To Correspondents.

To Correspondents .

The following correspondence on the subject of Uniformity of Ritual is in type , but is held until next week for want of space * . — X ., T . C . W ., R . P . S . B . Middx ., & c , C . J . Perceval , V . P . Reports from thc following lodges stand over : — Nos . 41 , 317 , 422 , 654 , 1112 , 1675 , 1780 , and Duke of Connaught Lodge of Instruction , No . 1524 .

BOOKS , eV * c , RECEIVED . "The Stepping Stones , an Allegory , " " Tne Marvellous Little Housekeeper , " " Wm , Pigg , Esq ., M . P ., " 'Breakfasts and Luncheons at Home , " " Brief , " " The Sun , " " Hull Packet , " " Citizen , " " The Alliance News , " " Broad Arrow , " " Evidence of J . E . Shund , House of Commons Committee re Co-operative Stores , " "

Sunderland Daily Post , " " Masonic Newspaper , " " Thc Lancet , " "Croydon Guardian , " "Ihe Masonic Age , " "Modern Thought , " " Orient , " " Freemasons' Repository , " " The Porcupine , " . " Portsmouth Times and Naval Gazette , " " Masonic Eclectic , " "Canadian Craftsman , " "Masonic Record of Western India , " Dick Radclyffe ' s Catalogue of Seeds , " " Report of Proceedings of Grand Lodge of Ohio , " " Keystone . "

Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

[ The charge is 2 s . od . for announcements not exceeding Four Lines under this heading . ] BIRTHS . BAKER . —On the 2 nd inst ., at Stockbridge , Chichester , Sussex , the wife of W . W . Baker , Esq ., of a son . POWELL . — Os the 2 nd inst ., at Lathbury Rectory , Newport Pagnal , the wife of Capt . F . Powell , of a daughter .

MARRIAGE . ATHII . I . —Tunny . —On thc 3 rd inst ., at the parish church , I love , Brighton , Herbert Athill , of St . John ' s College , Oxford , to Mary Anne Abbot , daughter of H . I . Terry ,. Esq ., of Park-village West , Regent's Park .

DEATHS . COLLIER . —On the 23 id ult ., at bis residence , 18 , Harcourtroad , Urocklcy , Kent , James Collier , in his 86 th year , and over 50 years connected with the fiim nf 1 kiuy Compton and Co ., Fcnchurch-strcct .

HANCOCK . —At Standen Chute , near Antlovcr , Bro . Henry Hancock , F . R . C . S ., P . G . D . of England . TAYLOI ' . —Ou tlie 4 th inst ., at lly <; Sussex , Charles 'Taylor , in the 87 th year of his age . Friends will kindlv accept this thc only intimation .

Ar00609

THE FREEMASON . SATURDAY , J ANUARY 10 , 1880 .

The Last Quarterly Court Of The Girls' School.

THE LAST QUARTERLY COURT OF THE GIRLS' SCHOOL .

We haveheard that some subscribers have taken counsel ' s opinion as to the power of the Special Court to purchase a " house and land " for the special purposes of the Girls' School . We also understand that such opinion is— " that it is ultra vires " for the Court to do so out of the general

funds , and that a special Land and Building Purchase Fund ought to be raised . We have little doubt that such opinion will turn out io be utterly erroneous , and that the action of the Special Court is perfectly legal and proper . It is quite clear that the " statute of Mortmain "

does net apply to the Girls School ; it is equally clear that the action of the Special Court is not " ultra vires . " For though the General Fund is intended for tho " maintenance , education , and clothing " of the orphans , it is also intended for their " housing , " and no court of law is likely

to endorse any such technical " hair splitting . " Jf this ridiculous and apparently personal opposition is continued , we know enough of our Craft to feel persuaded that they will rally round the Trustees and the Grand Treasurer . If any motion is made in court , it will be promptly met ,

and as easily " moved out . Since we wrote the above we have seen the counsel ' s opinion , which will appear " in extenso " in our next . It is not improbable that , under the special circumstances of the case , it may be considered better to adjourn the confirmation of the minutes relative to the purchase of Lyncombe House for a specific term .

Masonic Charity.

MASONIC CHARITY .

