To Our Readers.

TO OUR READERS .

The FREEMASON is a Weekly News paper , price 2 u . It is published every Friday morning , and contains the most important , interesting , and useful information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . Subscription , including postage : United America , India , India , China , & c .

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to GEORGE KENNING , CHIEF OFFICE , LONDON , the latter crossed London Joint Stock Bank . Advertisements and other business communications should be addressed to the Publisher . Further information will be supplied on application to the Publisher , 108 , Fleet-street , London .

Important Notice.

IMPORTANT NOTICE .

COLONIAL and FOREIGN SUBSCRIBERS are informed that acknowledgments of remittances received are published in the first number of every month .

It is very necessary for our readers to advise us of all money orders they remit , more especially those from the United States of America and India j otherwise we cannot tell where to credit them . Several P . O . O . ' s are now in hand , but having received no advice we cannot credit them .

To Advertisers.

TO ADVERTISERS .

'Ihe FREEMASON has a large circulation in all parts of the Globe , its advantages as an advertising medium can therefore scarcely be overrated . ADVERTISEMENTS to ensure Insertion in current -week's issue should reach the Office , 198 , Fleet-street , by 12 o ' clock on Wednesdays . SCALE OF CHARGES FOR

ADVERTISEMENTS . Whole of backpage £ 12 12 o Half , „ 6 10 o Inside pages ,. 770 Half of ditto 400 Quarter ditto ... ... ... ... 2 10 o Whole column ... ... ... 2 10 o

Half „ 1 10 o Quarter „ ... 100 Per inch 030 These prices are for single insertions . A liberal reduction is made for a series of 13 , 26 , and 52 insertions . Further particulars may be obtained of the Publisher , 198 , Fleet-street , London .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

BOOKS Sec , RECEIVED . " The Freemasons' Manual fo ^ Ktnt , " " Hull Packet , " "Touchstone , "" Broad | Arrow , "" The Journal of Commerce , " "New York Dispatch , " "The Civilian , " "La Chaine d'Union , " "The Masonic Newspaper , " " Thc Hebrew Leader , " " The Advocate , " " The London Express , " " The Masonic Herald , " " Die Bauhutte , " " Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts , " "The Freemasons '

Monthly , " " Der Tiiangel , " " Our Home , " " The Colonial Standard and Jamaica Dispatch , " " The South Durham and Cleveland Mercury , " " Thc Keystone , " " Columbia Courant , " " New York Tribune , " " The Canadian Craftsman , " " Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Quebec , " " Bundes Presse , " " Debrett ' s Peerage , Baronetage , and Knightage for 1879 , " " Advantages of Gas for Cooking and Heating & c , by Bro . Magnus Ohren , A . J ., C . E ., F . C . S . "

Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

[ The charge is 2 s . Gd . for announcements not exceeding Four Lines under this heading . ]

BIRTHS . BENSKIN . —On the 6 th inst ., at the Castle and Falcon Hotel , Aldcrsgatc-strcet , the wife of Thomas Benskin , of a son . Ciiuncnii . 1 .. —On the ioth inst ., at Holm Lea , West Dulwich , thc wife of Cameron Churchill ( 1610 ) , of a

daughter . FERMS . —On the 6 th inst ., at Stockport , Cheshire , lhc wife of A . E . Ferms , of a son . HIRSCH . —On the 5 th inst ., at Leinster-square , Bayswater , the wife of O . Hirach , of a daughter . LYTTON . —On the 6 th inst ., at the Government House , Calcutta , the Lady Lytton , of a son .

MARRIAGE . BIIIODKN—WESTON . —On the 6 th inst ., at Brighton , Frederick Brigden , to Kate , only daughter of Olivet Weston .

DEATHS . CHADWICK . —On the 5 th inst ., at Forres-st ., Edinburgh , the wife of E . Cnadwick , Esq ., of a ilaughter . WOOOAI . I .. —On the oth inst ., at St . Nicholas House , Scarboro ' , John Woodall , Esq ., iu his 78 th year . WHITE . —On the 3 rd inst ., at his residence in Londonstreet , Swindon , R . L . White ( 1295 ) , aged 45 .

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THEFREEMASON. S ATURDAY , F EBRUARY 15 , 1879 .

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution Festival For 1879.

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION FESTIVAL FOR 1879 .

The scene witnessed on Wednesday evening will not soon be forgotten by those who were present , and before a crowded hall , and an enthusiastic auditory , Bro . Terry announced , considering many attendant circumstances , a result really marvellous , and one that reflects no

little credit on our generous and warmhearted Craft . For what was it that Bro . Terry read out which brought down such enthusiastic cheers ?—it was—that with 1 j lists yet to come in , the returns amounted to £ 13 , 875 . This sum will probably reach to over £ 14 , 000 when all is

returned , and we repeat it is a very wonderful result , and one that reflects every credit alike on the brethren , the Stewards , the lodges , and Bro . Terry . To the Province of East Lancashire , whose amiable and genial P . G . M . so ably presided at the festival , the thanks of all

friends to the Institution are truly due , and we congratulate Bro . Hine , the Chaitman of the Charity Committee , and our many excellent and true hearted friends in East Lancashire , on the success of their noble and praiseworthy efforts in the cause of Masonic charity . At this

festival the provinces , including Middlesex , have sent up in round numbers £ 7644 , as against £ 6230 . East Lancashire heads the list of course with the munificent contribution of £ 3542 . West Yorkshire semper virens as the gallant and esteemed Prov . G . M . would say , follows with

