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Article THE BULGARIAN ATROCITIES. Page 1 of 1 Article THE ANTIQUITY AND OBJECTS OF FREEMASONRY. Page 1 of 1 Article THE ANTIQUITY AND OBJECTS OF FREEMASONRY. Page 1 of 1
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Bulgarian Atrocities.
THE BULGARIAN ATROCITIES .
At a meeting to protest against the Turkish atrocities in Bulgaria , at Nottingham , Mr . Saul Isaac , M . P ., one of the members for the borough , moved a resolution , and read the following letter from Mr . Bourke , Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs : — " Coaltown , Haddington , N . B ., Aug-. 27 .
" My dear Sir , —I am not all surprised that your constituents should be shocked and indignant at the accounts which have recently reached England of the dreadful deeds which have been perpetrated in Bulgaria . You are aware that the Government have remonstrated in the strongest terms with the Porte upon the subject , and . ot ,,. told them that these events have had the effect of
alienating the country from Turkey in a manner which may prove disastrous to the Ottoman Empire . For my own part I care not how serious the insurrection was , which was fomented by foreigners , or how sanguinary were the intentions and facts of the insurgent Christians . The carnage and devastation by which it was suppressed cannot be justified , and reflects shame upon the
Government under which these events took place , and infamy upon the actors in the dreadful crimes which have been perpetrated . I believe that our Ambassador at Constantinop le has never lost an opportunity of doing everything that diplomacy can do to arrest the bloodshed and to secure punishment for the guilty . But the Russian and Austrian Ambassadors , in common with Sir H . Elliott ,
were not informed of the atrocities which had taken place until the worst was over . You may be quite sure that the Frime Midister and Lord Derby feel as indignant at these events as any other two men in the country , and mean to act in accordance with those feelings ; but heartrending as the Bulgarian massacres have been , we must all recollect that English statesmen are not the rulers of
Turkey , and cannot use physical force in the internal provinces of the Empire upon a few days' notice of the danger . The first duty of English statesmen is a regard for the interests of this country ; but Turkey knows as well as you do that the Government of England will never support tyranny , oppression , or cruelty , wherever it may
be found , and that , as the Queen of England treats her Mahomedan subjects with justice and mercy , we have a right to demand from the head of the Mahomedan faith similar treatment for the various Christian races who live in the territories of thc Sultan . —Believe me , very faithfully yours , RODEIIT BOURKE . " - * .
BUDGET OF ^ C OURT OF C HANCERY . —The accounts of the Paymaster-General of the Court of Chancery from thc ist of September , 1874 , to the 31 st of August , 1875 , with the report of the Controller and Auditor General thereon , was a few days ago presented to Parliament . It is an exceedingly interesting document ; from it wc learn that the sums dealt with are enormous , and every year
increasing . On the debtor side of the account we find £ 15 , 743 , 378 ios . 3 d . as the amount of cash , and £ j 1 , 508 , 116 12 S . 6 d . the amount of the securities ( exclusive of foreign currencies ) , or in round numbers over £ 87 , 000 , 000 . On the creditor side a balance of £ 4 , 590 , 890 2 s . ud . cash , and £ 64 , 639 , 853 12 s . 3 d . securities ( exclusive of foreign currencies ) , or about £ 60 , 000 , 000 in court on the
31 st of August , 1875 . It appears that thc bulk ( £ 46 , 732 , 358 12 s . 1 id . ) is invested in Consols , the remainder * in Reduced Three per Cents ., New Three per Cents ., Bank stock , India stock , Metropolitan Consolidated stock , Exchequer Bills , preference stock , and debentures of the leading railway companies , & c . American securities amount to Ail . SlC dols . . tc . and Indian to si . io . fiiRr . AB ..
