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NOTICE TO THE TRADE ,

The CHRISTMAS NVMBER of the "FREEMASON ' will consist of 32 . PAGES , EXCLUSIVE of WRAV PER , and will contain a PORTRAIT of His ROYAI HIGHNESS the PRINCE of WALES . The CHARGI for this number will be FOUR PENCE .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

All Communications , Advertisements , & c , intended for insertion in the Number of the following Saturdaj-, must ¦ each the . Office not later than 12 o ' clock on Wednesday morning . Careful attention will be paid to all MSS . entrusted to the Editor , but he cannot undertake to return them unless accompanied by stamped directed covers . We shall publish next week an official reply by the

United Order of the Temple and Hospitallers to certain memorials . A large number of letters and lotige reports unavoidably stand over . , \ letter purporting to be from Bro . C . Pegler relative to the Girls' School , has reached us . As we are in some doubt about it , he will perhaps communicate wilh the Editor , 198 , Fleet-street , the letter on the Boys' School received .

EUCLID . —1 . Cannot say . 2 . Professor Wanklyn , 117 , Charlotte-street , Kitzroy Square . P . G . asks the proper method of wearing the apron , whether over or under the coat , by the K . A ., F . C , and M . M , respectively . —[ It is a matter of indifference , rather of individual taste . f

Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

DEATH . WILKINS . —November 24 th , Eliza Wilkins , aged 36 , the beloved wife of Bro . W . S . Wilkins , Lodge No . 140 , St , George ' s .

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The Freemason , SATURDAY , DEC . 11 , 1875 .

Our Royal Grand Master's Visit To India.

OUR ROYAL GRAND MASTER'S VISIT TO INDIA .

In our condensed report last week , we had to leave out an important item , our Royal Grand Master ' s visit to Goa en passant . We give the newspaper account of it , therefore , this week . On Saturday morning the Prince landed at Goa , and was received with Royal honours by the Portuguese authorities . The special telegram to the "Times" states that the Governor and

his suite came oil in a curious eighteen-oar galley , the oarsmen wearing scarlet caps , with very antique silver plaques . A crowd of respectable citizens received the Prince and the Governor , the natives being very eager to obtain a sight of the illustrious visitor . The Prince

passed along the line of Sepoys and the Portuguese corps to the Government House , which contains a most interesting collection of portraits of Portuguese Governors , and Viceroys—Albuquerque , De Gama , Castro , Constantine , Braganza , & c . The Governor presented the principal

officials , after which the Prince and the Governor , with their suites , embarked on board two steam launches , and proceeded up the river to old Goa—half-an-hour ' s run . — There the Prince inspected the monuments of the ancient greatness and departed splendour of the

Portuguese settlement . The quays and the old arsenal are now ruins , as are also the Government buildings . Convents , monasteries , churches , and palaces crown the heights , and the shores arc lined with cocoa-nut and palm dees , with a densely wooded background . The Prince landed

and drove with his suite , in two carnages , under the ancient gateway of Vasco de Gama , under which every Viceroy of Goa must pass . He visited St . Catherine ' s Cathedral , passing the Palace of the Inquisition and the Church of St . Caftan , built after the model of St . Peter ' s at

Rome . This church possesses a noble interior , with many rich shrines . There were a few native Christian women praying , but no crowd . There JIC no remains of the ancient city or houses . The Prince walked round and examined the

shrines ; and nest , in litters called mancheels , ur on foot , the party proceeded to Bom Jesus Church , a very fine edifice , with a curious shriue of St . Francis Xavier . The altar is of marble , :: nd was presented by the Grand Duke of Tus-

Our Royal Grand Master's Visit To India.

cany . It has silver and bronze ornaments , with relics , and the windows have oyster-shell films in lieu or glass . The Prince inspected the solid gold and chased silver vessels containing the sacred elements , and the quaint cabinets , which are most interesting . As regards the visit to

Madras , we find the following : —The cholera is all over the country , not raging very severely , but sufficiently widespread to induce caution . The Prince of Wales was obliged to decline the Rajah's invitation to visit Travancore . Ihe visit

to Madras will depend on the news received at Colombo . The Prince entertained the Madras officials at lunch on board the Serapis . There is immense disappointment expressed on all sides at the abandonment of the Prince ' s visit . The

preparations were entensive and most costly all over the Presidency , and ( says the telegram ) the ladies especially arc disconsolate . As we said in our last , the Prince landed at Colombo on the 1 st . He was well received everywhere , especially by the natives . Despite heavy rains and a

thunderstorm , he has been hunting elephants at Hebulgaia , and on December ; th the " Times " reports the following successful results . The Prince of Wales left the camp Dec . 6 th at 6 . 30 , and drove to the forest , where elephants had been traced . The Prince reached the jungle at 9 a . m .,

and , attended by Lord C . Bcresford , took post on a stand for six hours . Every effort to drive the elephants failed , the old tusker having led the herd through the beaters again and again , and defeated every attempt to drive him . Elephants could be heard crashing through the trees

with a noise line pistol shots , but only glimpses of their backs could be seen . As the beaters could not trace the elephints , the Prince , having got a shot at one , descended and advanced into the jungle on foot , with M . Varien and Mr . Fisher , followed by Lord C . Beresford and Lord

Surheld , with rifles . They were amid the elephants , and the Prince showed the utmost coolness as he stood within ten yards of the wounded beast , who prepared to charge , when the Prince dropped him dead . The Prince also hit two others , which are reported dead in the jungle .

ihe hunters said the situation was critical . The scene over the dead elephant in the river was very exciting . Crowds of natives were waiting outside the jungle to learn the result . The Prince was much pleased , and has just arrived

here after an upset in a ditch , but he was not in the least hurt , nor was any of the party . It was a most successful day . The Prince leaves for Colombo in the morning . He is in excellent health and spirits .

