Ad00704

/coCOCKERELL'S ' \ f 13 , CORNHILL , B . C . Oy ^ For Prices , see Daily Papers . / » / Trucks direct from the * Colliery to every Railway Station .

Ad00705

A.MONARCHKINO, TAILOR , Cornhill , E . G ., and Kegent-street , ¥ ., LONDON . 10 PEE CENT . DISCOUNT FOR CASH .

Ad00706

|fGEORGESPILLER . ft ? Surgeon ' s Optician , fi-7 ^ 3 , WIGMORE ST ., W . &? * * * SHOT-PROOF SPECTACLES . ^j£_ ¦ ^ ^ THE NEW § " SHOOTING" PINCE-NEZ , S WITH RIGID BRIDGE . CQ They press the nose much less than j J any other eye-glass .

Ad00707

TELEGRAPHICADDRESSES(Inland). For the Freemason Printing Works—FREEMASON , LONDON . For Jewels , Clothing , Banners , and Furniture—KENNING , LONDON .

Ad00708

ADVERTISEMENT SCALE OF " Gbe freemason . " PEE INSERTION . SINGLE COLUMN per inch £ 050 ONE PAGE 10 o o ONE COLUMN 3 * ° ° PUBLIC COMPANIES' & PARAGRAPH ADVERTISEMENTS , IS . PER LINE . WANTS , & C , FOUR LINES , 2 s . 6 d ., and Od . PER LINE additional .

Ad00709

TO OTJR READERS . THE FREEMASON is published every Friday morning , price 3 d ., and contains the fullest and latest information relating to Freemasonry of every degree . Subscriptions , including Postage : — United States , United Kingdom . Canada , the Continent , India , China , Ceylon , the Colonies & c . Arabia , & c . 13 s . 6 d . 15 s . 6 d . i' / s . 6 d . Remittances may be made in Stamps , but Post Office Orders or cheques are preferred , the former payable to GEORGE K ENNING , Chief Office , London , the latter crossed London Joint Stock Bank .

To Correspondents.

To Correspondents .

BRO . JAMES NEWTON , of Bolton , writes to say that the warrant of No . 37 ( given by Bro . Hughan last week , in his interesting series of old warrants ) was traced over from a supposed copy , but a careful examination by him with a

magnifying glass reveals the fact that the year originally was 1732 ( not 1731 ) , as Bro . Hughan says it should be . It should be Lancaster , not Lancashire , in transcript of the warrant , Bro . Hughan promises we shall shortly have a transcript of No . 42 , Bury , and also No . 41 , Bath .

Among contributions held over owing to press of matter are : "THE HISTORY OF THE R OYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS FROM ITS ORIGIN 1788 TO ITS CENTENARY 18 S 8 . " CRAFT — Old England Lodge , No . 1790 . INSTRUCTION

Creaton Lodge , No . 1791 . Emulation Lodge , No . 299 . Chiswick Lodge , No . 2012 . Loughborough Lodge . District Grand Lodge of Malta . Masonic Reception of the Pro Grand Master of Natal .

BOOKS . & c , RECEIVED . , 'Sunday Times" ( London ) , " Lancaster Daily Examiner , ' Freemasons' Journal " ( New York ) , " Die Bauhutte , " "Sunday , Vmes" ( New York ) , " New York Dispatch , " " Keystone , ' , Masonic World" ( Boston ) , "Jewish Chronicle , " "Court Cir-CUIaX . " Wnetum Mnrninrr TNTOIIPP " ** M-lC / . n ' tf T / . ni-n _) 1 " / MB ) .

Doume ) , " Hull and East Yorkshire Times , " " Masonic Review , " illustrated Naval and Military Magazine , " " Allen's Indian man , ¦ . citizen , " " New Zealand Freemason , " " Effective ftavertiser , " " Liberal Freemason . " " Guernsey Advertiser , " " La ^ nameD'Union , " " Organists' Quarterly Journal , " " Freimaurer-Zeitung , "and "CapeTimes . "

Ar00701

SATURDAY , OCTOBER 15 , 1887 .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ We do not hold ourselves responsible for , or even approving of the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish in a spirit of fair play to all to permit—within certain necessary limits—free 4 scussicni . ] BROWNE'S MASONIC MASTER KEY .

To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Will any member of the Craft kindly let me know , through you , if he is in possession of the " Browne ' s Masonic Master Key . " 1 have come across an edition of this book , published from 62 , Snow-hill , Nov . ist , 1 S 02 , and should like to turn it to some account . —Yours fraternally , X . Y . Z .

