Weekly Summary.

" COOMASSIE , Feb . _ $ . " Reached this place yesterday after five days ' hard fighting . Troops behaved admirably . " Officers killed . —Captain Buckle , R . E ., Captain [ O'Niel or Nicol , Hants Militia , Lieutenant ] Eyre , 19 th Foot . All other casualties

under 300 . " The King has left the town , but is close by , and says he will pay me a visit to-day to sign the Treaty of Peace . " I hope to commence my march to the Coast

io-morrow . All wounded doing well . Health generally good . Despatches follow by special fast steamer . " G H . PARKIN , Captain and Senior Officer . " Present brought to Gibraltar by the transport E . Martin , No . 14 . "

* Words in brackets not clear . The following telegram was received at the Admiralty this morning : — " HEAD QUARTERS , COOMASSIE , Feb . 5 . " ( From Commodore Hewett , V . C . ) " The army under Sir Garnet Wolseley entered

Coomassie yesterday after five days' hard fighting . Casualties of the force about 300 killed and wounded . In the Naval Brigade seven officers wounded , two men killed and thirty-six wounded .

" Treaty expected to be signed to-day . " ( Signed ) G . H . PARKFN , Captain and Senior Officer , Cape Coast . " Sent by the E . Maitin transport , to Gibraltar . "

The next accounts will be most interesting . We fear that the recent accounts seem to confirm the report of Dr . Livingstone ' s death , but we suspend our belief , still hoping perhaps against hope . Abroad there is not much to report . General

Moriones has failed , and we should think by this time is in a " pretty considerable fix . " We shall never be surprised to hear of another Carlist victory and the fall of Bilbao . We have to announce the deaths of Lady Houghton , the amiable wife of Lord Houghton 3

of the Dowager Duchess of Argyle , of the Duchess of Buckingham , and of the Countess of Northesk Chandos , of Lord Massey , of Lieutenant-General Garstin , R . A ., of Lieutenant-Col . Adams , Royal Military College , of Lieut . Colonel H . Johnson , of Major Fife , of Captain

A . L . Buckle , R . E ., of Vice-Admiral Sir Andrew S . H . Greene , of Frank Munyer , R . N ., Knight of the Legion of Honour and Medjidie , of Thomas Norris Hearn , retired Commander R . N ., of the Rev . Thomas Binney , LL . D ., Minister of the Weigh House Chapel for

upwards of forty years . We have also to announce with regret the death , off Cape Coast Castle , of Capt . William Harris Blake , R . N ., of H . M . S . Druid , and late in command of the Naval Brigade on the march to Coomassie . Mr . Shirley Brooks , the editor of Punch , died in his

fiftyninth year on Monday last . He was ori ginally intended for the legal profession , and passed a distinguished examination with that view , but having a preference for literature , he devoted himself to journalism and play-writing with so much success as to determine him to adhere to

the literary profession . He was the author of several novels , including " Aspen Court , " " The Gordian Knot , " " The Silver Cord , " and " Sooner or Later . " He contributed political articles to the Illustrated London News , and had lately written a weekly column in that journal , headed "Notes by the Way . "

Ar01401

WINES AND SPIRITS ( Foreign ) on which , Puty was paid in London by some of the principal Firms during the past year .

WINES ( Foreign ) SPIRITS ( Foreign ) ... . Gallons Gallons > X . Gili ) oy 800 , 099 W . & A . Gilbev 100 , 504

i- " ! ¥ r ? - ' Ca " M 2 , 94 'J Twiss & Browning 186 , 558 r nv c SC " - ' . ' 3 , 424 Daniel Taylor & Soils ... 177 , 500 Cunlllle & Co r = 4 , Si . ) TiowcrandLawson 151 , 024

n . nooperscaons 115 , 887 Dingwall , l ' ortal 6 : Co . 131 , 500 Davy & Co 101 , 933 R . Hooper & Sons 09 , 130 Dame ) laylor & Sons ... 08 , 750 Gaihraitli , Grant & Co . 78 , 054 G . A . Ilaig & Co 86 , 038 Ii . S . Pick & Co 06 , 480 Dent , Urwick & Co 84 , 574 R . Hurnett & Son ( 16 , 448

J . Allnutt . jun . 8 : Co ... 84 , 218 Daun & ValleMin 54 , 250 1 \ Domecn & Co 84 , 003 Osmond & Co 53 W ° Brooks & Oldham 79 , 290 | . Allnutt , jun . & Co ... 44 , 139 R . C ' iristie & Welch ... 70 , 492 Hills & Underwood . 44 , 703

max urcger K Co 73 , 237 I- iilcher & Robinson ... 43 , 880 Wolll S : totem 7 ' , 044 Biscuit , Unbundle & to 43 , 383 Besides the preceding there were upwards or 2000 Firms who paid Duty on Wines and Spirits in less quantities than those above mentioned , — " Wins Trade Review , " 15 II 1 January , 1874 .

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[ We do not liok ! ourselves responsible for , or even as approving of , the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish in a spirit of fair play to all to permit —within certain necessary limits—free discussion . — . ED , ]

THE PRESENT POSITION OF OUll MASONIC CHARITIES .

To the Editor 0 / The Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — In my former letter I purposely contented myself with little more than an allusion to anything practical in the shape of an answer to the question in your leading article , " Flow can

we make the support of our great charities more resrular , in out Order ? " intending to devote a second letter to its consideration . I have been to a great extent anticipated by Bro . James H . Coates , W . M . 949 , Sunderland , whose letter in your last number contains many

excellent suggestions . Let me , however , before dealing with these , or offering others , disabuse Bro . Coates of a misapprehension he seems to share , in common with you , that a considerable sum is annually spent by our Institution in advertising in non-Masonic journals .