A statement of the boxes and other miscellaneous effects remaining In the Bank of England to the account of the Paymaster-General contains among other curious items the following : —A box containing small articles of jewellery ; three chests ( date 1867 ) * , a box containing documents of title , jewels , trinkets , watches , and personal ornaments ; foreign bonds and securities belonging to the estate of a
person of unsound mind ; five chests and one box containing plate and jewellery to a like account ; a box ( dated 1868 ) , with diamond necklace , coronet , and earrings ; a bag of clipped monev , & c . ( date August 1776 ) ; a debenture dated 1799 ; a box marked " Securities for legacies , " two assignments of five tallies , & c . Next follow the accounts of the National Debt Commissioners as to funds
transferred to them under the Court of Chancery Funds Act , 1872 . It appears that the Commissioners have dealt with large sums of cash and stock belonging to the suitors , and that a balance of £ 1 , 286 , 110 13 s . 7 d . remains in hand . _ The report of the Controller and Auditor General contains some observations or suggestion s adopted since the last account was presentedand proceeds to give some
, statistics . The number of causes , & c . ( 32 , 687 ) , shows an increase of 8 C 0 over the preceding year ; number of draughts paid 46 , 00 5 , against 45 , 625 last year ; number of transactions by thc deposit account , 13 , 883 , or 2 , 482 less than last year . This is accounted for by the limit being fixed at £ 10 instead of £ 3 ; amount ot money on deposit , £ 1 , 073 , 284 , as against r 6-8 * . 886—a considerable
increase . The report concludes with some general observations and suggestions , from which it appears that the p troller h * 13 bcen » n communication with the Chancery ' aymaster as to dormant accounts , a list of which ought ¦ eng since to have been published in pursuance of thc "lies under the Court of Chancery Funds Act ; the reason nf , ! I ? fi for thedeIay 'n making this list public is that the current business of the office is so heavy .
. „ **• Special General Court of the Governors will £ u , --b ( : rs of the Hoy * 1 Masonic Institution for Girls riselv . i ** ii ia-y . ( Saturday ) , at twelve o'clock prebe fn . ' \ Frecma' ! ° ' " s * Hall . Further particulars may page * " adv ' : rtise'nent which appears on tbe front
The Antiquity And Objects Of Freemasonry.
THE ANTIQUITY AND OBJECTS OF FREEMASONRY .
Thc tendency to venerate ancient institutions is doubtless one of the chief attractions of Masonry . It is not a plant of yesterday , but a tree whose mossy trunk and giant growth speak to us of past ages . Kings have oarticioatcd in its ceremonies , and men preater than kintrs
have adorned its annals . If , however , its only merit was age , its destiny would be decay . Age alone contains no principle of its morality , and if Masonry had nothing but its ancient origin to recommend it there would be no sound reason to expect that it would survive , much less that it would grow . There are talismanic words implied in its organization— "liberty , equality , fraternity "—terms
grossly abused , but in the Order of Free and Accepted Masons full of real and practical significance ; because one of its first lessons is resistance to despotism , both ecclesiastical and civil , and the instinctive antagonism between Masonry and ecclesiasticism is the most emphatic testimony to the spirit of personal liberty , which is one of the distinguishing traits of the Order . Equality , not by
lowering , but by elevating to a common platform , where all meet on the level , with equal rights and duties , and equal claims to mutual respect , if faithful to the obligations voluntarily assumed . Fraternity , in whose bonds the most ancient and inveterate prejudices are melted in the solvent of brotherly intercourse , the heirs of the most ancient civilization join hands with the missionaries of the
youngest civilization , and Hebrews and Gentiles , Celt and Sax £ n , men of the most diverse origin and nationality , meet in the interchange of kindly offices and furnish some evidence of the possibility of the attainment cf a true brotherhood of man . These are grand lessons , imperatively taught by its origin and history ; but they are all . It teaches the force
of associated action , the inestimable value of union in a good cause , the superiority of harmony over discord , and the power of combined benevolence . It furnishes , too , a noble and inspiring lesson of the worth and dignity of labour , because in the toil of Operative Masonry , which reared in the Middle Ages some of the grandest edifices ever conceived bv human genius , and in the migrations of
architects and builders from place to place , where such works to be executed , the Order of Free and Accepted Masons had its growth and development , if not its origin , and the whole spirit of its precepts and ceremonies is to exalt and dignify that intelligent labour which has adorned all civilized lands with monuments of its skill , only less majestic and enduring than the granite
