To Correspondents.

To Correspondents .

I . P . M . —We do not consider it wise to continue the discussion . The following stand over : — Eboracum Lodge , 1 6 11 , York . Old England Lodge , 1790 , Thornton Heath . The Gilbert Grecnall Lodge , 1250 , Warrington .

BOOKS , cic , RECEIVED . " Hull Packet , " " Alliance News , " " Broad Arrow , " " The Masonic Record , " " Croydon Guardian , " - "Aston Reporter , " " Brighton Gazette , " " The Masonic Herald , "

"The Freemason ' s Repository , " " Keystone , " " Liverpool Mercury , " " Humanity and the Man , " " Olel Jonathan , " " The City Diary , " " Reports of Sanitas , " " The Masonic Newspaper , " " The Sussex Daily News , " " The Entertainment Directorv and Playgoer ' s Guide . "

Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

[ The charge is 2 s . fid . for announcements not exceeding Four Lines under this heaeling . ] BIRTH . MEYEH . —On the 3 rd inst ., at South-hill Park , Hampsteael , the wife of B . Meyer , of a daughter .

MARRIAGE . J ONES —C OUPEII . —On the 9 th inst ., at St . Peter ' s , Leicester , by the Rev . F . W . Robinson , v . car , George Howell Jones , of 9 , Seymour-street , Leicester , to J anet , sixth daughter of the late Thomas Cooper , chemist , one of the Founders of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain , and niece of the late James Thompson , F . R . H . S ., F . H . S ., Historian of Leicester .

DEATHS . , BOROUGH . —On the 3 rd inst ., in .- Dublin , Sir Edward Borough , P . D G . M . Ireland , agid 80 . MENZIES . —On the 6 th inst ., suddenly , in Edinburgh , John Menzies , aged 72 .

T OOI . E . —On the 7 U 1 inst ., at his father ' s resilience , 4 , Orme-square , Bayswatcr , Frank Lawrence , the only only son of John Lawrence anil Susan Toole , age-el 23 , VARI . EY . —On the 9 th inst ., at Chelsea , alter a short illness , Frederick Charles , third son of Charles Varlcy , of Chelsea , eif heare disease .

Ad00609

CHRISTMAS DOUBLE NUMBER OF Till ! " FREEMASON . " On Saturelay , December 20 th , will be published a Double Number of the Freemason , in Emblematic Wrapper , Price 4 d . In addition to the usual matter , it will contain 48 Columns of Tales , Poems , etc ., by well known writers . Orders should be given immediately to the nearest News Agent , or sent direct to the office , 198 , Fleetstreet , London , E . C .

Ar00602

THE FREEMASON . SATURDAY , DECKMHER 13 , 1879 .

Girls' School Anniversary Festival.

GIRLS' SCHOOL ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL .

The Craft will rejoice to hear that H . R H . Prince Leopold has kindly consented to take the chair at the anniversary festival in 1880 . This most interesting fact has been communicated in a letter from Bro . Collins to Bro . Lieut .-Col . Creaton , Grand Treasurer . We congratulate Bro . Hedges on the announcement , and have no doubt but that he will soon be able to announce a long list of Stewards .

Uniformity Of Ritual.

UNIFORMITY OF RITUAL .

Tho motion of Bro . Stevens , which was carried at last Grand Lodge after only a very partial debate , is a most serious one both in its immediate effect and its prospective results . It goes much further and strikes much deeper than the majority

which voted for it has learnt to realize , and no one who has not studied the whole question in all its bearings can form any conjecture of the mischief likely to accrue from Bro . Stevens' rash and ill digested motion . It has been stated in Grand Lodge , we apprehend , clearly and fully ,

what is a priori the grave objection to Bro . Steyens' motion" in itself , and though Bro . Stevens in his reply affected to consider the historical objections raised to his motion as beside the question , it is perfectly clear to every thinking mind that there , after all , lies the true and real

Uniformity Of Ritual.

answer to Bro . Stevens' vehement incriminations of our present system . Admitted , if you like , that Grand Lodge passed and confirmed a resolution to the same effect in 1870 , unless you could predicate absolute wisdom and infallibility of every resolution of Grand Lodge , the answer

fairly comes that , like many other legislative bodies , Grand Lodge was taken by surprise j the subject was not tully debated , and for nearly ten years no action has been taken—shewing , not as some foolishly assert , any disrespect by the authorities of the resolution of Grand Ledge ,

but the serious difficulty of the whole question when fairly faced , and the impossibility , owing to their unwillingness to serve , to rind a competent committee in whom the entire Craft would have confidence . For it is one thing to talk about a matter , it is another thing really to

understand it , and we venture to believe that if there are any persons of whom our educated Craft have the greatest distrust it is the professional agitator , on the one hand , or the emitter of " bottled moonshine" on the other . Some of the reasons of the mover , which it is

impossible to discuss in a paper , are too grotesque to dwell upon . If such abuses exist , which we venture to doubt , despite the obligatory "ipse dixit" of Bro . Stevens , they constitute a grave reflection on the Provincial authorities , on the one hand , or those of Freemasons' Hall on the

other . If proved to be prevalent , we fancy the action of the Board of General Purposes would be summary and decisive . And all these things tottled up at their very worst , if they do constitute a case for authoritative interference and discip linary treatment , do not touch the real point

at issue , and here was the fallacy of Bro . Stevens ' whole speech . Admitted that all be true , as Bro . Stevens put it , what does it prove but the want of surveillance and control ? The existence of stereotyped formulas would only aggravate these evil symptoms and would enrich the brother or

brethren who now deal in spurious rituals . It is this very " liberty of verbiage and ceremonial " which stands in the way of un-Masonic ventures and unhallowed gains . It is not likely , neither would it be reasonable , that the decisions of the Lodge of Reconciliation in 1 S 13 should pass

without review in J S 79 . These arrangements were the best then possible , but were not for all time , and we , the Masons of JS 79 , surely have a right , if the question be referred to a Committee , to ask to have the whole matter reviewed .