The Last Quarterly Communication.

THE LAST QUARTERLY COMMUNICATION .

Jt there was not any matter of \ ery great importance to be discussed and decided at the last Grand Lodge , there was yet sufficient on the agenda paper , and notwithstanding the ungenial weather , to draw together a numerous assemblage . Our Royal G . Master was

proposed for re-election—naturally , one should say and feel—in an effective speech by Bro . J . M . Case , P . G . S . and P . M . No . 1 , and amid the sympathizing cheers of Grand Lodge . Bro . Clabon was re-appointed by the Grand Master President of the Board of Benevolence , and Bros .

A unn and Brett , Vice-Presidents , by the G . Lodge , there being no other nominations . Bro . Alderman Hadley was nominated on the Board of General Purposes in the place of Bro . Savage . The Repoit of the Lodge of Benevolence was received , and the votes confirmed , except the

large vote for X- J ° > which was , in our opinion , properly reduced to £ 100 . Ihe appeal of Bro . Robert Levingstone was allowed , and Bro . Braine declared to be ineligible , on the facts as stated , to be elected to the Master ' s chair . The alterations proposed in the rules of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution were

unanimously confirmed . Bro . R . J . Simpson , P . G . C ., brought forward a resolution that Grand Lodge should grant a vote of £ 100 towards the " Palestine Exploration Fund , " and which , after some regrettable opposition , was carried by a large majority - We do not pretend to understand why our good brothers Carpenter and Constable , boll ) Masons of note , should have opposed so

The Last Quarterly Communication.

innocent and natural a proposition , but we presume that they had good reasons for so doing . No doubt , happily , in Grand Lodge , as in this good old land of ours , thoughts are untrammelled and speech is free , and we have , thank God , both liberty of utterance and liberty of

conscience , still , the Masonic student or philosopher must somewhat wonder why two such good Masons should have set themselves against so reasonable a resolution . Grand Lodge has so often set the precedent , on special occasious , of granting special votes for special purposes , if

not even actually Masonic , that it is utterly in vain for any one to raise the old stereotypp . fi objection that such grants do not come within the scope of Freemasonry . All matters which affect the sufferings of our common humanity , or any form of Masonry , of natural or local

distress , may fairly be deemed , if not actually Masonic , quasi-Masonic , for the purpose of active benevolence and temporary aid . But in this particuar case not only was the common sense of the matter with our Past Grand Chaplain , but all the " sentiment " of Freemasonry , so to

say . He had precedent in his favour , even in respect of the grant he asked for , and in what could Freemasonry find a closer or a deeper interest than in that " Holy Ground , " which appealed alike to their own reverential memories j and the lo-. ie cherished traditions of their Order .

We rejoice , therefore , to find that Grand Lodge acceded to Bro . Simpson ' s resolution by a large majority , and we only regret that the grace of the grant was not augmented by the unanimous vote of Grand Lodge . There is no society

which has done more good for Biblical archaeology than that influential and distinguished Committee formed for the exploration of Palestine , and we wish it all success in its arduous and most interesting labours .

Masonic Appeals.

MASONIC APPEALS .

While we all ' rejoice to think that we have in our Grand Lodge a Supreme Court of Appeal for our entire Order , we must also regret that much oi its valuable time is wasted in dealing with cases which ought not properly to come before it at all . The Book of Constitutions is before

us all , its admirable provisions are in all our hands , and yet , strange to say , many an appeal is made because those who ought to read the Book of Constitutions will not take the trouble to do so , or read it so carelessly and to so little purpose , or their heads really are so thick , that

they commit illegalities with the greatest readiness and ease , with a high hand and a smiling face . Then come long folios of manuscript , to weary the patience of our Grand Secretary and our Grand Registrar , and time is taken up in deciding cases which really require no decision , in

dealing with perverse illegalities , or preposterous evasions of the laws of Masonry . Take this last appeal as an illustration . —A Bro . Braine is elected a J oining memberof the Lodge Orion , in the West , No . 4 i " ,, Poonah , and on the evening of his election he is placed by the W . M . in the Junior Warden ' s chair . The Master had been initiated

at the previously monthly meeting , and the brother then legall y and duly appointed J . W . had since left the district on a military emergency . So far all is plain sailing . The W . M . was without a J . W ., and no doubt he had to fill up the post . It was a " strong order" to appoint a

brother J . W , of a lodge the very night of his ballot 3 S a joining member , and the W . M ., if he took the step deliberately , could never for one moment have realised what a blow he was inflicting on the harmony and peaceful progress of the lodge . But so it was , and Bro . Braine was

invested with the collar of the J . W . But the lodge meeting came round for the election of W . M ., and of course Bro . Braine had only served eleven months , not twelve . He was clearly ipso facto "inelig ible" as W . M ., but " non obstante" the Book of Constitutions , the lodge elected him , and

the District Grand Master of Bombay confirmed the election , pace the objection of Bro . R . Levingstone . Why he , the D . G . Master , so decided we do not gather , and we cannot profess to understand on what grounds he could base such a decision . As the Grand Registrar cogently put it , Bio . Braine was not even a member of the