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NOTICE . The Subscription to THE FREEMASON w now ios . per annum , post-free ,, payable in advance . Vol . I „ bound in cloth 4 » - <> d . Vol . IJ ., ditto 7 s . 6 d . Vol . III ., ditto 15 s- od . Vol , IV „ ditto J 5 - ° - Reading : Cases to hold 53 numbers ... as . Gil . United States of . America . THE FrtEEUABON is delivered free in any part of the United States for 13 s . per annum , payable in advance . The Freemason is published on Saturday Mornings in time for tbe carlv trains . The price ; of the Freemason is Twopence per week 1 annual subscription , ios . ( payable in advance . ) All communications , letters , Sec , 10 be addressed to the Editor , log . Fleet-street , E . C . , ,. The Editor will pav careful attention to allMSS . entrusted to him , hut cannot undertake to return them unless accompanied by postage stamps .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers To Correspondents .

The following are in type , but were crowded out ; they will appeal next week : —Repoits ofCraft Lodges Mo . 279 , 536 , 1394 , 139 8 ; Mark Lodge No . 65 ; also communications from R . B ., W . W . B ., pD . F ., E . H . H . V . EIIRATUU . —The name of Bro . F . A . Ph Ibri . k , P . M . iS , was by error inseiled in the list of Bro . Little ' s Committee , last week .

Public Amusements.

Public Amusements .

Victoria Theatre . On Saturday and Friday , November ifith and 22 nd RICHAKD THE THIKD . ' Messrs . J . II . Allan , Dudley , Hainbow , Leigh , Sidney , Fawn , l'ower , and Guest , Mesdames M . Henderson , Burleigh , Allen , and Lee . On Monday , THE WIFE . Messrs . , J . 11 . Allan , Sidney , and Fawn . Mesdames , M . Henderson , and Allan . On Tuesday ,

PIZARRO . Messrs J . II . Allan , Sidney , Fawn , Dudley , and Power ; Mesdames Hainbow , M . Henderson and Burleigh . On Wednesday , Tilli LADV OF LYONS . Messrs . j . II . Allan , Rainbow , Leigh , Fawn , and Power ; Mesdames M . Henderson , Buileigh , and Rainbow . On Thursday , LOVE'S SACRIFICE . Messrs . J . II . Allan ,

Dudley , Leigh , Fawn , and Sidney ; Mesdames M . I lenderson , Burleigh , Allen , and Lee . To be followed each cveniiisj by a PAS SEUL , Matlmoiselle Rosine . To conclude with THE WRECK . ASHORE . Messrs . Dudley , Rainbow , Sidney , Skinner , Fawn , Power , Guest , I'm kes , and Yaughan ; Mesdames , M . Henderson , Burleigh , Rainbow , and Montague . Stage Manager , Mr . C . T . BIT t'igh .

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Sadler ' s Wells Theatre . On Saturday evening , November 16 , and during the week , THE FLOWERS OF THE FOREST . Ishmael , Mr . C . Sennett ; Phases , Mr . Lacy ; Hugh Lavrock , Mr . Shepherd ; Alfied , Mr . Evans ; Kinchin , Mr . Hudspeth ; Cheap John , Mr . Bousfield ; Leybourne , Mr . Hamilton ; Lemuei , Miss Rosine ; Cynthia , Miss M . Cooper ;

Starlight Bess , Miss Biamah ; Hagar , Miss Rochester . 1 o conclude with THE BLACK DOCTOR . Fabier , Mr . C . Sennett ; Andre , Mr . Lacy ; St . Luce , Mr . Shepherd ; Briguet . Mr . Hudspeth ; Pierre , Mr . Evans ; Christian , Mr . Bousfield ; Pauline , Miss M . Cooper ; Madame de Reyneiie , Mrs , Stephenson ; Countess Aurelia . Miss Hastings . Stage Manager , Mr . C . T . Burleigh .