And thinking that we are not ripe for any such movement , we venture to ask our brethren to " hold their hands , " and to oppose the confirmation of that portion of the minutes at the next meeting of Grand J ^ odge .

The Board Of Benevolence.

THE BOARD OF BENEVOLENCE .

Some objections have been recently and forcibly made to the large giants made by the Board'of Benevolence . There can be no doubt that for some time past the ratio of g iving has been perceptibly increased , and cases which

would have received f , co ten years ago are now receiving £ 40 or £ 50 . We do not complain of this increase , " per se , " because the old system of giving had this grave defect , —it did not sufficiently meet the strong case , it gave too much to the weak case . But there is a " golden

mean in all things ; and as some worthy brethren ate led away by the idea that because they have " plenty " to give away , they may as well give , we wish to remind them one and all of the irrefragable truth and wisdom of Bro .

Clabon ' s remarks in Grand Lodge , that we do not give because we have plenty to give , but becauso the petitioners deserve it . If brethren will only keep this " canon " of true giving carefully before them , we shall soon hear the last of condemnatory complaining . Certainly the case

debated in last Grand Lodge as to 3 brother only five years in Masonry receiving £ 50 is a " strong order . " No doubt a great deal may be said on both sides . But we confess that our impression is strongly that such

a grant is far too large , and serves only to encourage a delusion very prevalent at this moment apparently , that Freemasonry is a vast benefit Order . We , therefore , are anxious to call the attention of many worthy brethren to the subject , that they may learn to realize their responsi-

The Board Of Benevolence.

bility and measure their gifts . The idea of our Masonic benevolence is noble and grand , and true in itself , for it is not only charity in name and deed , but if by any means it becomes subject to abuse or exaggeration , and fictitious sentiment , or unreasoning lavishness , it ceases to be

true charity , and degenerates into a spurious form and mistaken illustration of that needful and excelling virtue . We wish we could think that all our votes at the Board of Benevolence were determined solely by the " merits of the case . " Unfortunately , we fear that it is not always so , and personal influence and unwise sentimentality

olten affsct votes , which ought ever to be governed alone ; by princi ple . But it is very difficult in a shifting Board to obtain uniformity of action or harmony of thought , and we can only express our hope that , by the good sense of our brethren who distribute our Masonic charity , care will be taken to make a full and clear discrimination

between good cases and shaky cases , between the petitioner who has subscribed for long years and the brother who has subscribed only for a few years , and then left Masonry and died out of Masonry .

The Purchase Of Lyndcombe House.

THE PURCHASE OF LYNDCOMBE HOUSE .

This puichase , which was unanimously approved of by a Special Court , as being in the best interests of the School , is , we understand , violently attacked by privately circulated

statements , circulars , and petitions . We say nothing of the ingratitude involved in such proceedings towards that distinguished brother whose labours for the welfare of the Girls ' School are beyond all praise ; neither of the

unworthy clap-trap displayed and the " bad form " manifested in such underhand proceedings , but we do protest openly as befoie the Craft , against a system of procedure which is unworthy of us as freemasons and gentlemen , and which

evidences lowness of iiiintl ; is well as an utter forgetfulness of all Masonic teaching , alike in the motives it seeks to suggest , and the end it is apparently anxious to achieve . If any brethren object to any proceedings in our Courts , let them

come foiward in an open and manly manner and sav so , and they will be patiently heard and fully answered . But , as Freemasons , let us set ourselves against all behjnd-the-back circulars ,

and surreptitious calumnies , and , as good men and true , properly in the proper place , and at the fitting time , assert our honest and rightful opinions . But let us avoid mischief niakers and agitators of every degree .

The Vacant Grand Secretaryship.

THE VACANT GRAND SECRETARYSHIP .

We believe that we are right in our statement that up to the present no definite appointment to the vacant office has been made . Many names are circulating among the Craft of candidates for the post , but all such are merely

suggestionsmore or less interested . 1 wo names are prominently mentioned , one a Grand Officer much connected with Golden Square , the other an active Craftsman , who is not a Grand Officer . We prefer to await the nomination of the Grand Master with Masonic deference . We reject one

pure " canard , ' ' the somewhat current assertion that a sort of " clique , " or " camarilla , " or call it what you like , is seeking to promote the interests of a particular candidate . If it were really so , nothing worse for the present or future interests of the Craft can well be conceived . We

have every reason and right to believe that H . R . H . the Grand Master is quite aware of the vast importance of the office for the progress and welfare of Freemasonry as well as in the world at large as our in own country .

On Tuesday evening , the 16 th inst ., at halfpast six o ' cinck , the ceremonies of installation of Principals will take place at the Metropolitan Chapter of Imnriive-inent , Comp . William Stephens being' the Installing O .-ficer .

The Lord Mayor has consented to become a patron of the third perfeirmance in aid of the Piinters ' Dramatic Pension Kuiul , originally promoted and successfully carried out by Bro . George J . Dawson . The performance is arranged to take place in March next . £ 2 °° has been already realised for this highly deserving object .