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IMPORTANT NOTICE . COLONIAL and FOREIGN SUBSCRIBERS are informed that acknowledgments of remittances ^ jjeived are published in the first number of everyroopth .

It is very ^ ftscessary for our readers to advise us of all money ordersTfesf-rirrut ^ more especially those from the United States of AmeTfeaand India ; otherwise we cannot tell where to credit them .

REMITTANCES RECEIVED . . rbbott , R ., Australia ( P . O . O . ) £ 0 12 o Adams , G ., Canada ( P . O . O . ) 1 4 o Alexander , J ., Trinidad ( Draft ) 1 6 o Allen , A ., China ( P . O . O . ) ... o 10 o Bailey , B . U . S . A . ( P . O . O . ) 012 o Baker , W ., China ( Draft ) 1 6 6 Barners . T ., Thc Cape ( Cash ) 090 Bennett , D ., India ( Cash ) 1 4 o Brown , II ., Africa ( Cash ) 0120 Clark , S . B ., Germany ( Cash ) 049 Dawson , F .. U . S . A . ( Draft ) o 8 6

Elliott , R . The Cape ( P . O . O . ) o 12 o Evans , J ., India ( P . O . O . ) 01 ; 4 Holmes , J . G ., Malta ( Cash ) 13 3 6 Jackson , F ., U . S . A . ( P . O . O . ) 012 3 [ ones , W ., Canada ( P . O . O . ) 1 4 o Kerr , R ., India ( P . O . O . ) 012 o Morris , A ., U . S . A . ( P . O . O . ) 3 o o Rankin , R . A ., Queensland ( P . O . O . ) o 10 o Saure , Dr ., Germany ( Cash ) ;; 16 o Wetherill , II ., Constantinople ( P . O . O . ) 1 7 o

To Our Readers.

TO OUR READERS .

NEW POSTAL RATES . Owing to a reduction in the Postal Rates , the publisher is now enabled to send thc " Freemason " to the following parts abroad for One Year for Twelve Shillings ( payable in advance ) : —Africa , Australia , Bombay , Canada , Cape of Good Hope , Ceylon , China , Constantinople , Demerara , France , Germany , Gibraltar , Jamaica , Malta , Newfoundland , New South Wales , New Zealand , Suez , Trinidad , United States of Ameiica . & c .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

All Co mmuntcations , Advertisements , & c , intended for insertion in thc Number of the fc :. " owing Saturday , must reach the Office not later thar . 12 o ' clock on Wednesday morning . We have , owing to the pressure on our increased columns of the Bo \ s' School Festival , and the Correspondence to ask the forbearance of many most esteemed

contributors . The following reports and communications stand over 1 Provincial Grand Lodge of Worcestershire ; Lodge True Friendship , 160 ; Florence Nightingale , 706 ; Consecration of the Cydwacn Lodge , 1 394 ; Masonic Ceremony at Woolwich ; Ninth Wales Charitable Association ; Staffordshire Masonic Charitable Association ; St . John ' s Day in Belfast .

BOOKS , PAPERS , AND MUSIC RECEIVED . " New York Square , " " Philadelphia Keystone , " " Bulletin du G . Orient , " "Act and Part on thc Square , " written by Bro . F . Lancelot . " Musical Budget , " No . 6 . TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS . Twelve Errata appear in the specimen of the " Masonic Cyclnrccdia" in Masonic Magazine for July . See recorrected sp : cimcn in August number of the Magazine .

Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

[ The charge is 2 s . 6 d . for announcements , not exceeding four lines , under this heading . ]

BIItTHS . AiiiUM . —On the 22111 I ult ., at St . Leoiiards-on-Sea , the wife ot J . Abram , Mus . Doc , of adaughter . BAIITON . —On the 22 nd ult ., at Shirley , near Southampton , the wife of A . P . Barton , Esq ., of a son . GA 1111 A 111 ) . —On thc 20 th ult ., at Harrowgatc-road , South Hackney , the wife of E . W . Garrard , of a son .

