Notice.

NOTICE .

We have deferred the Supplement until next week , and it will contain an account of Lord Suffield ' s Installation as P . G . M . of Norfolk by H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , G . M ., and other matter .

Important Notice.

IMPORTANT NOTICE .

COLONIAL and FOREIGN SUBSCRIBERS are informed that acknowledgments of remittances received are published in the first number of r > v < rv cnonth .

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 5 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 .

ADVERTISEMENTS should reach the Office , 198 Fleet Street , London , not later , than 12 o ' clock on Wednesday , to insure insertion in the following Saturday ' s'rmmber . The Rates for Advertisements may be had on application at the Office .

The "Freemason."

THE "FREEMASON . "

The Christmas number of the " Freemason " will appear on the 23 rd December , and will consist of 32 pages to . subscribers ; as usual , to non-subscribers + d . Orders to prevent disappointment , as the demand will be so large , should be sent at once to the Publisher 19 8 , Fleet Street , London .

The "Masonic Magazine."

THE "MASONIC MAGAZINE . "

The Christmas number of the Masonic Magazine will be ready on the 28 th of November , and . will be a double number . To subscribe ) s as usual , to non-subscribers is .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

The somewhat intemperate letter of the W . M . of the Hervey Lodge will appear in our next , and a proof of it shall be sent to hiic . ERRATUM . —In the Report of Lewis Lodge last week the name of Bro . " Sayer " was spelt " Layer . "

The following stand over : —Lodge of Honour , 379 ; Duke of Connaught , 1558 ; Abcrcorn Lodge , 1549 ; Domatic , 177 ; Morecambe Lodge , 1561 ; Rowley , 1051 ; Lodge of Fortitude , 281 ;| Kennington , 1381 ; Francis Burdett , 1503 ; Fortescue Mark Lodge ; Letters on " The Hervey Lodge , " " Toleration and Father Foy . "

Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

[ The charge is is . 6 d for announcements , not exceeding four lines , under this heading . ]

BIR'IHS . ADAMSON . —On the 8 th inst ., at Rottingdean , Sussex , the wife of J . D . Adamson , Esq ., of a daughter . BALFOUR . —On the 10 th ult ., at Bhamboorda , Poonah , the wife of M . Balfour , Esq ., of a son . EVANS . —On the 8 th inst ., at Kensington Gardens Square , W ., the wife of A . Evans , of a daughter . GORUON . —On the nth hist ., at 4 , Queen ' s-gardens , West

Brighton , the wife of Frederick Gordon , Esq ., of a son . JONES . —On the 9 th inst ., at Hayter-road , Brixton , the wife of A . M . Jones , of a son . ROOWILL . —On the 8 th inst ., at Thames Dittoti , the wife of W . H . Rodwell , Esq ., of a daughter . SMITH . —On the 8 th inst ., at Rye , Sussex , the wife of A . W . Smith , of a daughter . WHITE . —On the 9 th inst ., the wife of G . White , of Epsom , Surrey , of a daughter .

MARRIAGES . CANNINC , —ATHERTON . —On the gth inst ., at Ranisbury , Wilts , John Canning , of Windsor , to Ellen , daughter of W . F . Atherton , of Whittonditch . GREENE—PIIII . LOTT . —On the 7 th inst ., at Holy Trinity , Weston-super-Mare , William Batchelder , son of Col Greene , of U . S ., to Edith Fanny , daughter of R . Phillott , Esq ., of Weston-super-Mare .

DEATHS . BELL . —On the 9 th inst ., at Albany-street , N . W ., Marion , widow of Sir Charles Bell , in her 90 th year . DANIEL . —On the 9 th inst ., at City-road , Jesse Cato Daniel , M . A ., LL . D . HARVEV . —On the 8 th inst .. at Paris . Joseph Harvev . of

Lambeth House , S . E ., aged 84 . JENKINS . —On the gth inst ., at the Vicarage , Aberdare , aged 48 , the Rev . John David Jenkins , D . D . NELSON . —On the 6 th inst ., at Tingcwick , Bucks , George . Nelson , Esq . SUTTII . —On the 6 th inst ., at Bathampton House , Bath , Amelia , widow of U . G . Smyth , Esq ., in her 89 th year .

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TheFreemason, SATURDAY , Nov . 18 , 1876 .

A Masonic Press.

A MASONIC PRESS .

We have thought it well , as we are now in the midst of November , to devote a portion of our space to the consideration of this very important subject , for vatious reasons , and with a definite end . We are not insensible to the a priori reasons often brought forward against

Masonic publication . We o ten feel ourselves , as we have previously said , how difficult is the position of the Masonic publisher , the task of the Masonic ¦ editor . For , unlike most other institutions of earth , Freemasonry " per se " gains nothing by publication , bv the obtrusion of

its principles or proceedings on the attention of the outside world . Indeed , it is impossible , in our opinion , any longer to justify that abuse of the Masonic press which has been going on for some time past , in the opening out to the profane world the arcana of our rilual and our

lodge work . Far too much has been printed with respect to our ceremonial labours , and far too many of the" technical terms of our " Royal Art " have been made use of openl y in the Masonic press . During the last twelve months we have been seeking in the " Freemason " to curtail the

exuberance of lodge reports , and the " minuti-p " of detail into which many of our good correspondents have liked to fall , though we do not think that we have been successful in our endeavours , and we freel y admit that there is much room for improvement in the editorial

