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ROYAL SEA BATHING INFIRMARY , MARGATE . ESTABLISHED 1791 . THE ONLY ONE EXCLUSIVELY FOR SCROFULOUS POOR . COL . CREATON , TREASURER . JOHN AI . CLABON , ESQ ., HON . SECRETARY . This Hospital requires aid . An extra liberal diet table is of necessity required on account of the exhausting nature of this terrible disease . Donors of £ 10 ios ., Annual Subscribers of £ 1 is ., can recommend patients . 250 beds . Average number of Inpatients per year , 750 , and of applicants over 1000 . Bankers , the Bank of England ; Coutts and Co . ; and Cobb and Co ., Alargate . Offices : No . 30 , Charing Cross , W . JOHN THOMAS WALKER , Secretary .

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ANY Gentleman who is a Freemason , having SPARE TIME at his disposal , and wishing to occupy it profitably , will do well by applying by letter to Air . AL Underwood , 45 , Ludgate-hill , I-omUm . HENottingham Masonic Hall Co ., Limited . Wanted a Married Alan ( whose wife must be an experienced Cook ) , thoroughly competent to take the management—as STEWARD—of the Masonic Hall and Club , Nottingham . Alust have unexceptional references , and be a Alason . Apply , by letter , giving ages and references , to the Secretary , Mr . E . F . Cross , Masonic Hall , Nottingham .

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Twelfth Edition , post-free , is . DR . WATTS on ASTHMA and BRONCHITIS . A Treatise on the only Successful Method of Curing these Diseases . By ROBERT G . WATTS , M . D ., F . R . S . L ., F . C . S ., & c , 5 , Bulstrode-street , Cavendish-square , London . London : C . Mitchell and Co ., Red Lion-court . Fleet-street .

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FOUNDRY TO LET , with Smiths ' Shop . Stables can be hnd adjoining . Formerly occupied by Messrs . Cutler , Parker-street , Little Queenstreet , Holborn . Apply at the Freemason Office , iG , Great Oueen-street ( opposite Freemasons' Hall ) .

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STABLING . —TO BE LET , excellent THREE-STALL STABLE and CARRIAGE HOUSE , in Parker-street . —Apply , Freemason Oflice , iG , Great Queen-street , VV . C . ^^

To Correspondents.

To Correspondents .

The following communications have been received , but owing to want of space arc not inserted in this issue : — Royal Cumberland Lodge , No . 40 . Love and Honour Lodge , No . 75 . St . John ' s Lodge , No . So . St . Hilda Lodge , No . 240 . Clausentum Lodge , No . 14 G 1 . St . Leonard Lodge , No . 17 GO . Hadrian Lodge , No . 1970 . La Tolerance Lodgeof instruction , Nu . 53 S . Premier Grand Conclave Red Cross . BOOKS , & c . RECEIVED . " The Broad Arrow , " "Allen ' s Indian Mail , " " The Royal Cornwall Gazette , " " The Jewish Chronicle , " "The Pianoforte Dealer's Guide , " "The Orient , " "The Doncaster Gazette , " "The Hull Packet , fhe Citizen , " "The Court Circular , " "The Bolton Weekly Guardian , " "Tenikoi Kanoniemoi" ( Athens ) , "The Voice of Alahonry , " " The Founding of Pennsylvania , " " La Chaine D'Union , " "The Canadian Craftsman , " "The Newcastle Daily Journal . " By an unaccountable mistake in the copy furnished us of the proceedings of Grand Lodge on the 7 th inst ., and which appeared in the Freemason of Saturday last , two speeches on Bro . Clabon ' s motion are credited to Bro . Birkenhead and Bro . Johnston , instead of Bros . Cumberland and Alpass respectively . How these mythical personages got substituted for the names of the wellknown brethren just mentioned is a mystery which , after the most diligent enquiry , we are unable to unravel , and we can onl y offer our apologies lo Bros . Cumberland and Alpass for the error .

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WW^^B^IM SATURDAY , DECEMBER 16 , 1882 .

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 aspirit of fair play to all to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . l BRO . CLABON'S MOTION . To the Editor of thc "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Referring to the proceedings of thc Grand Lodge on the Gth inst ., as reported in the Freemason of the gth inst ., at which 1 was present , I think some of the statements made by Bro . James Stevens , if left uncorrected , are likely to mislead . He stated : 1 st . The Provincial brethren atthe present time contribute to the Fund of Benevolence about as much as the metropolitan . 2 nd . Did not thc country brethren who were relieved represent two-thirds of amount of that number .-3 rd . He was adverse to being mulcted in a larger sum than the provincial brethren . Were these statements correct they would tell against the

Original Correspondence.

provincial brethren . I have before me the printed reports of the quarterly communication of Grand Lodge , and taking thc contributions received from thc various lodges as therein published for a period of twelve months , commeneing ist July , tSSi , and ending 30 th June , 18 S 2 , I find the contributions from the lodges to the Fund of Benevolence amount to £ 7496 Gs . jd .

