Masonic Notes.

We have much pleasure in announcing that it is proposed to found a library at the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , a library , that is to say , of works for the use and enjoyment of the pupils . The Supreme Council , 33 ° , of the Ancient and Accepted

Rite , has voted the very handsome donation of . £ 25 towards carrying this object into effect , and we are sure the scheme only needs to become generally known in

order to command the generous encouragement and support of the Craft at large and their friends . We have no doubt that contributions of suitable books would be gladly received .

* * * The Masonic fraternity in Maine has recently sustained a heavy loss by the death of Bro . Ira Berry , Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter , and Grand Recorder of the Grand Conclave

and Grand Council of that State . Bro . Berry had attained the good old age of 90 years , and had been Recording Grand Secretary of Grand Lodge since 18 5 6 , the only Grand Secretary in the United States vvho had served that office for a longer term of years being the

veteran Bro . Theodore S . Parvin , Grand Secretary of Iowa . From the accounts vve have heard of our deceased brother ' s career , his name of " Ira" must have been a misnomer . " Ira , " when interpreted in the vulgar tongue , implies "anger , " but the late Bro .

Berry appears to have been by nature one of the kindliest of men , and in manner most suave and genial . We sympathise most deeply vvith our Maine brethren , who will no doubt cherish the memory of those virtues

they respected so highly in their late Grand Secretary , and vve hope his successor in office , Bro . Stephen Berry , will prove himself as worthy of respect as did his father before him .

Our worthy contemporary , the Philadelphia Key stone , criticises in its usual genial fashion some remarks vvhich appeared in an article of ours entitled " Unwieldy Lodges . " We said that " in the United States

of America , where size is one of the chief elements of consideration , we realise that a lodge of Freemasons will be judged by its strength of membership , " & c . The Keystone admits that bigness is a feature in things American , including even its Masonic lodges .

"True , " it says , "lodges are often large here—but everything is large here . Our territory is large , our ideas are large , our men are of large stature , our fruits are as large in proportion as our men , and our lodges appear to share in this general greatness of size . " This

justifies our statement . But in an effete old country like this we prefer to see our lodges of a moderate size . We have enough of bigness to contemplate in the area , population , wealth , commerce , & c , of the British Empire .

Correspondence.

Correspondence .

I We do not hold ourselves responsible for 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 . ]

CENTENARY WARRANTS AND JEWELS . To the Editor of the "Freemason . ' ' Dear Sir and Brother , I have been deeply interested in the two communications from " 33 " and Bro . John Lane , relative to the bond fides—I use the term with no desire svhatever to offend those concerned—of the centenary

warrant held by Lodge No . 119 , of Whitehaven . Last year when the question cropped up , and provoked a long and somewhat heated controversy in a Whitehaven paper , as also in your columns , I svas in Australia , and consequently placed at a disadvantage in following a subject about vvhich I might claim to

possess some little knowledge . My particular object in now writing is to crave the permission to point out that one hi ghly important period in the history of Lodge 119 has never , so far as I am aware , been alluded to or imported into the discussion anent the centenary warrant of that lodge . Let me

explain . The warrant of the ori ginal No . 157 ( now 119 ) was issued by the "Antients" in 1768 . The document may still be seen in its mahogany cabinet on regular lodge nights . So far so good ; but , up to the year 1804 , so far as I am aware—and I made very diligent search when compiling the material for my

little work on " Craft Masonry in Cumberland and Westmorland "—there is no documentary evidence of the lodge ever being in existence , unless the cash books of the "Athole" institution in the archives of our present Grand Lodge can prove to the contrary . And while on this point I may point out a curious coincidence with respect to the lodge in dispute , and

. three others also warranted b y the " Antients" in Whitehaven , during the last century . I will include the present No . 119 under its original No . 157 in the f ° nr , and they ranked thus ; Concord Lodge , No . 154 , Whitehaven ; No . 157 , no name ( now Sun , Square , and Compasses , No . 119 , Whitehaven ); Royal Cumberland Militia , No . 215 , Whitehaven or Kingston-

Correspondence.

upon-Hull ; and No . 217 , no name , Whitehaven . Now , the coincidence is this—that Bro . W . J . Hughan , in his valuable " Masonic Register , " gives every one of these four lodges as being warranted by the "Antients" in the early part of the present century . I cannot name the precise years from memory ,

seeing that my library is stored in London , but I believe I am correct as to the main facts . On the other hand , I discovered the warrant of the Cumberland Militia Lodge , in Whitehaven , 13 years ago . The date is October ioth , 17 S 1 , and the parchment is now framed and hanging on the wall of No . 119 lodge room .