MARRIAGES . HUAITHWAITK-CHU IIKSTF . H . —On the 22 nd ult ., at Wotton , Surrey , Reginald , son of 1 . Braithwaite , of Gloucestersquare , Hyde Park , to Adelaide Catherine Anne , daughter of the Rev . G . V . Chichester , M . A . L ' OWIE-WATSON . —On the 22 nd ult ., at All Souls' , Langhnm-place , Charles Morgan Cowie , Esq ., M . A ., to Rose , daughter of the late R . L . Watson , Esq .

DEATHS . ADDISON . —On thc 24 th ult ., at Albion-street , Hyde Park , Henry Robert Addison , aged 71 . BAII . Y . —On the 24 th ult ., at Standon , near Ock ley

Surrey , William Baily , Esq ., in his 70 th year . MOXON , H . —On the 20 th ult ., Bro . Henry Moxon , aged 3 8 . TALBOT . —On the ir / . h ult ., Bro . T . M . Talbot , R . W . Prov . Grand Master for Sonth Wales , aged 37 .

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TheFreemason, r SATURDAY , J ULY I , 1876 .

Masonry Too Expensive.

MASONRY TOO EXPENSIVE .

In a newspaper account of the meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Lincolnshire ( not the Grand Lodge of Lincolnshire , 3 S __ some of the provincial papers like to call it ) our TCry ~ aTStiaguished Bro . the Duke of St . Alban ' s , the P . G . MT ~ of ~ 4 batzealous province , is

represented as saying that hew ^ S-- § Qrnewhat afraid the annual appeals for our charitiesrm ^ iS end in making Freemasonry " too expensive . " As we do not find that remark in the official account published in our columns last week , wc fancy that His Grace ' s words have been

misquoted or misunderstood . It is quite clear to all who have studied the subject of our charities , that so far from our annual appeals lessening , they must increase with the rapid augmentation of the numbers and the wants of the Order . Whether anything can be done to remed y a

growing evil in this respect is another and a very different matter , but that our charities will require large and liberal support from the Craft for years to come , is as certain as that they themselves are a noble monument in themselves to the sacrifices and warmheartedness of Freemasons . Indeed , wereFreemasonry evertobe reduced

to the position of a great benefit order , or of an association , mainly distinguished by the social gathering and outward adornment , it would soon lose the support of its most earnest and intelligent members , sink in public opinion , and finally fade away from this bustling and busy scene

of human life . Its use would be at an end , its value would have passed away ; and amidst its idle gatherings for pleasure or for show , and on its temples still kept to tell of other days , of better work , and higher aims , the word "Ichabod " would be distinctly legible . For

Freemasonry is something higher and better to us all than a mere aggregation of good fellows , a mere social club , a mere beneficial society . It comes to us all , we think , with higher claims , and asserts before us all graver responsibilities . It has a mission , and that mission is to inculcate

among men a pure morality , conjoined with principles of universal toleration , liberty of conscience , and freedom of belief , and above all the practice of Masonic and general benevolence . Our Masonic charities have naturally the first claim upon us , inasmuch as they well represent

the active principles of Masonic beneficence . But such charities cannot be maintained for nothing , neither would it be well for us that they should . It is an old saying , and true as old , that " nothing is worth much for which we will not make some sacrifices ; " and if our Freemasonry is a

real thing to iv-, if we believe in it , if we value it at its proper worth , it will not appeal to us in vain for the warm support and the liberal contribution . That Freemasonry may become too expensive on account of its annual donations to its own great charities we do not believe , but

we think we understand what the Duke of St . Alban ' s means , if he used the expression , namely , that the various Masonic payments may make Freemasonry too expensive unless carefully watched over . But Freemasons have this portion of the question in their own

hands . That we may reduce our lodge expenses and banquet expenses is possible and probable , but we do not see how we can , or why we should lessen our contributions to Masonic charity . And even as regards this " moot point " of lodge expenses , much may be said on both

sides of the question , and we are not prepared ollhand to admit that much could be gained by a reduction of the social expenses of the metropolitan and some other lodges . For the London brethren may fairly say this : " You condemn our system as too expensive , but we surely are

the best judges of what suits the meridian of London , and under this very depreciated system we have made , year by year , goodly efforts for our great charities . " For many years , at any rate , the main burden of supporting our charities fell upon the London brethren , as wo must all fairly concede , and though a noble provincial

