The Four Old Lodges.

holding any other meetings than those of the Three Orders above described . ( ) V . —A non-Masonic writer , from whoso pages I have already quoted , may here be profitably cited . (' ) ,

" As to spurious Masonry , its almost countless degrees form an incoherent medley of opposite principles , founded chiefly on Christian traditions and institutions , orders of knighthood , contested theological opinions , historical events ; in fact , every important event or institution has afforded models for Masouic mimicry . "

Masonry ought not to be an ambulance , bat a vanguard . It ia embarrassed by its excessive baggage , its superfluous symbols . " ^) VI . —Reverting to the enquiry with which this Section commenced—viz ., tho most probable origin to be assigned

to modern Freemasonry—the preceding paragraphs ( II . —IV . ) will have shown , that the . usages and customs of Masons havo been vastly extended , since they ceased to be ( in the South of England ) tho peculiar and especial heritage of the " Four Old Lodges . "

( i ) Laurio , p 102 . See § 26 ( III . ) ( s ) Secret Societies of All Ages aud Countries ( Heckethorne ) Vol . I . p 266 . ( s ) Ibid , p 348 .

Masonry may therefore be termed the stock , and modern Freemasonry the scion ; the pristine simplicity of our Ancient English Rite being now only reflected in the mirror of tradition .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . 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 .

CHARITY STEWARDS . To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHKOJJICXE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Ifc is with considerable gratification I find tho subjects connected with the above heading occupying so prominent a place in your columns from week to week , as I am satislied the more thoroughly are ventilated tho many questions involved , the moro beneficial will be tho results to tlie interests of onr

Institutions , which must at all times be regarded as deserving our most thoughtful consideration , ancl which , under present circumstances , cannot fail to be objects of considerable anxiety . With your correspondents to present date—if I gather correctly from thoir letters—three questions notably present themselves for discussion : —

a . The necessity for Anniversary Festival Dinners . b . Tho expenditure of time ancl money by thoso who undertake the duties of Stewards . c . The inadequate return for snch expenditure . a . Afc the recent Festival in aid of tho "Mark Benevolent Fund " this was treated at some length by the Chairman , Lord Skelmersdale ,

than whom there cannot bo quoted ono more solicitous for the pros - perity of our Institutions—more ready at any time , and at all times , to give his services in promotion thereof ; more earnest and more genial in the discharge of any duty he undertakes , or ono whose utterances , from the distinguished position he occupies in the Craft , and in other branches of Masonry , are moro deserving of attentive

respect . Iu the expressions then used by his Lordship there was no condemnation of the present system ; the words adopted were iu the form of a friendly , not a criticising enquiry —why could not —( resolving itself really into the shape of an earnest , trusting hope that , -uch might bo tho case)—tho results all were desirous of realising be accomplished without the largo outlay necessitated by a dinner ?

Doubtless , tho enquiry has been urged over ancl over again ; while , witli equal certainty , it may be affirmed tho aspiration has been indulged in by infinite numbers of ( hose who are in the habit , at the call of duty , of participating in festive assemblies , aud assuredly by none more heartily tlian by those npon whom devolves tho labour of organising and carrying out all the multifarious details in connection

with the •' getting up" of such gatherings . Deeply imbued with this feeling , but firmly impressed with its Utopian character , 1 ventured , in reply to his Lordship ' s observations , with all defeience to express my opinion , based upon exporioiico ancl fortified by practice , that the abolition of the social meeting under tho name of '• 'Anniversary Festival " would be detrimental to thn

interest ;) of the Charity which might elect to try tho experiment . I cannot better depict the advantages ultra the question of mone \ resulting from the Annual Festival than iu the words of my excel lent friend Bio . T . 1 ! . H'hytehcad , of York , iu his fetter in your issiu of 21 th . August , tho concluding paragraph of which is admiraljl ) exhaustive . These admitted , let me turn to the consideration of the most im portant point , —the acquisition of funds .

Correspondence.

