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TO OUR READERS . The FREEMASON is a Weekly Newspaper , price AQI It is published every Friday morning , and cjntains the most important , interesting , and useful information relating to Freemasonry in -jvery degree . Subscription , in eluding postage : United America , India , India , China , & c . Kingdom , the ; Continent , & c . Via Brindisi . Twelve Months 10 s . od . 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 . + 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 oE rejected MSS . cannot be guaranteed . Further information will be supplied on application to the Publisher , 198 , Fleet-street , London . 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 u-5 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 .

Foreign And Colonial Remittances Received.

FOREIGN AND COLONIAL REMITTANCES RECEIVED .

£ s . d . Adams , F ., Jamaiea ... ... ... ... o 12 o Austin , W . W ., Indiana ... ... ... 210 Barron , J . C , New South Wales ... .,. 160 Bishop , R . C , New Zealand ... ... ... o 12 o

Burger , H . J ., Jamaica o 12 o Cooper , George , New York ... ... ... 012 o Deamcr , Dr ., New Zealand ... ... ... o 12 o Dumbrille , John , Canada ... ... ... 090 Evans , W ., Sydney ... ... ... ... 0120 Francis , H ., Canada .. ... ... ... 0120 Henry , W . J ., Gibraltar 1 19 9

Mutton , Col . W . H . Montreal 0146 Jones , S ,, Chicago ... ... o 12 o Knight , B ., Queensland ... ... ... o 12 o Norris , J . C , Brisbane ... ... ... .., 140 Peck , C , Jamaica 012 a Robins , W . H . Port Elizabeth 012 o

Scott , H ., Sydney 0120 Thomas , U . D ., New Zealand ... ... ... o n o Thompson , H ., New Zealand ... ... ... o 12 o Titus , C . H ., Boston ... ... 092 Toby , C , Tasmania ... ... 100 Wodchousc Loelge , The Cape ... .. ... o 12 o

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

E . C . B . —Bro . Wm . Carpenter died on the 21 st of April , 1874 , aged 78 years . Bro . W . J . Hughan , in our next . J . W ., 1563 . —Received with thanks . J . P ., Jersey . —We think it belter not to publish the letter .

BOOKS & c , RECEIVED . " Bolttin Oficial Masoneria Simb . de Colon ;" " Magazine of Art ; " " British Journal of Photography ;" " Citucn ; " " Touchstone ; " " Hull Packet ; " " Masonic Record of Western India ; " " Risorgimento ; " " Broad

Arrow ; " " London Express ; " " Rock ; " " Corner Stone ;" " Liberal Freemason ; " " Voice of Masonry ; " " Royal Cornwall Gazette ; " " European Mail ; " " Dean and Sons Novel Changing Panoramic Toy Books ; " " Slueen of Hearts ; " " Johnny Gilpin ; " " Alas I Cock Robin ;" " Canadian Craftsman ; " " Colonies and India . "

Births ,Marriages And Deaths.

$ irt ( j 0 , parriagfs , nub Dcat & s .

BIRTHS . DRIVER . —On the 1 st inst ., at Westgate-terrace , South Kensingtcn , the wife of Sheldon Dudley Driver , of a son . HAI . ES . —On the ist ii . st ., at Park-hill-iisc , Croydon , the wife of William Hales , of a daughter . HoRNCASTi . ii . —On the 27 th ult ., the wife of W . G . Horncastle , of a son .

DEATHS . GARDNER .- On the 28 th ult ., at 73 , Clarendon-road , Notting-hill , William Gardner , son-in-law if Mr . John Elkington . GRAHAM . —On the 30 th ult ., at 33 , Thurloc-square , Franrts Laura , widow el ihe late Mr . R . C . Cuniiiiighame Graham . MI ' RGATROVI ) . —On the 25 th ult ., ThomasMuigatroyd , of Shipley , aged 39 .

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THE FREEMASON , SATURDAY , DECEMBER 7 , 1878

The Last Quarterly Communication.

THE LAST QUARTERLY COMMUNICATION .

We think it well to give a short " Resume " of what took place on Wednesday last . The Pro Grand Master presided , as will be seen . The Grand Master was re-nominated by Bro . Frank Richardson . Bro . Gibson was appointed Grand Supt . of Works , and the Pro G . M . SDoke in

feeling terms of the death of Bro . Cockerell , Past G . S . of Wks . Bro . Clabon was nominated as President of the Board of Benevolence , and Bros . Joshua Nunn and James Brett as Vice-Presidents . Bro . Raynham W . Stewart , P . G . D ., complained of curtailment of privileges , in that

thos . e below the dais had hitherto the privilege to propose the M . W . Grand Master and Grand Treasurer , but was ruled out of order by the President . Bro . Clabon , in moving the confirmation ot several votes of the Lodge of Benevolence , repeated his desire that the surplus

funds should be applied in some useful way . The Pro Grand Master announced a gift of great Masonic interest to Grand Lodge , being a book of which there were only two or three copies extant , presented by Bro . Edward Tyrrell , D . D .

G . M . of Bombay , being " A Record of English Lodges in 1729 , " numbering fifty-four . The Pro Grand Master remarked that that was very different to the number at present existing , but it would be well to remember that it was not

merely numerical increase that gave strength and importance to our great Order , but a strict adherence and obedience to the great principles and landmaiks . The book , he considered , was one of great interest and curiosity ; he moved that it

be accepted with best thanks , and placed in the archives of the Order . The Grand Secretary was instructed to lay the book in his office for inspection by any brethren interested . For the rest of the business on the agenda paper we re fer our readers to the detailed report elsewhere .

