Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

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

BRO . WILSON AND THE BOYS' SCHOOL COMMITTEE .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BKOTIIER , —I must confess that I think Bro . Wilson has not had meted out to him that fair measure of justice we would that others shonld mete out to onrsolves . As yon say , he seems to have beon bandied about from Houso Committee to General Committee , and thence to the Quarterly Conrfc , and that as far as I can

seo without rhyme or reason . What knowledge have those Committees , qu & Committees , of the charges which an architect is permitted to make ? A lawyer ' s charges may be taxed , though it is unusual to even think of having this done as between attorney and client . An auctioneer is by law allowed to charge a certain per centago on goods sold , and though I do not speak from personal

experience , I believe there is no difficulty in ascertaining the scale of charges sanctioned by the Institute of British Architects . At all events , Bro . Wilson has from the very first agreed to refer his account to arbitration , and he even went so far as to nominate Sir H . A . Hunt , himself a distinguished architect , as the arbitrator by whose decision he was prepared to abide . This offer has been refused , on the

grennd , as I nnderstand , that Sir H . Hunt is a Freemason as well as an architect , and tho inference , I presume , which I and others are left to draw is , that Sir H . Hunt's decision is not likely to be impartial because he happens to be a member of our Society . This notion yon lave very properly denounced , and with equal propriety yon have pointed ont that the fact of his being a Freemason was rather

favourable than otherwise in settling a difference between a Masonio Institution and a Mason . Even if we assume , and no one has the slightest justification for so doing , that Sir H . Hunt might incline towards a brother professional , yet his sense of Masonic justice would most certainly overrule snch inclination . He would at least be careful that the interests of a Charitable Institution , which all of

ns are anxions to see increasing in prosperity , should not suffer at the hands of an architect who happened to be a brother . If , however , I press this idea to its logical conclusion , it follows that an architect who is a Mason is , ipso facto , disqualified from having anything to do with Masonic buildings ; that for the same reason a builder , who is also a Mason , must not build Masonic structures ; that a Mason

jeweller mnst not manufacture and sell Masonic jewellery ; and that a Mason printer mnst not print Masonic books and periodicals . If Mason architects , builders , jewellers , and printers presume npon their Masonry and mako extortionate charges , I recognise the wisdom of not employing them , but , in tho case of Bro . Wilson , he has said throughout—I am prepared to accept and abido by arbitration . I am

willing to givo all needful information , and thongh I have lumped the charges together instead of giving particulars , I state , without hesitation , that the effect of doing so is a decided benefit to the Institution , for the total of the separate charges under their respective heads will exceed the sum I havo stated as a fair remuneration . All this , I am aware , is ex parte , but how has Bro . Wilson been met ?

By a simple demand , again and again repeated , for particulars . The Committees reject the proposed arbitrator . Their representative , according to Bro . Wilson ' s version , has taken no heed of his representative ' s offer to explain whatever might be thought necessary ; and now Bro . Wilson says he will give the particulars requested , but the amount will exceed his previous demand . My humble advice is

the same as yours ; by all means let Bro . Wilson do this , and if , on being checked according to authorised scale , the itemsare found correct , then the Committee will have made themselves the laughing-stock of the whole fraternity ; while , under any circumstances , if the aid of the law is invoked and the verdict is in favour of the Institution , it will still havo to pay a good round sum , perhaps equal to , if not greater

than , tho difference between the amount now charged and the new amount . I quite agree that business must be conducted on business principles , but is Bro . Wilson , with all the offers he has made , so untrustworthy that his explanations cannot be accepted , to say nothing of the skilled arbitrator by whose decisions he has agreed to abide ? I remain , faithfully and fraternally , No LAWYER .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I notice in the CHRONICLE of 10 th April an American brother complains that although he bad his certificate and was willing to undergo an examination no was told by the Tyler , and afterwards by the W . M . of a Lodge held at Freemasons' Hall that without some ono to vouch for him ho could not be admitted . I regret to say this exclusion does not only apply to foreign brethen ,

ADMISSION OF VISITORS

bnt also to English Ma 3 ons . In my mother Lodgo onr working is what is called the " Emulation working , " . and being anxious to have it as perfect as possible I was recommended to attend the Emulation Lodge of Instruction , and stayed in town one Friday evening a short time since expressly for that purpose . In company with another brother I presented myself at tho usual time . We were admitted into the ante-room and clothed ourselves , and the Tyler , noticing wo were strangers ( By the way it was the only notice W 9 got ) , inquired if we

