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WE know not whom we are indebted to for the missive , but we have had transmitted to us a circular letter , bearing the Amoy post-mark , and containing a series of 15 questions , the precise purpose of which is manifestly to bring Freemasonry into as much disrepute as possible . We cannot congratulate the framer of this document on the taste , or want of taste perhaps ,

which has prompted him to select for its heading the vulgar injunction " Stick this up , " or on the originality of his queries , which are nearly all of them of the character to which we have long been accustomed , and which are best described as being unmitigated abuse in a suggestive form without a particle of reason to support it . We have all heard it propounded many

times before , as a solemn truth beyond all disputation , that Freemasonry claims to be a religion , that it sets all constituted authority at defiance , that it is always intriguing to subvert the laws of society , & c . No great harm is likely to arise from this kind of attack , because the outside world has a sufficient general knowledge of the constitution of our Society to be able to

answer them in the negative without any guidance from us . But we confess there is one of the 15 questions , with its appended answer , which we did not imagine any one , no matter how violent his antagonism to the Craft , would have had the hardihood to propound . It occupies the second place in the series , and is as follows : " Masonry professes to be a Charitable Institution .

Where are its hospitals , asylums , free-schools , or other eleemosynary institutions ? " Now , there may be many things in Freemasonry which the world at large may not be capable of understanding . People may not , for instance , be able to make out what are its claims to a venerable antiquity . They may not quite comprehend why , having only lawful objects in view ,

we do not take every body into our confidence and tell them plainly what passes within the precincts of our tyled lodges . But it is a long time since we have met any person so ignorant as to be unaware of the existence of the many Masonic Charitable Institutions which have been established for so many > ears in different countries , and which are known to have rendered

such incalculable benefits to the cause of suffering humanity . It is but the other day that the anniversary Festival of one of our English Charities was celebrated at Freemasons' Hall , and the sum of £ 15 , 000 towards its support was raised by the voluntary subscriptions of Craltsmen and their friends . This Charity—the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution—has been in

existence for between 40 and 50 years , and provides annuities of £ 40 each for 173 old and indigent Craftsmen , and of £ 32 each for 202 widows of Craftsmen . Within a lortnight from now will be held , in the same hall , the 9 8 th anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , which clothes , educates , and maintains 240 daughters of Freemasons , at an annual

expense of over £ 10 , 000 ; and on the last day in June will be celebrated , at Biighton , the 88 th anniversary of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , which provides in like manner for about as many sons of Freemasons . For these Charities , which are all connected with the Craft in England , the Festivals held in 1885 raised by voluntary contributions some £ " 44 , 000 in

hard cash , and yet we have in the framer of this circular attack on Freemasonry an English-speaking person , who asks , where are the " hospitals , asylums , free-schools , or other eleemosynary institutions " belonging to Freemasonry ? This is our answer so far as England is concerned , and if we were anxious to go more fully into the matter , we might enumerate many

local institutions which are doing similarly good work , but on a more limited scale , to say nothing of our Board of Benevolence , which dispenses annually some £ 10 , 000 to those brethren who have fallen temporarily into adverse circumstances . As regards Ireland , there are the Masonic Orphan Schools in Dublin , the elder

of which was established in 1798 . Scotland , too , has its Fund of Benevolence ; while in America there is hardly a Grand Lodge in the United States or the Dominion of Canada which , if it has not some kind of organised Charitable Institution , does not dispense annually a good round sumaccording to its means—in Charity . Now , the person who framed this

attack on our Order , and was anxious to impress upon the world , by the manner in which he worded his query , that , though Masonry professed to be a Charitable Institution , it dispensed no Charity , might have learned the particulars we have just furnished without the slightest difficulty . That is to say , he could have done so if his question had been submitted for an

honourable purpose . But his object was , and evidently is , to do us all the harm he possibly can , and when he finds he cannot do this by the employment of legitimate means of attack , he has no scruple about adopting those

which are dishonourable . However , we think it will be found that in this instance he has overreached himself . People will not pay much heed to the attacks of an anonymous scribe who is anxious to enlighten them about a Society as to which it is clear that he himself is most in need of enlightenment .

