Ar00800

TO OUR READERS . The FREEMASON * is a Weekly Neyvspaper , 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 : United America , Intlia , India . China , & c

Kingdom , the Continent , & c . Via Brindisi . Twelve Months ios . 6 d . 12 s . od . 17 s . 4 d . Six „ 5 s . 3 d . 6 s . Cd . 8 s . 8 d . Three „ 2 s . 8 d . 3 s . 3 d . 4 s . 6 d . Subscriptions may be paid for in stamps , but Post Office Orders or Cheques are preferred , the former payable to

GEQRGE KENNING , CHIEF OFFICE , LONDON , the latter crossed London and Joint Stock Bank . Advertisements and other business communications

should be addressed to the Publisher . Communications on literary subjects and books for review are to be forwarded to the Editor . Anonymous rorrespondence will be wholly disregarded , and the return f rejected MSS . cannot be guaranteed . Further information will be supplied o * . ? application to he Publisher , 108 , Fleet-street , London .

Ar00801

IMPORTANT NOTICE . COI - ONIAI . 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 .

Ar00802

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 .

Ar00803

TO ADVERTISERS . lhe FIIEEMASON * has a large circulation in all parts of the Globe , its advantages as an advertising : medium can therefore scarcely be overrated .

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

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

BOOKS , Sic , RECEIVED . " Keystone ; " " Boletin OHicial Republica Argen - tina ; " " Ardrossin and Sulco . its Herald j " " Hebrew Leader ; " " II Risorgimento ; " " The Sea ; " "Medical Examiner . "

Births, Marriages And Deaths.

Births , Marriages and Deaths .

[ The charge is 2 s . Cd . for announcements , not exceed ing four lines , under this heading . ]

BIRTHS . HUNTER . —On the 10 th inst ., at Newmains , Lanarkshire , N . B ., Mrs . Hunter , of Glenapp , of a daughter . SVKUR . —On the Sth inst ., at 118 , B . dfo . d-street . South

Liverpool , the wife of Bro . Edward S iktr , of th e Dramatic Lodge , No . 1 G 09 , Lessee of the Royal Alexandra Theatre , of a son . W EST . —On the nth inst ., at Globe-villa , Catford-bridge , Kent , the yvife of A . T . West , of a son .

DEATHS . CoaPEa . —On the 10 th inst ., at City-tcrraci-, Hornsey-road , C . Cooper , aged 4 . 0 . l . ssiiir . —On the 7 th inst ., T . G . Inskip , of Fenslanton , Huntingdonshire , aged 18 .

SHAND . —On the 13 th inst ., of consumption , at \\ est Cliff , Bournemouth , whither he had gone on 2 fith ult ., hoping to improve his health , Alexander Shand , of Coventry , aged 27 years . Wooi . r . —On the 7 th inst ., at Gower-street , Fanny , yvife of B . S . Woolf , Esq ., aged 26 .

Ar00810

The Freemason , SATURDAY , NOVEMBER 17 , 1877 .

The Recent Resolution Of The Irish Grand Lodge.

THE RECENT RESOLUTION OF THE IRISH GRAND LODGE .

The Irish Grand Lodge has spoken , and we venture to think well and wisely . We are much pleased to observe that the views we have from time to time expressed in this crisis , and the dangers we have sought carefully to point out , have so deeply impressed the authorities

of the Grand Lodge of Ireland , as to have drawn from them a seasonable protest and a very becoming resolution . Indeed , we do not see , as we have often said before , what other course the Grand Lodges in England , Ireland , Scotland , the Canadas , and

the United States have to take , or can take . The Grand Orient of Egypt , we are also happy to observe , has had the courage to make a similar avowal . That such a course is both advisable and needful , a little consideration will , we think , convince us all . The French Grand Orient has

now , alas ! fulfilled Monsigneur Dupanloup ' s prophecy , and has boldly taken out from its Constitutions any recognition of belief in T . G . A . O . T . U . In so doing it has cut itself loose from the traditions of French Freemasonry , from the whole fabric of Anglo-Saxon Freemasonry , and

from the undeniable teaching of Cosmopolitan Freemasonry . It has most unyvisely , and most unreasonably , as we think , endorsed the mistaken views of an active and someyvhat unscrupulous section of French Freemasonry , and has practically upheld the unsound objections of