Correspondence.

were members ? Wo replied we were visitors , and he then asked for our Grand Lodge Certificates ? We replied that they unfortunately were at home . Ho then stated wo must have someone to vouch for us , and we replied it was impossible , we were strangers there , but believed we should bo able to satisfy any ono appointed to examine ns , that we wero brethren , but tho only reply wo could get was , —You must either

bring your Certificates or find some brother to vouch for yon . I always thought a brother could visit a Lodge providing he could give proof of his proficiency , and our Book of Constitutions recommends that in order to preserve uniformity we shonld visit as often as may bo convenient . It seems to me the brethron of some Lodges are afraid to rely on a proper Masonio examination , and require each visitor to bo vouched for . If this is to become the recognized rule ,

brethren when going from home must either remember to put their certificates in their portmanteaus , or run the risk of being excluded if they desire to visit . I am pleased to say I have not yet found anything of this kind in tho provinces . The head quarters of Freemasonry , the centre of Masonic light (?) , appears to be the only placo were they are unable to distinguish a brother from a Cowan .

I enclose my card , And remain yours fraternally , A BROTHER .

Meeting Of The Lodge Of Benevolence.

MEETING OF THE LODGE OF BENEVOLENCE .

THE April meeting of the Lodge of Benevolence was held on Wednesday evening , at Freemasons' Hall . The three chairs were occupied by Bros . J . M . Clabon , President , Joshua Nunn , Senior Vice-President , and James Kench , Assistant Grand Pursuivant . Tho brethren first confirmed recommendations of grants to the

amount of £ 450 , made at the meeting in March , and afterwards granted £ 865 to twenty-six new cases . This £ 865 was composed of ono grant of £ 150 , one grant of £ 100 , two grants of £ 75 each , three of £ 40 each , five of £ 30 each , three of £ 20 each , five of £ 15 each , and six of £ 10 each .

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .

RESULT OF THE CAMBRIDGE LOCAL EXAMINATION FOR DECEMBER 1879 .

Class I . —STEPHENSON A . H . ( Yorkshire ) j distinguished in Latin PRICE E . L . ( London ) . BROCK , H . B . ( Monmouth ) . Class II . —EVANS W . ( Surrey ); distinguished in German . PARKER A . R . ( London ) . COLE W . E . ( Lincolnshire ) .

Class III . —BARRETT C . D . ( Dorset ) . ELLIS M . B . ( Dorset ) . ROBINSON G . ( Sussex ) . FENE . UOKE H . M . ( Kont ) satisfied tho Examiners ; distinguished in

Latin . Eleven candidates were sent up , 1 failed , 9 passed in honours , and 1 obtained certificate . No . of candidates examined throughout tho country , 3 , 404 , of whom 1 , 053 failed—i . e ., about one-third .

The Cheshire Educational Masonic Institution.

THE CHESHIRE EDUCATIONAL MASONIC INSTITUTION .

THE Annual Court of Governors of this Institution was held at tho Crewe Arms Hotel , Crewe , on Wednesday , the 31 st ult ., at one o ' clock p . m ., when the several recommendations of the General Committee were received , and the following were placed on the Edu . cation Fund , viz .: — Norman Bruce Brocklehurst , aged 9 years , son of the late Bro . C . R .

Brocklehurst , of Stamford Lodge , No 1045 , Altnncham . James Arthur Morris , aged 9 years , and Annie Gertrude Morris , aged 14 years , children of the late Bro . Edward MorriB , of Independence Lodge , No . 721 , Chester . Edith Lucy Hyde , aged 7 j years , daughter of tho late Bro . Thomas

Hyde , of Benevolence Lodge , No 336 , Marple . Blanche Berry , aged 13 years , and Beatrice Emma Berry , aged 7 years , daughters of the late Bro . William Berry , P . M . of Industry

Lodge , No . 361 , Hyde . The Treasurer's Accounts as audited , and the Auditor ' s Report were received , and the Medical Officers , Secretary , Treasurer , Committee and Auditors for the ensuing year were elected .

In our notice of the receipts of this Institution for 1879 , published on 27 th ult , we accredited the sum of £ 21 as the result of dramatic performances at the Theatre Royal Birkenhead . It appears in doing so we greatly understated the amount which was realised from this

source , as similar amounts of £ 21 each are to be paid to the Borough Hospital and the Children's Infirmary , Birkenhead , and also to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . It will thus be seen that the proceeds of the three evenings' entertainments resulted in a total of £ 84 as available for charitable purposes .

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