Correspondence.

Correspondence .

THE BOYS' SCHOOL GENERAL QUARTERLY COURT . To the Editor of thc " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , As the time is now drawing near for the settlement of the burning question as to whether Bro

Binckes is to receive a retiring allowance of £ 350 per annum or not , I am , with your kind permission , tempted to offer a few remarks thereon . I may say , in the first place , that I hope to be present at the meeting , on the 25 th instant , to record my vote in favour of the recommendation of the Provisional Committee , because I r 3 t 2 - 1

feel satisfied that they have carefull y weighed over the whole matter , and have well and seriously considered every point before they made their report . Then , whatever Bro . Binckes ' s faults might have been ( and , doubtless , the Committee have had these laid before them ) , we must not overlook the fact of his having given to

the service of the Institution 28 of the best years of his life , and I should like to ask what would be the retiring allowance of any officer in the army , navy , or civil service , after so long a servitude ? I have always understood that the lowest pension is " Half-pay . " Why , therefore , should Freemasons be less liberal to

their old servants ? Some people say , " Oh , but Bro . Binckes has been well paid for what he has done . ' My answer to it is'this . So has many a '' Half-pay " General ! Besides , he has only received such remuneration that the Committee from time to time agreed to pay him .

A question has been raised as to the legality ol granting pensions . Setting aside the fact of such havingalread y been granted , thereby making a precedent , I think this can be solved with advantage to the Institution b y retaining Bro . Binckes ' s services nominally as Collector ; he need not go near to or interfere with the

secretarial department . We are all well aware of the powerful advocacy of Bro . Binckes in the past , and if it could be so arranged as to give him a kind of roving commission at the fixed salary of £ 350 ( I would let him be free as to his visits , and leave everything to his discretion ) , I venture to say that that amount would be

recouped twentyfold , and Bro . Binckes would feel that he has not been entirel y severed from the Institution for which he has done so much . Whereas , if the Committee act ungenerously towards him , the Institution will not onl y lose his valuable aid , but there are many good friends who would look upon such treatment as

an injustice to an old servant , and it strikes me that the funds of the Institution would suffer more from the withdrawal of the support of this class than from the withdrawal of the noisy few who are clamouring for the complete annihilation of Bro . Binckes . —I am , yours fraternall y , SUBSCRIBER . October 7 th .

NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE LODGE , NO . 24 . To the Editor of the "Freemason . '' Dear Sir and Brother , Your correspondent "P . G . R . "is quite ri ght in his surmise . The Athol warrants , 15 and 131 , could not entitle the Newcastle-on-Tyne Lodge to a centenary

warrant , and they did not . But "P . G . R . " has apparently overlooked the fact mentioned in his letter that the Newcastle-on-Tyne Lodge , 26—24 , was formed by the fusion of the Athol and the St . Nicholas Lodges .

The St . Nicholas Lodge had met continuousl y from 1755 according to Grand Lodge records , and on this the warrant was issued . —Yours faithfully and fraternally , T . Y . STRACHAN , P . M . 24 , & c . October 2 nd .

A CONUNDRUM . To the Editor of the '' Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I do not wish to enter the lists in the competition you propose in your Masonic Notes to-day , and I confess to being unable to see any difficulty . Rule

130 says a lodge shall proceed to " elect its Master b y ballot from among those of its members who have served for one year the office of Master or Warden in a regular lodge warranted under the English Constitution . '' The italics are mine . Unless the brother has so served , his election would be void .

If the question were as to the first W . M . of a lodge , then a reference to Rule 119 will show that if the new lodge is to be in England service as Warden , is an essential qualification in the brother recommended

by the petitioners for Master . [ It is noticeable that the words " for one year " are omitted in this case . ] If , however , the petition is for a lodge not in England this qualification is , according to Rule 119 , not required in that casp ..

But I must admit your correspondent has incidentall y started a conundrum I own I am quite unable to solve . I shall be very much obliged to anyone who can tell me under what possible circumstances , except being n . first

W . M . of a lodge ( E . C . ) abroad , a brother can possibl y take " the Degree of Installed Master in . a Board of Installed Masters , E . C , " unless he has previously served the office of Warden for 12 months of an English lodge . —Yours fraternally , LEX SCRIPTA . October 5 th .

Correspondence.

"HEARTY GOOD WISHES . " To the Editor of the "Freemason . " . Dear Sir and Brother , The graceful custom of offering' " Heartgood wishes" on behalf of one ' s lodge when visit ™ another is almost universal , and has a foundation ii

. the fact of the fraternal regard which every lodge ha : , towards every other . 1 . We were informed at our lodge the other night tha this pleasing duty was in future only to be performer . with the permission of the visitors' W . M . If this is so , might I suggest that at the next meeting

each W . M . should g ive the requisite permission to al members of his lodge , in order still to retain th < ( to my mind ) advantageous custom , and , at the same : time , to comply with the desires of Grand Lodge . —1 1 am , Sir , yours faithfully and fraternally , CECIL G . SAUNDERS , P . M . 166 9 . ^

Masonic Notes And Queries.

