To Our Readers.

TO OUR READERS .

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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 intormation will be supplied on application to till Publisher , 198 , Fleet-street , London .

To Advertisers.

TO ADVERTISERS .

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Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

DOUBT . —1 . The decision was certainly correct . 2 . Not within the province of a Masonic newspaper . The following reports stand over : — Shirley Lodge , 1112 . Weston Royal Arch Chapter , 1086 . Pattison Lodge , 913 .

East Medina Chapter , 175 . Duke of Lancaster Lodge , 1353 . Sackville Lodge , 1619 . Affability , 317 , Manchester . Perseverance Chapter , No . 345 , Blackbuin St . John ' s , Liverpool , 673 .

BOOKS , & c „ RECEIVED . "Liverpool Mercury , " " Brief , "" Hull Packet , " " Night and Day , " "The Freemason" ( New South Wales ) . " Gardening , " " Alliance News , " " Masonic Herald , "

" Broad Arrow , " " Australian Freemason , " " Masonic Record , West India , " " La Chaine D'Union , " " Bolttin Oficial dela Masoncria Simb . deColan , " ' Der Triangel , " " New York Dispatch , " "Transactions of Pennsylvania Council of Deliberation , " " Hebrew Leader , " " Civilian . "

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 . BARNES . —On the 5 th inst ., at South House , Faversham , Kent , the wife of Mr . Jersey Barnes , of a daughter MOORAT . —On the ist inst ., at 3 , Langhorne-gardens , Folkestone , the wife of Mr . John S . Moorat , of a daughter .

MARRIAGE . HART—WAHHKN . —On the 3 th inst ., at St . Andrew ' s , Hastings , by the Rev . G , Hodges , Rochester William Lee , son of the late Mr . Conway Weston Hart , of Calcutta , to Fanny Mary , daughter of the late Mr . Matthew Warren , C . E .

DEATHS . BHASIEH . —On the 2 nd in < t ., at 37 , High-street , Margate , Martha Elizabeth ( Pattie ) , filth daughter of the late Bro . William Church Brasier , of Margate , aged 20 years . Lee . —On the 30 th ult ., Catherine Dora Lee , youngest child of the Rey . Richaid Lee , cf Christ ' s Hospital .

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THE FREEMASON . SATURDAY , J 12 , 1879 .

Provincial Grand Lodges.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGES .

Our readers will have observed that our last issue was mainly taken up with the reports of Provincial Grand Lodge meetings , which are always interesting , we venture to think , to Freemasons , as showing both the local permanency

and the general spread of Kreemasonry . The Provincial Grand Lodges make up much of the strength and the vitality of our Order , and their prosperity is always a sure sign of the true growth of Freemasonry in a particular province

or district . Some ofthe Provincial Grand Lodges are now very powerful bodies , with large funds and careful bye-laws of their own , and in their proper administration much interest is often excited amongst the good brethren of the locality ,

and the true principles of Freemasonry are carefully proclaimed and maintained . If ever there be weakness in any province , if slovenliness creeps over the private lodges , if the meetings are sparsely attended , if the zeal of the brethren for

the Charities of the Order or the work of Masonry is slack , depend upon it , the fault is with the provincial head quarters , and not with the lodges or the brethren . The whole tone and temper of the province as a body depend on

the example and work ol the provincial authorities , and just as far as they are in earnest and liteially care for Masonry , so the light of the province burns clearly and brightly before its own brethren , or neighbouring Provincial Grand

Lodges . Lord Tenterden ' s installation last week by Lord Carnarvon , our distinguished Pio G . M ., was a great success , and we augur well for his rule and the progress and prosperity ofthe Prov . Grand Lodge of Essex under his judicious sway .

His speech was thoroughly Masonic , both in what it said and what it left unsaid . Few English Masons there arebut must admire itserrective language , its animated statements , and its Masonic spirit . Lord Tenteiden clearly sees where

the "shoe pinches , ' and how the "leaven works in Freemasonry just now , and we commend his careful and tolerant enunciation of Masonic princip les to the notice of all who sometimes affect to believe that Freemasons have " very little to

say , " have no principles to avow , and no teaching to set forth . We think , on the contrary , that , as Lord Tenterden conclusively shewed , Freemasonry has certain distinct and definite " landmarks " which it is our duty no less than our

privilege to uphold in our own generation , and hand on to others unchanged and unaltered , and that such as they are , and such as they profess to be , they are indeed for the welfare of society , and for the happiness and peace of mankind .

The Girls' School.

