To Our Readers.

TO OUR READERS .

Teh FREEMASON is a Weekly Newspaper , price 2 It is published every Friday morning , and contains the most important , interesting , and useful information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . Subscription , including postage : United America , India , India , China , & c

Kingdom , the Continent , & c . Via Brineiisi . Twelve Months ios . 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 . 4 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 e ther 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 of rejected MSS . cannot be guaranteed . Further information will be supplied on application to the Publisher , 108 , Fleet-street , London .

Important Notice.

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 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 .

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-v NOTICE . To prevent delay or miscarriage , it is particularly requested that ALL communications for the FREEMASON , may be addressed to the Office , 198 , Fleet-street , London .

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 . ADVERTISEMENTS to ensure insertion in current week ' s issue should reach the Office , 198 , Fleet-street , by 12 o ' clock on "Wednesdays .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

The following stand over , having arrived too late : — Letters from Bro . James Stevens , H . T . Thompson , " One of the Candidates ; " Reports of Lodges 3 60 , 1460 , and 1674 . J . W ., No . 15 . —Freemasonry is not a benefit society , and is clearly not the society J . W . wants .

BOOKS , & c ., RECEIVED . " Westminster Papers ; " " La Chaine d'Union ; " "Masonic Monthly ; " " Medical Examiner ; " " Official Directory for the Provincial Grand Lodge of Cornwall ; " " Keystone j" " London Figaro ; " " Hull Packet ; " " Prince Bismarck , Friend or Foe ? " " The Liberal Freemason ; "

" Bauhutte ; " "The Spiritualist ; " " Broad Arrow ; " " La Voz di Hiram ; " " Risorgimento ; " " Freemasons' Repository ; " " Royal Cornwall Gazette ; " " The Sunderland Times ; " " The Corner Stone ; " "Der Triangel ; " "Islam , its Origin , Genius , anil Mission ; " " Notes anel Essays on ihe Christian Religion : its Philosophical Principles and its Enemies ; " " Canadian Craftsman . "

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 . ALLWORK . —On the 1 st inst ., at Brownlow-strcet , Liverpool , the wife of the Rev . A . Allwork , of a daughter . GARRETT . —On the 8 th ult ., at Greenhalgh , Bangalore , India , the wife of J . P . Garrett , of a son . ROGERS . —On the 1 st inst ., at the Kings-paiadc , Cambridge the wife of A . Rogers , of a daughter .

MARRIAGE . BINNEY—CADMAN . —On the 30 th ult ., at Christ Church Pitsmoor , Sheffield , Joseph Binney , of Sheffield , to Charlotte Elizabeth , daughter of H . Cadman , of Underwood House , Sheffield .

DEATHS . BIRCIIALL . —On the 3 rd inst ., at Ribblcton-hall , Preston , Lieut .-Col . Birchall , P . G . D ., P . G . W . ; East Div . Lancashire . DYER . —On Sunday morning , the jth inst ., at Blackheath , Ellen Dyer , aged 4 8 , beloved wife of George Dyer , 90 , Regent-street , London .

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The Freemason , SATURDAY , MAY II , 187 S .

Lodge And Chapter Support Of Our Charities.

LODGE AND CHAPTER SUPPORT OF OUR CHARITIES .

We have often said before , and we beg to repeat it to-day , for the special information of all whom it may concern , that one of the " weak spots " in our " feasts " and efforts of charity is inadequate lodge and chapter support . We are going to lay down a bold axiom at the outset

which is this , that every lodge and chapter should at least be a Life Governor of all the Masonic Charities , and surely this is not too much to ask It is undoubtedly never advisable , as they say , to " overdo " it in anything , and as we know well that some lodges and chapters are not so

wealthy as others , it is , perhaps , more wise to suggest a " minimum" rather than a " maximum , " in the first instance . And here let us note , in the first place , that this " minimum " is not yet reached by a krge majority of lodges and chapters . The bulk of both are not even Life Governors of any of the Charities , and until

all lodges and chapters are qualified , as we have ventured to suggest , we must add the expression of our humble opinion , that with them profession is one thing , and practice another . It is idle to talk of charity and brotherly love , if we do nothing to demonstrate to others our practical realization of the one or the other . And

knowing well , as we do , the large suirs which the social amenities of our system cost some lodges and chapters annually , we do feel strongly that the time has come , when we should look into the matter a little more closely than some of us seem to like to do , and try and realize for

ourselves what is the exact margin as between our theory and our practice in this respect . For at this very moment we may well remember our noble Charities are maintained in working efficiency by the reiterated efforts of a liberal

individualism . The same ever warm-hearted brother is Steward for one or even two of the Charities yearly , but just as a large proportion of lodges and chapters do not qualify , so a very large proportion of our numerous brotherhood do nothing either for the Charities . Let us illustrate cur

argument by a case very much indeed in point . In the voting paper for the Rojral Masonic Benevolent Institution forty-four Vice-Patrons constitute the entire number as sent up by Prov . G . Lodges , Lodges and Chapters , and sixty-one Vice-Presidents ; while in the Girls' School there are

