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* * * — —¦» - — ' - "— ' ¦ — ¦' NOTICE TO THE TRADE . Tin-: CHRISTMAS NUMBER

or THE"FREEMASON"

will consist of 32 PAGES , EXCLUSIVE of WRAPPER , and will contain a PORTRAIT of His ROYAL HIGHNESS the PRINCE of WALES . The CHARGE for this number will be FOUR PENCE .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

AU Communications , Advertisements , & c , intended for insertion in the Number of the following Saturday , must reach thc Office npt . later , than 12 o ' clock on Wednesday morning . Careful attention will he paid to all MSS . entrusted to the Editor , but he cannot undertake to return them unless accompanied by stamped directed covers . Bro . C . Pegler ' sletter on " The Girls' School " declined with thanks .

An interesting letter by Bro . W . J . Hughan , on the " Admission of Members , " in our next . Thc following stand over : — " Admission t f New Members" ; Letter from Chili ; the late Bro . Thomas Sleator . Reports of lodges : Etonian , 20 9 ; St . Luke ' s , 225 ; Cleveland , 543 ; Ellesmere , 768 ; Peifect Ashlar , 1178 ; Pock , 1289 ; Albert and Edward , iijfio ; Duke of Connaught ,

1588 ; Chapter of Prudent Brethren , 145 . BOOK RECEIVED : —" Scottish Proverbs , " by A . Henderson . —Tegg and Co . FRATERNAL ENQUIRED . —Optional . ENQUIRER . —We cannot understand the question as propounded . What docs the 1 to 13 mean ? Any Scottish brother can join an English lodge by vote of lodge ,

paying joining fee , producing the Scotch certificate , and being registered under the English Grand Lodge . B 110 . T . W . PiiKTiiAi . i .. —You had better write to the Grand Secretary . A shocking instance of Roman Catholic persecution of Masons , and even desecration of thc dead , will appear in our next impression .

The account of our Royal Grand Master elephant hunting will also appear next week . E HRA - TA . —In thc letter of llro . Binckes last week . In the first column , line 11 from thc bottom , " tune " should read " tone . "—In the second column the word " tabic " should follow " died . " In line 3 from thc top the cost for " Salaries and Wages , first figures column 2 , should be X ' 14 14 s . gd ., and the average , £ 8 7 d . 7 d .

Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

DEATH . M ASSA . —December 14 th , very suddenly , at Ivy Lodge , Plaistow , Essex , Maria Eliza wife of Thomas Massa of Dowgatc Hill , surveyor , ( P . M . Xo . 59 ) eldest daughter of the late James Dixion Esq ., of the 4 th Light Dragoons . SLEATOII . —On the 4 th inst ., at Oak Villa , Waterford , Bro . Th-Hiias Slcntur , P . M . ; , ^ 2 , and 297 ; P . Z . 5 and 52 , & -c .

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TheFreemason, SATURDAY , DEC . 18 , 187 . 5 .

Our Royal Grand Master In India.

OUR ROYAL GRAND MASTER IN INDIA .

The Prince having left Ceylon , readied Tuticorin on thc nth ; Madura at - ,. 30 the same afternoon . He ranched Madras from Trichonop oly nt 7 .. 30 on the 14 th . The Times gives ns the following interesting details r—The Prince of Wales landed at Tuticorin at 8 . 40 , where he had

an enthusiastic reception . The landing-place and town were very prettily decorated , and a number of presents from the Chiefs were orterr'd . The first train that ever has run on the South India Railway was starled . Dr . Caldwell presented an address from the Tinnevellv Christians ,

and 600 Natives sang a number of hymns . Madura was reached rit 5 . 30 , and 60 , 000 people were assembled to welcome the Prince . Thc sight was remarkable , and the greatest enthusiasm was displayed , all the people of the country having apparently come to cheer their illustrious

visitor . But they were not very well able to recognize him , as lie wore no distinctive uniform . At every station the Chiefs ofthe district had assembled . The streets of Madura were handsomely decorated , and a Guard of Honour of the j 9 tlAI .-ulr . 1 s Sepoys wns at the railway station , andjjone ol * tlv ; [ 8 9 th Regiment at head-

Our Royal Grand Master In India.

quarters . The Rajah of Roodoocotah received and offered presents , and the Prince was greatly pleased with the scene . The fireworks and illuminations to-night are magnificent . The Chiefs and the people have spent ^" 5000 in providing a suitable reception for the Prince . The

State dinner at the Queen ' s House , given by the Governor , was very successful . As to the Club ball , at which tbe Prince , the Governor ' s guests , and the elite of the British , Foreign , and Cingalese residents were present , it may be fairly set down as one of the greatest of many pretty and

expensive efforts made to entertain the Prince , and to have been triumphantly successful . The Prince wore the uniform of the 10 th Hussars . He appeared to enjoy the evening very much , and did not leave till after the tenth dance . Next day was a field-day among the jewellers and box

wallahs , and then the Prince drove to Leechman ' s factory , where cocoanut oil , fibre , coir , i \ rc ., are made on a large scale . The Cingalese seemed never to tire of waiting to see the Prince . Colombo was en fete , and business was suspended , shops being closed all along the route .

