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TO OUR READERS . The F REEMASON is a Weekly Newspaper , price ad . It is published every Friday morning , and contains the most important , interesting , and useful information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . Subscription , including postage :

United America , Imlia , India , China , & £ Kingdom , the Continent , & c . Via Brindisi . Twelve Months ios . 6 d . 12 s . od . 17 s . 41 S . Six „ ss - . -5 « l . 6 s . Gd . Ss . 8 d . Three „ 2 s . 8 . 1 . 3 s . 3 d . 4 s- Gd . 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 and Joint Slock Bank . Advertisements and other business communications should be addressed to the Publisher . Communications on literary subjects and books for

revieyv are to be forwarded to the Editor . Anonymous correspontlence will be wholly disregarded , and the return of rejected MSS . cannot be guaranteed . Further information will be supplied o » application to the Publisher , 10 S , Fleet-street , London .

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IMPORTANT NOTICE . COLONI \ L and F OREIGN SUBSCRIBERS are iaformed that acknowledgments of remittances received are published in , the first number of every rr . onth .

It ii 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 .

Remittances Received During The Month Of September.

REMITTANCES RECEIVED DURING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER .

Abzdco , J . M ., Cape Coast Castle , P . O . O . ' ^ o 18 o Adams , A ., I ' ombay , ¦ 140 Bernard , I ' ., Calcutta 1 . I lO o IJradsLayv , George , U . S . A ., 012 0 Buckley , S-, N . Zealand , , 116 o

Castillo , Malta , Stamps o 9 10 " ¦"• avis , A ., Victorin , P . O . O . 010 o Edwards , li ., Canada ' ... „ o 13 o Evans , II ., Tasmania , ,, o 12 o Graham , P ., Jamaica , 1 ° 18 o Koch , I " ., Rotterdam , Cheque 1 1 G o Marrie , W . T . C ., Mount Gambler , P . O . O . 04 6

New narch , It ., Naseby , N . Zealand „ 2 0 o Peake , 11 . H ., Ballarat , 013 o Pike , A ., New York City „ 140 Put Chalmers Marine Lodge * , Otago ... Draft 600 Pincenl , C . U , Newfoundland P . O . O . 280 Itiehard .- - , G , Barbarities , 1 , 140 Wood , II . J . li ., St . Johns „ 300

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TO ADVERTISERS . 'lhe FIIKEM .. 5 ON 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 weelc ' s issue should reach the Office , 198 , Fleet-street , by 12 o ' clock on Wednesdays .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

EiniATU . yi . —To a letter in the Freemason ol 29 th Sept ., lhe signature " P . P . G . B . S . X ., " should have been printed " P . P . G . R ., Sx . " " Sigma " must comply yvith our rule , and send name and aeldress .

The folloyving stand over ;—Moore Mark Lodge , Lancaster , No . 146 ; Red Cross Conclave , J ersey , No . 8 ; Naval and Military Conclave , Portsmouth , No . 33 * , Royal Commemoration Lodge , No . 1585 ; Wandsworth Lodgeof Instruction , No . 1044 .

BOOKS etc . RECEIVED . " Une Lccon d'Histoire , ou la Quatiieme An , " F . V . S ,, gery * , "Australian Freemason ; " " La Basse Cour ;" " Hebrew Leader j" " The Liberal Freemason ; " ' * The Scottish Freemason ; " "The Freemasons' Repository ;" "The Canadian Craftsman . "

Births, Marriages And Deaths.

Births , Marriages and Deaths .

[ The charge is 2 s . 6 d . for announcements , not exceeding four lines , under this heading . ] BIRTHS . HINDI * . —On the 28 th ult ., at Thorpe Hamlet , Norwich , the wife cf F . P . Hindc , Esq ., of a son .

