Correspondence.

outlay that could be considered as approaching extravagance in a man with an income of £ 1 , 000 per annum . To tho questiou " Charity ; is it Giving ? " I emphatically answer " Yes . " Most certainly there is a Charity apart from giving , but

that sublime attribute we are not discussing . To answer the question in the negative would be destructive of all efforts to mitigate the effects of that evil whioh we are told shall never cease out of the land , and whioh when endured by Masons must be relieved by the aid of Masons !

I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours faithfully and fraternally , FREDERICK BINCKES . 25 th November 1878 .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , — " OLD FILE , " in issue of CHRONICLE for 23 rd November , says he thinks Bro . Godtschalk is wrong in assuming that Bro . Radclyffe had suggested compulsion in reference to subscriptions to the Charities . 'Tis a pity " OLD FILE " only thinks when , with a little more

trouble , he might be assured . A sentence placed between inverted commas should mean a quotatiou . The words quoted by me in CHRONICLE were so placed , tho fall text of this quotation is as follows : — " Would it not be an easy matter to compel every Lodge to subscribe , say , one-third of their subscriptions . " Tho ori iual of this quotation , here rendered

verbatim , can be seen in Bro . Kadclyfie's letter in CHRONIC E of 26 th Ootuber last , and which " OLD FILE " evidently has overlooked . However , he will find it under the head of " Correspondence , " and will then , I hope , admit , iu this matter , nothing has been assumed . " OLD FILE " refers to another portion of my letter , in which attention is ealed to cases 1 mildly termed undeserving ; but this he is

pleased to describe as a serious allegation against the General Committee . I take the facts to be these ; then point to another little error that , in some unaccountable manner , has crept into " OLD FILE ' S " letter—Provided the petition of a candidate for ono of the Charities is in accordance with the laws of the Institution ; that it is in every

way regular , vouched for and signed , the General Committees do not specially investigate each case on its merits . This function they possess , doubtless j but to exercise the power would be an endless , unthankful , and impossible task . The real executive is the Secretary of the Institution . Ho it is who would act and promptly take steps to have a case removed

should falsehood or unworthy motives be detected after a petition had been accepted , or he would cause it to be removed from the list , even after the election , if such was the case . But the undeserving cases 1 referred to were not of this class , but cases in which the mischief is done before the petition reaches the General Committees , by the injudicious action of those who first get up the petition and

bring the case forward , irrespective of whether the candidate stands in need of the aid of the Charity , but simply because they happen to be qualified , and that to get on the Fund , or into the Schools would be so much gained , and this possibly to the detriment and exclusion of the really deserving and sometimes nearly penniless who happen to be without influence or friends .

It is to the former class reference is made , as ihe undeserving cases * To no neglect of the General Committee or the Secretariesthey are wholly blameless , How is it possible for them to judge of individual merit ? Cases coming as they doj not only from the United Kingdom , but from all parts of the world . To give some idea of the watchful care of the Secretaries of the Institutions , that no

case gets elected or placed on the lists if misstatements or falsehoods in a petition can be detected , I here relate the circumstances of a case which came under my own knowledge . A petition had been sent up for the Benvoleot Fund . It appeared all tegular , and was duly signed , & c , & c . It passed the General Committee , and the petitioner was placed on the list . The usual

election was approaching ; in fact , so close was it , that voting papers had been sent to the Secretary ' s office filled in for this candidate , and signed for polling j when it came to the knowledge of the Secretary of the Institution , that this candidate was in receipt of a Government pension far exceeding in amount the aunnity sought , and that the petition whioh had been accepted in good faith by the

General Committee contained a gross falsehood . The Secretary promptly and thoroughly inv- stigated the matter , and found the petitioner had been for some time , and was then , in receipt of a pension largely in excess of the annuity , rendering this person ineligible as a candidate . I need scarcely say , the Secretary at once took steps to remove the case from the list . Now , say the candidate was ignorant

of the law of the Institution that d . elates an applicant mast not be iu possession of au amount uf more than a given sum to be eligible for the lund , what are we to think of the brethren , the friends of the candidate who got up the case and forwarded the petition . They surely knew the particulars as to the position in life of the petitioner . Their own status in Masonry

necessitated tbe knowledge on their part of the law of tho Institution , —that a person in receipt of a certain sum per annum could not bo eligdjle for the annuity . Had this case not been delected , the candidate would in all probability ( from the influence at wuik ) have been elected , and would havo received the annuity at the expense of perhaps some poor and deserving candidate to whom

it might mean tbeauuuity or absolute want . Comment is superfluous ; but the facts I vouch for . I am , however , charitable enough to believe cases of the character described do not often occur . My allusion , therefore , to undeserving cases getting elected to out or other of the Institutions has nothing to do with the General Co nmiuees or the Secretaries . T , ; e onus is not with them , but with these iujiuiiwoua brethren why . get np peUvipna for wrong candidates j those

Correspondence.

who from social position could do without tho aid of tho Charity , but from influence or clamour get to the front , whilst tho really deserving in some cases go to the wall . Yours fraternally , CHARLES GODTSCHALK , P . M . 70 and 1235 .

