Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

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

FREEMASONRY AND ITS CHARITIES

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I hardly know which of two classes of errors is easier of refutation—tho offspring of ingenuity , or the result of simplicity ! Because £ 27 , 000 divided by 410 gives an approximate average of

£ f > 5 , is it fair to assume that amount as the cost of each child in the two Educational Institutions ? The accounts as published , after strict audit , each year show plainly how the total amount received is expended . Thero is tho " ordinary expenditure , " i . e ., tho absolute cost of tho education , clothing , and maintenance . " Special " —

"Building" —and other expenditure—and balances carried forward , or amounts invested . All this is set forth so explicitly that "he who rnns may read , " and I am sure needs but the most ordinary attention to dispose satisfactorily of tho statements and assertions of your correspondent " II . "

I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours faithfully and fraternally , FREDERICK BINCKES G Freemasons' Hall , W . C . 21 st April 1879 .

To the Eaitor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —While agreeing with moat of the observations of yonr correspondent " H . " in your issue of last week , I may say that is a mistake to believe that the parents of many

of the candidates for the Schools have answered freely to tho call—Give , give It is a well known fact that tho Masonic services of the father , or lato father , have been nil in noarly every case . Yours faithfully and fraternally , ANOTHER H .

LONBON MASONIC CHARITY ASSOCIATION .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —As to tho outsido world who are not Masons , and thoso brethren who are not members of the Association , tho action of the London Masonic Charity Association during tho Into elections may appoar to havo been nil , I will explain ns far as necessary what has been done . Imprimis , the

Association at tho October election incurred heavy responsibilities in achieving its success . And all theso claims havo been met , and we have so considerably advanced the number of votes polled for onr girl candidate as to make sure of her return at the forthcoming election in October . With regard to the two boys we took in hand , one of them ( Giles ) , we could get none of

his friends to help ns , and on the last day tbo Lodgo to which his father belonged , and in which he was held in high esteem , camo to the lad ' s assistance with four votes ; the second case ( Frost ) has two phases to present—1 st , that with his mother ' s full approbation nd consent , seoiug that with tho votes at onr command it would be impossible to return him , wo handed thoso votes over to another last London case ( Salter ) , and undoubtedly secured his return , at the same

time promising to aid and assist Mrs . Frost with her seoond son ; the second phase i » , that the boy put forward is of so delicate a constitution that it was exceedingly doubtful if tho doctor to the Institution would have passed him . Taking that condition for granted , either of these two phases , had we polled the very considerable number of boys' votes we had at onr disposal , they would havo been entirely lost and thrown away , instead of securing the return of one with equal claims , and no further chance if unsuccessful .

Yours fraternally , CHARLES PERCEVAL 8 Thurloe Place , S . W ., 21 st April 1879 .

THE QUESTION OF PRECEDENCE

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIK AND BROTHER , —I shall estoem it a great favour if you will kindly inform me , through the medium of your valuable paper , what position a brother takes with respect to seniority , who having been initiated in a Lodgo ceases for some time to continue a member ,

and afterwards seeks readmissiou as a joining member . Should he on rejoining take precedence of those who may have boon initiated during his absence ?

I enclose my card , and am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours truly and fraternally , 11 th April 1879 . LEX . [ There is no such thing as precedence in a Masonic Lodge , where all the brethren aro on a footing of equality . Although in many

Correspondence.

Lodges it is the custom to ba = ? o tho claims for offico on seniority , yet thero is no defined rule for such a practice , and tho W . M . has perfect liberty to bestow the collars irrespective of tho " ago" of tho brethren selected . Of course , if such a rulo prevails in any Lrdgo it is set forth in tho bye-laws , and tho brethren would be bound by that code . Even in such a case our opinion is , that tho brother ' s position should date from tho period of his coming into tho Lodgo . Most decidedly ,

if he leaves his Lodgo and returns to it a 3 a now member he must not expect to take his old position . For instance , a Irother might be initiated in a Lodgo , and retire at the ond of his first year : when it comes to his turn to be S . W . ho might offer himself for re-election , and thus attempt to find a " royal road " to tho chair . Such an act would not bo toleratod in any Lodgo , and is qnite at variance with Masonic equity . —ED . F . C . ]

THE SUPREME COUNCIL OP PRANCE .

