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NOW READY . VOLUME . 8 OF THE " FREEMASON " from January to December , 1 S 75 , bound in cloth , with richly embossed device on cover . Price 15 shillings . This volume forms a first class reference and chronology of the leading events in Masonry during the past year . It may be had through any bookseller , or at tlu office , 19 S , Fleet-st ., London .

To Our Readers.

TO OUR READERS .

The Freemason is a sixteen-page weekly newspaper , price 2 d . It is published every Friday morning , and contains the most important , interesting , and useful information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . Annual subscription in the United Kingdom , Post free , 10 / - P . O . O . ' s to be made payable at the chief office , London .

NEW POSTAL RATES . Owing to a reduction in the Postal Rates , the publisher is now enabled to send the " Freemason " to the following parts abroad for One Year for Twelve Shillings ( payable in advance ) : —Africa , Australia , Bombay , Canada , Cape of Good Hone . Cevlon . China . Constantinoole . Demerara .

France , Germany , Gibraltar , Jamaica , Malta , Newfoundland , New South Wales , New Zealand , Suez , Trinidad , United States of America , fire . ' COLONIAL AND FOREIGN SUBSCRIBERS are informed that acknowledgments of remittances

received are published in the first number of every month . NOTICE . —It is very necessary for our friends to advise us of all money orders they remit , more especially those from the United States of America and India ; otherwise we cannot tell where to credit them .

To Advertisers.

TO ADVERTISERS .

The Freemason has a large circulation in all parts of the Globe , its advantages as an advertising medium can therefore scarcely be overrated . For terms , position , Sac ., apply to GEORGE KENNINO , 198 , Fleet-st .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

All Communications , Advertisements , & c , intended for insertion in the Number of the following Saturday , must reach the Office not later thar 12 o ' clock on Wednesday morninjr . J . J . S . —In London , about £ 5 5 s ., the lowest amount , f . J . S . had better find some Masonic friend to introduce him to a lodge . There is no other way . W . L . Lindsay Crawford , 579 , S . C ., and "An Honorary Member , " in our next . The following communications stand over : — Metropolitan Lodge , 1507 . Alexandra Palace Lodge , 1541 . St . John Operative Lodge , 347 , Rutlierglcii . BOOK RECEIVED . — "Effects of Inspiration , " by Bro . Logan D . H . Russell . ( Review next week . ) NEWSPAPERS AND MAOA / IXI : S : —" Weekly Cmirant , " Columbia , Pa . -, " Keystone , " Philadelphia ; " The Craftsman ; " the "Whitehall Review . "

Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

[ The charge is 2 S . fid . for announcements , not exceeding four lines , under this heading . ] BIRTHS . BENNETT . —On the 2 <; th ult ., at The Chestnuts , South Norwood Park , the wife of FYedk . Bennett , Esq ., of a daughter .

Bum . —On the 21 st ult ., at Chailewood-road , Putney , the wife of G . A . Bird , of a son . ST . AUBYN . —On the 24 th ult ., at Stokefleming Rectory , South Devon , the wife of the Rev . E . St . Aubyn , of a son . STRICKLAND . —On lhc 2 O 1 I 1 ulr ., at Beckenhani , Kent ,

the wile of W . C Strickland , Esq ., of a son . THOMPSON . —On the 27 th ult ., at Wiltshire-road , Brixton , the wife of S . Thompson , jun .. of a son . WEUU . —On the 29 th ult ., at Maple-road , Pciige , Mrs . Webb , of a son .

MARRIAGES . ANDHEWS—SIIARPUS . —On the 23 rd ult ., at ' All Saint ' s , Fulham , Walter William Andrews , of Brighton , to Angelir . e Blanche , daughter of the late T . Sharpus , Esq ., of Knightsbridge . FISKE—NEWBY . —On the 23 rd ult ., at St . Giles's , Camberwell , Robert , son of F . R . Fiske , of Norwich , to

llarriette Emma , daughter of W . Newby , of Pukhani-rye . THUBSTON—SEOLEY . —On the 25 th ult ., at Alvcr > toke , Hants , John Horatio Thurston , Esq ., of Kingston , Thornbury , to Ellen Elizabeth , daughter of the late Major J . S . Sedley , of Alverstoke .

