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 .

WARDENS AND THEIR POWERS . To the Editor of the FKEKMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DKAB SIB AND BROTHER , —I havo a copy of bye-laws in my possession , in which the following occurs : — " VVhen a sufficient number of the brethren shall be assembled , the Master , or in his absence a

Past Master , or the Senior or Junior Wardens , shall open the Lodge and proceed to business . " Does this imply that the Wardens have power to initiate , pass and raise eligible candidates , although they have never passed the Chair of K . S . ? An answer will oblige . Yours fraternally , A W . M .

[ Oliver , p 141 Masonic Jurisprudence , lays it down that though com . petent Co rule the Lodge , a Warden must not " assume the Master ' s chair in whioh he has not beea installed , " but " occapya seat in front or to tho right of it , in accordance with the practice of Grand Lodge , as a token of his incompetency to perform the highest rites of the Craft ; because the chair is for Installed Masters only , and no

initiations can bo legally performed from any other placo in the Lodge . If these premises be correct , it follows , as a matter of course , that , being a mere locum tenens , he has no power to initiate , pass , or raise—for the terms ' rule a Lodge' do not embrace the privilege of admitting candidates . " He adds , however , that in a caso of extreme

emergency , tho conferring of any degrees by a Warden , in the absence of any Past Master or actual Master , " would not be held absolutely illegal , though highly undesirable . " He also lays it down that if a Past Master of any other Lodge is present , it is for htm and not the Warden of the Lodge in question to confer tho degrees . —Ed . FREE - HASON ' S CHRONICLE . ]

In answer to an inquiry that has been made to us , we gladly intimate that non-Masons and Ladies can atteucl the meeting at the Surrey Masonic Club this day ( Saturday ) , where JBro . Darley , P . M . 158 , will deliver his Oration on the Beauties and Claims of Freemasonry . The chair will

be taken at eight o clock precisely . As we write , we learn that 111 . Bro . Robert Morris LL . D ., of Kentucky , has promised to attend on this occasion , and deliver an address , also to recite an original poem . Brethren and their friends will be heartily welcomed , and may be assured of an interesting evening .

Mark Masonry.

MARK MASONRY .

THE Consecration of tho Hereward Lodge , No . 227 , took place at Bourne , Lincolnshire , on Tuesday , tho 13 th inst ., and thereafter Bro . the Bevj Dr . Ace was installed a 3 W . M ., and appointed aud invested Bros . W . H . Radley and Chamberlain as hi 3 S . aud J . Wardens . Bro .

Dr . Ace was afterwards iustalled as W . C . N , of a Lodge of Iloyal Ark Mariners , attached to the Hereward Lodge of Mark Master Masons . The consecration was performed by Bro . Dewar Graud Assist . Secretary , at the request of the D . P . G . M . of the Province , and the same Brother afterwards installed the W . M . and W . C . N .

Metropolitan Masonic Charity Union.

METROPOLITAN MASONIC CHARITY UNION .

A MEETING was held on Thursday evening last , at Freemasons ' Tavern , Hro . Col . Creaton in the chair , to discuss a project loi forming an Association for the purpose of furthering the claims o . London candidates for the Masonic Charities , when Bro . the Eev . A . F . A . Woodford explained that as the Provincial Organizations of this description , by their great success in promoting toe election of

provincial candidates , told very unfavourably upon the chances oi Metropolitan candidates , it was advisable to form a Metropolitan Union to prevent deserving London cases being excluded from lh « . benefits of the Charities . Bro . A . E . Gladwell read some statistics compiled from the reports of the three Charities , which showed that in proportion to the nione ^

contributed m London to the fnnds of the lustitutions , there were ¦ very few successful London candidates . It was proposed by Bro . Perceval , " That it is expedient to form a London Masonio Charity Union , " aud this motion iiavmg been seconded , was carried unanimously . Bro . Woodford read a set of bye-laws whioh had been prepared foi the consideration of the meeting , aud after some conversation on

the subjtct , it was proposed by Bro . Erasmus Wilson , seconded auu carried unanimously , that the meeting stauu adjourned till Wednesday , the zlut inst ., to give the brethren opportunity tor mature consider * ,, tion of the whole subject . Among the other brethren present wi observed : —Bros . Tisiey , J . White , Thos . Massa , J . H . Southwoou , EydePnllen , E . 0 . Massey , S . ltoaentha ) , E . Letunwortb , J . U . Watt , aud J . G . Marsh .

Nothiing New—Everything New.

NOTHIING NEW—EVERYTHING NEW .

