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 cannot undertake to return rejected communications . * n *

LONDON VOTES FOR THE MASONIC CHARITIES . To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE .

DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Looking through some old papers I have this week come across a copy of the proposed rules of the " London Masonic Voting Association , " which it was suggested shonld be established some years bank , bufc which was never fairly started . Having had a hand in drawing np those rules I may perhaps be a prejudiced party , but I still regard them as a good basis on whioh to work a London organisation , and believe that if thev were strictly adhered to ifc would be possible for a body of

brethren to make sure of success afc either of the elections much more readily than ifc would be without combination . Since these proposed rules were drawn up we have seen the establishment of a London Voting Association , and although it did much at first I believe it is now defunct , or if not absolutely defunct , virtually so ; and I believe thafc the rook on which it came to grief

was one particularly guarded against in the rules of the Association I wifch a few others had in contemplation ; and whioh , I am egotistical enough to believe , led to the establishment of the Association referred to above , and whioh was actually set working . I do not believe any London organization would be successful which went in for indiscriminate borrowing of votes , and it was to

prevent this our proposed Kule y stipulated " that not more votes be borrowed afc one time than can be repaid at the next election . " As we never went beyond proposition , ifc is of coarse impossible for me to say how this rule would have worked , but personally I should not care to take any active part in an Association wbich disregarded such a law , as I believe any Association must inevitably end in ruin unless some check be put on the—shall I

sayexcess of chanty exhibited by its committee , who are being urgently appealed fco for aid , which ifc is easy for them to afford if they do not mind getting their Association into debt for the purpose . My experience is , that ifc is tolerably easy to borrow votes at any of the elections if one's credit is good—and in the case of a really representative London Association ifc should be good to any extent—the danger to be guarded against being fche borrowing of

votes beyond what ifc is possible fco repay afc next election without again borrowing for purposes of repayment . I am yet in hopes of seeing something done to secure a better understanding in regard fco Metropolitan voting power , but very stringent rules in regard to borrowing would have to be adopted hnfriPA T aVinnld nnnsiilnr anv Association had a ohanca of eonfcinned

success . I am , & o . Ex PROMOTER , CLIQUISM IN LODGES AND CHAPTERS . To the Editor ofthe FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE .

SIR , —I was lately present at a convocation meeting of a Chapter , and regretted exceedingly to witness as discreditable a proceeding as can well take place under any circumstances in Masonry . I shall not mention names , because tbe victim of this piece of cliquism must certainly desire that he should nofc be further associated with fche proceedings , and as for those who have beneficed —well , perhaps , when they know that the proceedings have the reprobation of such of

the members of our Craft who have heard or them—they may also be heartily ashamed of what took place . I will now endeavour to state my case . A worthy and distinguished member of the degree , who is a warm supporter of our Masonio Charities , and who is an able and experienced Freemason , is next on the rota for high office in a Chapter . He has been required to

obtain an intimation from authority that there will be no difficulty in his holding the office if elected , by reason of his holding a similar office in another Chapter , and he does so . Not a word of opposition is breathed to him , and he allows himself to be placed in nomination for the position , wbich he is justly and properly entitled to , when , owing to some mysterious machinations , another Companion , who is not eligible for the office , is elected by a majority . The same scene

\ enacted with regard to a second Officer , with the same result ; it is now proposed to associate this Companion's name in a further election , thus heaping up the insult , while the victim himself Warmly protested against his name being bandied up and down 'be whole gamut of offices . I support warmly the elective principle ,

when properly carried oufc , but I think that neither a Chapter nor a Lodge is justified in departing from the principle of rotation , unless M the case of incompetence , the misconduct of tbe Brother or Companion , or his unwillingness to serve . If there is not some such code of hononr recogniiH'd , deserving members of our Craft may render r * r . r . A x _ ii : _ / "It J _ , T--1 1 _ A , l . T L J . iuuu service incir last ine

, TO una piers auu j-iougee anu ar , oe as toerey of a clique , or cabal , or some other combination , and that simpl y because they may not be boon companions with somo influential persons connected with their Chapters or Lodges . In this particular case I noticed that the Companion performed his work with great ability , and in a manner calculated to impress any new member of ihe Order , and , above all , thafc ifc was nofc done in fchafc

Correspondence.

mumble-jumble style which is too often heard when a Brother or Companion speaks as though be had a plum in his mouth , or as if he thinks that it is only necessary for him to spin out a given number of words in the shortest space of time . I listened also attentively for any word of regret from the successful Companions

but in vain ; apparently advancement in the Order was their object , no matter how it came . The incident , however , provoked a great deal of comment , as may well be imagined , and it is not likely to tend to the advantage of the Chapter . Happily , in this case the Supreme Grand Chapter mnst be appealed to for dispensations in at least two

oases , to enable the Companions to pass over offices they have not held , and I can only hope that in the interests of Royal Aroh Masonry in general , and the herein referred-to Chapter in particular , Grand Chapter will unhesitatingly mark its view of these discreditable proceedings , by refusing to assist the Chapter oat of these difficulties , its own creation . Yonrs fraternally , A COMPANION .

