Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsibly for the opinions of our Correspondents . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications . All Letters must bear the name an I address of tlie Writer , not necessarihi for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith .

THE LORD MAYOR AT THE ALLIANCE LODGE

No . 18-27 . To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . SIR , —In the report of the above proceedings in your last issue , I notice that tho W . M . of the Alliance Lodgo , Bro . Sir J . B . Monckton , remarked " thafc ho had searched the Masonic records as far as possible , and he could nofc find that from the days of Walworth , or any

other Civic worthies , to the present time , the Lord Mayor ever visited a Masonic Lodge in his Civic capacity as Lord Mayor . " Allow me to point ont , that in every London newspaper of 22 nd March , and in the F REEMASON ' S CHRONICLE of 27 th March 1875 , there is an account of a Grand Entertainmeptto the then Lord Mayor ( Bro . David Stone ) and Sherifis of London , by the Great City Lodge ,

No . 1426 , at the Cannon-street Hotel . Ifc appears that a great number of Grand Officers were present on tho occasion , and amongst them Bro . Sir J . B . Monckton himself . This is said to havo been tho largest assemblage of Freemasons ever known in the City of London . There is also an inaccuracy in your editorial remarks . You say ,

"Lord Mayor Stone formally visited tho Great City Lodge not long after his appointment by the Prince of Wales to the Junior Grand Wardenship of England . " His visit to the Great City Lodge was on the 20 th March 1875 , and he was appointed Grand Junv r Warden on the following 28 th April , on the occasion of the installation of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales as tho Most Worshipful Grand Master , at Albert Hall ; and let me add , that on the ensuing 11 th May , in his

speech , as Chairman at the Festival of the Masonic Girls' Institution , the Lord Mayor said , " Brethren , I feel nnder the obligation to say that the honours which have been so recently conferred upon myselt have been in recognition of the services of the Masons in the old City of London . " AVe are all making history , which is sufficient reason for my troubling you with theso few remarks . Yours fraternally , ONE WHO WAS PRESENT .

THE GRAND LODGE MINUTES .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —The minntes of Grand Lodge commence 24 th June 1723 , and those bearing such date are signed by " John Theophilns Desaguliors , Deputy Grand Master . " They are entered iu a different handwriting , under date of 29 th November 1723 , 19 fh February 1724 , 28 th " Aprill 1724 , " and aro not signed at font . On 24 th June 1724 , the Earl of Dalkeith presided in Grand Lodge , and the following signatures follow the recorded minutes

:--" DALKEITH G . M . 1721 . " ( sic ) " J . T . DESAGULIEKS Dep . G . M . " " FIIA SORRELL Senr . G . W . " " JOHN SENEX Jnnr . "The minutes of 21 st November 1721 , 17 th March , 20 th May , 24 th June , and 27 > h November , 1725 , are nnsigned . Bnt to those of 27 th December 1725 , are appended the signatures of

"RICHMOND & LENOX G . Mr . 1725 . " ( sic ) "M . FFOLKKS D . G . M . " " F RA S ORRELL Senr . Gd . Wdn . " " G EO . P AYNE Junr . G . W . " Signatures are again wanting , to the Proceedings of 28 th February and 12 th December 1726 , but re-appear under date of 27 th " Ffebry

1726 " [ 27 ] viz . — " P . ustEr G . Mr , 1726 . " ( sic ) " J . T . DESAGULIERS D . G . Mr . " "DAN HOVOHTON S . G . W . 1726 . " " J . PRKNDEROAST J . G . W . 1726 . "

Tho minutes of the following 27 th May [ 1727 ] were signed by "iNcinqiiN G . M . 1727 . " " WM . COWER D . G . M . 1727 . " " AT . EX . AXD ClfOCJiJi ) n i \\ r i u « WM . BURDEN j Graud Wardona . "

The same Grand Officers attest the Miuutes of 24 th June , and also—less the Earl of luchiqnin—those of 28 th October and 19 th December 1727 . Bub tlio Minntes of 27 th December 1727 are only verified by the signatures of Bros . Cowper and Chockc . From the last mentioned date until 29 th January 1730 , the Proceedings of Grand Lodge are recorded in the same handwriting , and

wore probably " entered up from loose papers , or " rough Minntes . No signatures are appended to the proceedings recorded in Vol . I . of the G . L . Minutes alter those of Bros . Cowper and Chocke , which are attached , as already stated , to the Miuutes of 27 fch December 1727 . Yours fraternally ,

11 . F . GOULD . P . S . 1 niay add , that tlie earliest Minntes Avere not signed on confirmation , but were verified by the four Grand Officers , or such of

Correspondence.

them us took part in the proceedings recorded . Thus , the Minutes of 24 th June should havo been signed by the Dnke of Wharton , Avho presided on that date . Hia not doins so is , however , explained by the Minutes themselves , which record— " that the late G . M . went away without ceremony , " ou being signally defeated in an attempt to prevent tho re-election of Dr . Desaguliors as D . G . M .

