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N . B . —ALTERATION OF DATE AND PLACE OF FESTIVAL . ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS , WOOD GREEN , LONDON , N . EIGHTY-SECOND ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL , CRYSTAL PALACE , SYDENHAM , THURSDAY , IST J , 1 SS 0 The rcight Hon . the EARL OF LATIIOM , R . W . Dep . G . M ., Provincial Grand Master of West Lancashire in the Chair . ' Board of Stewards . President—Lt .-Col . N . LE GENDRE , R . W . Provincial Grand Master of East Lancashire . Acting Vice-Presidents : Rt . Hon . LORD CREMORNE , NO . C . VV . Bro . J WORDSWORTH , Trustee , V .-Patronof Inst .: P . Pr . G . W ., VV . Yorkshire . VV . Bro . J . A . RUCKER , P . G . D ., Vice-Patron of Inst . VV . Bro . " HORACE BROOKS MARSHALL ( C . C . ) , V .-Patron of Inst . VV . Bro . CLEMENT R . N . BF . SWICKE ROYDS , P . Pr . G . W ., E . Lane . ; V .-Pres . of Inst . VV . Bro . LL-C 0 I . S 0 . MERVILLE BURNEY , G . D ., P . Pr . G . D ., Essex . Hon . Treasurer : VV . Bro . J . G . STEVENS , P . M . and Treas ., No . 554 . With 276 other brethren , representing Lodges and Provinces , to which additions are still earnestly solicited . The services of brethren will be gratefully acknowledged . Musical Arrangements : Miss Mary McLean will sing two Songs . Miss Hopekirk will play Pianoforte Solo . Pupils' Choir , with Professional Assistants , under the direction of Mr . VV . H . Holmes , Musical Instructor . Pupil's Band , conducted by Mr . VV . Whare , Bandmaster . Tickets—Ladies , 15 s . ; Brethren , 21 s . Dinner on the Table at Five o'clock precisely . Every information may be obtained at the Office of the Institution , 6 , Freemasons' Hall , W . C . FREDERICK BINCKES , V .-Prcs . ( P . G . Steward ) , Secretary . 7 th June , 1 SS 0 . Hon . Sec . Board of Stewards .

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THE ANNUAL PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF LINCOLNSHIRE , OF ANCIENT FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS , Will be holden ( D . V . ) at Lincoln , in the MASONIC HALL , on THURSDAY , the 24 th J next , on the invitation of the Lodges Withani , No . 297 , and St . Hugh , No . 13 S 6 , at High Twelve punctually , when and where the P . G . Officers and Past Officers , with the VV . Masters and Past Masters , and the acting Wardens in the Province , are hereby convoked to attend , and at which all Master Masons are invited to be present . By order of the R . W . P . G . M . FREDERICK D . MARSDEN , Provincial Grand Secretary . Louth , June Sth , 1 SS 0 .

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PROVINCE QF KENT . Dear Sir and Brother , The ANNUAL PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE of Kent will be held at the FORESTERS' HALL , Union Crescent , Margate , on Wednesday , June 23 rd , when and where the Provincial Grand Officers and Past Officers , with the Worshipful Masters , and Wardens of the Lodges in thc Province are hereby convoked to attend . By order of the R . W . P . G . M . VISCOUNT HOLMESDALE . ALFRED SPENCER , Maidstone , May 27 th , 1 SS 0 . Prov . G . See . The arrangements of the Committee at Margate for the Festival are : LODGE at the Forester ' s Hall 12 . 0 noon SERVICE at St . Paul ' s Church , Cliftonville ... 1 . 30 p . m . BANQUET at the Assembly Rooms , Cecil Sepiare , Tickets 10 s . fid . each , iucluding Wine , Dessert , and Waiters 3 . 30 „

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TO ADVERTISERS . THE FREEMASON * has a large circulation in all parts of the Globe . In it the official Reports of the Grand Lodges of Kngland , Ireland , and Scotland arc published with the special sanction of the rcspec tive Grand Masters , and it contains a complete record of Masonic work in this country , our Indian Km pi re , aud the Colonies . The vast accession to the ranks of the Order during the past few years , and the increasing interest manifested in its doings , has given the h ' riemason a position and hithienee wliich few journals can lay claim to , and the proprietor can assert with confidence that announcements appearing in Us columns challenge the attention of a very large and influential body of readers . Advertisements for thc current week ' s issue are received up to six o ' clock on Wednesday evening .

