To Our Readers.

TO OUR READERS .

The F REEMASON is a Weekly Newspaper , price ad . It is published every Friday morning , and contains the most important , interesting , and useful information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . Subscription , including postage : Unit « l America , India , India , China , & c

Kingdom , the Continent , & c . ViaBnndisi . Twelve Months ios . fid . 12 s . od . 17 s . 4 d . Six „ ss . 3 d- 6 s . 6 d . Ss . 8 d . Three „ 2 s . 8 d . 3 s . 3 d . 4 s . fid . Subscriptions may be paid for in stamps , but Post Office Orders or Cheques are preferred , the former payable to

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review are to be forwarded to the Editor . Anonymous correspondence will be wholly disregarded , and the return of rejected MSS . cannot be guaranteed . Further information will be supplied on application to tlie Publisher , 108 , Fleet-street , London .

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NOTICE . To prevent delay or miscarriage , it is particularly requested that ALL communications for the FREEMASON , may be addressed to the Office , 198 , Fleet-street , London .

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ADVERTISEMENTS to ensure insertion in current week ' s issue should reach the Office , 198 , Fleet-street , hy 12 o ' clock on ' Wednesdays .

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TO ADVERTISERS . The FUEEMASON has a large circulation in all parts of the Globe , its advantages as an advertising medium can herefore scarcely bc overrated .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

W . W . AUSTIN . —1 . T-hcy are brothers anel sons of the lady you mention 2 . The Rosicrucian is delayed owing to the unfortunate illness of the Editor .

BOOKS , & c , RECEIVED . " Medical Examiner -, " " Proceedings of the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Massachusetts and Rhode Island , 1877 ; " " Bauhutte ; " "The Hebrew Leader ; " "The Pantiles Papers ( second edition ) ; " "La

Chainc D'Union-, " " The Broad Arrow ; " " Bulletin du Grand Orient de France ; " " The Record , and Emerald Hill , and Sandridge Advertiser ; " " Folkestone Chronicle ;" "CornerStone ; " " The Masonic Herald-, " "LaVoz de Hiram ; " "The Advocate ; " " Der Triangel -, " " Voice of Masonry ; " "Keystone ; " "Night and Day . "

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 . Several P . O . O . ' s are now in hand , but having received no advice we cannot credit them .

Births ,Marriages And Deaths.

Births , Marriages and Deaths .

[ The charge is 2 s . 6 d . for announcements , not exceeding four lines , under this heading . ]

BIRTHS . CBESSWELU . —On the 9 th inst ., at Cadogan-place , the wife of G . B . Cresswell , of a son . FIEI-I ) . —On the 7 th inst ., at Heathside , Firgrove , Weybridge , the wife of J . K . Field , of a daughter . MAGGS . —On the lothinst ., at Nether Wallop , Hampshire , the wife of P . H . Maggs , of a son . YOUNG . —On the nth inst ., at 29 , Binfielel-road , Clapham , the wife of Douglas Young , of a son .

MARRIAGE . Do-. \ 'c « A —\ VAO non N . —On the 4 th inst ., at St . Martin'sin-the-Fields , John Dowcra , late of Southampton , to Louisa Helena , only daughter of Bro . W . H . Waghoni .

DEATHS . JENKISSOK . —On the Sth inst ., at 11 S , Wellington-road , Heaton Norris , Lancashire , Elias Jenkinson , aged 54 . Deeply mourned and regrelted . TAYLOR . —On the nth inst ., at Hazarebagh , India , Villiers

Thomas Taylor , Esq ., aged 43 . WniiTiiiNoroN . —On the Oth inst ., from disease ofthe lungs , Dr . J . V . Worthington , of Garston , near Liverpool . Aged 35 . WttAY . —On the 10 th inst ., at Woohvicl ) ., Mary , widow oi C Wray , Esq ., aged 87 .

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The Freemason , SATURDAY , MARCH 16 , 1878 .

The Visit Of The Prince And Princess Of Wales To The Girls' School.

THE VISIT OF THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES TO THE GIRLS' SCHOOL .

We are requested by our distinguished Bro . Col . Creaton , Chairman of the Building Committee of the Girls' School , to announce to the subscribers to the Institution , that , owing to the appearance of measles at the School , the Royal visit to the Institution is for the present

postponed . We are also requested to state that the pleasure of such a visit is onl y deferred , and that later in the year , if all goes well , their Royal Highnesses will pay their promised visit to the Girls' School , to inspect it and the new buildings , and at the proper time due announcement will be made of the time and arrangements .

The Lodge Of Benevolence.

THE LODGE OF BENEVOLENCE .

