Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

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

THE SECRETARYSHIP OF THE GIRLS' SCHOOL

To the Editor of T HE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DKAH Snv A - Buo'tHEK , —I consider Bro . Constable ' s proposition , that at tho election of a now Secretary to the Girls' School , proxy voting should bo substituted for personal voting , not only reasonable bufc just . Tho latter system places the election virtually in tho hands of tiio metropolitan voters and of tho voters in tho circumjacent

Provinces . This , to use a familiar phrase , is very bard lines on the brethren in the remoter Provinces , who if tho personal system is retained havo tho choice between sacrificing their votes or incurring a heavy amount of trouble and expense in order to record them . Where is tho equality iu tho caso of a London voter whose place of bnsiness is in tho City , and whom a shilling cabfaro will suffice to

convoy to Freemasons' Hall , there to support his favourite candidate , and the voter ( say ) in Newcastle-on-Tyne , who must travel to and fro some six hundred miles , afc a cost of somo pounds ? Or take onr Cornish and Devon voters , those in North and South Wales , thoso in Lancashire , Cumberland and Westmoreland , and the Yorkshire Provinces . In short , if wo except parts of Middlesex , Herts , Savvey ,

and ono or two other Provinces , all who wish to voto must do so under unequal conditions as compared with London brethren . I , therefore , urge upon you , Sir , to advocate , tho plan proposed by Bro . Constable , so that all thoso entitled to voto may stand on the same footing . It will bo said , perhaps that the expense of voting papers will fall on

the School . This objection may easily be met . Let tho candidates deposit each £ 5 , or snch sum as may be necessary towards defraying tho cost of the voting papers , and tho difficulty is overcome . No doubt tho candidates will readily do this , as tho number of Provincial voters is very considerable , and all will reap tho benefit of the proxy system . Afc all events all will have tho chance of doing so .

I remain , Dear Sir and Brother , Fraternally yours , FAIK PLAY .

A Correction.

A CORRECTION .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHUOSICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —In your obituary of our dear departed brother R . W . Little , you state thafc "he enjoyed what may certainly be described as tho unique honour of having consecrated all tho Lodges in tho Province of Middlesex , " of course this refers to those

consecrated after his initiation ; bufc even iu this you are mistaken , as there avo the following Lodges which , so far as my knowledge serves me , were consecrated by those j-et in our midst whom wo still hold

dear : —Enfield , Acacia , Villiers , Strawberry mil , ana Lodges . My only apology for this correction must be " Honour to whom honour is due . "

I am , Dear Sir aud Brother , yours fraternally , SPES BONA 22 nd April 1878 .

Periodical Literature.

PERIODICAL LITERATURE .

Casscll's Family Magazine displays tho same features which in . Variably characterise its contents ; that is , they are fairly apportioned between what is interesting and what is instructive . In neither of the serial stories , "Time shall Try , " or " Suspense , " does the interest flag for a single moment . Indeed , in the former we are favoured with a vast amount of information as to Edward

Hallam's antecedents which enhances greatly the mcrib of tho talc . In addition to these are two short stories , entitled "Tho Sphinx ; a Mystery , " in the ono case , and "The Silver Lock" in the other . There are several poetical contributions , ono of which , by J . F . luues Pocock , called "Tears , " is set to music by Dr . J . 1 \ Bridge . Nor must the pretty effusion , " In a Meadow , " by Guy Roslyn , bo

omitted in noting this portion of the contents . If wc now turn to tho useful wo shall find , among other papers , one on " April Showers , " by Mr . R . A . Proctor , a Family Doctor ' s " Plain Advice to tho Neuralgic , " a domestic article on tho interesting subject of "High Tea , " and what to provide for it , an answer by Lieut . F . I . Palmer K . N . to the question propounded by himself as to " What

is a Torpedo r" and a second of tbo scries of " Popular Papers on English Law , " the County Court and the mode of procedure which any ono who cannot obtain money duo to him should adopt in order to recover the amount of the debt in question . There is also a short account of "The Capo and tho Caffres , " which comes appropriately enough inst now , when another of England ' s "little ware" is raging

in this colony . "Try Biirglen ; the Home of the William loll Legend , " is also readable ; the writer is tho Rev . J . B . Head . If wc add that the " Gatherer ' s" Notes are highly instructive , we shall havo pretty well completed our survey of the number , and accordingly wo leave it to our readers , in the belief they will be well pleased with it .

Periodical Literature.