Charity Stewards.

CHARITY STEWARDS .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAK SIR AND BROTHER , —I am at a loss to understand why tho above could not bo reduced to ono guinea , charging the brothor who acts as Steward for his dinner , tho same as any other visitor . Thus reducing his expenses , and , in the caso of provincial brethren unable

to attend , doing away with the feeling that thoy wero wasting money . I believe if our throe worthy Secretaries wero to take this into con - sideration they would find more brethren anxious to represent their Lodges . I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours fraternally , Wit . C . PARSONS P . M . ISO .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Excuso mo again trespassing on yonr valuablo spaco , but I am sure you will give mo tho opportunity of removing what appears to bo a misunderstanding on " OLD FILE ' S" part . I had no wish or intention to limit tho subscriptions of all Masons to

a standard , —as there aro many better able to give 100 guineas than others to spare ono . I wished it to bo understood how small a sum would be required from each , and that it should beovery Mason ' s duty before " refreshment" to consider it a virtue Co give , according to his ability , and to recollect that i : a Mason's Charity " should know no

bounds , save those of prudence . Nor do l wish to uxcludu poorer brethren from tho honors of G . Lodgo rink , this is not . my intention , as I should regret to sec a Mason's worth ineasurtd by tho h-n ^ th of his pocket . I simply suggested—if Grand Lodges wero to take the services rendered into consideration , it would bo ati inducement f > r

many poorer brethren to serve , as , although poor , much good is done by working . No brother should decline undertaking the task of seeking to induce others to give , because he is not able to head his list with a ronnd snm . I have frequently observed that the best , lists come from tho poorer brethren , who , knowing their own inability ,

make up for the deficiency by hard work , and inducing others to give . I think tho good these brethren do , by making tho wants of the Institutions known to many , far greater than tho Steward who serves aud simply gives sufficient to qualify himself as a Lifo Governor . I point this out here , HS I intended all my remarks should tend to show that no Mason need shirk the duties of Steward on the ground ofexneuse ;

what he is unable personally to give , he may make up for by inducing others to do . lam afraid I have not succeeded in pointing out my intentions so clearly as "OLD FILE ' S" letter leads mo to desire ; I thank him for hi 3 friendly remarks , and I would ask " A MASONIC ENTHUSIAST" to peruse these remarks of " OLU FILE . " Apologisiug for this encroachment on your spaco ,

I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours faithfully and fraternally , DICK EADCLYFI ' E , 23 rd November 1878 .

An "Off" Wight At The Tranquillity Lodge, No. 185.

AN " OFF" WIGHT AT THE TRANQUILLITY LODGE , No . 185 .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE .

DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —In yonr report of tho meeting of this Lodgo on tho 18 th instant , it is stated that the frugality of the supper would havo rejoiced the hearts of Bro . Dick lindcJyffe , " UNION JACK , " " OLD FILE , " and tho rest , who hold " that Masonic Charities would best be served and supported by impracticable self

denial and a policy in Lodge arrangements calculated to hinder Masonic human nature from being occasionally made glad by tho enjoyment of tho good things which a gracious Providence iu Ltia goodness and mercy has deemed fit to bestow on His but too frail and erring creatures . " I leave Bro . Dick Iladclyffe and " UNION JACK " to speak for themselves , but , as far as I am personally

concerned , I must repudiate any such notion as that hinted at in tho above quotation . On the contrary , I am convinced it is man ' s duty lo enjoy the good things which Providence has deigned to bestow on his creatures . In a letter you did mo tho honour to publish iu your columns of the 19 ih October , 1 wrote : — " I rejoice to say I am very partial to good living . I should bo a fool if I wero not . I hold

that the good things of this lifo which a benign Providence has bestowed upon us should be enjoyed , aud enjoyed freely—though not to excess—as well as thankfully . " Herein lies the gist of the whole matter . In that Icttfv 1 had been criticising threo hniiuwo sheets sent you by " U NION JACK " for publication , the result being that I found £ (> a 0 had been spent , iu ' IWreshiiiftit , ivc . '' aud £ 20 in

Charity . Well , supposing the three Lodges hud limiterl their expenditure under the former head to about two-thirds of their receipts from all sources , I can hardly imagine thoy would havo enjoyed themselves less , while there would havo been £ l . r > 0 available for our Institutions or for other Charitable purposes . There was nothing mean , or of which I need have any reason to be ashamed ,