FROM THE " KEYSTONE . " WE are not much given to paradox , but paradox is sometimes a forcible method of expressing truth , and for the moment we shall be apparently self-contradictory , for the purpose of establishing the assertion that while there is nothing new , everything is new . Kiug Solomon has b « eu credited with the authorship of the well , known statement , in Ecclesiastes , that " there is no new thing uuder

the snn . " V \ e are always fraternally iuclined to stand by King Solomon , ano wo shall not desert him now . He was wisdom personified , aud derived his gift of wisdom from tho Grand Architect of tho Universe himself . There is nothing uew . The earth is not new—it is as old us creation . Man is not new—hois as old as AJim . ( It will be observed that we aro no evolutionists , and do not believe that

oysters aud monkeys are first cousins to men . ) God is not neiv , but " the same , yesterday aud to-ilay and for ever . " History repeats itself , men repeat themselves , aud thus there is nothing new nuder tho sun . Freemasonry certainly is not new . Tne law of brotherhood has been written on the hearts of the elect at least ever since King Solomon ' s time . All of this is true , and

yet—Everything is new . Every child boru into the world is a new creation . It is in many respects unlike all of its progenitors . Every soul is a new soul . It leads a new life on this earth , and death will only introduce it to a new life in the world to come . Every day is uew , every year is new , all time is iu succession new , aud eternity will be the sublimest novelty of all .

Our Craft is new in form , though old m substance . The mode of initiation has varied with the centuries , bat the germ of Freemasonry has over been , aud ever will be , the same . It is the law of love , of social enjoyment-, and of Faith in God , Hope in immortality , and Charity towards all the Brotherhood . Knj Solomon ' s Temple , builders , and William of Sen ' s Cathedral-builders , aud all nineteenth

century Freemasons , are Brethren . Civilisation has always progressed from the East to the West . The East is emphatically the placo ot light , and this light radiates ever to tho West . The now is iu tho West . Here is the new world , with its New Eugland , in many respects the rival of Old Eugland . All America was a new fouud laud , and not merely tho island of that

name . Then we have a New Jersey over the river , and " Uncle Sam " owns a New Mexico j Connecticut has a New London , Massachusetts a New Bedford ( although its old glory as a whaling town is departed ) , Missouri has a New Madrid , Louisiana a New Orleans , and North Carolina a New Berne . The world is full of Newcomes , besides Thackoray's . Tho metropolis of tho United States was once NJW

Amsterdam and is now New York . Canada was once New Frances Australia , New HullanJ , and Pennsylvania and new Jersey , New Sweden . There is a uew Ireland in the Soath Pacific , and London twa a Newgate—which has given name to multitudinous prisons . By no means the least of the new things in the world are the newpapers—a modern luxury , and they are ce > tainbj " new Uud ^ r tue

sun . " How benighted must Ciesar have been witnuut tue Times , and King Solomon without The Keystone . Let ns vaiue our gilts auU be grateful that we live in a uew worm , where everything is new , and y « t—nothing is new . We are not snro but ihat we live at ouce in the New Atlantis , the philosophical Commonwealth of Lord Cnan . cellor Bacon , the Utopia of Sir Thomas More , and the Bepublio of

Plato . Indeed , the wonderful island of Atlantis , meutioued by tha Ancients , is supposed to have been America . There havo been many modern attempts to create new societies that should equal , if not rival , Freemasonry , Out all have tailed . Tnere is but one Freemasonry that is ancient , free aud accepted . Communism is a novelty that is now threatening to disturb our

peace , and it is at once new auu old . The lUeal communism is loveiy j the practical communism Satanic . Tuero is a cuuiuiuuiain tuat is recommended in the Great Light of xVlasonry . The Apostles had all things in eominuu — that is , they resigueU nit tuey possessed for the common good . Tne mo . iern ouannuuist luia nothing to resign , and he exemplifies his understanding ot

communism by stealing whatever belongs to his neighbour—a Uistinction with a difference . Indiana boasts a town called New Harmony , where Kobert Owen , the father of Kooert Dale Utveu , endeavoured to estuolish a socialistic vuuiwuuiiy termed the " Harmouists , " but discoid invaued their ranks , ana tne HatmouisU aw now no more . Those only are true Harmonists wuo " nariuonizti in

tne Light —of Freemasoury . Freemasons are now engaged in erecting two Temples , the material and the spiritual . The muteriai Tetnpio looms before us m time , ^ rand and majestic , but it shall pass away ; while the spiiituul Tompie is the architecture oi the soul , aud suall euuure for ever , ibere

. shall be a new heaven and a new eacth . created tor u , auu tho . Mew Jerusalem , the holy city , shall come uowu out of Heaven from the lirand Architect of the Universe . There , too , there au » ut oe u . utiiug tiew , and—everything uew ; but the explanation ol tnw paiamx we shall defer until—we enter the Graud liudgo aoove .

Ad00704

TURKEYMASONIOCLUB, SUllBEY MASONIC HALL , CAMBEttWELL , S . E . IMYEi Honorary Secretary of the above Club respectfully invites . tue Secretaries of the several Longed , auu ticiiutM oi Uiut ^ wi ' o m cue tiou ^ n ¦ lutropoUtau . ilistrict , to uo-ueei \ i . Uj witu mm la oua eau . e < iA ' o .. ii . ' to = e ^ uce . ne dud us tue Head ^ nailers Oi i'reouuis nry m tue ouuiu o . ^ oiiaun . i . tuOj wiu iciicliy «• ¦ ¦ iiumcuco tueir reductive juiuressea , ne \ vunoi'vv , iuun . oijiiauoUoU tho subjetti JAMES STEVENS , ( MI ., P . Z ., & c , Hon . Sec ,