monuments reared in the beginning by the hand of the Great Architect and Father of all—devout reverence for whose being , and filial trust in whose Providence is taught from first to last in every stage and degree of progress in the mysteries of the Order . Like all human institutions , while it has these and other uses , it is not absolutely free from abuse . Its
obligations do not release a man from his duties of citizenship , if properly regarded . Nor can they conflict with those duties to any extent whatever . A judge on the bench deciding cases ; a jury in the jury-box , sworn to look only at the law and at the evidence ; a witness on the witness - stand sworn to tell the truth—the whole ' truth , and nothing but the truth ; a
voter , bound upon his honour and conscience to cast his ballot for the most worthy candidate for his suffrage—will find no embarrassment in the discharge of these high duties from any Masonic obligation ; nor will any intelligent Mason , of any creed , find in Masonry a substitute for religious faith . It is onlv in its perversion that these
things could ever be found . Its true spirit is to incite to greater fidelity in the discharge of every duty—religious , political and social—and thereby to aid in establishing upon more lasting foundations that noble edifice of civil and religious liberty , reared by the toil and sacrifices of our father and which it devolves upon us to preserve and transmit to posterity . —Ex . Gov . Haight , Cal .
DEPOPULATION OF FRANCE .- —A correspondent in "L'Explorateur " calls attention to some remarkable results of the slow rate of increase of the population of France . He refers to the statement of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Wellington , New Zealand , that British emigration to that colony is at present going on at thc rate of at least 30 , 000 yearly , and to the fact that the population of the colonv is
now 300 , 000 , exclusive of Maories . Had New Zealand been a French colony , as at one time it was nearly becoming , the European population would probably have been counted by hundreds instead of thousands . In support of his statement the writer refers to the Marquesas , to Mayotte with its admirable roadstead , to Nossi Be ' , the gateway to Madagascar , and other French possessions . It has already
become a question whether these islands , of which France took possession about 1840 , must not be abandoned . The native population is becoming extinct , and no Frenchmen can be induced permanently to settle . " Our flag , " the writer states , " will shelter only solitudes . This impotency of our race shows itself daily in many ways . We are stationary , while all surrounding- nations are snrm !;™^
themselves out and adding to their territory . Thus , it has been calculated , on the basis of the proportion of births and deaths , in what time the various European countries double their population , and the following is the result : —Norway , 51 years ; Austria , 62 ; England , 63 ; Denmark , 73 ; Sweden , 89 ; Germany . n 8
and France , 334 years ! Moieover , this last figure , humiliating as it is , places us in a somewhat better li ght than we really deserve , for France receives yearl y a certain number of immigrants , who , attracted b y the pleasant climate and agreeable manners of the people , settle among us and become in time French families ; they escape , as far as ' they can , at least , from the law which otherwise
The Antiquity And Objects Of Freemasonry.
prevails . It is , then , by the number of French youths to whom this law applies that we are able to form an estimate of the really national population . The following are the numbers of Frenchmen who in recent years have reached the age of 20 years—In 1873 , 303 , 810 ; in 1874 , 296 , 204 ; in 18 75 , 283 , 768 ; in 1876 the number does not exceed 277 , 000 . If our race is becoming degenerate
and extinct , how can it stock the colonies ? It is sought to explain this decrease by asserting that the years just mentioned correspond , so far as births are concerned , to the epoch of the Crimean War . Would to God it were so ; but are the French in the habit of marrying at the age of twenty years . ' French journals insist sometimes , nerbans . more than * is iustifiahlp . nn fhp pi * ii _
gration of the German population to escape the military regime to which the country is condemned . The fact is certain ; but what is not less certain is that the population of the German Empire does not suffer any diminution . It is then an excess which goes oft like a swarm of bees , and which carries over all the earth the language , the manners , and the interests of Germany . Our inferiority
is thus clearly demonstrated , and the cause is a mystery to no one ; it is an inevitable consequence of the compulsory subdivision of heritages . To those who doubt this , it will be sufficient to observe that the comparative sterility of marriages is in France an evil peculiar only to those who have possessions , and does not touch those who are without heritage . Artisans , workmen , all who live from day
to day , do not dread having a . family ; the patrimonial inheritance suffers no injury , as it would do in the cases of well-to-do families . But the decline of the French population is not the only injurious result of the forced Partition of heritaores . Then * nrp n * Vlpi- pvil rmilt « C .. Y .
