To Our Readers.

TO OUR READERS .

The Freemason is a sixteen-page weekly newspaper , price 2 d . It is published every Friday morning , and contains the most important , interesting , and useful information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . Annual subscription in the United Kingdom , Post free ,

iol-NEW POSTAL RATES . Owing to a reduction in the Postal Rates , the publisher is now enabled to send the " Freemason" to the following parts abroad for One Vcar for Twelve Shillings ( payable in advance ) : —Africa , Australia , Bombay , Canada , Cape of

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COLONIAL AND FOREIGN SUBSCRIBERS are informed that acknowledgments of remittances received are published in the first number of every month . NOTICE . —It is very necessary for our friends to advise us of all money orders they remit , more especially those from the United States of America and India ; otherwise we cannot tell where to credit them .

To Advertisers.

TO ADVERTISERS .

The Freemason has a large circulation in all parts of the Globe , its advantages as an advertising medium can therefore scarcely be overrated . For tetms , position , Sec , apply to GEORGE KENNING , 198 , Fleet-st .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

AU Communications , Advertisements , & c , intended for insertion in the Number of the following Saturday , must reach the Office not later thax i z o ' clock on Wednesday morning .

NOTICE . A supplement of four pages will be issued with the " Freemason / ' of Saturday next , March 25 th . Will A . B . write privately to the Editor , 198 , Fleetstreet . Bro . Harriott ' s letter about the S . B . Institution in our

next . A communication from " Masonic Student" about ' ¦ Old Constitutions" in our next . The following communications stand over : — " Proposed Scottish Masonic Benevolent Institution , " by Bro . G . E . R . Harriott ; " The United Orders of the Tempi . ; and Hospital , " by Bro . E . Holmes ; Reports of Lodges : —Francis Burdett , 1503 ; Faith , 141 ; Albion , 11 ; Thornliebank ,

Thornton , 512 ; Albert Edward , 15 60 ; Union Waterloo , 13 ; Israel , Birmingham , 1474 ; Churchill , Oxford , 478 ; Morecambe , 1561 ; Chapter Elias Ashmole , 14 ( 4 -, Conclave Aubrey , 134 ; Provincial Grand Lodge of Norfolk j Scotland : —Consecration of St . Bride ' s Lodge , 579 ; Caledonian Railway , 354 ; Mary ' s Lodge , Wishaw , Coltness , 31 ; Thistle , 81 ; Partick Chapter , 112 ; Paisley Chapter , 113 ; 1328 , Granite .

Reviews stand over owing to pressure of matter . BOOKS RECEIVED . " Proceedings of a Convention of Delegates for Organizing a Supreme Grand Council of the United States of America . " —A Kr . igbt of the Red Cross of Constantine , New York , 1875 . " New York Dispatch . " " Masonic Journal . "

Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

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

BIRTHS . TAYLOR . —On the 14 th inst ., at Ladbroke-terrace , W ., the wife of J . H . Taylor , Esq ., of a daughter . FEILDEN . —6 th , at Scarborough , the wife of W . L .

Feil-< len , Esq ., of a son . MILLER . —On Dec . 28 th , 1875 , at Kangaroo Point , Brisbane , Queensland , Mrs . R . Miller , of a son . CHURCHILL . —On the 13 th inst ., at Castlenau , Barnes , tlie wife of J . B . Churchill , Esq ., of a son .

MARRIAGES . PRESTON—HILHOUSE—At Brixton , Harry VV ., son of Mr . John Preston , of Brixton Road , to Harriette K ., daughter of Mr . Richard Hilhouse , jun ., of Loughborough

Park , Aug . 14 th , 1875 . HUDDI . ESTON—ATKINSON—At Plungar , Arthur W ., son ol Mr . R . B . Huddleston , Aban Court , Cheltenham , to Emma , daughter of the late Mr . T . W . Atkinson , Feb . 20 th .