The Institutions.

THE INSTITUTIONS .

To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , In reply to "Zeta ' s" comment on the context to my analysis of the Benevolent Institutions incomings and outgoings , September 17 th ( and which context is applicable to the forthcoming analysis of the Girls' and Boys' ) I can only say that I must have put my letter together very badly

for him to have so misconstrued it . Let us see if I can put it in plainer language . Granted , that the rich provinces should help the poorer , that Masonry is not a benefit Society in the usual acceptation of the term , and that its Charities are as they should be , universal ; my contention is that a province which supports kindred Institutions of its own , must have the necessary funds which should first of

all be utilised in meeting the obligations it is already to the patent Institutions , and that it is most unfair to ignore its own responsibilities by throwing them on the mercy of other provinces j that such provinces should be "just before they are generous at the expense of others , " " they should be off with the old love before they are on with the new . " Our Institutions are open to all duly qualified claimants

under the English Constitution , whether at home or abroad , and their doors are wide open to help those who cannot help themselves . And the true Mason will never begrudge their assistance , but when provinces who prove their ability by their other actions , persistently refuse year after year , to aid and assist , then I say it is an unfair tax on the generosity of the sister provinces . Nine months ago I

suggested to some brethren , in a town of one of the poorest of provinces , which is yearly receiving large benefits from the parent Institutions and give little or nothing in return , that they should start an association , which they have done , at sixpence per week , and the result is already some £ 50 or ^ , ' 60 to the Institutions , thereby showing their willingness to contribute , and I believe it only requires this example to

be followed all over the kingdom to increase largely the power and means of doing good . Having written this without" Zeta ' s " letter belore me , and only from memory , I cannot answer his criticism so carefully as I could wish , but have done my best to try and explain the meaning of my former letter . —Yours fraternally , J . 174 . October 12 th .

To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I have read the letter by "Zeta " in your issue of the ist inst . with much interest . I belong to a province which has not many votes for the Institutions , and while I am almost a novice at working the few Charity votes the province has , I am sagacious enough to be on the look out

for some means by which I can get considerably more voting power for the benefit of our candidates than at present 1 am able to control without paying any more money , and as " Zeta " knows of a province that is managing this , for he says " and there is one province 1 could name with over a score of lodges which for years past has done but little for

the Institutions , and yet has received much from them . " I venture to ask him , through your columns , if he will kindly put me in communication with this clever province , or better still , explain the trick , that I may know how to get votes without money , for this is what his statement amounts to . —Yours fraternally , ZETETES . AN EXPLANATION . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , 1 should like just to add a few words to Bro . Gould ' s most incisive article on "English Authors and American Pirates , " not with any idea ot assisting him , as he is well able to take care of himself , and has proved that the late Bro . T . C . Jack was quite willing to arrange

with Bro . J . C . Yorston for the issue of the " History of Freemasonry " in the United States , had , what he considered , suitable terms been offered . I write simply to state that my consent to the use of my name in connection with the unauthorised edition of Bro . Gould ' s great work has neither been sought nor given , nor indeed of any reprint , as Bro . Gould is the author . W . J . HUGHAN .

Bro . George Shaw , Chairman of the Brid ge House Estates Committee , has issued invitations for a dinner at the Albion to-day ( Friday ) to meet Bro . the Right Hon . the Lord Mayor , Bro . Major and Sheriff Davies , and Bro . Sheriff W . A . Higgs .

The City of London parochial Charity property has been ascertained to produce an income of nearly £ 108 , 000 per annum , of which about £ 40 , 000 per annum comes into the category of ecclesiastical Charity property , and £ 68 , 000 of general Charity property . Schemes are to be prepared for the application of the money in accordance with theAct of Parliament made . in 1883 .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

Masonic Notes and Queries .

745 ] OLD WARRANTS . Is Bro . Hughan correct in supposing the oldest original warrant preserved in England is of the year 1732 ? ( viz , No . 39 , Exeter . ) I consider the publication of these old warrants a good idea , and suggest that those who have , or know of , any of value should communicate with Bro . Hughan thereon . Is it really a fact that all the charters issued for country lodges from 1725 to 1731 have all

disappeared , just as the lodges have ? If so , it is a surprising fact , for on looking over Bro . John Lane's great work—* ' Masonic Records " —I find that very many were started in one city and another , of which no trace scarcely seems to be left . We are all much indebted to Bro . John Lane for such a magnificent volume , and now we want another tome to contain copies of all the old warrants ?