* # * WE hail with pleasure the announcement that it is in the contemplation of our Suffolk brethren to raise a suitable memorial to the late R . W . Bro . Lord WAVENEY , who during the last quarter of a century had governed their province with so much ability , tact , and kindliness as to have secured to

himself the respect and affection of the whole of the brotherhood in this portion of East-Anglia . Under his able government , supported as it was by such sterling Masons as the late Bro . LUCIA , Bro . the Rev . C . J . MARTYN , D . P . G . M ., Bro . the Rev . R . N . SANDERSON , P . G . Chap ., and others , the comparatively small province of Suffolk did wonders , especially as regards

the support it has given to our Masonic Institutions . The lodges worked well and harmoniously together . The genial , earnest spirit of his lordship was felt everywhere , and even brethren who mi ght , if left to their own devices , have been inclined to do their duty indifferently , took pleasure in following his

example . Thus the memorial our Suffolk brethren are about to raise will perpetuate the fame not only of one of the most popular Masonic rulers of his day , but also of one who showed , by every act of his long and honourable career , that he was a thoroughly good man . We are glad , too , that this

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memorial will take the form of a presentation to one or other , or it may be all , of our Charitable Institutions . There is no better way than this for perpetuating Lord WAVENEY ' S administration in Suffolk . He probably would have chosen this in preference to any other kind of record of his labours , while it is certain that the establishment of a fund which will assist in alleviating the distresses of decayed brethren or their orphan children will be the most fitting monument to so kindly and so earnest a Mason ,

Supreme Grand Chapter.

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER .

The Quarterly Convocation of Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England was holden on Wednesday evening , at Freemasons ' Hall . Comp . F . A . Philbrick , Q . C ., Grand Registrar , occupied the First Principal ' s chair ; Comp . James Glaisher , Second ; and Col . J . Sampson Peirce , Third . Comps . Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , S . E . ; the Rev . Thomas Robinson , as S . N . ; Robert Grey , President of the Committee of General Purposes ; Baron de Ferrieres , as ist A . S . ; the Rev . C . W . Spencer

Stanhope , as 2 nd A . S . ; J . H . Matthews , Thomas Fenn , Joshua Nunn , J . Smith Eastes , F . Davison , E . J . Barron , Edgar Bowyer , Joseph C . Parkinson , E . Letchworth , James Lewis Thomas , " E . M . Lott , Dr . Ralph Gooding , H . J . P . Dumas , Dr . Woodman , Ralph Costa , Major Charles Harding , Col . H . S . Somerville Burney , Butler Wilkins , and Capt . George Lambert were among the companions on the dais , and there were also present in the body of Grand

Chapter—Comps . Capt . H . G . Colvill , P . Z . 330 ; Rev . J . N . Palmer , P . Z . 17 s ; H . Dehane , I . 862 , 890 ; A . W . G . Weeks , Z . 3 : Rev . W . Mortimer Heath , P . Z . 622 ; J . J . Hatchings , Z . 548 ; D . P . Cama , I . P . Z . 255 , P . Z . 1 503 ; William Roebuck , P . Z 3 , 1194 , P . P . G . H . Middlesex ; R . Edmonds , Z . 913 ; William Clarke , P . Z . 376 ; H . Baldwin , J . 720 ; E . Malletr , J . 1623 ; T . C . Carter , P . Z . 403 , P . P . G . H . Herts ; Ralph Glutton , PZ . 9 ; I . E . Le Feuvre , P . Z . 394 , P . G . H . Hants and the Isle of Wight ; Charles F . Hogard , Z . 205 , P . Z . 10 ; Arthur B . W . Martin , P . Z . sS ; E . Wood , P . Z . i % ; Rev .

James Warner . H . 1472 ; Thomas J . Railing , P . Z . 51 , P . P . G . S . S . Essex ; A . Lucking , P . Z . 1000 , P . G . D . C . Essex ; W . H . Ferryman , P . Z . 134 S ; W . Alfred Dawson , P . Z . 3 S 2 ; Wilhelm Kuhe , J . H . Sillitoe , P . Z . 645 , P . G . H . East Lancashire ; Randolph G . Glover , P . Z . 259 , P . P . G . N . Middlesex ; Henry Higgins , P . Z . 13 S 1 ; H . Massey , Z . 192 S , P . Z . 619 ; Frederick Adlard , P . Z . 216 ; Walter Adlard , P . Z . S 90 , 782 ; Henry Garrod , P . Z . 507 ; Lewis E . Newnham , P . Z . 446 ; G . Toller , P . Z . 279 , 1560 , P . G . H . Leicester ; Alfred A . Pendlebury , P . Z . 1056 ;* Wm . Bywater , P . Z . 10 ; S . P . Catterson ,

