Our Initiation Fees.

i _ s . annual subscription , and a not unfrequent payment is 16 s . annually . This constitutes an amount of payment which is trifling to those who think that Masonry holds out " great material benefits , " and the consequence is that we are now initiating those who never were intended

for Masonic lodges , whose very callings are precarious , and who inevitably , within a few years , more or less , come upon our general charitable resources and our particular charitable Institutions . At this moment , and under our present system , there seems to be no possible limit to

prevent a further pressure on all our charitable resources , a pressure which leads to continual increase of our charitable "supply , " and yet which does not seem to touch the charitable " demand . " We then beg to commend to the careful consideration of our superiors this very

important point , the opportuneness and need of change . As is always true , much may be said on both sides , and we do not advise hurry or recommend the legislation of " panic , " which seems to be the controlling movement of some recent unadvisable changes suggested in our great Educational Institutions . What we

hope is this , that Grand Lodge will appoint a committee to consider the whole question , fully and dispassionately , and that then we may , after clear discussion make the alteration alike needed and imperatively called for , for the stability and safe progress of our estimable and useful Fraternity .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ We do not hold oursckcs responsible for , or even appruvinei ; of , the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wisli in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . ]

"OLD , BLIND , AND IN WANT . " To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Thc list of kind contributions is now closed , and , with your kind permission , I will next week mention the donations not yet publicly acknowledged , and the total

sum contributed in aid of this poor lady . I am , faithfully and fraternally yours , JOHN B . MONCKTON , 32 " , Prest . Bd * . G . P . Queen Anne ' s Mansion , S . W ., 30 th Jan ., 1879 .

AN IMPOSTOR , MASONIC CHARITIES AND ITINERANTS . 7 * o the Editor if thc " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — 1 have read with pleasure tlie letters in your impression of the 25 th ult . bearing above headings , and signed " P . N ., P . M . 303 and 126 , " and " Almoner . "

Annually examining a great many such cases as they refer to , I can fully bear out what these brethren say as lo thc need of greater caution . I am glad to say that out of several hundred cases I have onl y becn imposed on once by an unworthy brother , and on finding him so reported the matter to his lodge . I have only come across one real impostor , who had got large sums from lodges

hire on the faith of a diploma , on examining which ( under a manilying glass ) I found had several important erasures so as to suit the applicant . This impostor ' s career I stopped by impounding the diploma , and forwarding it to out R . W . Bro . the Grand Secretary of Grand Lodge of Scotland . As to Bro . " Almoner's " experience of applicant's

diffidence in letting communications being made to their lodge , I have only once come across such a case , and before the applicant declined to allow me to do so , I had come to the conclusion he was not in good standing in his lodge , and Bro . "Almoner" may rest assured the diffidence arose from thc same cause . Bro . ' Almoner ' s " schedule is good to keep but not to

publish , as every member of the applicants lodge would know tlie initials . As it may assist some brother , I give you my course of proceedings : — I . To examine most carefully but never to reply on certificates , as I regret to say deceased brother's certificates are sold , and I always , when I can . buy and destroy them .

2 . To examine as to cause of misfortune . 3 . To examine fully as officers of lodge and locality , so as to test local knowledge . 4 . To examine Masonically . 5 . Inform applicant 1 shall telegraph to the Secretary of his lodge as to his standing , and give applicant ( if satisfied with his case ) enough to maintain him until answer

to telegram received . The answer to telegram is always received within thc shortest possi . le time . I have never come across a refusal to reply or a delay . 6 . If a mechanic wanting to return home , have him seen to the place of depaiturc , hand to him his ticket and

enough to maintain him during the journey . 7 . On receiving answer to telegram write sender a full statement of the case . Some of tbe cases have been most interesting , I hold numbers of letters of thanks from brethren delivered as also from their lodges after their return home . In one

Original Correspondence.

case the amount was refunded me , which I at once reported to answerer of telegram . I remain , yours fraternally , JAMES H . NEILSON , P . P . G . M ., . P . G . Steward , G . S . S . B . I . C , P . M .

in 75 , 131 , and 620 , P . P . G . W ., Rep . eif the G . L . of Egypt , Hon . Sec . 134 , lieniria , C , U . S ., etc . 5 , Upper Mount-street , Dublin , 25 th January , 1871 ,.

