Correspondence.

Correspondence .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents lint » t wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limitsfree discussion .

MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE ( COMMUNICATED ) . To the Editor ot the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother Our good Brother Richardson , in raising the question of the orthography of your correspondent , also settles the matter by speaking of " the like error . "

* As one who always spells the word BYE-LAWS , may I appeal to him to view the little weaknesses of brethren , " secretaries of some big railways , and certain Parliamentary draftsmen , " as well as all the cricket people , with that Charity for which the Fraternity is noted . True , we know that BY means against , but that is always used in the older

English , and not common at present . We , however , have as boys learnt about BYES in cricket , which are not only against the other side , but also would in a good game be an unusual or irregular form of scoring . Consequently , when BYE-LAWS are spoken about we consider them as something not provided for by the ordinary law , and spell it accordingly .

Surely Bro . Richardson would not make the various erratic people give up that which has been with us for so long . Although we are a conservative race , some erratic one started the spelling , which , if not quite according to the best authorities on orthography , is dear to many of us , and less likely to offend the eye of the majority .

Besides , our spelling varies from time to time , and why may not this word be the one of the future ?—Yours fraternally , C . W .

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I have this afternoon received the results of the Cambridge ' University Local Examinations held in December last . I am glad to inform you that our Boys have gained the following successes :

SENIORS—Five entered , all passed , three in Third Class . J UNIORS —40 entered , all passed ; one First Class , First Division with three distinctions , two First Class , Second Division ; four Second Class , with two distinctions ; eight Third Class , with two distinctions ; and 25 other passes . PRELIMINARY —35 entered and 31 passed ; two gaining Second Class with one distinction ; three gaining Third Class with one distinction ; and 26 other passes .

TOTAL —75 certificates , 23 honours , 53 passes , and nine distinctions . There was no failure in the " Senior " and " Junior " Sections , and only four in the " Preliminary . " The boy Coales , who passes so brilliantly in the First Class of the " Junior , " was under 15 years of age . —Yours faithfully and fraternally ,

J . M . McLEOD , Secretary . 6 , Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C . 22 nd February . [ For the Girls' School result , see page 117 . —ED . P . M . " }

FOR WORN-OUT BRITISH SEAMEN . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir , I beg to inform you that Admiral Sir F . Leopold McClintock , K . C . B ., has been again elected as Chairman of the Royal Alfred Aged Merchant Seamen's Institution , and Capt . David Mainland , F . R . G . S ., as Vice-Chairman .

I have the pleasure to announce that the Institution has just received a donation of ^ 1000 from its worthy President , Mr . R . S . Donkin , and his wife , enabling the Committee to nominate 15 of the aged applicants to receive the outpension of this national and unique Institution for worn-out British merchant seamen in addition to the 20 elected by the votes of the subscribers and donors .

This still leaves 210 poor old seamen on the list of approved applicants who are in urgent need of relief , and the Committee sincerely hope that some friend of British seamen will imitate Mr . and Mrs . Donkin ' s generous example . H . R . H . the Duke of Cornwall and York is patron , and Col . Robert Williams M . P . ( banker ) is treasurer of the Institution . —Yours faithlully ,

J . BAILEY WALKER , Secretary . Royal Alfred Aged Merchant Seamen ' s Institution , 58 , Fenchurch . street , E . C . 25 th February .

ORTHOGRAPHY . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother . f thank Bro . Richardson for his letter and must acknowledge my error . All I can say in extenuation is " De minimis non curat jurisprudential—Yours fraternally , MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE .

Reviews.

Reviews .

"C OSMOPOLITAN MASONIC CALENDAR AND POCKET BOOK FOR 1901 . "—This uell-known annual , now in its 29 th year of publication , is an old favourite of the Craft , and is really and truly a supplement or complement to the official Grand Lodge Calendar . In its way it is quite as necessary and useful , as all the Masonic Degrees , other than the first Three and the Royal Arch of England , are duly detailed , the information as to all Bodies beyond , under or above , as they may be considered , being varied , complete , and carefully arranged ; besides which all the Craft Grand Lodges , excepting England , are fully represented , Lists of Lodges being eiven , and also

ample information as to the Grand Chapters of all Countries in the Universe . It is a vtiy handy publication , containing , as it does , complete Registers of the Mark Grand Ledge , Ancient and Accepted Rite , Knight Templars , Red Cross of Rome and Conslsntine , Allied Masonic Degrees , Secret Monitor , Royal and Select Masters , and tie Rcsicrucian Society . Scotland , Ireland , the Colonies , Continental , and American G 1 ar . 1 l Ledges , & c , are all cared for . Assuredly if over 200 pages , and these well covered uiili fads , for one shilling , ate not sufficient for the trilling outlay , Masonic client ! mutt be haidltc | pleasc [ and difficult to satisfy .

Reviews.

"FREEMASONS' CALENDAR AND DIRECTORY FOR THE PROVINCE 0 p DURHAM , 1901 . "—This admirably edited Annual is duly authorised by the Provincial Grand Lodge , the esteemed Brother Robert Hudson being the Prov . G . Sec , and Bro John Joel the Assist . Prov . G . Sec , to whom all matters affecting the publication musi be addressed . The " Index of Contents " is a boon , because it is both accurate and complete ; the arrangement of the numerous particulars is as near perfection as possible , and the Directory generally is well filled with valuable facts respecting the

Province , so that no member can afford to do without a copy for the expenditure of a shilling . The yearly Summaries from 1 SS 4 to 1 S 99 is an excellent feature , beginning with 30 lodges and 225 S members , and ending with 37 and 3350 respectively . The average is unusually high , being over 90 members per lodge . Similar particulars for the R . A . chapters and the Mark lodges would be acceptable , though it scarcely seems fair to ask for more information , when so much is given concerning the Prov . G . Lodge and all the lodges and other Masonic Bodies in Durham .

