Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE

All letters must hear the name anl address of the Write ); not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Cor . respondents . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications .

A MOST DESERVING CASE . To the Editor of the FBEBMASON ' S CHRONICLE . 41 and 43 Princess-street , Mancheater . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —May I aak yon to kindly insert in yonr next issue the following statement of facts and appeal on behalf of a

most deserving caae of diatresa which haa come nnder my notice , aa Chairman of the Charity Committee of Eaat Lancaahire , the particulars of which were embodied in a Petition to the Grand Lodge of Benevolence , and forwarded to the Grand Secretary by me on the 16 th day of December laafc .

The Petition seta forth : — 1 . Thafc yonr petitioner's hnsband waa initiated into Free , masonry in the Sutherland Lodge of Unity , No . 460 , afc Newcastle-nnder-Lyrae , in the year 1864 , and continued a snbacribing member thereto for 15 yeara , served the various offices therein , and was elected Worshipful

Master in the years 1870 , 1871 , and 1873 ; he also joined the Sutherland Lodge , No . 451 , at Bnralem , in the year 1871 , and also the Portland Lodge , 637 , afc Stoke-on-Trent , and was appointed Senior Grand Warden of Staffordshire in the year 1872 by the then Provincial Grand Master , the Right Honourable the Earl of Shrewsbury .

2 . That he waa also asaociated with the Staffordahire Maaonic Charitable Aasociafcion from its establishment in 1871 , as one of the Committee during the years 1871 and 1872 , and elected Vice-President , dnring the same year , and afterwards Secretary from 1875 to 1879 .

3 . That he was a Life Governor on the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Boys , and served Stewardshipa for the Boyal Masonic Institution for Girls in the year 1874 , with a list of £ 63 ; and the Eoyal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons in 1875 , with a list of £ 10210 a .

4 . Thafc your petitioner ' s husband waa in affluent circumstances , bufc in the years 1878 nnd 1879 , from speculations , he loafc everything he posaesaed , and about sixteen monfcha ago left your petitioner , and ahe has hacl no tidings of him since , leaving your petitioner with six children , viz .:

—Eunice , aged 19 years , who ia in a situation . James „ 14 " ) These two are earning small amounts Henry „ 11 ) in situations in Manchester . Sidney „ 8 Edward „ G Stanley „ 3

5 . Thai your Petitioner has been located in Manchester some time , and has no means of existence but by the casual help of a few friends . 6 . That your Petitioner has nofc the slightest idea whether her husband is living or dead .

Under these circumstances she prays that the sympathy showed by her husband towards the distressed , when he waa in affluent circumstances , will be reciprocated towards her . " By tho next post the petition was returned to me , accompanied by a letter , of which the following ia a copy : —

Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C . Grand Secretary ' s Office , 17 th December 1881 DEAR SIR A . \ D BROTHER ,

I have to acknowledge tho receipt of your communication of the 16 th instant , and regret I cannot put the Petition on the lift , as the Lodge of Benevolence has n ) power to deal with a case of this kind . I am , Sir and Brother ,

Yours fraternally , SHADWELL H . CLERKE G . S , Bro . J . L . Hine P . P . S . G . W . E . L ., Chairman of the Charity Committee E . Lancashire . I forbear from muting any comment , but I cannot refrain from

bringing this caso before the notice of the Craft generally ( inasmuch as the portals of organised Blnsonic Charity are closed to ibis worse than " widow , " who by no act of her own is , with a large family , reduced from affluence to the lowest ebb of poverty and distress ) in the hope that an appeal to the Benevolent Mason for assistance will

not be in vain . Her husband , as tho Petition states , held high office in his Province , and in his time was energetic and charitable . All the allegations contained therein are verified , and I together with Bro . Unci , W . M . of the Shakespere Lodge , 1009 , who well knew her huabaud and

family in their affluent circumstances , visited her personally , and can corroborate tho statement as to her preaent position . It is not my wish to take up more of your valuable space than is absolutely necessary , nor to enlarge npon the merits . The Petition speaks for itself .

Under the circumstances I therefore appeal to the Craft generally . I can conscientiously state that in my experience with cases of Charity , extending over a period of more than a quarter of a century , I never met with one more deserving of sympathy , nor one that calls more loudly for help .