DEATHS . CALLENDER , Percy W . M ., infant son of Mr . John M ., at Victoria Park , Manchester , March 3 rd . NEWTON , Mr . William , Member of the Metropolitan Board of Works , at Stepney Green , aged 54 , March 9 th .

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TheFreemason, SATURDAY , MAR . 18 , 1876 .

The Royal Visit To India.

THE ROYAL VISIT TO INDIA .

The Prince of Wales arrived at Bombay March 11 , in the morning . His Royal Highness as received at the station by the Governor of

The Royal Visit To India.

Bombay , Sir P . E . Wodehouse , and Staff ; by the Chief Justice , Sir M . R . Westropp , and by Lieut .-General C . W . Staveley and other officers ofthe Presidency . The Prince drove directly to the dockyard , the road being lined with troops . Having received a farewell address from the Municipality , His Royal Highness proceeded

immediately on board the Serapis . This is the last state appearance of the Prince in India . Her Majesty the Queen , in order to commemorate the visit of the Prince of Wales to India , has appointed His Royal Highness Honorary Colonel of eight Native Regiments , four of which are in future to be designated " Queen ' s Own , " and the other four " Prince of Wales' Own . " He was to leave Bombay at once .

Our Royal Grand Master's Return From India.

OUR ROYAL GRAND MASTER'S RETURN FROM INDIA .

Our Royal Grand Master was to leave India , on his return to the hospitable shores of old England , on the 10 th March , and by a happy coincidence on the anniversary of his happier marriage . He left actually , we believe , on the nth or iath . He will soon be amongst us again , in

all good health , and having gained golden opinions from all with whom he has come in contact . Indeed it is quite clear , that the effect on the native mind has been even beyond our expectations . As the " Times " of Friday last well puts it : " He has done so much in so short

a time , and has been followed so eagerly and so closely by the attention of every British subject who can understand a narrative or a picture , that it must be a surprise to most people to be reminded that the Prince left England on the nth of October , and has consequently been away

only five months altogether . Fifty years ago this was about the shortest time in which even a Governor-General could expect to reach Calcutta . " But now , thanks to steam , a few days only separates us from our great Indian Empire , and the daily telegram with marvellous accuracy

has given us news of him almost within every twenty-four hours during his Indian journey . And , therefore , it is now a question of not very many days before we shall again hail his welcome presence amongst us . There will be but one feeling amongst our entire Order , namely ,

that of thankfulness and rejoicing that he has been so shielded from accidents and malady in that sultry and often trying clime , and amid the hazards to which he has been inevitably exposed in his venturous quest after the greater game . We shall all be grateful when we remember to-day

that a good Providence has been with him in his " goings out and his comings in , " and has preserved for his family , and . above all for our English people , for all the citizens of one great and common fatherland , a life so precious and so important . Did we say , for our own land—may

we not add for the peace and progress , and good order and conservation of all we hold best and dearest , alike in social life as in the body politic , for the expanded families and the great brotherhood of the human race ? And then there comes in another question—How best can we receive him and welcome him as an Order

when he does return from his Indian tour , safe and sound , healthy and happy , kind , and considerate , and genial as ever ? Well , we have our annual festival ; but what can that do to meet the warm feelings and zealous loyalty of our great brotherhood ? . At the most 600 brethren

can sit down in Freemasons' Hall , and what is that amount of fortunate brethren to the vast majority of the excluded ? Remembering the many disappointed brethren at his installation , and knowing the feeling that exists in our Order , we venture to suggest to-day , for the

consideration of our rulers , and of those who take a leading part in our Masonic councils , that a special reception should be arranged for our G . M . either at the Crystal or the Alexandra Palaces , or at some convenient spot , in which all of our Order who wish to be present may be enabled to be

present . We are aware that this is a novel step , and a previously unheard of proposal , and will encounter fifty objections immediately , but we venture to remind our hearers that we are all , so to say , moving on , and that what was sufficient even at the beginning of this century no longer Satisfies the exigencies of the hour , or the feel-