"Positiviste" Professors , and the unintellectual avowal of Massol ' s "Morale independante . " Practically , the profession of French Freemasonry is now , nothing hut moral nihilism and avoyved atheism . An actual Atheist may now be admitted into French Freemasonry , and remembering

what has been stated by Bro . Behr and others in the French Grand Orient itself , what is put forward , what admitted elsewhere , we cannot but entertain the greatest fears for the future of French Freemasonrj ' , we cannot but profess the gravest doubts as to the le ^ al position

and Masonic character of the French Grand Orient itself . We do not and cannot conceive that under such circumstances , and such an unsatisfactory position of affairs , any English , or Irish , or Scotch , or American , or Canadian Masons can enter the French lodges either with safety to

themselves , or with honour to the Craft , and we therefore quite spmpathi / . e with all the proper considerations , whicli have prompted and produced the last resolution of the Irish Grand Lodge . In all probability , we think that the English and Scottish Grand Lodges will folloyv suit ,

and we feel certain that across the Atlantic there will be an universal feeling of reprobation of the recent act of the Grand Orient of France , which is neither fair nor tolerant , befitting or Alasonic . It is , in fact , a yielding to pressure from without . It is more or less a political act , emanating from a

political party , and conceiYed In the worst spirit of those dark and dangerous days , which gave such a shock to true liberty and peaceful civilization , and have only apparently aided the cause of sceptical astuteness and retrograde barbarism . Why the French Grand Orient

conld not go on its Masonic career and work in peace we never yet could understand . There has apparently beeu an extreme arid unquiet party at work for some time in its midst , which has sought to assimilate Freemasonry , which knows nothing of politics , to party coteries and '' Esprits

forts . " The "Libres Penseurs" as they are callt-d , have for the time got the upper hand , and the Grand Orient of France , between the Scylla and Chaiibdis of infidelity and communism , of unbelief and politics , appears likely to go to pieces . Yes , we repeat the good Ship Freemasonry in France seems to be

driving on to a lee shore ; heavy breakers are ahead , tlie helm is shattered , the steersman is washed overboard , and the cretv are in panic and bewilderment . We therefore cordially hail the resolution of the Irish Grand Lodge , wihch interdicts to all reverent and religious Irish Freemasons an entrance into lodges in France in

The Recent Resolution Of The Irish Grand Lodge.

which they are ashamed or afraid to acknoyvledo-p the name of T . G . A . O . T . U ., and we trust that the Grand Lodges of England and Scotland will follow this good example , and that the Grand Lodges of Canada and the United States will imitate such needful proceedings . For there is no

good , we feel , m being any longer reticent or mealy mouthed . The recent proceedings of the Grand Orient are as unri ghteous as they are unmasonic , and our French brethren must be told so in plain language , and in terms of kindl y but fraternal severity . It is impossible but that

all Anglo-Saxon Masons must be deeply hurt by , and sincerely deplore the conclusion of that sorry fanaticism and the result of much ill-omened agitation which isolates French Freemasonry , aud separates it , let us hope not for long , from over a million of faithful Freemasons .

The Last Grand Chapter.

THE LAST GRAND CHAPTER .

We have read the record of the last Grand Chapter with much pleasure and approval , for we are quite sure that in granting the charters for the Bayard and Wanderer Lodge Chapters Grand Chapter has come to a sound resolution , and exercised a most wise discretion . We

confess to be among those who ahvr . ys doubted the expediency of that resolution of Grand Chapter to which so much allusion was made . We do not often disagree with our good Bro . Joseph Smith , but we cannot coincide with his line of argument in respect of this

question . He does not appear to see any hardship in a lodge nothavinga chapter attached to it ; neither does he consider it any anomaly , if the brethren who wish for exaltation have to go to other chapters . No doubt such has been the custom in London and in some large toyvns , but we never could see the force or reason of such a

state of things . We , on the contrary , hold strongly that any lodge which wishes to have a chapter attached to it should be permitted to have one , of course supposing , of which there is happily no fear now , that there are sufficient Principals to keep the chapter in working order . We

are among those who have always valued and admired our Royal Arch Grade , and we rejoice to think hoyv far more widely it is appreciated by Craftsmen than used to be the case , say twenty-five years ago . It is in the interest of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons , and

we will add Craft Masonry , that all possible extension should be given to the Royal Arch , and that the legitimate requests of lodges should be granted for charters to chapters . Indeed , we are among those who for various reasons think that every lodge ought to have a Royal Arch

Chapter attached to it . We are aware that some good men and true tl ink differently on this subject , and differ widely from our views on the matter , but as we have never seen cause to change our deliberate conviction , now of many years , and the very progress of Craft Masonry

seems to confirm our humble ideas on the subject yve hold to them more strongly than ever , we congratulate , therefore , the Grand Chapter on the practical good sense by yvhich its deliberations have been marked , and we feel certain that its decision , which all yvill hail with

pleasure , will greatly advance amongst us the happy progress of the Royal Arch system . The only possible objection that can be urged is that to yvhich Bro . Joseph Smith adverted , the want of interest in the Royal Arch as compared yvith Craft Masonry , but that , we believe , is a state of things greatly improved in the last few years .

There is no part of our system which to our mind deserves more support and commendation than the Royal Arch system , and we hail gladly the prospect now before usof a rap id increase of the number of Royal Arch-Chapters amongst us . It will be , as we believe , of much benefit to English Freemasonry in every way .

Labour And Refreshment.

LABOUR AND REFRESHMENT .

Ifc is often alleged against Freemasons that they are a little too fond of the latter , and easily induced to give up the former . We however , beg to deny the " soft impeachment . " There are no doubt , amongst our body , ( as in w & Y