Bro. Caubet's Remarks About Bro. Hervey.

powerful Grand Secretary . " Now , we wish t ° say at once , that Bro . Caubet , in writing in this way , commits a grave " betise , " to use a French expression , and shows alike bad manners and an un-Masonic temper . It is this overhand bullying position , assumed by a bellicose party

in tho Grand Orient , that all Anglo-Saxon Masons object to and protest against . Let Bro . Caubet rest assured that Bro . Hervey represents the unanimous feeling of all Freemasons in this country , for it is quite clear that Bro . Caubet is little aware how very much the unwise

proceedings of the Grand Orient of France have alarmed all sincere Masons , who are zealously attached to their good old Order . These proceedings , let him bear in mind , are regarded by all thinking Masons as a miserable playing into the hands of the Ultramontane faction , by

the folly and restlessness of an able but advanced party , which is resolutely bent on fulfilling Bishop Dupanloup ' s prophecy , and declaring French Freemasonry before the world " Sans Dieu . " We have heard lately of the " Morale sans Dieu , " now we are to have

" La Maconnerie Sans Dieu , " severed , from that profession of faith in the G . A . O . T . U . which is an universal formula of Freemasons , and a necessary pre-requisite of admission all through the world into our religious and Masonic brotherhood . Wd would earnestly advise Bro .

Caubet , in all good will , to change his tone when he speaks again of one so highly respected as Bro . Hervey is amongst us , and to listen to his warning words while there is yet time . The English Grand Lodge is not at all likely to excommunicate French Freemasons or any one

else , and no one has a right to speak in its name , or say what it will do , or what it will not do , until it acts " proprio motu , " and '' proprio vigore . " Bro . Hervey , who is not only the most clear but the most cautious of speakers , did not profess to address his brethren

officially , but only as Bro . John Hervey . It is needless to add , not only how weighty always are his words , replete with scund good common sense and Masonic teaching , but how much they are valued by his brethren all . We who doubt , as dots Bro . Hervey , if the Grand Orient deliberately

removes the words relating to the existence of God and the immortality of the soul , from its formula :, whether English , Scotch , Irish , Canadian , or American Freemason will enter its lodges . The isolation spoken of by Bro . Behr and others , in the Grand Orient will become assuredly a " fait

accompli , " for French Freemasonry , and we therefore hope , that , before it is " trop tard , " the dominant party in the French Grand Orient will see the great unwisdom of the step they have taken . We thank Bro . Hervey for his

courageous and seasonable observations , and we feel sure that there will be but one sentiment of approval of and agreement with Bro . Hervey by all who heard them , by all who have perrused them , by any who now read these humble remarks of ours .

The Statistics Of Masonry.

THE STATISTICS OF MASONRY .

The statistics of Freemasonry are very interesting to the Masonic student , and though it has been said that you can prove anything by statistics , yet despite the sarcasm of some , and the objections of others , they are very important adjuncts to all proper studies of

civilized life , just as they point out to us , to a great extent at any rate , the true condition of peoples and the onward progress of the world . It has occurred to us that it would not be an uninteresting topic on this our first issue of the New Year , if we called attention to the

desirability of Masonic statistics generally . It would be a very good thing , we shall all agree , if wecould have a synoptical view of the statistics of our great Masonic family . We are not aware , how ever , of any authoritative list of the number of English , Scotch , or Irish Masons , or of our dependencies , and therefore all that

wa can put forvyard at present is but a quite approximate calculation at the best . It is just possible that we might from the provincial r eturns obtain an account of all our brethren in the provinces , but we are not aware of any metropolitan returns , nor do we know of any Scotch or Irish returns , or Colonial returns . In

The Statistics Of Masonry.

West Yorkshire , indeed , we know that there are 63 lodges and 3047 brethren , and , as we said before , we might no doubt easily multiply these returns . If the West Yorkshire returns may be taken as an average representation of lodge strength amongst us that would give us a little under 50 members

per lodge . Whether this average is a little too hi gh or a little too low is , we think , an open question . As at this moment we are well forward to 1700 lodges , under the English Constitution , we fancy that we are not far wrong if we consider 100 , 000 to represent the members of

our English Constitution . Some , however , say that the numbers range much higher . We doubt it . In Scotland there are 506 lodges nominally , ( not all , we fear , in Masonic life ) , and in Ireland 1014 is the last on the list , though many

intervening lodges are dormant and wanting . It is therefore difficult to speak positively , but we fancy that about 20 , 000 in each country will represent the actual Masonic msmbers . Some think this estimate

too-high . We shall be glad to have , therefore , correct returns . In India , for instance , as a proof of the difficulty of the question , we believe that there are lodges under the three Constitutions , though the exact number is not so far

accurately made out . As an approximate numeration , we understand thatthere are between 90 and 100 warranted lodges in India proper , and the adjacent eastern countries . In the United States and Canada the following seem to be reliable statistical returns . —

LODGES . MEMBER * . Alabama 300 8 , 805 Arkansas 300 9 . 413 British Columbia 10 275 California 201 UA ^ H

Canada 313 15 , 934 Colorado 27 1 , 204 Connecticut 120 i 5 > 3 t Dakota 6 ...