asthe indefinite parcelling out of landed property and the ruin of small heritages by law expenses . These evils have become so great that Government is beginning to think of a remedy . May the secondary facts not keep out of sight the main fact of all—the appalling sterility of the French . "
ROYAL PORTRAITS . —The parisioners of Greenwich are very dissatisfied at the fate of four pictures formerly hung in the parish church of St . Alphege—portraits of Queen Elizabeth , Charles I ., Queen Anne , and George I . Becoming in lapse of time dingy and faded , thev were stowed away as lumber in the organ loft of the church , and ultimately sold by the churchwardens . The portrait
cf Queen Anne went to the Painted Hall , Greenwich , for the sum of £ io , the permission of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty having been obtained to pay that sum for it . The portraits of Queen Elizabeth , Charles I ., and George I . were sold to a general dealer named Dyer , living in New-cross , for £ 20 15 s ., and were subsequently sold by him at a profit of 50 s . to Messrs . Pratt , of New
Bond-street , who are restoring them . The portrait of King George represents the King in full coronation dress , the heavy ermine cloak being thrown back in front , revealing a rich close-fitting dress , while round the shoulders is a massive chain , from which is suspended the prancing horse of Hanover . On the table beside His Majesty are the crown and sceptre , the King ' s hand grasping the ball
and cross . In the background is a view of the south end of Westminster Abbey . The value of this picture is stated to be over £ 500 . The portrait of Charles I . was 10 feet square , and is supposed to be the work of Sir Peter Lely . The painting represents the King in a prayerful attitude , and is believed to be even more valuable than that of George I . How the paintings became the property of St .
Alphege , Greenwich , is not know , but all the monarchs mentioned were associated with Greenwich . Queen Elizabeth made the Palace her favourite summer residence . Charles I . passed much of his time at the " House of Delight . " Queen Anne built one of the wings of Greenwich Hospital , which still bears her name , while George I . landed at Greenwich on his arrival from Hanover .
A committee appointed by the Vestry is investigating the subject , and trying to get the portraits back again . It is thought that there will be no difficulty in accomplishing this so far as regards the Admiralty , and the opinion of of Dr . Spinks , Q . C , has been taken with regard to the other paintings , the question being raised as to whether , being church property , a sale could be negotiated without a special faculty from the bishop .
ROVAL GIFT . —Tbe Prince of Wales has manifested his approbation of the admirable arrangements made for his journey from Portsmouth to London on the occasion of his return from India by presenting Mr . Knight , the manager ofthe London , Brighton , and South Coast Railway , with a full-sized portrait of himself and the Princess of Wales , accompanied by the following letter : — " M-irlhnrnnwl ,
House , Pall Mall , S . W . Dear Mr . Knight ,- —The enclosed portraits are sent to you b y desire of the Prince of Wales , which His Royal Highness hopes you will accept as a small souvenir of his long acquaintance with you ; as also an expression of His Royal Highness ' s appreciation
of your constant readiness to secure his comfort and punctuality , & c , whenever he has had occasion to travel on the railway in his charge . I am , yours sincerely , Arthur Ellis , Lieutenant-Colonel . To Mr . J . Knight , General Manager , London , Brighton , and South Coast Railway , London-bridge . "
HOLLOWAY * OINTMBNT AND PILLS . —Rheumatism and Rheumatic gout are the most dreaded of all diseases , because their victims know that they are safe at no season , and at no ag = sccure . Holloways * Ointment , after fomentation of the painful parts , gives greater relief than any other application ; but it must be diligently used to obtain this desirable result . It has Iwcn
highly commended by rheumatic subjects of all ages and of both sexes , for rendering their attacks less frequent and less vigorous and for repressing die sour perspirations and soothing the nerves . In many cases , Holloways" Ointment and Pills have proved the greatest blessings in removing rheumatism and rheumatic' gout which haa assailed persons previously and at the ptime of lite . — ADVT .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Bulgarian Atrocities.
