Correspondence.

Correspondence .

We 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 limitsrce discussion .

THE "PORCHWAY" AND "VAGRANTS . " To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , . I have been greatly interested and instructed in perusing the series

of " Communicated " articles you have published recently relating to the symbols of the Craft and ^ their meaning . The article in your last issue on above subject deals with the pillars or columns , and although the writer suggests that many fanciful meanings may be given to the columns , yet he does not appear to identify their original signification and derivation .

No doubt some laxity and variation has crept into the ordering and ritual of the symbols which has created much confusion , which even the oldest and best of Preceptors cannot explain ; in fact , I have witnessed different interpretations of the same symbol and ritual in the same lodge by different Preceptors , but to

err is human . I submit the columns or pillars refer to the vernal and autumnal equinoctial points at which the line of the ecliptic crosses the line of the equator , the sun shines directly over these points or lines called pillars or columns at the March ( spring ) and September ( autumn ) , and the days and nights are then equal all over the world .

No doubt this was all clear till the confusion set in when the M . M . and R . A . Degrees were made separate elaborations of the Second and Third Degrees , because now the column or pillar ot the J . W . is referred to as the sun in the SOUth . and S . W . ' s Column or Dillar as thfi mnnn . and Ihpn latpr as Ihp spttino sun

and I think the J . W . ' s column ought to be perpendicular when at work and not horizontal . Again , your writer speaks of the left-hand pillar being north , but the J . W . is in the south , and I have read that it is in the east ; here , again , is a charming puizle to solve . This maze and confusion tend to make us more learned , but searching in studying for clues by which to get at the secret of the maze .

Now a word re vagrants , please . Our Yorkshire brethren can easily stop this little game by reducing relief to such a low minimum as to make it not worth while to beg for it . Our Yorkshire brothers are probably more liberal than they are in the south , for considering the paltry sums given in relief , I have been surprised at times that any brother can be so lost to self respect as to ask for it . The system must be very lax and bad that permits vagrancy . No brother ought to

be relieved except from his own lodge direct and then only when he can show some recent connection with the Craft . I remember a brother being relieved twice , who admitted that for over 16 years he had not attended any lodge , and he had utterly lost all knowledge of the signs and passwords . Such relief as this brings the Craft into disrepute , and I believe that no brother ought to expect any financial returns for any sums contributed to the Craft . Masonry is not a benefit society so we are told , hence , why expect relief . — -Yours fraternally , T . MAY , 7 S 4 . 1 oltenham , November , 22 nd .

A PERTINENT QUERY . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Will you or one of your correspondents kindly inform your readers of the legal Masonic interpretation of " he was thereupon initiated into Freemasonry , " in accordance WITH THE FIAT of the late W . M . "

This word " Fiat of W . M . I do so want thrashed out . Many are misled , and the latest Book of Constitution does not appear to admit the power of " Fiat " by a W . M ,, but so many old and good brethren that I personally know are members of the lodge in question that I am sure they would not willingly err . Yet on a similar procedure I was ruled out of order many years back . —Yours fraterally , P . M . 16 7 . November 25 th .

WEST YORKSHIRE AND THE VAGRANT . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , In your issue of the 18 th instant you have an article on " West Yorkshire and the Masonic Vagrant , " and attributing a resolution which provides " that in every city or town where more than one lodge is located for one Almoner only to be appointed . "

This same resolution has been in operation in the Province of Sussex since 18 9 6 , and , more , the relief is only given after having communicated with the Secretary of the lodge to which the itinerant applicint professes ii belong . The communication is by reply paid teleeram . and has been the meins of

detecting many who were not in any way connected with the Craft , although in possession of signs , passwords , and in two instances of Grand Lodge certificates . 1 agree with you that the only way of coping with these unprincipled itinerants is by the provinces working together , and I shall be pleased to give names of my black-listed applicants to any Almoner who may apply t j

T . H . CHALL 1 S , ( Almoner for Brighton and Hove ) . Smugglers' Club , I 130-1 , Arches , King ' s-road , Brighton . ?•?** 27 th November . P . S . —Our Prov . G . M ., H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught , spoke very favourably of this system at the annual meeting in 18 97 .

LODGES OF INSTRUCTION AND YOUNG MASONS . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , As an old P . M . and Past Provincial Officer , 1 should like to moot what seems to others besides myself the undesirable practice of putting too junior Masons through the W . M . 's chair in lodges of instruction . No one appre

ciates more than 1 do the valuable training which a properly directed lodge ol instruction affords , but I have a somewhat decided view that it is not desiiable to let the W . M . ' s duties be taken by any brother not holding , or who has not held , office as Warden in a regular lodge , and I am not at all sure that any brother under the rank of W . M . should be allowed to perform the installation ceremony as instruction .

Correspondence.

It is with some sense of the unfitness of things that one now and then hear ? a worthy brother—perhaps I . G . or Deacon in his Craft lodge—say airily , " I di a raising ( or the installation ) from the chair at the Lodge of Instructio " last week . " Nearly 30 years in Masonry has led me to the conclusion that fa r more harm than good comes from this kind of thing , and shall be glad if my letter serves to elicit opinion on the subject . —Yours fraternally ,

VIA TRITA November 27 th .

