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ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS , ST . J ' S HILL , BATTERSEA RISE , S . W . PATRON ANII PRESIDENT : — IIis ROVAI . HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OE WALES , K . G ., & c , M . W . G . M . PATRONESS : HER ROVAI . HIGHNESS THE PRINCESS OE WALES . THE NINETY-FOURTH ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL of this Institution will take place Ou WEDNESDAY , MAY 10 th , 1 SS 2 , under the Presidency of H . R . H . THE DUKE OF CONNAUGHT , K . G ., & c , P . G . W . Brethren willing to act as Stewards arc urgently itccdedi , and will greatly oblige by forwarding their names as early as passible to the Secretary , who will gladly give any information required . F . R . VV . HEDGES , Ofiice , 5 , Freemasons' I lall , Sec . Great Oueen-strcet , London , W . C . VOTES FOR GIRLS' AND BOYS ' SCHOOLS ELECTION . A Brother in want of some Votes , both for the Girls' and Boy- ' School Elections , would be glad to meet or correspond with any brother or brethren having any such votes to lend . Apply P . M . M ., forthwith , Freemason Ollice , id , Great ( hiecn-strect , W . C .

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ROYAL SEA BATHING INFIRMARY , MARGATE . ESTABLISHED 1791 . THE ONLY ONE EXCLUSIVELY FOR SCROFULOUS POOR . COL . CREATON , TRKASURBR . JOHN M . CLABON , ESQ ., HON . SECRETARY . Ihis Hospital requires aid . An extra liberal diet table is of necessity required on account of the exhausting l » Uurc 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 ., Margate . Offices : No . 30 , Charing Cross , VV . JOHN THOMAS WALKER , Secretary

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TWTASONIC HALL , CROYDON . IIAREWOOD HOUSE , 105 , HIGH STREET . This Hall has every requirement for Masonic purposes , ll contains a large Organ , blown by hydraulic power , and has an excellent ' cellar for Lodges to keep their own wines . The following Lodges arc held there , viz . —Frederick , 452 ; Addiscombe , ' 155 ( 1 ; Mozart , i < j 2 * i ; Crovdon Mark , lyS ; l ' lcderick Chapter . For terms , itc , address — JOHN RHODES , P . M .. P . P . G . O . Surrey ; P . P . G . M . O . Middx . and Surrey .

To Correspondents.

To Correspondents .

The following stand over : — Scientific Lodge , No . SS . Yarborough Lodge , No . 2 * . * . Prince Leopold Lodge , No . 15 S-. Gallery Lodge , No . iy 2 S . Union " Lodge of Instruction , No . 2- <> Tredegar Lodgeof Instruction , No . 1025 . Faithful ! Mark Lodge , N 0 . 220 . Ancient Ebor Preceptory , No . 101 . BOOKS , & c , RECEIVED . " Calcndricr Du Grand Orient of France , " "Keystone , " " Roval Cornwall Gazette , " " The Broad Arrow , " "The Hull Packet , " " l'he Citizen , " " Proceedings—Supreme Council , " " The West London Advertiser , " " Boletin Grand Orient dc Brazil , " " Annual Convocation of the Grand Chapter of the State of Virginia ;"" The Masonic Record , " " The Court Circular , " " Freemasons' Repository , " "Allen's Indian Mail , " " Die Bauhutte , " " Statement of thc East London Church Fund , 1 SS 0-S 1 , " " Ihe Freemason , " "The Masonic Advocate , " "Statement of the Grand Lodge of Ouebec , " "The Grand Chapter of N-Jjraska , " " The Hebrew Leader . "

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Pff ^^ IIS ^ rll wre © ffias ©| rl WvJZrvf ^ rS & S ^^ J ^ SATURDAY , MARCH IN , 1882 .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[\ V < r do not ho !» l ourcdvirs rcspon-ililc for , or even approving of , tlii ; opinions eN [» re- > eil hy oiircorrc-ponilunts , lint wcwish in a spirit tit fiiir \ ilnv to all to ne ' rmit—within certain mrCvrssarj limits—( rec "SC "" TTH * : COMING SCHOOLS KLKCTIONS . Dear Bro . Kenning , — You have been so kind previously as to allow me to appeal for votes in the Freemason that I trespass again on your space to-day , to say that for various reasons I am

Original Correspondence.

most anxious to obtain as many Girls' and Boys' votes as possible in April , and shall esteem it a great favour and personal obligation if any subscribers , assuming they have no special case to support , will kindly send mc their votes . 1 am , dear Bro . Kenning , vcry fraternally yours , A . F . A . WOODFORD . 25 A , Norfolk-crescent , Hyde-park , VV .

