Ad00705

THE COSMOPOLITAN MASONIC CALENDAR for 1884 is NOW READY , Price 2 / . To be obtained of all Booksellers or Post Free from the Office on receipt of 2 / 1 in Stamps . " The Freemason" Office , 16 & 16 a , Great Queen Street , London , W . C .

To Correspondents.

To Correspondents .

The folloxx'ing communications have heen received , but are not inserted in this issue oxving to want of space : — Craft Lodges—Chcrxvell Lodge , No . 599 ; Arboretum Lodge , No . 731 ; Prince of Wales Lodge , No . 1003 ; The Great City Lodge , No . 142 ( 1 ; United Military Lodge , No . 1536 ; and Saint Leonard Lodge , No . 17 G 6 . Royal Arlt Mariners—Whittington Chapter , No . SG 2 .

BOOKS , & c , RECEIVED . •¦ X ' oicc ot Alasonry , " " Keystone , " " Hull Packet , " * ' Die Bauhuttc , " " Citizen , " " City Press , " " Nexv York Daily Nexvs , " * ' iewistx Clxfoxxxcle , " " Lxberal Freemason , " * ' Masonic Rex-iexv , " "Broad Arrow , " "Allen ' s Indian Mail , " "La Aheja" ( Venezuela ) , " Tricycling Journal , " " Masonic Adrocatc , " " Boletin Masonicc " ( Uruguay ) , " Montreal Weekly Witness , " " Sydney Freemason , " " X'ictorian Freemason , " " Victorian Masonic' Tournal , " " Proceedings ot Special Communication of the . District Grand Lodge of Bombay . "

Ar00706

S ATURDAY , NOVEMBER 17 , 1883 . WP ^ ir ^^ 9 ^^ ywynrin ^^^ 99 ^

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ We do not hold oursetx-es responsible for , or ex-en approving of , the opinions expressed by ourcorrespondents , but xve xvish in aspirit of { airplay to allto permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussicc . l

THE HUGHAN TESTIAIONIAL . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , It is xvith very great pleasure that I hear of the movement for making a presentation to our good Bro . Hughan . His merits are xvell ktxoxvn to those of the brethren xvho

take a leading part in Alasonic life , and to those xvho havc taken any interest in Alasonic history ; but there are thousands of Masons xvho , though they might have heard his name , are far from being familiar with his good xvorks . These thousands are they xvho look on those xvho perform ceremonies , give counsel , decide disputed points , and generally act as leaders in the Masonic xvorld , xvith xvonder

and admiration , but they little knoxv whence these streams of xvisdom and forethought are fed . It is from the fexv fountains of xvhich Bro . Hughan stands among the first and foremost xve draw our Masonic life and instruction . There are many xvho like myself have applied to him time alter time , under many difficulties , and alxvays , xvith xvilling heart and hand he has placed the stores of his mind at

their disposal . It is with a full knoxvledge of his goodness , and a faint ideaof all the good it has wrought , that I venture to add my humble testimony in aid of the object in viexv , and to hope that all those xvho have experienced his kindness , shared his friendship , benefitted by his labours , and knoxvn

his xvorth , xvill take this opportunity not only of marking their own appreciation thereof , but by axvakening the interest and gratitude of the whole craft . —Yours faithfull y and fraternally , GEORGE TAYLOR , P . P . G . S . W ., P . G . Sec , P . G . Scribe E . Worcestershire . Kidderminster , Nov . 12 th , 1 S 83 .

STATUS OF PAST MASTERS . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , The status of Past Masters is a matter of special interest to Alasons in India and the Colonies ^ and it may be of interest , pending legislation on the subject , to express xvhat some of us in India think xvith reference to it .

The practice in all lodges that I have visited or heard of out here is to recognise the rank of a Past Alaster , xvhether he be a Past Alaster of the lodge to xvhich he is a subscribing member or of some other ; but Past Alaster of Lodge I . , 999 , xvould , though a member of Lodge A , 1 , still "put . himself doxvn" P . M . Z , 999 ; and , xvhile ranking as a Past Alaster in A , 1 , xvould not be consideredor call himselfa P . M . of A 1 unless he had

