Weekly Summary.

"the- Himalayas must be when clothed with such flowers . The Lord Mayor and the Lady Mayoress entertained Major-General Sir Garnet Wolseley , together with Colonel Sir Archibald Alison , Colonel McLeod , Colonel Mostyn , and the

whole ofthe officers who have returned from the Ashantee Expedition , at a grand banquet in the Egyptian } Hall of the Mansion House , on Tuesday evening , at seven o ' clock . A distinguished company was invited to meet the officers on the occasion , including , among

others , his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , H . R . H . the Commander-in-Chief , H . R . H . Prince Arthur , Mr . Gathorne Hardy , the Secretary for War , and Mr . Ward Hunt , the first Lord of the Admiralty , and Viscount Cardwcll . The Dean and Chapter of St . Paul ' s have

received the liberal gift of j /^ oo Completion Fund of St . Paul ' s Cathedral , from Mrs . Comber , of Worthing . POST OFFICE TELEGRAPHS . —The following statement shows the total number of messages forwarded from postal telegraph stations in the United Kingdom dnring the week ending the

21 st of March , 1874 , and during the corresponding week of 1873 : —Week ending March 21 , 1874 , 343 , 09 8 ; week ending March 22 , 1873—305 , 508 ; increase in the week of 1874 on that of 1873 , 37 , 590 . The estimates for the fiscal year 1874-75 compare as follows with ' the Estimates for preceding year : —

1873-74 . 1874-75 . e £ r .

Army Estimates 14 , 416 , 100 14 , 485 , 300 Navy Estimates 9 , 8 99 , 725 10 , 179 , 485 Civil Service Estimates 11 , 593 , 4 11 , 286 , 978 Revenue Department ( cost of collection and postal service ) 7 , 451 , 103 7 , r 13 , 68 %

^ Total 43 , 359 , 942 43 , 465 . 44 6 The total for 1874-75 ' ^ . » S ° A- more than in 1873-74 . It is estimated that on the Army account there will be Exchequer extra receipts in 1874-75 amounting to £ 1 , 191 , 500 , reducing the net charge for Army services for that year to £ 13 , 293 , 800 .

THE HOSPITAL FOR INCURABLES . —The iSth anniversary of this institution was held last evening at the London Tavern . Lord George Hamilton , M . P ., presided , and the company included Mr . J . D . Allcroft , the Rev . W . P . Pearce , Mr . Alderman Ellis , Mr . Thomas Kc-1-say , the Rev . T . W . Aveling , the Rev . Herbert

Williams , Mr . George Norbury , the Rev . E . J . Rogers , and Mr . C . W . C . Hutton . The Royal Hospital for Incurables , situate at West-hill , Putney Heath , was founded in the year 18 54 , for the relief , during the remainder of life , of persons above the pauper class suffering from incurable

maladies , and thereb y disqualified for the duties of life . In this respect the institution differs essentially from ordinary hospitals , as its action only commences where theirs necessaril y ceases . For persons needing a home an asylum is provided j medical attendance , nursing , and

domestic comforts are supplied ; and an endeavour is made to alleviate suffering , and to cheer the life from which health has departed . To persons having a home , but without the means of support , a pension of ^ 20 a year is granted . Since its foundation , in 1854 , elections had been

held twice a year , and at the present time there were 151 inmates and 319 pensioners . This might seem a large number of people for a single charity to support , but the fact was that at the present moment there were no fewer than 200 candidates waiting to participate in tlie

advantages either of the hospital or of the pensions , lhe cost of maintaining a hospital for incurables was necessarily higher than that of ordinary hospitals . The balance-sheet of the past year showed that nearly , __ £ ' 16 , 000 was expended in maintaining the [ hospital and in granting

pensions . These annual meetings of the friends of the institution were held , not merely to express sympathy with the object of the hospital , but in order to collect subscriptions for its support . The noble Chairman ' s appeal was followed by an announcement by the secretary ( Mr . Frederic Andrew ) of subscriptions amounting in the ag-

Weekly Summary.

gregate to £ 2 , 000 : The proceedings of the evening were enlivened by the performance of a selection of vocal music , under the direction of Mr . T . Baxter . Deputy Stapleton has given notice of his intention to propose the following resolution at

the next meeting of the Court of Common Council : — " That the honorary freedom of the City of London , with a sword of the value of 150 guineas , be presented to Major-General Sir Garnet Joseph Wolseley , C . B ., K . C . M . G ., in recognition of his gallant services in the

British army , and especially in reference to the distinguished ability and gallantry displayed by him in his command of the expeditionary force to the Gold Coast , by which he destroyed the power of the Ashantee nation and obtained results conducive to peace , commerce , and civilization on the continent of Africa . And this

Court desires also to record its admiration of the patient endurance of hardship exhibited , and the valuable co-operation and assistance rendered to Sir Garnet Wolseley by Captain Glover and Commodore Hewett , and the gallant men of both services and of all arms engaged in the expedition . "

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ Wc do not hold ourselves responsible for , or even as approving of , the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish , iu a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . — Lj _» . ] THE OLD MELROSE LODGE .

To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — Various brethren having expressed themselves in connection with this subject in your columns , I may say that I also vvas thinking of taking part in it . It so happens however , that

Bro . Stratford and others have opened up the subject in the Glasgow daily papers , and in said papers special reference was made to what has been said in your own columns upon the subject . I took the liberty to reply to what your

correspondents said , and in order that none of them may say that I have attacked them unknowingly , I beg to append a copy of my remarks , and if I am wrong in any point I am quite open to correction .

