Correspondence.

Correspondence .

VVe do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wifih , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limitsf ree discussion .

A QUERY . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Some few months ago an interesting correspondence took place respecting the regular attendance at his lodge of a northern brother .

I had occasion recently to search the records of the Rothesay Lodge , No . 1687 , and was delighted to find that the greatly esteemed P . M . and Secretary of the lodge , Bro . E . L . P . Valeriani , was initiated on the 5 th December , 1 S 77 , and had never missed a meeting since that date—surely a record attendance !—Yours faithfully and fraternally , P . M . London , February gth .

RE GRAND TREASURER MARK DEGREE . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Will you kindly , through the medium of your columns , allow me to announce the fact that Bro . Major T . C . Walls , on the advice of his large and strongly-representative Committee , has withdrawn his candidature in favour of Bro . Parke .

The Committee , however , unanimously resolved to support him on some future occasion . They consider that his great services in supporting , by his abilities and energy , the Mark , Ark Mariner , and Cryptic Degrees during the last 20 years cannot be too highly estimated , and warrants their action in pledging themselves to suppoit him again . Upon mature consideration , they thought that , as a London brother was elected last year , it was the turn of a Provincial brother this year .

The fact of Bro . Major Walls thus gracefully retiring to prevenl the inconvenience and expense of a contest , the Committee venture to think should not be forgotten when his candidature for the office is once more brought to the notice of his numerous friends in particular , and to the Order generally . —I am , yours fraternally ,

H . J . LARDNER , P . S . G . D ., Hon . Sec . of Bro . Major Walls' Committee St . Clement's House , 27 , St . Clement ' s Inn , E . C ., February loth .

"MACNAB MS . " To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I am very pleased with your appreciative article on the " Macnab MS . " It is undoubtedly a valuable addition to the collection of " Old Charges , " whether domiciled in West Yorkshire or as a whole , especially because of the " AVro Articles , " which , so far , have not been sufficiently examined and valued .

Kindly allow me to state that copies may be had from the Publisher , Bro . George Kenning , 16 , Great Queen-street , London , W . C , and may I ask brethren to so procure them , rather than to write me , unless for correspondence on the text . Such publications always entail on me considerable extra labour , as so many students embrace the opportunity thus offered to refer to these old documents at length . —Yours , & c . W . 1 . HUGHAN .

Reviews.

Reviews .

* " " MASONIC CALENDAR AND DIRECTORY FOR THE P ROVINCE OK SURREY , 1 S 97 . ( London : Jas . Truscott and Son ) . —This is the second year under the new auspices , edited b y Bro . C . T . Tyler , Prov . G . Sec , and Bro . W . A . Latham , Asst . Prov . G . Sec , and is about twice the size of its predecessor . An excellent portrait of the Right Hon . the Earl of Onslow , G . C . M . G . ( the respected Prov . CM . ) , does duty as frontispiece , and from the beginning , throughout , to the end , the handy little volume is accurate and complete as to all necessary details , save as to the Central Masonic Charities , particulars

of which will form a distinctive feature of the 1 S 9 S issue , if those interested favour the obliging Editors with the requisite information . As to that , the Annual Reports of the three Institutions may be relied on to date of publication , and only require to be arranged , in suitable form for this welcome Annual . The Preface is evidently intended to be suggestive , as well as historic ; the interesting items being of more value and importance than generally found in publications of the kind , and make one wish tor more . It seems that the Province was first started in 1772 , yet the oldest lodge on the present