The foregoing circumstances certainly provide food for careful reflection , though how they can affect the actual holding of the centenary warrant by Lodge 119 , is more than problematical . De jure it is a centenary lodge , whether de facto is quite another matter that I do not intend to combat . —Yours fraternally , W . F . LAMONBY ' ' . Cockermouth , November 2 nd .

THE FUTURE OF FREEMASONRY . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , During the last few years I have been greatly struck when visiting lodges in the provinces—of vvhich I have visited a goodly number—at the large proportion of Provincial Grand Officers there are in

proportion to the members of the lodges wearing the blue apron . This is especially so in the smaller provinces . Upon enquiry , I find that Provincial Grand " honours " are in too many provinces granted as a matter of course , thus detracting considerably , if not altogether , from the honour intended to be conferred . This should

not be so , the offices should , in my opinion , be given in consideration of good , real , and honest work in the lodge , coupled with a due recognition ot services rendered to our great Charitable Institutions . I find that in some provinces the offices are conferred upon the Masters of the lodges vvho are in the chair at the time

Provincial Grand Lodge is held , as a matter of course , without regard being had to their fitness for office . I have come across instances—and , I am sorfy to say not a few—where Provincial Grand Officers holding coveted offices had never opened or closed their lodges vvhen in the chair without a considerable amount of prompting ,

and as to performing a ceremony that was utterly out of the question . I also found that in the majority of cases they had never subscribed to any of our Charities . I have also been informed of a case where a brother had accepted office in Prov . Grand Lodge and been compelled to borrow the necessary

money to pay the fees of honour and provide himself with the clothing rather than be in the ( to him ) unenviable position of being the first Master of the lodge vvho had not got " the purple . " It is true that was ( I hope ) an exceptional case , although considering the way in which members are now admitted to the Craft ,

as if it vvas a mere benefit society like the Oddfellows and Foresters , I fear it will become more and more common in the near future . Instead of an " honour " being conferred either upon the lodge or the officer , this kind of thing is a farce and causes disgust upon the part of the officers vvho have done something for the

Craft , and discourages others who have its welfare at heart . The result is that instead of the Craft being composed of "worthy men , and worthy men alone , " I fear it has opened its portals to and conferred honours upon those who , in many instances , will not ultimately " reflect credit" upon the brethren who have admitted

them to their fellowship . All this means incalculable harm to our excellent Institution , and it behoves those vvho are concerned for its welfare to see where the remedy lies , although I much fear , judging by past experience , that there is too much apath y upon the part of those vvho rule to lead us to hope for any drastic remed y

being applied to this cankerous growth that is gnawing the very vitals of the Craft , f agree with Bro . " Latomus " that we want a greater supervision of our lodges in the provinces by our Provincial Grand Officers . Every lodge should be visited at the least once in every year , without notice being given of such

visit , and , if possible , when a . ceremony is to be performed . In the majority of instances the Provincial Grand Master and his Deputy has no time to attend to such a duty , and the Secretaries in most provinces devote already more of their valuable time to Masonic work than we can expect of them , and we certainly should

not think of increasing that responsibility . There is , however , an officer upon whom this duty might , I think , be imposed , especially as the office is at present a sinecure—I mean the Provincial Grand Registrar . As a rule he is a professional man , who has done good work inhis lodge , and should have all theceremonies and

the rules and regulations at his fingers' ends , consequently he is pre-eminently marked out as one to judge of the fitness of brethren for honours , and also should have sufficient courage to call attention to any irregularities , and point out , if he knows it , the undesirability of admitting unworthy candidates into lodge .

hor this purpose the circular of every meeting of the lodges in the province should be sent to him , as well as to the officer to whom they are now sent , and it should be understood that it is the duty of any brother in the lodge vvho doubts the wisdom of admitting any

person for initiation or as a joining member into his lodge , but who has not the courage himself to speak out to communicate with the Registrar , vvho will then call the attention of the Master and Secretary to the matter . After every official visit , the Registrar should send a written report to the Prov .

Correspondence.

