The Grand Orient Of France And Freemasonry.

THE GRAND ORIENT OF FRANCE AND FREEMASONRY .

To the Editor < f the Scottish "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Right glad am I to find that the Grand Lodge of Ireland has spt'kcn rut so decisively on the question of the acticn of the Grand Client of France in suppressing thc

Article I . cf their Constitutions , " Belief in God . " 1 fully ngrcc with thc leaders that have lately appeared in your columns , End had I been able to attend the last Quarterly Ccmmunicalion of Grand Lodge en November 5 th , I would have tabled a motirn lo this effect : "That thc Grand Secrctaiy le instructed to communicate with thc Grand Lodges cf England and Ireland , and those in

America recognised by the Grand Lodge of Scotland , to concert joint action on this subject . " I am informed , on good authority , lhat the question will be taken up " aux scricux * at thc next quarterly meeting oi thc Grand Lodge of England in December . If the matter is not brought

up atour next Quarterly Communication by a more influential brother , I mvsclf will move a resolution in accordance with the deliverance of the Grand Lodges of England , Ireland , and America . Fraternally yours , GEO . R . HARRIOTT , I'rov . G . M . Wigton and Kirkcudbright .

To the Editor of the " Hells Journal . " Dear Sir and Brother , — In reference to a paragraph in your Journal ot the 15 th on this subject , I beg to observe that , doubtless not only will the Grand Lodges of England and Scotland , but also all ether Masonic ledges , as strongly condemn and repudiate " La Grand L'Orient dc France " for

eliminating from its constitution all reference to the Deity , as thc Grand Lodge of lie-land has resolved . In fact , the Grand Orient of France is no longer truly Masonic , but , on the contrary , a licensed infidel community—of Brarilaughism . Whilst Masonry is the exemplar of free thought , and speech , and unscctarianism , it is essentially bounded "between liberty and license by the indisputable

recognition cf Gcd nnd of His ( thc Great Architect of thc Universe ) moral government . And to quote from the Freemason of the 3 rd : "To obliterate this principle would be to un ' . cttic thc vciy foundations of morality , and religion , and society . We cannot tamper with this , nor

allow any argument to be urged against it , because it is the very ccnicr-stone of our organisation , which we accepted when we sought initiation , and which wc have agreed that it is net in the power of any man or body of men to change . " To which I beg to add from the same source

A MASONIC ODK . Almighty Sire , our Heavenly King , Before whose sacred name wc bend , Accept the praises which we sing , And . to our humble prayer attend . All hail , great Architect Divine , This universal frame is Thine .

That sacred place where Three in One . Comprised Thy comprehensive name , And where the bright meridian sun , Was soon Thy glory to proclaim . All hail , great Architect Divine , This universal frame is Thine .

On Thy Omnipotence we rest , Secure of Thy protection here , And hope hereafter to be blest , When wc have left this world of care . All hail , great Architect Divine , This universal frame is Thine .

Inspire us wilh Thy grace divine , Thy sacred law our guide shall be , To cveiy gocd our hearts incline , From every evil keep us free . All hail , great Architect Divine , This universal frame is Thine . I am , Sir , A LONDONER OF NO . 7 LOOGE .

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN ? To Ihe Editor of thc "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — 1 have received many copies of a pamphlet , called "Forewarned—Foicaimcd , a Great Mnsonic Mistake , " or some nonsense to that effect , which appears lo be an attack on the " Cosmopolitan Masonic Calendar , " of your

publisher , Bro . George Kenning . Now whence does this rubbish emanate ? Who is nt thc expense of circulating this petty attack ? Masonically it seems a very questionable proceeding , and in thc very worse taste conceivable . Probably I have said more than enough on this subject , and am ,

Yours fraternally , A PROVINCIAL . [ We have hail several copies forwarded to us and many letters on the subject . Wc advise our complaining correspondent to treat them ns we do—laugh at them . It probably amuses some weak minds , and docs the "Cosmo " no harm . —ED . ]

AN APPEAL . Ta the Editor ( if Ihe " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Will you permit me through thc valuable columns of thc Freemason to draw the attention of your

rentiers to a case that I think especially deserving of . sympathy and support . It is that of a poor widow who for several years has had many sad reverses . I ler husband , Bro . Jas . Batley , formerly a chemist ofthe Triangle ,, Ken- ' nington , was initiated in thc Fortitudc ' -tri ' d Old Cumb ' er-

The Grand Orient Of France And Freemasonry.

land Lodge , No . 12 , on the Sth November , 1852 ; he joined the United Pilgrims Lodge , No . 507 , in March , 1854 , and served the office of W . M . in the years 1859 and i 860 . In 1862 he also served the office of Steward for thc Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . It has been proposed that a sum of £ 50 should be collected to enable the widow to continue a small business , that bids fair to succeed , but is

declining solely for want of means , failing which , she would soon be without a home , and in want ; it is hoped the brethren will prevent this by sending their subscriptions , however small , to the undermentioned . Subscriptions will be thankfully received by the following

brethren . Bro . S . M . Gardner , P . M . 1381 , Kennington Cross . Bro . T . P . Innous , 17 , Beaufort-street , Chelsea , S . W . Bro . W . H . Pannell , 180 , No . 1 , Guildhall Chambers . The Proprietor of the Freemason , 19 8 , Fleet-street , E . C . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , T . P . INNOUS .