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TO OUR READERS . THE FREEMASON is published every Friday morning , price 3 d ., and contains the fullest and latest information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . Subscriptions , including I ' ostage : — UniteUK ^ om . C ^ Sjf & a . "t ^! iS ,,- ;„ c ? nent , tec . ' 13 s . 15 s . 6 d . 17 s . 6 d . Kemittances may be made in Stamps , but Post Office Orders or Cheques are preferred , the former payable to GEORGE KENNING , Chief Ollice , London , thc latter crossed London Joint Stock Dank

To Correspondents.

To Correspondents .

P . P . G . J . W . —We cannot interfere with the decision . BOOKS , & c , RECEIVED . " Recherches Sur Le Rite Ecossais Ancien Accepte , " "Allen ' s Indian Mail , " "Keystone , " "The Seven Sisters and Finsbury Park Journal , " " Broad Arrow , " "Sunday Times , " "Die Batihutte , " "The Egyptian Gazette , " "The Empire , " " Hull Packet , " " Der Long Islaender , " "The Corner Stone , " "The Jewish Chronicle , " "The Croydon Guardian , " " Hebrew Leader , " " Moore's Masonic Messenger . "

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THEFREEMASON. SATURDAY , J 19 , 1880 .

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WE understand that the rumour we alluded to last week , in respect of a new Masonic " sweep , " is now a reality . Wc deepl y regret to hear of it , and to realize it . Independently of its utter illegality—and Freemasons profess to obey always the

laws of the country where they reside—any such system has a most debasing tendency , in that under the spurious name of charity , it appeals to all our selfish , and even gambling propensities . It seems very hard on the honest giver , who secures his Life

Governorship often at some personal sacrifice , that any one who can organize a " sweep " and obtain sufficient support from a cheap exhibition of Masonic giving , is to be entitled to honours which years of honest personal effort and liberality have

not secured to some of the worthiest Masons and most earnest brethren amongst us . All such proceedings as these lotteries are a parody on Masonic professions , and make the loyal Mason ashamed of the current fri volity and perverted sentiments of the hour of very many amongst us in such matters .

* * WE trust that the Grand Lodge authorities will put a stop to the system of cliques , circulars , and cabals , in respect of our Grand Lodge voting , which has become a great nuisance , and threatens

greater evils to our whole Order . We beg respectfull y to suggest that on the next occasion an official list or voting paper , or lists and voting papers , as the case may be , With the names of all the candidates , shall be given to all Masons entering Grand

Lodge and all Grand Officers , and that all private lists or canvassing papers be strictly forbidden , and declared illegal . This will not prevent private circulars before the Grand Lodge meeting , ( for no steps wc can take can do that ) , but it will prevent

the members of Grand Lodge being insulted by the suggestions of a clique , which amount , in respect of liberty of Masonic suffrage , to impertinent dictation on thc one hand , and often most recent unfitting recommendations on thc other .

* * THERE is in America just now a good deal of complaint about "demitted Masons , " as they term them , and which lias , no doubt , much truth in

it . By demitted Masons they mean Masons who do not subscribe to lodges . Onc writer thus testifies in respect of this , to him , great evil : " In Kentucky we are weighed down with deaiheood " of demitted Masons . At our last Grand Lodge

" session they swarmed in the hall . At feasts , " frolics , and funerals they outnumber tlic faith" fill . Their lobby influence , upon mooted ques" tions chat come up , outdoes the legitimate vote .