Masonic Notes and Queries .

: \ 858 ] OLD CHAPTER WARRANT . John Brooks ) tjfa . Heseltine ¦ g . § jno . Allen ) jh

^ Grand ArcJ * ' ****Ax V The Almighty JAH .

0 No . 38 To All the Enlig htened of OUR Brethren ol the several Degrees of the ROYAL CRAFT but more especially those Citizens of the World and servants of the Omni .

potent , who have been or hcreatter may be honoured by Exaltation to our Sublime Degree—Health , Peace , and Good Will

Be it known ! That our Excellent Companions WILLIAM ( illegible ) THOMAS LOWER and EDWARD SMITH having made known to Us their desire of A holding a Chapter of Our Order for the cul- A tivation of the Grand and Universal Science

in hopes thereby the more to extend their Aid to and promote the Happiness of every terrestrial Being and link Mankind together by indissoluble Bonds of Friendship , Peace , and Harmony . And that We having taken their Request into Consideration , and finding it

concordant with Our Grand Scheme of Universal Benevolence , do hereby grant to them this Our Warrant of Constitution with full Power for them their Companions and their Successors to open and hold a Chapter of Otir Order at Canterbury or at such other Place

and at such Time as Our said Companions and their Successors shall with the consent of Us and Our Successors Grand Officers for the Time being think meet . The first Chapter to be opened on Wednesday the 12 th day of May now next ensuing by the Title of thc

CHAPTER OF CONCORD With such Privileges Powers and Immunities as do by Ri ght belong to regular established Chapters and Companions of Our said most

excellent Order . Subject nevertheless to the General Laws and Ordinances already or to be hereafter enacted by Our Most Excellent Grand and Royal Chapter . Given at London under Our Hnnds : md the Great

Seal of OUR Grand and Royal Chapter this 30 th day of April . A . L . 5788 . A . D . 1784 .

Benjn . Skutt / £ Frank Const Z . Edwd . Hill > 5 ^ Jas . Galloway H . { L Benjn . Lancaster 1 S G . W . Carrington J .

Geo . Barclay E . R . Phipps N . [ According to Bro . Hughan ' s " Origin of the English Rite of Freemasonry , " this chapter was on the roll to the end of 1813 , and was noted in the Grand Lodge Calendar for 1814 . Can any brother tell us of its subsequent history?—ED . FM . ~ ]

Quatuor Coronati Reprints.

QUATUOR CORONATI REPRINTS .

In an appreciative review of the first volume of the series , which will be found in the Builder oi Sept . 28 th , Mr . Wyatt Papworth , the well-known architect and litterateur , observes .-'' The whole seventy pages of Mr . Gould's Commentary and remarks are so replete with information ,

elucidation , and speculation , with , moreover , most faithful references to authorities , that little appears to be left for others to do , even if another Mr . Gould could be found to undertake such great labour . The Masonic view of the interest attached to this first volume-of ' Masonic Reprints' has been well g iven by Mr . W . J . Hughan , in the Freemason for June , 188 9 . "

Reports Of Masonic Meetings.

REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGS .

Craft flDasonn ? . jflDetropolttan dfoeetings .

_ St . Luke's Lodge ( No . 144 ) . —The installa . tion meeting of this ancient lodge took place at Anderton ' s Hotel , Fleet-street , on Monday , the 7 th inst . There was a good attendance , tlie members present including Bros H . Mann , jun ., W . M . ; Jas . L . Hume , S . W . ; W Bowden Wilson , J . W . j VV . H . Tucker , S . D . ; H Saunders , J . D . ; F . Stutfield , I . G . ; E . Witts , P . M .

Sec ; R . J . I aylor , Stwd . ; P . Coughlan , P . M . ; Thos Markland , P . M . ; W . | . Forscutt , P . M . ; J . Maples P . M . ; T . Ward , P . M . ; " Thos . Haynes , T . f . Tinsley , A . J . Ray , Jas . G . Unite , P . M ., Treas . ; _ G . W . Skeggs , R . Barham , P . M . ; and many others . Visitors : Bros . J . Cox , 15 S 5 ; Harry N . Price , W . M . 230 S ; J . H . Morrish , 15 S 5 ; H . Pates , 945 ; Maurice Wheeler , P M . 945

P . P . G . S . B . Berks and Bucks ; Thos . Poore , P . M . 720 ; W . Jones Lane , P . M . 127 ; W . Williams , P . M . 15 S 5 ; W . H . Gate , S . D . 1579 ; R . Chandler , P . M . 457 ; J . H . Mathews , S . D . iy ; F . Byrne , 1922 ; W . Chapman , W . M . 15 S 5 ; R . Clare , 14 , 1922 ; J . Mason , P . P . S . G . D . Middx . ; J . Brandon , P . M . S 90 ; W . Kinsley , D . C . 172 S ; W . J . Vare , 1425 ; J . T . Dormer , 1571 ; C . Sutton , D . C .