A reference to our accounts , about to be circulated , will show that the entire amount expended in the past year in advertising by this Institution scarcely exceeded £ 35 , and of this a great portion was necessitated by special requirements , which could only be met by a resort to

non-Masonic publications . The lack of continuous annual subscriptions is severely felt , and in this direction there is much to be accomplished . But how ? The officials of our institutions cannot possibly get at the whole of the individual members of the Order .

What they can , they do , and that is by placing themselves in communication with the Provincial Grand Secretaries , the W . Masters and Secretaries of lodges , and so endeavouring to avail themselves of the valuable assistance which our sectional organisation would seem so well calculated to afford . These communications , however ,

fail in . effect , because , unhappily , it is too often the custom to disregard or ignore printed appeals In how many lodges are read the circulars soliciting the services of brethren as Stewards at the Anniversary Festivals , or those with statistics and information on which are based ths calls for special assistance , compiled as these are with care and no inconsiderable labour .

I see no remedy for this , and other similar instances which might be adduced , but the adoption by every lodge of the practice which obtains in some , with best results , that of appointing a " Charity Steward , " whose duty shall be to bring permanently before the lodge

—home to each member of it—every question bearing upon , or connected with , the charitable institutions of the Order . For the trouble thus thrown upon such officers—in my opinion—on the principle that "the labourer is worthy of his hire , " they should receive remuneration . I quite agree with Bro . Coates that there are a

large number of our brethren who cannot afford to contribute even a guinea annually to the funds of the institutions , but who would be perfectly willing to assist them with such smaller sums as they could justifiably spate , - ; and these the "Charity Stewards" would sedulously cultivate .

He would further see that an offertory , in some shape or other , took place on each night of meeting , and from this source alone—were the practice universal—in a manner unfelt by anyone , a substantial revenue in aid would accrue . From the funds of the Lodge there ought to

be a regular annual contribution , strictly enforced , as a means of support , on which reliance could always be placed . I ventured to state , at a recent meeting of the Lodge of Tranquility , that in my opinion every lodge ought to contribute in each year from its funds not less

than five guineas to each of the Masonic institutions , and so favourably was this received , that in the report in your paper , it may be seen that notice of motion to that elt ' ect was given immediately . The "Masonic Charitable Associations , " happily multiplying , are doing an immense amount

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of service , by bringing in as members , many who not caring to contribute largel y in one sum , are perfectly willing to do so by easy instalments , and through the medium of these associations there must necessarily be a very considerable diffusion of information with reference to our Institutions .

The means by which similar good may be accomplished are numberless , but they will be only partially adopted until every Mason is brought to the recognition of a duty positively incumbent upon him in supporting our institu * tions , so long as he is in a position to do so , to

an extent commensurate with his ability . This duty his OB . imposes upon him ; to exceed that ability , or in any way to do anything detrimental to the interests of himself or his family , no one could wish or desire . There is one subject which has often pressed

itself upon my attention , and which I to have alluded in private , and that is the singular absence of any addition to our funds in the shape of legacies . It is rarely that a day passes without seeing in the public prints a long list of bequests to charitable institutions under the will of some

wealthy philanthropist . In such list the names of the Masonic Institutions are conspicuous by their absence . Why ? For this reason , as we are told . They are class institutions , and ought to look for support to the members of the Order to which they are

attached . But Freemasons themselves do not bequeath any portion of their gilts to institutions in the welfare of which they took in life an active interest . I low many noble an . l wealthy members of the Order , from their position in

which they derived prestige and inihience , have passed away , and in the distribution of their riches , while remembering certain of the general charities of the country , have altogether overlooked or forgotten those institutions , which they ever regarded as their own' ?

The question of Masonic charity and how best to foster it is absolutely inexhaustible . For the present , however , I forbear , but sincerely trust that now that the subject lias again been ventilated , will not be allowed to drop , but that many earnest workers will give their atttention

to it with a view to derive the most efficacious means of enlisting tho sympathies of the many thousands who are proud of being ranged under our banners , but who have , hitherto been extremely remiss in the discharge of this first and most bounden duty .

I am , Deai Sir and Brother , yonr ' s faithfully and fraternally , FREDERICK . BINCKES . Secy ., Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , Freemasons' Hall , London . 3 rd March , 1874 .

To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , The suggestive remarks on the above subject , by Bro . Jas . H . Coates , in your last issue , cannot fail to engage the serious attention of all who are interested in promoting the

prosperity of the Masonic Charities . There can be but one opinion as to the necessity of more energetic exertion in the noble cause . The vast increase in the number of lodges , and consequently of members , naturally involves a greater percentage of applicants for relief . Year by

year candidates for either institution augment , and for the great majority of applications there is scarcely a chance . It is to be lamented that the institutions should be solimited in the noperations , and the question is : what can legitimately be adopted to place the charities in a position to enable them to keep pace with the ever-increasing

demand for their power . Bro . Coates' suggestion for the managers of the different charities to devise some organization by which small sums might be collected , may possibly be tolerably effective , provided , as he very properly observes , the countenance and support of the higher powers could be obtained , failing which

success , I am sure is very doubtful . We have sufficient experience in this matter ; propositions emanating irom the rank and file—be they ever so beneficial—may sometimes be seconded b y the enthusiastic few , but receive scant and