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NOTICE . The Subscription to THE FREEMASON is now ios . per annum , post-free , payable in advance . Vol . I ., bound in cloth 4 s . 6 d . Vol , II ., ditto 7 s . 6 d . Vol . HI ., ditto 15 s . od . Vol . IA ., ditto ] 15 s . od . Reading - Cases to hold 52 numbers ... 2 s . 6 d . United States of America . THE FREEMASON is delivered free in any part of the United States for 12 s . per annum , payable in advance .

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NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS . The Office of THE FREEMASON is now transferred to 198 , FLEET-STREET , E . C . All communications for the Editor or Publisher should therefore be forwarded to that address .

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lusfoicrs to iSoiTCspnbents . AM communications for Thc Freemason should be written legibly on one side of tbe paper only , and , if intended for insertion in tbe 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 , gjfrtjjs , tflamagcg anb gltfrtjjs . DEATHS . MILLWARD . —March 21 st . aged 41 , Bro . Joseph Millward , of the Royal Oak Inn , Halifax , of the St . James ' s Lotige , No . 448 . WHITAKER . —March 23 rd . aged 27 , suddenly , at Greenhill Terrace , Halifax , Bro . Richard Whitaker , J . AV . of the Prince Frederick Lodge , No . 30 ; , and J . D . of thc Dc Warren Lodge , No . 1302 . The deceased brother leaves a widow , and four children , the youngest being only a few horns old at its father ' s death , lie was a member oi the firm of R . Whitaker and Sons , of the Seedlings' Mount Brewery , Halifax .

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TheFreemason, SATURDAY , APRIL 6 , 1 S 72 . The Freemason is published on Saturday Mornings in time for the early trains . The price of thc Freemason is Twopence per week ; annual subscription , ios . ( payable in advance . ) All communications , letters , & c ., to be addressed to the Kditor , io * , Fleet-street , li . C . The Editor will pay careful attention to all MSS . entrusted tohim , but cannot undertake to return them unless accompanied by postage •tamps .

The Grand Lodge Of Scotland And Reform.

THE GRAND LODGE OF SCOTLAND AND REFORM .

BY BRO . WILLIAM J AMES HUGHAN . ( Supplement lo page 14 , J I have just had placed in my hands a copy ofthe circular , issued A . D . 1853 , respecting the "Fund of Scottish Masonic Benevolence . " As its

contents are not generally known , the Craft , especially in Scotland , will no doubt be glad to possess an exact transcript of the document . It appears the Fund was formed A . D . 18 4 6 ,

and in 1852 had an annual income of 6 ^ 23 8 19 s . id ., with a reserve capital of £ 650 . In the last printed report Ave have , ( or , are AAvare of ) issued A . D . 1870 , the ordinary income

was only jfe . 363 14 s . 41 I ., out of which amount but i £ g 3 5 s . od . Avere subscribed by the brethren , the remainder being made up of dues and interest . A special payment was made of ^ 128 4 s . 2 d ., by

Bro . Laurie , being balance of Masons' School for Female Children . The amount of invested Funds for some period being ^ 3 , 594 12 s . id . In The Freemason for Jan . 20 th ( p . 43 ) , is a

copy of the admirable circular , signed b y the Grand Master of Scotland , the Earl of Rosslyn , and which notices particularl y the " Fund of benevolence . " It is therein declared , that" whilst stand-

The Grand Lodge Of Scotland And Reform.

ing before the Avorld as an essentially Benevolent society , the Grand Lodges take but a very inferior position amongst the charitable institutions of Scotland . " It is the inferior position , in a

benevolent and financial point of view , of this Fund , that Ave so much deplore , and which is unworthy of the Scottish Craft . It can , AVC think , be soon remedied , however , by the adoption of annual

dues to the Grand Lodge , as in England , of say 2 s . per member , and the funds of the individual lodges might also aid in augmenting the General . Fund , provided in every case annual subscriptions

Avere payable , as in this country , in Ireland , and everyAvhere ( so far as Ave know ) else , Avhere Masonry flourishes . We have examined the reports of Grand Lodge from i 860 to the last issued , and find the following' have been the income and

invested Funds for the years named . ., Total Subscriptions Realized Income . by Brethren . Funds .