Grand Master of the working of the Iodge and it officers , and of the fitness of individual officers for Provincial Grand rank . The Prov . Grand Master vvould then have reliable data upon which to make the appointments , and by this means the honours would be looked upon and appreciated at their proper value .

Probably I shall be asked who would accept the office of Registrar upon such terms . Well , at present we get Prov . Grand Secretaries , and I see no difficulty with regard to this office . Let the office be a permanent one —for say five years—provided the brother is confident and attends to his duties ; let his proper expenses for

travelling and hotel expenses be defrayed out of the Prov . Grand Lodge funds , subject to audit , and let it be understood that he svill at the end of his tenure of office be eligible—not as of right—if the Prov . Grand Master thinks fit , for the Senior Warden ' s chair , and there will be plenty of brethren vvho will sacrifice their time to

carry out the work . In another way I think Prov . Grand Masters can make the offices at their disposal of more real Masonic value , and that is by making some of these tenable for a term of years , for instance those of Director of Ceremonies and Assistant Secretary , in addition to those of Registrar and Secretary . In most

provinces , too , a great difficulty might be obviated by only electing the Chaplain instead of two . Often a brother who has not passed the chair get this appointment , because there is no other clergyman in the province eligible for the post . Attention to this point would , in my humble opinion , based upon the experience

and observation of many years , tend to greatly strengthen the future position of the Craft in the provinces . Not so long ago it was the exception to see " the purple " in a private Iodge , now to be a Past Master and not to wear it is so rare that one is apt to enquire the reason . It is now considered so cheap as

not to be an honour , but a mere matter of course , whether the Past Master is fit for it either Masonically , socially , or finanically or not . Consequently those who were , in years of yore , the pillars of our Order , are now conspicuous by their absence . Cannot our Prov . Grand Masters , vvith their Deputies , see their way to

change this state of- affairs ? Let them put their shoulders to the wheel , and vvith very little effort they will remove the stumbling block to real Masonic progress from its path . At the approaching Jubilee Festival of our Old People ' s Institution the majority

of our Prov . Grand Masters and their Deputies will be in London . Cannot they arrange a meeting to confer , to consider the points that are suggested for their consideration in your columns ? If so they will be doing a lasting benefit to those over whom they rule . —Yours fraternally , A P . P . G . OFFICER . November 2 nd .

THE ADMISSION OF VISITORS . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Be good enough to express an opinion as to the proper reading of Rule 150 , Edition 1884 , due value being accorded to the " commas" and to the

word " or . " Would a W . M . be justified in admitting a visitor to his lodge on the following grounds ? a . If he be personally known to a brother . b . If vouched for , after examination . c . If personally known to , or vouched for , after due

examination . d . By producing his Grand Lodge certificate . e . By producing other " proper voucher . " Therefore , according to a , d , and e , examination is not compulsory , but Article 15 of the Ancient Charges renders it obligatory for the W . M . to insist on

examination and production of proper vouchers , the latter to be certificates appertaining to the recognised Degrees ( Rule 1 ) . A proper voucher can surely mean nothing else , the only certificate a lodge is empowered to grant being those mentioned in Rules 203—213 . Rule 308 expressly comments and directs that the

collars of the officers of a regular lodge shall be worn only in their own lodge , or when representing their lodge in Grand Lodge or Provincial Grand Lodge as Master or Wardens , yet under cover of a dispensation granted in accordance with Rule 206 the said officers ' collars are worn in public . Why are the Constitutions ignored ?—Yours fraternally , APOLLOISTO .

THE "OLD MASONIANS . " To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir , The above Association vvas started about five years ago by some old pupils of the R . M . I . B . The avowed object of the Association is the helping on in

life of any old pupils who might require assistance after leaving the Institution . It was further announced when the club svas started that as soon as it was feasible a lodge would be formed , as vve understand only seven are required to form a lodge , and it seems , therefore ,

that there can be no reason why the lodge should not be formed at once , for there are certainly seven brethren members of the " Old Masonians . " Perhaps the Hon . Sees , will enlighten the members as to whether anything is being done in this direction . —Yours faithfully , TWO PROVINCIAL MEMBERS .

It is stated that the title vvhich will be assumed by the widosv of the Right Hon . VV . H . Smith , M . P ., svill betaken from the village of Hambledon , near Henley-on-Thames , in the churchyard of vvhich the remains of the late First Lord of the Treasury were interred .