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TO OUR READERS . The FREEMASON is a Weekly Newspaper , price d . It is published every Friday morning , and contains the most important , interesting , and seful information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . Subscription , including postage : United America , India , India , China , & c Kingdom , the Continent , & c . Via Brindisi . Twelve Months ios . 6 d . 12 s . od . 17 s . 4 d . Six „ 5 s . 3 d . 6 s . 6 d . 8 s . 8 d . Three „ 2 s . 8 d . 3 s . 3 d . 4 s . 6 d . Subscriptions may be paid for in stamps , but Post Office Orders or Cheques are preferred , the former payable to GEORGE KENNING , CHIEF OFFICE , LONDON , the latter . crossed London Joint Stock Bank . Advertisements and other business communications should be addressed to the Publisher . Communications on literary subjects and books for review are to be forwarded to the Editor . Anonymous correspondence will be wholly disregarded , and the return of rejected MSS . cannot be guaranteed . Further information will be supplied on application to t ^ ie Publisher , 198 , Fleet-street , London .

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NOTICE . To prevent delay or miscarriage , it is particularly requested that ALL communications for the FRUEMASON , may be addressed to the Office , 198 , Fleet-street , London .

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TO ADVERTISERS . 1 he FREEMASON has a large circulation in all parts of the Globe , its advantages as an advertising medium can therefore scarcely be overrated . ADVERTISEMENTS to ensure insertion in current week's issue should reach the Office , 198 , Fleet-street , by 12 o ' clock on Wednesdays .

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IMPORTANT NOTICE . COLONIAL and FOREIGN SUBSCRIBERS are informed that acknowledgments of remittances received are published in the first number of every month .

It is very necessary for our readers 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 . Several P . O . O . ' s are now in hand , but having received no advice we cannot credit them .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

Bro . Warne ' s " Freemasons' Manual , etc ., " for Kent will be noticed in our next .

BOOKS , & c , RECEIVED . " Keystone ; " •' 1 lebrew Leader ; " " The Liberal Freemason j" " Dcr Bund ; " " Thc Freemason ' s Monthly ;" "Corner Stone ; " " Hull Packet ; '" " Medical Examiner ;" " The Broad Arrow ; " * ' The Advocate ; " " The Voice of the People ; " " Tne Saint Christopher Gazette and Charibbean Courier ; " "The Westminster Papers ;" " Risargcments ; " " The Freemason ' s Repository . "

Remittances Received.

REMITTANCES RECEIVED .

Adams , W ., Pans & o 13 o Barker , E . F ., Gibraltar 030 Baxter , F ., India 140 Fowler , Capt ., New York o 12 2 Graham , R ., U . S . A 013 o Hanis , U . W ., Shanghai o 18 3

Hire , H ., Jamaica ... ... ... ... 220 Kline , James , U . S . A 097 Lodge , British Kaffrarian , 853 1 10 o „ Himalayan Brotherhood , 459 280 „ Perfect Unanimity , 150 1 14 o ,, Port Fairy , 145 6 1 9 0

„ Prince of Wales , 1172 1 14 o „ St . Andrews , S . C . ... , 300 „ United Service ... ... .. ... 140 „ Victoria in Butmah , 832 ... ... o 13 o Maseficld , R . B ., Buenos Ayres 0120 Masonic Hall , Malta o 12 o

May , J . J ., Grey mouth , N . Z . 0180 Osborne , T . K ., N . S . W 0100 Peacock . J . R ., California 102 Robinson , S ., The Cape 160 Smith , G . II ., New York o 13 o Thackv / ell , Lieut . E ., Bombay 1 5 10

Births ,Marriages And Deaths.

Births , Marriages and Deaths .

[ The charge is 2 s . 6 d . for announcements , not exceeding four lines , under this heading . ] BIRTH . FENN . — On thc 1 st inst ., at Glebe-hill Lodge , The Glebe , Lee , the wife of J . Fenn , Esq ., of a son .

DEATHS . BICKERTON . —On the 30 th ult ., Nellie Theresa , daughter of G . A . Bickerton , ' of Guildford-street , Russell-square . GIUSON . —On the 30 th ult ., Edward Gibson , of Hungerfordroad , Camden-road , aged 06 .

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TheFreemason,SATURDAY , AI'R IL 6 , 1 S 7 S .

Our Official Arrangements.

OUR OFFICIAL ARRANGEMENTS .

The time will soon be here when we shall learn who are to be the holders of office ia the Grand Lodge for the Masonic year . Among those arrangements , about which we wish to speak with all deference and reserve , none are more important , per se , than those which relate

to the office of Grand Treasurer . It is a matter of deep regret to all English Masons , that stern necessity no longer permits the habitual re-election of our esteemed Bro . Tomkins . We have , ( and we are very sorry to record the fact ) , to find anoth-r occupant for the post he filled so long ,

and filled so well , "ies , despite the failure of the old bank of which he was a leading partner , we should never forget , in any temporary excitement , or passing annoyance , his great and meritorious services to our Order . We have , however , now to replace him , and look after the financial

position and arrangements of Grand Lodge . As Lord Carnavon so well said , at our last Quarterl y Communication , when a difficulty occurs , when a disaster takes place , it is both wise and prudent to look into the matter of our position and proceedings in such respects , carefully and calmly ,

to note , if we can , what is defective—to amend , if it be in our power , what is wrong . With such feelings , and following such authoritative advice , we venture to-day to touch upon the arrangements which prevail at Freemasons' Hall , with respect to the most important office of Grand