WIM . INOTON—LUMI . EY . —On the 27 th ult ., at St . Matthias' , West Brompton , by the Rev . Henry Westall , Charles Edward Wil ington , second son of Dr . Willington , of South Kensington , to Mary Lumley , eldest daughter of the late George Henry Lumley , Esq ., of Kei . t . No cards . DEATHS .

FEUMOR-HESKETII . —On the 28 th ult ., Bro . Sir Thomas Henry Fermop-Hesketh , aged 30 . FORDUAM . —On the 21 st April , at the residence of his cousin , F . Rowland , Esq ., London , Ontario , Canada ,

Robert btirtevant W . Fordham , the only son of the late R . J . Fordham , of Leyton , Essex . S 1111 . UON . —On the 24 th ult ., at Rycote Lodge , Clevedon , Caroline , daughter of the late R . Sheldon , aged 45 . THOMAS . —On the 26 th ult ., at Chichester-road-villas , N . W ., Clara Emily , daughter of R . Thomas , Esq , aged 19 .

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The Freemason , SATURDAY , J 3 , 1876 .

How Shall We Best Celebrate Our Grand Master's Return?

HOW SHALL WE BEST CELEBRATE OUR GRAND MASTER'S RETURN ?

Several opinions may be . expressed on this very interesting topic , and we do not claim for anything that we are about to say either the tone of dogmatism or the attribute of infallibility . There are difficulties no doubt attendant on any very large gathering- of uur Order , whether at the Crystal or the Alexandra Palace , or elsewhere ,

and of course much would have to depend on the view our Grand Master himself takes of the matter in all its bearings , Masonic and otherwise . But Grand Lodge meets on June 7 th , and it is clear that , failing any larger assembly for the purpose of grattilation and loyal welcome to our Grand Master , some notice must be tnken of this unusual and striking event in tiie annals of

Freemasonry . Accordingly , two notices are on the agenda naper for June 7 th with reference to this subject—the first by our esteemed and distinguished Bro . John Havers , P . G . W ., the other by our worthy Bro . P . G . C . R . J . Simpson . By the first notice the Grand Lodge would record

its grateful recognition on its own minutes of our beloved Grand Master ' s return , and in order to commemorate fitl y so happy an event would give £ 1000 to the fund for the restoration of St . Alban ' s Cathedral and a £ " iooo for the

completion of St . Paul ' s . Bro . ' Simpson ' s motion would lead to a service at St . Paul ' s in grateful remembrance of this glad event , and would also grant i £ iooa to be devoted to some Indian charitable purpose , to be approved of by the Grand Master . With all deference to our

worthy brother , the P . G . C , we incline to think , and to think strongly—and we therefore feel bound honestly to say so—that the motion of P . G . W . John Havers most commends itself to our feelings , alike of Masonic loyalty and to every Masonic sentiment in us , as a speculative

anil nccepted brotherhood to . iliy . It mav , indeed , be argued by some , we think illogically , that as Freemasonry is professedly neutral on all matters of religious distinction or denominational teaching il ought not , even by implication or indirectly , ever seek to identify itself

with any one religious body . But the fallacy of such an argument lies in this . We are not proposing to make any such donation to St . Alban ' s Cathedral , or St . Paul ' s Cathedral , because they are the churches of a religious body . We are not suggesting by our vote that we in

any way identify ourselves with the Church of England , or any other aggregation of religionists , but we vote the money as Freemasons towards a religious work , by whomsoever carried on , and because both these cathedrals specially a-pyual to us as historical landmarks in the annals and

atchreology of our great Order . For be it remembered here why no doubt P . G . W . Havers , with his customary ability and clearness of vision , has thought well to invoke the aid of the Grand Lodge of England to these two great undertakings . This is of course our way of looking at

the matter , an hypothesis of our own , and we do not presume to put anything forth as the actual theory of our brother the P . G . W ., not even to assume that such will be the able argument he will assuredly , " more suo , " adduce in support of the proposition . St . Albans is in all our legends

identified inseparably with the first effort of our operative Order , and all our later Masonic MSS ., from the 16 th century at any rate , mention St . Alban and the provincial Verulamiuin . That great and interesting cathedral contains mementoes both of Alban and Amphibalas , and no history

of our operative forefathers can be complete without recognition of the early connection of Alban with the operative guilds . And so St . Paul ' s is equally linked on , through Sir Christopher Wren , and the Masons who revived Freemasonry in 1717 ( from which revival the whole of existing

