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To ADVERTISERS . THE Circulation of THE FREEMASON being now at the rate of nearly Ilalf-a-milliou \ isi- annum > offers peculiar facilities to all who advertise . It is well known that the Fraternity of Freemasons is 11 large and constantly increasing body , mainly composed of the influential and educated classes of society ; and as The Freemason is now the accepted organ ofthe Brotherhood in the United Kingdom , and also enjoys an extensive sale in the colonies nnd foreign parts , its advantages as an advertising medium can scarcely be overrated . For terms apply to GEORGE KENNING , 2 , 3 , & 4 , LITTLE BRITAIN , LONDON , E . C .

Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

DEA TIIS . BOYS . —On the 29 th , ult ., at his residence , Margate , in the 55 th year of his age , Bro . John Harvey Boys , P . M . 127 , P . Z . 30 ° , and P . D . P . G . M . of Kent . ROLLES . —At the Hendre , Monmouth , AA ' . Bro . J . AV . Etherington Rolles , P . G . Master for Monmouth .

All communications for THE FREEMASON should be written legibly , on one side of thc paper only , and , if intended for insertion in the current number must be received not later than 10 o'clock a . m . on Thursdays , unless in very special cases . The name and address of every writer must be sent to us in confidence .

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The Freemason , SATURDAY , J 4 1 S 70 . THE FREEMASON is published on Saturday Mornings in time for he early trains . The price of THE FREEMASON is Twopence per week ; quarterly lubscription ( including postage ) 3 s . 3 d . Annual Subscription , 12 .. Subscriptions payable in advance . All communications , letters , & c , to be addressed to the EDITOR , 2 , 3 , and -j . Little IJritain , E . C . The Editor will pay careful attention to all MSS . entrusted to him but cannot undertake to return them unless accompanied by postage ¦ tamps .

A Masonic Lifeboat.

A MASONIC LIFEBOAT .

FOR some time past Ave have studiously refrained from commenting- upon the various statements put forward in reference to socalled rival schemes for the purchase of a

Masonic Lifeboat , and Ave have done so notwithstanding the appeals that have been made to us to pronounce an opinion on the subject . Certain remarks which were

introduced into thc report of a meeting of the Faith Lodge of Instruction , and which appeared in our last issue , induce us to break this silence , as in the first place AVC

consider that the observations so published are in some respects inaccurate , and in others umvarranted . The facts of the case appear to be simply these : —A movement

was originated some time ago by a brother whose name it is unnecessary to mention , with the object of presenting to the National Life Boat Institution a new boat , as the

result of contributions from the Craft . This very laudable scheme met with considerable success , and if we are rightly informed , a large sum was collected , but up to the present

moment no complete - account ofthe actual sums received has been published , so that with the exception of an amount of £ 52 18 s . 6 d . paid over to the Life Boat

Institution , the subscribers to that Masonic Life Boat Fund allege that they are in total ignorance as to the application of their moneys , or the progress which has been

made towards the realisation ofthe proposed object . Now , we have ourselves no reason whatever to suppose that any portion of the

subscriptions to the Fund has not been applied as intended by the benevolent donors , and moreover , we believe that the

A Masonic Lifeboat.

amount said to have been collected is greatly exaggerated . Be this , however , as it may , the reticence observed by , and the seeming inactivity of , the original promoters . of the

scheme do not appear to . have advanced the interests ofthe Masonic Life Boat Fund . A second project of a similar nature has accordingly been started , under the auspices

of brethren with whom we have the pleasure of acquaintance , and on whose integrity and zeal we can very confidently rely . These brethren have made a very fair

beginning—they have already secured a respectable nucleus of over £ 100 , and it only requires an united effort on the part of the Fraternity in England to render the labours ofthe newly-formed committee atriumphant

success . Shall it be said of English Freemasons , that they were found deaf to such a call ? or that any petty jealousies were allowed

to militate against the promotion of so praiseworthy an undertaking ? In a great maritime country like Great Britain , whose wealth and prosperity are so intimately connected with her commerce in distant

seas , a vast number of the population are necessarily engaged in seafaring pursuits , and brave the dangers of the deep in every quarter of the globe .

