Consecration Of The St. Leonard's Lodge No. 1842.

who had , to a considerable extent , taken the wind out of his sails . This—as tho brethren had just been reminded—was nofc the first occasion on which he had succeeded Bro . Richards in the chair of K . S ., neither was the opening of the St . Leonard ' s Lodge an idea of to-day only . Somo seven or eight years ago a similar idea had been mooted , and their respected Brother Brassey had promised hia

assistance towards the formation of a Lodge at St . Leonard ' s . He was especially glad , therefore , to see Bro . Brassey present thafc evening . The affair , however , hung fire until the completion of the handsome block of buildings in which they had mefc thafc evening had been carried out , under the superintendence of Bro . W . L . Veruon . There was ample room for two Lodges in the Borough . Ifc was some

seventeen years since ho joined the Derwent Lodgo , which then numbered less than forty members , and now its numbers were nearer ninety than eighty , and iu starting the new Lodge , they had no idea of entering into rivalry with the Old Derwent . He had been twice Master of that Lodge , and hoped to continue a member so long as he remained amongst them . This town was large enough , ancl he

believed that many Masons who were deterred by distance from their residences from attending the Lodge at Hastings , would gladly avail themselves of tho privileges of membership of the new St . Leonard's Lodge , ancl that many who had allowed the rust of years to dim thoir ardour in Freemasonry would awaken to new life , and to once more become bright Masons . The toast of tho Visitors , the Officers of

the Lodge , and the Masouic Charities , were severally proposed from fcho chair and duly honoured . Bro . Price W . M . of No . 56 ( The Howard Lodgo , Arundel ) responded on behalf of the Visitors , and Bros . Croucher and Cole ( S . W . and J . W . ) on behalf of the Officers of tho Lodge . Bro . James Terry , whose name was coupled with the toast of the Masonic Charities , made one of his most able aud effective

responses , in the course of which he expressed a hope that tho brethren would by their subscriptions still further increase thesplendid amount which already appeared on Bro . Scott's list as Steward for the forthcoming Festival of the Royal Masonic Ronevolent Institution in February next . Tho Tyler's toast wound up a day ' s proceedings which will not be forgotten by tho brethren who wero piivileged to

attend , ancl will be a red-letter day in the Masonic ilistoiy of Hastings and St . Leonard ' s . To W . Bro . Trollope and his Officers we can but express our opinion , that in confiding anew warrant to their care , the M . W . G . M . of English Freemasons will never have any reason to regret the confidence he has bestowed upon them . Better Masons we seldom meet .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications . All Letters must bear the name ani address of the Writer , n-d necessarily for pxiblication , but as a guarantee of good faith .

PROTECT THE ORPHANS .

To tlie Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BUOTIIEII , —Afc the elections last month for the Masonic Schools , ninefcy . one poor children—sixty-one boys ancl thirty girls—who had passed the General Committees as fit and proper candidates for education and support by our much-vaunted Charities were placed on the list of unsuccessful applicants , and left to educate

and feed themselves as they best may until the e ] ecfcions in April next , when a large majority of them must again be doomed to disappointment . Nofc one penny is offered out of the liberal funds provided by tho subscribers to aid in the maintenance and instruction of these poor children , who may starve , or grow np in destitution ancl ignorance , while we complacently sip our wine , and boast of the many

thousands of pounds annually collected for their benefit . Some one cries , " Shame !" At each succeeding meeting of the Committees , fresh names are added to the already too long list of applicants soliciting that protection and assistance which Freemasonry professes to extend to those who may be unfortunately reduced to a position requiring the benefits

of these Institutions . Some of them—lucky enough to secure the help of influential and energetic brethren—will be successful ; but the greater number will bitterly experience the " hope deferred which maketh the heart sick , " ancl learn too late that , consequent upou the extravagant outlay on the favoured few , and by the diversion of funds from their legitimate channel , sums which should have been devoted

to their aid have been otherwise disposed of , leaving them to sadly realise the truth of Shakspeare ' s words , "The orphan pines while the oppressor feeds . " Again a cry of " Shame !" These poor orphans are pleading for a home , food , and the training to enable them to take useful positions in the world—benefits which are denied to them on the plea of insufficient means ; yet it is thought

proper to call a Special General Court of tho Girls' School to consider a proposition by the . Treasurer— " That the sum of sis thousand five hundred pounds ( £ 6 , 500 ) be expended in tho purchase of Lyncombehouse and grounds ( freehold ) , the property of William Evill , Esq ., adjoining the grounds of the Institution afc St . John's-hill , Battersearise , S . W . " Has no one sufficient charity ancl moral courage to cry

"Shame ?" The FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE having persistently advocated common sense and honesty in the management of our Charity funds , there is good reason for hope that you will use your powerful influence to pre - vent a further waste of the orphans' money in tho purchase of useless houses and unnecessary lands . The two Schools have been more than

Correspondence.

sufficiently costly , and are now quite large enough for permanent purposes . A well-regulated expenditure iu monetary allowances to aid in the support and education of candidates until their election would be far more iu accordance with the intentions of the donors than the proposed outlay on the Evill house , and would , moreover ,

tend to better prepare the children for the superior training which oar Institutions offer . It surely cannot yet be too late to advocate tho cause of fche orphans against thafc of the freeholder and the builder , nor to invite subscribers to greet the proposed useless expenditure of six thousand five hundred pounds with a loud cry of "Shame ! " Yours truly and fraternally , H . 26 fch November 1879 .