Delaware x 27 1 , 167 District of Columbia 24 2 , 76 4 Florida 54 2 , 16 4 Georgia 300 15 , 168 Idaho 10 285 Illinois 735 40 , 468

Indiana 447 27 , 58 4 Indian Territory 4 131 Iowa 306 17 , 214 Kansas 124 6 , 146 Kentuck y 586 21 , 594 Louisiana 155 6 , 99 1

Maine 178 19 , 139 Manitoba 8 ... Maryland 17 a 5 > 575 Massachusetts ... 210 26 , 107 Michigan 331 26 , 057 Minnesota 104 5 , 967

Mississippi 307 11 , 205 Missouri 445 22 , 822 Montana 20 656 Nebraska 40 2 , 268 Nevada 18 M 45 New Brunswick ... 30 2 , 209

New Hampshire bg hi New Jersey 138 12 , 013 New York 740 80 , 701 North Carolina , 350 12 , 06 9 Nova Scotia 70 3 , 295 Ohio 498 30 , 698

Oregon 66 2 , 071 Pennsylvania 501 38 , 137 Prince Edward Island X . . . Quebec 37 2 , 704 Rhode Island 30 4 , 069 South Carolina 175 7 , 435 Tennessee 4 8 c 17 , 994

fexas 215 17 , 959 Utah 10 36 ^ Vermont 100 8 , 39 6 Virginia State 233 9 , 3 ° 6 Washington Territory 25 713 West Virginia 119 2 , 236 Wisconsin 200 10 , 153 Wyoming 4 232

Totals . ,. „ , ' 10 , 21 5 595 . io 8 In France there are 298 lodges under the Grand Orient , and in all probability about from 20 , 000 to 30 , 000 Masons . There

The Statistics Of Masonry.

is also the Grand Lod ge of Misraim and the A . and A . Rite , so that it has been said that there are in France from 50 , 000 to 60 , 000 Masons of all categories . We think the number exaggerated . In Belgium the lodges only number 7 , and there are about 1200 brethren . In Holland there are

about 80 lodges , and it is said from 6000 to 9000 brethren . In Germany there are , we believe , under the 8 Grand Lodges and 5 independent lodges , in round numbers altogether about 330 lodges and about 37 , 000 brethren , but when we come to consider the Grand Lodges of

"Alpina , " Hungary ( 2 ) , Denmark , Sweden and Norway , Spain , Portugal , Greece , the Grand Orient of Egypt , Peru and Brazil , Venezuela , Liberia , the several bodies in Italy , the Argentine Republic , Columbia , South Africa , Hayti , Mexico , New Grenada , we see the need of reliable statistical returns . We shall be most happy , then ,

to receive any returns that our readers and brethren are kind enough to send us , and to publish them carefully in the Freemason . We think all will agree with us that the time has come when we should be able , without exaggeration or error , to point with just confidence to the correct "numbering " of our great Masonic family in all paits of the known world .

Especial Grand Lodge.

ESPECIAL GRAND LODGE .

We are unable to do more than record in another page the proceedings of the Special Grand Lodge on Wednesday evening . We shall devote a leader to the important subject next week .

Returns Of Our Charities,.

RETURNS OF OUR CHARITIES ,.

We call attention in another column to an " outside " article representative of the result of our Masonic charitable exertions for 1876 , and , though we have alluded to the subject before , we deem it so important and interesting to the brethren that we shall advert to it again next week .

Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS .

The annual Twelth-Ni ght entertainment to the children who remain in the school during the Christmas holidays , was given on Friday evening . We shall give a full report of the proceedings in our next issue , as they took place too late for the present number of the Freemason .

Reviews.

Reviews .

THE HISTORY or THE PIANOFORTE . B y EUOAR BRINS - MEAD . —Cassell , Petter , and Galpin . We have perused this little book with much pleasure . It gives us a great deal of interesting information on a subject about which few of us know much . Remembering to what a pitch of excellence the pianoforte has reached

among us , will it surprise s' me of our readers to hear that it is a very modern invtntion ? But we recommend our brethren to purchase the little book for themselves '; we can guarantee them a pleasant hour of reading , a good deal of information , kindly told , about what " a fellar ought to know . "

DIGEST or THE ELEMENTARY EDUCATION- ACT . By BRO . H . MARTIN GREEN . —Shaw and Sons . We can conscientiously recommend this carefully compiled Digest of the Elementary Education Act , by Bro . Green to the notice . of all who are interested in that most important question . It contains a great deal of valuable information in a very little space , and will be a great helto all who dislike to

p wade through thc sections of an Act of Parliament , and rather distrust their own power to understand the technicalities of our legislative English . As these sometimes puzzle our judges , they may well alarm those who are not lawyers , and we . therefore thank Bro . Green for his useful manual , which vve commend to the notice of all who have anything to do with school - boards in particular or education in general .

EAST ANGLIAN HAND -BOOK . Argus Office , Norwich . We received this annual hand-book last year , and can repeat our favourable opinion and commendation of it this . It will be especially interesting and useful to agriculturists , and we think we can fairly predict for it a large circulation . We wish it all success .

SCOTTISH MASONIC CALENDAR FOR 1877 . Our publisher has put out this useful little Calendar , price 3 d ., by post 4 d ., for our brethren in the " Land o ' Cakes . " It is very well arranged and printed . It ought to have a large sale , and every member of the fraternity in Scotland ought to buy one at once . " Verbum sat sapient ! latomo . "