Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Cor . respondents . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications . All Let ' ers must bear the name ani address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith .

REV . DR . ACE'S APPEAL .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I havo to thank you for the kind interest yoa have taken in this matter . I am happy to state the result of my appeal has been most satisfactory . The "Lady of the Manor" has sent a cheque for JB 1 S 1 17 s ( amount of builders' account ) and numerous friends have come forward . The following snras have been paid to Messrs . Smith , Payne and Smiths , Lombard-street , viz . : —¦

£ 8 d Corban 500 CS . - 5 0 0 Thomas King . -110 Per J . R . Kelsey ( Collection ) 8 0 0

Hale aud Son 2 2 0 Rowleston •500 F . Canning 2 2 0 E . Cavell 330 Misses Wilson 2 0 0

I have received the following sums : — Brother George Kenning , Freemason - . - . 550 FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE 5 5 0 Brother James Austin 0 10 0 „ George Clarke 0 5 0 „ Rendon Saunders 0 5 0

„ William Saunders . •- - -050 „ Aaron Stone 0 5 0 „ Thomas Fenn - . . . - -10 0 „ H . M ., per Freemason - ¦ - - 0 10 0 „ Latimer Saunders ( Ryde Lodge ) - - -060

„ Rev . J . J . Palmer 0 5 0 „ W . F . T . Turner , M . D 0 2 6 „ George Hancock 0 2 6 „ Alfred Woodward 0 2 6 „ Francis Robinson 2 2 0

„ Captain Clayton 0 2 6 Supreme Grand Council 5 5 0 Francis Burdett Lodge 2 2 0 St . George ' s Chapter , Rose Croix - - - -220 " Four Members of Grand Mark Board , " per Bro . T .

C . Walls 10 0 J . T . Saunders 2 2 0 H . Thompson 2 0 0 Rev . C . Mackenzie 10 0 G . W . 5 0 0 M . B 5 0 0 S . E . L ., per "Rock" 7 0 0 L . D . ( Bath ) . . 5 0 0 An Evangelical Protestant 5 0 0

Brother Rev . Dr . Ace has also received sundry sums , including tho following , viz .: — Mount Calvary Chapter ( Rose Croix ) - - - - 2 2 0

Brother J . Sutcliffe 2 2 0 „ T . Oldham 10 0 „ Johnson 0 10 6 „ Green 0 10 6

Dr . Ace proposes to send a List of Subscribers and Statement of Account to each supporter on completion of the List . About £ 350 has been contributed in all , and a further sum of £ 100

will entirely olear the Doctor from his most unpleasant position . I shall bo happy to receive any further sums . Again thanking you and the many kind friends who have so promptly come forward . I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours faithfully and fraternally , 27 Walbrook , E . C . W . H . SAUNDERS .

WHICH IS CORRECT ?

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Visitors to Lodges sometimes come across "improvements" ( sic ) in our ritual that I think would occasion considerable surprise to many regular attendants at London Lodges of Instruction . As it is very desirable that " the same usages and cnstoms may be observed throughout the Craft , " and as we are further told that " every deviation from tho established mode of

working is highly improper , and cannot be justified or countenanced , " we all of oourse wish to be as accurate as possible , and therefore it may not be amiss to mention one or two diversities of working that exist in some Lodges under the English Constitution . The first consists in the following alteration in the furniture of the Lodge during the third degree when a brother is to be raised . The pedestal on which the volume of the S . L . ordinarily rests isremoved , and a 13 introduced ia its stead ; on this the Bible is placed , on which tbe candidate

Correspondence.

is obligated . Fnrther , "to make an impression on tho mind of the candidate , " as I am toM , his name and ago are written « ith chalk or white paint ou tho lid of a coffin , so that " wi' ghastly o ' e—upon his hnnkers bended , " he may read tho record of his own domi .-o . Tg this correct or on innovation ? and if tho latter , is it a matter of any moment ?

Another " improvement" is a test that is applied to a candidate on initiation . About the close of tho ceremony the W . M . with great formality and f , javity offers the now initiate pen and paper , and tells him that he must give tho brethren somo evidence that he has paid attention to the ceremony by writing down what he can recollect of it . According to tho taste or discretion of the Master , the initiate is

either directly told to write down what has been with extrome caution communicatod to him , or else is ontrapped into doing so . He has hardly put pen to paper however , when ho is stopped by the Mastor bringing down the gavel , and with dramatic gesture and indignant voice informing him that he has violated his O . B ., and charging him to lot this be a warning to him that he may never offend in like mannor again . Sometimes this may be done more gently , but in any case the

result is pretty much the same , tho newly initiated brother is put to confusion , and a very decided impression is made on his mind , though whether always a boneftcial impression is sometimes open to doubt . On reflection , the impression most likely to be produced in his mind , I should think , must be that he has been made to appear ridiculous in the eyes of his brethren . This test may be correct under other Constitutions , but is it correct in EnglishLodges , or an innovation ? and again , if an innovation , is it a matter of any moment ?

Yours fraternally , W . S . L .

In Memoriam.

In Memoriam .

BEOS . E . PAGE AND T . S . MORTLOCK .

Amongst the many duties we are called upon to perform as chroniclers of the events occurring in the Masonic world , there are few that "we do not enter upon with feelings of pleasure ; true , there aro occasional items of

news which give us a certain amount of pain to record or comment upon , hut nothing very serions . There is one task , however , we can never approach except with tho greatest regret . We need hardly say wc allude to the work of that crand leveller of all—Death . He seems to never

tire of performing his mission , often selecting the best and most esteemed of men for his victims . One by one AVO miss those who for years past havo identified themselves with Freemasonry—those who have helped to raise the Order to its present position , and in each case all we can do is to

pause for a moment , shed a tear of sympathy , and proceed in the busy whirl of life until another receives a similar summons , which again leads us to contemplate the reality of tho lessons of the Third Degree . Towards the end of last week intelligence reached us of tho death of Bro .

E . J . Page , whose Masonic career was portrayed in onr pages a few years since , under the heading " A Pillar of Masonry . " The title selected and the remarks of the writer

clearly set forth the character of the brother who has so lately been called from our midst , and we think we cannot pay a higher compliment to departed merit than to quote the concluding ; words of the " Portrait . " " Whatever

sphere he may fill in the future , or however high he may yet be destined to rise in Masonry , we are fully assured that he will always be a warm and steady friend , a kind hearted dispenser of charity , a worthy member of the community , and a devoted

husband . " Those who knew Brother Page in the last days of his earthly career will be able to bear testimony to the truth of these words and the general character of our departed friend . But our mournful task to-day is not yet at an end . The funeral of Bro . Page took place ou

Wednesday , at Norwood Cemetery , and among thoso who attended for the purpose of paying the last mark of respect one Mison can pay to the memory of another was Bro . T . S . Mortlock . Finding himself unable to keep up with the funeral cortege , our Brother walked alone to the church ,

where tho burial obsequies were being performed . In the midst of the service Bro . Mortlock fell forward , and , to the consternation of all assembled , in a few moments expired ; all that friends and medical aid could do being of no avail .

The grief of the brethren assembled , as well as of his relatives , was most profound . We can but offer our tribute of sympathy to those members of his family who will more particularly feel his loss .