1847 ; W . kirk , 144 ; R . I < . Cooper , 416 ; G . W . Bryant , 1681 ; J . L . Ponder , 144 ; F . J . Street , 1 S 0 ; and W . W . Lee , 1 S 97 . The lodge was opened , and the minutes confirmed , and the audit report received , and unanimously adopted . Messrs . W . B . Croft and F . S . Turner were then impressively initiated into Freemasonry by the W . M . Bro . las .

Lashbrooke Hume , the W . M . elect , was presented for installation , and duly installed into the chair by Bro . Hy . Mann , jun ., l . P . M . The following - officers were appointed and invested : Bros . W . B . Wilson , S . W .,- W . H . Tucker , J . W . ; J . G . Unite , P . M ., Treas . ; E . Witts , P . M ., Sec ; A . Saunders , S . D . ; F . Stutfield , J . D . ; T . I . King-sley .

I . G . ; T . Markland , P . M ., D . C ; P . Coughlan , P . M ., and T . Hamer , Stwds . ; and Thos . Bowler , Tyler . Thc Installing Master , Bro . Hy . Mann , jun ., then concluded an excellent rendering of the installation ceremony by an impressive delivery of the customary addresses . Other business having- been transacted , the lodge was closed .

An excellent banquet followed , at the conclusion of which the usual toasts received the customary honours . Bro . Hy . Mann , jun ., I . P . M ., said the gavel had been entrusted to him for the honour and privilege of proposing "The Health of the W . Master . " It was , he need hardly remind them , the first opportunity that had been afforded him of proposing such a toast , and he would that

he had had special practice to enable him to put it before them in a manner worthy of it . They must , however , take the will for the deed . If he were able to speak for hours he could not compress into so short a compass all the eulogistic remarks tbey would wish him to bestow upon Bro . Hume , their VV . M . In the various offices Bro . Hume had shown himself a good Mason , and a good friend to tlie

lodge , and through constant attendance at the lodges of instruction had qualified himself for the chair . In electing the W . M . the members had taken a very wise step , and one they would not regret , but they must give him their cordial co-operation and support . Independently of brotherly feeling , they all respected Bro . Hume as a straightforward

man , who would always express his opinion , no matter what others might think , and that was a feature it would be well for others to adopt . The VV . M . had started with two initiates , and he hoped that was an augury for the future . He asked them to heartily drink to the health of their Worshipful Master .

Bro . J . L . Hume , W . M ., returned thanksfor the way thc toast had been received . He assured them he would do all he could for the good of tlie lodge . Time passed very quickly , for it seemed to him but a very short time ago that he was standing in the position of the initiates , and said it would be his ambition to occupy the chair . He had never lost sight of that idea , and had endeavoured to learn those

Masonic duties , which could only be learned by attendance at lodges of instruction . He had tried his level best , anil had never lost an opportunity of gaining knowledge . He was more than satisfied with his reward as the members had placed him in the chair . He would always do his utmost , not only for this lodge , but for the members and those who would come in afterwards .

" The Initiates " was next honoured , and responded to by Bros . Croft and Turner . The W . M ., in giving " The Visitors , " said the members of that lodge , especially on that one night of the year were pleased to see visiting brethren present , and that had gum - on year after year for over 120 years . He offered them all a hearty welcome , and trusted their visit would he

repeated . Bro . Harry N . Price , W . M . 230 S , in response , said the proposition and reception of the toast had afforded the visitors a great amount of satisfaction and gratification- " was always a satisfaction to see good working in a lodge , more especially in an old and influential lodge like that-- ' 1 lodg - e which was over 120 \ 'ears old . The visitors thankcu work

them for the kind invitation , and also for the excellent - ing , and the hospitable manner in which they had been treated . With respect to the working , he must ask Bro . hi-Mann , jun ., l . P . M ., to accept the thanks of the visitors for the able and efficient manner in which he rendered Jhe installation ceremony . In all his long experience , which n -1 extended over 20 years , he had never seen that ceremony rendered more impressively or more thoroughly , and it ie "

llected the highest credit upon the l . P . M . as a you » S Mason . If Bro . Mann ever had the opportunity of rendering it again , he would no doubt keep in tlie same lines . _ was not the first time he had visited the lodge , but his v's that evening had been enhanced by the fact that his le friend , Bro . Hume , had been placed in the high P ° ? ltlon Y so excellent a lodge . From the excellent working VV . M . had gone through , he would assist in keeping up *' high standard the St . Luke's Lodge had attained .