THE GIRLS' SCHOOL .

The Grand Treasurer has given notice of a motion at the next Quarterl y Court , on Saturday , the 12 th inst , to increase the number of girls elected at the October Election by seven . We think that this is a very judicious and seasonable suggestion , and one which we hope will be carried on

Saturday " new ,, con . " There is plenty of money , plenty of room at Wandsworth , and as seven of the 200 are purchased cases , it seems onlv reasonable that the elected children should , in the prosperous condition of the School , be 200 , and all above that number should be purchased cases . We think that , after the brilliant success of the

Festival this year , and the gratifying result ofthe quiet bnt energetic labours of Bro . Hedges , such a proposal is only a proper return for the zeal and sacrifices of the brethren , and while it gives pleasure to the subscribers , will add materially to the prestige and usefulness in the eyes of the Craft at large of that most admirably conducted Institution , the Girls' School .

Charity Reform.

CHARITY REFORM .

This is rather a sensational subject just now and we confess we hope that it will be a long long time before any such discussion interferes with the peaceful progress of our great Masonic Institutions . Bro . Simpson , in his letter last week , seems to assume , as a matter of fact , that

crying abuses exist in the management and practical working of our Charities . He uses , we see the following very strong words : " unjust , undi g . nified , wastetul , and cruel accompaniments—polling days , exchanges , trafficking , and wholesale canvassing , " & c . Now , we think that we kno w

our Charities well ; we take great interest in all their details ; they have been before us minutel y lor more years than we like to count , and we confess we do not know to what " abuses " Bro . Simpson alludes in Mich very harsh words . We say this distinctly and thoughtfully , without any

fear of contradiction , and without any hesitation whatever . That in all earthly institutions weaknesses miy be found and abuses " exist , " who could take upon himself to deny ? But , on the whole , with complete knowledge of the subject in every department , as we flatter ourselves , we

cannot put our finger on any known , or proved , or proveable abuse , as we . understand the word " abuse . " Bro . Simpson has , no doubt , a very strong op inion on the voting system of our Chari . ties , and the habit of exchanging votes , which he terms , as others do , Mr . Gladstone among them ,

•' trafficking in votes . ' But that , 111 our opinion , is a very hard and harsh expression . 1 he priucip le of selection by Provincial Charity Committees may be good or bad as we view it , but it practically , in our experience , picks out thc strongest cases , and it is not likely that provinces

which have given large sums to the Charities will ever consent to ignore local Cdses , or to send their votes direct to the Secretary , or give up the rig ht to do the best they can for such candidates as they believe ' distressing cases" in their own province . If Bro . Simpson ' s principles of

reform are good for anything , ( and we do not go into them further than in respect of our Masonic Charities ) , a Committee ought to select the most absolutely distressing cases , and all subscribers should g ive their votes blindfold through the Committee . This we can understand on his

princip le . But to suppose that out of sixty cases , for instance , all sad on the face of them , any one brother or brethren can select for himself or themselves the most absolutely distressing case , is the most hopeless chimera that ever was started by the ingenuity , or rather the perversity of roan .

All that can be done IJ . * , as is done in the provinces and now in London , to seek to select good cases , but in London especially , where the brethren are peculiarly independent , and many connections with the provinces exist , any such attempt is met at once by the complaint that we

interfere with the liberty of choice of the individual voter , who is just as competent as a Committee to select a pn per case . But the ttuth is that , as we have taken occasion to say befoie , Bro . Simpson , with all his ability and his intentions to do good , has not hit the only " little blot , " as

far as our careful observation goes , in our really noble Charities . We mean tbe original selection of candidates . Curiously enough , that weak point runs quite counter to Bro . Simpson ' s theory , that the remedy for these alleged abuses is to be ; found in a strong and impartial Central

Committee , inasmuch as the original selection is made by the meeting of the General Committee of Life Governors , which ought to represent well the impartiality of the subscribers . But we have long been of opinion that here is to be found the one true reform , and the onlv one we need

trouble ourselves about . All the cases should be submitted , we venture to think , to a special sob-Committee , which should have power to enqu ' J into the condition of the parent or parents , antl so prevent those whom their friends might fairl > educate being thrown on our excellent Chanel

passing out many poorer and moie help less candidates . But this is simply a mistake ot our o « n rules , which may easily be re medied . We kno "' ¦ as we said before , of no other "abuses . " We disagree " toto t celo , " as we honestl y do , from oU esteemed P . G . C , in respect of his comp ' ! - '' of the voting system now in operation , and wb >