Correspondence

CORRESPONDENCE

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

CHARITY ORGANISATION .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Press of business prevented my reading yonr impression of last week until to-day . Permit mo a word in reply to " SPES BONA . " I am sorry he thinks I " abused my opportunity , " it is very

evident that the great majority of tho brethren present did not think so . I must , however , beg my Brother not to pnt words into my mouth which I never uttered . I neither urged the brethren " to pause ere thoy gave their

donations , or " begged them only to extend their generosity upon the reforms I advocated . " I regret to say this is a gross misrepresentation , and I am sorry any Brother should have thus shown his " charity . " I will always speak the truth , and select my own time and place for doing so—and no better opportunity could be found than at a friendly

meeting of the brethren . I shall always advocate the cause of our Charities , but I shall not cease to protest against the many grievous blots in the system of election to them , and I shall not study to suppress the truth because any Secretary is present . I hope the time may come when it may not be considered a

necessary part of a Secretary ' s duty to attend every possible banquet , and when a high sense of Masonio obligation and a genuine feeling of brotherly feeling will be able , through Masters , Officers , and Lodge Stewards , to uphold our Charities , and entertain without undue sensitiveneas a suggestion for their improvement . I am , Dear Sir ancl Brother ,

" i ours fraternally , R . J . SIMPSON . 19 th January 1878 . P . S . — Not liking anonymous letters , I append my name . I am in good hope others may do likewise .

A Fit And Proper Candidate

A FIT AND PROPER CANDIDATE

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —In the last No . of the Freemason there is a letter signed by " An Old Steward for the Charities , " commenting upon what he presumes to call " the weakest case I have ever known ; " aud charging the Committee of the Boys' School , with acting with regard to this case in a " mosthap-hazard ,

happy-golucky way . As a member of that Committee , I beg to reply that the whole of the facts and surroundings of tho case were thoroughly known to the Committee , who considered it so strong a one that they did not scruple to bring it before the Qnarterly Meeting , which confirmed their judgment , and recorded a large number , for a first application , of votes in favour of the case . So

much for the action of the Committee ; now about the case , which I consider one of the most deserving and strongest on record . The father of tho poor orphan did not coase to subscribe to his Mother Lodge until , by order of his employers , ho had loft the colony ; he never left Masonry , but continued an active and zealous Mason until he was done to death by tho tyranny of the Panama

government . I have read letters of the members of tho Lodge there , thanking him for his attendance and usefulness ; and I havo also read in the newspaper of the town that he was followed to the grave by all the Masons in tho place . What could our poor slandered dead Brother do more , there not being an English Lodgo within probably one or two thousand miles ? Masonry , he had been taught to believe

was universal , so ho naturally attended and worked in the only Freemasons' Lodge within reach . _ These facts were well known to tho Lodgo that recommended thepetition , and to the brethren who backed , and still back , tho poor orphan ' s circular ; and they are not men likely to betray our Boys' School , but rulers in tho Craft , brethren very high up in it ; Vice Patrons , Vice Presidents , Governors of , and Subscribers to the Charities , who have

recorded their votes for this case , and who will continue to record them until the orphan of our slandered late brother be given the chance of acquiring a good education to fit him to tread in his father ' s footsteps , and prove how a layman would suffer himself to be done to death rather than betray the best interests of his employers . I may mention that tho exceptions in the first part of law 54 justified the Lodgo and brethren in recommending the case , and tho Quarterly Court in accepting it . ONE WHO HAS SERVED VERY MANY STEWARDSHIPS TO ALL THE MA SONIC CHARITIES .

HoLtowAY ' s OiNlMEST & yo Pitts . —Tho first remedies in tbe world for bad Jess , old wounds , sores and ulcers . If used according to directions given with them there is no wound , bad leg , or ulcerous sore , however obstinate or long standing , but will yield to their healing and curative properties . Numbers of persons who havo been patients in several of the large hospitals and under the wvro of eminent surgeons , without deriving the slightest benefit , have been thoroughl y cured by Holloway ' s Pills . For glandular swellings , tumours , scurvy , and diseases of the skin there is no me icine that can bo used with so gpou an effect . In fact , in the worst forms of disease , dependent upon tho conuition ot the blood , these medicines , if used conjointly , are irresistible .

