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 , 10 / -

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

Good Hope , Ceylon , China , Constantinople , Demerara , France , Germany , Gibraltar , Jamaica , Malta , Newfoundland , New South Wales , New Zealand , Suez , Trinidad , United States of America , etc . P . O . O . ' s to be made payable at the chief office , London .

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 terms , position , & c , apply to GEORGE KENNING , 198 , Fleet-st .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

All Communications , Advertisements , & c , intended for insertion in the Number of the following Saturday , must reach the Office not later than 12 o ' clock on Wednesday morning . J . L . —In answer to J . L ., in England the W . M . solely appoints the officers , except Treasurer and Tyler . We do not know what the rule in Scotland is .

The following stand over : — Letters from J . P . P ., Lyttleton , New Zealand ; A Past Master ; Oration by Bro . P . Rintoul ; J . M . S . D . in our next '; Lodge of Peace , Mcltham , No . 149 ; Royal Brunswick Lodge , Shcffield , No . 296 ( too late fortius week—in our

next ); Granite Lodge , No . 1328 ; City of Westminster Lodge , No . 136 3 ; Elliot Lodge , No . 1367 ; Lodgeof Joppa , No . 188 ; Lodge Concord , No . 757 ; Lodge of Honour , No . 379 ; Stonehouse Chapter , Sincerity , No . 189 ; Temple Lodge of Mark Masters 17 *? ; Dyke's Conclave , No . ** j 6 ; Masonic Ball at Huddersfield . _

Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

[ The charge is 2 s . 6 d . for announcements , not exceed ing four lines , under this heading . ] BIRTHS . LANOI . EV , wife of thc Rev . William , M . A ., Curate of St Matthew ' s , at Leicester , Feb . 3 , of a son . PLUNKET , wife of the Hon . Arthur C . C , at Govern ment House , Derry , l * * eb . 12 , of a daughter .

MARRIAGE . NELSON—COATES . —Nov . 30 , at St . Paul's , Auckland , New Zealand , the Rev . G . M . Nelson , Incumbent of St . Paul's , to Georgiana Sophia , second daughter of the late James Coates , Esq ., Montcgo Bay , Jamaica .

DEATHS . LANGLEY . —Feb . 12 , at Leicester , aged 37 , Anne Catharine , dearly-loved and loving wife of the Rev . W . Langley , M . A ., Curate of St . Matthew ' s , Leicester . DOIIEHTY . —Feb . 7 , at Vernon House , Weston Park , Bath , Anne Eliza , wife of Lieutcnant-General H . E .

Doherty , C . B ., daughter , of the late Sir W . Onslow , Bart . POSTI . ETIIWAITE . —Feb . 10 , at Ulverston , Wm . Postlethwaite , Esq ., banker , aged . 86 . COLERIDGE . —Feb . 11 , at Heaths Court , Ottery St . Mary , the Right Hon . Sir John Taylor Coleridge , aged 8 ; .

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The Freemason , SATURDAY , FEB . 19 , 1876 .

Our Royal Grand Master In India.

OUR ROYAL GRAND MASTER IN INDIA .

In the "Times" of Saturday , thc 12 th , the telegraphic message appeared of date Feb . nth from Calcutta—that Ihe Serapis and Osborne has left that place for Bombay , in order to be in readiness for the embarkation of the Prince of Wales on his return to England , A hearty

welcome awaits him from all classes here . The last account is as follows , from Shaffa Khana , Feb . 16 th , in the "Times" of 17 th : — "The Prince of Wales , who is now on a shooting tour in Kumaon and the Nepaul Terai , camped last night at Nuggla Kumaon . The Roval party are

Our Royal Grand Master In India.

advancing by easy stages towards Nepaul , striking camp daily . There has been fair sport in deer and other game , but only one tiger has been seen . Yesterday his Royal Highness shot a fine bear , and Lord Aylcsford another . All the party are in excellent health . " Wc call attention to our Grand Master ' s kindness to his brethren in India , mentioned in another page .

The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

We congratulate our Order , the Managing Committee , and not the least , Bro . Terry , on the remarkable result of the anniversary and gathering for 18 / 6 of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . The * sum total is a very large one , unprecedented in the annals ofthe Institution

itself , and one that does all credit to the efforts of the Stewards , and the great and charitable impulses of our friendly and benevolent brotherhood . West Lancashire with its £ 1500 is a striking commentary in itself on the active charity of our good brethren in Liverpool especially , and on the

popularity of our distinguished Deputy Grand Master ! For this is the first Masonic charitable "Grand Assembly " of this year of grace aud light , and if Bros . Little and Binckes are equally successful , which from Bro . Binckes' symbolical action at the festival we are inclined to augur

and to hope , we shall have given to Masonic charity this year the interest at three per cent , of probably overa million of money . We therefore , trust that this first great gatheiing of 1876 is but the omen of and prelude to equal , nay , greater results to be obtained as thc months roll on , and

the Girls and Boys Schools each in turn appeal to a sympathetic and true-hearted brotherhood . And yet , despite a not unnatural and reasonable " paean " of success we feel bound to " improve the occasion , '' and point out to our readers one or two truths and considerations alike pressing

and important . Despite so much that has been done , is doing , and will be done in this year for Masonic charity , much remains to be done . Many lodges subscribe widely , many districts do grandly , many individuals make most genuine and striking efforts , but yet a large number of

our lodges do nothing at all ! We have before said , that in our opinion no lodge has really done its duty by the charities or to Masonic Benevolence , until it is a Vice-President if jjossible—at any rate a Life Governor , ofthe four Masonic Charities . Were we founding a new

lodge to-day we should say " Make your first great rule the practice of your own Masonic principles , and make everything else subordinate to them . Curtail all unavoidable expenses , restrict your banquets , be content to work , so to say , on ' short commons , ' until you are in a

position to declare that your lodge , as representing your little brotherhood , was in possession of ten votes in perpetuity for each of the charities . " If some think this too high a standard of Lodge Charity to inculcate or arrive at , let them remember that we are laying down first principles .

