Ar00903

ggg-gg , WWAW E | gi 5 ggZg ^ AM . AAUl a ^^^ Mi ^ a

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 . — : o : —

MASONIO CEITIOISM . To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —There is one great drawback in connection with Freemasonry which strikes me particularly at the present moment . No matter what may be the position of the brother who suggests an alteration , or an improvement , or who finds fault

with anything associated with the Craft , he is sure to be pounced upon by some one , and described as a fool , or a rogne , or perhaps worse . I have bad some little experience of the doings of the world , and I think I am justified in saying that in this respect Freemasonry enjoys an unenviable notoriety , and I am surprised that so much

illfeeling is engendered in this way among a class who pride themselves on their Brotherly Love and Truth . There are good men in the ranks of Freemasonry , who have peculiar ideas on many points in connection with the Order and its associations , and who would like to discuss their views with others , but they are really precluded from

doing so by this absurd custom . They cannot address their companions in the Craft anonymously or they are accused of being ashamed of disclosing their names ; and if they have the courage to append their regular signature they are accused of unworthiness , told they are seeking to make themselves popular , or are aiming at promotion or personal aggrandisement .

I admit that Freemasonry is a grand and noble institution , and that its lessons and everything connected with it are of a satisfactory character , bnt I cannot , and will not regard it as perfection . I con . eider it absurd , in these days of invention and improvement , to regard anything as absolutely perfect , and incapable of being benefitted

by amendment , and on this account I again regret there are BO many members of onr Order ready to abuse any one who suggests a departure from established customs , or existing arrangements . _ I have said that the drawback to whioh I refer strikes me partioularly at the present moment , and my reason for saying so is that

just now there are several matters of a controversial character before the Craft . Abuses have been alleged , improvements have been suggested in many quarters , and no doubt it would materially assist the attainment of the desired objects if a thorough and impartial discussion of the several points was carried onthrough the pages of

, the Masonic papers and other available channels . But this is im . possible . _ No brother with any regard for his feelings ( who has had any experience ) cares to put his views into writing , and subject himself to the insults and abuse of his—so-called—Brother Masons who

do not happen to agree with him . One of the results is thafc some of the suggested alterations fall through because their promoters are not quite so proficient in abuse as their objectors , and , to my thinking , Freemasonry suffers .

In your issue of the 5 th inst ., in speaking of the "Masonio Charities in 1888 , " you refer to the difference between the amount actually received by the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Girls and the amount that was promised . Yon are not the only one who has

spoken of this deficiency—for deficiency it is , no matter what may be said to the contrary—and one of the results is that your contemporary comes to the rescue of the disappointed Institution , with a volley of abuse , which is nofc only uncalled for , but afc the same time ungentlemanly , and hardly consistent with its former

utterances . The Eoyal Masonio Institntion for Girls announced to the world thafc the Craft had subscribed . 650 , 500 to its Centenary Festival , the actual receipts for the year under the heading of Donations and Subscriptions were 44 , 660 14 s lid—a deficiency , in round numbers , of

£ 6000 , or considerably over 10 per cent , on the total announced . Is it " uncomplimentary" or " silly criticism" to ask where this £ 6000 has gone to ? Nofc only are there members of the Craft so devoid of common sense as to ask this question , bnt if I mistake nofc there are a few who will try and get a satisfactory answer .

Your contemporary has put a new light on this matter , which will surprisemany of its readers just as much as ifc has surprised me . It has hitherto been the custom to recognise the close of the year as closing the record of thafc year's Festivals , and when once tho 1 st of January has been started npon the receipts for another year's

Festivals have also commencorl . Rut a chance has been inaugurated , and I am anxious to see how it will work . I will confine myself to the case in point—tho Girls' School . The Tnf-titnfc ' on starts tho present year ( 18 S 9 ) with a deficiency df £ 6000 from 1888 , ami ns I iiragine the remarks of your con ' ompornry nro " inspired , " there ia

a reasonable hope of this £ 0000 coming in . Yery well . When the returns for 1889 come fco be published it will 1 ) 3 necess-iry to deduct this amount ns " received on account of 1888 ( Centenary ) Festival . " Query : —What will be tho total for 1889 ? Some of the critics of tho Masonic Institutions are no doubt " uncomplimentary , " aud nofc

Correspondence.