DEATHS . SPIERS . —On the 28 th ult ., at Huntcrcombc , Oxford , R . J . Spiers , F . S . A ., P . D . G . M . Oxfordshire , aged 72 . TIETJKNS . —On the 3 rd inst ., at her residence , 51 , Finchley New-road , after many weeks of severe suffering , Theresa Tietjcns , aged 4 ( 1 years . Friends will kindly accept

this intimation . WHITTLE . —On the 20 th ult ., at 133 , Islington , Liverpool , Alfred Whittle , M . D ., aged 34 , a member of the Liver' - pool Dramatic Lodge , No . 1609 , also on thc 9 th ult ., at the same place , aged 49 , Matilda , wife of Dr . Whittle .

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The Freemason , SATURDAY , OCTOBER 6 , 1877 .

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IMPORTANT NOTICE . ENLARGEMENT . OF "The Freemason . "The Proprietor has much pleasure in announcing his intention of enlarging the Freemason to 20 pages , during the London Masonic Season . This inprovement will commence with the issue for Oct . 13 th . All communications to ensure insertion in the current number should reach the Office , on Wednesdays , by 5 p . m .

The Indian Famine Fund.

THE INDIAN FAMINE FUND .

It will be seen in another column that an Indian Famine Fund has been started , under the auspices of the Freemason , our publisher , with his wonted liberality , heading the list with the handsome sum of , £ 100 . One or two Lodge and individual subscriptions are also

announced , and we doubt not , that each succeeding week will witness an increase to this muchneeded Fund . Already the amount realised by the Lord Mayor ' s Fund has reached so far the noble total of over et ? 302 , coo , of which ^ 2 ^ 0 , 000 has been forwarded to India . Her Gracious Majesty

the Queen has , in the following communication to the Lord Mayor , expressed her warm approval of his most benevolent efforts and her heartfelt appreciation of the liberality of her people . We give the letter in extenso , yvhich was sent by telegram by the Home Secretary from Balmoral .

" Balmoral , p . j j a . m . " I am desired by Her Majesty the Queen to thank your Lordship for your telegram stating that the Indian Famine Fund now being raised at the Mansion-house already exceeds a quarter of a million sterling , and that your Lordship

hopes and believes that it will largely increase . Her Majesty feels deeply the readiness with which the sufferings of her people in India have touched the hearts of her people at home . " It would seem needless to commend the

matter to every Lodge of Freemasons , and we trust that each hebdomadal Freemason will demonstrate that our good brethren are still as ever , most susceptible to a proper claim on their warm beneficence and undoubted if unostentatious charity .

The Balance Sheet Of The Girls' School.

THE BALANCE SHEET OF THE GIRLS' SCHOOL .

We have studied this with some interest and carefulness , and we think it well to impart theresuit of our studious efforts to our readers , as they will be equally interested with us in the welfare and prosperity of that noble Institution of ours , the Girls' School . The year ' s accounts open with a

balance of s £ , 22 o 6 18 s . 3 d . and £ 70 in petty cash , in all £ 2276 18 s . 3 d . Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter give a donation of £ 160 ios . The subscriptions of individual brethren in the Metropolis amount to ££ $ 04 . 5 4 s . 3 d ., and Metropolitan Lodges and Chapters send up

£ 856 16 s . Metropolitan Lodges of Instruction £ 73 ios . The Metropolitan High Grade Chapters , £ 66 3 s . Provincial brethren ( individually ) contribute £ 204 . 6 16 s . Provincial Lodges and Chapters , £ 1731 9 s ., and Provincial High Grade Chapters £ 31 ios . Ireland , Scotland , and the

Colonies return £ 133 , and there is a special donation from London of £ 16 s 6 s ., Legacies reach £ 5 $ 10 s . The dividends on stock are £ 1162 3 s . 1 id . The fees for musical instruction amount to £ 124 . 19 s . ; though the cost of tuning , &* c , reaches

£ 81 6 s . 7 1 * 5 which another year had better appear , we think , distinctly on the debit side . There are other small items , amounting to £$ 4 s ., so that the whole receipts of the Institution are £ 13 , 705 as . iod . On the per contra side , the expenses of the new building are put down at , 63132 ijs ., and special repairs to £ 15

The Balance Sheet Of The Girls' School.

