Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

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

MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I am pleased to see Brother Gould ' s announcement in your last issue that he is about to edit a work on Masonic Jurisprudence . I have often chatted with Brother P . M . ' s on this subject , and we are now agreed that the task has fallen into

excellent hands . What we want is a thorough digest , ot Masonic Law ( Grand Lodge of England ) ; but if Bro . Gould is going to treat of Masonic Law in general . I hope he will restrict a portion of his

work to English Craft Masonry only . Su--h work should not bo a mere literary speculation , but should be subsidised by Grand Lodge , and I hope the Board of General Purposes vvill see fin to recornrneud such a course to the next meeting of Grand Lodge . Yours fraternally ,

14 th August 1888 . T . F .

THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS . To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . SIR , —1 have only recently been shown the last half-dozen of your weekly issues , from which aud a certain anonymous circular , also shown to me , I gather that the management of tho Royal Masonic Institution for Boys has been the subject of comments and criticisms ,

somewhat severe , and apparently not unfounded . As au old " Masonic Boy " I might say much upon the questions raised by that circular ; but it would ill become me to do so . I will , however , say this , that iu my opinion—formed upon the experience gained by a six years' residence as a pupil at Wood Green—of the statements

made ( interrogatively ) and contained in that circular , s < uue an .-correct ; some correct subject to qualification ; some capable of explanation , and others incorrect . I would also respectfully suggest that no inquiry into tho management and internal economy of the Institution will be complete without the examination of a few of the late scholars .

Bnt having as an " Old Boy tho good of the Institntion at heart , I wish , with your kind permission , to say a few words concerning what , I humbly think , is at bottom as important a question as any raised by the circular , viz ., tho general tune of the School . When I was at the School , a few years ago , the tone was bad . From casual

observation , aud upon the word of those competent to judge , it has since become worse . There must bo a cause or causes . Probably many combine to produce the effect—many , perhaps , will occur to the minds of all who have knowledge of the Institution ; but there is one which may nofc so occur , and for which the staff of the Institution ,

and their system , havo always been to blame . The boys are not trained to be gentlemen , nor are th » y assisted in arriving at the knowledge of wherein gentlemanlincss consists . The contrary is deplorably the case . They have been made to feel too heavily fche fact that thev are tho recipients of charity , and their title to

respect and personal treatment as ( young ) gentlemen has been ignored . I admit that , unfortunately , a large proportion of tho boys entering the Institution have not previously been brought up in a manner likely to imbue then , with the incipient feelings and principles of true gentlemen . But is this in any way counteracted dnring their

residence at the School ? Emphatically—No ! It might , I think , be done by ( 1 ) avoiding the unnecessary continual enforcement and endorsement of the fact that they ( the boys ) are the recipients of charity ; ( 2 ) by giving them to understand both

verbally , and by the better and stronger sanction of consistent practice , that they must behave invariably aa gentlemen , must become and be gentlemen , and that thoy arc regarded by the staff as gentlemen ; and ( 3 ) as a corollary to ( 2 ) they must be trusted , aud know that they aro trusted as gentlemen .

Such a reform would necessarily be a gradual one , and occupy considerable time before consummation ; but I would have all the boys feel their position , as Charles Lamb—ns be has so well told us in one of his essays—felt his position at Christ ' s Hospital , not as the workhouse boys iu " Oliver Twist . " I believe that , this cm , in course of

time he effected m tne way I have _ e . ; g- _ : est .. d , it a proper system on that basis be adopted and faithfully e . tried out with patience and perseverance . At present many now hoys are contaminated by those in residence before them . Let it bo the other way—lot the in be elevated by their new associates , and soon a higher and better tone

will characterise the school . The loss the ' ¦ charity ' is pressed upon the boys the mure ical : ; ratiludo ¦ . vill there be iu their heart ; - ! to their benefactors . Tun ; cha .-ity work-. th swillly and wnlketh in silence . The chief obj cis of F . i .-ma-oury aro ( 1 ) tho Glory of God and ( 2 ) the service of rnee . L ' .-t t ho _ : rhieve ;; ieu _ of that eeeond object—the beneficence the strvioe , : ho eiotity of the Craft—be bought in the

noblest "Way , isjieerd !; . ' whoie r : e :, der youth is tho object . I shall for all time deeply fee ) _ ho immense deb :, of gratitude I owe to the Royal Masonic List . ti . tion for Boy .-, and ir , will onl y be lightened , nofc lessoned , if what I h .. vn r-nttoi wi' . i load to anything

( however small ) of i ' lt . n . o benefit to that noble Chuivy . I have now only to apologise for tve- u as .. ing so largely upou your space , and to thank you in antieipan ' on for the insertion of this letter . I enclose my name and add res ' , which for obvious reasons I withhold from public ,-tion , and beg , Sir , io Mib .-. eribe myself , " I ' onr obedient servant , "AN OLD MASONIC BOY . ' - '

Notices Of Meetings.

NOTICES OF MEETINGS .

— : o : — DUKE OF EDINBURGH LODGE , No . 1182 .

^ I ^ HE annual investiture of Officers in connection with tho above J- Lodge was held on the 9 th inst ., in the Masonic Temple , Hopestreet , the proceedings being opened soon after four o ' clock by Bro . Jas . Pittaway VV . M . The W . M . elect , Bro . Galloway , was presented for installation by Bros . R . Martin and A . Barclay , and the ceremony was performed by Bro . Pittaway . Subsequently the new W . M .

invested his Officers for tho ensuing year aa under : —Bros . Pittaway I . P . M ., Edwards S . W ., Rawsthorne J . W ., Hesketh Treas ., Morris Sec , Ferguson J . D ., Parkinson I . G ., Lovvthiau S . S ., Tnnnioliffe J . S .,

Wright Org ., and Barclay D . C . Tho installation being over , tho brethren aud invited guests dined together , and during the evening a handsome P . M . ' s jewel was presented by Bro . Galloway W . M . to the I . P . M . Bro . Pittaway , on behalf of the Lodge .