" They claim charity when sick , and , being dead , " their families claim it in their names . We are " compelled lo bury their cadaver n , often at large " expense to our lodges . Their drunkenness , pro" fanity , and pistolling is all charged , by outsiders ,

" to the principles of Masonry , as represented in " our lodges . They ride us as Sinbad was ridden " by the old man of the sea . Acknowledging no " claim that we have upon them , they enter our " shells , crab-like , and suck out our vitals . They

" are a standing premium upon dcmitting . I his , no doubt , as another writer puts it , " is strong language , " but it is , we apprehend , true , and as the evil is , to some extent , existent in England , we call attention to this forcible utterance .

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IT must strike us who attend to such matters from what a large proportion of Masons who have not subscribed for years to our lodges come today the application for relief by our great Charities . It is no uncommon thing to have applications

from the children of those who have lived out of Masonry for years and died out of it . If this evil increases , it appears to us that some law must be passed , by which , with the exception of specified

cases as at present , the fathers of applicants must have had so many years ' •' consecutive " subscription . We have quite come round to the idea of the actual necessity of consecutive subscriptions .

* * WE have liad our attention called to the evil and the nuisance of brethren using Masonic emblems for trade purposes . We quite feel that this is an unworthy obtrusion on the outer world of the fact

of our membership , and we hope that this use of Masonic emblems may be more and more discouraged among all right thinking Masons . The only possibly permitted use of Masonic emblems

is in Masonic advertisements in a bona fide Masonic paper or magazine . But even then we , ourselves , should think it " better form " and more Masonic not to make use of such emblems .

* * As will be seen elsewhere our good Bro . Hughan kindl y takes us to task for using the word "mystery " as regards the catalogue . Wc plead guilty at once for not knowing anything about the

report of tho Board of General Purposes in 186 9 . We were ourselves travelling , so probably that is our reason of and excuse for ignorance . But the

curious fact is , explain it as you will , that a great many brethren in London know nothing whatever of the catalogue , and finding this to be the case , we used the word " mystery " but in no invidious sence . * * *

SOME of our readers may remember an amusing account of the "Clique "in "Blackwood . " We Freemasons are laughing heartily just now at the idea and the reality before them , visibly , tangibly , that a little clique is so kind , so good , so modest ,

and so very considerate as to propose to tell us all in London and elescwhere how we are to vote , and for whom wc arc to vote , on every possible emergency , and on any important or unimportant Masonic occasion . It is really too good and kind , and most affecting .

* * * WE have received a circular by which it appears that a Grand Bazaar and Fancy Fair , in aid of the Royal Masonic Pupils' Assistance Fund , will be held at Freemasons' Tavern , on June 29 th and

30 th , and July ist and 2 nd . It is to take place under most distinguished patronage , as appears elsewhere . Unfortunately , owing to our previousl y expressed opinons on the subject , shared in as these are b y a large number of leading Masons , we

cannot conscientiously say that thc "outcome of the movement justifies our support of it . We ori ginally expressed our opinion favourable to the plan , on our distinguished Bro . Lord Rosslyn ' s suggestion , of "Exhibitions" for scholars leaving both

the Schools . But we cannot profess to enter into the " procuring of situations , " or the " purchase of tools and outfits , " the " residuum" of former somewhat extravagant proposals . The Schools at present provide " outfits , " and if the grant is not

large enough it can be increased . Still we have all a rig ht to our opinions in this wo rid , and we are sincerely sorry , with such auspicious names to encoarage the movement , including some of the

most distinguished of our brethren , and such fair patronesses , we can do nothing more than record thc fact . There is one point to which we shall allude next week at some length , the policy and actuality of what must become a fourth charity .

* * * THE candidates for the vacant Collcctorship , R . M . B . Institution , are now Bros . WEBBE , RECKNELL , WORRELL , TAYLOR , DAVIS , and J MASON . The Sub-Committee reports on Tuesday next at three o ' clock .