It is hoped that by this means sufficient may be raised to place her in some position wherein , with her own exertion , she may be enabled to provide for herself and family . The undermentioned Brethren havo kindly undertaken to receive subscriptions , which will be thankfully received and acknowledged .

lam , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours faithfully , J . L . HINE , P . Prov . S . G . W . E . L . Chairman of the Charity Committee of East Lancashire

Bro . Thos . Taylor , P . Prov . S . G . W . Staffordahire , Havelook-place , Hanley , Staffordahire . „ Frank A . Huefc , W . M . 1009 , 120 Oxford-sfcreet , Manchester . „ Henry Thomas , Prov . G . Sup . of Works E . L ., Hamilton-atreet , Oldham .

CLIQUISH .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I quite endorse what your correspondent " SYMPATHISER " haa written on the subject of " Cliquiam . " If a Lodge desires to go on prosperously , it must be clear to every member that there should be a minimum of meddling on the part of the authorities in the election and appointment of Officers . There

should be no canvassing , no undue solicitation in favour of this or thafc brother . While merit above the average may properly be rewarded out of the regular course , ifc is also desirable , and , indeed , will be fonnd most conducive to the interests of the Craft , that brethren who are worthy shonld be advanced from office to office . Ifc requires unusual strength of mind to acquiesce , without

remonstrance , in being passed over even by a brother who ia ad . mittedly one ' s superior . How much more difficult , then , must ifc be when the claims of one brother to promotion are advanced over those of another who is in little or no respect superior ? Let ifc be remembered—and ifc cannot be too widely or too generally made public in our Lodges—thafc " Cliquism " is the deadly foe of harmony , and without harmony ifc is impossible for a Lodge to proaper . Fraternally yours , T . E . A .

Grand Lodge Of Scotland.

GRAND LODGE OF SCOTLAND .

THE Quarterly Communication of this Grand Lodge was held in Freemasons' Hall , Edinburgh , on the 2 nd insfc ., nnder the presidency of the Earl of Mar and Kellie G . Master . The S . W . ' a chair being filled by the Earl of Breadalbane J . G . W ., while Major Crombie acted aa J . G . Warden . Tho other Grand Office-bearera in attendance were Bros . E . F . Shaw Stewart Sub . G . M ., D . Murray Lyon i G . Sec , David Kinnear G . Cashier , Eev . W . W . Tulloch G . Chaplain ,

Andrew Kerr G . Architect , John S . Matheson G . Jeweller , George Fisher G . Bible Bearer , Major Hilla G . Director of Ceremonies , Sir Molyneux H . Nepean G . Bard , J . T . S . Elliott jun . of Wolfelee , G . Sword Bearer , James Turner President , and James Crichton Vice-Preaident of the Board of G . Stewards , Pearce Prov . G . M . Glasgow , Martin Prov . G . M . Dumbartonshire , W . Mann Proxy Prov . G . M . of

all India , W . Officer Eeprosentative of the Grand Lodges of Pennsylvania and Egypt , W . Maclean Eepreseutative of the Grand Lodge of the Bahamas , James Datrymple Duncan Proxy Prov . G . M . Newfoundland , Col . James T . Stewart Proxy Prov . G . M . Peru , F . A . Barrow Glasgow Proxy Prov . G . M . Bermuda , Sheriff Thoma , W Hay Eepreseutative of the Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia . The Earl of

i Breadalbane and Sir Molyneux Nepean , Bart ., who had been elected : aa Junior Grand Warden and Grand Bard respectively , were ! formally installed into office and took the usual obligation . 1 The Finance Committee reported that for the month ending 21 st ult ., the income amounted to £ 374 , and tho expenditure to £ 290 , whilst in

the corresponding month last year the income was £ 343 , and the expenditure £ 219 . A report of tho Fund of Masonic Benevolence showed that dnring the three months ending 26 th January £ 133 had been voted for Charity . A statement of the accounts of Grand Lodgo was submitted for the year from 30 th November 1880 , which showed thafc tho income had been £ 3535 , including £ 363 of rents and £ 45 of

interest ; and the expenditure , including £ ' 129 of interest , £ 2253—the excess of income being £ 1282 . Tho funds and estate at the end of the year amounted to £ 19 , 387 , and ou 30 th November 1880 to £ 18 , 105 . During the year there had been 3865 entrants to the Order , and 49 applications . There had been 16 charters issued to new Lodges . Eegarding the Masonic Fund of Benevolence , a statement for the same period showed an income of £ 661 , and expenditure to tho amount of

£ 501 , of which £ 182 had been devoted to Charity . The funda and estate amounted at the beginning of the year to £ 5712 , and at the end to £ 5872 . It was reported by tho Grand Committee that a recommendation by a special Committee had been approved , to the effect that the office of Grand Tyler , wnoao proper place waa ou tho outside of the door of the Grancl Lodge , should be conjoined with that of the ilallkeeper ; , that Grand Lodge should create the honorary