supervision in this respect . But within due bounds and proper restrictions the reports of lodge work have an interest for some brethren , and constitute a very striking portion of our Masonic life . No Masonic periodical can dispense with them altogether , and carefull y supervised and , if need be ,

curtailed , they form , we think , a befitting feature of all Masonic journalism . We are aware of no other valid objection to a Masonic press , except the old objection—to the press itself , but which , as Freemasons , we are too liberallyminded to endorse or to support , for there

is a large field for legitimate reporting , and for useful Masonic publication The proceedings , for instance , of our Grand Lodge , and of our Prov . Grand Lodges ( of course , within all due bounds ) , the accounts of the consecration of new lodges , the anniversary festivals of old lodges , the

addresses of distinguished Masons , and , above all , the interests of our great Masonic Charities , and all Masonic charitable eflbrts deserve , both passing notice and becoming record . And then , thanks to the labours of Bros . Findel , and Hughan , and D . Murray Lyon , and

many more , what a large and interesting field of research and discussion has a revived interest in Masonic Archaeology and 1 ' history , opened out before all thinking and studious Masons . Who shall venture to say , that in this condition of allairs , a Masonic Press is not

needed , is not important , is not useful ? Who can pretend to lay down arbitrarily the limits of its usefulness , its necessity , or its value . On the contrary we feel ourselves persuaded that all reflecting and fair-minded persons will admit , whatever their prepossessions may be on the

subject , that ( within the lines we have marked out for its course ) , that a Masonic Press isalikeimportant and advisable , judicious and justifiable . And it is for this one end , remember , that the " Freemason " has earnestly laboured since its foundation . The past history of the Masonic Press in England is

not so prosperous or so satisfactory as to enable any brother to find fault with any one , who for good and sufficient reasons , has ventured to found a Masonic journal . For some time the "Freemason" was the only Masonic paper in England , and had it not been for the energy and efforts of our publisher , and for his liberal

sacrifices , too often forgotten , English Freemasonry must have remained without any literary representative at all , for some time at any rate . But the " Freemason " has been established , has flourished , and is progressing , until it can boast , with no vain glory , or idle affectation , that it receives a larger measure of support than ever

A Masonic Press.

was meted out , that we are aware of , to any other English Masonic paper , and not onl y this , but out ot England it is largely read , and in India , our Colonies , Canada , and the United States , it hns numerous subscribers , and friendl y admirers , if we may judge by the manner in

which its leading articles are transferred to the columns of other Masonic periodicals and papers . We constantly receive kindl y letters of commendation , for which we are very grateful , and cur able confrere Bro , MacCalla , the Editor of the " Philadelphia

Keystone , not long ago paid us one of the highest compliments it has ever been our lot to receive . To us , then , the history of our past is pleasant , our situation in thc present is most prosperous , and our prospects for the future most encouraging . Never had any Masonic

paper more indulgent readers , more friendlycorrespondents , or more tolerant critics . Indeed , in all these respects we have nothing to wish for , nothing to want for , and nothing to demand . But there are one or two points on which we think it right to say a few words to our

numerous Masonic readers and friends . Some of our good brethren indulge in a little mistake as regards the actual position of a Masonic press , which we think it worth while to try and rectify . It would a / most seem as if some of our 100 , 000 members in England , are of opinion , almost ,

that a Masonic press should cost them nothing . They have a Masonic paper , with all the Masonic news of the week , carefully collected at some expense , they have the paper edited , printed , published , for thera , and they are too often unwilling to pay themselves any fraction of the

expense of production . A Masonic paper cannot be produced for nothing , numberless expenses make up the whole little amount , which each succeeding week has to be paid by somebody . Hence , then , it is no answer to our good publisher to sav , as he so often hears it said

" I see the "Freemason , " at the Club , " or " in the lodge Library , " " My lodge takes it in . " We have not in these common words any sufficient principle of support to make a Masonic paper a paying concern . No doubt if every lodge under our Grand Lodge took in a copy

every week , that would make an excellent foundation for the list of subscribers . But w want to go a little further , and to do a little more . If individual brethren would themselves give in their names to the subscription list , and induce one or two of their friends to do the

same , the circulation of the " Freemason , ' large as it is now , would be so greatly augmented that our liberal publisher would undoubtedly be ready permanently and considerabl y to increase it , and still to offer it at its present most reasonable price . Indeed , we have no hesitation in

saying that when you consider the weekly press of the country , it would be a very difficult task for any one to point to another p 3 per which gives so much , for so little . We think , then , that we have made a case for thc consideration of our fraternity , and we trust that we have made the matter also clear to their

minds . We ask for no subsidies , and we claim no support ; we neither tout for subscribers , nor do we invoke patronage . But we do say this , and we say it openly before the Craft , before all our readers and friends , who are quite competent to judge for themselves , that we give a good

marketable article , at the lowest possible " quotation , " and we may fairly entreat our kindly and intelligent fraternity to enable us to make the " Freemason " still more worthy of the position it aspires to occupy in the good opinion and conviction of all Angio-Saxon Freemasons . For one

thing , both publisher and editor pride themselves , namely , that they have carefully kept the pages of the " Freemason" free from anything like personality or unbrotherly feeling . While free op inion has been fairly discussed , it has never degenerated into license , and from first to last , the " Freemason " always has been , and always will be ,

distinguished by its obedience to Masonic authority , and the upholding of the regulations of the Book of Constitutions . Whatever the future may have in store for us all , no one ever can impute to the " Freemason " any laxity as regards our ancient landmarks , or judicious laws , and its readers will always find in its pages that proper vindication of " authority " 4 which is , in our