What a goodly " outcome " does 18 79 exhibit of this Masonic virtue . Without boasting we may , we think , not improperly ask , what other society is really doing so much in simple " beniricence" to its members ? For this peculiarity jri _ jjj * pem ,- isonrv ought to be observed , that it is

Masonic Charity.

right to anything . All is a free grant out of the large-heartedfiess of the brethren . And the figures do sum up well . In the first place we note , £ 44 , 585 1 is . pd . have been raised for our three great Metropolitan Charities in 1879 And when as in 1 S 77 the amount was over , £ 42 , 000

in 18 78 it fell to . £ 40 , 31245 . 3 d ., ( no mean sum be it observed ) , in 18 79 , despite the badness of trade and the sufferings of agriculture , it rose , as we have just pointed out , to ^ 44 , 583 us . 9 a . Let us fix these figures on our memories . Of this large sum , ( the contributions of our

warmhearted Craft ) , the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for aged Freemasons and their Widows received the largest amount , in that it is credited with £ i ~ , 78 i 12 s . iod ., or £ 3110 more than it received in 1878 . The Boys' School ranks second , having received . £ 13 , 923 4 s . 4 d .,

or over £ 1200 more than in 1878 . The Girls ' School is third in order with £ 13 , 025 12 s . id ., or ; £ i 6 o in excess of 1878 . We do not go into the wants or prospects of the three Charities for 1880 , but we have every reason to hope and believe that 1883 will not fall short or behind thafc of

1879 , but will demonstrate that Masonic charity is alike perennial and progressive . The Board of Benevolence has granted in 1879 the goodly amount of £ 8238 , being , let us remark , £ 4984 in excess of 1878 . This amount added to £ 44 , 583 its . gd . makes a gross sum of

, £ 52 , 821 1 is . gd ., as a man . festation of Masonic charity in 1879 . But when to these figures we add the amounts voted by Provincial Grand Lodges , and private lodges , and local Masonic charitable associations , we shall not be wrong in assuming that Freemasonry in England makes

annual grants of not less than £ jo , ooo at the very least to the needy and suffering of our great Fraternity . Without to-day dwelling on other topics , or alluding to other considerations in this respect , which may strike the thoughtful and the observant , surely we may

dwell on the fact with pride as Freemasons , that charity with Freemasonry is no unmeaning word , costing nothing , but that it is real and efficacious , developing our sympathies and opening our purses . If our good old Order has some enemies and not a few backbiters , if it is

misrepresented here , vilified there , if its teaching is parodied and its aims vituperated , let us rejoice in the fact , for it is a great and unanswerable fact in itself , that it gives largely , freely , gladly , generously in the ever sacred cause of true and living charity .

Masonic Losses.

MASONIC LOSSES .

Hardly a day passes over our heads , and certainjy we seldom read our weekly Freemason , without noting how Death has claimed another victim from amongst our long roll of worthy and distinguished Masons . Many of course pass away unknown and unnoticed , of whom we say

nothing , because we hear nothing , and they often constitute , we freely admit , the very " salt " of our great fraternity . It is not a necessary consequence , not a logical " sequitur , " be it ever carefully borne in mind , because a Mason is talked about , or speaks about himself , or is

apparently always " to the fore , " that therefore he should be a really distinguished Mason . The modest violet likes the retired bank , and many a most excellent Mason never emerges from the comparative silence of privacy or the mere routine work of the lodge . Yet , on the other

hand , how true it is that you know after all men best " by their fruits . " The Mason who dilates upon chanty and does not beg for the Charities seems to have written " Nehushtan" on his phylactery . The Mason who takes no patt in lodge work and duty , and is only just in time for

the " Knife and Fork " Degree , is a " rusty , " and not a " bright" Mason , a " drone , " and not a " bee " in the Masonic hive ; a useless adjunct to thc lodge , a merely nominal professor of Freemasonry , or , to use the language of the world , a " wet Mason . " How goodly is the '' contrast "

which the zeal and energy of some of our many excellent brethren manifest , who , amid business avocations and home duties , the serious claims of an ofiice , or the arduous responsibility of a " calling , " are not ashamed to or averse from finding time for the necessary claims of the lodge , MMM ^ ' ^ - --------r--------------------------------------| . ^* . ^* --i *^**^ i ,, ll , M _ , ^_^_^__ l ^ J _^^ ¦ 1 " ..