Treasurer .. As far as we clearly understand them , as they have been in action , and still are , they seem to us , ( we say it with all respect to those who are in authority ) somewhat unbusiness like and unpractical , and require amendment and reform . We quite understand , ( at

least we think we do ) their " raison d ' etre , " but then they represent an epoch when our accounts were simpler , and our returns were less , and they never were intended for the present condition of the Grand Lodge income and expenditure ! For what is the actual state

of the arrangements ? The Grand Treasurer is practically a cypher . Though he is Grand Treasurer , the cheques are not signed by him , but by the President of the Board of General Purposes , the President of the Lodge of Benevolence , the Grand Secretary , and thus it is

impossible that the Grand Treasurer can be properly responsible , because others , to use legal phraseology , " have gone behind his back , " and drawn cheques for which he is not answerable , and over which he had no control . So obviously is this the aspect of the case , from a business

and regular point of view , that legally , we apprehend , had the late Grand Treasurer given security , under the past and present arrangements it is quite clear , that Grand Lodge could not have enforced such a guarantee , could not have recovered one farthing . There is

clearly , then , a " screw loose" somewhere in the financial arrangements of Grand Lodge , which , however well intend 2 d and seasonable originally , are not suited to the present position of affairs , and are not compatible either with business like proceedings or legal security , We ,

venture , then , most humbly to suggest the following alteration in the existing arrangements , so as to bring the office and duties of Grand Treasurer in accordance with the requirements of the Craft , the dictates of common sense , and the possibility of legal enforcement on the one

hand , and legal protection on the other . Let the Grand Treasurer draw his own cheques , and let them be countersigned alone by the Grand Secretary , and carefully entered in a special book termed the " Issued Cheques Book . " Let Grand Lodge pay to a guarantee society the necessary

premium to ensure surety for a maximum amount , say , of £ 5000 . There can be no reason why all grants of the Lodge of Benevolence , and all votes of the Board of General Purposes , should not be countersigned by the respective chairmen , but the only brother who should sign the cheques , in order to render his a legal re-

Our Official Arrangements.

sponsibility , should be the Grand Treasurer . We shall be met by the reply , of course , "You are throwing more work on the Grand Secretary ' s ofBce , already overworked . " So far from this , we would , in order to simplify matters , separate the Treasurer ' s and Secretary ' s department entirely .

We have in the Grand Secretary ' s office a brother who properly possesses the confidence of the Craft , Bro . Buss , and we would venture to suggest his appointment as Assistant Grand Treasurer , and that all payments and lodge returns , & c , should go to him , by name ,

and after special notice to the lodges . He would prepare all the cheques needful for the Grand Treasurer to sign , and our excellent Grand Secretary would be saved an enormous amount of needless and most technical work . For we must add this . Those of us who know anything of

the office at Freemasons' Hall , never previously so efficiently worked , are well aware that its labours have increased a hundred-fold , and that our excellent and valued Grand Secretary is at times very much overworked . For few realize the amount of work he does so well , so kindly ,

and so thoroughly . Will it surprise the Craft to be told that the rate of letters is very often close upon 200 a week ? and that the increase of lodges necessitates additional correspondence , and leads to communications on all conceivable , and , we will add , inconceivable subjects ? If .

according to our proposal , Bro . Buss was appointed Assistant Grand Treasurer , to look after the subsidiary financial arrangements , much needless and purely formal work would be spared to the Grand Secretary . His hands mi ght be strengthened in some other way , and his valuable

services would be available in other directions . No more popular brother , and no more effective Consecrating Officer , for instance , has ever been known in Freemasons' Hall . We trust that we shall not be considered to be very presumptuous in tendering such advice — in propounding

such views . We can only assure our readers that such remarks on our part are well meant , honestly intended , and completely independent , inasmuch as they are all our own alone , and are neither written with a view to please anyone , or to favour anyone .

Such as they are we beg to commend them , ' •' quantum valent , " to the consideration of the intelligent , and the appreciation of the thoughtful . For such only do we write in the Freemason and all we say is marked , we trust , each

week , by the Masonic dictates of caution and responsibility . We are sincere well-wishers to our Masonic authorities , to whom we offer in all good feeling alike the tenour of these unpretending suggestions , and the heartfelt assurances of unchanged and unchanging loyalty .

The True Position Of English Freemasonry.

THE TRUE POSITION OF ENGLISH FREEMASONRY .

As this is a matter of deep importance , a fact of serious significance in itself , however sometimes misapprehended by friend , and misinterpreted by foe , we think it well humbly to endeavour to sketch out for our many readers in what we venture to conceive it consists , always

has been , and , we fervently trust , ever will be . We may observe at the outset , that those foreign writers are emphatically wrong who seek to give to Freemasonry a deistical profession or a nonreligious character ! There are some who have actually ' gone so far as to say , that English

Freemasonry is the product of a deistical movement in the early part of the last century . We need hardly remind the most superficial reader of English Masonic history , that such a view is alike most inexact , nay , we may add , most untrue in itself , and unworthy ot our really great

Order . English Freemasonry never had anything to do with the "isms" of the hour , the '" ologies" of the day . The character of its revivers in the Grand Lodge of 1717 is a sufficient answer to all such mistaken and unhistorical allegations . It is now , what it always has

professed to be , in ths true sense of the word , a religiously-minded Fraternity , honouring God , loving man , wishful to uphold true morality , simple-hearted charity , kindly toleration , and benevolent aspirations , in this rough and controversial world . It asks only from its acolytes