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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 .

To Our Readers.

TO OUR READERS .

The Freemason is a sixteen-page weekly newspaper , price 21 I . It is published every Friday morning , and conains the most important , interesting , and useful information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . Annual subscription in the United Kingdom , Post free , 10 / - P . O . O . ' s to be made payable at the chief office , London .

NEW POSTAL RATES . Owing to a reduction in the Postal Rates , the publisher is now enabled to send the "Freemason" to the following parts abroad for One Year for Twelve Shillings ( payable in advance ) : —Africa , Australia , Bombay , Canada , Cape of Good Hope , Ceylon , China , Constantinople , Demerara , France , Germany , Gibraltar , Jamaica , Malta , Newfoundland , New South Wales , New Zealand , Suez , Trinidad , United States of America . & c .

To Advertisers.

TO ADVERTISERS .

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

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

All Communications , Advertisements , & c , intended foi insertion in the Number of the following Saturday , must reach the Office not later thar 12 o ' clock on Wednesday morning . Bro . Baxter Langley ' s letter next week . It only reached us Thursday morning' . The following stand over : —Pattison Lodge , 913 ; St . John ' s Lodge , 273 , Leicester ; William Preston Loilge , 796 ; Hartington Lodge , 108 ; -,

BOOKS , Sec , RECEIVED . " High Pressure Business Life , " by Henry Smith , M . D . ; "The Masonic Eclectic , " G . H . Ramcy , Editor and Publisher , U . S ; " The Voice of Masonry ; " "The Keystone ;" " The New Vork Dispatch ; " " Masonic Journal , " Greenborough , U . S . ; " The Home Chronicler , " E . W . Allen , 11 , Ave Maria Line ; "Domesday Book , " G . G . P . Harris , Head and Meek ; part I ; " Masonic Herald . "

ERRATUM . Boys' FESTIVAL . —Brn . J . H . Ebsworth writes , "In last week ' s issue , opposite 1178 , Bro . Stock , you print £ 10 ios . This is certainly a glaring error , the lodge having given £ 15 15 s . I should imagine that the amount would be nearer sixty guineas than ten . "

Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

[ 1 he charge is 2 s . 6 d for announce ments , not exceeding four lines , under this heading . ] BIRTHS . BIIEKETON . —On the 3 rd inst ., at Fort-st ., Bro . George , Madias , the wife of Capt . J . Brcreton , of a daughter . EI . I . IOT . —On the 3 rd inst ., at Holy Trinity Vicarage , Bournemouth , the wife of the Rev . P . F . Elliot , of a

son . EVANS . —On May 15 th , at Alderley-Natal , South Africa , the wife of Mr . M . J . Evans , of a daughter . GROVES . —On the 2 nd inst ., at Marylebone-road , the wifeol B . A . Grcvcs , of a daughter , WEST . —On the 6 th inst ., at Catford Bridge , Kent , the wife of A . T . West , of a daughter . WHALE . —On the 5 th inst ., at Windsor , the wife of R . S . Whale , of a daughter .

MARRIAGES . CAMPBELL—CLAVEIUNN . —On the 5 th inst ., at Winlaton , Henry Alexandra Campbell , Esq ., R . A ., to Ivy Valerie , daughter of Sir H . A . Clavering , Bart . Wi _ TK—DICKSON . —On the Oth inst ., at Kinlough Church , I .. the Rev . J . W . Dickson , uncle to the bride , William i . . rry White , Esq ., of Cloon , county Leitrim , son of the

.. t George White , Esq ., J . P ., D . L ., of Shrubs , county Li 11 , to Audley Hariette Dickson , fifth daughter of Jo ! :. Reynolds Dickson , Esq ., J . P ., Woodville and Tullaghan House , county Leitrim . WOOD—THOMAS . —On the 5 th inst ., at St . Paul ' s , Holgate , York , Lionel Richard , son of R . Wood , Esq ., of Bayswater , to Mary Jane , daughter of the late H . W , Thomas , Esq .

DEATHS . CHESHIRE . —On the 5 th inst ., at Southend , Daniel Davies Cheshire , of Alma-road , Dalston , aged 3 6 . MERCER . —On the 3 rd inst ., at Gainsborough , Fletcher Mercer , aged 7 -t .

OLUPIELII . —On the 5 th inst ., at Bourne , Lincolnshire , Sarah Anne , wife of Lieut .-Col . C . J . Oldfield , in her 30 th year . WARE . —On the 3 th inst ., at Berger-road , Homerton , William Ware , in his 57 th year .

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The Freemason , SATURDAY , J 15 , 1876 .

The Progress Of The Controversy.

THE PROGRESS OF THE CONTROVERSY .

The readers of the "Freemason" will be aware that an animated controversy is going on in its weekly columns with reference to the last meeting of Grand Lodge and the vote it came to on the proposition of our distinguished Bro . P . G . Warden , John Havers . So fiir , the contest

seems rather one-sided , to speak the truth , both as to argument and opinion , as with the exception of Bro . Baxter Langley , a somewhat dangerous ally , our good brother P . G . C , R . J . Simpson seems to stand alone , whatever lie may have done in Grand Lodge . IndeeJ , we have

reason to believe that a widespread feeling of regret exists in the Craft in respect of the hasty decision of Grand Lodge . The argument of Bro . Havers is , we believe , as we have always said , unanswerable , logically and Masonically , and we feel bound to reiterate our honest

conviction , that no more hollow , unreal , mistaken cry ever was heard than the denominational one by which many were induced to give a vote " in haste , " which , we believe , they have already repented of " at leisure . " When we look at the whole question as now before us many

