Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

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

THE BOYS' FESTIVAL .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONI CLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Will yon permit me to supplement the amount of contributions to the Boys' Festival from the Province of North and East Yorkshire . The amounts given in your paper were correct at the time of the announcement , but have since been increased

by other contributions , and now stand as follow : — £ s d Bro . J . S . Woodall ) M . C . Peck I 153 11 0 J . S . Cumberland ) Christopher Palliser 27 16 0

Total . 6181 7 0 By inserting this you will greatly oblige , Yours fraternally , J . S . CUMBERLAND P . P . G . J . W . N . and E . Yorks .

Benefits And Contributions

BENEFITS AND CONTRIBUTIONS

To the " Editor of the FREEMASON S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I have prepared two tables , which I think may be both interesting and useful to the Craft at large . The one as to the value of the benefits received and the contribntions given by London and the several Provinces , and the other as to the

number of Lodges which havo lapsed or become absorbed , i e ., two have bpcome one , and the number that have passed from under the Grand Lod

apparent strength is quoted at 2 , 100 , while our real strength ia abont 1 . 930 . I will make no further remark than to hope that those Provinces which have done well will continue in tht-ir well doing , and that others will be stimulated to do better , and more adequately contribute towards their share of the expenses . I remain , yours fraternally , P . M . 1607 .

TABLE I . EOYAL MASONIC INSTITUTIONS . Benefits received aud contribntions given by London aud the several Provinces . The benefits are given for this year , whi ' e tbe contributions represent the average for the seven years ending December 1884 .

Benefits . Contributions . £ £ s d London . - - - - -9 , 350 18 , 701 4 9 Bedford - - - - - — 12 9 0 Berks and Bucks 79 597 2 0

Bristol - - - - 85 48 0 0 Cambridgeshire - — 149 5 5 Cheshire - - - - 818 430 11 9 Cornwall - 394 200 10 0 Cumberland aud Westmoreland - - 312 263 5 10

Derbyshire - . - - 153 371 2 5 Devonshire - 1 , 154 3 G 8 10 0 Dorsetshire - 489 389 12 3 Durham - - - - - 426 419 5 4 Essex - - - - 504 510 1 6

Gloucestershire •312 703 0 9 Hants - - - - - 1 , 102 822 18 3 Herefordshire - - - . 32 9 16 Hertfordshire - - - 190 606 15 3 Kent - 1 , 3 . 9 1 , 355 8 3

Lancashire—East - ¦ . 1 , 408 1 , 380 7 5 Lancashire—West - - - 960 961 12 2 Leicestershire .... 79 275 19 5 Lincolnshire . ... 658 48 14 4 Middlesex - - - 489 918 16 8

Monmouthshire ... . 146 240 7 10 Norfolk ..... 377 188 11 0 Norths and Hunts - - - 489 156 4 3 Northumberland .... 487 295 17 10 Nottinghamshire - - - 100 183 4 11

Oxfordshire - - - 96 317 10 5 Somersetshire - - - - 507 3 S 9 12 8 Staffordshire - - - 380 532 0 8 Suffolk - - - - - 663 397 9 10 Surrey ... - - 217 464 19 3

Sussex - - - - - 561 701 8 2 Wales ( North ) and Salop - - - 235 280 19 0 Wales South—E . stern Division - - 215 305 5 10 Wales South—Western Division - - 243 290 9 11 Warwickshire .... 449 521 10 2

Wiltshire - - . - . 422 309 9 5 Worcestershire .... 262 401 18 2 Yorkshire—Nor-h ancl East - ¦ 624 508 5 8 Yorkshire—West ... . 2 , 709 2 / 110 5 3 Channel Isles - - - - 293 116 16 3 Colonies ..... 1 , 021 229 12 0

Benefits And Contributions

T ABLE II . The real strength of the Craft under the Grand Lodge of England . Numbers of the Lodges that have lapsed or been absorbed : — Lodge Founded Lodge Founded Lodgo Founded Lodge Founded

17 1723 596 1851 808 1860 1062 1865 118 1768 612 1853 821 „ 10 S 2 „ 122 17 K 9 616 „ 825 „ 1084 „ 138 1765 620 826 1090 1866

„ „ 161 1766 623 „ 831 „ 1104 „ 182 1768 627 „ 835 „ 1109 351 1816 628 „ 841 „ 1117 „ 365 1821 629 818 .. 1127