" MASONIC NOTES . " To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , In the Freemason of November l 8 th , in "Masonic Notes , " I find it there stated that Bro . Lieut .-General Sir Charles Warren , R . E ., & :., & c , is a Past Master of the Mechanics Lodge , No . 245 , Jersey . Having the records of said Iodge for the last 40 years in my possession , and having been Secretary for 26

years , I cannot find the name of Warren as having been a member or a P . M ., I am therefore at a loss to know how such an error got into your otherwise interesting notes . —Yours fraternally , O . DODGE , P . M . and Sec . 245 , P . P . S . G . W ., & c , & c . Milton House , David-place , Jersey . November 25 th .

THE ROYAL WARRANT HOLDERS' LODGE , No . 2789 . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , It may interest you to know that on Thursday last , after the consecrating ceremony by V . W . Bro . Letchworth , I sent the following telegram to Sir Dighton Probyn :

" The founders of the Royal Warrant Holders Lodge , 'No . 278 9 , which has just been consecrated at Freemasons' Hall by the Grand Secretary , respectfully send homage to the Most Worshipful the Grand Master , his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , with gratitude for favours conferred on them . " DANIEL MAYER , W . M . "

and that I received on Friday evening the following reply : "The Prince of Wales desires me to thank you and the founders of Royal Warrant Holders Lodge for kind telegram . ( Signed ) " PROBYN . " I beg to remain yours truly and fraternally ,

DANIEL MAYER , W . M . 2789 , W . M . 59 . 18 , Great Marlborough-street , W . November , 27 th .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Cambridgeshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF CAMBRIDGESHIRE .

The annual meeting of the above Prov . G . Lodge was held at the Town Hall , Wisbech , under the auspices of the United Good Fellowship Lodge , No . S 09 , on Monday , the 27 th ult . The attendance included Bros . Col . R . Townley Caldwell , Prov . G . Master ; the Rev . Joseph H . Gray , P . G . Chap . Enij ., Dep . Prov . G . Master : Hamon Le Strange , P . G . D .

Eng ., P . G . M . Norfolk ; F . R . W . Hedges , P . G . S . B . Eng ., Sec . R . M . I . G . ; W . A . Scurrah , P . G . Std . Br . Eng . ; F . Dewberry , P . S . G . W . ; the Rev . A . L . Brown . P . G . Chap , j C . H . Davey , P . G . Treas . ; J . Royston , P . G . Reg . ; Oliver Papworth , P . G . Sec . ; W . Gillirig , P . J . G . D . ; A . S . Bell , P . A . G . D . of C . ; J . H . Foster , P . G . S . B . ; and J . S . Johnson , P . G . Stwd . Sixty-two brethren attended .

The Prov . G . Lodge having been duly opened , and the minutes of the last meeting read and confirmed , the roll of the Prov . G . Officers was called , and also the roll of lodges . The Prov . G . Treasurer's accounts were then presented , and showed a balance in hand . The Prov . G . Registrar presented a return of the lodges as under : No . 88

present numbers S 5 ; No . 441 , 69 ; No . Sog , CS ; No . 859 , 210 ; No . 1492 , 20 ; No . 2107 , 41 ; No . 2727 , 44 ; total , 537 . The number at the corresponding period last year was 456 . Since then St . Audrey's Lodge , No . 2727 , has brought an increase , but there are some duplicates . Any way , there is a very satisfactory increase . Bro . C . H . Davey , 2107 , was re-elected Prov . G . Treasurer for the ensuing : year .

The Prov . G . M . then proceeded to appoint and invest the Prov . Grand Officers as follows : Bro . R . Smith , P . M . S 09 ... ... ... Prov . S . G . W . „ W . H . Francis , P . M . 859 ... ... Prov . J . G . W . " R " A ' ? i ? ^; , 9 £ ' ° ] Prov . G . Chaps . ,, Rev . A . L . Brown , S . W . 859 ... ,.. ) r „ C . H . Davey , J . W . 2107 ( re-elected ) ... Prov . G . Treas . „ F . W , Potts , P . M . 441 ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . ,. Oliver Papworth , P . M . 8 S ( re-appointed ) ... Prov . G . Sec .

„ A . S . Bell , W . M . 859 ... ... ... Prov . S . G . D . „ R . J . Sharman , W . M . S 09 ... ... Prov . J . G . D . „ H . S . Davison , W . M . 8 S ... ... Prov . G . S . of Wks . „ F . Dewberry , P . M . 441 ( re-appointed ) ... Prov . G . D . C . „ F . H . Polls , J . D . 2107 ... ... ... Prov . A . G . D . C . „ H . Kempton , W . M . 2727 ... ... Prov . G . S . B . „ T . Cowling , Org . 809 ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ A . J . Armitage , J . W . S 59 ... ... Prov . G . Purst . » ¦^•r TyI t , S r 1 Prov . G . Stwds . ,, C Lacebi ' . ireas . 2727 ... ... ... i

Bro . OLIVER PAI-WOKTII presented the annual report of the Cambridgeshire Masonic Charity Association , of which he is Hon . Secretary . It showed that during the year over , £ 3 60 was paid to the three Masonic Charities , making an aggregate since 1883 of over ^ 5700 , The province owned about 450 girls' and 1000 boys' votes half-yearly , and about Coo men's and C 20 women ' s yearly . The province owes 250 girls' votes , and there were owing to the province 350 boys' votes , 343 girls ' , 500 men ' s , and 8 S 3 women ' s . The number of members had been increased by 13 .