A QUERY . To Ihe Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — As a subscriber to your paper may 1 ask you kindly to inform me whether a member of a lodge , being a P . M ., but not the " Immediate P . M . " of that lodge has a right to wear his blue collar and Past Master's jewel suspended to it at ordinary lodge meetings . If hc have

Provincial Grand Office , he , of course , wears the dark blue collar , & c , & c , but , in thc other case , is the wearing of light blue collar only restricted to the officers of the lodge for the time being . Yours faithfully and fraternally , A PROV . S . G . W . [ A P . M . is always a P . M . as long as he is a subscribing member of some lotlge , and has a right , of course , to wear his jewel on all occasions . —Eo . ]

MASONIC COURTESY . To the Editor if thc " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , liy thc proceedings cf a recent Masonic meeting ( which need not be named , ) I was forcibly reminded tllat some remarks under this heading had appeared in your columns . On searching my file of the Freemason . I find

the following letter in your number of 5 U 1 October , 1878 : — " As freemasons we profess often a good deal ; I fear that , like men in general , even wc freemasons are not exempt from the veriest littleness of humanity . Indeed , how could such exemption be expected ? To say the truth , 1 fancy that if the veil were lilted wliich hides much of

our Masonic life from the public gaze , we should be found to be equally susceptible , as other mere mortals , of all those passions which dominate the human will and agitate the human breast . " For instance , in c mrtesy o . ie to another , we are often gravely and greatly wanting , sometimes most markedly so , and though , as a Freemason , I am taught not to be

uncharitable in thought , word , or deed , I believe that I am correct in my assertion , t cannot shut my eyes to acts which amongst ourselves are almost a ludicrous reflection on our noisy professions , and too often demonstrate in the culprits a weakness both of the head and the heart . " I might say more , hut I beg to day to subscribe myself , " Yours fraternally ,

" MASONIC COURTESY . " A reprint of this for the benefit of all whom it may concern may not be unseasonable . Yours fraternally , URBANITY . 20 th January , 187 ( 1 .

Reviews.

Reviews .

BYE LAWS 01- * THE A . AND A . RITE , ORIENT OF PHILADELPHIA , & c . Sherman and Co ., Philadelphia , U . S . This interesting little compilation takes us back to 1781 , and shows that at that period a lodge of perfection was at work in Philadelphia . The actual history of the A . and A . S . Rite is still veiled in somewhat of obscurity . In

Kenmng ' s Masonic Cyclopadia will be seen the latest collection of historical authorities on the subject . Thc German view , as propounded by Bro . Findel , seems to be this , that the A . and A . S . Rite , as now practised , is of American formation , and was brought back in its " fulness " to Fiance from America about the beginning of this century , ami to that view Mackey seems also to have

joined himself . They appear to base tneir arguments on the fact that only twenty-five degrees were known to Stephen Moim . But in Kenning ' s Masonic Cyclopadia ( see A . and A . S . Rite ) it is clearly pointed out , such is only an ex post facto assumption , the post hoc propter hoc . That the separate grades from the twenty-fifth to the thirty-third existed in France , and Germany , and Switzerland , and were

practised , some of them at any rate , in England before 1800 , admits , it is clear , of certain proof . That the Thirty-three Degrees were lormed into a consecutive system openly and formally in Europe befoic 1800 is no doubt a very dcbateable proposition . And as truth generally lies , if not " at the bottom of a well , " at any rate "between two extremes" it is not incompatible with " historical evidence aud accuracy , that the Americans

may have formulated into one consistent whole those various grades , which from the 25 th of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite , form the 33 degrees now in existence . But the value of this little work is great as independent testimony , confirming the existence of the American growth of the A . and A . S . Rile ., after the transmission through Steven Morin , for on this fact all seem to agree . We thank sincerely our kind friend and correspondent ( E . C . E . Meyer ) for sending us this little volume .

CHARITY EDIfrTETH : A Sermon preached before the P . G . L . of Norfolk , by H . T . GHIIIITIIS , B . A ., P . G . C . Norwich , Miller & Co . We like much Bro . Griffiths moJest but masterly sermon . It is alike effective and edifying , and thoroughly Masonic in tone and teaching . He draws out the argu-

Reviews.

ment from his text clearly and forcibly , and it will , wc fancy , prove as acceptable to its readers as to its original hearers . We commend it warmly to the notice of the Craft . AMABEL VAUGHAN , and Other Tales . By Bro . EMRA HOLMES . Lake and Lake , Truro ; George Kenning , ior , Fleet-street , London .

