To Our Readers.

TO OUR READERS .

The Freemason is a sixteen page weekly newspaper , price 2 ( 1 . It is published every Friday morning , and contains the most important and useful information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . Annual subscription in the United Kingdom , Post free , io / . Brethren in foreign parts , wishing to have this newspaper sent them regularly from the office of publication , should , in sending their remittances , add to the 2 d . per week the postage on 2 oz .

newspapers . The Freemason may be procured through any newsagent in the United Kingdom by giving ( if needed ) the pub-Usher ' s address , 198 , Fleet-st . All communications , correspondence , reports , & c , must be addressed to the Editor .

Advertisements , change in address , complaints of difficulties in procuring Freemason , & c , to the Publisher , 198 , Fleet-st ., London , E . C . Careful attention will be paid to all MSS . entrusted to the Editor , hut he cannot undertake to return them unless accompanied by stamp directed covers .

To Advertisers.

TO ADVERTISERS .

The Freemason has a large circulation in all parts of the Globe , its advantages as an advertising medium can therefore scarcely be overrated . For terms , position , & c , apply to GEORGE KENNING , 198 , Fleet-st .

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NOTICE

Many complaints having been received of the difficulty experienced in procuring the Freemason in the City , the publisher begs to append the following list , being a selected few of the appointed agents : — Abbott , Wm ., East-cheap . Bates , Pilgrim-street , Ludgate-hill . Born , H ., 115 , London-wall .

Dawson , Wm ., 121 , Cannon-street . Gilbert , Jas ., 18 , Gracechurch-street . Guest , Wm ., 54 , Paternoster-row . Phillpott Bros ., 65 , King William-street . Pottle , R ., 14 , Royal Exchange . May also be obtained at W . II . Smith & Son ' s Bookstalls at thc following City Stations : —

Broad-street . I Holborn Viaduct Cannon-street . | London Bridge . Ludgate Hill .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

AU Communications , Advertisements , & c , intended for insertion in the Number of the following Saturday , must reach the Office not later than 12 o ' clock on Wednesday morning . EIIRATL ' M . —In our report of thc Royal Cumberland

Mark Lodge the following line was omitted from amongst the appointments of officers : — " Dr . Hopkins , Chaplain ; Jelley , S . W . ; Carey , J . W . ; Milsom , S . O . " Numerous reports of lodge meetings , English and Scotch , stand over till our next .

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The Freemason , SATURDAY , MAY I $ , 1 87 , 5 .

Grand Chapter.

GRAND CHAPTER .

The meeting of Giand Chapter was rendered most interesting by tlie appearance of our Royal Brother , the Prince of Wales . He was duly installed in the First chair , the Pro Grand Master and the Deputy Grand Master in the other two respectively , and the meeting began as it ended , amid

the warm enthusiasm of the companions . We think that it isa matter of much rejoicing that our Royal Grand Master thus accepts and so warmly enters into his Masonic duties and position , and we feel more than ever how good an omen it is for the future welfare of our Order , when we see our

august brother so calmly intent on losing no opportunity of proclaiming openly his attachment to our body , his approval of our princi ples , and his entire sympathy with our labours and our efforts ! His appearance on Wednesday , 5 th , at Grand Chapter was a befitting ; " corollary " of all

his previous friendly words , and will convince the Craft from one end of England to the other how thoroughly he has inherited that goodwill for our peaceful , benevolent , and tolerant brotherhood , which distinguished in years gone by so many of his illustrious family .

Lord Carnarvon's Speech.

LORD CARNARVON'S SPEECH .

We have read with great attention our able Bro . Buchan ' s criticism on the eloquent address of our distinguished Pro Grand Master , but we confess we cannot understand what he finds

amiss in it . Our noble brother only adopted the guild theory , which is also upheld b y Bro . Hughan , " Masonic Student , " and others , and we cannot see that the address to the Grand Master .

Lord Carnarvon's Speech.

opportune and admirable as it was , is in any way obnoxious to critical animadversion . We full y endorse his words , with all deference to Bro . Buchan . We believe , as he does , that onr Speculative Order is but the continuation of the old operative guilds , and therefore we hold , and hold

strongly , that Lord Carnarvon in all that he said , and said so well , is alike archoeologically and historically correct . We certainly do not accept as proved facts , the assumed affiliation of King James I ., King Charles I ., King Charles JL , and King William III ., though we do not mean

to say that the traditions in that respect are utterly untrue ! But as we have no evidence of the statements , we relegate them to the period of legend and tradition alone , assuming that our actual trustworthy history begins with 1717 . But we say all this with deference and with

reserve , so neglected has been the study of Masonic antiquity amongst us , neglected that is , on scientific principles , and evidential accuracy , that , as we feel sure Bro . W . J . Hughan will agree , we must look upon ourselves as yet upon the threshold of enquiry and verification .

If the logical result of the argument , for instance , arising out of the facts as proved by the Masons ' Company books be accepted , as we think it will be , the consequence will be that in 16 4 6 Speculative Freemasonry was known and practised in this country , and that in 1682 the Freemasons

were a distinct organization , openly receiving speculative members . So that there is no limit , possibly , to the interesting evidences and illustrations of our Order yet forthcoming , which are like the " disjecta membra " of the poet , lying here and there in long unopened boxes ,

and dusty muniment rooms : Bearing all this in mind , and believing in the great and material identity of the Speculative and Operative Order or guilds , call them by what name you like , we entirely concur with our Pro Grand Master in his brief but eloquent sketch of Masonic history . We quite understand that Bro . Buchan , who

still clings to the 1717 theory most manfully , may object to any statement antagonistic to his amiable little " vanity , " but we cannot agree with him , and we know that he is too tolerant and too good a Freemason not to concede to others , the same absolute freedom of opinion he claims for himself .