From London Lodges fc 25 S 7 3 " From Provincial Lodges 4 S 94 3 n From abroad 14 ' 9 ° That I think proves Bro . Stevens ' s first statement to be incorrect . On carefully analysing the grants made over the same period I find the sums voted to London and provincial brethren amount to £ 10 , 205 , viz .:

To London Brethren £ 4185 o o To Provincial Brethren 6020 o o If the provinces send up nearly two-thirds of the payments to the Fund of Benevolence ( besides contributing a like sum to their own provinces ) , surely it is no hardship to the London brethren if their provincial brethren get two-thirds of the grants . The above figures however do

not show they receive that proportion . Bro . Stevens ' s third statement is quite wrong . It is well known that every'Alason in England and Wales contributes one shilling per quarter to Benevolence . In London the whole is paid over to the Board of Benevolence , but in the provinces the Constitutions allow the brethren to send half to London and half to their Provincial Grand Lodges . If all were sent to London the matter would stand thus :

Contributions from London Lodges ... £ 2587 3 G Contributions from Provincial Lodges 97 SS 7 10 I think such a statement should not have been made by Bro . Stevens , consideringhis Alasonic experience and knowledge , and could only have been done to tell in favour of the motion and to the detriment of the provinces .

In Bio . Gabon ' s closing remarks he called attention to thc votes of that evening as between London and the provinces . Out of eighteen cases twelve were provincial and six London ; quite right , the proper proportion . Thc case , however , really stood—seven London ( £ 350 ) and eleven provincial ( £ 750 ) .

Bro . Clabon further stated , " Hc asked the country brethren to give one shilling a year—all this grand oratory had been against paying one shilling a year . " Bro . Clabon hardly realises that meant drawing nearly £ 5000 a year from the lodges in the provinces ; for , had thc motion been carried , the quarterages of the provincial brethren would

have been raised to is . Gd ., half being sent to London and half to the Provincial Grand Lodges ; otherwise , the position of London and provincial brethren would have been different , which is quite inconsistent with the Constitutions of the Order .

1 he best suggestions made at the meeting were , altering the time of membership qualifying for a grant ; or , that no grant should be made exceeding £ 5 unless the brother had been initiated more than five years ; and also discontinuing the large grants except under very exceptional

circumstances . Apologizing for thc length of this letter , I am , yours fraternally , CHARLES L . AIASON , P . M . 304 , P . P . G . Treas . W . Yorks . Leeds , Dec . 2 nd . -

PROVINCIAL PREFERMENT . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I have read the letter of " Spectemur Agendo " on Provincial preferment with great pleasure . The present hap-hazard way of selecting Provincial Oflicers

is the cause of a grievance in nearly every Provincial Grand Lodge in the Kingdom—in some more than others . I know there is much strong feeling on this point in the province to which I belong . There is complaining on all sides , andjit is not without cause . It seems to me that some such plan as that suggested by your

correspondents , incorporated in the new Constitutions , would leave no room for a just grievance . Every lodge knows best the P . M . whom it appreciates as the most deserving of its members . Can any Prov . Grand Alaster know as well as they do ! Such an one , according to the plan suggested , would have a preponderating majority in

favour of his being recommended to thc Prov . Grand Secretary . At present many such are neglected and" left out in the cold . " We all know that it rests with the Prov . Grand Secretary to draw up the list of Provincial Oflicers—likely submitting it to the Deputy Alaster . At any rate this is the case in

the Prov . Grand Lodge to which I belong , and with what result ? Alany Past Alasters—some I know of eighteen years' standing—who are admired , not by one lodge , but several for their active Masonic life , have been passed over for others that only passed thc chair two or three years ago .

Our brethren cannot but ask why this is , " and talk about it ; and it is painful in travelling with the brethren to Prov . Grand Lodge meeting to hear some of them joke—truth sometimes is spoken in a joke—about presents of game and orders for the shop having any influence with the Prov . Grand Secretary in his selection of the brethren for Prov .

Grand honours . The Constitutions ought not to leave it , by omission , indefinite like this . I think a certain number of lodges in the province , in rotation , year by year , should send tothe Prov . Grand Secretary their . selection of names , giving him the data requisite to make his selection , such as how long a P . M ., if regular , active , and otherwise deserving . Some such plan would certainly remove an

Original Correspondence.