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Royal Polytechnic . Open at 1 a and 7 . Admission is . New ( ihosl , THE WHITE t-ADY OK AVIiNEL . THE SLEEPING UEAUTV , by Mr . George Buikland , assisted bv Misses Alice lJarth and Florence Hun tjr . COAL . AND HOW TO ' SAVE IT , by Professor Gardner . Lccturca on Nktural Philosophy by Mr . Kim ;; the Diver and Diving Uell ; and many other Entertainments .

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Madame Tussaud ' s Exhibition . On view a Magnificent Marriage Group of II . K . It THE PRIN-( tUSS LOUISE and the MARQUIS 01 ' LORNE , also a new portrait Model of DR . LIVINGSTONE , the great AFRICAN UXPLOREKt the" Claimant , " Sir Roe , er Tichborne ; Hudson , Ihe "Railway King ' , " and H . R . H . THE PRINCE OK WALES iu the Robes of the Order of the Gaiter . Open from 10 a . m . to 10 p . ir .. Admission ; i « ., Childreu under 10 , 6 d . Extra Rooms 6 d .

Liverpool Theatres, &C.

LIVERPOOL THEATRES , & c .

Week commencing November 19 . RO YAL ALEXANDRA THEATRK , Lime-street . —Lessee , Bro , E . Salter . Variety of Musical Dramas . BQYXC ~ AWHWHKATKE ~ Grc ^ Mr . H . Leslie ; Manager , Air . Artltur Garner . Popular Pieces . P ~ RINCE OlTWAl . ES THEATRE , Claytoivsquarc . —Lessee , Mr . Sellon Parry . " Le Petit Faust . " THEATRE ROYAL , WiTiiamson-sqnare . —Lessee , liro . ife Frece . Miscellaneous Entertainment , and "Can-can Caritiv & l . *

ST . JAMES ' . S HALL , Lime-street . —Proprietor , liro . . S . lla ^ iiiT . Performances by the Slave Troupe . COKE'S CIRCUS , Willism Biwn . street . —Proprietors , * ft »« r » . Cook and ^ VVeldon . - NEWSOME'S JX'WIS . Whitecliaptl . — Proprietor ~ M 7 . Jan . c « Ncvvsome . KW ~ STAI < MUSIC HALL , Wimi . Wn ^' w ^ iana ^ Tr Bro . Saunders , Miscellaneous Emcnainment b y a cle tied Company . TE . MPLE OP ~ MAGIC , Camden-strcet . —Professor Ar . dcme-r and Family . —World of Magic . QUEEN'S HALU—GlllarJ-s Great American Panorama , '

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TheFreemason, SATURDAY ., N OVEMBER 16 , 1872 .

The Qualifications For Masonic Representatives.

THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR MASONIC REPRESENTATIVES .

It would be idle to conceal that the crowded meeting of Thursday at Freemasons' Hall was a trial of strength between those members of the House Committee who have been credited

with favouring a particular candidate for the Secretaryship , and the party of which Bro . J . C . Parkinson is the leader . Unforunately , Bro . Joshua Nnnn ' s engagements prevented his

being present , and Bro . Symonds was compelled to visit the continent , so that the chief speakers at the former meeting were not able to take part in last Thursday ' s debate .

Thus , die strong feeling of dissatisfaction which Bro . Nunn ' s conduct in the chair has aroused , found no vent ; and that brother is in the unsatisfactory position of being censured by

implication , and without the opportunity of reply . It is a thousand p ities for his own sake , that he did not come . We may , however , in disposing of a distasteful subject , assure

Brother Nunn that the moral law which binds the Chairman of a meeting to supreme impartiality is as immutable as the physical laws which govern the morement of the heavenlv bodies . In ancient times

a prophet Joshua succeeded in making the sun stand still , but we take leave to assure the Chairman of the 31 st October , that the circumstance recorded in Holy Writ was in every way

exceptional , and that he will not , if he be wise , attempt to exercise , in the future , miraculous authority at Freemasons' Hall . The chief business of the Special Quarterl y