MASONIC STUDENT , No . 2 . [ We shall be very pleased to do all we can to assist in the publication of really old warrants , and any lodges in England desiring copies of Bro . Lane ' s " Masonic Records " can have them from the office of the Freemason direct , at the published price , viz ., £ 1 us . 6 d ., carriage free . ]

74 ° ] LODGE DEACONS . When did Deacons first take their duties as such , and be appointed in lodges under the " Moderns ? " According to Bro . Gould , the Masonic Historian , that office was peculiar to the " Ancients , " being " unknown to the older Grand Lodge of England until the union . " The title is met with in the "Athoil" Records so early as 1752-3 , and still earlier in Ireland and Scotland . Evidently , however , the custom of aooointinir Deacons mus nni mnLo' tn

the ' •Ancients " until the union was consummated , as it will be found that''Modern" lodges followed the same plan late last century at all events . Take , for instance , the Lodge of "Fidelity , " Leeds . On ist October , 1792 ( so Bro . Scarth , W . M . 2 S 9 , tells me ) there were present the Master and other officers duly named , including the "S . D . " and "J . D ., " and I know this minute is not the only one of the kind of that period . Whoknowsof earlier instances ? ENQUIRER .

747 ] MALTA . Bro . Speth ' s note is valuable and interesting . It proves the great importance of careful examination of all that comes to hand . In reference to the place of meeting of the lodge , designated in the Englist lists " St . John's Lodge ot Secrecy and Harmony , " Bro . A . M . Broadley ' s "History of Freemasonry in the District of Malta " gives an extract from a statement bv Bro . Waller- RnHivpll WriirhK

the P . G . M . of Malta , written about 1817 , in which , after stating that the warrant of the Lodge No . 539 was then in his possession , he says : " The meetings of the lodge were not openly avowed , but were held without any precaution for concealment at a place called Sa Maison , " and Bro . Broadley adds : " Bro . Wright goes on to say that the rooms at Sa Maison bear no traces of their use for Masonic purposes . " Does not this imply the existence of a distinct

puiicung Dearing this peculiar designation : and as such it is evidently referred to in Muir ' s " Masonic Almanac for Malta " ( 1849 ) , quoted by Bro . Broadley , who further says " The locality of Sa Maison is indicated as the site of this lodge . " I think it probable that Sa Maison ( although in its general interpretation meaning " his house " ) must have been used to denote some definite building , well known locally under that name . Perhaps some brother at Malta could throw more light on the subject . JNO . LANE .

748 ] I am informed , on excellent authority , that in my note 742 I have libelled the Grand Secretary of 1788 , who was in this instance most correct in his statements . I will not attempt to excuse myself , but make the amende honorable by quoting from my correspondent ' s letter . He says : "Sa Maison is the name—still existing—for a well-known house and groundssituated ( to the best of my recollection )

, o llffl ^ « . . . . . . , i „ IU . : _ r L : * .: _ - _ i •_ . . _ . . . a little outside the main fortifications , and just beyond the Florianna outworks and barracks , and overlooking the quarantine harbour . Before the Florianna works were built it must have been a very quiet and secluded place for the lodge to meet at , quite out of sight of , and more than a mile from , the palace of the Grand Masters , and nearly as far from any of the Auberges of the Knights . " G . W . SPETH .

7491 SA MAISON . Bro . Speth may be interested to know that Sa Maison was originally the country seat of the Grand Master of Malta , and in 1825-6-7 was the summer residence of the then Governor , the Marquess of Hastings , better known , Masonically , as " Lord Moira , " and was occupied by the general officer in command of the garrison . The writer of this note lived there up to 1828 from 1 S 25 . MASONIC STUDENT .

Grand Master Shryock , of Maryland , is expected home from Europe about October 6 th inst ., when the Fraternity in Baltimore will give him a welcome which will be enjoyable to him , and a credit to themselves . — Keystone . The greater portion of the £ 12 , 000 which the Clothworkers devote every year to technical education is spent in Yorkshire , the seat of the cloth-weaving industry .

Formeily the cloth traoe had its headquarters in London , but when the mills were removed to Yorkshire the Clothworkers followed with their available moneys . I'he practice generally followed by the court is to assist every institute where technical classes are organised , and when new buildings are erected for this purpose a grant of 10 per cent , to the total cost of the building is voted , in addition to a liberal donation towards the yearly expenses of management .