Roll only dates from 1823 , some 50 years later . There are now 41 active lodges in the Province which , according to the ably arranged Table of Statistics , have return ed a total of 1514 members , being an average of 37 to each . The number of initiations , & c , & c , are all duly noted , and even the number of official votes in Prov . Grand Lodge for each lodge is carefully computed and printed . The " Masonic Calendar " is not correct as respects the " Ancient Craft Date , " as the number 4004 is added to the Vulgar era , instead of 4000 , according to the usage of the Grand Lodge of Engl ind . To introduce another usaee is much to be deprecated . The regular custom was given in

the issue for 1896 . The Rolls of Past Officers of Prov . G . L ., & . -., & c , also include the present list , so they are really of the Present and Past Officers , and are valuable records . Three new lists will be frund very handy , viz ., those of Prov . G . Ms ., Grand Superintendants , and other Officers of the adjoining Provinces , and the present Directory has a statement of the Prov . Grand Chapter accounts , as well as those of the Prov . G . Lodge and various other Reports . In the additional pages respecting the K . T ., & c , the "Convent General , " should be omitted , as that has ceased to exist for many months past . The Masonic Memoranda will be found most useful for Secretaries of lodges , and the work as a whole reflects great credit on the painstaking Editors .

" HULL MASONIC CALENDAR , 1 S 97 . "—This wee list of the meetings of the various Masonic bodies which are lecated in Hull , with those of others in the neighbourhood , is publishtd by our esteemed fiiend , Bro . M . C . Peck , Prov . G . Sec , the Editor , and is arrjngedon the same lines as formerly , because for the purpose nothinj better can possibly be done . There are six lodges , five Royal Arch chapters , three Mark lodges , and one each preceptory and chapter ( of K . T . and the Rose Croix respectively ) that assemble in Hull , so that this pocket guide is both handy and reliable for reference .

THE LORD-LIEUTENANT OK IRELAND and Countess Cadogan have been continuing ( heir series of festivities at Dublin Castle during the present week , and am mg those who have been present as guests have been the Marquis of Ormonde , the Earl and Countess of Caledon , the Earl and Countess of Listowel , the Earl of Kenmare , Bro . the Earl ar . d Countess Carrington , Bro . the Earl of Dunraven , Viscount Charlemont , and Bro . Viscount Powerscourt , among the festivities being several State Entertainments , including a full-dress dinner and an investiture of the Order of St . Patrick .

Craft Masonry.

Craft Masonry .

St . John's Lodge , No . 279 . The regular meeting of this lodge was held at Freemasons' Hall , Leicester , on Wednesday , the 3 rd inst ., and was a gathering of a very interesting character . The lodge was opened under the presidency of the W . M ., Bro . John Butcher , assisted by the following officers : Bros . John Clifton , S . W . ; Wm . Finn , J . W . ; R . Michie , P . M ., Treas . ; Wm . Tyler , Sec . ; Wm . Keites , S . D . ; W . T . Topott , J . D . ; E . A . E . Wright , D . C ; Wm . Hunt , Org . ; J . W . Barker , I . G . ; and Pick , Stwd .

There were also a number of members of the lodge and visitors from various lodges of the province , amongst those present were Bros . S . S . Partridge , W . M . 2429 , P . M . 523 , 1560 , Deputy Prov . G . M . ; E . Holmes , C . F . Wike , J . H . Marshall , H . Pickering , C . Gurden W . D . Grant , 279 ; W . A . Spencer , P . M . 523 ; C Oliver , P . M . 1007 ; E . C . Kilby , W . M . 20 S 1 ; E . F . Knight , W . M . 1130 ; F . Lambert , W . M . 1391 ; J . F . Snaith , W . M . 1007 ; G . S . Catlow , P . M . 50 ; G . Neighbour , P . M . 523 ; J . J . Bower , P . M . 1391 ; A . Ferguson , P . M . 1391 ; H . Goodacre Marriott , I . P . M . 2028 ; and G . 1 . B . Woolley , P . M . 1391 .

