Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

on together during the term of my Grand Mastership , united heart and hand in the prosecution of those objects which are proper for the advancement of our great cause . May the blessing of God rest upon us ! May our numbers vapidly increase , and our influence become greater in the land , and be more and more exerted for good , always and only for good f

AVINE 3 AND SPIRITS ( Foreign ) on which Dnty was paid in London by some of the principal firms during tho past year .

AVINES ( FOHEKJS ) Gallons TV & AGilboy HHt > , 2 as Dtmjwall , Portal & Co ... 130 , 833 FAVCosens 115 , 800 It Hooper k Sons 103 . 00 . - ) Jfnx Gresor & Co lOO . Kili

D Taylor & Sons 8 fi , "> 55 Dent , TJrvick & Co 79 , 701 Cunliffo & Co 7 N . 2 S 1 TAVStaploton & Co ... ... 7 t " ., 8 ' . U AV . T Murray 7 ( i , 2 !> 2 IITlfarfield 7 . ' ; IS . - > CG Phillips * Co 72 , 002

SPIRITS ( 1 'oiMx ) Gallons AV & AGilbcv 31 S . 531 Twiss & Browning 193 , 211 Daniel Taylor & Sons ... 1 B 5 , 0 « 5 Trowel" & Lawson 163 , 057 Diujrwnll , Portal & Co ... 13 ti , 7 !) t

Gnlbraith , Grant & Co ... 91 , 828 B Hooper & Sons Hl , 2 « l E S Pick & Co 05 , 3 ( 12 TC Unmet * & Son iiS . IV . ll Daun A A ' silleutin » f > ,: « 9 Osmond & Co 5 I 5 . 1 S 1 Fulchcv & Robinson 16 , 510

Besides the preceding there Avere about 2000 firms who paid duty on Wines and Spirits ia less qnanth' ws than those above mentioned . — Wine Trade iter tew , loth January 1875 .

Money Market And City News.

MONEY MARKET AND CITY NEWS .

FRIDAY , One result of the threatened ruptnre between the Turks and Montenegrins this week was to depress tho market all round the moment the news became current on 'Change , At first tho excitement was made the most of for speculative purposes , bnfc the agitation created by this intelligence has since toned down , and it seems probable that

the violent fluctuations which took possession of business AVI'U be fairly recovered . Next to this in importance has been the advent of the Brazilian loan for live millions sterling . Tho bonds bear interest at the rate of five per cent ., and the price of issue was fixed at 9 G 1- ; but notAvithstanding this high figure , it is stated that the subscriptions have far exceeded the amount required . The reasons given

for this new loan being required are plausible enough , aud appear to stand thus : the enormous rise in the value of coffee greatly enriched Southern Brazil , and its riches so obtained have given a great impetus to railway extension to the more distant coffee growing districts . Already the planters of one province have pushed forward a line for themselves out of their own resources , and now they are

connecting the arterial lino by a , branch which will open up com . nuvuication between the province in question and the capital , Rio Janeiro . 1 'or securing the extension of these and similar works a special provincial tax is imposed , providing for the remuneration of shareholders and bondholders under all conditions . The principal railway in the conntry , already belongs to tho Imperial

Government , dividends of 7 per cent , having been paid on a capital of £ 5 , 000 , 000 . Tho necessary funds for currying out this undertaking have been provided by sin issue of Treasury Bonds , which tho Govenimtuit now seeks to pay oil " , as also to proceed with its onward construction by means furnished by the now loan . So that for the greater part of its so-applied proceeds tho Brazilian

Government will bo recouped , interest and amortisation out of the profits of this its own property . The remaining portion of the Loan Avill also go to advance Public Works , which there is also reason to anticipate will bo remunerative . The new Loan is therefore raised , not to fill up deficits , or to meet extravagant expenditure , but to promote enterprises principally of undoubted security , and profit to the

Government . Consols are unaffected by any of the changes that have taken p lace in other directions , and remain firm at previous prices . To some extent tho Foreign market has suffered from tho outbreak previously referred to , and the feeling of uncertainty with regard to Turkish Stocks . Many operations have been noted at a downward tendency , bnt the unfavourable symptoms are not so strong at tho

close . Business has been fairly maintained in the L ' uglish Railway market , although a certain amount of depression crept in at one time in sympathy Avith the agitation elsewhere . There is evidently a revival of confidence in these undertakings , and quotations are taking an upward turn . Midland and Metropolitan stocks are marked hi'dier , as well as North Staffordshire .

In miscellaneous securities there is not much movement , the principal being a heavy fall in Turkish ; Imperial Ottoman Bank shares have been largely sold . We are informed that the Khedive has determined upon tho establishment of a Ministry of Commerce in Egypt , upon the model of the English Board of Trade , and has expressed a wish , through the

Foreign Oflicc , to obtain the services of two officers of tho Board of Trade competent to assist in organising the new department . AVe understand that the President of the Board of Trade has accordingly recommended Mr . H . Cholmondeley Penned and Mr . E . A . R . Acton to assist the Egyptian Government in organising respectively the departments for Internal and . External Commerce .