Masonic Benefit Societies.

MASONIC BENEFIT SOCIETIES .

Masonic benefit societies have never prospered in England , though flourishing , we believe , in the United States . Some hundred years ago an atteu . pt was made to form one in London , but it lingered for a short period and then expired like a little " farthing rushlight , " " all of the olden time . " Some of the North country lodges had at one time these benefit clubs attached to

them , but they were unsound in theory and hurtful and unmasonic in practice , and have graduall y disappeared , and are only remembered as " things of the past . " We confess we doubt much the advisability of mixing up the principles and efforts of a benefit society with Freemasonry . Lord

Zetland warned us emphatically , years ago , that Freemasonry was not a benefit society , and we are always fearful lest with its many obvious material advantages , just now , Feeemasonry should assume in any , even the slightest , measure the aspect of a benefit society . At the same time

we say this , we do not deny that there is nothing illegal or Masonically wrong , even , in a society which is altogether separate , and distinct from the ordinary lodge life of Masonry , even when that organization becomes a pure benefit society . Unfortunately thetendency | of all such associations

is to get " mixed up" with Masonic and even lodge work , and in such a case , as loyal Freemasons we must emphatically condemn , and studiously avoid , any tendency to a fusion as between Masonic princip les of action and those of a benefit society . Some brethren in the North of

Ireland have formed a Masonic Benevolent Association , as they put it , for the " mutual benefit of its members , and the relief of the widow and famil y of each member at his decease . " All Master Masons are elig ible as members of the society , which is to be governed by a Board of Directors , and the tollowirg is the entrance fee ,

according to age : From 21 to 40 ... ... ... £ 1 ° ° ., 4 ° to 45 ' 5 ° „ 45 to >; o 1 ic o „ 50 to 60 200

Masonic Benefit Societies.

Above sixty special laws are to be made . On the proved death of a member , each member of the Association is to pay in JS . 3 d ., which sum in its totality is to be handed over to the widow , or children , or legal representative of the deceased . When the funds

of the Association amount to five times the sum required to be paid on the death of a men ber no " levy " is to be made on the members , and the payment is to be made out of the funds of the society . There are one or two provisions in the bye-laws which appear to us contrary to

sound policy , and very i ] uestionable , Masonically . Every five members subscribing from any one lodge have a right to elect a director for themselves , out of the members of the Association , so that a very numerous lodge might have several directors , and thus b y degrees the

Association would become necessarily " mixed up " with the lodge . But as at this moment a grant can be made to a widow in England , and we presume in Ireland , except as a question of amount , we do not see what is gained . We cannot then conscientiously approve of any such

proposal , as we feel sure that it is introducing a bad principle into Freemasonry . We are , in no sense , a benefit Order . W e give , on high principles of charity and duty , to those who have a fair claim on our benevolence , and if we do not gve enough that is a matter which can easily be

remedied . We object to many acts just now which savour to us of anything but Masonry , and certainly are not charity . We dislike all this "drawing" for Life Governorships , as a very questionable proceeding , Masonically , just as we object to Masonic lotteries and Masonic benefit

societies . Let us keep close to the " good old paths " of our respectable and valuable Order , and let us eschew all that restlessness which is bringing very inferior men to the fore , as manipulators of questionable schemes which

pander to the vanity of some , and the sensationalism of others amongst us , and which all , if persevered in , must tend to lower Freemasonry in the eyes of steady-going Freemasons , , and the estimation of the thinking portion of our community .

Literary Garbage.

LITERARY GARBAGE .

We have had our attention called to a professed attack on , and exposure of , Freemasonry , which has appeared in a Liverpool paper , the Dail y Post . It has been reprinted in the Stockport Visitor , and has even been reproduced in the Bradford Observer , ( a very respectable paper ) , and to

which fact our attention has been called by a kind correspondent in West Yorkshire . As a fact in itself , it is of no importance whatever , and utterly meaningless and valueless . Freemasonry to-day , like Freemasonry ioo yeats ago , is not to be affected , much less injured , by pretended

expositions of its doings and dogmata . A hundred years ago , a French Abbe , unscrupulous , bitter , and very weak , ( as most Ultramontane writers are ) , thought he had " ecrase , " as he said , overwhelmed , crushed , " stamped out " Freemasonry . Poor foolish man . But he was wrong ,

very wrong , utterly wrong , in any such idea , just as all modern assailants , whatever form they like to assume , whatever disguise they put on , are equally in error , if they think that for such idle accusations Freemasons care , or that such puerile incriminations Freemasons will ever care seriously

to notice . Indeed , we should not allude to the subject at all ( for such pretended revelations are absolutely worthless and beneath our notice ) , but for two facts , first , that silence might be misunderstood ; and , secondly , as a protest against the reproduction by respectable newspapers of such

utter garbage . Almost all these attacks come from one school , the Jesuit , or rabid Ultramontane School , and are based upon worthless American works , surreptitiously reproduced in England . We need hardly say to our readers , or to any honest man , that they constitute a wicked and

base parody on the real ritual and true proceedings of our ancient and benevolent Order ! Whether the idea of Masonry commends itself to all minds equally , is of course necessarily a matter of fair debate—whether its position is a sound one , or not , such as it is , is a subject for temperate dissussion , or legitimate criti-