Cosmopolitan Masonic Calendar For 1878.

COSMOPOLITAN MASONIC CALENDAR FOR 1878 .

W . Masters and Secretaries of Lodges , Chapters , etc ., are respectfully informed that in order to ensure complete accuracy in the above , printed forms have been forwarded to them for supplying

particulars of time and p lace of meeting . If such have not yet reached their hands , the Publisher requests that they would kindly call at the meeting place of the lodge etc ., and fill up and

return the form , in order that the particulars of their meetings may be correctly inserted . All communications in this matter should be addressed at once to the Publisher , 19 8 , Fleetstreet , E . C .

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IMPORTANT NOTICE . COLONIAL and FOREIGN S UBSCRIBERS are informed that acknowledgments of remittances received are published in the first number of every nronth .

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 ; otherwise we cannot tell where to credit them .

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TO ADVERTISERS . The Fi ' L ' b' -ii .-. sn . v has a large circulation in all parts of the Globe , its advantages as an advert sing medium can ther-fore scarcely be overrated . ADVERTISEMENTS to ensure insertion in current week ' s issue should reach the Office , 193 , Fleet-street , by 12 o ' clock on Wednesdays .

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TO OUR READERS . Tne FiiEEMAsrN is a sixteen-page weekly newspaper , price 2 d . It is published every Frielay morning , and contains the most important , interesting , and useful information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . Annual Subscription in the United Kingdom , Post free , 10 / 6 . P . O . U . ' s to be made payable at the Chief Office , London ,

NOTICE . To prevent delay or miscarriage , it is particularly requested that ALL communications for the FR ¦ •. ¦ * •MAS ON , may be addressed to the Office , iy 8 , Fleet-street , London .

Answers To Correspondence.

Answers to Correspondence .

" Slight Science for Leisure Hours " arrived just a little too late , as " copy " was sufficient . It shall appear next week , anel proof will be sent . Much obliged to our V . P . C . Many regrets for delay . HOOKS , & c , RECEIVED .

" Meilical Examiner , " " New York Ui-patch , "" Masonic Herald , " " Bulletin du Grand Orient of France , " " Rules of the Mercantile Masonic Club , " " Th ; Cleveland Leader , " " Bulletin Official Kepublica Argentine , " " New Vork News Letter . "

Births, Marriages And Deaths.

Births , Marriages and Deaths .

[ The charge is 2 s . ud . for announcements , not exceed ing four lines , under this heading . ]

BIRTHS . OLIVER —On tbe nth inst ., at 5 , Kew-gardens-road , Kew , Surrey , the wife of William Oliver , Esq ., of a son . STILL . —On the 2 nd June , at Norfolk Island , New Zealand , the wife of the Rev . John Still , of a son . TANNER . —On the 29 th ult ., at Quecnstown , Cape of Good Hope , the wife of Richard B . tanner , E ^ q ., of a daughter .

MARRIAGE . BUHCHALI . —LEEMIN-G . —On the 10 th inst , at St . John ' s Church , Torquay , George James Burchall , Esq ., to Eliza , widow of the late James Lecming , Esq ., of Bradford , Yorkshire . WALKER—ROEBUCK . —On the , * joth ult ., at the parish church , Acton , John Walker , Esq ., of The Woodlands , Ac on , to Mary Annie , daughter of Bro . William Roebuck , of West Lodge .

DEATHS . CAPPS . —On the 8 th inst ., at Crown Point , Ealing , Joseph Frederick Capps , Esq , aged 55 . PHILLIPS . —On the 5 th inst ., at Broom Hall , Sheffield , Bro . Richard Nathaniel Phillips , LL . D ., F . S . A ., a Justice

of the Peace for the West Riding of Yorkshire , Recorder of Pontefract . SILVA . —On the 10 th inst ., Emanuel Silva , Esq ., of 8 , Sheen-villas , Richmond , Surrey . Woous . —On the 8 th inst ., at Seymour-place , Hounslow , Thomas Woods , sen ., Esq , in his 73 rd year .

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TheFreemason, SATURDAY , SEPTEMBER 15 . 1877 .

A Collection For India.

A COLLECTION FOR INDIA .

It has been suggested , as will be seen by a letter in our last impression , that in every lodge a collection of one shilling a head should be made for the Indian Famine Fund . Should such a suggestion , which seems to be a seasonable and a desirable one , meet with the approval of

the brethren , our Publisher , Bro . George Kenning , would be most happy to act , for the general convenience of the Craft , as Treasurer to the above , and hand the amount over to the Lord Mayor . All amounts will be carefullv

recorded in each week ' s Freemason , in a special column . If this idea should be agreeable to the brethren , all Post office Orders should be made payable to George Kenning , ( Chief Office , London ) , 108 , Fleet-street .

The Last Quarterly Communication.

THE LAST QUARTERLY COMMUNICATION .