Freemasonry everywhere now takes its origin ) , with our great speculative brotherhood to-day . We cannot conceive a more fitting use of our funds for general purposes , we cannot ourselves realise any very serious opposition to such a wise and seasonable , such

How Shall We Best Celebrate Our Grand Master's Return?

a large-hearted , and , in our humble opinion , such a truly Masonic propi-i . il . Sonu tiixij ago our distinguished D . G . Master in his o . vn zealous province brought forward a proposal to aid in the restoration of Chester Cathedral , which was happily and heartily carried , and we then

ventured to point out how thoroughly Masonic , in our opinion , such a proposal was , and how untenable the objection to it on any supposed grounds of denominational preference . If our good brethren will seriousl y consider the matter they will see that the ground East

Lancashire took , and we took , is a perfectly Masonic and saTe one , viz , that we are not making the grant simply to a denominational body , as an act of denominational sympithy , but that we are making it as Freemasons , because our operative fathers built those verv cathedrals , and

we seek in our generation , and in our measure to aid to renovate and restore them . St . Alban ' s Cathedral was built , no doubt , by the then operative guild of Freemasons ; St . Paul ' s Cathedral was raised by those who formed part of the revival lodges of 17 17 , and who have

every claim on our respect and remembrance , on our great material prosperity to-day as a nourishing and purely speculative brotherhood . No more fitting recognition , we venture to repeat , can be made ol our gratitude and loyalty as an united fraternity than the proposal so seasonably

put forward , and we venture to express the hope and the belief that it will meet with unaninnus acceptance and approval on the part of Grand Ledge , sure as we are that it will be readily and enthusiastically endorsed by our intelligent

and educated Craft . We have every reason to believe , from what we know of the public Masonic career of our esteemed Bro . P . G . W . Havers , that he would have good cause Mr knowing that his resolution would receive the approval of H . R . H . the Grand Master .

Our Royal Brother King George Of Hanover.

OUR ROYAL BROTHER KING GEORGE OF HANOVER .

As loyal Fieemasons , we shall have notiee . l tlml thi « , lictir . gili ^ ll , »( l m , » mb <; r of rtur o - » v n llwYal Family , the Duke of Cumberland , an 1 also King George of Hanover , is now in England , on a visit alike to . Ju ' s native country , and the Queen , and the Royal Family . He is , we all ktnw , a

member of our Order , a P . G . M . of the Old Grand Lodge of Hanover , and as such merits , as he . will receive , a warm and sympathetic greeting from ourEnglish brotherhood . We , too , for whom alike the fortunes and movements of our Royal Family have always an abiding interest—we

are rejoiced to think how well this pleasant meeting of the Royal Family chimes in with the happy return of the Prince of Wales from India , and we are also p leased to note that amid thegijer lustre of the Court our Royal Family is ever so truly mindful of kindly association and all ' ectionate intercourse . We beg--as we know we represent the

feelings of our Order , always loyal , in bright as well as cloudy days—to express a hope that some opportunity may be accorded the Fraternity of expressing its respectful attachment and regard for this distinguished member of our Royal Family , a sincere and earnest member of our ancient Craft .

The Mysteries Of Freemasonry.

THE MYSTERIES OF FREEMASONRY .

We are not a little amused at the evident embarrassment into which the reviewer in our good contemporary , the " Guardian , " has recently fallen when writing upon the " Aporreta" ot Freemasonry . He is reviewing the "

Discrepancies of Freemasonry , " & c , a posthumous work of Bro . Dr . Oliver , recently published by Bro . Hogg , and though he writes a longish review , and sajs a good deal , it is quite clear , to use a common

p hrase , that he hardly knows what to make of it all . He seems to be startled at the fact that there are any discrepancies in a subject which is clearly one of those things which a " fellah '

can ' t be expected to understand . And he soon , therefore , becomes lost in the abysses of confusion worse confounded , of unsolvable doubts , of a hopeless dilemma . It is even inexplicable to him , alike , why any discrepancies should exist