Masonic Notes.

on the 3 rd June , 18 74 , Grand Lodge unanimously resolved , on the recommendation of the Board of General Purposes , that the salary of the Grand Secretary should commence at £ 500 , and rise by annual increments of £ 50 to a maximum of ^ 800 a year . This

maximum , however , had been increased in the case of our late Grand Secretary by further resolution of Grand Lodge to £ 1000 , in consequence of the great increase which had taken place in the duties of the office in connection with the Royal Arch .

* * * In our last issue we stated that the Board of Stewards of the forthcoming Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution was in excess of 900 . We have now the satisfaction of announcing that at the moment of going to press the number has increased to 1030 .

Turning over the pages of a recent issue of the A ' ew Zealand Craftsman , we came upon an extract from our Sydney namesake—the Freemason of that city—in which we are charged with " pitiable ignorance , " because we described Bro . Lord Carrington—at his installation as Provincial Grand Master of

Buckingshire—as "P . D . G . M . New South Wales . " "Fancy , " says our outraged contemporary , " the leading English Masonic paper—price 3 d . —dubbing Lord Carrington a Past District Grand Master . And we exchange with this paper , too . Ugh ! " But there is no need to invoke "fancy " in describing a fact . A reference to the

"Freemasons' Calendar and Pocket-Book" for 188 9 will show that his lordship was District Grand Master of New South Wales , and that his appointment to that office was dated the loth January , 1888 . Therefore , we were quite right in describing him as " P . D . G . M . New South Wales , " not only because he formerly held

office as D . G . M ., but also- because in describing his lordship's installation as Grand Master of a Province under the Grand Lodge of England , it was the proper thing to give him the title which pertained to him in English Masonry . # # #

We are aware that it is usually considered bad form to indulge in a Tu quoqite , but we may reasonably be allowed to ask in this case—Where lies the " pitiable ignorance "—with the London Freemason , which gave Lord Carrington his correct English Masonic title at a particular epoch in his career as an English Mason ; or with the Sydney Freemason , which does not appear

to have known that his lordship was ever the D . G . M . of New South Wales under the English constitution ? As for supposing that we , who gave a full report of Lord Carrington ' s installation as M . W . G . M . of the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales , did not know he ever held that office — well , that is too ridiculous a " fancy" to ascribe even to the S ydney Freemason .

* * Bro . Richard Bull , Past Dist . Dep . G . Master under the constitution of the Grand Lodge of Canada , who was initiated in December , 1841 , and on the formation of the Grand Lodge of Canada was appointed its first S . G . W ., was recently presented with a purse of gold ,

an illuminated address , and two handsomely-framed portraits , one of which will be hung in one of the rooms of the Masonic Hall , Hamilton , as a memorial from his numerous friends and admirers , of the jubilee anniversary of his initiation into Freemasonry . There was a numerous gathering of those desirous of doing

honour to the occasion and showing their respect for Bro . Bull , and Bro . J . M . Gilson , Q . C ., D . G . M ., presided as Chairman . We congratulate our worthy brother on the event , and the manner in which it was celebrated , and we trust he may be spared for many years to be an ornament to that body of which he has been so long a worthy member .

Correspondence.

Correspondence .

hv mf . not h A ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed all tn L ff " ? ' ! ent 8 ' but we wish in a spirit of fair play to *• ' to permlt-wlthin certain necessary limits-free discussion , ]

"THE FUTURE OF FREEMASONRY . " To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , ,. •have delayed again addressing you on this for 1 y 0 ur somew hat severe criticism of my 'ormer le terin the hope that the defence would be in uiitm 1

, faL „ . , ' " ** f" mm . * - -. ; IVUUJU L" . wKen U p by sorneabler pen than mine In your article headed " Provincial Grand Honours , ' ter referring to my letter , you say " We fail to see wnat bearing they have upon the main opposition that tW , reverse of careful as t 0 tlle candidates "ley accept as members . " Now , Sir , I contend that

Correspondence.