The modus operandi is ' : Fix a day to which the attention of W . M . aud Members of Lodges is constantly directed by circulars , notices , « fcc , soliciting tho names of Brethren to act as representative Stewards of Provinces , Lodges , & o ., in support of a Brother , more or less distinguished anil influential , who has consented to preside afc tho Anniversary Festival to bo then celebrated . In response , the

names of ( say ) 200 Stewards aro received . Those Stewards exert themselves , moro or less successfully , to obtain donations ; fired , in tho majority of cases , by a just spirit of emulation to excel in the discharge of tho duties they have undertaken ; their oyos turned to tho goal—tho Festival Day—when tho results will be publicly announced , amidst tho plaudits of "fair women" and good brethren . The

aggregate , an enormous success ; thoso who havo contributed largely evolving out of their inner consciousness a gratifying reward ; thoso who have laboured equally perseveringly , but not so fortunately , consoling themselves that thoy havo clone their best ; those who have fallen short , led to put enquiries to themselves , and stimulated , it is to bo hoped , to more earnest exertions on a future occasion .

Tho " feast of reason and tho flow of soul , " the charms of melody , tho badge of honour , all provided from a special fund raised by tho Stewards , without calling for tho outlay of a shilling from tho fnuds of tho Institution ; the pleasant introductions , the interchange of social amenities , the renewal of old , sometimes of severed , friendships—contribute to throw a halo over the event , which renders each

recurring anniversary a red-letter clay in the memories of all who have joined in its celebration . This is but tho Masonic phase of a universal practise . Centenaries , jubilees , comings of age , national triumphs , political victories , foundation-stones of churches , hospitals , colleges , schools , theatres , & o ., great events in connection with religions or secular societies , scientific

associations , all havo , as a necessary concomitant , that wonderful English institution , —a banquet , in some form or other ; and all acknowledge the potency of the agency . Abolish the annual gathering and you take away the pivot of the entire machinery , you deprive tho Arch of its keystone . The Festival is the culmination of the labours of a year , the visible embodiment of

the individual and collective exertions brought into play out of sight of tho public . I am free to confess thafc , so far as my experience extends , the festival per se , no matter under whatever distinguished auspices ifc may be held , does not materially conduce to an increase of fundsi . e ., the work has all been done previous to the Festival , which may

be looked upon as a consummation . I do not think it can be proved that afc the banquet tables more than £ 100 has over been added to the aggregate amount on the Lists of Stewards made up previous to their entering the room . But now occurs the question : Would brethren be found to act as Stewards if their duties were simply to be confined to paying

visitsto a few Lodges , soliciting support from their funds and from friends , recording the amounts on a list , remitting the same with money received to head-quarters on or before a given day , tho amounts being published iu due course , and there an end ? I , for one , think not . Will any of your correspondents suggest some other plan as worthy

of trial ? This letter has far outrun fche limits I had sefc for myself in treating of " a , " and not wishing to trespass unduly on your space , or on the patience of your readers , I will reserve my remarks on the two remaining points of discussion , probably asking insertion of a separate communication on each .

Meanwhile , 1 am , Yours faithfully and fraternally , FREDERICK BINCKES . London , 2 nd September 1878 .

Scrutineers.

SCRUTINEERS .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE ^ DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I am very glad to find that at last some positive action is to be taken with regard to the malpractices of those delinquent scrutineers who are unfaithful in the discharge of their self imposed onerous duties . It is now some years since the following occurrence took place , but I think the recital will strengthen the hands

of the executive in tho manly verdict they have passed , and which I hope will have a deterring effect for the future , aud lead to a thorough alteration in our elective system . I suppress names and substitute blanks ; bub should it be doubted , I have all the papers now before me , and think I cannot better explain the case than by quoting extracts from my Petition : —

" To the General Committee of the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Boys . "That at the last School Election , the lGfch October 1871 , 1 was interested in tho case of D . ; that I there met Brother of , who was representing thafc of C . At two o ' clock Brother — came to mo , stating , that although ho had already polled 1250

votes for C . s case , ho had jnst received a note from Brother , one of the scrutineers ( and which ho showed me ) , bearing tho following : " Beg , Borrow , or Steal 200 more , or you will be nowhere , " thus announcing , from the scrutineers' room , that anything under 1450 would be unsuccessful .

" On consulting with my friends , at twenty minutes to three , ancl ascertaining that my whole strength was 1170 votes , we , on tho faith of the document sent from tho scrutineers' room , abandoned the case as hopeless , giving 300 votes to Brother for his boy C . " & c , & c .

' I therefore unhesitatingly declare that had it not been for the noto . mown me as coming from tho scrutineers' room with the statement ifc contained , I should have polled my votes , and thus secured the election of the boy D . . .. . . Through the misstatement of one of the moat important officers appointed that day , who I consider not only