, , , , been elected to , and installed in , the Eastern chair of that lodge . Although in English Masonry a " Past Master " has not attained a higher " degree " in Masonry , he has undoubtedly a higher " rank , " as member of Grand Lodge , than ordinary Alaster Alasons , and is invested xvith , and able to exercise , powers beyond those that pertain to them . This

rank is recognised and those powers often availed of by lod ges xvhich he visits or of xvhich he becomes a subscribing ¦ "ember . While Alasonry places all brethren on a level it "cither destroys nor ignores social distinctions ; for this reason—it is often expedient to have several lodges in one place . W . Bro . Thos . Atkins , P . M . Z , 999 , though he is

rather irregular in the use of the aspirate , and often at table tndangers his Ups xvith his knife , is an upright man and a thorough Mason , true to the spirit of his O . B ., and it xvas a B ° od thing for the lodge at Pettypctt , in the Mofussil , xvhen he xvas installed Master there . The lodge has had fexv "' asters who have xvorked so xvell as he ; in fact , through removals , so frequent in India , he has had to serve in thc ,, ., .... Ik .. jui , ll . ... IIIUIU ] II . » IU .. uubw ^ w . . u ... vow

' -astern chair txvo or three times . His services to Alasonry h / We been acknoxvledged and recognised by the District Hj ^ nd Al aster appointing him to Grand Lodge office . When he xvas removed from Pettypett to Bigargabad he J w ' ncd the lodge there ; is recognised therein as a Past '" aster , and his name entered in the returns of that lodge as of its members entitled to attend Grand Lodge

Original Correspondence.

communications ; but he xx'ould never call himself , or xvish it supposed that he is , a Past Alaster of that lodge , elected by gentlemen of refinement , education , and good social position ( ofiicers , civil servants , physicians , & C- ) , as the most eligible of their number to bear rule amongst them . Tom says that there is an upright part to the level , and xvhat is morally xvrong can ' t be Alasonically right , so also thinks AN INDIAN A 1 ASON .

MUSIC AND FREEMASONRY . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Bryon xx-oke one morning to find himself famous ; but it is my misfortune to have obtained a very unenviable publicity in a direction that I least expected . When , on the occasion of my installation meeting , 1 took some little pains

xvith the musical arrangements—solely xvith the object of promoting the enjoyment of my brethren—I little dreamt that I xvas preparing the xvay for such an avalanche of expletives as has fallen on my devoted head . "Inordinate ambition , " " lavish expenditure , " " pride of oilice , " " vanity , " "lust of poxver , " and a xvhole string of similar offences have been laid at my door by a journal professing

to represent Alasonic feeling . The publisher ( xvho is also , I believe , proprietor ) of this journal , xx-as my guest , and voluntarily published an account of our meeting , concluding in the following terms : "One thing alone detracted from the enjoyment that attended our presence in the lodge . The musical programme , though it gave every satisfaction , and , as xve have said already , was admirably carried out , xvas on

far too ambitious a scale . The services of no less than seven artistes had been engaged , and each toast—and there xvas no less than txvelve of them—was followed by a song . Consequently , the meeting xvas a protracted one . VVe see no reason xvhatever xvhy , on these occasions , so much expense should be lavished on an entertainment xvhich is quite uncalled for , and xvhy the brethren should be required

^ to sit to so late an hour—as they must do if they would avoid offence . Some of the most agreeable meetings xve have had the privilege of attending have terminated at about the reasonable hour of ten , after xvhich , if any xvere so minded , they could sit doxvn quietly and enjoy an hour ' s social conversation . In our opinion , these late hours are quite uncalled for , xvhile the expense of a banquet is quite

sufficient outlay xvithout adding to it in respect of an elaborate concert by professional artistes . " Noxv , sir , I leave my brethren to decide xvhether , in the capacity of a guest or a reporter , these remarks are justifiable . The facts are as folloxvs : Five of the artistes xvere brother Masons and guests of my oxvn ; the meeting

terminated at 11 . 15 p . m . ; the toast list xvas prolonged to extend courtesy to such toasts as " The Alasonic Press ; " the lodge xvas not put to the slightest expense in connection xvith the musical part of the entertainment . The journalistic brother referred to wrote me that he had spent a most pleasant evening , and congraulated me on the

occasion . I had paid for a number of copies of his paper , but of course xvould not distribute them . Tbey xvere delivered to me xvrapped up , ready for posting ; and , on opening them , I found in each paper a circular making it appear to the recipient that the paper had been gratuitously sent by the publisher . I have not hitherto taken any notice of these proceedings ,

as I regarded the diatribes fulminated against music as too absurd to need any reply ; but after perusing your article of the 10 th inst ., rebutting the viexvs expressed by my journalistic brother and his correspondents , betxveen xvhom , by-the-bye , there is a marvellous similarily of style and

composition , I have ventured to send you these particulars , in the hope that you will afford me an opportunity of removing any xvrong impression that may have been created by the misleading report xvhich originated the discussion on this subject . —I am , dear sir , yours fraternally , November 14 th . VV . AI . 1538 .