Our Royal Grand Master's Return From India.

ings of our brethren . Surely some form of welcome may . be authoritatively arranged which will harmonize with the genuine and heartfelt sympathies of the Masonic body , and-will enable us as Freemasons , maligned and excommunicated as we have been , to show to all that there nevei

has existed , and cannot be found anywhere todi ) ' , a more loyal Order than our good and steady old Craft . We throw out these hints , currente calamo , for the consideration of those whose opinions we all pay deference to , and whose authority we all respect . May some great

gathering be a witness before the whole world that we welcome our Grand Master back from his Royal and successful progress as rejoicing patriots and devoted brethren , that we have re-elected him in his absence as our Grand Master , because we confide in him , as we know he feels for us , and that we are anxious to offer to him the unbought

homage of English loyalty and fraternal affection , proud of the fact that he is at our head , that "Teucro duce et auspice Teucro , " we are marching on , a mighty host , strong in our own principles , onr own unity , and our " good cause , " laughing at our puny assailants , heeding no anathema , and dreading no foe .

The Grand Orient Of France.

THE GRAND ORIENT OF FRANCE .

We said in our last number that we should recur 10 this subject , and we do so gladly to-day ; For the last " Bulletin du Grand Orient de France " shows us clearly what a very difficult position is that of the rulers of the Order in France , amid the present state of effervescence in

which our French brethren appear to be from various causes of one kind or another . We do not now allude to those two grave questions , the dissidents at Bordeaux and Frere Hermitte , or the separatists ofthe " Freres Unis Inseparables " under Frere Fabien , because we don ' t feel

burselves competent to express an opinion on the subject , though we deeply regret in the interests of French Masonry that such controversies have arisen . In the abstract , moreover , we are inclined to think , we feel bound to say . that something may be alleged reasonably and fairly for

the " gravamina , " alike of the " Ateliers Superieurs " of Bordeaux and for the complaints of Frere Fabien , De Villaret , Brimont , and others . But then that is our insular view of things , and it is not , we know , the view of the Grand Orient , and therefore we pass to the " previous question . "

Indeed , our words are meant to be simply words of eulogy and sympathy for Bro . St . Jean and the Conseil de L'Ordre . It seems that the Lodge Orion , Orient de Gaillac , addressed Frere St . Jean , through its Secretary , Bro . " Poujade , " December Sth , 1875 , informing the Conseil de L'Ordre that a candidate who had been refused

by a lodge at Toulouse had applied for initiation in the Lodge Orion , and that , as the lodge had heard that personal enmity and clerical influence had prevented his reception at Toulouse , they intended to admit him . The President of the Conseil , our Bro . St . Jean , replied to this letter

on the nth December , informing thelodge that such an initiation would be illegal , as by Article 120 it was clearly declared , " Every profane refused for initiation cannot be presented anew except after the delay of one year . " In the reply of December 17 th , 1875 , the Secretary

announces that despite Article 120 , and the warning of the President of the " Conseil , " the lodge meant to initiate the brother , principally because apparently he had " beaucoup souffert pour la Republique et pour la libre pensee , " but without any reference whatever to the binding regulations of their own Order . On the 20 th of

December the President invited the lodge to pause , and to conform itself to the General Statutes , and to the particular law , Article 120 , calling the attention ofthe lodge to the responsibility it incurred by such a " flagrant delit " in respect of the constitutional regulations of French Freemasonry . The lodge , not heeding either

warning or advice , proceeded to initiate the profane , in direct disobedience of the precise terms of Masonic prescription , and the very words of the Code Ma 5 onnique , and therefore on the Sth January , 1876 , the Conseil de L'Ordre provisionally suspended the Lodge Orient de Galliac , and fixed February 12 th , 1876 , for it to appear before the " Conseil " and defend its conduct . What thet