16 7 London lodges , twenty-seven lodges of instruction , and fifteen chapters , Life Governors . It may be right to add , that in these lodges many of the offices and chairs are also qualified as Life Governors . But we are not now concerned with

the proportion of subscribing and non-subcribing lodges and chapters . In the provinces 64 a represent the number of Life Governorships of Provincial and District Grand Lodges , lodges and chapters . And though in this enumeration , as before , many lodges have

qualified for special offices and chairs , the chapters are woefully deficient . The same remarks would apply to the Boys' School . Such is surely a very " Flemish account " of lodge and chapter work amongst us , and calls for improvement and reform . For what , we

now beg to ask our brethren , is the inevitable consequence of the present position of affairs ' As every thing depends upon personal efforts , the appeals made to brethren individually are many and incessant . In fact , it is not too much to say that in order to receive adequate support

for our Chanties a good deal of " touting" for help , ( we use the word in no offensive sense ) , has to go on amongst us . Such a state of things is prejudicial to the Charities in various ways . It lowers their actual status ; it weakens the great principle of Masonic beneficence ; it

absorbs the time and energies of the Secretaries , and by compelling them to go about from lodge to lodge on tours of Masonic mendicancy , weakens their health and does not elevate their position . It throws upon them , in fact , work which they ought not to be called upon to perform . The constant visitation of lodges

Lodge And Chapter Support Of Our Charities.

interferes not a little with their office work , their home life , and is a great strain alike on their mental and bodily energies . It is no exaggeration to assert , then , that just as the bulk of the lodges and chapters do nothing for the Charities , so a great majority of the Craft do nothing

either , while many seem to think that they have duly atSnded to the claims of Masonic Charity upon them by paying one shilling to a pious Masonic raffle . We fear , too , that above all and beyond all it is the fixed opinion of many that the proper expenditure of the lodge funds

is to be found in the claims , first of all , of its social necessities . We trust therefore that our good brethren and kind readers will pay us the compliment of thinking over our allegations and our remarks . They are neither unreal nor exaggerated , and proceed from no spirit of hasty

or cynical fault-finding . Believing honestly that there is a great grievance and a great misunderstanding amongst us in respect of the true meaning and work of Masonic Charity , we beg respectfully to call the attention of all our many readers to the matter , and shall be happy to

receive all communications on the subject . One suggestion we venture to make in conclusion , and which we trust will be accepted by our brethren as it is offered by us—namely , that during 1878 every lodge and chapter should make itself Life Governor of one of the Masonic

Charities , and continue the good work until each lodge and chapter can say that they are Life Governors of all the Masonic Charities . Here is a proper work for us all , and one that will do us more good than the most eloquent speeches , or the most sumptuous banquets .

The Vacant Secretaryship Of The Girls' School.

THE VACANT SECRETARYSHIP OF THE GIRLS' SCHOOL .

The candidates for this vacant post—vacant by the lamented death of Bro . Little—are apparently increasing in number . The Freemason , while it is friendly to all candidates , favours officially none . We have our individual opinions , as to needful qualifications and the like , but it has appeared to

the Proprietor and Editor more respectful to the Life Governors to leave the matterto their honest and impartial decision . We think it right to say this , because the pressure of " circulars " is very heavy just now , both on us and on our waste paper basket , and because , to say the truth , we have perused appeals which are very

questionable in good taste , and constitute , in fact , an impertinence to those who are just as well able to ascertain the real value of a candidate as some most injudicious friend . While testimonials and recommendations are all very proper and becoming , we do not require any one to tell us for whom we ought to vote .

The Taste For Masonic Literature.

THE TASTE FOR MASONIC LITERATURE .

Bro . Hubert congratulates us in England on our taste for Masonic literature . We wish we could think that we deserved his fraternal praise . We fear it must be conceded , that " Masonic literature " has got both to " find its level" and pay its way , and that so far , with the most devoted

efforts and sacrifices , its success , and , above all , its remuneration , represent the "unknown quantity . " There is , indeed , a certain style of literature highly in vogue and very popular : we mean the " Menu " Literature . No doubt it is important in its way , and is highly to be commended , as elaborate in taste , artistic in design , and as

pleasant suggestive of much material enjoyment and contentment . It probably pays , and we wish we could say the same of Masonic literature generally . We fancy that , if he chose , our good publisher could tell an amusing if " ower true tale " thereanent . But we must not disclose the solemn " aporreta" of Masonic literature in Great Britain .

The French Masonic Orphanage.

THE FRENCH MASONIC ORPHANAGE .

We have lately given two Irish returns , and we think it well to give a French one , which appears in the Chaine d'Union , ( so ably edited by our worthy friend and Bro . Hubert ) , for May . It seems that on the 24 th February , 1877 , tnere was in