The proceedings of the last Quarterl y Communication are both interesting and important . The votes for St . John ' s and Peru were dul y passed , and Bro . Clcbon ' s seasonable motion for a grant of 1000 guineas to the Lord Mayor ' s Fund for the Indian Famine was also , we are

g lad to record , unanimously assented to . Our worthy and esteemed Bro . Brackstone Baker seems to think that the vote was put somewhat hastily from the chair , but we cannot suppose for one moment that any such haste was intended , as any opposition to the vote could only proceed

on one of two grounds , namely , of increase or decrease . The principle of the vote has been assented to by Grand Lodge over and over again , and we cannot believe that any of our Order doubt or deny the competency of Grand Lodge to pass such a vote , for general as well as

Masonic Charity . Wc cannot think such an amount too large , and we feel sure that Bro . Clabon ' s proposal will be endorsed b y our entire Craft . The suggestion for the limitation of the Board of Rr-nevolence stands over , on the proposition of Bro . Clabon himself , until March . By

that time all our ledges will have studied the proposed amendment of our Constitutions carefully , and we think it well to-day to throw out a few considerations why , in our opinion , the change is desirable , and even necessary . In the first place , the present committee is simply

unworkable . It is composed of all W . Masters , or representative Past Masters , in their absence ; of all Past and Present Grand Officers ; and of certain nominated and elected members . We are not exceeding the truth when we say that probably nearly 3000 brethren can claim a ri ght of admission to the Board . However wise and

right the provision was m days when our Craft numbered about 70 London Lodges and rj-jo Provincial Lodges , it has surely become unsuited to the present state of things , when we have over 1700 lodges actually on our roll , and there is at present no limit , seemingly , to the progress

of our Order . In the next place , under the present arrangement , we have and can have no system of administration of relief , which varies , as a fact , with each successive Board , and often is affected during the same sitting by the eloquence of an earnest brother , or the zealous

advocacy and influential appearance of compassionate friends . It is not tco much to say that under our present changing Boards many cases are relieved which ought not to be relieved at all ; and some cases hardly receive that measure of compassionate aid which the exigency of the case demands , or the benevolent teaching of

Freemasonry would dictate . Were the Board reduced to a reasonable number , not only would the sense of personal responsibility be increased , but bye-laws might be drawn up , and approved by Grand Lodge , which would tend to simplify the proceedings , . and reduce the cases into classes . More power mi ght be granted to the Board to deal with foreign cases , and

The Last Quarterly Communication.

more discrimination would be exercised in th apportionment ofthe grants than at present , with the best intentions in the world , is humanly speaking possible . Indeed , many amusing j n stances might be cited of the singular absence so to say , of principle on which grants an '

made , which sometimes indeed appear to be given on no princi ple at all . We remember two cases which came before the Board , which demonstrate what we have before contended , that no uniformity of princi ple prevails . One was a case of a railwav clerk with s £ 8 o per annum

( rising salary ) , who had backed a bill for a friend , and got into trouble . Some present objected to the case , as one not coming within the scope of the Board , and it was adjourned for reconsideration . Soon after another railway clerk with £ 120 a year

( rising salary also ) , came up , in great pecuniary difficulty . A worth y brother dilated on his distressingcircumstances , and thecase was accepted . It was in vain that it was pointed out that such a vote was a contravention of the pre . vious unanimous resolution ; it was carried by

a large majority that his petition be relieved with £ 20 . Having once upon a time been influenced by the views abl y put forth by Bro , Mason , we think it right to say , therefore , to day , that we have conscientiously arrived at the conviction that the limitation of the Boaid is

most desirable in every interest of justice and charity . With the greatest humanity in the world , and the kindest feeling ? , it is impossible , as we believe , for the Board , as at present constituted , to do full justice to the funds of the Craft , on the one hand , or the needs of the

petitioner , on the other . The only one point which seems a difficulty , is the question of the disenfranchisement of the country Masters . But this would be met by the provision that 13 out of the 45 should be provincial brethren , not subscribing to a London lodge . A Board of 45 ,

with Chairman and two Vice-Chairmen , the Pro Grand Master , the D . Grand Master , the Grand Treasurer , the Grand Registrar , the two Grand Chaplains , the Grand Deacons for the time being , as ex officio members , would g ive us a body of brethren , which would , we think ,

administer our great charitable relief and benevolence with equal advantage to all concerned . But we feel it rig ht to add that this is a subject on which strong and conscientious opinions may prevail , and we merely throw out these suggestions as " Amici Curia :. "

From The Sublime To The Ridiculous.

FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE RIDICULOUS .

We all of us know the now popular apothegm , " du sublime au ridicule , il n ' y ' a qu ' un pas , " and certainly the truth of it was never more fully exemplified than in the amusing , if somewhat humiliating , extract we took from the Monde Maconnii / ue for August , and which appeared in

our last impression . From the statement of our contemporary , ( see page 1 , 59 ) , it seems that there is at Toulouse an Ultramontane paper called LB Diable , published by a M . Resplandy . People often ask "What is in a name ? " but to say the truth , we confess that we should not ourselves wish to be connected , if we could help

it , with the " Gentleman in Black , " either " normnatim '' or in any other way . No doubt " tons les gouts sont respectables , " but we have some distinct , and , if you like , superstitious views on the subject . It seems to ua that , just now , ( ot some reason , in Ultramontane circles especially ,

the name and the " prestige" of his " Sulp hureous Highness " are at a hi gh premium . We hear continually , for instance , of ly ing words and dirty deeds , which are a disgrace to humanity , civilization , and reli g ion , but which seem to find favour with an unreasoning and vituperative party ° heated and illiberal accusers of

Freemasonry-Without returning to our Ultramontane opponents the hard names they are pleased to g ive "S * . and terming them " powers of darkness . , " children of Satan , " " allies of the Sp irit of Evil . we yet may fairly observe that the princip les 0 ^ action they seem to approveof just now . haye bee regarded always b y the thoughtful and serious a very Satanic both in idea and act . For we a