To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I have read xvith very great interest your article upon this subject in the Freemason ol the ioth inst . I have also read the article upon the same subject in another Masonic paper , of xvliich I had little knoxvledge until my attention xvas called to its gratuitous observations upon the

action of the W . AI . of a certain lodge on the occasion of his installation ; and it occurs to me that your representative fully appreciates the harmonious blending of siveet voices , and that the other paper's reporter appears to suffer from a chronic dislike of music or its solacing effects . I have been a P . AI . for more than ten years , and as a Masonic reporter have gained some experience regarding

the hour at xvhich the banquet table has been left to " stately solitude . " I have found that 10 , 10 , 30 , and 11 o'clock p . m . are the average times at xvhich the banquet has been concluded , the latter hours being invariably reached on installation nights , and I believe some time ago I met the identical reporter to the other Masonic paper I refer to at a lodge in Fleet-street , xvhere the banquet had

not concluded xvhen I left at n . 15 . The report of that meeting did not conclude xvith any disparaging remarks as tothe lateness of the hour , so that I am at a loss to understand his conduct on the occasion in question . Again this reporter , xvho by the xvay is inconsistent and somexvhat inaccurate in his statements on this subject endeavours to shoxv ( xvith xvhat effect I leave to his oxvn ideas

of logic ) that , of necessity a VV . AI . must not spend his oxvn money in the xvay he chooses , but , for the sake of others xvho may folloxv , must rest content to travel in the narrow gauge that perhaps has been laid doxvn by his predecessor . 1 should hardly venture lo address you , but having been present xvhen this reporter's ire xvas roused , my impression xvas , after seeing him enjoy the good things before him

and apparently the music that folloxved , that he had done his duty as a guest and xvould also do his duty as a reporter . It seems to mo that no man has a right to blot a fair evening ' s enjoyment by an un-AIasonic report . I beg therefore , through the medium of your paper , to protest emphatically against any gratuitous and

disparaging statements of this nature being made in future , and I think , sir , that if the reporter in question acts in a becoming and Alasonic manner lie xvill at once tender a manly and ample apology . I enclose my card and remain , dear sir and brother , yours faithfully and fraternally ,

A P . M . WHO WAS PRESENT DURING THE ENTIRE EVENING . November 14 th ,

Original Correspondence.

r , _ ,. To hc Ed > tor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , u . . I 1 q - , e agrce with y ° ur remarks in your issue of the ioth inst . as to the introduction of music at our H ^ , rr ' ? nd l fe < . A-. > rc it would be equally advantageous ( if not more so ) if introduced more fully into our ceremonies . I visited a lodge in the West Lancashire Province a . few xveeks since xvhere appropriate h

, ymns xvere lu Jl t Cpcm "" ? "d , c , osi "S '* and , - ; Iuring an initiation selections from the Psalms were sung also ^ and I must confess that of the hundreds of ceremonies 1 have listened to , worked by many of the ablest brethren in London and the provinces not one of them made such a deep impression upon my mind as this one . In the lodgeto xx-hich I refer they possess about a dozen well trained voices ( mostly amateurs ) and thev seem to

rehearse the vocal part as assidousl y as the oratorical portion of the ceremony , under the direction of their able Organist who presides at the harmonium . Some time since a worth y brother holding a high ollicial position in the same province visited a lod" -e xvhere a mnsical ceremony had been arranged , and so c-mphatically did he protest against it that it xvas , I believe , abandoned , the worthy brother stating that he had tlxchii-best anH-mri * - *

for protesting against the vocal music , but that instrumental music might be introduced . Noxv , if as you say , that xve as Alasons recognise music as one of thc liberal arts and sciences ( not instrumental music only ) what can be the objection to the introduction of vocal music . Let me ask anyone with the remotest idea of thc concord of sweet sounds xvhich is most likely to add to the solemnity of our ceremonies , as well as relieve the monotony thereof—a march

or sacred piece ground out of a broken-winded harmonium by a very indifferent player ( xvhich is frequently the case ) , or a selection of appropriate verses sung by a well-blended choir ? In the lodge to xvhich I have alluded they are not only good vocalists , but they are able to enliven their social evenings xvith some good instrumental music , as they have amongst their members txvo first violins , one second violin , one flute , one violincello , one double bass , and , as I have before stated , a good organist and pianistxvho is a deputy

