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r NOTICE . To prevent delay or miscarriage , it is particularly requested that ALL communications of whatever nature for the " Freemason , " may be addressed to the Office , T 98 , Fleet-street , London , it . being irregular to send through any other channel .

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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 us of all monev orders they remit , more especially those from the United States of America and India j otherwise we cannot tell where to credit them .

To Our Readers.

TO OUR READERS .

The Freemason is a sixteen-page weekly newspaper , price 2 d . It is published every Friday morning , and contains the most important , interesting , and useful information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . Annual subscription in the United Kingdom , Post free , 10 / - P . O . O . ' s to be made payable at the chief office , London .

NEW POSTAL RATES . Owing to a reduction in the Postal Rates , the publisher is now enabled to send the " Freemason " to the following part s abroad for One Year for Twelve Shillings ( payable in

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To Advertisers.

TO ADVERTISERS .

The Freemason has a large circulation in all parts of the Globe , its advantages as an advertising medium can therefore scarcely be overrated . A DVERTISE . UE . should reach the Office , 19 S Fleet Street , London , not later than 12 o ' clock on Wednesday , to insure insertion in the following Saturday ' s number . The Rates for Advertisements may be had on application at the Office .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

F . P . —No . The following stand over : —Reports of lodges : Vale of Avon ; Churchill , 473 ; Northampton Chapter , 3 60 ; Faith , 141 ; Alfred , 340 ; Loyalty , 86 ; Ivy , 1441 ; London Masonic Club ; Priory , 1000 ; Star , 1275 ; Domatic Chapter , 177 ; Union Lodge of Instruction ; Annual Banquet Southern Star Lodge of Instruction . Premier Conclave Red Cross of Constantine . Burn ' s Statue and Freemasonry .

Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

[ The charge is 2 s . 6 d . for announcements , not exceeding four lines , under this heading . ]

BIRTHS . FRANCIS . —On the 2 nd [ inst ., at Fellows-road , South Hampstead , the wife of A . Francis , Esq ., of a son . PBATT . —On the ist inst ., at Lyonsdown , New Barnct , the wife of J . Pratt , of a daughter . Rosn . —On the 4 th inst ., at Thistleton House , Clissoldroad , the wife of Mr . L . Rose , of a daughter . WATSON . —On the ist inst ., at Clifton , Gloucestershire , the wife of the Rev . H . C . Watson , of a son .

MARRIAGES . LEWIS—RICIIAHD-PIIESTON . —On the 29 th ult ., at Brentwood Church , Edwin James , son of C . C . Lewis , Esq ,, Brentwood , to Frances Maude Dorothea , daughter of W . R . Richard-Preston , Esq .

MOORE—MYERS . —On the 2 nd inst ., at St . Peter ' s Church , Wm . Prentice Moore , second son of the late Charles Caught Moore , Esq ., of Mile-end and Leytonstoie , to Mary Kate , eldest daughter of William Henry Myers , Esq ., F . S . A .

DEATHS . DAWSON . —On the 30 th ult ., at Birmingham , George Dawson , aged 55 . HAIITI . F . V . —On the 25 th ult ., at Brighton , Thomas Hartley , aged 63 . HAWKEH . —On Sept . 6 , at Akassa , West Coast of Africa , Edward Charles Hawker , aged 38 .

MATTHEWS . —On the 1 st inst ., at his residence , Victoria Road , Hecley , Sheffield , Henry Matthews , P . M . 1239 , P . Z . 139 , P . P . S . G . Mark W . for W . Yks ., G . J . O . for Eng ., & c , & c , aged 50 years . TOOLE . —On the 3 rd inst ,, after severe suffering , at

Blackwater Cottage , Lordship-lane , East Dulwich , Charlotte , the beloved wife of John Poole , aged 55 , deeply lamented Friends will kindly accept this intimation . REYNOLDS . —On the 24 th ult ., at Richmond-terrace Clapham-road , Louisa Ann , eldest daughter of the late Mr . Charles and Mrs . Mary Ann Reynolds .

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The Freemason , SATURDAY , DEC . 9 , 1876 .

The Grand Lodge Of Benevolence.

THE GRAND LODGE OF BENEVOLENCE .

We called attention in our last number to the amount distributed at the monthly meeting of this valuable body , which , assuming it to be the normal maximum of monthly relief , would reach to something like £ 7000 per annum . This at 3 per cent , is the interest £ 2 . 30 , 000 ,

and represents a large capital and a serious charge on our resources . It may be questioned however , whether that amount , even large as it is , answers to the actual charge on our resources , and as by the last published quaiterly accounts of Grand Lodge , it seems that the sums paid

by the Fund of Benevolence , in the quarter ending March 31 st , reached to £ 1 ) 72 2 s . 8 d ., and that this total by no means represents the amount voted , we feel sure that we are not wrong in fixing the yearly expenditure at the very least at £ 7000 per annum . How then is

this large amount expended ? and is the best done with it that might be done : are questions which will occur to every brother . We wish that we could say , in our opinion , that the replies to these two queries could be perfectly satisfactory . But we feel bound to say we do not

think that they are . Several noteworthy points crop out when wc begin to dive beneath the surface , and to realize the claims for relief , on the one hand , and the " Benevolence " afforded on the other . First of all , it is very noteworthy that a large number of applications are always

only just nuthin the " minimum " of the term of subscription insisted on by the Book of Constitutions . Two-years-and-a-half is a very common period of subscription , three years , very frequent , four years may be said to be exceptional , and though , of course , we have here and