THE BULGARIAN ATROCITIES .
At a meeting to protest against the Turkish atrocities in Bulgaria , at Nottingham , Mr . Saul Isaac , M . P ., one of the members for the borough , moved a resolution , and read the following letter from Mr . Bourke , Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs : — " Coaltown , Haddington , N . B ., Aug-. 27 .
" My dear Sir , —I am not all surprised that your constituents should be shocked and indignant at the accounts which have recently reached England of the dreadful deeds which have been perpetrated in Bulgaria . You are aware that the Government have remonstrated in the strongest terms with the Porte upon the subject , and . ot ,,. told them that these events have had the effect of
alienating the country from Turkey in a manner which may prove disastrous to the Ottoman Empire . For my own part I care not how serious the insurrection was , which was fomented by foreigners , or how sanguinary were the intentions and facts of the insurgent Christians . The carnage and devastation by which it was suppressed cannot be justified , and reflects shame upon the
Government under which these events took place , and infamy upon the actors in the dreadful crimes which have been perpetrated . I believe that our Ambassador at Constantinop le has never lost an opportunity of doing everything that diplomacy can do to arrest the bloodshed and to secure punishment for the guilty . But the Russian and Austrian Ambassadors , in common with Sir H . Elliott ,
were not informed of the atrocities which had taken place until the worst was over . You may be quite sure that the Frime Midister and Lord Derby feel as indignant at these events as any other two men in the country , and mean to act in accordance with those feelings ; but heartrending as the Bulgarian massacres have been , we must all recollect that English statesmen are not the rulers of
Turkey , and cannot use physical force in the internal provinces of the Empire upon a few days' notice of the danger . The first duty of English statesmen is a regard for the interests of this country ; but Turkey knows as well as you do that the Government of England will never support tyranny , oppression , or cruelty , wherever it may
be found , and that , as the Queen of England treats her Mahomedan subjects with justice and mercy , we have a right to demand from the head of the Mahomedan faith similar treatment for the various Christian races who live in the territories of thc Sultan . —Believe me , very faithfully yours , RODEIIT BOURKE . " - * .
BUDGET OF ^ C OURT OF C HANCERY . —The accounts of the Paymaster-General of the Court of Chancery from thc ist of September , 1874 , to the 31 st of August , 1875 , with the report of the Controller and Auditor General thereon , was a few days ago presented to Parliament . It is an exceedingly interesting document ; from it wc learn that the sums dealt with are enormous , and every year
increasing . On the debtor side of the account we find £ 15 , 743 , 378 ios . 3 d . as the amount of cash , and £ j 1 , 508 , 116 12 S . 6 d . the amount of the securities ( exclusive of foreign currencies ) , or in round numbers over £ 87 , 000 , 000 . On the creditor side a balance of £ 4 , 590 , 890 2 s . ud . cash , and £ 64 , 639 , 853 12 s . 3 d . securities ( exclusive of foreign currencies ) , or about £ 60 , 000 , 000 in court on the
31 st of August , 1875 . It appears that thc bulk ( £ 46 , 732 , 358 12 s . 1 id . ) is invested in Consols , the remainder * in Reduced Three per Cents ., New Three per Cents ., Bank stock , India stock , Metropolitan Consolidated stock , Exchequer Bills , preference stock , and debentures of the leading railway companies , & c . American securities amount to Ail . SlC dols . . tc . and Indian to si . io . fiiRr . AB ..