17 s . Ordinary expenses are £ ^ -572 ps . p sions and Gratuities , ^" 249 12 s . 9 d . S pecial grants to invalid girls £ 36 ios . Stewards' certificates for three years £ 71 I ( 5 s- Prizes and rewards , £ 32 3 s . Gratuities and outfits to girls £ 28 ios . Recreation of girls and University '

examination fees £ 36 5 s . nd . After the Christmas accounts were paid , there was a balance at the close of 1 S 76 of £ 214 . ^ a There were in the Bankers' hands , Dec . ^ iS ^ 1 S 76 , £ 37 s 19 s . Sd . ; in Secretary ' s hands , ^ o ; in Matrons' hands , £ 20

And when we remember that in 1877 the annual festival was most successful , bringing in the goodly amount of £ 10 , 000 , we see that the Girls' School is in " . very good »» T >__ J _ . J . L SO L . il > . ¥ But must not that

case . " we forget tho fresh pupils the new buildings will accommodate will constitute an additional charge upon the funds of the Institution , which our good brethren will do well not to forget . We think it reflects no little credit on the authorities

that they have executed all the needful contracts for enlargement without running the school into debt , and we feel sure that the good management and economical administration which have marked the Girls' School in past years , and so conspicuously in the present , will continue to be its distinguishing and praiseworthy

characteristic in the future . We congratulate Bro . Little on the success of his many arduous labours , and we are anxious to express our humble and earnest sense at the happy results , both Masonically and architecturally , which have attended the judicious and needful improvements organised and carried out by our excellent and esteemed Bro . Col . Creaton .

The Position Of Freemasonry In France And Belgium.

THE POSITION OF FREEMASONRY IN FRANCE AND BELGIUM .

We cannot shut our eyes if we would , and we ought not if we could , to the anomalous and unjust position in which Anglo-Saxon Masons are placed in France and Belgium by some recent and untoward proceedings , and a most regrettable decision . For they are unable now to

enter French and Belgium Lodges on their Masonic principles , and for this reason , the labours of those two jurisdictions are both un-Masonic and unhallowed . They neither begin nor end with prayer . The Bible is taken out of every lodge , and there is nothing to prevent positive unbelievers from being admitted

members of the Masonic Order . This , to use a French expression , is a " changement des decorations , " as undesirable as it is unfitting . Cosmopolitan Freemasonry has always rested on a great Theistic principle of reverence and religion , and now all of a sudden " nous avons change tout cela " and the name of God is neither

acknowledged , nor is his blessing invoked on the labours and the undertakings of Freemasonry in those countries . This in common parlance , " turning the tables " with a vengeance , and no Anglo-Saxon Freemason can witness such a result or hear of such proceedings without heartfelt

concern and fraternal disapproval . Is it not possible that under the sad and actual circumstances of the case , on the petition of respectable brethren , warrants might be granted as well by American Grand Lodges as our English Grand Lodges , for English and American

Masons to meet " more majorum" alike in France and Belgium ? The recent proceedings of the two Grand Orients have placed them , a 5 we regard the matter , outside the " -aegis" oi legal protection , and any rights they may have had as governing bodies , are now merged in the

serious departure they manifest , from ancient precedent and Masonic usage . They may oe still Masonic bodies , but they have no longer exclusive jurisdiction , inasmuch as by the " comity " of Grand Lodges , and the constant provisions of international Masonic law , they have departed from our "Ancient Landmarks , " *""*

can neither claim obedience or recognition , except at the hands of those who admit then ' authority , and approve of their proceedings . 1 ° writing this we feel the responsibility of the position and , above all , of our own words : But as we think that nothing is gained by " mealymouthedness , " b y the " suppressio veri , " or by the " suggestio falsi , " b y daubing the walls with