„ 396 1829 635 185-4 849 1861 1142 397 „ 642 „ 864 „ 1154 1867 399 „ 644 1855 866 „ 1156 „ 400 „ 648 „ 870 „ 1162 „

420 1834 658 „ 878 „ 1172 „ 427 1835 664 „ 881 „ 1173 „ 436 1836 668 „ 883 „ 1176 „ 470 1840 674 1856 886 „ 1187 „ 479 1841 675 „ 888 „ 1190 „

480 „ 676 „ 894 1862 1191 „ 490 1843 677 „ 909 „ 1200 499 1844 682 „ 919 „ 1217 1868 512 1845 688 „ 923 „ 1234 514 .. 690 924 1245

„ „ 518 „ 693 „ 927 „ 1251 1869 522 „ 695 1857 953 1863 1344 1870 524 1846 701 „ 955 „ 1346 1871 527 „ 717 „ 961 „ 1368 „ 532 „ 722 „ 963 „ 1412 1872 !& iii

535 „ 740 _ . _ . yt >* j , - y „ 544 1847 744 „ 965 „ 1484 1874 553 1848 756 „ 968 „ 1487 „ 559 „ 762 „ 983 „ 1497 „ 5 fi 2 1849 763 „ 984 „ 1498 „ 14

565 „ 770 „ 994 „ yy „ 568 „ 774 1859 1023 1864 1516 „ 571 „ 775 „ 1029 „ 1527 „ 575 1850 783 „ 1017 „ 1548 1875

577 „ 790 „ lUoi . lSt . 5 lbU 6 1876 578 „ 805 „ 1054 „ 1866 1880 Under the Grand Lodge of South Australia : —

423 585 875 1207 1759 1921 505 598 947 1240 1814 1934 583 649 1172 1252 1876 2002 584 842 Apparent number , 2 , 100 , minus 171 ; real number 1929 .

An Old Masonic Letter.

AN OLD MASONIC LETTER .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —The letter I enclose was written by an Ancient and Modern English and American Mason , all combined in one aud the same individual ; and , what is more , the letter was written in America eighty-two years a _ ro , by a brother who was

initiated in Brit-tol , England , one hundred and twelve years ago . The said brother was Grand Master of New Hampshire when he ¦ wrote the letter , and the letter was addressed to a Grand

Master of Maryland . The opinions then entertained by such a man about Masons aud Masonry may have been right or wrong , yet to a Masonic reader such a letter must be interesting . I have therefore copied it , with the peculiar spelling and punctuation , and here it is :

" June 1803 . " Most Worshipful Sir and Brother , " I have to acknowledge the receipt of your favour 23 rd February last past—wherein you mention your design of publishing a work on a plan entirely new . I am induced to believe , that your

publication will contain much useful , and valuable information on the subject of true Masonry ; and bring to litrht many facts relative to those unhappy distinctions of Ancient and Modern , existing evils very hurtful to our Society , and mischievous in their effects ; particularly amongst our brethren in England—and in several instances

have extended to the United States . I hope that this evil is nearly at an end—and that all distinctions will be concentrated in the General Name of Ancient Free and Accepted Columbian Mason . Thirty years ago—I was initiated and obliged to pass both denominations for the conviniency of visiting both descriptions in

England—where those b _ neful distinctions were kept up with an unbecoming warmth of temper—this I dare say you have observedand also that Modern , were composed of men of birth , talants , and education , and that those in London stiling themselves Ancientswere generally men of inferior abilities , and less refined in their

manners—these Lodges were not very careful whom they admited into the Society—which finally brought Masonry to a low ebb in England , and remained so for some time . T really believe that the Grand Lodge in Loudon , were very much to blame iu the first instance—for making such innovation and

alteration in the body of Masonry , as tended to creat schisms amongst the Craft in England-I wish that I conld give better information upon the subject . The Tenth Edition of Preston mnst supply thia fief , ct to which I refer von—respecting yonr 2 nd questi > u when

a Lodge ceases to work ? — [ am of opinion th . it tho then Officers ; have ariirht to retain the jewels , until others-are appointed— to . , ncceed th « m ; for ever—the funds ought to be applyd , to charitable ns . 3 ; for vvh ch purpose they were collected—if no private members of tha * . L <>< lge stand in need of relief . Then , and in that case the monies should bo