JOHN HERVEY LODGE , No . 1260 .

rPHE summer festival of the brethren of this Lodge took place on J- the 9 th instant , with complete success . A large company arrived at Gravesend about eleven o ' clock , and were received by Bro . Capt . VV . Hay ward , who conducted them on board the steam yacht " Sussex . " The vessel , which was gaily decorated with bunting , then proceeded down the river , round the Nore Lightship and

arrived back to the Terrace Pier in the afternoon . After a qmet stroll through the gardens , which are now resplendent with flowers and foliage , the party adjourned to the Clarendon Hotel , where dinner was served by Bro . T . Belli , the attentive manager . Altogether a most enjoyable day was spent , and the brethren will doubtless long remember their summer outing of 1888 .

GALLERY LODGE , No . 1928 ,

Al an emergency meeting of this Lodge , held at Brixton , on the 1 st inst ., nnder the presidency of Bro . John Duckworth VV . M . Mr . F . W . Gustav Glaser , late of Renter ' s Telegram Company , and London correspondent ; of the Berlin National Zeitung , and Mr . E . L . Drogivz , of the Parliamentary reporting staff of tho Daily Telegraph , were unanimously elected as members , and wero initiated accordingly ,

ROYAL VICTORIAN JUBILEE LODGE , No . 2184 .

ijlIIIS Lodge , consecrated some nlteen months back , at the Dock i- Hotel , Tilbury , was removed to the Royal Forest Hotel at Chingford in June last , and now holds its regular meetings there . On tho 2 Gr , h ult ., Bro . George J . Westfield J . W . and W . M . elect was ins'alled as VV . M . according fco ancient ; custom , by Bco . G . T . Lewis Provincial Grand Steward . Bro . Westfield invested the following

as his Officers : —Bros . C . T . Lewis I . P . M ., VV . Smith S . W ., C . H . Canning J . W ., II . Lewis Treasurer , G . Hughes Secretary , A . T . Dale S . D ., T . Ringrose J . D ., J . G . Hammond I . G ., Dickeson Organist , Carman D . C , J . VV . Cain A . D . C , F . J . Eedle and Buxton Stewards , and J . Ives P . M . Tyler . Bro . Lewis then give the addresses ,

finishing tho ceremony . For this ho was voted the thanks of the Lodge , the same to be inscribed on the minutes . Brother Westfield was elected fco serve ou the Provincial Charity Committee , and after other business Lodge was closed . Among those present were Bros . C . Jolly P . M . and Secretary 1472 ,

A . J . Manning P . M . P . P . S . G . D ., J . W . Beadle , C . Taylor , J . T . Barnes , II . Pra-er , VV . T . Buxton , and J . VV . Joyce ( all of the Lodge ); C . Allen VV . M . 163 , VV . Dorton P . M . 1056 , C . G . Hill P . M . 1607 , L . J . Deenham 1607 , J . Hattersley S . W . 2272 J . D . 1607 , J . Mullouy J . W . 1 G 25 , MoCa . ll Chambers 1638 , J . Rose 28 , aud VV . R-ynolda

16 S 5 . A banquet followed , after which the VV . M . gave the routine Loyal and Masonic toasts , which were duly honoured . In speaking to that of tbe Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master , the Right Hon . Lord Brooke ; the Very Worshipfnl Deputy Provincial Graud Blaster Bro . F . A . Philbrick , Q . C ., Grand Registrar , and fche rest of

the Provincial Grand Officers Present and Past , tbe VV . M . eulogised the many great services done for the good of Masonry , bofch generally and in the Province of Essex , by their Provincial Grand Master and his learned and courteous lieutenant , Bro . Philbrick . Individually , he did nofc know them so much at present as he hoped to in the

future ; therefore , if he had not done them and tho rosfc of the Officers , both present aud past , full justice , they must attribute it to his want of knowledge ; a mistake of the hoad , and not of tho heart . Bro . Manning , iu responding , said ho felt it a very great honour to have his name associated with n toast of so much importance . He

should havo been delighted to have seen other of tho P . G . Officers present ; he attributed their non-attendance fc _> the weather , or some earlier claims upon their time . As for their esteemed Provincial Graud Master , Lord Brooke , from what he knew of his desire at all times to como among them and watch the progress fche Lodges ,

especially tho new ones , were making , ho felt sure thafc some other ;; nd more pressing engagement kept him away ; while thoy all knew the many official and professi inal duties of Bro . Philbrick made his presence au honour indeed . As for the Lodge , he was proud of its prosperity , aud he hoped to live to seo the -Master ' s chair tilled in

succession by every brother of the Lodge pre-ont . Bro . Lewis was deeply sorry that not one of Ids colleagues among the present ; Officers if tho Province wero present , but he presumed , as i . ro . Manning bad , that pressure of other engagements prevented their attendance . On ' i -half of the Provincial Grand Officers he heartily thanked them for

i lie toast . Bro . Lewis now proposed the health ot the Worshipful Master . It was a very pleasant duiy , especially as he had known i ! ro . Westfield intimately for a great many years , and had always

i > und him , in everything he undertook , to be the right man in the > ighfc place . Ifc was a difficult thing for the lirsfc Master of a new Lodge to find seats for all the aspirants to office , but he felt sure that iu offering Bro . Westfield the position of Junior Warden he had