Among these men , and especially in the superior ranks , there are many brethren of the mystic tie , and many have proved themselves true and faithful Masons . It is on

their behalf we plead , remembering that while we do good to all , the " household of the faithful " should be our especial care . Let us not forget that in every storm that

howls around our rock-bound coasts a brother may be perishing for want of that aid which it is within our power to extend to him . Let us not forget that the sailor toils and strives while other men can take

their ease and sleep , and that without his agency we should be deprived of many of those comforts which render life a pleasure and not a pain . It is , however , a subject

which commends itself to every British heart , and we need not make any special appeal to feelings which are ever easily aroused in thc breasts of Nelson ' s and

Franklin s countrymen . To Masons , however , we address our remarks , in the hope that they will speedily efface the reproach now so frequently heard

that a large and wealthy body like the Masonic Fraternity are unable to achieve what the Oddfellows , the Foresters , the Licensed Victuallers—nay , even the Sunday

School children , have long ago accomplished . If there be any vitality in the original scheme , by all means let it be made known to the Craft , and wc are satisfied that it

will be generously supported ; but if its promoters feel that tlieir prospects of success are but limited , why should not the two funds be united , and a joint appeal be made

to the brethren at large by both committees ? The first matter to be settled , will be to declare thc grand total received by the two bodies , so that all may know how much remains to be done in furtherance of the

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object . United action will then , beyond question , ensure the rapid success of the movement , and the Freemasons of England will have the satisfaction of placing on one

of our dangerous coasts a Lifeboat , to be named after the Masonic Institution . We must , therefore , strongly deprecate the use of such language as that at the Faith Lodge

of Instruction , it being our decided opinion that a committee , whether self-constituted or not , which meets for a good purpose , deserves at least respect , if not more

substantial aid . The suggestions which we now offer are made in a friendly and fraternal spirit , and we hope they will be accepted as such by the brethren concerned ,

to whom every praise is due for their past exertions . Our desire is simply to elicit the truth , and we can safely promise , that

when the present cloud of doubt is removed , the Brotherhood will not be long without an actual Masonic Life Boat .

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

Multum in Parbo , or Masonic Notes and Queries .

—?—In yoitr last week's issue I observed a note as to the the formation of a lodge in Scotland where no banquets were to be allowed out of the lodge funds , and for the information of your

correspondent I have to inform him that the Eclectic Lodge meeting at Freemasons' Hall , London , No . 1201 is founded on that principle , and the lodge has agreed to forfeit the warrant should the rule be infringed . ALPHA .

THE RED CROSS ORDER . I have read " R . W . L . 's " communication at page 259 with pleasure . Not with pleasure that the institution is no longer " the only legitimate representative of the Order in the world , " but

with the gratification which every honourable correspondent must feel when he finds that his friendly antagonist in the inquiry , after re-consideration of his grounds of belief , candidly and openly admits that the position of the Order

must now be limited to the same amount of public acceptance as that of other branches of the Masonic system which are content to rest their claims upon Masonic rights alone . I hope I have successfully avoided any expressions in

my letters which could give offence to the Order as a Masonic body , or to its members individually , and I thank " R . W . L . " for his courteous share of a correspondence of which the candid conclusion does him honour .

I confess that I am still curious upon a few points , but I have no desire to force the correspondence or weary your readers . I therefore take leave of the subject , and will trust to the chance of my curiosity being gratified at a future time through some private source . LUPUS .

THE OPERATIVE MASONS AND SPECULATIVE MASONRY . In the excellent " Knight Templar Jottings " by your most esteemed correspondent Bro . W . J . Hughan , at page 253 , the author uses the following words : " The Operative Masonic body

from which we are descended . " Now , I question that statement , and challenge Bro . Hughan to prove that we are descended from the Operative Masons . No doubt Operative Masons " existed long before Knight Templary , " but

these old Operative Masons neither knew aught of , nor practised , our system of Freemasonry ; and , further , when this system was manufactured , about A . D . 1717 , it was not the Operative

Masons who made it , but certain gentlemen who were not tradesmen . Hence I ask Bro . Hughan to prove that we are descended from the Operative Masons . LEO .