Correspondence.

Correspondence .

V / e do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limitsfree discussion .

THE REMOVAL OF THE BOYS' SCHOOL . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Owing to the short week , it was impossible for me to reply to your leader ( contained in the Freemason of the 19 th inst . ) in the issue following its publication .

It is , I presume , in the interests of the Craft , necessary for you to express your opinion on the vexed question of the removal of the Boys' School , but , in doing this , it is also necessary that you should deal with the facts as they stand , rather than theorise .

You state that it is no good trying to " retrieve the irretrievable . " In reply , I ask you to favour your readers with the name of any individual subscriber , other than the Committee of Management , who has asked for the extension or removal of the present building . You also say that the history of the School has been a " series of alterations

and additions . This is so ; but the alterations and additions have given the necessary accommodation for the increased number of boys , therefore , there has been no waste of money in connection with the expenditure . It is impossible to believe that any business man would consider it an economical policy to sacrifice existing buildings to the value of nearly ^ 100 , 000 to obtain new premises to carry on his business .

The Investigation Committee was appointed bee ause , owing to the system of management then prevailing , the School and scholars had lost the tone which should be evident in a school properly governed , but there was no definite statement that there was any illness or poor condition of health caused by the School being on a clay soil .

I claim that it is unfair to advocate the removal of the School on the ground of its being unhealthy , if this cannot be supported by actual proofs ; f therefore challenge the Committee of Management to produce the medical officers' book for the past five years , and to give the number of lads requiring attention during that period .

The total area is given as about 20 acres not the " 13 or 14 " spoken of in your article , and there is quite sufficient playground accommodation for the lads ' daily use . This , too , can be supplemented if necessary , by a field to be obtained at a small cost quite close to the present School . With regard to your remarks about A and B and their respective houses , I maintain that there is no parallel , because if B prefers a larger house than C , he pays for such additional comfort out of his own pocket , and does not obtain his luxuries by the aid of contributions from the charitably disposed .

The bulk of the subscribers are by no means wealthy , but freely give , from their slender incomes , their donations to support the sons of worthy Masons , and to enable these lads to start their fight with the world , equipped with the advantage of a fair and sound education . Therefore , I hold that these donations should be entrusted to sound practical men , and not to a group of faddists who are willing to sacrifice a capital of nearly . £ 100 , 000 to enable a few more lads to receive these benefits .

I further maintain that the Committee broke faith with the Subscribers in pledging themselves to purchase the land at Bushey without first discussing the question of the removal , and the locality suitable for a future School . Let me warn the Committee that there is a very strong feeling amongst the most liberal supporters of the School , that this removal is unwarranted , and that these brethren will not support a scheme , or even the Institution , when so large a sacrifice of good money is made .

In my former letter I did not seek to compare the benefits of the Mark Benevolent Fund with the undoubted large work carried on by the two main Institutions , but I suggested that a considerable number of lads might be educated on the same system to the advantage of the scholar and the existing School . In conclusion , let me further point out that Masonry is severely taxed at present to maintain the various Institutions , of which we are reasonably proud , but there must arrive a period when our contributions will reach the limit !

Kindly accept my thanks for having allowed me to ventilate the question in your columns . —Yours fraternally , December 27 th , 1896 . C .

GUY'S HOSPITAL ENDOWMENT . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , The appeal of the respected joint Treasurers—Bro , Sir Joseph Dimsdale , P . G . Treas ., and Bro . C . E . Keyser , P . G . D . —will be before the various lodges for support . It would be beneficial for the cause if you would kindly publish the result of the investigations made by me since September , 1 . S 05 .

I attended frequently that Hospital since that date for the purpose of ascertaining how many Freemasons receive the benefit of that Institution , and the following is the result :

18 95 October ... 5 Freemasons ... 4 Wives of Freemasons . „ November ... 4 „ ... - > „ December ... 6 „ ... 6 1896 January ... 5 „ ... 6 ' „ "

„ February ... 9 „ ... 4 „ „ March ... 6 „ ... 5 It was impossible to obtain information from the children , most of them are too young to understand the meaning of the inquiry . —I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally ,

MAURICE SPIEGEL , P . M ., P . Z .-London , December 22 nd , 1896 .

A QUERY . To the Editor of ihe " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Will you kindly give us a small space to ask for an expression of opinion on Rule 191 of the Book of Constitutions , for the information of the

many brethren who are under a misapprehension as to ils meaning . Whether under this rule a brother who has resigned membership of his mother lodge can again tejoin his lodge without being further proposed , seconded , and balloted for , and without complying with Rule 18 9 . Rule : 18 9 , we take it , strictly refers to a brother joining another lodge .