We admit that it is impossible to form a rule applicable to all lodges , inasmuch as the position of the metropolitan lodges , and provincial lodges widely differs in one respect . In London the banquets are paid for out of the lodge subscriptions , in the provinces as a rule they are

not . Hence the subscriptions in London represent the maximum , so to say , in the provinces the minimum , ' and London lodges , with some notable exceptions , deal with larger sums annually than the provincial lodges . But still we think much more may be done by the

lodges on a general system than is done , and we therefore feel bound , as a " Masonic Mentor , " to call the attention of our good brethren to the subject . We think that each lodge ought to have its Benevolent Fund created by special donations , and that from this grants should be made to the

charities and individual brethren . And , throwing out respectfully these hints for the consideration of the Craft , we beg to close , as we commenced this article , with congratulations to all concerned for the signal success of the Festival ofthe 12 th , and with earnest hope for an equal satisfactory return from the Girls ' School and Boys' School anniversary gatherings . ^

The Suez Canal.

THE SUEZ CANAL .

The East has always a charm for every thinking person . It lies still before us in its mystic grandeur , shrouded like Isis of old in all but impenetrable wonder and awe , silent and weird in its glamour and desolation like the stately and majestic Sphinx . It is still a land of marvels and strange contrasts , of moving memories and captivatinp * realities . We wander in its crowded

cities , or move amidst its isolated ruins , spellbound , fascinated , awe struck ! The genius of the land still seems to enthral us and surround us at every step we take , at every sight we pause , with a magic and subduing influence . Go where we will our minds perforce recur to those

oriental tales which delighted us so much in happier years . In Cairo especially , the memories of the "Arabian Nights" still cling to us , and though perhaps we do not find " cream tarts with or without pepper , " we can still see a veiled lady on a shopping excursion , we still can realize

the existence of those lively personages who crowd the pleasant pages of thai delightful book , we still see the scar on Amine ' s cheek , and listen to the sagacious but somewhat voluble Zobeide , and admire the silent , and discreet , and listening Sultan . How unlike modern husbands ! Smith

of to-day says to Robinson of to-day , " Fine weather , old boy . My wife has lost her voice , and can ' t talk . Just suits me , old fellow . " Painful contrast ! "But revenons a nos moutons . " And the East has ever , too , a lasting interest for Freemasons , for Freemasonry came from the

East , remember . In saying this we do not forget the great principles of cause and effect , of origin and development , of historical accuracy , of archaeological truth . Freemasonry is no doubt lineally and directly from the Operative Guilds , but the guilds had through Roman , through

Etrurian , through Hebrew , through Grecian , ' through Phoenician Confraternities , after all , we believe , a purely Eastern origin . And if that ancestry of ours be in the remote ages of the past , it is still our ancestry , and one of which we may all be proud . Egypt especially has historic

claims for us , is perhaps for us the " missing link , " inasmuch as there can be no doubt but that a portion at any rate of the Egyptian initiatory system was grafted at a very early period into the " secreta receptio " ofthe building sodalities . Masons' marks can still be seen on the interior

walls of thc Pyramids , identical with those in use elsewhere , and with those in use in much later epochs . We have , then , as Freemasons , a deep and abiding interest in all that relates to the East , and not the least to Egypt . Without entering upon political

disquisitions , or discussing affairs of state , always torbidden to Freemasons , we may we think be permitted to rejoice that by a wise and enlightened decision the Government of our country has acquired national rights and vested interests in that remarkable undertaking , the Suez Canal .

Independently of the absolute necessity of preserving at any cost our highway to India , and of maintaining our prestige in the Mediterranean , we think that all that tends to bring nations closer to each other under the guarantees of law , of order , of civilization , of good

government , constitutes a fresh pledge for the preservation of the peace of the world , and is therefore a true blessing to humanity . In , therefore , the interests of brotherly goodwill and cosmopolitan unity , we hail this , in our humble opinion , judicious step of Her Majesty ' s

constitutional advisers , and we trust , as we believe , that it will tend more and more to the welfare of Egypt , the extension of commerce , to the benign and elevating influences of civilizing progress and general intercourse . We think that M . Lesseps has deserved well of all

who , looking beyond the somewhat narrow limits of local prejudices and even national interests , can regard with approval the onward march of that great army of the human race , on whose banners are inscribed the pleasant words , Toleration , Improvement , Goodwill ; " whose

victories are ever victories of peaceful enthusiasm , whose successes are ever successes of humanitarian sympathy and fraternal concord . " JWe therefore , not as politicians but as Freemasons , rejoice in the acquisition by this country of active interests in that most important and striking enterprize , the Suez Canal .