names of trustees in Consols or other good security , would form the nucleus of a great charity fund . As deeds are better than words , I shall have much pleasure in offering

my services as a Steward , and I guarantee no less than one hundred pounds within two years . Having called attention to what I think is a want , may I hope you will give publicity to it , in tho hope that the brethren will freely discuss the pros and cons v » -ith a view to finding out if the suggestion made by our illustrious chairman will prove as acceptable to tho brethren at large as it docs to yours ,

Faithfully and fraternally , DICK RADCLYITE , P . S . There are say 1000 Lodges , if each AV . M . for tho year 18 S 0 , instead of a jewel , were to propose tho cost bo placed to this fund no less than say £ 6 , 000 would be raised . I mention this to shew how easy it wouli " . bo in small matters to raise a largo sum . To forego one banquet in each Lodge would treble this sum . Should we ever regret such ^ fivations ?