Literature

LITERATURE

THE present number of the New Quarterly is far from being up to that standard of excellence wo havo been led to expect in a maga . zino of such standing . It is by no moans an unreadable number , and certain among the contributions are interesting ; bnt past experienco justifies us in looking for something moro commendable than are the majority of tho articles . Tho paper on " Early Literary

Journals , " by C . Elliot Browne , is light , chatty , and agreeably written . One or two of tho quotations from the journals noticed by the -writer will bear reqnotatiou . Thus , tho following , from tho Mercitrius Hemocritus , of 8 th April 1 G 52 , aro amusing : At tho time they woro written we wore at war with the Dutch , and Blako and Van Tromp woro blazing away at each other continually . No wonder , then , the hits

at the Dutch should bo numerous . The first reads thus : — There is a fresh-water seaman , lately como sick homo from the Navy , saiththo Dutch Fleet lies so heavy on many of tho seamen ' s stomachs since tho last engagement , that thoir breaths smell of nothing ever sinco but pickled herrings . " Another is as follows : " Tho Dutch have lately devised a stratagem to keep thoir harbours from freezing by

placing in every haven a fire ship that s so hot that it thawes tho ice faster than it freezeth . " This , as to tho religious parties of the ttmo , is laughable-. "To-movvow ia a great dispute at the Benre Garden , between a Presbyterian Chamber-Maid , who hath challenged an independent Fishwoman to dispute with hor

about the point of Predestination . " This will suffice to show how amnsins ? is Mr . C . Elliott Browne ' s contribution . Wo aro also pleased with " Cool Haunts in the Italian Highlands , " by Evelyn Carrington , which is well written , while the information it contains will be found valuable by those who havo a visit to Italy in contemplation . Tho rest of tho number is mediocre in character .

H . R . H . the Princo of Wales has been pleased to accept a copy ot Captain Crawley ' s Billiard Book , dedicated by permission to His Eoyal Highness , and to express to the author hia appreciation of the beauty and completeness of the work .

The Keystone gives a brief obituary notice of the late Bro . Harvey Hazlerigg , a Past Grand Master of Indiana , who died on the 15 th December last , and was buried with Masonic honours , and who had been a member of the Graft ; for close on forty years . From this we gather that he was

elected High Priest in 1848 , and had served uninterruptedly as such till 1866 . In a period of twenty-three and a-half years he had held office , consecutively , as W . M . of a Lodge , High Priest of a Chapter , E . Commander of a Commandery , Grand Master of Grand Lodge , ancl E . Grand Commander

of Grand Commandery . In Arch Masonry he was one year Grand King , and ten years Grand High Priest ; in Templar Masonry he served one year as Captain-General , two years as Grand Generalissimo , ten years as Depnty G . Commander , and two veai-s as Grand Commander ; and in

Craft Masonry ho had been for one year Senior Grand Warden , four years Deputy Grand Master , and subsequently Grand Master . Ho had been a member of Grand Lodgo since 1844 , and during the Avhole of the thirty years that had elapsed since , had never once missed attending a

Communication , and not only was he present but he served on some important committee at every session . He had devoted much time to the study of Masonry . Our readers will not be surprised to hear that such a brother as this " was held in high esteem by the Craft . "

We learn from the Sydney Evening Post that : — " A now Lodge of Free and Independent Masons , under the English Constitution , was to be opened , under the name of tho Empress of India , at Woollahra , ou Thursday , 29 th November last , and a very elegant and costly suite of furniture had been designed and manufactured by Mr . W . Alexander , of Park-strpet . Tho wood used is of colonial pine and ash . Tbe chair of the W . M . is richly carved

with fluted columns , and Corinthian capitals in gold ; the back being richly enamelled in blue and gold , relieved with a silver scroll , and surmounted by Solomon ' s crown in gold , the Wardens' chairs being similarly decorated without the crown , in blue and gold . The pedestals , columns , and candlesticks aro manufactured to correspond with , and illustrate the various orders of architecture . The upholstering throughout is bine silk velvet , fringed with solid silver bullion , and has a very rich and imposing effect . "

According to the Keystone , a letter has been brought to light which shows that there were Freemasons in the City of Philadel phia as early as the year 1715 , or two years before the establishment of our English Grand Lodge . It is possible there may have been members of our Fraternity

in that city and at that date , and further , that they may have met together " for Craft purposes . " The writer of this letter states " Ye winter has been very long ancl dull

—ancl we have had no mirth or pleasure , except a few evenings spent in festivity with my Masonic brethren . " We think it will be necessary to wait for some corroborative evidence of this before accepting it .