THK SPECIAL GRAND LODGE . To thc Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — The extraordinary gathering of Freemasons on Wednesday night to meet the Most Worshipful Grand Master , on an occasion when manliness , loyalty , and

Masonry required a place and an occasion for free expression , reveals in an unexpected manner that the temple in whicii ( he ciders of the Craft have usually met is no longer equal to the requirements of the Order . Hundreds were unable to get within the portals . Year by year , as Masonry extends itself , matters will become worse . What will the authorities do ? Certainly

not exclude , from want of room , brethren who are induced by loyal ties to " the Ouecn and the Craft" to travel from great distances , to the leading Temple of Masonry to find themselves excluded . What is to be done ? Why , in the lirst place , communicate a complaint to the Editor of the Freemason . So , sir , please sec to this reasonable complaint , and oblige an EXCLUDED SECRETARY .

LODGE RITUAL . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — May I ask you , or the writer of a letter whicii appeared in your issue of Dec . 17 th last , signed " Masonic Custom , " to give inc chapter and verse for thc ruling of

Grand Lodge referred to in the antepenultimate paragraph of his letter , that a . ' * Warden , in a case of necessity , no P . M . at all being present , can perform thc ceremony . " 1 have always understood that , in thc absence of a P . M ., no Degrees could be conferred . I am , yours fraternally , J , T .

THE INITIATION OF CANDIDATES . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — The interesting details set forth in the letter of " A Young nnd Earnest Mason " in your issue of the 23 rd ult ., prompts me to add my mite in support of thc facts

therein contained . I am a much younger , but hope no less an earnest , Mason than our worthy brother ; and , though only just learning to walk alone in the secrets of thc Craft , it has already been my lot to become intimately acquainted with a specimen of thc carelessness complained of by your correspondent in the introduction and initiation of fit and

proper persons into Masonry . Though young in the Order , I have already learned to guard most zealously its secrets and privileges . 1 have the honour to belong to a lodge which , I believe , stands well in Masonic estimation—I heard so before I was initiated , and my short acquaintance with it fully confirms thc good report—in which every possible

care is taken to admit only good men and true , and sail within thc line of constitutional law , using such caution as is desirable in the selection of new members . I am sorry to say this is not the case with soinc lodges ; and , hy thc way , I may add , to my mind , thc entrance into Freemasonry is too cheap and easy in this particular point ; and here I

will fully endorse the remarks of your correspondent , that the responsibility rests entirely upon thc shoulders of the proposer and seconder , and they arc not fulfilling their obligations to thc Craft if they do not make proper enquiry respecting the candidate , and be perfectly satisfied he is worthy to be admitted a Mason , and not introduce a man

for the sake of swelling the number of the lodge , for it is better to have a small number and good than large and doubtful ; in fact , were all brethren to put the proper value on the meaning of what they have undertaken to hold sacred thr-re never would be such instances of carelessness as the one I am about to disclose , and which , I am pleased

to say , together with my informant , a brother of 172 S , and a J . W . of another lodge , the number of which I forget for the moment , wc were instrumental in preventing . A candidate was proposed and seconded , and was to have been initiated on Monday , February 13 th last . He was described as an lenginecr , but , upon enquiry , he turned out

to be a blacksmith ' s labourer in receipt of a weekly wage of twenty-five shillings per week , rented apartments at the rate of six shillings per week , and had paid only one week out of six , of course owing the other ; had contracted a loan to pay his initiation fee ; borrowed his landlord ' s watch to pawn , to enable him to get suitable attire lo attend thc

lodge , burrowed money of his neighbour to get a scarf-pin out of pawn , and made no secret of the fact that as soon as hc became a Mason he should not work so hard , but avail himself of thc secrets and charities of the Craft for a better existence . The lodge he was to have joined was , I think , live guineas initiation fee and three guineas annual subscription . 'J he wage thc man was getting was scarcely

sufficient to allow of his being admitted a Forester or Odd Fellow ; yet he could find a Mason asking him to join the Craft—moreover , supporting him in his foolish idea , totally in opposition to that brother's obligation . When my brother of 1728 gave me these particulars , I immediately wrote lo the W . M . of the lodge , and , together with two brethren , signed thc letter , and sent it in Just as the busi-

Original Correspondence.