A FEMININE REVOLUTION . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Are you aware that we arc on the eve of a great social revolution ? Though as a Freemason you will naturally be a lover of order , and an opponent so violent change , yet I write to-day to ask your sympathy on behalf

of a great movement ' . You may be aware , or you may not , that for some time past there has been growing among my Hebrew sisters , a mighty sense of wrong . We have for some time past been organizing a resistance lo the present practice of female isolation in our synagogues , whereby wc arc confined to the galleries . A facetious bro'her , ' who shall be nameless , says that as

we are in the galleries , he does not see what we " gals " have to complain eif , but on so serious a subject chaff is not only very unbecoming but is beside the question . We object to be considered any longer as an " inferior creation ;" we decline to tc told that we have " no souls ; " we refuse to be considered r . ot equal to the men in all lhat pertains to intellect , ceo , and to be located cither in latticed or open galleries ,

" As if ice were thc parrots not they . " Our co-religionist paper , the lichen- Leader of America , has these words : — "The Jewesses who attend Synagogue in London have turned the tables on Dr . Adler , and are now railing him in on the gallery question . Tlie introduction of pews in our reform places of worship , at least settles that matter . " We hope , therefore , that the reform we advocate will

speedily be conceded by our "Lords of the Creation . No doubt in the Temple the women had places set apart for them , and were separated from the men , but is it necessary now to adhere to that state cf things ? The Christians in their earliest places of worship separated the men from the women , following the Jewish tradition , but that arrangement has happily died out , and is only now to be seen here and there , as a matter of archaeological curiositv ,

or ritualistic innovation . I trust that you will give m ? a corner in your columns and permit me to advocate , not Ihe cause of " oppressed nalionaltics , " but of gallericd Jewish women , and believe mc , yours sisterly always , SUSANNAH .

GRUMBLING . To the Editor if lite " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I saw in your contemporary , thc Times , the following paragraph under " War Prices , " which amused and astonished mc not a little . " Viator" writes , under date Hotel Brofft , Buchircst ,

Nov . 12 : — " For the information of British travellers who may be passing this way 1 beg to enclose the original of a bill for a breakfast for two persons . We had some cavaiie , mayonaise of Danube fish , a beefsteak , some fruit , anil a bottle of wine ; one of us had a taste of liqueur . The amount of the little bill is 42 L 23 c . 1 may add that the market price of provisions is scarcely more

than in time of peace . " The following is the bill : — Caviare , 7 L ; mayonaise , . if . ; chateau-aux-truffe , jf . ; pain , if . 50 c ; liqueur , if . 23 c ; fromagc , 2 f . ; fruit , 3 L 50 c . ; ccuf , 2 f . ; Lconvillc , ibf . —42 L 23 c . Now I make hold to say , dear Sir and Brother , that such a complaint from any one is simply ridiculous , and that it is still more absurd , begging pardon of the Times

to publish it , for the " addition , " as the French term it , is after all , very moderate . " Viator" and his friend , ( male or female , deponent knoweth not ) , order a most expensive breakfast , and then grumble at the bill , not at all an unusual occurrence . Caviare is a luxmy , a mayonaise is a luxury , beefsteak is a luxury , truffe is a luxury , fruit is a luxury , while 16 francs for a bottle of Leoville is clearly

a luxury ai * o . Even with the cheese and eggs and liqueur the breakfast is as expensive a breakfast as well can be , and 42 francs 23 centimes is by no means too much under ' the circumstances for two " portions . " Wc note " Viator " says nothing about the inevitable " cafc-an-lait , " which 1 presume he does not think it necessary to mention . Now cvtry brother who has been abroad will agree with

me , that you can get , at Palis for instance , even in the dearest cafes , the besl of breakfasts for four francs , supposing , of course , that you are content with an Englishman ' s breakfast , But if people will ape foreign habits , to which they are not accustomed , and have caviare , mayonaise , chateau-aux-truffes , cheese , fruit , liqueur , and

Leoville at lb francs , the best thing they can do is , having eaten and , let us trust , digested their breakfasts , to pay up manfully without regret , and above all , without grumbling . War prices , indeed , my dear Sir and Brother ! Let us have no more of such nonsense , and oblige , . Yours fraternally , " . ' . ' ' ,. A TRAVELLING MAN .

The British Orphan Asylum.

THE BRITISH ORPHAN ASYLUM .