THE LATE ELECTION FOR A COLLECTOR TO THE R . M . B . I .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON s CHRONICLE . DEAR S : R AND BROTHER , —Referring to tho account of tho election of a collector to tho Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution in last week ' s FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE , and ns one of the candidates for that appointment , I should like to make a few remarks on the subject . From the information that I have received from some of my friends on the

Committee , I cannot think that the manner of carrying out the election was quite so satisfactory as I should have wished . I do not mention this because I happened to be unsuccessful . It appears thafc there wero forty-six candidates on the list issued to the Committee ; three of theso were not eligible on account of age , seventeen did not receive any snnoort . and several others only a few votes , tho six

highest being Bros . Worrell 18 , Mason 17 , Speight 16 , Grindoll 9 , Smith 7 , Hill 7 . It was determined to submit these names to a second show of hands , the result being that Bro . Mason received 16 , Bro . Worrell 14 , Bro . Speight 7 . Bro . John Mason was then declared elected , bnt I do nofc consider this at all fair , as a third ballot onghfc to have been taken between myself and Bro . Mason , so that the

successful candidato might have been elected by fche majority of the Committee then present , whereas in reality , this was m > t so , Bro . Mason ' s supporters numbered 1 G , those against him , voting for myself ancl Bro . Speight , being 21 . The most remarkable part of the voting conceruing myself wns that , at the first show of hands , I received the highest number of votes , but a few minutes afterwards only 14 of the

brethren favoured me with their support ; what cansed the other four to change their minds I cannot possibly tell . Before closing thia letter , I shonld like to acknowledge my best and warmest thanks to those friends who supported me by their votes and interest . To those other brethren who promised me their support , but were absent from the meeting , and others who did not stop to vote , I attribute the result of my non-success .

I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours fraternally , WILLIAM WORRELL 67 Kuowle-road , Brixton-road , S . W . 21 st July 1880 .

THE GRAND LODGE CALENDAR .

To the Editor of tlie FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Can you tell me what has become of tho Calendar Committee of the Grand Lodgo of England ? Are the members all asleep , or are they silently and solemnly brooding over some great scheme which will some day , Avhen this generation sleeps with

its fathers , blossom forth and give to posterity an annnal publication worthy of the name of the Calendar of the "United Grand Lodge of England ? Surely snch a powerful and wealthy body as the Grand Lodge of England might produce something more respectable than the wretched

little afluirnow published under its auspices . I believe t ) e Grand Lodge Library is now placed nnder the care of this same Commitle . Perhaps they are so busily engaged in arranging the books and MSS . as to have no leisure left for Calendar

matters . Doubtless we shall soon hear something about the library and the expenditure of the moneys at the disposal of the Committee . Thero aro always plenty of Masonic works in the market , and of course the Committee will gradually accumulate and catalogue everything of value , and so materially aid the cause of Masonic study . Yours fraternally , ZADKIEL . 20 th July .

THE A . & A . AND THE A . & P . RITES .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Will you allow me , throngh yonr columns , to recommend the " CKAFI ' SMAN " who takes up the cudgel on behalf of the A . and P . Rite not to busy himself with matters with which he is profoundly ignorant . It is only the initiated into these Rites who understand the difference between them , aud can therefore appreciate tho necessity for tho notice issued by the

Supreme Council A . and A . As to " CRAFISJIAN ' M " humility , with respect to his particular disregard for tho higher degrees of Masonry , it reminds me of a little fable , " The Fox and the Grapes , " and I recommend it to his careful pernsal . Yours fraternall y , 32 °

FACTS v . FICTION .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —So long as the double leaded paragraphs to which your Masonic contemporary gives the imposing title of Leadcfa aro eemtined lotlie miscellaneous twaddle to which the writer