A friendly discussion has arisen , and we contend that under Rule 191 a brother , although resigned his membership , can rejoin his mother lodge without complying with Rule 18 9 , provided there is nothing against his character .

Correspondence.

I If under Rule 191 he cannot be re-admitted and must again comply with

Rule 189 , we would suggest ( if our contention is right ) that the sooner the Rule ( 191 ) or the first part thereof is erased from the Bpok the better , as we , with many others , think the rule very misleading , although admitting if Rule 191 were solely acted upon , a brother could play fast and loose with his lodge and be always resigning and the lodge have no control over him . —We remain , yours faithfully

and fraternally , W . MULLARD , 1250 . ADAM G . WEBSTER , P . M ., P . Z . 1250 . JOHN FOWLER , P . M . 1250 . Warrington , 26 th December , 18 9 6 .

Reviews.

Reviews .

"A HISTORY OF THE LODGE OF HONOUR . "—Held at Wolverhampton . Formerly No . 7 G 9 , now No . 52 ( 3 , on the Register of the Grand Lodge of England . Principally condensed from the Minute Books . With a List of the Members of the Lodge during the whole of its existence from 1 S 46 to 1 S 96 . Compiled by Bro . Thomas Jackson Barnett , P . M ., P . P . J . G . W . Staffs . Printed and published by Bro . J . Dunbar Steen , P . M ., P . A . G . Sec . Staffs . Wolverhampton , October , 1896 . —Those who may have the pleasure of reading this interesting narrative will see no reason for doubting that the Lodge of Honour has amply justified the title which its founders selected , and which

was conferred upon it in the warrant bearing date the 25 th April , 1846 , under which it was dedicated and constituted on the 17 th August following by Bro . the Rev . Dr . H . R . Slade , Prov . G . Chap ., as Dep . P . G . Master , pro tem ., who was himself designated in the said warrant as the first W . Master . The founders were nine in number , of whom eight were present . No ceremony either of consecration or installation appears to have been performed . Bro . Dr . Slade offered up a dedicatory prayer from the centre of the lodge , and the lodge having been opened in the First Degree , he proceeded to appoint and invest the officers , Bros . B . Hicklin and F . Walton , who were so named in the warrant ,

being the S . W . and J . W . respectively . From this small and unostentatious meeting the lodge has developed into one of the strongest and most efficient in the Province of Staffordshire . It has had its ups and downs of fortune , and at how low an ebb it has been may be judged from the fact that at one of its installation meetings—that of the year 185 S , when the late Bro . A . Foster Gough , subsequently Prov . Grand Master , was inducted into the chair—only 10 brethren were present , and of these nine were visitors . But tre lce ge steadily persevered in its course , and under the auspices of such members as Bros . Foster Gough—who was re-elected to the chair in 1859 , and under whose

auspices the lodge more than doubled its strength—G . S . Tudor , and others , became as strong in respect of numbers as _ it was efficient in the discharge of its duties . Moreover , it seems to have been particularly fortunate in the class of men who were admitted to its membership , two of its initiates—Bros . Foster Gough and Tudor having been appointed to the office of Prov . G . Master , while the late Bro . the Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot , shortly after his appointment to the same office was , on the ioth November , 1871 , elected a joining member and at once appointed S . W ., and the year following was elected to the chair . Among other initiates will be found the late Rev .

Acton W . Sillitoe , Bishop of New Westminster in British Columbia , and the Earl of Mulgrave , now Marquis of Normandy , while among the joining members are included Bros . Col . Gilbert Hogg , Chief Constable of the Borough of Wolverhampton , the Rev . Jas . O . Dakeyn , who was G . Chaplain of England in 1847 and 184 S , A . Staveley Hill , O . C . Nor must we omit to mention that Bro . B . Hicklin , J . P ., one of the founders oTthe lodge , its first S . W ., and first elected W . M ., still survives and was present at the Jubilee Celebration ; that Bro . H . Loveridge who was initiated within a month of the lodge being consecrated , remained a subscribing member till his death in 1892 ;

