Correspondence

CORRESPONDENCE

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

FREEMASONRY AND ITS CHARITIES

To the Editor of the FREEMASON S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —From tho correspondence whioh has recently taken place in your columns respecting the expenditure involved in tbe maintenance of the children in the Masonio Schools , I am inclined to believe there is some explanation which might be ,

and ought to bo , given for tho benefit of the Craft generally . I had always understood that th » amount was somewhat excessive , in com . parison with those of other and similar Institutions , but a margin was ever allowed , from the impression that the principles of Masons induced them to treat those who were entrusted to their oaro on a

more liberal scale than is usual in orphanages and " homes . Still , I had no idea that so large a sum as £ 27 , 000 had been expended on tho maintenance of 410 children , and if possible I shall take the opportunity of looking a little more closely into the matter . There must , I imagine , be some mistake on the part of your correspondent

"H . " which the Committee might easily point out j but I , too , should be glad to be informed how I might procure a copy of the publication to which Bro . Binckes has referred . It will he a source of gratification to all the brethren who have subscribed to be told that instead of all this money having been spont , a considerable portion

has been carried to the reserve fund , in which case the question of extending the benefits of the Institution might well be considered . It is of no use perpetnally to be stirring np a laudable rivalry in the matter of solicitation and giving if the monoy is to be hoarded up , or , worse still , lavishly squandered . Trusting that the questions asked will be the means of eliciting the fullest information ,

I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours fraternally , A SUBSCRIBER

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Since last addressing you on this subject , I havo been favoured with a copy of the Treasurer ' s account with the R . M . I , for Givla for 1 & T 8 . If this is the strictly audited statement of accounts which "he

who runs may read , " I may be excused for remarking that the rnnner might continue his exercise for many hours without deriving very much satisfactory information from his roading . I suggested intelligible accounts and clear balance-sheets of the two Schools , and am given a summary of the year's cash entries of one Institution , the substance of which may be stated in threo lines : — Ordinary expenditure £ 7085 Extraordinary ditto 8232

Total £ 16 , 817 The accuracy of these figures need not be questioned , the certificate of the auditors being sufficient to guarantee that the moneys havo been expended as stated ; but the policy and the Charity of turning away 70 per cent , of the applicants for whose benefit the funds have been subscribed , whilst less than one-half of the amount is devoted to the support and education of those for whom it was

collected , demand , and ought to receive , most earnest consideration . Out of the total inoome for the year not one penny appears to have been invested to meet future expenditure ; the balance in the bankers' hands was about £ 2000 less at December than in January , and a loan of £ 2000 seems to have been obtained from the London and Westminster Bank .

But this o » ly relates to ono year's income and expenditure , and does not touch upon the main question of " intelligible accounts and clear balance-sheets . " An annual cash abstract is not a satisfactory statement of accounts . Thore is no reason , that I am acquainted with , why fiduciary accounts should not be as clearly rendered as those of a commercial firm or a public Company ; and as largo sums

havo been appropriated during past year 3 to other purposes than the maintenance and education of tho children , subscribers are entitled to the fullest information aa to the assets and liabilities of these Institutions , and of the nature and value of tho properties on which many thousands of pounds have been expended . Let us have intelligible accounts and clear balance-sheets . If the Committees

have any difficulty in framing such accounts a » are required , there are many ou their lists of Governors whose aid might be solicited . ( I observe , amongst others , such well-known authorities as Bros . Henry Bishop , W . W . Deloitte , James Glegg , R . P . Hardiug , & o ., ) whose opinions and advice would be warmly wolcomed by the

wellwishers of onr Chanties , prove a stimulant to many in future efforts to increase their value , tend to chock the increasing desire in the Masonic provinces for independent and less costly Schools , and reduce the number of disappointed applicants for the benefit of these Institutions . I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours fraternally , 14 th May 1879 . H .

Correspondence

LODGES OF INSTRUCTION .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —It is very satisfactory to me to read in one of your reports last week that in some Lodges of Instrnction tho praotice ia gaining ground of rehearsing the same ceremony two or three times during an evening , instead of rushing in a slip-shod

fashion through a great quantity of work . I recollect that when a schoolboy we were treated once a month to what was called " race , week , " i . e ., in one week at tho end of the month we recapitulated all the lessons we had gone through in the course of the previous three weeks . It strikes me that the same principle may well be applied

to Lodges of Instruction , and that the recapitulation of the same ceremony two or three times is far preferable to the scrambling over a lot of ground , for then trivial mistakes and lapsus linguce can be corrected , and the students built up in their rendering of tho various parts assigned to them . Tho promoters of Lodges of Instruction

would do well to take the example to hoart of endeavouring to do a little and do it well , rather than attempt a great show of work and allow discrepancies to go unnoticed . I have ceased for some time attending Lodges of Instruction on this very account , and I know

many others who abstain from putting in an appearance for the very reason that when they are present they hear nothing but a vain repetition , in which the old errors pass unnoticed , and from which I feel nothing can bo learnt . Trusting some other brethren will throw out a fow suggestions in respect of this matter ,

I remain , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours fraternally , A YOUNO MASON .

