The Metropolitan Police.

be wished , is visible . We want still more reform , alike in the cabs , horses , and drivers . In 1869 lost articles restored were 1912 ; in 1875 , 1 5 , 584 ; and Col . Henderson says the present system works well . During 1875 , 9 < 5 i 4 proprietors were licensed , and 16 , 306 drivers and

conductors . There are now 1241 legalized common lodging houses in an area of 122 square miles . and accommodating about 27 , 000 persons , and these have been carefully surveyed in 1875 , as we -- ^ police as for sanitary purposes , manifestly to the advantage of all concerned . During 1875 , 220

men retired from the force on pensions , and 58 on gratuities , 66 resigned through ill-health , 109 resigned for other employment , 168 did not like the work , 187 were compelled to resign , and 177 were dismissed , while $ J died , * 93 police officers were , commended or received rewards from police

magistrates , and 1202 were commended or rewarded by the commissioners . It may be well to state here that during the last 5 years 48 men have been granted pensions . amounting in all to £ 1752 , for permanent injuries received in the execution of their duty . Col . Henderson adds that the

supply of recruits for the force continues promising , and that the standard of character and efficiency is as good in the force as ever it has been . Remembering the difficulties of police duty , we shall all agree in this remark . As the "Times " well puts it , " the duties of a policeman , too , are

of such a nature as to expose him to far more than the ordinary temptations . He is compelled to act , not only under the eye of his officers , but for the most part independently . If he has a weak point anywhere , there will be plenty on the watch ready to take advantage of it , and he may

be quite sure than any want of temper or judgment on his part , to say nothing of more grave offences , will never be forgotten . Many of the faults for which members of the London Police Force have come under the unfavourable notice of their superiors must have been of a slight

character , or , rather , of a character which in almost any other calling would have been considered slight . " Too much praise cannot therefore be accorded to the force , on the whole , and if people will only shut their windows and doors , and give the police all the aid they can , Col . Henderson ,

like old Changamier in the Cham-ore des Deputes once upon a time at Paris , may say confidently to us timid Londoners , as night follows day , as the years flit by , "rViesdames et Messieurs , dormez en paix . " VVe trust that another year will see a

considerable increase in the force to cope with their overwhelming work , and a considerable decrease alike in the habits of our criminal population , and of the reckless , the ill-living , the foolish of all classes , with whom the police have every moment to deal .

The Dublin Masonic Orphan Boys' School And The Female Orphan School.

THE DUBLIN MASONIC ORPHAN BOYS' SCHOOL AND THE FEMALE ORPHAN SCHOOL .

By the kind consideration of a worthy Irish brother these reports have been forwarded to us , and we will give an analysis of them in our next . Wc are always glad when permitted to give any report from Ireland , and above all to record the charitable efforts of our good brethren in the " sister country . " We do not profess to

understand why Teports ot Irish Grand . Lodge proceedings , for instance appear in the " Freeman ' s Journal , " a paper unfavourable to Freemasonry , and none can be submitted to the Craft through the "Freemason . " But it is in vain to comment , or complain , we can only shrug our shoulders and hold our tongues .

Peace Or War.

PEACE OR WAR .

Rumours of mediation and of an armistice come from Belgrade , concurrently with accounts of much lighting , and some slight success on the part of the Servians . Another column tells of medical men and equipments still going to the seat of war , so that , though we hope for the sake of

humanity that this war may come to an end , we are not very sanguine of peace in the present temper of the Servian people . Of the Montenegrins little is heard . We fear that the reports of barbarities in Bulgaria are too true , and we hope that Mr . Baring ' s report will be published

Peace Or War.

as soon as possible . The accounts in the "Daily News " are quite sickening if they are reliable and not the ebullitions of excitement and nervous agitation . We confess that we fear that the } ' do represent the unofficial truth . Indeed , the latest accounts leave no room , we apprehend to doubt , that the account of atrocities is rather

under the mark than over . After such a verification of the original statements , too badly received by Mr . H . Elliott , we shall never be surprised to hear that the Governmant has determined to recall him . The horrors at Bantok are simply sickening and revolting , too revolting to publish .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

fWe do net hold ourselves responsible for , or even as approving of the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we -wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary l ' mits—free discussion . —ED . ]