— : o : — Gaiety . —Before a small but friendly audience Mr . J . L . Shine introduced , at a matinee , on Wednesday , the 11 th inst ., " an original three act farce , " entitled "Blue Ribbons , " the joint work of Messrs . Walter Browne and J . E . Soden . The authors cannot be congratulated on the success of their collaboration . At times the

THE THEATRES , & c .

piece runs heavily ; unquestionably we have material for a one act farce , bnt we question whether more can be made of ifc . There is some smart writing , bnt the bad so predominates that the authors ' labour may be pronounced as lost . Now as to the plot : Mr . Drinkwater Dewlap has a public-house , "The Blue Ribbon Banner , " left

him , at Putney , as a legacy ; he goes to see it , and finds a waiter conducting himself as the master . This Mr . Dewlap resents , and fcella the said waiter to olear ont ; he thus realises he has to wait on the customers himself . Among them he finds his daughter and her lover ; also his man servant and a canting blue-ribbonite clergy .

man ; and eventually his own wife j all of whom , however , have arrived on different errands , the wife imagining ifc to be a meeting place of a branch of the Blue Ribbon Army ; while the others have attended to see fche 'Varsity boat-race . Dewlap endeavours to pass himself off as a twin brother , and is not recognised ; bat . eventually

is arrested for stealing his own cigars and champagne , he being mistaken for a former waiter who is notorious for a partiality for perqnisities . In the next act all is explained , and Dewlap turns the public house over to his brother-in-law , who marries the barmaid j thus matters are arranged to the satisfaction of all . Mr . J . L . Shine

ns Mr . Dewlap worked hard , and scored an undoubted success , though throughout the piece he seemed over anxious . Second honours are due to Mr . L . Rignold , whose get-up and acting , as the country

parson , Mr . Frederick Guttendge , is deserving of all praise . The other parts , all fairly played , call for no remark , if we except thafc of Miss Barlow , who made a very attractive barmaid . At the end there was a call for the authors .

Prince of Wales ' s . —Miss Clifford , a young actress , recently gave a matinee here , when she undertook the part of Juliet . The lady showed some promise , but at times lacked pathos and feeling . Still , taken all round , it was a creditable performance , and will doubtless lead to farther efforts . Valuable assistance waa

accorded by Mr . F . Cooper , who gave a fine conception of Romeo , more especially in the third act . When we state Mr . James Fernandez was the Friar it goes without saying the part was well

acted . Mr . Bassett Roe gave a careful and interesting rendering of Mercutio , while Mrs . Sydney was a capital Nurse . Messrs . Henry Vernon , Charles Carrington , and Miss Helen Leyton did justice to the parts severally allotted them .

Grand . —We are pleased to be able to notify that Mr . Charles Wilmot , the lessee of this theatre , is ever exerting himself to secure a good programme for his patrons . During the last fortnight , Miss Leslie , fresh from her successes at the Strand , has been delighting

crowded audiences , while on Monday next , thafc charming fairy tale , "Alicein Wonderland" will be produced . That this effort on fche part of Mr . Wilmofc will be patronised we feel sure ; it certainly deserves to be . Later on Mr . Wilmot will offer "The Beggar Student . "

CHANGE IN TEMPLAR UNIFORM . —The Masonic Advocate of 1 st Febrnary says : " The Grand Commandery of Illinois has dispensed with the baldric and gauntlets as a part of the Templar uniform in that jurisdiction . While th- * re will be a small saving in fche expense , aud perhaps greater comfort by this change , we cannot but feel that

much of the attractiveness of the uniform has gone with it . Without the baldric and gauntlets the chapeau becomes a top-heavy affair in appearance , as it has always been , in fact , to the wearer . It is the mosfc expensive and uncomfortable of all the Templar toggery . If there is

to be a change in the full Templar uniform , let ifc be one that will ensure greater comfort and less expense . We are not yet prepared to vote for a change , for we have never seen anyfching that excelled in appearance a Commandery of Knights Templar when in full uniform , as now worn .

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DANCING .-To Those Who Have Never Learnt to Dance . —Bro . anti Mrs . JACQUES WYNMANX receu Jaily , anti undertake to teach adies and gentlemen , who have never had the slightest previous knowledge or Qstrnction , to go thi nigh every Fashionable t . ill-da > : co in a few easy lessons * ' rivafce lessons any hour . Horning and evening classes . ACADEMY—74 NEWMAN STREET , OXFORD STREET , BBO . JACQUES WxifMANTf Willi BE HAPPY TO TAKE THB MANABBMByT OF MABOSIO BAILS . FIBST-CLASS BANDS PBOVIDBC , PBOBMOITB OH APTL 10 AH 05 .