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NOTICE . The Subscription to THE F REEMASON is now ios . per annum , post-free , payable in advance .

"Vol . 1 ., bound in cloth 4 s . 6 vi . Vol . II ., ditto 7 ? - fi ( 1 - Vol . III ., ditto I . ***** -- od . Vol . IV ., tlitto i . * > s . 6 cl . Heading * Cases to hold ,- ** 2 numbers ... 2 s . 0 d .

United States of America . THE FREEMASON is delivered free in any part of the United States for 12 s . per annum , payable in advance . The Freemason is published on Saturday Mornings in lime for the earlv trains . Tlie price of the Freemason is Twopence per week- annual

subscription , ios . ( payable in advance . ) All communications , letters , & c , to bc addressed to tl ' . e Editor , 198 , Fleet-street , F . C . ; The Editor will pay careful attention to all MSS . entrusted to bun , but cannot undertake to return them unless accompanied by postage Ktamns .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

The following comumcations stand over : — Letters from "Lupus , " "A Masonic Knight Templar , "Cosmopolitan , " A . A . Bagshawe , and . lohn Wood . Reports of Lodges ioo . 421 , 111 H , 1590 ; Ch . iptcr 97 , 27 H . KliMITTANCI * . RFXKIVKD . C . R . Austin , Sydney , N . S . \ V „ P . O . Order , 12 / 7 .

Public Amusements.

Public Amusements .

Royal Polytechnic . Great Programme for Christmas . 1 . The History of a PI-U . M PUDDING , Willi striking experiments Iiv Professor I ' . anhter . 3 . A Christmas Tale ; or , " HOW | AN 1- * ' CONOUliST HAM . Till-: HKl . l .: an Illustrated Poem , wilh remarkable c-llccls . " Tlic "/ 00 " Al * I'llli " I'UI . Y , " an anecdotal iliseourse shout the Zoological Hardens , bv Mr . | . 1 .. Kin ;; , with Photoirtaphs hv Mr . York . 4 . The Tl IKl ' . l * . Kl ' lSKS ; or , the Invisible narrated

Prince iii a -New l . iitlit : a fairv * lale , musicallv hy Mr . Georire Uuckland , assisted hv ' Miss Alice Harth , . Miss I ' ulllam , and Missl-ilie Bartlett . 5 . The W 1 UT 1-: LADY Ol- ' AVKNKL , the new ? nd heauliiul Cillost Illusion , ft . New < HAKAt . I l-. R BNTRRTAlN . MliNT , bv Mr . Percv \* ere . 7 . The woudeilul SWIMMINli FEATS of Marquis llihhero in the Great Tank . 8 . The MAGIC TL'll , full of Tovs , to be distributed on snecilied o .-casions , to good Children . Many other linlevlainments . Open dai'v , at 13 and 7 . Admission , is .

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Madame Tussaud ' s Exhibition . On view a Magnilicent Marriage Group of II . R . II THE PRI . V CESS LOUISE and the MAROUIS Ol * I . OKNTC , also a new portrait Model of DR . LIVINGSTON !* , Uic great AFRICAN FATI . ORER ; THK " CLAIMANT " , SIR ROCER TICIIUORN ; HUDSON , tbe "RAILWAY KING ; " and ll . RtlL TI 1 F . I'RINCli OF WALLS , in the Kohes ol tile Order ol the Garter . Open from to a . m . to 10 p . m . Admission is ., Children under 10 , ( id . Lxlra Rooms od .

Liverpool Theatres, &C.

LIVERPOOL THEATRES , & c .

Week endnijr March s . ROYAL Al . F . XANDRA THICAI'RK , Lime-street . —Lessee , Bro . F .. Saker . Mr . and Mrs . Pauley Williams in - 'llic 1 'airv Circle and other pieces .