A statement of the boxes and other miscellaneous effects remaining In the Bank of England to the account of the Paymaster-General contains among other curious items the following : —A box containing small articles of jewellery ; three chests ( date 1867 ) * , a box containing documents of title , jewels , trinkets , watches , and personal ornaments ; foreign bonds and securities belonging to the estate of a
person of unsound mind ; five chests and one box containing plate and jewellery to a like account ; a box ( dated 1868 ) , with diamond necklace , coronet , and earrings ; a bag of clipped monev , & c . ( date August 1776 ) ; a debenture dated 1799 ; a box marked " Securities for legacies , " two assignments of five tallies , & c . Next follow the accounts of the National Debt Commissioners as to funds
transferred to them under the Court of Chancery Funds Act , 1872 . It appears that the Commissioners have dealt with large sums of cash and stock belonging to the suitors , and that a balance of £ 1 , 286 , 110 13 s . 7 d . remains in hand . _ The report of the Controller and Auditor General contains some observations or suggestion s adopted since the last account was presentedand proceeds to give some
, statistics . The number of causes , & c . ( 32 , 687 ) , shows an increase of 8 C 0 over the preceding year ; number of draughts paid 46 , 00 5 , against 45 , 625 last year ; number of transactions by thc deposit account , 13 , 883 , or 2 , 482 less than last year . This is accounted for by the limit being fixed at £ 10 instead of £ 3 ; amount ot money on deposit , £ 1 , 073 , 284 , as against r 6-8 * . 886—a considerable
increase . The report concludes with some general observations and suggestions , from which it appears that the p troller h * 13 bcen » n communication with the Chancery ' aymaster as to dormant accounts , a list of which ought ¦ eng since to have been published in pursuance of thc "lies under the Court of Chancery Funds Act ; the reason nf , ! I ? fi for thedeIay 'n making this list public is that the current business of the office is so heavy .
. „ **• Special General Court of the Governors will £ u , --b ( : rs of the Hoy * 1 Masonic Institution for Girls riselv . i ** ii ia-y . ( Saturday ) , at twelve o'clock prebe fn . ' \ Frecma' ! ° ' " s * Hall . Further particulars may page * " adv ' : rtise'nent which appears on tbe front
The Antiquity And Objects Of Freemasonry.
THE ANTIQUITY AND OBJECTS OF FREEMASONRY .
Thc tendency to venerate ancient institutions is doubtless one of the chief attractions of Masonry . It is not a plant of yesterday , but a tree whose mossy trunk and giant growth speak to us of past ages . Kings have oarticioatcd in its ceremonies , and men preater than kintrs
have adorned its annals . If , however , its only merit was age , its destiny would be decay . Age alone contains no principle of its morality , and if Masonry had nothing but its ancient origin to recommend it there would be no sound reason to expect that it would survive , much less that it would grow . There are talismanic words implied in its organization— "liberty , equality , fraternity "—terms
grossly abused , but in the Order of Free and Accepted Masons full of real and practical significance ; because one of its first lessons is resistance to despotism , both ecclesiastical and civil , and the instinctive antagonism between Masonry and ecclesiasticism is the most emphatic testimony to the spirit of personal liberty , which is one of the distinguishing traits of the Order . Equality , not by
lowering , but by elevating to a common platform , where all meet on the level , with equal rights and duties , and equal claims to mutual respect , if faithful to the obligations voluntarily assumed . Fraternity , in whose bonds the most ancient and inveterate prejudices are melted in the solvent of brotherly intercourse , the heirs of the most ancient civilization join hands with the missionaries of the
youngest civilization , and Hebrews and Gentiles , Celt and Sax £ n , men of the most diverse origin and nationality , meet in the interchange of kindly offices and furnish some evidence of the possibility of the attainment cf a true brotherhood of man . These are grand lessons , imperatively taught by its origin and history ; but they are all . It teaches the force
of associated action , the inestimable value of union in a good cause , the superiority of harmony over discord , and the power of combined benevolence . It furnishes , too , a noble and inspiring lesson of the worth and dignity of labour , because in the toil of Operative Masonry , which reared in the Middle Ages some of the grandest edifices ever conceived bv human genius , and in the migrations of
architects and builders from place to place , where such works to be executed , the Order of Free and Accepted Masons had its growth and development , if not its origin , and the whole spirit of its precepts and ceremonies is to exalt and dignify that intelligent labour which has adorned all civilized lands with monuments of its skill , only less majestic and enduring than the granite