the consideration of the present system of conferring the so-called "honours " is pertinent to and lies at the root of the evil complained of , as I will briefly endeavour to show . As f have before contended these " honours" are conferred too much as a matter of course without any previous enquiry or knowledge as to the recipients , upon the Masters who happen to be in

the chair , or the acting l . P . M . in office , at the time when Provincial Grand Lodge meets . It consequently frequently happens that the Past Masters who have done all the work in the lodge during the previous year , or two years , owing to the incompetency of the reigning Master , see these unworthy brethren invested with P . G . rank equal to and frequently even superior to their

own . The result is that these Past Masters who are and ought to be the backbone of the lodge become disgusted , and in the large majority of lodges , I fear , afterwards absent themselves from all regular meetings of the lodge , except perhaps the installation ceremony , which further results in the management of the affairs of the lodge falling into the hands of brethren of no

experience , and who care little for the future welfare of the lodge or the Craft . They admit candidates as a matter of course , without the least enquiry as to fitness , & c , and in course of time these candidates take office , and year by year , owing to seniority only , rise step by step until they occupy the chair . No brother , if he ever desires it , dares dispute or challenge their

fitness , because he well knows that if he does he will not be supported but make himself unpopular and mar his own chance of promotion . These Worshi pful Masters on reaching the chair , on being urged to work , will at once reply , " I don ' t see why I need trouble ; Bro . A . B . didn ' t work during his year of office , but he got the purple and so shall I . " The result is that the whole tone of the Craft is destroyed , capable men get

disgusted and the management falls into the hands of those who , I fear , joined it for " mercenary or other unworthy motives " only . To remedy the evils it will be necessary to revise the Book of Constitutions , a task I well know the Grand Officers will view with reluctance and alarm , but if we can only once get them to see the ¦ vital importance of it , I feel sure they will not shrink from the work it will entail .

I would make the following suggestions for the consideration of your readers and appeal to them to cast aside the natural relutance which I confess I feel to enter into the lists with you . ( 1 ) Let every lodge from time to time have its attention particularly called to the necessity of greater care being exercised to the admission of candidates and to the great importance

of the officers of the lodge being in every way qualified to undertake the duties of the offices to which they are appointed , and that there should be no rule or understanding as to succession to office by seniority , but that fitness alone should be the qualification . ( 2 ) Let every lodge be visited by a P . G . Officer at least once in every year to report to the P . G . Master as to

the work done in the lodge management of business , & c . In large provinces the work could be easily delegated to a number of properly qualified and competent brethren . In the smaller provinces the existing ( supposed ) visiting officers should be increased by the addition of the Wardens and Registrar , thc latter of whom , with the D . P . G . M ., Secretary , and Assistant

Secretary , should be appointed for a term of years and the D . P . G . M . only eligible for re-appointment , the Assistant Secretary being eligible for appointment to the office of Secretary . This would prevent the least suspicion of favouritism or dislike , and also be the means of keeping the officers of the province in harmony with the times , instead of the old-fashioned " ruts " that

permanency on the part of officers who have held office for a number of years involve with the consequent lethargy that follows on all the surroundings . New blood every five or seven years would infuse new life into the provinces , and through it into the lodges . ( 3 ) This system of visitation , conferring of P . G . rank on brethren as a reward lor work actually done , the

modernising of business despatch , and removal of all suspicion of likes and dislikes that permanent officers engenders , will tend to restore the interest the old Past Masters took in the affairs of their lodges , and wean them back to attend the meetings and exercise their proper control , and give their warning , advice , and counsel to the younger brethren , whilst present and future officers will feel themselves put upon their metal

to conduct the work to emulate the standard of the Past Masters of days gone by . ( 4 ) As it is the " hope of reward that sweetens labour , " I would suggest that no brother should be eligible for P . G . rank until he has served as a Past Master of his lodge for a period of not less than three years , and during that time attended the majority of the meetings held . I believe this would have a most beneficial effect . Now when a brother

passes the chair and gets P . G . rank within the year , he says " I have now got all that I can ever expect , why should I trouble more I- " And no more docs he trouble himself in a great many instances , but at once takes his place upon the " shelf , " and only comes out on the more showy and important occasions . Let P . G . rank be conferred for work done before and after passim ; the

chair . I heartily concur with the suggestion made by another correspondent in your columns that there should be District or Provincial Grand Lodges for London , and that Grand Lodge offices should not as now be nearly entirely monopolised by London

brethren . Let every P . G . M . be annually or periodically in rotation allowed to nominate from his past officers , who have served in an office not below the rank of P . G . Deacon , a brother to the M . W . G . M . ior office in Grand Lodge , and there will then be the further direct inducement to P . P . G . Officers to continue to take an active