Masonry Too Expensive.

movement , inaugurated by West Yorkshire , in support of the Metropolitan Institution set in about i 860—16 years ago , even to this hour the returns show how well the London lodges are doing their duty by the charities . We , therefore , doubt much the contention that Masonry is

becoming either too expensive per se , and we greatly deprecate any such idea as regards our Metropolitan cl srities , and the necessary claims they have and make upon us all . Lodge expenses must be settled by the various lodges themselves , and so far from it being advisable

in any sense , to lower the cost of Freemasonry , our impression and belief are strongly that , if anything its fees of admission , & c , ought to be raefeasetLWe are giving too much , too cheaply ! The Boys ^ c ^ ooLespecially , for years to come , must demand largesu ^ sidfesjj ^ rn our brethren ,

both in town and . the provinces . ft—feas-nc funded capital , and though Mr . Gladstone is not favourable to " endowments , " we fancy that both the Committee ! and Bro . Binckes would be very glad if they could announce the replacement of the old endowment of the Bovs '

School , spent as we hold quite properly , in building the Boys' School of the future . When these lines meet the eyes of our readers the Boys ' School Anniversary Festival for 1876 will be over , and we trust that the Committee and Bro . Binckes will be supported and cheered by an agreeable

return for this most important and well conducted charity of our Order . It is no little credit to our English brotherhood that they are raising at three percent , very nearly the interest of a million of money , generally , towards the liberal maintainance and wants of their great metropolitan and educational Benevolent Institutions .

Masonic Amenities.

MASONIC AMENITIES .

It is a very pleasant thing to be praised and patted on the back , and commended and encouraged to proceed in the way wherein we ought to go . It is often very welcome for the toiling and the struggling to receive the friendly word of encouragement , and the kindly assurance of

sympathy . Many of us can recall tones and voices now past and hushed , which sounded very pleasantly in our ears as we began to climb the rough hill of life , and we all of us " can do , " as the saying is , with as much as you like of sincere interest . But such is not always our

lot . Hard words , and cold words , and scant sympathy , and unfriendly criticism are too often our lot in life , and though we have to submit to them , and outlive them , they are often at the time somewhat difficult of endurance and appreciation by us all . But this is the way of the

world , and we shall not find its counterpart in Freemasonry . Shall we not ? Let us see . We fear very much that Freemasonry still has within its system , like all other systems of earth , a lurking taint of unreality and insincerity . Yes , it is humiliating at times to note how the

littlenesses ot earth crop up , even "in Freemasonry . The jealousy of success , the intolerance of superiority , the rivalry of trade , the competition of business , the animus of the self-seeking , and the pert vulgarity of the narrowminded , too often exhibit themselves amongst us in those "Masonic

amenities , as we term them , which are such a stumbling-block in the way of Freemasonry , such a reilection on Freemasonry itself . And though the forms such Masonic amenities assume are various and variable , they yet are easily discernible by the watchful eye of the

intelligent F ' reemason . We see them to-day amongst us in numberless instances of lodge life , and Masonic progress . If people wonder that it should be so , if Freemasons complain of the existence of such an anomaly in our Masonic profession , the answer is plain , " Nous sommes

tons mortels still , and Freemasons are not , and never will be , exempt here from the passions and frailties of humanity . But yet , an objector might say , " Surely Freemasonry always sets forth the duties of self restraint and forbearance , the

importance or self discipline , and the great need and the greater benefit of a considerate and conciliatory spirit . " "So it does , my dear sir , " the respondent would reply , " but Freemasonry , like everything else , has many vm-Masonic members , those whose theory may be right but whose