I am , Yours fraternally , MASONICUS . Glasgow , March 24 . FATHER MELROSEAND MOTHER KILWINNING . To the Editor of the North British Daily Mail . Sir , —Perhaps you will allow me to say

a few words in reply to tlie remarks of " Fraternal Justice" and of Mr . Stratford , R . W . M ., of Melrose St . John ' s , No . 1 , and as they are both upon the same side , what does for one will serve for both . Mr . Stratford in closing , particularly recommended me to read " Masonic

Relics , " in The Freemason of March 7 th , & c . Well , I did so , and must confess that I laughed heartily over them ; my mirth , however , was not unmixed with sadness , for it was simply the old story over again . A brother who knows little or nothing of the subject rushes boldly into the

forefront of the battle , ready and able , as he supposes , to carry everything before him ; but , poor man , he will soon find that the weapons he wields are now of little real value . To come forward now with a recapitulation of the mushroom legends promulgated in connection with

Melrose and Kilwinning , simply proves that the credulity of the writer is far in excess of his knowledge . To say as much as that Melrose is the Adam of Scottish Free masonry , while Kilwinning is its Eve , is certainly most amusing . hi this case , too , thev tell us that the Masonic

Adam was four years older than his Eve , and , ergo , he is , of course , entitled to precedence . To speak more plainly , I may mention that the Melrose legend tells us that the Melrose lodge was instituted at the building of Melrose Abbey in A . D . 1136 , four years , we are told , before the Kilwinning Lodge , which they say was first

established at the building of Kilwinning Abbey ( in A . D . 1140 ) , with one John Murdoat its head as their Grand Master pro . tun . In proof of this , the Melrose Masons point to the extant ruins of their old abbey , which ruins they say are what remains of the structure erected in 1136 . Upon examining the ruins , however , and

Original Correspondence.

also their contemporary history , we find that they tell a very different story . Instead of being built in 1136 , the standing portions actually say that they were not placed in situ before the fourteenth century , and , instead of John Murdo either living in 1136 , or being " Grand Master" then ,

we lind upon perusing the bit of autobiography written by himself upon the old abbey stones still extant , that he was living about the year 1400 A . D ., and earnestly engaged superintending certain repairs then going on . We also find that , instead of placing Melrose in the first place on the roll of his operative Masonic charges , he

actually puts it third , and after Glasgow ! So , Bro . Stratford , " Fraternal Justice , " and "An English , French , and Scottish Mason , " what do you think of that ? I dare say that may be " more light " to you , and as as good as an extra degree ! In case you don ' t believe me , however , I shall quote Mr . Murdo ' s own words . He says : —

" John Morow sum tym callit was I , And born in Paris certanly , And had in keeping all Mason werk Of St Andrews the high kirk ,

Of Glasgu , Melrose , and Paslay , Of Nyddysdale and of Gal way . t Pray to God and Mary baith And sweet Sanct John tae keep this haly kirk fra skaith . "

I think I need hardly say more to show how entirely inconsistent the Melrose legend is with fact ; and seeing , as I said , that Murdo placed Melrose after Glasgow in the fourteenth century , the Grand Lodge of Scotland may perhaps follow suit and place it after it in the nineteenth , and

as Glasgow St . John ' s is No . 3 bis , Melrose might manage to get No . 3 ter . Then as to bouncing about the grand working of this Melrose Lodge , I should like to know when and where it got hold of the ceremonies it now practises ? In my opinion it did not know anything of them until after the institution of

the Grand Lodge of Scotland m 1 736 ; and when it did get them , it was only by copying them from the working of some of the other lodges . Further , it has struck me that the reason why the Melrose Lodge did not join in forming the Grand Lodge of Scotland in 1736 was because it was then dormant . If I be

wrong in this latter point , I shall be happy to acknowledge it upon proper proof shown . And if the Melrose Masons really wish to set themselves right with the public , let them accept such an offer as that made by one of the first Masonic historians in the world—Bro . W . J . Hughan , of

Truro—who , in the Fteemasoii for February 21 st , 1874 , offers to pay the expense-of an examination into their records . If they have any old minute books , & c , the sooner they send them to him the better . If , however , they think Truro too far away , perhaps our Scottish Masonic

historian—Bro . D . Murray Lyon—might be induced to examine them . In regard to the question of the propriety of the members of lodges under the Grand Lodge of Scotland visiting the Melrose Lodges , the following words , contained in the Freemason for March 7 th , to which Mr .

Stratford referred me , support what I said , viz ., " The authority of the Grand Lodge of Scotland is unquestionable over the lodges which united to form it , and over the new lodges to which it has granted charters . " Now , if such be the

case , as I think it is , the members of lodges under the Grand Lodge of Scotland have no right to violate their obligations and disobey the proper orders of their Grand Lodge . That some —possibly in ignorance—may do so does not

prove it to be rig ht . There are many thieves in the country , e . g ., but that simple fact is no pi oof that stealing is either lawful or expedient . —I am , & -C , MASONICUS .

March 21 st . MASONIC LITERATURE . To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , —

I see in this day s I ' reemason a remark which is a covert " rap" at brethren who discontinue taking in the paper . Now , as I am not one of those , I may with some show of fair-( ness say a word for them . I cannot help