P . ' - Ti > 54 S , P . G . D . C . Surrey ; John L . Mather , P . Z . 1471 ; George Kennedy , Z . 13 ; F . A . White . P . Z . 907 and 1716 ; E . M . Money , H . ' 2 S ; A . Penfold , Z . 1472 ; J . J . Daw , Z . 2 S 2 ; H . T . Wood , P . Z II > 9 ; L . Cornelissen , P . Z . 1201 ; Wm . Stiles , PZ . 1507 ; I . Kemp Coleman , P . Z . 9 . 7 ; A . Nicols , P . Z . 7 S 2 , S 90 ; ] . Terry , P . Z . 228 ; J . DaSilva , J . 205 ; F . West , P . Z . 463 , 132 S , P . G . N . Surrey ; W . Cleghorn , H . 1 S 5 ; S . T . H . Saunders . H . 1503 ; J . P . Fitzgerald , Z . 22 ; J . Knight , M . E . Z . 174 ; J . S . Cumberland , P . Z . 236 , 1611 , P . G . J . N . and E . Yorkshire ; W . Dodd , P . Z . 1154 ; and H . Sadler , Grand Janitor .

According to the new Constitutions , it was not necessary to read the regulations for the government of the Supreme Grand Chapter during the time of public business . The minutes of the February convocation were then read and confirmed . Comp . PHILBRICK afterwards announced that H . R . H . the Prince of Wales being the M . W . G . M . of the Grand Lodge of England , was by the Constitutions G . Z . of the Royal Arch during the ensuing year ( applause ) , also the Right Hon . the Earl of Carnarvon was the Pro G . Z . appointed by

his Royal Highness . The Right Hon . the Earl of Lathom was , as Deputy Grand Master , by the Constitutions G . H . of the Order for the ensuing year . He had also to announce that the Most Worshipful the First Grand Principal had appointed the Right Hon . Lord Leigh as the G . J . of the Order for the ensuing year ; Comps . Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , G . S . E . ; and the Right Hon . the Earl of Limerick , G . S . N .. Comps . Robert Grey , President of the Committee of General Purposes ; D . P . Cama , Grand Treasurer ; and F . A . Philbrick , Q . C ., Grand Registrar .

The following companions were then invested on their appointment to office : —

Comp . the Rev . J . Nelson Palmer ... ... G . P . Soj . „ W . Mortimer Heath ... ... ... G . ist . A . S . „ Ralph Glutton ... ... ... G . 2 nd A . S . „ J . E . Le Feuvre ... ... ... G . Swd . Br . „ Rudolph Glover ... ... ... G . ist Std . Br . „ H . Trueman Wood ... ... ... G . 2 nd Std . Br .

„ Wm . Roebuck ... ... ... G . 3 rd Std . Br . „ George Toller ... ... ... G . 4 th Std . Br . „ Frank Richardson ... ... ... G . Dir . of Cers . „ E . Dean Davis ... ... ... G . Dep . D . of C . „ Wm . Clarke ... ... ... ... G . A . D . C . „ Wilhelm Kuhe ... ... ... G . Org . „ Henry Sadler ... ... ... G . Janitor .

Comp . PHILBRICK said he had now to read to Grand Chapter a communication that he had received from the Grand First Principal , signed by Comp . Shadwell H . Clerke . G . S . E ., addressed to the M . E . First Principal in the chair of this Grand Chapter . Grand Secretary ' s Office , Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C , ist May , 1886 .

M . E . Sir and Comp . —I am commanded by the M . E . First Principal to inform you that , in recognition of the diatinguished services rendered to Royal Arch Masonry for many years past by E . Comp . Thomas Fenn , Past Grand Sword Bearer , his Royal Highness is pleased to confer upon him the rank and precedence of a Past President of the Committee of General Purposes , which you are requested duly to announce to Grand Chapter at its meeting-.

He ( Comp . Philbrick ) could scarcely say what pleasure it gave him to be the means of conveying to Grand Chapter this announcement of an honour as worthily deserved as he believed it was well bestowed . Every companion knew how thoroughly this great mark of his Royal Highness's favour was deserved by Comp . Fenn , and it was fully appreciated by the companions . The following report of the Committee of General Purposes was taken as read , and ordered to be received and entered on the minutes : —

THE REPORT OP THE COMMITTEE OP GENERAL PURPOSES . TO the Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England . The Committee of General Purposes beg to report that they have examined the accounts from the 20 th January to the 20 th April , 1886 , both inclusive , which they find to be as follows : — To Balance , Grand Chapter £ 44 5 2 By Disbursement during the „ „ Unappropriated Quarter £ 248 16 2 Account ... 185 24 „ Balance 220 10 o „ Subsequent Receipts ... 438 26 „ „ Unappropriated Account ... 198 3 10 £ 607 10 o £ 667 10 o