Wc leel that the motive Ior thc publication of the second series of Bro . Emra Holmes ' s contributions to serial literature , ( assistance to a decayed brother ) , is almost a bar to criticism ; but in saying this we do not wish our readers to suppose that wc arc anxious to be critical or cynical , captious or complaining . On the contrary , independently of its mission of charity , the little work may claim perusal

on Us own merits , and for its own sake . All occasional contributions which are notoriously , as they must be , " pieces d ' occasion , " often " pan out" unsatisfactorily , and incompletely when reproduced in later years . What pleased at the moment our lighter hours pleases us no more to-day , and , as Dr . Johnson said , ' success produces satiety , and reflection causes weariness . " Still , with this reserve which we find needful every day , we are glad to welcome this little work of charity and an effort of Literature . Bro .

Emra Holmes , well known to the readers of the Masonic Magazine , and to those ( though in less degree ) of the Freemason , has for some time devoted his pen to much of our Masonic passing literature , and not without success , not without pleasure to his readers . Amabel Vaughan comes then forward under very favourable auspices , and we trust will commend itself to thc kindly feelings and literary tastes of the Order .

THE EAST ANGLIAN HAND BOOK AND AGRICULTURAL ANNUAL . W . Scman , Argus Office , Norwich . This well known and useful annual comes before us in its twentieth appearance , and may well be noted and highly commended . Among its unusually intcicsting contents may be noted the following papers : — " East Anglian Farming iu 1878 , " by C . S . Read , M . P . j " About

British Agriculture , " byJ . J . Mechi ; "A Hundred years ago , " by Charles Sullcy ; "AGoodKat Story ; " "On the Application of Chemistry to Agriculture , " by Dr . Drinkwater ; " Fish Farming , " by J . H . Keene ; " Snipe Shouting in East Anglia , " by J . Manley ; " Stanfield Hall , " by Edward Delves ; " Norfolk Landowners , Past and Present , " by Walter Rye ; and "A Fisherman ' s Log Book , " by R . J . Greville Fennell . The little book will repay perusal .

Multum In Parbo; Or, Masonic Notes And Queries.

Multum in Parbo ; or , Masonic Notes and Queries .

I think it well to continue _ my list of Masonic books in the British Museum . The Perjured Freemason Detected ; and yet thc Honour and Antiquity of the Society of Freemasons Preserved and Defended . By a Freemason . " For Perjury ' s a blast upon the mind . " London : Printed fur T . Warner , MDCCXXX . 30 pages , Svo .

It begins with a short abridgment of the history of Freemasonry down lo the present age . 3 p . p . Then follows " a short entertainment between one of the Masters and a junior member lately admitted , " and who is one of the weak brethren mentioned above . This is in the form of a dialogue , anel occupies 4 p . p ., and concludes part I . Part II . Begins at p . 12 , and treats upon thc oaths

and thc treachery and perjury committed , illustrating it by another dialogue between a Freemason and one Mr . Samuel Pritchard . The dialogue occupies 10 p . p . This brings us to p . 23 , where begin some remarks upon the preceding dialogue as to Mr . Pritchard ' s design , and how far the event answered the malice illustrated by an imaginary dialogue with the same Pritchard , which occupies S p . p ., and brings us to thc conclusion , 2 p . p . MASONIC STUDENT .

Obituary.

Obituary .

BRO . R . W . HAYNE * . We deeply regret to announce the very unexpected death , in his fifty-first year , of Bro . Robert William Haynes , Law Publisher , of Bell-yarel , Temple Bar , which occurred at his residence , Shepherd ' s Bush , at about midnight on Suniay last .

Bro . Haynes was initiated into Freemasonry in the Lodge of Unions , No . 256 , in February , 1875 , and the following year he was exalted in the Royal York Chapter ol Perseverance , No . 7 . Although he had not undertaken any office , he was a warm supporter of the Charities , and , indeed , had subscribed to the Boys' School for many years before hc entered the Order .

In the lodge , as well as in thc chapter , he had won the sincere regard of his brethren ; and those who had thc privilege of enj . ying the private friendship of our late brother have suffered a loss which cannot easily be replaced . As a man of business , he was marked by integrity and perseverance , as a husband and a father , by the most

devoted affection ; and as a friend , by a warm-hcaitciluess and sincerity seldom equalled and never exceeded . Bro . Haynes , who was a widower , leaves two daughters lo lament tlieir irreparable loss . The funeral will take place at the Brompton Cemetery , on the moining of Saturday , 1 st February .

The Quarterl y Meeting of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons will be held at Freemasons' Hall , Great Quccn-strcet , on Wednesday next at 6 fcr 7 .