ROYAI . AMPHITHEATRE , Gleal I barlolle-slicet . — Lessee , Mr . II . Leslie ; . Manager , Mr . Arthur Gainer . Mr . Harry Sullivan ill " 1 l . imlei , " " I'hc Gamester , " " Macbeth , " lie . PRINCEOF WALES THEATRE , Clav Uin-si | uarc . — Lessee ' Mr . Sefton l ' arrv . " Kuiii ] iesiiliskins , " aud " Ulovv lo llluw . "

THEATRE ROYAL , Willianvsou-su , ujvc . — Lessee , livo . lie Freece . Hv ion ' s burlesijue , " La Sonnambula , " and Miscellaneous l-lntertaininenc T . JAMES'S HALL , Lime-street . —Proprietor , livo . S . Hague , " special Artistes and Programme . _^__„_ C TRIX'S ] WiiMam Uiown-slicel . —Holdcu ' s Comic Manui ' kins , with Pantomime ot " l'lue lieanl . "

"" VrRW STAR MUSH' . HALL , Williamsvin-savvare . —Manaser , *» Bro . Saundcts . OpcrA , and Special Miscellaneous Attractions . -fVrEWSOME ' . S CIRCUS , Whiteih .-ijcl . — Proprielnr , Mr . i-M James Newsome . Special Equestrian and Gymnastic Entertainment .

ROTUNDA THEATRE and MUSIC 11 ALL—Proprietor , Mr ; ) D . Granncll . Christmas Pantomime , " Babes in the Wood , ' aud Miscellaneous Entertainments , UEKN'S HALL , Hold-street . —Lamb ' s Royai Diorama oi Scotland , with tlie Original Scottish Minstrels . ELLINGTON HALf . TcTmde >> slrect ' . — . 13 rft " oTry * s * JJhTrama of Ireland and Irish Minstrels .

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TheFreemason, SATURDAY , MARCH 8 , 1873 .

Innovations In Masonry.

INNOVATIONS IN MASONRY .

There is a well-known maxim of the law , which says " Omnis in / wrath plus nuvitate pert 11 rlat quant utilitale prodesl , " that is , every

innovation occasions more harm and disarrangement b ) its novelty than benefit by its actual utility This maxim is peculiarly applicable to Free masonry , whose system is opposed to all iunova

Innovations In Masonry.

tions . Thus Dr . Dalcho says , in his Ahiman Rezon , ( p . 191 , ) " * Antiquity is dear to a Mason ' s heart . Innovation is treason , and saps the venerable fabric of the Order . " In accordance with

this sentiment , wc lind the installation charges of the Master of a lodge affirming that " it is not in the power of any man or body of men to make innovations in the body of Masonry . "

By the "body of Masonry" is here meant , undoubtedly , the landmarks , which have always been declared to be unchangeable . The nonessentials , such as the local and general

regulations and the lectures , are not included in this term . The former are changing every day , accordingly as experience or caprice suggests improvement or alteration . The most

important of these changes in this country has been the abolition of the Quarterl y Communications of the Grand Lodge , and the substitution for them , except , perhaps , in a single State , of an Annual

Communication . But , after all , this is perhaps only a recurrence to first usages ; for although Anderson says that in 1717 the Quarterly Communications " were revived , " there is no evidence

extant that before that period the Masons ever met except once a year in their " General Assembly . " If so , the change in 1717 was an innovation , and not that which lias almost universally prevailed in America .

The lectures , which are but the commentaries on the ritual and the interpretation of the symbolism , have been subjected from the time of Anderson to the present day to repeated modifications .

But , notwithstanding the repugnance of Masons to innovations , a few have occurred in the Order . Thus in the schism which took place in the middle of the iSth century , and which

resulted in the formation ot the Grand Lodge of Ancients , as they called themselves in contradistinction to thc regular Grand Lodge of England , which was styled the Grand Lodge of Modems ,

the former body , to prevent the intrusion of the latter upon their meetings , made changes in some of the modes of recognition ; changes which , although Dalcho has said that they amounted

to no more than a dispute " whether the glove should be placed first upon the right hand or on the left , " ( Ahim . Re / .., 193 , ) were among the causes of continuous acrimony among the two

bodies , which was only healed in 1 S 13 , by a partial sacrifice of principle on the part of the legitimate Grand Body , and have perpetuated differences which still exist among the English

and American and the Continental Freemasons . But the most important innovation which sprang out of this unfortunate schism is that which is connected with the Royal Arch degree .