RITE ECOSSAIS ANCIEN ET ACCEPTE . To the . Editor o / THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . —My atteution has been recently drawn to the " Cosmopolitan Masonio Calendar and Diary" for tho present yoar , aud as the advertisement on tho title page sets forth its being " A Comprehensive Masonic book of reference , with full particulars of every Grand Masonic body throughout the globe , " I am greatly

surprised to find so grave an error as that which page 211 contains , where , under the heading of " Grand Orient of France , Supremo Council Thirty-Third Degree , " the honoured name of Adolphe Cremieux is given as Sovereign Grand Commander of that body . The Supreme Council of France and its dependencies , Rite Ecossaia Ancien et Accepte , acknowledges as its T . P . S . Grand Master , the

V . 111 . Bro . Adolphe Cremieux , Senator , and not the Grand Orient . As the " Cosmopolitan Calendar" circulates extensively throughout those and other countries , it is only fair that this glaring error should be corrected , as it cannot fail to be prejudicial to the interests of the ' Supreme Council to attribute its Sov . Grand Commander , Gr . Master , to the Grand Orient , which latter body has recently completely sup .

pressed the Grand Mastership . I have been desired by the Grand Treasurer General , the V . IU . Bro . Manrice Schwalb , 33 ° , to request a correction , in tho name of the Supremo Council , which I accordingly did , my communication to the editor of tho Freemason ( and proprietor of the " Calendar" ) , receiving duo consideration in the last issue of that journal . I have deemed the subject of such importanco as to warrant

me iu requesting a further ventilation of it in your columns , and since the Council is too important a body to bo thus completely ignored , I append a list of its officers and members . I am well aware that the position of tho Supremo Council and Central Grand Lodge of France , with referenco to the Grand Oriont is not generally understood by tho majority of the English brethren , and that too frequently tho Lodges

under its obedience havo been confounded with thoso of the Grand Oriont . Unlike the Lodges owning allegiance to tho Grand Orient those recognising tho authority of the Supremo Council and Central Grand Lodgo of Franco , require from members and candidates for admission the assurance of arecoguitiou of the Great Architect of tho Universe , and the ordinary Lodge summonses bear a heading which

translates thus , "To tho glory of the Great Architect of tho Universe . " In tho words of tho Sov . Gr . Commandor M . Cremieux , " Masonry lives in the minds of intelligent men , aud wlion wo recognise the Glory of the Great Architect of the Universe , we acknowledge alike the source of this intelligonoe which directs tho world in which wo live . " These aro words of deep import , coming as they do from such an authority ;

but were any other assuranco necessary , tho visit of H . R . H . Prince Leopold last year to Lodgo 154 , " La Philanthropie Ligurionne : " Or . of Nice ( under the Obed of the Sup . Cons . ) 13 in itself a fact of sufficient importance . " Tho Princo , " says the report , " remained until tho close of the meeting , and thanked tho W . M . for the fraternal reception accorded to him . He recognised that our Masonic labours

were exactly the same as in England , whore Masonry is honoured by all . Perhaps ono of the most important occurrences in the history of Freemasonry during this oentury took place on the 24 th October last . I allude to tho Grand Masonic Fete held under the auspices of the Supreme Council of France , in honour of the foreign brethren prior to tho close of the International Exhibition . I cannot soon

forget tho magnificent picture which the interior of tho Palace of tho Trocadero presented upon that important occasion , nor the brilliant addresses delivered by tbe Very Illustrious Grand Commander Cremieux , and the Grand Orator the Very Illustrious Bro . Emmanuel Arago . In the words of the Grand Chancellor tho Very Illustrious Bro . Georgo Guiffrey , 33 ° , roviewiug this important

circumstance : " On the occasion of the International Exhibition , we celebrated a Masonic fete , at which Masons from all quarters of tho globe were gathered tcgether ; the most distant Supreme Councils and Grand Lodges responded to our call , and wo have seen hastening to ibis rendezvous , held in honour of peace and labour , tbe followers of Hiram spread over the entire face of the globo . Even in tho enter

world , France herself exercisos an influence npon tho entire destinies of humanity , and in this circumstance we have proved that Freemasonry of tho "Rito Ecossais" has been called upon in Franco to perform an important rule in concert with the Freemasons of the ontire world . We fully recognise tho proofs of sympathy and regard which have been evidenced to us upon this occasion in assuring to

foreign Supreme Councils our spirit of concord and devotion . In unison with them wo will onward march in the progressive path of civilisation , since it is Universal Masonry which should assnre to us the definite triumph of the great principles of fraternity and justice . "

The importance of thi 3 great Masonic gathering cannot be overestimated , since it had alike for its object , in the words of tho report of the Supreme Council , — " To terminato in a fitting manner the series of Masonic re-un ions organised by the various Masonio bodies during the Exhibition . The Supreme Council decided , in consequence ,