After the usual preliminary business the W . M ., assisted by Bros . Holmes , P . M . ; Marshall , P . M . ; and Pickering , P . M . ; initiated four candidites . The next item on the agenda was the principal feature of the gathering and from its infrequ : ncy gave a very interesting tone to the proceedings , it was the presentation to Bro . J . Herbert Marshall , P . M . of the lodge , of a portrait of himself and an address which wis bound in album form , on the occasion of his being elected to the office of Miyor of the town . Bro . Marshall has done a large amount of work for the Masonic bady and also for the

town Council of which he has been a member some nine years , and was in November last unanimously chosen to be its Mayor . Bro . Marshall , besides being a P . M . of his own lodge is a P . M . of No . 1007 , and also P . Z . of Chapter , No . 1007 . He has also served the ofiice of Prov . S . G . W . and Prov . G . Scribe N ., also is a P . M . of the Fowke Mark Lodge , No . 19 , and Past Prov . S . G . W . His energies have also been largely attended with success on many occasions on behalf of the various Charities . The presentation was made in the absence of Bro . C . Bennion , in America , by Bro . E .

Holmes , P . M ., Prov . G . Sec , who , in making it , said : Mr . Mayor and Bro . Marshall , on behalf of the brethren of St . John ' s Lodge I have to ask your acceptance of this portrait and illuminated address as a token of the esteem and high regard in which you have been held by the brethren . To see in them a token of sincere congratulation on your election as Mayor of this town and our earnest hopes for your future welfare and also that of the Mayoress and your family . It is in this , God bless you now and ever spirit , in which ,

in the name of the lodge , I offer you this portrait and address . Bro . Holmes expressed the hope that the Hall Committee would permit the portrait to hang on the walls of the hall , and that in the distant future coming generations of Masons , including , we hops , your children's children , will be reminded that in this year of grace there was a W . Bro . J . Herbert Marshall , who , ii addition to holding high Masonic rank , was Mayor of Leicester , and that the mark of confidence shown in him by the governing body of the town was only eclipsed by the closer ties of fraternal esteemjand . affection ' felt for him by the brethren of St . John ' s Lodge .

, BKO . J . HERBERT . MARSHALL , J . P ., P . M . Bro . Marshall , who was very warmly greeted , in words of much emotion thank e d Bro . Holmes for the kind words he had addressed to him , and to the brethren for this overwhelming mark of their fraternal regard . He hopsd thit f jr miny yeirs h ; might be spared to be amongst them , and that those years would bring added ties ot brotherly esteem and affection . He felt proud indeed that the choice of himself to the civic offics

he held should be so warmly appreciated by his brethren of that lodge . He was quite unable to give utterance to the deep feeling that presentation had worked within him , and could only say a heartfelt think you . He , in accepting the portrait , hoped that the Hall Committee would permit it to hang on the walls within which they were gathered , and its presence there would always be to him a reminder of that proud day when his brethren so highly honoured him .

Thc portrait , a most excellent one , is the work of Bro . Frank Brown , 279 . The address , beautifully illuminated by Bro . G . S . Callow , P . M . 50 , is as follows : "At a meeting of St . John ' s Lodge of Free Misons , 279 , Leicester , held on the 2 nd day of December , 1 S 915 , it was unanimously resolved to present W . Bro . J . Herbert Marshall , J . P ., P . M . 279 and 1007 , P . P . S . G . W ., Vice-Patron of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , a portrait of himself , to be hung in Freemasons' Hall , Leicester , and this illuminated address , in token of the high regard and esteem in which he is held by the brethren , and in commemoration of his unanimous election as Mayor

of Leicester , ( 890-7 . " The address is bound in a crimson morocco album , most tastefully ornamented , and forming a very handsome volume , the work of Bro . A . Tacey , S . W . 2081 . A portrait was also presented by the W . M ., on behalf of St . John's Lodge , to Bro . James Tanser , Tyler , who , owing to his advanced age , has resigned his viriou ? Misonic appointments . Bro . Tanser has for very many years been the Tyler of the Provincial Grand Lodge , of the St . John's Lodge , and other lodges in Leicester , and has always been held in the highest esteem by the brethren . After other business the lodge was closed .

The brethren subsequently partook of supper in the dining room , under the P ^ 1-dency of the W . M ., who was there also supported by a gathering of brethren to the number of more than 70 .