To Thc Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , Will you kindly allow me to trespass on your space in order to bring before your readers the claims of the above charity on their support . The asylum was established in 1 S 27 for the gratuitous maintenance and

education of orphans of both sexes , and of all denominatons , whose parents onre moved in prosperity , and lived in any part of the British empire . The number of children at present in the establishment is over 200 ; they arc the sons and daughters of clergymen , naval and military officers , solicitors , merchants , & c . The education imparted is of a practical Christian character , and many pupils have been

enabled to regain thc position onco occupied by their parents . The present being the jubilee year of the institution , an effort is being made to raise a jubilee fund to enable the Board of Directors to enlarge their sphere of usefulness , and I am endeavouring to obtain a hundred guineas to add to this fund at the annual meeting in January next . I have a special reason for making this effort . My brother ,

William Charles Cooper , died on Whit-Monday last year , after a severe and protracted illness , the result of the exposure to which he was subjected when serving and benefitting his fellow-countrymen as a reporter in many parts of thc kingdom . He left a widow and five children , thc eldest only nine years old , entirely unprovided for , his illness having absorbed all

his means . My sister-in-law is doing her best to provide for herself and little ones by lodging letting , but , as you can easily imagine , finds the care and other accompaniments of so large a family a serious drawback to her success . With a view , therefore , of assisting in thc removal of this obstacle , a brother Mason who knew my brother , and who is well-known for his Christian liberality in such

cises , lias noni'iialed my brothers eldest child , Catherine Jane Cooper , as a candidate for admission in the abovenamed asvlum . After two elections we find tbat wc shall require at least four hundred more votes than we can hope to obtain by canvassing 10 secure her election at Christmas ; but if I can succeed in filling my subscription list of one hundred guineas , I shall be entitled under one of the

ruk-s ( thc 47 th ) to the required number of votes on that occasion only . It is on this account that I appeal to my br . thcr Masons , which I am sure will be readily accorded , for the care of the widow and fatherless , is one of our chief objects in bonding ourselves together . It is especially desirable tbat my ncice should be successful at the forth-coming election , as my aged mother , by whom

necessarily the greater part of the canvass has been conducted , is unable t > continue it , on account of failing health and sight . Many of us have recently been attending thanksgiving services for the bounteous harvest with which we have been favoured , and for preservation from

the horrors of a war into which it at one time seemed probable we might drift . Is it possible to conceive of a better way in which to show our gratitude to the Father of the Fatherless and the Husband of the Widow :, than by doing our best to provide for those who are left desolate by the hand of death ?

I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , E . SEYMOUR COOPER . 7 , Garrick-strcct , Covent Garden , W . C . November , 28 th , 1877 . Thc following subscriptions have been already received or promised : — £ » d

J . Tattersall , Esq ., Stoke Newington ... ... 2 12 6 E . Seymour Cooper ... ... ... ... 2 12 6 A Friend , Warwick ... ... ... ... 220 Miss Ellen Cooper ... ... ... ... I 1 o Mrs . Catherine Cooper , Bedford ... ... 1 1 o Mr . I ! . C . Cooper , ditto 1 1 o Messrs . Mclntyre , London ... ... ... 1 I o

G . C . Young , Esq ., ditto 110 J . Atkins , Esq ., Bedford 1 I o The Loyal Bruce Castle Lodge of Oddfellows , Tottenham ... ... ... ... ... 1 I O C . Umncy , Esq ., London ... ... ... 1 I o Mr . George Powlson , Warrington ... ... 1 I o Messrs . Unwin Bros ., London ... ... ... 1 1 o Mrs , Burt , Edgbaston , Birmingham 1 1 o

Mr . R . E . Cooper , Ilenley-in-Aiden ... ... o 10 6 Mrs . Orman , Bedford ... ... ... ... o 10 6 * George Hurst , Esq ., J . P . Bedford . - .. ... o 10 6 James Wyatt , Esq ., Bedford ... .. ; ... o 10 6 F . Trapp , Es- ; ., Bedford ... o 10 6 Bro . R . H . Coombes , Bedford ,.. 0106 Bro . Magnus Ohren , and thc employes of the Crystal Palace Gas Company ( for whom my brother lately acted as collector ) ... ... 3 13 O

The Monde Maconnique.

THE MONDE MACONNIQUE .

{ Communique . ) In a recent number of thc Monde Maconnique we find some remarks in respect of the Freemason , which are distinguished by that same want of courtesy and right feeling , which we feel bound to observe has characterised all the

remarks of Bros . Caubet and Grimaux , since the controversy arose about that regrettable agitation which has culminated in ihe last vote of the Grand Orient of France . But neither our dignity nor our Masonic principles permit us to indulge in rowdy language , in the utterance of childish intimidation or bullying , and therefore we pass over this second " be ' tisc , " with thc same contempt as we did a former one .

But as our Brethren Grimaux and Caubet are apparently very ignorant on certain topics , we think it our duty as good ami charitable Freemasons to enlig hten them , and we trust they will truly profit by o . ur forg iving explanations , and make an " amende honourable . " 1 . Bro . Kenning has nothing to do with the . literary articles of the Freemason . Though its spirited publisher an "