The " Saturday Review " Again.

THE " SATURDAY REVIEW " AGAIN .

Our old friend is as usual as cynical and as unsparing as ever . " Semper idem" is its motto in its weekly utterances of polished sarcasm and somewhat acidulated chaff ' . The Saturday Review has made a great discovery , which is , not merely that there is nothing in

Freemasonry , but that the great object of the Masonic gathering is love of dress and show . With the memories of old dajs and of the Latin grammar , the revipwer would touchingly say " Veniunt spectatum veniunt spectentur ut ips ! . " Most remarkable discovery , and still more

remarkable fact . The Saturday Review retreats from the " love-of-a-good-dinner theory . " Perhaps it did just occur to the writer that Saturday Reviewers' liked and could eat a good dinner as well as the Freemasons , and that it was not a fact which proved much any way . A good many

Englishmen , and good Englishmen too , have liked and do like a good dinner , and why are Freemasons wrong in doing the same ; on " what principles , either of high " falutin , " or the lower grounds of a depressing asceticism , are Freemasons to be condemned for preferring a good

dinner to a bad one ? We pause for a reply . The Saturday Reviewer felt that this "prandial " theory was untenable , and so he now asserts that the great ends of Freemasonry are the apron and the jewel ! We do not suppose that all men will see Freemasonry as we do . We do not expect that

at once all objections are to be removed , and all hesitation ended , but what we do ask for is fair dealing and truthful statements . The argument " ad absurdura " is often very effective , and may be very witty , we will even concede logical , but it

fails in its end utterly ; it is nothing but the idle invention of a morbid jester when it assumes the character of an incriminating falsehood . Now , we say distinctly that love of dress is not any end of Freemasonry , or any object of the great mass of Freemasons .

The " Saturday Review " Again.

That we may have those amongst us who like to disport themselves in Masonic red , blue , or purple may be true * that we have Masonic "jackdaws " is not , we apprehend , deniable b y any of us , but the vast bulk of our fraternity are actuated and animated by no such unworth y

motives . Freemasonry to them is a social , a tolerant , a charitable institution , where amid contentions both political and religious , the faithful Freemason can happily meet his brother Freemasons and his pleasant friends , forgetful of the one and ignorant of the other .

Freemasonry would seek to throw a little of the sweetness of charity , a little of the softness of brotherly sympathy , over this often arid wilderness of life- Men often contend long and bitterly here about " trifles li ght as air , " which nevertheless estrange them from each other , and

keep them in antagonism , even amid the pressing claims of social life . But in the Masonic lodge the tumult of politics is unknown , in that peaceful region no polemical warfare intrudes , the " odium theologicum" and the " odium humanum " are alike unheard of , and many of

us find our lodge room a pleasant reunion of warm hearts and kindly companions . We have read over carefully the article in the Saturday Review , and have , we believe , found the only one " point" of its lengthy tirade and heavy facetiousness . Indeed , all we read there

we have often read before , and the objections , veiled partly by jest and sarcasm , are but those which we have had to encounter in the past , and shall have to encounter in the future , from all who object to Freemasonry " in limine , " who disbelieve its claims to historic antiquity , who undervalue its efforts in the cause of benevolence .

Most of our readers , like ourselves , have long since made up their minds as to the real value and the true mission of our good old Order , and as we are not deterred by threats , so we shall not be induced by ' ridicule to disavow its membership or desert its colours .

Bro. Constable's Drawing.

BRO . CONSTABLE'S DRAWING .

We are requested by our worthy and zealous brother to announce that four nthfir names have been sent in . 430 , Bro . Jabez Garrett , 13 , Broad Street 77 * 5 , Benjamin Hammond , Stepney 1 ji 2 , R . Jennings , J . D . Royal Albert , 907 ;

and 3137 , John Megg , Sheerness . We congratulate Bro . Constable on the result of his charitable labours , devoted and persevering as we know them to have been . It seems that for this year 4000 tickets were issued , of which 3780 were sold , representing 18

life-governorships of 10 guineas each , or 64518 9 . By the particulars of the numbers published , it would seem that there were five prizes for the first thousand , four in the second , five in the third , and four in the fourth , a distribution certainl y not inequitable . As our brethren and readers

may like to know the " modus operandi " of the ballot , we give it to them . The whole 4000 corresponding numbers were placed in a basket , thoroughly intermixed , and the first ei ghteen tickets drawn ( singly ) represented the eighteen life-governorships . We are happy to learn that

marked success has crowned all our brother ' s efforts , a satisfactory reward to all his difficulties and even rebuffs , and that his steward ' s list will a mount at least to ¦§ £ 415 . It is no doubt perfectly true , that the shillings have come in from sources

where larger subscriptions , if asked for , would have been nil , and we think that such a fact says a great deal , not only for the original idea of Bro . Constable , but for his unwearying efforts . We should remember that this scheme of Bro .

Constable ' s is not before us for the first time . We hear the result of his endeavours for 1875 , namely , the creation of ei ghteen life-governorships for the Girls' School , but we must not forget that in 1874 the same disinterested energy produced £ 349 for the Benevolent Institution , £ 760 in round numbers in two years . We

thank Bro . Constable for his praiseworthy devotion to and personal sympathy for the cause of Masonic charity generally , and we congratulate him on his favourable return for 1875 . We presume that our worth y brother , though he may perhaps hesitate at wearying out his many friends , will yet also try and do a good turn for the Boys' School . We tender to him " our