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PROVINCIAL GRAND CHAPTER OF ROYAL ARCH MASONS OF SURREY . THE M . E . COMPANION GENERAL STUDHOLME BROWNRIGG , C . B ., Provincial Grand Superintendent . Notice is hereby given , that a Provincial Grand Chapter will bc held on Saturday , Sth day of Alay , 1 SS 0 , at 12 . 30 o ' clock in the afternoon , at the Spring Hotel , Ewell , in the county of Surrey , when the Alcmbers of the Provincial Grand Chapter , and the other Companions of the Province , are requested to attend . By command of the Provincial Grand Superintendent , CHARLES GREENWOOD , P . Z . 61 , Nelson-square , Provincial G . S . E . Blackfriars-road , April 24 th , 1 SS 0 . Alorning Dress . Luncheon will take place at 2 o ' clock . Tickets for which ( price 7 s . Cd . ) may be had of the Provincial G . S . E . Companions wishing to attend the Luncheon must signify their intention by the 4 th of Alay , after which date accommodation cannot be guaranteed . Train from Waterloo , 11 . 25 ; London Bridge , 10 . 45 .

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LONDON MASONIC CHARITY ASSOCIATION—AIAY ELECTION , 1 SS 0 . —The Committee have selected the following Candidates , and request the Votes of the London Brethren on their behalf : — AGED FREEMASONS . No . iC . William John Helps . ,, 19 . Samuel Genese . ,, 24 . John Win . Claisen . WIDOWS OK FREEMASON ' S . No . 15 . E . T . Alaynard . ,, 40 . Alarianne Rigby . „ 41 . Harriet Palmer . ,, 4 * Sarah White . „ * j . Elizabeth AL A . Child . ,, 24 . Rebecca Alartin . ,, 37 . Louisa E . Chandler . * Two Candidates of thc same name . Proxies to be sent to Bro . A . T 1 SLEY , Hon . Secretary , L . M . C . A ., No . 1 , Clifford's Inn , Fleet-street , London , E . C .

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ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION . —SECOND APPLICATION . —AIAY ELECTION , 1 SS 0 . —Your Votes and Interest are earnestly solicited on behalf of BRO . GEORGE ELLIOTT , ( Now of 91 , Kent Street , Grimsby ) , aged 70 years , who was initiated in Lodge No . 248 ( formerly 309 ) , at Brixham , in the year 184 * ) , and subscribed to it for the last 32 years . He vvas formerly a fisherman , but had the misfortune to lose his vessel in 1865 , since which time , owing to failing sight , rheumatism , etc ., he could do very little for the support of himself and family , and has been unable to make any provision for declining years . This case is strongly recommended .

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TO OUR READERS . THK FKEEMASIIN is published every Friday morning , price 3 d ., and contains the fullest and latest information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . . Subscriptions , including Postage : — United Kin s dom . C ^ f ^ t , InUta C ^ A ^ u nent , ccc . * 13 s . 15 s . 6 d . 17 s . 6 d . Remittances may be made in Stamps , but Post Otlice Orders or Cheques are preferred , the former payable to OKOIU ' E KESMNC , Chief Olfice , London , the latter crossed London Joint Stock Han .

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ifo ( Korrcspoittratts . W . AL—Write to the Secretary of the lodge . BOOKS , & c , RECEIVED . "The Alasonic Herald , " "Bengal Freemason's Diary for 1 SS 0 , " "Hull Packet , " "The Citizen , " " 'The Jewish Chronicle , " "'The Brighton Guardian , " "The Alasonic Review , " " 'Time , " "Keystone , " "Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of the Commonwealth of Alussachtisetts , " "The Egyptian Gazette , " " Voice of Alasonry , " "El Taller , " "Der Long lslaender , " "Croydon Guardian , " " Daily Exchange , " and " The Alasonic Age . "

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THE FREEMASON .

SATURDAY , MAY , I ISSO .