monuments reared in the beginning by the hand of the Great Architect and Father of all—devout reverence for whose being , and filial trust in whose Providence is taught from first to last in every stage and degree of progress in the mysteries of the Order . Like all human institutions , while it has these and other uses , it is not absolutely free from abuse . Its
obligations do not release a man from his duties of citizenship , if properly regarded . Nor can they conflict with those duties to any extent whatever . A judge on the bench deciding cases ; a jury in the jury-box , sworn to look only at the law and at the evidence ; a witness on the witness - stand sworn to tell the truth—the whole ' truth , and nothing but the truth ; a
voter , bound upon his honour and conscience to cast his ballot for the most worthy candidate for his suffrage—will find no embarrassment in the discharge of these high duties from any Masonic obligation ; nor will any intelligent Mason , of any creed , find in Masonry a substitute for religious faith . It is onlv in its perversion that these
things could ever be found . Its true spirit is to incite to greater fidelity in the discharge of every duty—religious , political and social—and thereby to aid in establishing upon more lasting foundations that noble edifice of civil and religious liberty , reared by the toil and sacrifices of our father and which it devolves upon us to preserve and transmit to posterity . —Ex . Gov . Haight , Cal .
DEPOPULATION OF FRANCE .- —A correspondent in "L'Explorateur " calls attention to some remarkable results of the slow rate of increase of the population of France . He refers to the statement of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Wellington , New Zealand , that British emigration to that colony is at present going on at thc rate of at least 30 , 000 yearly , and to the fact that the population of the colonv is
now 300 , 000 , exclusive of Maories . Had New Zealand been a French colony , as at one time it was nearly becoming , the European population would probably have been counted by hundreds instead of thousands . In support of his statement the writer refers to the Marquesas , to Mayotte with its admirable roadstead , to Nossi Be ' , the gateway to Madagascar , and other French possessions . It has already
become a question whether these islands , of which France took possession about 1840 , must not be abandoned . The native population is becoming extinct , and no Frenchmen can be induced permanently to settle . " Our flag , " the writer states , " will shelter only solitudes . This impotency of our race shows itself daily in many ways . We are stationary , while all surrounding- nations are snrm !;™^
themselves out and adding to their territory . Thus , it has been calculated , on the basis of the proportion of births and deaths , in what time the various European countries double their population , and the following is the result : —Norway , 51 years ; Austria , 62 ; England , 63 ; Denmark , 73 ; Sweden , 89 ; Germany . n 8
and France , 334 years ! Moieover , this last figure , humiliating as it is , places us in a somewhat better li ght than we really deserve , for France receives yearl y a certain number of immigrants , who , attracted b y the pleasant climate and agreeable manners of the people , settle among us and become in time French families ; they escape , as far as ' they can , at least , from the law which otherwise
The Antiquity And Objects Of Freemasonry.
prevails . It is , then , by the number of French youths to whom this law applies that we are able to form an estimate of the really national population . The following are the numbers of Frenchmen who in recent years have reached the age of 20 years—In 1873 , 303 , 810 ; in 1874 , 296 , 204 ; in 18 75 , 283 , 768 ; in 1876 the number does not exceed 277 , 000 . If our race is becoming degenerate
and extinct , how can it stock the colonies ? It is sought to explain this decrease by asserting that the years just mentioned correspond , so far as births are concerned , to the epoch of the Crimean War . Would to God it were so ; but are the French in the habit of marrying at the age of twenty years . ' French journals insist sometimes , nerbans . more than * is iustifiahlp . nn fhp pi * ii _
gration of the German population to escape the military regime to which the country is condemned . The fact is certain ; but what is not less certain is that the population of the German Empire does not suffer any diminution . It is then an excess which goes oft like a swarm of bees , and which carries over all the earth the language , the manners , and the interests of Germany . Our inferiority
is thus clearly demonstrated , and the cause is a mystery to no one ; it is an inevitable consequence of the compulsory subdivision of heritages . To those who doubt this , it will be sufficient to observe that the comparative sterility of marriages is in France an evil peculiar only to those who have possessions , and does not touch those who are without heritage . Artisans , workmen , all who live from day
to day , do not dread having a . family ; the patrimonial inheritance suffers no injury , as it would do in the cases of well-to-do families . But the decline of the French population is not the only injurious result of the forced Partition of heritaores . Then * nrp n * Vlpi- pvil rmilt « C .. Y .