Part 20 of the Countries of the World serves to complete tbo second volume of this admirable work . Thus far wo have got only as far as Mexico nnd tho West Indies , but considering tho immensity of tho subject , wo consider very good progress ha 3 been made . Moreover , as what has been done in theso two volumes ia so meritorious , wo prefer it should be extended rather than curtailed , so that Dr . Robert Brown may havo greater opportunity for

describing , as ho knows so well bow to do , tho wonders and resources of different lands . Tho principal illustrations in this part are "Negro Huts , Jamaica ; " " A Cypress Grove of Chapultepec , near the City of Mexico ; " "A Rural Kitchen in tho Tierras Calicntes ( making Frijoles , or Maizo Cakes ); " "View of Newcastle , in the Bine Mountains , Jamaica ; " and " View of the City of San Domingo , Hayti ( from tho Harbour ) . "

There appears to bo no limit to tho serial publications of an essentially useful character which Messrs . Cassell aud Co . bring outfor tho instruction of tho British . Wo have been favoured with a copy of No . I . of " Great Industries of Great Britain , " and to judge from tho excellence of the illustrations with which it abounds , as well as from the valuable information which is contained in the

accompanying letterpress , wo anticipate tho work will bo as popular as itdeserves to be . A special feature in connection with this nnmber is the Presentation Plate , which is , so far as wo know , an admirable portrait taken from a photograph of ono " Titus Salt , " whose name is a household word in ono of onr great centres of industry . Tho contents include a scries of papers ou various branches of British .

Industries ; snch , for instance , as " Iron and steel—I ., " by W . D . Scott Moncrieftl C . E . ; "Eminent Manufacturers—I . Sir Thomas Bazloy , M . P ., "by Robert Smiles ; "Cotton—I . The Raw Material : Early History of tho Manufacture ; " " Industrial Legislation—I . ; " " Ship Bnilding—I . ; " " Health and Disease in Industrial Occupations—I . ;" " Hemp , Flax , aud Jute—I . " This will servo to show how tho work is treated , and will be conducted .

Obituary

Obituary

It is our duty this week to record tho death of an old bnt much respected inhabitant of Cowes , —Bro . John Luter , —who was for many years in trade in that town , bub through losses and declining life ho was compelled , to give up business . Ho was the oldest Mason on the roll of Medina Lodge , having been initiated as far back as 23 rd January 1834 , and passed several degrees in Masonry . Of late years

he was the Tyler of the Lodge , where he was universally respected by all the brethren . His circumstances latterly required assistance , and tho brethren appealed to the Benevolent Fund and obtained a grant of £ 40 per annum for him . Latterly he often expressed , if it was not for his health , the present time was the happiest he had enjoyed for many years . He was of an amiable disposition , and

made , wo believe , not a single enemy . Only on Good Friday he waa on his accustomed lounge , tho promenade of tho pontoon , and on leaving , we saw him , when he appeared iu his usual health , going towards his home , which he reached , and almost instantly expired . An inquest was held on the body on Saturday evening , when a verdict of death from natural causes was returned .

Tho Advocate of New York contains a short account of the regular meeting of Holland Lodge , No . 8 on the 12 th ult ., on which occasion Bro . Joseph J 5 L Balestier , a P . M . of the Lodge and P . D . D . Grand Master of the State , gave a yery interesting historical lecture on the progress of tlie

Lodge , and its vicissitudes of fortune during the last sixteen years . Bro . Balestier had at previous meetings , sketched the history of this Lodge , which is one of the oldest and most influential in the jurisdiction . He noted those prominent members who had been removed by death ,

and bestowed great praise not only on their services , bufc likewise on those rendered by other brethren . From the concluding remarks of the lecturer we gather , that the Lodge numbers 220 members , the majority of whom are life members , and he expressed a hope that all would

become such , as in his opinion it was the safest and best plan both for the Lodge and the brethren . He also referred to the Grand Lodge debt of 800 , 000 dollars , aud said he thought the only way to reduce it was to stop all mileage

and per diem allowance to representatives to the Grand Lodge . A vote of thanks was tendered to the lecturer , -with , a request that ho would furnish a copy for publication with his former lecture .

West Middlesex Lodge of Instruction , No . 1612 . — The Annual Dinner of the members took place on Thursday , afc tho Feathers Hotel , Euling . The chair was taken by Bro . A . Beasley , W . M . of the parent Lodge , who was supported by Bros . H . Kasner and A . J . Burr , who filled the chairs of S . W . and J . W . respectively . Thoro wero present between forty and fifty guests , members of the

Lodge of Instruction aud the following Visitors : —Bros . Botlcy 7 S 0 , Ratlin 73 , Hopgood 010 , and Morgan 211 . The dinner was served in capital style by host Bro . Stephens , and tho efforts of the Stewards to mako all comfortable were thoroughly appreciated . After grace , Bro . Beasley introduced a most comprehensive toast list ; he

advocated , and practised brevity in his remarks , and in this lie was followed by the several speaker- ! . Tne evening pvswd oft' most agreeably , and the efforts of sever :- ! t . f tlio brethren t .. enUit . ne , by songs and recitations , received fiill veeegnni . )' . ! . Uio . Uv .-iovuiue , as accompanyisfc , was as genial and spmUling m tvur ,