THE letter of our distinguished brotlier , the Grand Treasurer , in our last impression , is a very serious one indeed to appear in a Masonic paper , but we know wc arc expressing the universal feelings of our readers when we say that our most hearty

sympathies accompany the Grand Treasurer in respect of his unselfish nnd untiring efforts to promote the present and future welfare of the Girls' Scliool . Any deprecatory remarks or defamatory statements will be scouted by tlie many intelligent and upright members of our Masonic fraternity .

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As some recent remarks of ours anent " mileage expenses" seem to have annoyed some of our good American friends , we hasten to explain them . It is true that collectively American Masonry does not appear to do as much as English Masonry for

Masonic charity , and more is spent in expenses of meetings of the Grand Lodge than is spent in England . But personally and privately the American lodges probably do more than English lodges for special cases and prevailing needs , and

the aggregate of all such local and individual efforts is very large indeed . We also must bear in mind that the distances in America are very great , and that probably , were no allowances made ,

none but rich men could be members of the various Grand Lodges . We must always make a Masonic allowance for difference of position , and the exigencies of the case .

* * THOUGH the result of the last Girls' School Festival has been most striking and thorough , and we hope the returns of the next Boys' School gathering will bc equally satisfactory , we think it right to

exp ress the hope that many brethren , as well as lodges and chapters , will now bestir themselves to help thc Charities . It seems somewhat unfair to leave a minority , year by year , to bear over and over again the burden and heat of the da }' . It is never too late to mend our ways , or to seek to do well .

* * WE think it right specially to call thc attention of our brethren to the fact , highly creditable lo the Boys' School , that out of eleven candidates sent up

to the recent Cambridge Local Examination ten passed , of whom three were in the first class , three were in the second class , and four were in

the third class . VVe congratulate the authorities and Bro . Dr . Morris on this most satisfactory condition of affairs , evincing , as it does , careful tuition and effective preparation .

* * WE note , and we ask our readers to do so , the letter of the Editor of thc " Masonic Magazine , " and we trust that his aspirations and thc efforts of our Publisher may bc alike realized and rewarded .

* * Ur to thc present Bro . BINCKES , wcare informed , has received thc names of 230 Stewards for the Boys' School Festival . No doubt before the lime arrives this number will bc materiall y

increased . Wc trust , as wc doubt not , that wc shall be able to report most successful returns b y the Stewards to this most valuable Institution , whose claims are very great both on thc sympath y and liberality of thc Craft .

* * * IT will be seen thc London Masonic Charity Association has several cases at the elections in May . Wc have no doubt but that the London members

of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution will aid the Association in its laudable efforts to befriend the poor and helpless , and advance the cause of thc widow .

* * WE arc informed that thc article on Belzoni ' s discoveries , accompanied b y a coloured illustration , which will appear in the June number of the

"Masonic Magazine , ' and for which orders had better be sent at once , is of a very curious and interesting nature , and raises questions equall y difficult as important as regards the ancient position and history of Freemasonry in the East .

* * THE meetings of the " National Grand Priory " will take place at the City Terminus Hotel , Cannon-street , on Friday , the 14 th inst ., at 3 . 30 p . m ., as will be seen by a circular forwarded to us , which wc print elsewhere .

* * * WE call attention elsewhere to a paper— " Notes on our English Ritual "—as worth y of perusal .

The purel y archaeological manner in which the subjeel is so carefully treated removes il happil y from the heated arena of idle personalities or un-Masonic revelations .

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BY a mistake the name of "the Rev . Pickering " was substituted for that of our esteemed Bro . H . A . Pickard , P . G . C , in the list of Stewards for thc last Grand Festival .

WE print in another column the agenda paper of the next Quarterly Convocation of the Supreme Grand , Chapter . The steady advance of Royal

Arch Masonry is evidenced b y the fact that petitions have been presented for five new chapters , all of which the Committee recommend to be granted .