The decision of Grand Lodge on Wednesday week last must be regarded as final . It is quite clear , that the " rulers of the Craft , " the Masters of our Lodges , distinctly decline to surrender their " jusprivilegii . " It is therefore useless , and would be impertinent , to continue a

discussion on abstract princi ples , u hen the concrete application of them has been all but unanimously decided upon by Grand Lodge . While , then , we agree on principle entirely with Bro . Clabon and Bro . Monckton , and believe that theadministration of our Charity would be more effective

if carefully enrolled by a smaller or a rather less unwieldy body , yet , as we feel that the W . Masters have a right to be heard , and to have their opinions respected , we bow to their decision , and consider it for the time a conclusive reply to any immediate proposals of change or

reform . To say the truth , as we ourselves once upon a time shared in all the common objections to the change fully and entirely , we are not at all surprised to find that , to very many , their theoretical and practical importance appears to be still so overwhelming , as to preclude any hope

of the surrender of the privileges , which are alike great and valued . In one of Bro . Binckes ' s arguments , in his undoubtedly able speech , we concur , namely , that the possibility of canvassing is increased b y the election of a given number . We have always considered that a weak

pointthe only weak point in the proposed reform , but we think that Bro . Binckes overlooked the one strong point in favour of the proposed changenamely , the uniformity of administration of our Charity . At the present moment it is not too much to say , that a good deal

depends on the speeches of the brother who " mentions " the case . Some brethren give their vote with larger or lesser liberality , according to whether the brother has done anything for the Charities , whether he died in or out of Masonry ; whether he was single or married , whether he

had children or was childless , whether he had ever been in office in his lodge , or a W . M . ; and or all these grounds , and others to boot , very often they govern their votes entirely . Some also consider that the grants are meant for those in " dire distress , " others for those in "

comparative poverty ; " while some even of late have carried votes for a brother in receipt of a known income of sP . no a year , on the ground , well put by an eloquent" counsel , " that he had a wife and children , and owing to embarrassed circumstances was in great want . Such a case of a " suffering

sister" and ''' pining children , " effectively handled , " drew down the house . " This , then , is one point of needful reform , uniformity of administration on some distinct princip les of absolute limitation . We are not , however , in favour of any approach , even by implication , to Masonic red

tape . But as the W . M . ' s think that it is better to leave well alone , we are not so rash or so presumptions as to canvass the decision of the " wise men " of our " Gotham , " and so we admit , ( as we have always done ) , that there are two sides to the question . We agree with our distinguished Bro . Clabon , that the meetings of the Lodge of

The Lodge Of Benevolence.

Benevolence , like all lodge meetings , should begin and end with prayer , and we hope that he will initiate so good a movement on the next occasion , as it is clearly in his power to do ; and he will have the support of all his brethren .

The English Grand Lodge And The French Grand Orient.

THE ENGLISH GRAND LODGE AND THE FRENCH GRAND ORIENT .

The English Grand Lodge has spoken with that dignity and impressiveness belonging to it , and becoming the occasion , and has ( as we always felt sure it would do ) , emphatically condemned the revolution , effected by a restless faction , in the avowed teaching of French

Freemasonry . Of what worth , then , are all the prophecies and all the assurances of the movement party to the French Freemasons ? At last they see , ( and thev must do us the justice to say we have consistently warned them of the pitfall before them ) , where

their folly and perversity have placed them , namely , iu complete isolation , " hors de la Maijonnerie cosmopolitaine et contemporaine " —outside of cosmopolitan and contemporaneous Freemasonry . The views of the English Grand Lodge will have more effect on other bodies ,

inasmuch as it is well known how moderate , how courteous , and how conservative , ( in no party sc-nse ) , the Grand Ledge of England always is . That is to say , we all of us are well aware how properly unwilling Grand Lodge is , and always has been , to " travel beyond its record , "—to go

out of its way , to make a deliverance on affairs in general , and , above all , how averse to interference with the rights-of other Grand Lodges in particular . When , then , under the leadership of one of its most distinguished chiefs , aud with the concurrence of a most carefully chosen

committee , il speaks , it will be listened to , because its * utterance is the utterance of the entire body of English Freemasonrv . If w ords could have any effect now , we would ask our Bro . St . Jean , and the more moderate members of the French Grand Orient , to consider carefully ihe position

in which they are placed by the abject folly of an extreme section , and if it be possible , ere it be too late to retrace their steps , before , iu fact , the breach widens , and the gap between English and French Freemasonry becomes impassable . We have been censured both by Bros . Caubet

and Findel for writing as we have done , but from our utterly independent position , which it seems they cannot comprehend abroad , we fancied that we knew , ( and the result proved that we were right " ab initio , " ) —the unanimous feeling of the whole body in England , and that

of a large and most respectable body of the Order in France . We wish to express to that minority outheartfelt sympathy again to-day , and to assure them that in England and among English Freemasons they will receive every support possible in their legitimate defence and adherence to

the unchanging teaching of French as well as cosmopolitan Freemasonry . What the French Freemasons will and can do , we know not . We fear that there cun be but one reply , which is , in fact , that they cannot stop where they are , and must go farther and fare worse . But we are

willing to wait and hope for the best , and glad shall wc be if our prognostications are unfounded , our apprehensions unfulfilled . Bro . Hubert , in the Cliaine it Union , says that so long as the ascription to the "Grand Architecte de 1 Univers "

remains at the head of their official documents , as long as their ritual remains p .-actically unchanged , he is bound to adhere to the Grand Orient . He also , and most properly , lays much stress on the high character of Bro . St . Jean , and on his declaration that the Grand

Orient does not wish to make profession of either Materialism or Atheism . We have every confidence in Bro . St . Jean , and gladly recognise his honesty and sincerity , and his Joya ! adherence to Freemasonry . But for many reasons , we cannot shut our eyes to the dangerous and

suicidal step which the Grand Orient has taken , and we , therefore , heartily approve of the position taken up by our Grand Lodge in reference to this untoward recent act of the Grand Orient of France , which has convulsed the whole Masonic world .