considerations must arise before the mind ot the thinking Mason . The result , so far , is a "deadlock ; " as evensupposing that a committee be appointed in September nothing can be done until the Grand Lodge meeting in January , and by that time all immediate interest in the proposal itself as a

present act of grateful recognition must have died away . Those who so voted for the postponement of Bro . Havers's motion forget the old adage , ever true , " Bis dat qui dat cito . " Another point clearly before us is this , that any proposed appropriation to the Charities will be

met by a strenuous and earnest opposition on the part of a very large number of brethren who detest selfishness and dislike unreality . The only possible proposal would be the creation of one or more scholarships , and even that proposal is attended with serious difficulties , as it

is , Grand Lodge funds we are proposing to deal , with not the voluntary offerings of brethren of the Craft . After the response made to the appeals of our Charities in this year of Light and Grace , 1876 , by our generous brotherhood , it would be worse than idle , indeed , it would

be too absurd to ask Grand Lodge to make a specific grant to any of our great institutions . We are among those who have the gravest doubts as to the constitutional propriety of Bro . R . J . Simpson ' s amendment . We apprehend that really and truly no motion and no distinct

amendment involving special action can come before Grand Lodge which has not been previously submitted to the Board of Masters . The Book of Constitutions , page 20 , distinctly states that " any member of the Grand Lodge intending to make motion therein , or to submit any

matter to Us consideration , shall at a such general committee state in writing the nature of his intended motion or business that the same may be read . No motion or other matter shall be brought into discussion in the Grand Lodge unless it shall have been previously communicated

to this general committee . " And the Book of Constitutions gives the following simple yet good reason for this wholesome enactment in the same section , at the same page . " It being essential to the interests of the Craft that all matters of business to be brought under the

consideration of the Grand Lodge should be previously known to the Grand Officers and Masters of lodges , that through them all the representatives of lodges may be apprised of such business , and be prepared to decide thereon without being taken by surprise . " Brother F . G . C Simpson gave notice constitutionally to

the Board of Masters of a specific motion which he withdrew in Grand Lodge , but the amendment which he proposed was entirel y distinct alike in meaning and scope , and ought , we feel certain , to have been submitted to the Board of Masters , in order to make it a valid motion . We are well aware that the

The Progress Of The Controversy.

law of amendment is a very wide one in public bodies and in general meetings , but as a Grand Lodge we are governed by certain regulations which are to us as the laws of the Medes and ' Persians , and properly so , for the welfare and safety of us all alike . Bro . Simpson had clearly

a right to meet Bro . Havers ' s motion with " a direct negative , but having withdrawn his own original motion submitted to the Board of Masters , he was bound , in our humble opinion also to submit his amendment , which became practically a new motion , to the Board of Masters .

Our brethren will see , we think , the important question involved in the subject under discussion , and so strongly do we feel on the point , that had we been present in Grind Lodge we should certainl y have raised the question on this point of order . But another doubt comes in . Must not

Bro . R . J . Simpson s amendment , if it is constitutional per se , be confirmed ? We think so for the following reasons : —Though not verball y a " motion for a grant of money , '' see page 27 , sec . 8 , Book of Constitutions , it is essentiall y and practically so , as being preparatory to such a

motion , and therefore requires confirmation . Remembering , for instance , the practice of the House of Lords , how jealously the privileges of the House of Commons are guarded , in respect of a money vote , or any resolution approaching to implying a money vote , we feel that such a

motion as that of Bro . Simpson s , which is but the first step to a vote of money by Grand Lodge , requires confirmation . Had Bro . Havers ' s motion been carried , it must have been confirmed , and we apprehend that Bro . Simpson ' s motio . i requires confirmation also , because it is by

implication a motion practically to bring about a " grant of money . " Whether or no , the constitutionality of the amendment per se can be substantiated , must be left to the proper authorities , and next meeting of Grand Lodge , and we only express our humble but careful opinion on the

subject "quantum valet . " A suggestion has been made in our columns , that the £ 2000 should be raised by subscriptions amongst our brotherhood . We heartily approve of such a proposal , and shall be happy to further it in any way in our power , which may appear desirable to its

• zealous promoters . If any of our readers wish to express their opinion on the matter , we shall be willing , within due bounds , to give them space in our columns , though just now , and for some months to come , the " Freemason " will be kept down to its normal issue of 16 pages .

Peace Or War.

PEACE OR WAR .

Let us hope that the good Angel of Peace may yet interfere and arrest the progress of a civil war in the East , and the ruin and destruction of a harmless population . Some of the accounts of the atrocities in Bulgaria , committed by the Bashi Bazouks and Redifs , are too awful

to credit , and we hope a prompt denial will be given to them , especially the sale of Bulgarian girls , the torture of Bulgarian men , and the dishonour of Bulgarian women . If these accounts be in any manner verified the fact must take a way all sympathy on the part of Englishmen and Freemasons for any Government , Turkish

or other , which permits such detestable horrors . In the meanwhile we may console ourselves with the reflection that so far the telegraphic news on . both sides is equally unreliable , consisting apparently for the most part of defeats which have never taken plsce and of battles which have never been fought .

Notice To Contributors And Correspondents.

NOTICE TO CONTRIBUTORS AND CORRESPONDENTS .

Some complaints having been made of the length of our "lodge reports , & c ., as until our Masonic Lodge life beg ins again the '' Supplement " from time to time will be discontinued , we think >' well to say that during the summer months , as we deem not unseasonable or unreasonable , we

shall use our editorial privilege very freely ot condensing and abbreviating the sometimes too elaborate effusions of our many kind contributors and valued correspondents . Publisher and Editor beg alike , warmly to thank many sincere and zealous friends for favours past and present , an earnest , they hope , ' of many similar favours ye * come .