there ten , fifteen , twenty , or thirty years , yet we fancy that if the average membership of the list of the applicants for the last Lodge of Benevolence was taken , it could only amount to something under four-and-a-half years , if quite so much , But , of course , we speak from

memory , and do not profess , except relatively , to claim correctness in our figures , but we believe we are not far out . The next point to be noted , is the absence from lodge life which many of the applicants display , sixteen years of non-subscription we often have to deal with , and

though the case be a bad one , as it often is , yet wc cannot think that after so long an absence from the work and payments of Freemasonry , a brother has a right to ask our aid . We should be quite ready to add a provision to our laws , that no one out of Masonry for ten years , and who

has not subscribed to a lodge for two years previous to his application [( except the lodge is prepared to make it a special case ) , on special grounds , shall come for relief . As it is , too many who do nothing for Masonry reap the benefit , while the industrious and zealous

brethren bear all the burdens . This is a growing evil , and deserves to be noticed and remedied . Another point is , the frequent applications we have from brethren who have known existing incomes , in some cases increasing , and who because they are in difficulties come to

the board . It is really quite impossible to understand how such can claim the benefit of our Masonic charity , which is for those in decayed and distressed circumstances , to whom such help is really invaluable . Can such a claim really be considered as

a claim for Masonic " charity ? " We think not ; and we feel sure that such a contingency of relief , and such an application for aid do not properly come under the consideration of the Lodge of Benevolence . The evils arising from such claims being

substantiated , as a right , are so serious and manifold , as hardly to require animadversion , and we feel that we are doing no more than our duty in calling the attention of W . Masters of lodges to an innovation most unreasonable in itself , and fraught with harm to the best interests of our Order . And having said this , as we felt

The Grand Lodge Of Benevolence.

it our duty to do , we feel bound to add , how greatly we rejoice to think that the wisdom of our Masonic forefathers provided this means of Masonic charity , inasmuch as in itself it is a right noble institution , and well represents the unchanging character of our

goodly and chivalrous Order . Many a poor brother receives a " solatium " in hours of adversit y without which he has really nothing but the workhouse before him . Many a destitute friendless man has the " ri ^ ht hand of fellowship "

extended to him in an unexpected term of bitter earthly adversity , and the liberality of our brotherhood , and the kindness of the brethren who compose the Board of Benevolence make certainly , often most truly still the poor " widow ' s heart to sing for joy . "

The Present Aspects Of The Masonic Struggle In France And Belgium.

THE PRESENT ASPECTS OF THE MASONIC STRUGGLE IN FRANCE AND BELGIUM .

To all sincere Freemasons , to all members of the Anglo-Saxon family of Masonry , the position of Masonry itself in these two countries must be one ot extreme anxiety . It is hardly possible to overrate the result of the foolish

appeal to the lodges which is now proceeding 1 : both lands , as in the present " temper of the times , '' and the " animus" of a large and important section of the fraternity , there can , we are disposed to think , be little doubt , humanly speaking , what the response will be . Our readers

are aware that in both France and Belgium the question whether the belief in the " existence of God , and the Immortality of the soul " shall be retained in the constitutional laws as a condition of acceptance , as an official avowal , is now submitted to the lodge . In Belgium

as we informed our readers last week on excellent authority , some of the lodges have already voted by large majorities that the "words shall be expunged . " In France the process is proceeding , but we have not yet heard of any actual voting . In perusing the official

report of the meeting of the Grand Orient at Paris in September , and of the speeches pro and con , we cannot be insensible to the grave nature of the case . Let us listen to these remarks of Bro . Beke , who spoke with great moderation and effect . We give the actual French , with a

translation for the benefit of some of our brethren who do not read French with facility . — " L ' article 1 . En disant ( ce que vous ne pouvez changer ) : que 1 'immense majorite des Macons repandus sur la surface du globe croit au grand Architecte de l'Univers et a rimmortalite de

1 ame , ne porte en rien atteinte a cette liberte de conscience , puisque le paragraphe 3 dit : que la Mai ] onnerie regarde la libertc de conscience com me un droit propre a chaque horn me et n ' exclut personne pour ses croyances . Je veux vous dire , mes FF . " ., a ce sujet ce qui s ' est passe

dans une Loge il y a peu de jours . Un prof . ; presente : les rapports sont excellents , ce prof . ' , a contribute pour une somme importante a la creation d ' ecoles lai ' ques ; il est done admis a l ' unanimite a subir les cpreuves maoonniques . Dans les questions qui lui sont posees , on lui demande : s'il a jamais prie ? sur sa reponse que

dans des moments douloureux de sa vie , il a quelquefois adresse des prieres a l'Etre supreme , il est gratifie de 27 boules noires , et l'initiation lui est rcfusee ! Je vous demande , ' mes tres chers FF . ., si ce n ' est pas la de I'intolerance ?" Article r . In saying ( that which you cannot

change ) that the immense majority of Masons spread over the surface of the globe believes in the Great Architect of the Universe and theimmortality of the soul , in no way interferes with that liberty of conscience , since Paragraph 3 says that Masonry looks upon libertyof conscience as a rig ht

peculiar to the individual , and shuts out no one for his belief . I wish to tell you , my brethren , with respect to this subject , a fact that has taken place in a lodge within a few days . A profane presents himself j the reports of him are excellent ; this profane has contributed an important

amount to the lay school , he is therefore unanimously admitted to undergo the Masonic probation . In the questions which arc put to him , he is asked if he has ever prayed ? On his reply that in mournful moments of l j life he has sometimes offered up prayers to the