1 existing grievance , and prove a decided stimulus on the Past Masters of lodges to continue their attendance , their work , and their interest in their lodges . And it is , without prospect of further advancement , that the great bulk of Past Alasters attend their lodges very seldom , and do little or no work .

This seems to me a matter of such importance as to require some consideration on the part of our Alasonic rulers . Believe me , truly yours , A SUBSCRIBER .

SPECIAL GRANTS BY GRAND LODGE . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — From some remarks made concerning my proposition for scholarships in the Royal College of Music , it appears that many brethren are not aware of the number and variety of " special grants " made at different times

by Grand Lodge , which effectually disposes of the objection to endow scholarships , on the ground that Grand Lodge can only assist purely Masonic institutions . The list is very creditable to Grand Lodge , and is an answer to those who say " the Alasons , as a body , confine charity to their own family circle . " 1 S 25 . For Relief of Sufferers by

Inundation in Hanover £ 100 o o 1 S 55 Patriotic Fund ... ... ... 1000 o o 1 S 5 S Indian Relief Fund 1000 o o 1 SG 3 Lancashire Relief Fund 1000 o o

1 S 67 Turk ' s Island Relief Fund ... ... 100 0 o iSGS *) . o _ g f Palestine Exploration 210 o o 1 SG 9 Peruvian Earthquakes 105 o o 1 S 70 For Aid of Sick and Wounded in

War 500 o o 1571 Refugee's Benevolent Fund ... 100 o o !„^ ' ? Life Boat Institution 4050 0 o 1572 Chicago Relief 500 o o 1 S 72 Famine in Persia 105 o o ' 874 Bengal Famine ... 500 o o 1 S 75 St , John's New Brunswick , Sufferers

from Fire 210 o o 1 S 75 Peru "Cataclysm" ... 105 o o 1 S 75 Indian Famine 1050 o o 1 S 75 Hurricane , Curacoa 100 o o 1 SS 0 Irish Distress 500 o o I forbear making any remarks on the above at present , and am , yours fraternally , E . T . BUDDEN .

COUNTRY BRETHREN AT GRAND LODGE . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Will you kindly allow mc to growl ? I think 1 have good reason , as a country brother wishing to visit Grand Lodge meetings , to grumble at the way in which wc brethren from the provinces ' are treated , as the following will show :

On the occasion of the last meeting of Grand Lodge , after clothing ourselves , we proceeded , as usual , to thc table where thc scrutineers should preside , to give our names and obtain our " bone . " Would you believe it , when 1 got there I found only one present ( he was shortly after joined by a second ) to pass the great crowd waiting

for entrance into Grand Lodge , and he ( as he repeatedly told us ) was only a substitute doing duty in thc place of those who should have been there ; and , to mend matters , there was such a scarcity of the magic "bones" by which we were to be admitted into Grand Lodge , that the whole system—or rather want of system—was brought to a

standstill twice for the want of them . Who are the scrutineers who should attend to this business ? and why do not the proper officials see that they , or some substitutes for them , are in their places ready and able to do their respective duties ? Surely , if country brethren travel two or three hundred

miles to attend Grand Lodge , it ought to be worth while to make some preparations for them to be admitted into it without the turmoil and annoyance to which they were subjected to last Wednesday night . One brother told me hc had travelled 300 miles to attend Grand Lodge , and was

three-quarters of an hour before he got his pass to go into the lodge . It cannot he that the country brethren are not wanted in Grand Lodge . Trusting to find that there is a better arrangement thc next time Grand Lodge is visited , I am , yours faithfully and fraternally , A COUNTRY BROTHER .

ONE REASON AS GOOD AS ANOTHER . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — In common with many others , I was struck with Bro . James Stevens ' s argument on Bro . Clabon's motion to augment the payments for Benevolence . Put into other

words it amounts to this—all ought equally to pay to the Benevolent Fund . 1 quite agree with thc proposition abstractedly , inasmuch as the present system of payment abounds in anomalies and incongruities . The London brethren pay four shillings each per annum ; the provincial brethren and military lodges two shillings , and the colonial brethren " nil , " and yet each equally claim the benefit

of the Fund of Benevolence . It is true , that in the provinces there is a local fund of benevolence , so that the provincial brethren pay actually to a divided Fund of Benevolence as much as the London brethren , But there is this essential difference : thc provincial brethren can come on the General Fund ; the London brethren , ( it not members of the province ) cannot come on 1 the provincial fund . This seems at first sight not equal