The Chinese Imperial Loan , contracted with tho Hong-Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation , bus met with great success . The applications for bonds were seven times in excess of the number offered to public subscription . The report to bo presented at the meeting of the London and

AVestminsterBauk states the net profits for the half-year at £ 188 , 018 , raising the " rest" to £ 1 , 231 , 798 , out of which the directors recommend a dividend of 11 per cent , for tho six months , leaving the " rest " at £ 1 , 014 , 798 . The deposits , circnlar notes , & c , amount to £ 30 , 015 , 191 . The shares of the New Zealand Manganese Mines . Company are qtiuteil at 1 premium ,

Money Market And City News.

The ordinary meeting ot the Coal Consumers' Association , is to be held on the 27 th inst ., to receive the general report , and also the report of tho committee of investigation . In t he French National Assembly a bill has been presented by the Minister of Public AVorks for the construction of tho long projected railway funnel under the Channel . Tho French Company to which the concession is granted , undertake to carry cut the work without

any State grant or guarantee of interest on capital . On and after the 1 st of next month the mails from England and Scotland to the north of Ireland -will be conveyed by the short sea route , rid Lame and Stranraer . Dnring the past tAVO or three months there have been freqnent complaints as to the service fid Holyhead and Kingstown , and a town meeting has been held in Belfast on the subject , presided over by the mayor .

IIot . Low . ir ' s OINTMKXT AXD Pm . s . —These precious treasures work wonderful cures of the worst diseases , which defy other treatment . Thousands have extolled them as they deserve , yet have not given them one word of praise more than they richly merited . An attentive study of tho directions wrapped round Holloway's medicaments will enable any invalid to overcome his

liihrmitj ' , whether it be outwardly visible or inwardly concealed . Sores , skiu diseases , inflammation , erysipelas , chest complaints , as well as moat disorders of the head , stomach , liver , kidneys , and bowels , may bo radically removed by these means , which aro no less potent in successfully contending with the ofttimes fatal ulcerations of the throat which periodically render scarlet fevct and diphtheria most terrible public scourges .

Answers To Correspondents

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS

Q . —AVe have already touched upon the subject ; see onr opening number . It is early yet to revert to it . J . H . E . —AVe shall deal with the question you have raised when tho date fixed for the Annual Festival is nearer . AVe shall then gladly heed any snggestions you may think fit to make .

ENIGMA . —AVith all due respect we submit that you aro in error , Try , at all events , to substantiate your facts , then , perhaps , yom view of the circumstances , will have greater weight . We shall be obliged if our correspondents will write their communications on one side of the paper only . CKOWDEH OUT . —Promised reply to E . M . H . ' s letter and other matter ,

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

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

THE FKEEMASONS' LIFEBOAT

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . Sin , —1 am greatly obliged to Bro . E . Gottheil , tho Hon . Secretary of the Freemasons' Lifeboat Fund , for his lucid history of an event of such interest to tho Order generally , aud of which I was , I confess , in utter ignorance . I hare been two years a Mason , and have attended my Lodge meetings with great regularity , but I do not remember ever hearing that the Fraternity had been the generous

donors of a Lifeboat . My letter was written on tho impulse of the moment , shortly after the occurrence of tho series of storms which will make the closing months of 1871 memorable in Naval Annals . I do not however regret that the question has been raised in your columns . I have recently looked into tho statistics published by the Lifeboat Association , and I find that cash to pay the working

expenses of tho boats already in the possession of the Association is urgently needed . I shall bo glad to subscribe a guinea for tho formation of an Endowment Fnud , having for its object the payment of the annual expenses incurred in working the Boat presented by the Order . I trust others of my brethren will contribute . It seems to mo that Ave .

who " live at home at ease , " incur a fearful responsibility if we do not do all in onr power to succour the seaman in his hour of dire distress . It is no doubt possible for the Legislature to do mnch for the class who got their bread on the ocean ; but when all that Parliament can do has been accomplished , there will be ample room for private enterprise and benevolence to come to the rescue of Poor Jack . I am , Sir , Yours Fraternally , Liverpool , 18 th January . A MASTER MASON .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . SIR AND BUOTHKR , —I am in entire ignorance of your sen-nmonts on a subject somewhat important to myself , and one on which I have boon rather severely lectured by your contemporary , The Freemason . ; —Whether I am absolutely disqualified , or to what extent I ought to feel myself debarred , virtute officii , from taking part in discussions in Grand Lodge , or elsewhere , on questions intimately associated with

the interests of our great institutions . I appeal for space in your columns , therefore , to place before the Craft the facts and figures I was desirous of submitting , from my seat in Grand Lodge , at tho last Quarterly Communication . I could not ask this favour from your contemporary , because I yet fail to recognise tho distinction drawn by him in the concession of my perfect right to express my opinions in print , and tho abnegation of my right to do so orall y in Grand Lodge . If the objection to Bro . A . B ., not as Bro . A . B ., but qu & Bro . " Secretary " A . B ., be valid , it must be Talid alike everywhere , and