On Sunday Divine Service was celebrated at 12 . 30 . The Prince left Trichonopoly station at 4 in the afternoon . The axles ofthe carriage were so much heated that the train had to stop twice . It arrived at Madras one hour late , at 7 . 30 . The Governor , his Staff , and the authorities

awaited the Princes , and there was a presentation of native Chiefs . The procession was accompanied by the 16 th Lancers , the bodyguard and suite preceding the carriage of the Prince and Governor with Major-General Probyn . An escort of horse and a foot cortege of the

atitnonties followed . The arrangements were admirable . Only the municipal police kept order in the poorest suburb . The streets were packed . Thousands had come into the town the night before . Every place was occupied . At dawn the troops lined the way to

Government House . Christian children sang with a pretty effect . All along the route there were flags and streamers and striking native dresses . The Prince was known to the crowd by his gold umbrella . He was received everywhere with marks of intense interest and cnrious

respect , i . here was no cheering or noise . 'I he Prince reached Government House at 9 , when presentations were made . Breakfast was at 12 . The Maharajah of Travancore paid a visit to the Prince . The visit was private , but was conducted in great state . He speaks English . The

Prince expressed his regret that he could not visit Travancore . The Maharajah seemed much pleased . The next visit was from the Rajah of Cochin . He spoke about the trade of Cochin , and also seemed greatly gratified . Thc Prince of Arcot and four Sirdars followed . The Prince of

Arcot said the dreams of his life were at last realised . The Prince gave attar to each , and proper salutes and honours were paid . At one levee there were upwards of 300 Chiefs and Europeans . The Prince stood in front of a splendid silver chair on a raised dais . The Duke

of Buckingham and Sir Bartle Frere were on his right , and the Duke of Sutherland on his left . The native ofiicers presented wore very magnificent costumes . At 8 there was a Stale Banquet with 50 covers ; the Bench , the Clergy , and the Civil and Military authorities were represented .

The Governor of Pondicherry , and his suite were also present . There was an illumination at 10 . 30 . The Prince , the Governor , and his suite rode ont to Guindy Park . To-morrow is the anniversary of the Prince Consort ' s death , and will be spent there in seclusion by the Prince .

The Report Of The Special Committee Of The Boys' School.

THE REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE BOYS' SCHOOL .

Most of our readers will have anticipated the result which the recently appointed Special Committee of the Boys' School has now brought about . Indeed , there could be but one answer to so foolish and perverse an insinuation . We

are not now going into the general and loudly re-iterated charges of mismanagement , extravagance , incompetence , and impropriety , which brethren have thought well for some time past to disperse broadcast among the Craft . Some

The Report Of The Special Committee Of The Boys' School.

may wish that a Special Committee had beeu appointed to enquire generally into all the charges , and bring accused and accusers face to face ^ But the special point into which the Committee had to enquire which has now presented its Report , and which appeared in the last "

Freemason , is whether or no the sum of £ 141 ijjs . was accounted for . The Special Committee finds that the sum is accounted for , and that the mistake is purely on the part of Bros . Tew and Perrott , and that there is not the least confusioa in the accounts , nor the sli ghtest pretence for

saying so . Such , then , is the result of the investigation , entirely exonerative of Bro . Binckes , of the House Committee , and of the Auditors . We feel bound to add that we fully concur in Bro . Ridgway ' s remarks , that the pamphlets as circulated are practically " false and libellous , " and

that the " object with which they have been so pertinaciously " circulated " can not be " recognised by brother Masons as in the slightest degree of an honourable or fraternal character . '' We have always contended , and still contend , that had Bros . Tew and Perrott any real or imaginary

grievances there was but one proper course open to them , namely to go before the General Committee in the first instance , and move for the appointment of a Special Committee to enquire into all these allegations , which , under the circumstances , would assuredly have been at

once granted , and we have reason to believe that no one would have hailed such an appointment more readily than Bro . Binckes himself . But , instead of this honourable , straightforward , manly , and Masonic course , what have Bros . Tew and Perrott done ? The first attack on the Boys ' School was made on the eve of the BUYS' School

Anniversary this year , when such uir-inuations and assertions and charges might naturally have affected the returns to the Charity itself . Happily , the good sense and loyal sympathies of the Craft prevailed over ungenerous imputations and unwarranted allegations . Then comes the second

pamphlet , though we must not forget the interlude of a semi pamphlet by Bro . Perrott , printed at Pontefract , which certainly was a pamphlet sui generis . Amid much of wild writing and illogical statement , the second pamphlet contained certain modest demands on the part of two

members of our great Craft . First , that Bro . Binckes and the Matron should be removed ; secondly , that the House Committee should be changed ; and thirdly , that Bro . Perrott should be reinstated . Certainly , these were wonderful requisitions to be peremptorily submitted to a startled brotherhood and a

competent executive ; and we do not ourselves call to mind any proceedings during our Craft membership more unbecoming ur un-Masonic from first to last . Indeed , we are inclined to treat the whole matter as a Masonic Comedy of Errors , were it not possible that a

perpetuation of such a Parthian warfare might seriously affect the returns to the Boys' School , which is entirely dependent on the voluntaryofl ' erings of the Order . We should be ready to say " Kisum tenc-atis Fratres , " wero it not that there is a very serious side to the matter , namely ,

in the personal feelings evoked and the unfraternal animus dbplnjed . As it is , we think it best to leave the matter here ; and we consider the discussion closed , and the controversy at an end . The Special Committee has clearly proved that the charges of want of clearness of accounts , & c ,

are unfounded , that all payments are vouched for ; and we can only hope that such an exhibition cf indiscreet partizanship as certain unfortunate pamphlets have exhibited , and which have rendered this recent committee necessary , may never occur again . Like our able and respected

Bro . J . Symonds , we have never flattered Bro . Binckes ; we have very often disagreed with him , and not unfrcquently been opposed to his views ; but we have ever , done justice to his energy and earnestness , and to his great aud most successful exertions on behalf of the Boys ' School . We fully endorse in this spirit Bro ,

Symonds' concluding remarks ; and we trust thai Bro . Binckes may now be left alone to carry on the important duties ofthe Secretariat . Surely Bros . Tew and Perrott have said quite tnoiigh , and the Craft generally , not excluding the great majority of West Yorkshire brethren , is heartily sick of personal attacks and illogical statements .