Correspondence.

interest in the affairs of the province and lodges . Now , we Past P . G . Officers know that however much time we may devote or money we may subscribe we can never hope to get office in Grand Lodge unless we are born with " handles to our names or silver spoons in

our mouths , " or join a crack London lodge , become much "in evidence , " and thus manage by some good fortune or other to " catch the eye" of those who place the lists for final selection and approval . It ought to be otherwise . —Yours fraternally , P . P . G . OFFICER .

THE CAMBRIAN LODGE , No . 658 , SYDNEY . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I am delig hted to note in the Freemason of today that the unsatisfactory state of affairs , not to say injustice , arising out of the position of the above lodge ,

has at length been rectified , and that the loyal brethren who have stuck so persistently to their guns have carried the day . Truly , it is a long lane that has no turning . Let me remark that 1 took a lively interest in the dispute , from the fact that , up to a certain point , the

case of the Combermere Lodge , No . 752—the only English lodge in Melbourne—w . is identical with that of the Cambrian Lodge in Sydney . That certain point was the abstraction of the warrants belonging to both lodges , at the instance of the majorities at the informal meetings of the members , not a majority of the

members on the rolls of the two lodges in question be it noted . At that point the divergence commences . In the case of the lodge in Melbourne , Sir William Clarke , the M . W . Grand Master of Victoria , ordered the immediate restoration of the warrant , which was

accordingly done ; whereas in Sydney Lord Carrington , the then M . W . Grand Master of New South Wales , did not interfere . I have no doubt whatever that the brethren of the Cambrian Lodge and the brethren of the Grand Lodge of New South Wales , now that this happy

consummation has been achieved , will work side by side in the same fraternal and harmonious manner as do the brethren of the Combermere Lodge and the Grand Lodge of Victoria . Finally , permit me to congratulate Bro . G . Robinson ,

P . M . Cambrian Lodge , No . 656 , and his devoted little band , on the result of their labours , a result only , however , gained through persistent " pegging away , " whilst , too , being at the disadvantage of being 13 , 000 miles distant from head-quarters . —Fraternally yours , W . F . LAMONBY . Cockermouth , January 9 th .

ORDER OF THE SECRET MONITOR . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , In a report of a meeting of the Order in your last issue , notice is called to the want of information as to the meetings of the various conclaves of the

Order . May I suggest that the authorities should arrange for the meetings to appear weekly in the Freemason under the head of Masonic Meetings . The hour of meeting could be stated by the Secretary sending a copy of the summons to the office of your paper . —Yours fraternally , P . S . R .

A CORRECTION . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " » Dear Sir and Brother , I shall feel obliged by your correcting a mis-statement appearing in your issue of to-day's date . On page 22 in replying to the toast of "Success to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , " the Secretary

of that Institution is reported to have said that "The Benevolent Institution stood in a different position to the Boys' School and the Girls' School Offices , in which there was no man who was a Mason but the Secretaries . " Perhaps you will permit me to state that at a no more recent date than the 1 st July , 1 S 82 , I had the honour of being initiated into the Craft . —I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours faithfully and fraternally , G . S . PEACHEY , S . W . 1194 . 5 , Freemasons' Hall , January 9 th .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

Masonic Notes and Queries .

yGSJ THE LEICESTER MASONIC LIBRARY . In a very complimentary letter to you about this library contained in your issue of December 12 th . Bro . G . W . Bain writes thus : " There is a curious little book entitled 'Songs of Free Masons , ' issued at Darlington , supposed to be unique and entirely

unknown to Bro . Hughan , and certainly never heard of by me in the district which I have fairly hunted . " Within the last few days , through the kindness of Bro . Bain , 1 have been enabled to fix the exact date of publication of this curious little book . It contains 12 songs

printed on 16 pages . The first four only are numbered ; while nine have distinctive titles : Thus—I . The Master ' s Song , II . The Warden ' s Song , 111 . The Treasurer ' s Song , IV . The Secretary's Song , Senior Deacon ' s Song , The Steward's Song , The Tyler ' s