On this subject there have been two theories : One , that tlie Royal Arch degree ori ginally constituted a part of the Master ' s degree , and that it was dissevered from it by the Ancients ; the

other , that it never had any existence until it was invented by Ramsay , and adopted by Dermott for his Ancient Grand Lodge . Jf the first , which is the most probable and the most generally

received opinion , be true , then the regular or Modern Grand Lodge committed an innovation in continuing the disseverance at the Union in 1813 . If the second be the true theory , then the Grand Lodge equally perpetuated , an innovation

Innovations In Masonry.

m recognising it as legal , and declaring , as it did , that Ancient Craft Masonry consists of three degrees , including the Hol y Royal Arch . " But however the innovation may have been

introduced , the Royal Arch degree has now become , so far as the York and American Rites , wellsettledy and recognised as an integral part of the Masonic system .

About the same time there was another innovation attempted in France . The adherents of the Pretender , Charles Edward , sought to give to Masonry a political bias in favour ofthe exiled

House of Stuart , and for this purpose altered the interpretation of the great legend of the third degree , so as to make it ] applicable to the execution , or , as they called it , the martyrdom , ot

Charles the First . But this attempted innovation was not successful , and the system in which this lesson was practised has ceased to exist , although

its workings are now and then seen in some of the high degrees , without , however , any manifest evil effect .

On the whole , the spirit of Freemasonry , so antagonistic to innovation , has been successfully maintained , and an investigator of the system as it prevailed in the year 1717 , and as it is

maintained at the present day , will not refrain from wonder at the little change which has been brought about by the long cycle of one hundred

and fifty years . —Dr . Mackay s " National Fret mason . "

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

The 3 ist annual festival of this Institution was held on Monday last at the Freemason ' s Tavern , under the presidency of His Royal Hi ghness the Prince of Wales , Past Grand Master . About 400 brethren , including the Stewards , attended , besides a strong gathering of ladies , altogether forming the largest number of visitors who have ever honoured a Masonic meetinsr . As it was the

first time His Royal Highness has presided at a public dinner since his illness in 1871 , the Fraternity felt his ready consent to dine with his fellow craftsmen as a compliment not frequentl y accorded by Princes to people , and the muster of brethren to welcome him was no doubt on this

account larger than it would othe rwise have been . Among the distinguished brethren who supported His Royal Highness were : The Marquess of Ripon , K . G . ; The Marquess of Hamilton ; The Marquess of Londonderry , P . G . W . ; The Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot , ' P . G . M ., Staffordshire ;

The Earl of Limerick , P . G . M ., Bristol- The Lord Methuen , P . G . M ., Wiltshire ; The Lord Skelmersdale , P . G . M ., W . Lane ; The Lord Tenterden , S . G . W . ; Lieut . Col . Lyne , P . G . M ., Monmouthshire ; Lieut . Col . Adair , P . P . G . M ., Somerset ; Rev . John Huyshe , P . G . M ., Devonshire ; R . J . Bagshaw , P . G . M ., Essex ;

Lieut . Col . Burdett , P . G . M ., Middlesex ; M . J , Mclntyre , G . Reg . ; Rev . J . E . Cox , P . G . Chaplain ; Rev . J . Simpson , P . G . Chaplain ; Rev . C . J . Martyn , P . G . Chaplain ; John Hervey , Grand Secretary ; Francis Knollvs , J . M . Clabon , P . G . D . ; Major Creaton , P . G . D . ; Benjamin Head . P . G . D . ; R . W .

Stewart , P . G . D . ; Jabez Hogg , P . G . D . ; R . W . Wheeler , P . G . D . ; C . H . Gregory , P . G . D . ; Joshua Nunn , P . G . S . B . ; Bentley

Shaw , P . G . D ., D . P . G . M ., W . Yorkshire ; C . A . Murton , J . G . D . ; Sir Albert Woods , Garter , G . D . C ; Thomas Fenn , P . A . G . D . C ; R . J . Spiers , P . G . S . B . ; E . Busher , P . G . S . B . ; George Lambert , P . P . G . W . Herts ; Sir Michael

Costa , P . G . Org . ; W . Ganz , Grand Org . ; Hyde Pullen , P . G . S . B . ; John Boyd , G . Purst . ; C A . Cottebrune , A . G . Purst . ; Joseph Smith , P . G . P . ; William Pugh , P . G . P . ; John Coutts , P . G . P . ; Frederick Binckes , Sec . Royal Masonic Institution for Boys ; R . Wentworth Little