Court was soon disposed of . Bro . Patten ' s pension of , £ 200 per annum , ( " free of income tax , " as was grace f ully suggested and carried by Bro . Raynham Stewart , ) was voted by acclamation . Bro . Parkinson had wished to

increase the amount hy ^'; o per annum , but was advised that it was not within the province of a Special Court to increase the sum proposed to be voted ; and the original

proposition was therefore carried b y acclamation , and with an unanimous expression of sympathy and good-will towards the late Secretary . When the report of the House Committee

came to be read , Bro . Parkinson , as will be seen from our report , at once objected to the clause that Master Masons . should be eli gible for the Secretaryship , as not going far enough . Tracing

the history of the Girls' and Boys' Schools , he proved conclusivel y that the Secretaries of those Institutions had always been men of authority , position , and long standing in the Craft , and

argued from this data that the General Committee would stultif y itself if it opened the door to candidates possessing none of die qualifications of their predecessors . In this view Bro .

Parkinson had the advantage of being seconded by Bro . Hutton Gregory , P . G . D ., who , in a speech of great moderation and power , expressed

the feeling of thore independent brethren who believe that the Charity would suffer if any but an experienced Mason wera elected to bv its official representa-

The Qualifications For Masonic Representatives.

tive . Bro . Parkinson ' s first proposal was , that no candidate should be eligible who was not a Mason of seven years standing . Bro . Joseph Smith objected that this , if carried , would exclude

a candidate already 111 the held who had onl y been a Mason six years . Bro . Parkinson replied that he would , in that case , make the limit five years ; when Bro . Savage , P . G . D ., in the course of some

common-sense remarks , said the principle was sound , but tha t perhaps even five years was too long a limit , as- in rare and exceptional instances men of great ability and application might

obtain the necessary knowled ge of the Craft in a less time . Bro . Savage appealed on this ground to Bro . Parkinson to make his limit three years , upon which the motion should have Bro .

Savages support . Bro . Dr . Ramsay spoke with great ability rathe same spirit ; after which Bro . Parkinson once more gave way , and substituted three years for the original seven ,- when his

amendment was carried by an overwhelming majority . It is satisfactory to know that there can he no

pretence hereafter , that the principle at issue was not fairly and fully considered by the largest meeting ever assembled to consider the affairs ofanv of our

Masonic Chanties . If the lesult seem to press hardly upon any candidate , the plain infeience is , that he has been ill advised in coming forward . It would have been a sheer mockery if it had

gone forth to the Craft that the General Committee had agreed to permit a Mason of one , two , or three years' standing to enter himself for a position of this overwhelming importance , and

the repeated concessions made b y Bro . Parkinson prove that he and those who act with him , were actuated b y a sincere desire to meet the general wish of the

brethren—always with the proviso that the essential qualifications of Masonic experience , and knowledge could be secured . The onl y other points upon which the Report of the House

Committee was amended , were the amount of the Secretary ' s salary , which Bro . Gregory moved , and Bro . Parkinson seconded , should be s £ ^ oo per annum , instead of ^ 250 ; and the retention

of the office of clerk , which the same brethren appealed to the meeting not to abolish . Both these amendments were agreed to , and the other portions of the Report passed .

It is to be earnestl y hoped , now that the general feeling of the supporters of the Girls ' School has been ascertained , that' the two sections which were so activel y represented on

Thursday , will see their way to a common course of action . This stage in the struggle is over , and we are satisfied that it has not left a shadow of bitterness behind . If then , the friends

of a particular candidate consider themselves aggrieved by the success of Bro . Parkinson ' s affirmation of a principle ; and are willing to act with the party which was triumphant on

Thursday , there need be neither doubt nor difficulty about providing satisfactorily and fittingly for a deserving and estimable young man . The occasion is at hand , and we are encouraged to

hope for an amicable settlement of differences of opinion , ( concerning which there has been enough of agitation and misunderstanding , ) by the courteous and scrupulousl y impartial conduct ofj the representative of the House