, organist at a cathedral . It is my opinion that if music xvas practised , or rather made part of our ceremonies , xvhich could easily be done xvithout interfering xvith the landmarks of the Order , it xvould stimulate many of our brethren xvho already possess considerable musical talent to make themselves proficient therein , besides making our meetings more attractive , both in the lod ge and around the social board . —I am , yours fraternally , MANCUNIUM .

THE FRENCH GRAND ORIENT . To thc Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I have often xvritten to you about the French Grand Orient before , its doings and its errors . I send you a fexv lines to-day simply ot "information . " The folloxving are the nexv officers of the body , after many changes ,

and several regrettable deaths : The President of the Council for 1 S 83-S 4 is Bro . Cousin ; the Vice-Presidents Bros . Caubet and Wyrouboft ; the Secretaries are Bros . Poulle and Duhamel ; and the Chef de Secretariat Bro . Rocher . Bro . Aloulnier is President of the General Assembly ; Bro . Blatin , Orator ; and Bro . Lepeletier , " Oratcur Adjoint . "—I am , sirand brother , fraternally yours , MASKELYNE .

Reviews.

REVIEWS .

"Bulletin du Grand Orient . " —VVe have received and read this official organ of the Grand Orient of France . We cannot honestly say that the "outlook "is pleasant or the " outcome " satisfactory . But then perhaps xve can hardly place ourselves in the position of the French Grand Orient . We can only hope that the future may yet lighten up the darker shades and shadoxvs ol to-day xvith the

brighter gleams of the Alasonic star of Hope . At present all is very depressing and seemingly hopeless . " La Chaine D'Union . " —This French Alasonic magazine for October , edited by Bro . Hubert , gives us its normal accounts of French Freemasonry and an abnormal statement in respect to a recent deliverance of Bro . Albert Pike . VVe hope there is some " mal entendu . "

" The Masonic Reviexv , " Cincinnati , U . S ., Bro . H . D . Moore , is full of interesting matter and admirably edited . "The Voice of Alasonry , " Chicago , U . S ., Bro . I . VV . Brown , is noxv almost the "Scribner " of Masonic serials . It seems to us , however , becoming too much a serial for fiction instead of Freemasonry . But Alasonic editors of

Masonic magazines alxvays are betxveen "Sylla and Charybdis " in this respect . "Nexv York Dispatch . "—Under the able superintendence of Bro . J . Simon , P . G . M . of Nexv York , the Alasonic page of this newspaper . is alike most effectively conducted and xvell xvorthy of the perusal not only of American but fc-nghsh 1 ' reemasons .

Le Alonde Maconnique . "—This well-known French Masonic serial loses its present Editor , Bro . Rocher . Like Bro . Grimaux , Bro . Rocher is called to office at the Grand Orient . I he French Freemasons have certainly been very unfortunate . They havelost Bros . St . Jean , Thevenot , Grimaux , one after another , and the loss of three successive editors ( Caubet , Grimauxand Rocher ) in a short of

, space time for the " Alonde Maconnique" must naturally affect the prospects of any magazine . But , to say the truth , we see " c S ' i ? ,. ° » " de « dence , " either in the editorship or matter of the Monde Maconnique . " Of course , it is purely French , and as such hardly suit the palate or digestion of linglish readers , just noxv . Perhaps xvhen xve are " properly educated " it may do so . Who knows ¦

RUPTURES , " —WHITE ' S MOC-M . XIN LEVER TRUSS is the mnst Elective invention for the treatment of Hernia . The use of , steel spring , so hurtful in its cll ' ects , is avoided , a soft bandage being W 1 > rn round tlie bmlr , xvhile the requisite resisting noixx-r iu supplied by the Moc-Main l'ad and Patent Lever , fitting xvith so much ease and closeness that it cannot be detected . Send for descriptive circular , xvith testimonials and prices , to J . White and Co . ( Limited ) art , Piccadilly , London . Do not buy of Chemists , who often sell an IMITATION of our Moc-Main , I . White and Co . have not any agents . —[ ADVT . ]