£ 550 . Kent is not very far off with £ 430 ; and Bucks and Berks succeed with £ 33 6 . Middlesex is close at hand with £ 311 , and Norfolk does not retrogade with £ 506 . South Wales , western division , produces £ 22 $ ; while Hampshire is credited with £ ib "!; Suffolk with £ 171 ;

Surrey with £ 165 ; and Norfolk and Gloucestershire run a tie with £ 144 . In the metropolis the highest amount brought in is by Lodge 933 , T . J . Barnes , £ 325 ios . No . 781 , Clement Bredan , sends £ 178 ; 1426 , James Freeman , remits £ 151 as . ; while 1118 ,

L . G . Gordon Robbins , sends £ 157 ios . ; 174 , T . H . Seddon , forwards £ 135 ios . ; 1607 , Frederick Brown , £ 134 18 s . 6 d . We , therefore , on this our first great Masonic charitable festival for 1879 , are glad to announce to our Order on

this striking proof of its vitality , zeal and charity , and congratulating Bro . Terry on this happy response to his eloquent appeal and untiring labours , we desiderate earnestly for Bros . Hedges and Binckes the same felicitous results , the same brilliant returns .

The Restoration Of The Abbey Church Of St. Albans.

THE RESTORATION OF THE ABBEY CHURCH OF ST . ALBANS .

By a report elsewhere our readers will perceive that a meeting has been held to form a Committee in London to co-operate with a Committee of Hertfordshire brethren , for the purpose of the restoration of the remarkable and beautiful

Minster at St . Albans . Owing to various causes , the meeting was not so largely attended as could have been wished , the notices not having been extensively distributed / and many brethren being ignorant of the assembly . But we are glad to call the attention of our readers to the report of

the meeting elsewhere , and to say , that an adjourned meeting of the Committee will take place next Wednesday at 4 . 30 , at Freemasons' Tavern , when all brethren interested in the subject will be welcomed , and it is hoped that some may bring brethren friends with them . That wonderful structure at St . Albans appeals

to Englishmen and Freemasons very forcibly , and directly , in order that it may be revived from decay and devastation , and be rendered , as " God ' s House" should be , " exceeding magnincal . " As Freemasons , let us bear in mind , that all the operative Guild legends mention Alban or Albanus , as the president of a Guild assembly ,

The Restoration Of The Abbey Church Of St. Albans.

as the procurer of a charter , as one who settled the price of wages . We probably have in this a confused account of the proceedings of a Roman operative Guild of Masons under his protection or direction . Be this as it may , there is every reason , as it appears to us , why we Freemasons

should not be ashamed of those old operative legends , why we should seek to participate in so good and so needful a work , and lend our aid to the complete restoration of this noble building on patriotic , archaeological , and Masonic grounds . It will be

seen that H . R . H . the Grand Master has given his name and subscription , and we invite attention to the list of subscriptions already promised or paid , which will , no doubt , soon be much larger . The maximum amount has been fixed at five pounds , but as it is hoped that the subscription will be universal among English , and we

would fain hope may even be aided by American Freemasons , any lower sum will be accepted by the active Secretary , Bro . Keyser . Any communication to him should be addressed C . E . Keyser , Esq ., 47 , Wilton-crescent , S . W . We hope on Wednesday , the 19 th , to see a numerous assembl y in so good a cause .

Legacies To Freemasonry.

LEGACIES TO FREEMASONRY .

Bro . Frederick Thomas Wethtrsill , of Woodside , Bowden , and Mansion-street , Manchester , has left £ 1000 to the Masonic Charities , to be disbursed on the recommendation of the W . M . and the Wardens of the Lodge of Friendship , No . 44 . We are glad to note the fact , not merely

for the money itself , but because we think Masonic legacies to our great Charities are good things , per se , and to be encouraged in moderation and common sense . We know too muchof the history of many of our great general Charities in this country to

admire very much , if at all , the animus which has marked and controlled many of the donors of sums for public charities . Probabl y , as a good old commissioner of charities used to say , we hardly see in anything else in life so many proofs , if proofs be wanting , of the littleness , of

the animosities , ofthe vindictiyeness of humanity . But though we are aware that , as in anything here , ever ) thing is liable to be abused , whether we regard the best longings of our race , or the most thronging impulses of our nature , the gifts we possess , the faculties we employ , yet as abuse

never takes away use , we think that in due moderation we may fairly laud and encourage such acts of Masonic memory and good will . Many of our brethren may fairly bequeath a legacy to the charities or to their lodges , and we have always thought that our whole Masonic

existence would be more free and elevated , more removed from cold calculation or sordid apprehension , if our lodges possessed a certain amount from capital to apply to the general purposes of the lodge , and the particular claims of charity . Of course there are evils in everything here below , and we do not shut our eyes to what

others have pointed out as possible complications in this respect , but , in our opinion , the advantages so counterbalance the disadvantages , that we are pleased to note Bro . Wethersills kindly recollection of the Order to which he belonged , and to hold up his example to the imitation and example of our readers .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ We do not hold ourselves responsible for , or even approviiif ! of , the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish i " a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . ]

THE ROYAL ARCH DEGREE AND DEGREE OF PAST MASTER . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Referring to the queries of our Bro . Dr . Irving de Lisle , J . W ., Victoria Lodge , New Zealand , which

appeared in the Freemason ot the Sth February , I notice a similar question in the Masonic department of the New York Dispatch , of January ioth , relative to the presumed statuo of Royal Arch companions in a Board of Installed Masters . For myself , I do not know how many , or what grades are included in the degree of Royal Arch , as prac-