£ s . d . £ s . d . £ s . d . i 860 341 2 i 105 18 6 1750 9 8 1861 307 13 j 101 13 6 1937 7 o 1862 303 26 98 10 o 2082 17 6

1863 316 13 o 103 10 o 2310 77 1864 327 18 2 in 56 2345 11 5 1865 302 j 2 77 11 6 2505 7 8 1866 390 e 7 120 19 6 2653 10 e

1867 445 8 8 140 11 6 2888 16 8 1868 4 85 5 4 137 18 o 3201 14 3 1869 448 17 179 12 6 3472 12 7 1870 491 18 6 93 5 o 3594 12 1

We noAV append the " Memorandum , " and conclude by expressing our hope that the members of Grand Lodge of Scotland will support the Grand Master in his well-meant and earnest

enendeavour to institute reforms of much importance . Alemoranduni respecting the Origin , Objects , and Progress of the Fund of Scottish Alasonic

Benevolence , prepared by desire of the Alasonic Ball Commit lee of 1853 . Previous to the establishment in 18 46 of a committee for distributing the Charity Fund of

the Grand Lodge of Scotland in a regular and systematic form , the sums appropriated to that purpose were often given away in a loose and indiscriminate manner , Avithout any proper

investigation into the circumstances of each particular case , and , generally speaking , Avere bestowed upon a class of applicants , whose importunities ^ rather than there deserts , Avere too often , the

means of their obtaining relief . Under such a system , no real good could be effected , and no fund could be accumulated out of the interests or dividends , on which the Grand

Lodge could depend for a certain revenue to meet demands from deserving Members of the Craft , or their WidoAvs , or Orphans . To the enlightened philanthropy of Bro . Why

te-Melville , Deputy Grand Master Mason of Scotland , the Craft are indebted for thegreat improvement which has taken place in the mode of raising and distributing the Charity Fund ofthe

Grand Lodge . At his suggestion , the Grand Lodge , in August 1846 , organised the Fund of Benevolence , —devoting the same strictly to purposes of charity , and enacting a scale of

Annual Subscription , exigible from the Officers and Members of Grand Lodge , in order to support and extend the Fund .

The Fund Avas p laced under the control of a Committee , consisting of the Officers of the Grand Lodge , the Provincial Grand Masters , and

The Grand Lodge Of Scotland And Reform.

others , Avho Avere ordained to meet monthly to consider such applications as mi ght be submitted , and for the purpose of distribution .

Proper rules Avere at the same time laid down for the regulation ofthe Committee , and restrictions put upon the bestowal of too frequent aid on the same individual or individuals .

It may be mentioned , that not only is the Charity open to all Masons registered in the Books of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , their widows , or children , but Freemasons belongingto

other jurisdictions , whether of England , Ireland , Scotland , or foreign countries , are also qualified to participate in its benefits . Its sphere of operation , it Avill thus be seen , when the universal

character of Freemasonry is remembered , is sufficiently extensive ; consequently the Grand Lodge , in addition to the subscriptions which it required from its OAVII officers , etc ., invited

donations and subscriptions from its daughter lodges , in order to promote the efficiency of this , as a Central Fund for carrying out the charitable objects and principles of Freemasonry

in the C apital of Scotland . That invitation has in many cases been heartil y responded to , not only by daughter lodges , but

by benevolent individuals , interested in the prosperity of a charity so deserving of support and encouragement .

From the organisation of the Fund down to the present time , the Committee entrusted Avith its management , have ever studied to give effect to the objects and wishes of the Grand Lodge , and

to place the Institution upon a permanent foundation , so that in after years , it might be more extensively useful . They accordingly , so soon after its formation , as February , 18 47 , passed a by-law ,

ordaining " ten per cent of the moneys collected to be annually set apart to form a Sinking Fund for the purposes of the Institution , " making the interest only of that Sinking Fund applicable to

purposes of charity ; vi addition to the annual re venue arising from subscriptions . It has fortunately happened that the demands upon the Fund has never as yet , in any one year ,

been so great as to exhaust the subscriptions received . On the contrary , a small surplus has always appeared when the accounts came to be closed on 30 th No \ -ember . And this surplus ,

in terms of an enactment of 28 th April 18 4 8 , the Committee have regularl y capitalised . At the 30 th November last , the reserved capital amounted to . ^( Ko , which is invested in the names

of the Trustees of the Fund , viz .. Bros . John Whyte-Melville , James Graham , and James Lenning Woodman . The object of the present notice is not so much

to enter into minute detail , as to lay before the Patronesses , Patrons , and other promoters of the various Masonic Balls , which for the last three years have taken place in Edinburgh , as Avell as

before the brethren at large , a few particulars connected Avith that Masonic Charity in aid of Avhich the former parties have so liberall y applied their surplus funds , amounting to nearly ^ 90 .

During the six-and-a-half years the Fund has been in existence , nearly 400 petitions , for assis tance , have been presented . All these have been

carefully looked into , and to such applicants as Avere considered deserving , assistance in money , food , coals , or otherwise , was allowed ; Many ,