MASONIC ARCH / EOLOGY . To the Editor of ( At Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — In the recent reports of the British Archaeological Association Mr . Jago is said , at Bodmin ( if I remember rightly ) , to have exhibited several MSS . of guilds and fraternities , and to have read from them extracts of their

building expenses , & c . Is there any probability of any such extracts being pub , lished ? a-nd can any account be given of the guilds and confraternities themselves , what they were ? Has Bro W . J . Hughan ' s attention been called to this statement ? 1 am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , A MASONIC ARCIIJFOLOGIST .

MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE . To the Editor if the F > eemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — The letter of Piscator will doubtless have many replies . It will be best understood by a Scotch Mason , seeing that to an English Mason the letter presents some features of a remarkable , not to say comical character .

Assuming that in a Scotch lodge the R . W . M . is equivalent to our W . M ., we should not think of disputing that an I . F . M . presiding in his stead would have , for the time being , all his prerogatives . The notion of a Warden being called on to work an important ceremony is so foreign to all I have seen or heard of in this country or in others , so far as my own

experience goes , that 1 should be glad to know it it is ever practised in lodges under the Grand Lodge of England , or if it is a common practice among our Scotch brethren . Granted , however , that there was nothing irregular in so calling on a Warden , I cannot wonder at the S . W . feeling somewhat strongly on the point if he was as competent for the duty as the J . W . It would seem that the

acting W . M . offered him a direct slight—a marked discourtesy . The question of legal right in the matter can only be answered by one conversant with the laws of Scotch Masonry . As regards , the conduct of the S . W . on the occasion , it seems to me that , however natural and justifiable he was

in feeling hurt by the I . P . M . ' s conduct , he ( the S . W . ) was by no means justified in immediately quitting his post , as by so doing he set an example of insubordination toothers , instead of being a pattern of good order and regularity . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , ' 57 . ^ -

THE INSTALLATION ENGRAVING . To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — Allow me to again urge our brethren whose portraits would be in any way acceptable to the Craft , to at once forward the same to Bro . E . J . Harty , S . W . 1201 , provided of course they attended the Grand Installation at

the Albert Hall . There are still several names absent from the list , which I would gladly see amongst the series nf portraits , and I hope that your timely editorial of Saturday last will lead to their responding to Bro . Harty ' s fraternal invitation . The picture will doubtless be one "for all time , " and it is

not at all likely that any future meeting , in our experience at least , will compare with the truly grand event which Bro . Hatty and his confreres are determined to make worthy of the acceptance of the Craft universal . No lodge in Great Britain and Ireland should be without a copy , and we know also that many foreign lodges are anxious to obtain First impressions of such a work of

art . The delay of a few weeks now will end in disappointment to those who desire to co-operate , and I hope that nothing will occur to prevent the appearance of the grand Installation engraving at or before Christmas . fraternally jours , WILLIAM J AMES HUGH / IN , Truro , 28 Aug ., 1876 . P . G . D .

( MASONIC PROFESSION AND PRACTICE . To Ihe Editor ( if the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — 1 am sorry " E . V . " thinks I am guilty of ignorance as to the proper and courteous mode of treating

, cnacun a son gout . niy complaint as an invited visitor I have had to pay for my dinner , and my idea is that this is not good form , but , of course , I may be wrong in thinking so . STUey manage these things better in India , I repeat ,

Original Correspondence.

than they io in some places in England which I could name , but I am ' qiite ready , nay , 1 have good reason , to believe that the spurious hospitality of which I complain is more the exception than the rule . Yours fraternally , As INDIAN P . M . August 28 th , 1876 .