ness of the lodge was about to commence , and , as before stated , with the satisfaction of knowing that the candidate was refused , but would not have been onl y for our intervention . I may add I have all particulars of the names of the lodge , proposer , & c , but as I use this as an illustration only

in support ot "A Voung and Earnest Mason , " I withhold these particulars . I think these facts alone ought to be sufficient for the Craft to take into consideration some means whereb y the evil of bringing jin candidates indiscriminately should be diminished , if not abolished . I have an idea in my mind

that I think would work effectually in a measure , and will lake an early opportunity of suggesting , after having given it further consideration in council with one or two brothers ; for it does seem a great pity that the secrets and workings of our grand Order should be entrusted into the

keeping of unqualified and careless hearts . I loping you will excuse all imperfections , and apologising for taking up so much of your valuable space , I remain , yours fraternally , CHAS . GOODING , 1329 . March , 1 SS 2 .

APOLLO UNIVERSITY LODGE . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — 1 am much obliged to * ' A Member of No . 357 " for his prompt replies to my queries . The reason of our difference must now , I think , be

obvious . I borrowed tbe word " opened " from Captain Lameit ' s history , and I used it in the " Freemason Historical Calendar" in thc sense indicated in my last letter , to wit , " consecrated . " " A Member of No . 357 " has employed it in its ordinary Masonic signification as applied to the " opening " of a lodge . But though it now turns out that

both of us from our respective points arc right—for under the circumstances , as described already , the newly-installcd W . M . could n » t have "opened" his lodge till [ thc ioth February , while hc could not have been installed , as hc was , on thc iSth , much less opened it , till after it had been " consecrated , " which , I take it , happened on the ioth of

thc month—I must ask " A Member of No . 357 " to bear in mind that his first contention was that the meeting on the ioth February was a mere " informal " gathering . It was to this I objected—and rightly , I think—on the ground that the historian of thc lodge would not have troubled himself about such a meeting .

However , it is hardly worth while prolonging the discussion when the only difference between us is , that I have taken as my guide the date of the initiatory proceedings , which constitute historically thc opening of the lodge , while hc prefers thc date on which those proceedings were

consummated by the appointment and investiture of officers , There is , I allow , a fair show of reason for his contention ; but with thc excusable love of a parent for its offspring , I still hold that my date is thc preferable one . I remain , faithfully and fraternally , THE COMPILER OF THE FKEEMASON HISTORICAL CALENDAR .

Till * : GRAND LODGE SYMBOLIQUE . To the Editor ofthe " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I have read Bro . Lambert ' s letter with great attention , as it deserves , but fail to find in it thc slightest proof of the legality of ihe Grand Lodge Symbolique . A

certain number of lodges under the Rit Ecossais , finding that thc necessary supremacy of thc Thirty-third Degree , though in accordance with thc traditions and teaching ol the system , antagonizes their idea of a Craft Grand l-odge , set up an opposition Craft Grand Lodge to the Ancient and Accepted Rite .

It clearly lias not a leg to stand upon , cither by Masonic law or precedent . The right of the Ancient and Accepted Rite to issue Craft warrants is a vcry moot and debatable point , and is , in itself , an innovation and a departure from the earliest teaching of thc grade . But in France , as elsewhere , unfortunately , thc Ancient and Accepted Rite have

granted warrants . Hence thc dilemma ! Thc Grand Loge Ccntralc was always a makeshift , and it was clear it must one day come into open collision wilh thc supreme and paramount authority of the Thirty-third Degree . And so it came to pass . But because certain unruly spirits , who wished for more power , and clamoured

for change , and change , too , if I remember rightly , in unison with the principles of the Grand Orient , it was not a natural or a legal result that they were to form a new Grand Lodge Bro . Lambert ' s announcement that this body , call it whal you will , received permission from the Grand Orient and the Supreme Conseil , is a little misleading . Does Bro .

Lambert mean that it received recognition both from the Grand Orient and the Rit Ecossais , or does h-2 not rather mean that thc body was very heartily and injudiciously patronized by thc Grand Orient , as a source ol weakness if not of annoyance , to its old enemy thc A . and A , Rite ? Thc Supreme Conseil is that of thc Hig h Grades under the Grand Orient . That recognition counts for nothing /

it only affects the Grand Orient , and docs not legalize the meeting of a Grand Lodge , formed out of lodges whit " were not independent lodges each sui juris , but a povW of a system of Ihirty-thrce degrees . Had the partizans of the Grand Lodge Symboli < l u- * formed a new Grand Conseil of the A . and A . Rite , they would have been more consistent and logical in their P ' cecdings .