Masonic Losses.

Bro . John Sabine , whose loss ive all deplore to hear of to-day , was emphatically a working Mason , yes , and a hard-working Mason . No one devoted , despite the difficulties inseparable from a busy life , professionally , more time , more zeal , more energy , more ungrudging

liberality to Masonic duties or Masonic charity . He was emphatically a zealous , kindly , large-hearted man and Mason , who valued Masonry and loved Masonry for what it is and what it may be , and , above aU , what it can do , and who was always cheerful and considerate , urbane

and unaffected . Rejoicing in Masonic friendshi p , and proud of Masonic fraternity , he belonged to a good old school of Freemasonry ; alas ! sadly thinned and thinning to-day , and all we can hope as our roll call lessens and good comrades fall

out by the way , that our younger brethren may emulate their zeal and energy , and exceed , yes , exceed , if it bo possible , their sympathy and love for Freemasonry . Bro . Sabine will be a missed man , so let us recall his sterling merits and honour his distinguished memory .

The Purchase Of Lyncombe House.

THE PURCHASE OF LYNCOMBE HOUSE .

The Special Court called to obviate an informality , passed by an overwhelming majority the resolution to purchase this property , so needful for the safety of the School . We have never seen before , nor have we really heard , either such an unmeaning opposition , or such unsound

arguments . As Bro . Clabon well put it ; the question was not what was the market price of the property , but what was and what would be its value to the School . There can be no doubt in any impartial mind , that the action of the House Committee was perfectly proper and discreet ,

and that the purchase is most advantageous and necessary to the School . If the School is endangered by other bits of land , they also will have to be bought ; as we have got a School second to none in existence , in an excellent position , and our duty as well as our interest are to make it as perfect and independent of all external

influences as well can be . The best thanks of all the subscribers are due to 13 ro . Col . Creaton , who has been subjected to some most un-Masonic if anonymous abuse , for a most prudent and far-seeing act of duty on his part . We hope we have heard the last of the nonsense and the trash which has been promulgated by some perverse and unknown brethren (?) on the subject .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

IVV < : tlo not hold ourselves responsible for , or even approving of , the oti ' trir / rts expressed hy our correspondents , but wc wisli in 1 spirit of lair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary livtnls—free discussion . ]

UNIFORMITY OF RITUAL . Dear Bro . Kenning , — I have reatl over Bro . Perceval's letter with care , and I confess with no little pain . Its tone , strangely concordant wilh that of Bro . Stevens , renders it , I think , much better for me that I should leave it as it slant ' s , in all its glory" of type , to the careful consideration if the

thoughtful and the Masonic . I might say a good deal , but I cannot consent to turn an amicable discussion into wordy personalities , nor condesend even to notice a childish burletque of try remarks , and the unfair and un-Masonic paraphrase of words , as the " context" must convince every impaitial reader . I was told originally , with great emphasi . ** , that a " more illogi .-al speech " never was reatl by Bio . Perceval .

—I ask , how ? I point out what are the premises antl the conclusion of my argument—Ami the only reply is that my opinion is practically good for nothing , that I assert " I am King Solomon , " ice . 1 need hardly siy that all this only exUts in ihe fertile antl excited imagination of the writer . All 1 have done , ( no doubt a vcry great offence ) , is to point out , as clearly as my words will allow , that Bro ,

Stevens' majority was obtained on a misleading issue , that the wise toleration of Grand Lodge hns a meaning , that such attempted uniformity is impossible from the nature of things ; and that no committee now could be got together to which the whole Craft would listen , and that , therefore , the motion ii unseasonable and unreasonable . If the working of 1813 is to be rtvisetl , there are matters behind , so

large , so deep , to seriou ? , antl so complicated , lhat they would " swamp" any Committee which woultl seek lo " tackle" with such "burning questions . " I , therefore , am not without hope- , that Grand Lodge will ) ct retrace its steps , and whether I am right or whether I am wrong mnttcis vcry little , but

I ic-joice to think that my opinion is not " singular , but that it is shared hy an overwhelming majority of present and past Grand Officers , and I have also every conviction , by an equally large majority of our provincial brethren . I am , dear Bro . Kenning , yours fraternally , A v \ unnnvniin