COLEMAN'S MASONIC CALENDAR .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I have received from our friend and Bro . C . P . MacCalla , editor of the Keystone , a copy of a most useful work— " Coleman's Masonic Calendar " —a list of the whole of the regular Lodges at work in the United States and Canada , with their names , numbers ancl locations . There are 5 t Grand Lodges , and

some 10 , 000 Lodges holding under them . In every case where it is possible the addresses of the Grand Officers aro given . Besides these the American and Canadian Grand Chapters , Councils , Commanderies , Consistoiies and governing bodies of all other Rites are to be found arranged in order within the 100 pages which compose tho Calendar . A concise list is added of Masonic information relating to

foreign jurisdictions , and a great quantity of information always useful and acceptable to Masonic readers , such as lists of Masouic journals , seals ? , libraries , institutions , & c . The author and editor , the Rev . Henry It . Coleman , tells ns that one great object of the compilation and publication of this Calendar was to " measurably put a stop to" the " swindling" of falso bro hreu who go about from Lodgo to

Lodgo with false appeals of poverty aud destitution ; aud our Brother gives some directions by means of which a largo proportion of sncli rogues may easily be detected . Unquestionably the Masons of tho United States ' are more cursed than those of Gre : it Britain with these hordes of beggars ; but even in this country we havo far more of them than we ought , and perhaps if the suggestions of Bro . Coleman

wero known tbey might be acted npon ( with modifications ) in such a way as to materially suppress tho Masonic mendicancy which is so troublesome , and forms so heavy a tax upon the brethren . Young Masons , who are more especially victimised , might be much benefitted by a perusal of Bro . Coleman's suggestions as to the treatment of what he calls "tho excrement a of Freemasonry . " Bnt bad as wc

may regard tho evd in England , it is nothing to the state of thing * iu America , nor is this to be wi . ndered at if what Bro . Coleman states be correct , and there is no reason to doubt his figures . Here , then , is something to startle the Masonic reader : — " Daring the years 1876 , 1877 , and 1878 , the appalling number of 2933 Masons were expelled from tho Lodges of tlie United States and Canada ! 293 : ! expelled

Masons ! 29 ;< 3 men dead as to Masonry , yet alive as to the harm they do us by their evil lives , their exposures , thoir influence upon the rising generation ! Besides this , 2609 more were suspended for periods more or less lengthy for gross un-Masonio conduct , and 41 , 299 for non-payment , of dues ! In the same period 63 , 000 Masons disunited , the larger part of them to avoid paying their share towards

the support of fche Order . Here is the snm total of 103 , 000 Masons who have gone back upon their fraternal pledges within the little period of three years . " Trnly , as Bro . Coleman says , this is appalling , and we have nothing like ifc , happily , in England , even in proportion to our number of Lodges . Still we have an uncomfortable supply of Masonic tramps , and if we were to exercise more care and discretion

in our almsgiving we should perhaps assist in diminishing the evil . It would be an excellent rule for each Lodge to appoint an old experienced brother as almoner , and to make a rule that no one should receive casual relief save through that Officer , and that those soliciting relief should invariably be referred to him . Young Masons are very apt to be soft-hearted , and tramping brethren usually come

with very plausible tales . After some years experience of them , my own feeling is thafc nofc one in three who come is worthy of relief . The idea of a " Black List" has been suggested , and perhaps has its merits . By this method , the name , general appearance , ancl descrip . tion of credentials of any begging Mason found to be unworthy would

be forwarded to headquarters , and an annual list would be published , and sent to every Lodge . However , I have wandered off from the subject of Bro . Coleman ' s Calendar , which is to be an annual publication , and which will be of vast use , not only as a reliable work of reference , but a valuable record of Masonry in North America .

I am , yours fraternally , T . B . WHYTEHEAD P . M York , 26 th November 1879 .

PAST MASTERS' PRIVILEGES .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Your correspondent , " QUIDNUNC , " in his Ietterthat appeared in the CHRONICLE of 30 th Ang . last , replying to my query as to tho conditions of Past Masters' membership of Provincia I Grand Lodge , raises a certain issue , to which , as my question did not

hinge on tho date of installation , I did not refer iu my last , but to which it may be as well to draw attention . Referring to page 76 section 1 of the Book of Constitutions , ho observes , very truly , that " there can be no doubt that although a Master's installation may be deferred for various reasons , as ill health , absence , or other unforeseen causes , ami he cannot occupy the chair of K . S ., he is nevertheless