City Of London Orchestral Union

CITY OF LONDON ORCHESTRAL UNION

THE third grand evening concert of the season , by the members of this well known and popular Union , was given on Wednesday evening , at the Albion Hall , London Wall , when a judiciously selected programme of vocal and instrumental music was presented to a large and appreciative audience . The orchestra comprised forty performers , and under the bd . ton of Bro . G . H . T . Seddon , the various pieces were sustained most creditably . Especially

noticeable amongst tho prominent items mnst be mentioned Verdi ' i grand selection , "Rigoletto , " with solos for piccolo , flute , oboe , clarionet , cornet , and euphonium , by MeBsrs . Kern , Toussaint , Shuckard , Hobbs , Sanderson , and Jonos ; and the air do ballet , " Allegretto MoHerato , " one of Bro . Seddon's most admired composi . tions , the solos being taken up by Messrs . Kern , Sanderson and Jonev .

Amongst the vocal morceaux wero two duets by Miss Ada Morgan and Mr . Nichols , the first being " Take now this ring , " from " Somnamhula , " which was rapturously applauded , tho latter the " Miserere , " from " II Trovatore , " which , in spite of the veto put upon encores at the opening of tho entertainment , was redemanded with suoh determination that the rigid regulation had to be relaxed ,

and the artistes wero literally compelled to repeat the familiar selection , which they did to the intenso delight of their auditors . Mr . Charles Nichols sang tho exquisitely pretty song , " Tho Bine Alsatian Mountains , " in which a good range of voice was blended with all tho verve requisite for a successful rendering of the piece , and he was deservedly rewarded by a round of genuine applause .

Miss Ada Morgan was eqnally successful , and her rendering of Clay ' a charming little ballad , " She wandered down the mountain side , " was such that , but for the stringent rule to which we have referred , must have been repeated . Amongst the other pieces de resistance were clarionet solo , "Air Varie in B flat" ( Baudenic ) , performed in faultless manner by Mr . Hobbs , and a solo by Mr . Jones on the euphonium , " Concerto in E flat" ( Krall ) , the execution of which

amply rewarded those by whose desire the pieco was inserted in the programme . The concerted pieoes wore given with an evenness and perfection rarely excelled , and were brought to a fitting termination by the vivacious rendering of Mendelssohn ' s " Wedding March . " Miss Nichols , as accompanyist , displayed accomplishments of no mean order as pianiste ; and the entertainment was one of the most successful and enjoyable we have listened to for some time past .

French Cooks' Ball.

FRENCH COOKS' BALL .

THE twenty-fourth annual ball Da Club Culinaire Francais was held at Freemasons' Hall , on Thursday last week , when the company numbered upwards of 320 . The following brethren officiated as Stewards : —E . Crozes ( president ) , Lamare , P . Verollion , J . Cossart , Lafont , J . C . Burlot , T . Mainvielle , J . Oger , A . Delobelle , A . Suzane , J . Gonard , Tomire , E . Vallet , Patho , F . Gendre , B . Desabris , L . Vallet

C . MenefKer , A . Pennet , Beguinot and Debrotagne . A recherch * supper was provided , under the personal superintendence of Bro . C . F . Burlet , and excellent music was supplied by a band nnder the diroc . tion of Bro . W . G . Eaton . Bros . Tripp and Harris rendered efficient assistance as M . C . ' s . Tho dancing was maintained with unabated zest

until an early hour on Friday morning . Amongst those present wero Bros . Mc Gonnel ( chef to H . R . H . the Prince of Wales ) , W . C . Parsons , Lakin , E . Dawkins , Brand , Knight , Badger , H . M . Levy , & c . Tho health of tho President was proposed in felicitous terms by Bro . Levy ,

and duly acknowledged , and after a few other complimentary toasts , tho pleasures of tbo ball-room were resumed . The appearance of tho ball-room was exceedingly picturesque . The meeting was ono of the most enjoyablo aud interesting that has been witnessed at Freemasons Hall for many a long day .

On Tuesday evening , at a meeting of the Restoration Lodgo of Instrnction at Darlington , Bro . T , B . Whytehead gave , by invitation , an address on " The Landmarks of Freemasonry . "