Bro . Charles Matthews that was for 20 years D . of C . in the lodge , and Bro . C . A . Newnham for the last 27 years has bejn annually re-elected to the past of Loigi Treasurer . The total number of brethren who have been members is about 300 , of whom roughly speaking , some two-thirds were initiates and the remaining one-third ioining members . As regards its funds it would appear to have been for the most part blessed with a balance on the right side of the account , while as regards its work , it has held 583 meetings during its career , or on an average nearly 12 a year , while the number ot attendances is set down as 13 , 464 , or on an average rather more than 23 per

meeting . It has also rendered good service to our Charitable Institutions and particularly to the Staffordshire Masonic Charity Association , and took an active part in the celebration of the 25 th anniversary festival of the latter in the grounds of . Trentham Hall during last summer , contributing not far short of £ < oo towards the £ 1000 and upwards which was then raised for the " B " Fund of the Association . Great attention also appears to have been paid to our ritual , and in glancing through the Notes which form so large and so important a part of Bro . Barnett ' s compilation , one cannot help being struck with the frequent record of certain of the lectures having been

given by Bro . H . Lewis , or some other learned member . In short , what with the distinguished brethren who have belonged to it , the strict and punctual attention it has paid to its duties , and the frequency and liberality of its . charitable contributions , the lodge is in fact as well as in name an honour to itself and to the Province of which it is a constituent part . So much for the leading circumstances in the career of No . 526 . As for the manner in which Bro . Barnett has fulfilled his task of lodge historian , let it suffice if we state that he has done it admirably . He has not attempted anything in the way of ornate writing . The History proper , or as he prefers to call it , "A Short

Preface , " is a sketch in outline of the leading facts recorded in the minutes supported by thc necessary evidence ,, while the " Notes " are , in fact , the lodge Annals condensed from those minutes , the events being grouped together in more or less succinct paragraphs—and with sundry statistics added—year by year : and the whole concluding with a complete list of members from the date of constitution till the present time . There are also several illustrations which add greatly to the merit of the book , among them being portraits of Bro . B . Hicklin , J . P .. a former Mayor of Wolverhampton , the sole

survivor of the nine founders , and the first elected W . M . ; and of Bros , the late A . Foster Gough , W . M . 185 S and 1859 ; G . S . Tudor , W . M . 18 * 17 and 1872 ; the late Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot , W . M . 1873 ; all of whom were in their day Grand Masters * bf the Province of Staffordshire , with sketches of the W . M ' s . and I . P . M ' s . chairs , a photographed copy of the Warrant , & c , & c . In fact , Bro . Barnett has done his work thoroughly , and has every reason—as also has the Lodge of Honour—to be gratified with the valuable "Something" he has done to " assist in celebrating its Jubilee . " We heartily thank him for the opportunity he has afforded us of reviewing h s compilation .

Craft Masonry.

Craft Masonry .

United Northern Counties Lodge , No . 2128 . Ihe installation meeting of this lodge was held at the Inns of Court Hotel on the Sth ult ., Bro . R . Davison , W . M ., presiding . The other brethren present were Bros . R . Porter Keates , I . P . M . ; W . B . Hextall , S . W . ; E . C . R . Oxley , J . W . ; C . R . Lee , P . M ., Treas . ; W . H . Bullock , P . M ., Sec . ; W . E . Porter , S . D . ; E . J . Wood , D . C . ; W . Nicholson Haydon , I . G . ; F . B . Wood , Org . ; Thomas W . Chant and T . Moysey , Stwds . ; 1 . S . Cumberland , P . M . ; W . F . Smithson , P . M .: Thomas G .

Newton ; George T . Pringle , P . M . ; C . J . Weller , Henry Riley , James Kershaw , J . Parkinson , Ramsden Walker , J . Bolas , R . Bullock , Andrew Reed , George B . Davis , A . G . Hall , G . II . Addy , Thomas D . Jones , and R . Stephen Ayling . Visitors : Bros . J . W . Ramsay , 1119 ; W . A . Musson , P . M . 779 , P . P . J . G . D . Leicester and Rutland ; E .. J . Spencer , S . D . 221 S ; Stuart Leaman , 217 ; H . W . Pritchett , P . M . 1261 ; J . llalden , P . M . loon , P . G . S . E . Lanes ; Arthur E . Pros , 2034 ; Richard Waide , W . M .

elect 1042 ; J . Hornsey Casson , 2581 , P . M . 850 . P . P . G . O . Derbyshire ; W . C . Smith , P . M . 22 C 4 ; W . F . Carnley , J . W . 2428 ; F . G . Knight , I . P . M . 142 , * C . Cope , S . W . 2192 ; J . Pullen , 1446 ; C . Knowles Rayson , 7 66 ; Alfred Robertshaw , P . M . 44 8 ; H . T . Town , 2128 ; James Dryden , 2128 ; E . J ackson , G . J . Hogg , R . Vivian , A . Page , Charles Fox , W . M . 90 ; H . Massey , P . M . 619 and 1928 ; Walter Jennings , P . M ., 142 ; J . Calley Burkitt , W . M . 2428 ; R . Hedley , 1932 ; J . Llewellyn Jones , P . M . 1670 : Charles Lewis , P . M . 170 G and 2508 , Prov . J . G . D . Essex ;