THE NEXT QUARTERLY COMMUNICATION . To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — As the proposition of the Rev . Bro . Simpson will again occupy the time of Grand Lodge at its next meeting , I hope the provincial brethren will attend to give him

their support against the unbrotherly feeling which has been shown by many of your correspondents . His attempts to avoid a division in lodge having failed , it must be best to adopt some useful scheme to offer as a thank offering for the safe return of our Grand Master . Many brethren do not object to Bro . Havers ' s proposition on account of it

being denominational , as they do to its not being- the best scheme that might be thought of . I remember when the 1851 Exhibition was over , a very large sum , £ 130 , 000 , I think , was the profit ; and among other propositions , one was to gild the dome of St . Paul ' s . But a much better was thought of—to establish the Wellington College with

it . Let us hope we may find some plan which in a small way may be equally useful . Yours fraternally , P . M . [ l Ve are not aware of the " unbrotherly feeling , " and we think P . M . has yet to learn the Masonic duty of charity in its widest sense . —E D . ]

A LETTER TO BRO . CAUBET . Dear Bro . Caubet , — An English paper , the " Globe , " of August 15 , in a Paris letter of the 14 th , publishes a statement respecting the French Freemasons , which J believe to be utterly unfounded . I am anxious to call your attention to it , and shall be happy to receive and publish your high contradictions of it .

This allegation is founded , it seems , on the authority of M . Naquet , but I fancy that in this , as in other matters , such an expression of opinion from your countryman must be received with some hesitation . I publish the passage " in extenso , " that you may see what is asserted . — "

" M . Naquet has taken up the cudgels in favour of divorce , and he is giving lectures throughout the quarter inhabited by the working men in favour of the question . It seems rather strange that he should have espoused the cause , as he was the author of a book , published under the Empire , which was seized as contrary to public

molality , causing its author to be imprisoned for four months . Among the rtforms which M . Naquet proposed in his the book , entitled 'La Familleet I'EtatSocial . 'headvocated charms of free-love , demolishing the ceremony of marriage as a Pagan tradition not worthy of being observed by a free and enlightened people . He wanted even-one to adopt the

system in vogue among the free-thinking community of the half-Masonic , half-Carbonaii , lodges the ultra-Republicans have started under the a > gis of the Grand Orient of France , where a man intending to cast : in his lot with a woman has only to present her to his brethren in the lodge , make a solemn declaration that he takes her as . his wife , with perhaps a mental reservation that the process

of divorce may be equally summary . " Is not this statement an utter calumny ? As I feel sure that it is , I venture to trouble you to-day , and am , dear Bm . Caubet , Yours most fraternally , THE EniToii or THE " F REEMASON . " Bro . Caubet , G . S ., Grand Orient of France .

THE WAR IN THE EAST . We take these two lettets from the ' Times" of We nesday : — Sm . —May I request you to be so good as to gire 1

place your paper , have received from Phillippopolis ? The signatures appended are those of persons of station and influence , officials from the United States , and most of the great nations of Europe .

1 our ODeuient servant , SHAFTESBURY . Castle Wemyss , Wemyss Bay , N . B ., Aug . 28 . " Philippopolis , le 10 Aotit , 187 6 . " Mylord . —L'inte ' re ' t bien connu que vous portez au sort des Bulgares nous engage a vous transmettre ci-joint un appel a la charite publique en Europe .

" Nous sommes convaincus d avance que votre Seigneurie voudra nous preter son puissant concours pour sauver l'existence de miliiers de femmes et d'enfants dont les miseres me ' ritent touts nos sympathies . " Veuillez agre ' er Mylord , l ' assurance de notre h « u ' consideration . "Le President , J . D'I STR IA . " S . E . le tre-s honorable Comte Shaftesbury .

" Les e ' uenements en Bulgarie sont maintenant connus de tout le monde et ne necessitent point de commentaires . " A l'heute qu'il est des miliiers de families Bulgares sont sans gitc , sans vetcments , sans pain . La mortalite : des enfants est e ' norme ; des maladies se sont manifestees i l'hiver va aggraver cette situation .

" Le district de Philippopolis a eu le plus a soun »" Aussi , emue par cet etat de choses horribles , la Colonic Europeenne de cette ville a nomme' un Comite' charge di re ' unir et de distiibuer des secours . Mais nos moyens spnt trop limite ' s et la misere trop grande pour que l ' on puisse c ompter siir des ressourcfis locales suffisantes-.