asthe indefinite parcelling out of landed property and the ruin of small heritages by law expenses . These evils have become so great that Government is beginning to think of a remedy . May the secondary facts not keep out of sight the main fact of all—the appalling sterility of the French . "
ROYAL PORTRAITS . —The parisioners of Greenwich are very dissatisfied at the fate of four pictures formerly hung in the parish church of St . Alphege—portraits of Queen Elizabeth , Charles I ., Queen Anne , and George I . Becoming in lapse of time dingy and faded , thev were stowed away as lumber in the organ loft of the church , and ultimately sold by the churchwardens . The portrait
cf Queen Anne went to the Painted Hall , Greenwich , for the sum of £ io , the permission of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty having been obtained to pay that sum for it . The portraits of Queen Elizabeth , Charles I ., and George I . were sold to a general dealer named Dyer , living in New-cross , for £ 20 15 s ., and were subsequently sold by him at a profit of 50 s . to Messrs . Pratt , of New
Bond-street , who are restoring them . The portrait of King George represents the King in full coronation dress , the heavy ermine cloak being thrown back in front , revealing a rich close-fitting dress , while round the shoulders is a massive chain , from which is suspended the prancing horse of Hanover . On the table beside His Majesty are the crown and sceptre , the King ' s hand grasping the ball
and cross . In the background is a view of the south end of Westminster Abbey . The value of this picture is stated to be over £ 500 . The portrait of Charles I . was 10 feet square , and is supposed to be the work of Sir Peter Lely . The painting represents the King in a prayerful attitude , and is believed to be even more valuable than that of George I . How the paintings became the property of St .
Alphege , Greenwich , is not know , but all the monarchs mentioned were associated with Greenwich . Queen Elizabeth made the Palace her favourite summer residence . Charles I . passed much of his time at the " House of Delight . " Queen Anne built one of the wings of Greenwich Hospital , which still bears her name , while George I . landed at Greenwich on his arrival from Hanover .
A committee appointed by the Vestry is investigating the subject , and trying to get the portraits back again . It is thought that there will be no difficulty in accomplishing this so far as regards the Admiralty , and the opinion of of Dr . Spinks , Q . C , has been taken with regard to the other paintings , the question being raised as to whether , being church property , a sale could be negotiated without a special faculty from the bishop .
ROVAL GIFT . —Tbe Prince of Wales has manifested his approbation of the admirable arrangements made for his journey from Portsmouth to London on the occasion of his return from India by presenting Mr . Knight , the manager ofthe London , Brighton , and South Coast Railway , with a full-sized portrait of himself and the Princess of Wales , accompanied by the following letter : — " M-irlhnrnnwl ,
House , Pall Mall , S . W . Dear Mr . Knight ,- —The enclosed portraits are sent to you b y desire of the Prince of Wales , which His Royal Highness hopes you will accept as a small souvenir of his long acquaintance with you ; as also an expression of His Royal Highness ' s appreciation
of your constant readiness to secure his comfort and punctuality , & c , whenever he has had occasion to travel on the railway in his charge . I am , yours sincerely , Arthur Ellis , Lieutenant-Colonel . To Mr . J . Knight , General Manager , London , Brighton , and South Coast Railway , London-bridge . "
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