a few of them " somewhat silly , " but in this case they deserve the reputation of looking a little farther ahead than the apologists for the Institution . It would be better , unless I am very much mistaken , to let the Festival of 1888 close with the 31 st of December of that year , to recognise that the returns are £ 6000 short , try to forget

it , and—above all things—hope that others will do the same . The friends of the Institution , however , think otherwise , and it will be a matter of some interest to me to wait for the statement of 1889 , and see , when it ia published , who appears the most silly—the critics , or those who now maintain that the deficient £ 6000 is sure to

come . I hope there are no brethren , readers of your paper , who " having no opinion of their own worth mentioning are ailly enough to accept whatever the critics may choose to say , " but if there are , I implore them to devote that small modicum of common sense your

contemporary gives them credit for to the facts of this question as set out in various quarters . Perhaps even my " silly criticism " may help them to form an independent opinion , if , however , this is really too much for their capabilities then I suggest they try and remember what is going on now—at the beginning of 1889—and take it into

consideration when they have the accounts for the year—at its close —before them . Your contemporary thinks it " reflects great credit on the Girls ' School Secretary and his staff that they should be able to record pay menfc of so large a proportion of the Beturns at the aforesaid

Festival , " and in answer to this I wonld ask what have they done to influence one penny of the £ 44 , 660 14 s lid that has been received ? Has not thafc amount ; come into the Institution " of its own free will and accord , " and would it not have been possible to secure the other £ 6000 if a proper system of collecting had been in vogue ? I am of

opinion that it wonld , and this brings me to a consideration of another matter just now before the Craft . I allude to the amount of commission paid to the collector of the Eoyal Masonio Benevolent Institution , and which is put down in the accounts aa upwards of £ 600 for the last financial year . The question is , would a collector

—even at the high salary of £ 600 per annum—have secured the whole or any part of that £ 6000 deficiency in the returns of the Girls' School ? If so , and we may judge by comparisons , the £ 600 odd is well spent by the Benevolent Institution , and so far from its Committee abolishing the office ( whioh I have no reason to suppose

is even hinted at ) ifc wonld be well for the other Charities to follow the example of the youngest Institution and employ a collector . I am afraid I have already trespassed too far on your space , but aa I give myself credit for knowing a little of what is going on in the Craft , and am not always of opinion that existing ideas are absolute

perfection , I have addressed you—firstly with the hope of placing matters in a proper light , and secondly with the view of defending myself against the remarks of your contemporary , to whom I am indebted for the distinction of being regarded aa A SILLY CRITIC .

Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

DOWNSHIRE CHAPTER , No . 594 . rnHE annual installation in connection with this Chapter took place X at the Masonio HaU , Hope-street , Liverpool , on the 9 fch inst . The retiring M . E . Z . Companion W . H . Yeevers opened the Chapter , after which Companion J . L . Houghton performed the ceremonies of installing Companions A Pederson as Z ., W . Evans aa H ., and J . L .

Spurr as J ., in a very effective manner . The M . E . Z . then invested his Officers , as follow : —Companions Latham S . E ., Davidson S . N ., Turner P . S ., Dnnkel A . S ., Phelan A . S ., Eontledge S ., Boswell D . C , Malcolm Janitor . Companion J . L . Houghton was re-elected Treasurer .

The Prince of "Wales , on his visit to Middlesborougb , on the 23 rd inst ., will be presented frith an address from the Freemasons of the Northern Province , by a deputation beaded by tbe Earl of Zetland , Provincial Grand Master .

The consecration of a new and important Lodge took place at the Stratford Town-hall on Thursday , the _ 8 th instant . The Lodge is known as Tbe Abbey Lodge . There

was a very large and influential gathering of the brethren , including several representatives from India . A banquet was afterwards held ; npwards of 150 were present .

At tho monthly meeting of St . Michael ' s Lodge , No , 211 , held at the Albion , Aldersgate-street , on the 8 th inst ., Bros . G . E . Abseil and G . J . Copley were raised to the

snblime degree . Bro . Linfield S . W . was elected W . M ., and Bro . Green was re-elected Treasurer . Tho installation will take p lace on the 12 th proximo .

Three Prussian Lodges have sent an address to tho Emperor William , praying that ho would be pleased to fellow the tradition of his predecessors in granting his

protection to Freemasonry . An answer was returned , but tho fact that the M-isonio papers have not published it suggests that it was not precisely cordial .

rnO THE DEAF . —A Person utiroil of Deafness and nois . s m tne l _ head of 23 years' - tH'uling by a simple remedy , will send a description of it ruiiji to any Person Who applies to NICUOLSO -T , 21 i _ edt ' ord-s <( ., London , W . O .