* * THE appointments to Grand office b y the Most Worshipful Grand Master appear to have given great satisfaction . The Masonic services of the new Grand Officers will be given in thc next number of the Freemason .

* * THE very Rev . Dean PURKV-CUST having left thc Province and resigned the office of Deputy Prov . Grand Master , the Right Worshipful Prov . Grand

Master , Sir DANIEL GOOCH , Bart ., M . P ., has appointed thc V . W . thc Rev . J . STUDHOLME BROWNRIGG to bc Deputy Prov . Grand Master , in the room of Dean PUREY-CUST resigned .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ We ilo not hold ourselves responsihlc for , or even .-ipprovini' of , the opinions exprcsscil by our correspondents , hut wc- wish in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . ]

ITINERANT MASONS . To the Editor of thc" Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — The enormous number of itinerant Alasons who disfigure and disgrace our noble Craft , confessedly the richest in the world , is a subject that demands thc most anxious consideration of every true brother . The statistics

given in the report of our East Lancashire brethren , and published in your issue of the 3 rd ult ., show that " ' Almoners' investigated eighty-four cases during 1879 . Of these thirteen only were relieved—seventy-one were itinerant Alasons . " Now the hare fact that in one place alone where investigation was instituted , only thirteen out of a total of

eightyfour were found worthy , points strongly to the necessity for reform . These attempts at imposture may be attributed to a great extent to the easy don't-care system of relief indulged in by some of the Almoners . But I am of opinion that the fault is traceable in a much larger degree to the fact that W . M . ' s are , for the most part , ' indifferent to the task of looking more after tin ' s matter . Ofttimes a mere

list of names is laid before the lodge , with the amount each applicant has received , and " passed" with no comment . 'The Mason who votes away the funds of his lodge should certainly know why he does it . Yet , notwithstanding , I am persuaded these reports get " passed " simply because a brother or brethren do not wish to be charged with uncharitableness . The remedy for this state of things of

course is , the "Almoners " should make themselves fully acquainted with the antecedents of the applicant before doing much for him . But the question arises- how may this bc done ? In your issue of Oth September , 18 70 ,, at p . 350 , column three , may be seen a scheme which would amply serve the purpose . Those who object to this plan may try the following;—Each applicant for relief ( stranger ) might lie requested

to deposit his certificate with the brother applied to . Should he object to this , let him be shown the door , for rest assured there is something wrong in the applicant who does not even court enquiry . When credentials have been deposited let applicant bc supplied with subsistence during time his case is being thoroughly looked into , and if he prove to be a worthy brother , let him be treated as such ,

and employment found for him . You will lind little trouble in the latter , because he will willingly work at anything , knowing as he does that nothing is to be considered menial to the rightly constituted mind . But you ask—do you suppose vve are to keep him till he has employment ? To which 1 answer most emphatically , Yes ! If he be a worthy brother you arc bound to do so . Yet 1 would relieve you

b y assuring you that neither jour money , time , nor trouble will be lost to you . His honour assuredly will compel him to return your money as soon as he is able , nor will he cease to labour for you , it may be silently , yet nevertheless he will return you a hundredfold for the good services you may render him . Nor must you expect to see the good he may do you , because a good man does not proclaim

himself from the house-top . Again , your own conscience will be a sweet reward , and , so longas you may know him after this , though he should rise to great power , your presence and pleasant welcome will be as sunshine to his path . And now for the itinerant . So soon as you find one stamp him out by an entry on the face of his certificate . Of course I am supposing that no application be entertained

when this important document is wanting , for no one can be justified in giving relief to the nominal Alason , the reason being too obvious to need thc slightest explanation . In conclusion 1 may add that experience proves to me beyond all doubt that what 1 ask may be done is quite

capable of being put into practice by the poorest and most isolated of our lodges . The expense need not be borne from the lodge ' s funds . Brethren may at all times be found who would willingly give their quota . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , 22 nd April . BRIGHTON .