"WHITAKER ' S PEERAGE FOR THE YEAR , 1901 . "—^ . Whitnker and Sons , ! 2 Warwick-lane , E . C ) . —This extremely handy work , being a " Directory of Titled Persons , " has now been before the public for five years , and evidently has come to stay , like the famous Whitaker's Almanack . _ It is so complete , accurate , and ably , arranged , that the handsome volume—always increasing in size year by year—is indispensable for all classes who desire precise and full information as to the Royal Family the Peerage , Baronetage , Knighthood , Privy Councillors , Home and Colonial BishoD ^

& c . In fact , all Titled Persons are duly described , and many particulars are appended in explanation of the origin and character of all such positions of distinction . The issue for 1901 is the best of the series undoubtedly , and , though regret will generally be felt for the cause which has led to the late publication of the volume , viz ., the Editor ' s prolonged ill-health , the delay itself has'been beneficial really , as the List includes the New Year ' s Honours for 1900 and igoi , and the Obituary covers 13 months —so it includes the decease of the beloved Queen , and thus notes the changes affected by the accession ot his Majesty , King Edward VII . The Obituary for igoo-i is

classitied for the first time , in this issue , which is a decided improvement ; other additions of value being brief historical notices after each Peerage—models of their kind—and the Second Heirs to every Peer and Baron are also inserted . The invaluable Introduction with such precise and concise description of all the Titles conferred by the Sovereign , as well as a mass of most interesting and instructive information respecting the Sovereign , his Relatives , the Peerage , and its Degrees ; is an important feature of the work . No higher praise can be offered than the simple statement that , though " Whitaker ' s Almanack" and "Whitaker's Peerage" are independent publications , they are naturally supplementary each to the other , and are the best of their kind extant .

United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

The following is the business to be transacted on Wednesday next , the 6 th instant : Grand Lodge will be opened at Two o ' clock in the afternoon punctually , and will not be closed until the conclusion of the ordinary business of Grand Lodge , which will be taken at six o ' clock . At Two o ' clock p . m .

1 . The minutes of the Quarterly Communication of the 5 th December , 1900 , so far as they relate to the election of Grand Treasurer , will be read and put for confirmation , after which the candidates for the office of Grand Treasurer will be formally proposed , and the ballot proceeded with . Bro . Captain John Barlow , P . M . 1260 , and Bro . Horace Brooks Marshall , P . M . 1745 , & c , the only nominations . At Six o ' clock p . m .

2 . The minutes of the Quarterly Communication of the 5 th December , 1900 , and of the Especial Grand Lodge of the 15 th February , ujoi , will be read for confirmation .

3 . Election of a M . W . Grand Master . 4 . Report of the Board of Benevolence for the months ending December , January , and February , in which there are recommendations for the following : The widow of a brother of the Southern Star Lodge

, No . 115 S , London ... ... ... ... £ 50 o o A brother of the Egyptian Lodge , No . 27 , London ... 100 o o The widow of a brother of the Pilgrim Lodge , No . 238 , London ( unsound mind ) ... ... ... 100 o o The widow of a brother of the Uagshaw Lodge , No .

1457 , Loughton ... ... ... ... 50 o o A brother of the Great City Ledge , No . 1426 , London ... 100 o o A brother of the Old King's Arms Lodge , No . 2 S , London ... ... ... ... ... 75 o o A brother of the Athole Lodge , No . 1004 , Douglas , Isle of Man ... ... ... ... ... 50 o o

The widow of a brother of the Cornish Lodge , No . 2369 , London ... ... ... ' ... ... 150 o o The widow of a brother of the Lodge of Harmony , No . 309 , Fareham ... ... ... ... 50 o o A brother of the St . James' Lodge , No . 765 , London ... 50 o o The widow of a brother of the Eclectic Lodge , No . 1201 , London ... ... ... ... ... 50 o 0

5 . REPORT OF THE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES . To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons ol England . The Board begs to report that it has been called on to investigate a complaint against two brethren in the Province of Guernsey and Alderney , f <" insubordinate conduct and dereliction of Masonic duty , and that it has felt it i ' duty to suspend such brethren from all Masonic rights and privileges , the one for sixand the other for three months .

, The attention of the Board having been called to the practice—the subject ol much complaint—of smoking in the corridors adjacent to Grand Lodge ami in other rooms in the building , orders have been issued prohibiting such practice i » future . The Board has to report that the conveyance to the Trustees of Grauo Lodge of the stables recently acquired in New-yard , pursuant to the resolution of Grand Lodge , has been completed .

The Board has further to announce that it has received a Report from liigW Worshipful Bro . George Richards , District Grand Master for the Transvaal , w the effect that a Central Committee of the South African Masonic Relief 1 ' had been formed at Capetown , of which R . W . Bro . Earl Roberts , K . G ., l ' li ' Grand Warden , had accepted the office of Honorary President ; and lh local Sub-Committees for the distribution of relief had been established in Cape town , King William ' s Town , Kimberley , Pietermaritzburg , Durban , •'" '

Johannesburg . That to each Committee sums of money had been allocated , "j relieve the most pressing cases of distress , and that in addition to the sum 0 ' , £ 1000 allocated to Capetown , Kimberley , Durban , King William ' s Town , " Pietermaritzburg , it had been arranged to place , £ 1000 at the disposal cf l " Transvaal Committee as soon as the refugees from the Transvaal commenced '" return to their homes , as it was considered the cases for relief would naturJi'J gravitate towards that centre .