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NOTICE .

The Subscription to THE FREEMASON is now ios . per annum , post-free , payable in advance . Vol . I ., bound in cloth ... ... 4 s . 6 d . Vol . IL , ditto 7 s . 6 d . Vol . s III ., IV ., V . and VI each 15 s . od . Reading Cases to hold 52 numbers ... 2 s . 6 d . Ditto ditto 4 do . ... is . 6 d .

United States of America . THE FKSEMASON is delivered free in any part of the United States for j 2 s . per annum , payable in advance . The Freemason is published on Saturday Mornings in time for the early trains . The price of the Freemason is Twopence per week : annual

subscription , ios . ( payanle in advance . ) All communications , letters , & c ., to be addressed to the Editor , 198 , Fleet-street , E . C . Ihe Editor will pay careful attention to all MSS . entrusted to him , but cannot undertake to return them unless accompanied bypostag ; stamps .

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NOTICE .

Many complaints having been received of the difficulty experienced in procuring the Freemason in the City , the publisher begs to append the following list , being a selected few of the appointed agents : — Abbott , Wm ., Great Tower-street . Bates , Pilgrim-street , Ludgate-Hill .

Born , H ., 115 , London Wall . Dawson , Win ., 121 , Cannon-street . Gilbert , Jas ., 18 , Gracechurch-street . Guest , Wm ., 54 , Paternoster-row . Phillpott Bros ., 65 , King William-street . Pottle , R ., 14 , Royal Exchange .

Births, Marriages And Deaths.

Births , Marriages and Deaths .

BIRTH . MAIISON . —Feb . 10 , at 174 , Park-road , Liverpool , the wife of Bro . B . B . Marson , P . M . 1356 , of a daughter .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

All Communications , Advertisements , ike , intended for insertion in the Number of the following Saturday , must reach the Office not later than 6 o ' clock on Wednesday evening . All Communic itions should be sent to 198 , Fleet Street . P . Z . —Your answer , in our opinion , is perfectly correct .

The candidate must be proposed again , as the first nomination is , " ipso facto , " void , under the circumstances . P . M . —A Past Master of the lodge is one who has been duly installed as actual W . M . ; a P . M . in the lodge is one who has joined the lodge as such . WARIIEN . —Are six months as Senior Warden , and six months as Junior Warden , the twelve months'

qualification for the W . M . 's chair , provided by the Book of Constitutions ?—[ In our opinion it means twelve month ' s service cither as Senior or Junior Warden . —En ] The following communications stand over : —Testimonial to Bro . Stohwasser ; G . Baldwin ; " . Masonic Amenities , " by Bro . T . B . Yeoman ; Freemasonry at Newport '; Reports of Salisbury Lodge , 435 ; Jordan , 201 ; Hope , 52 ; Domatic , 177 ; Greta , 1073 ; St . John's , 279 ; Macdonald ,

1216 ; Francis Burdett , 1503 ; Era , 1423 ; Mark Lodge , Langley , 28 . ERRATA . —At page 65 , the Masonic title of Prov . G . M . Staffordshire was incorrectly appended to the name of the Right Hon . the Earl of Shaftesbury . —In the List of Stewards of the Benevolent Festival , Lodge 357 , for " Pickford , " read " Pickard . "—Lodge St . John , 3 J , Glasgow , in address to the chair , for " Bro . J . D . Deacon , " read "J . D . Young . "

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TheFreemason, S ATURDAY , F EBRUARY 20 , 1875 ,

The Difference Between English And Foreign Freemasonry.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ENGLISH AND FOREIGN FREEMASONRY .

Even to the most careless observer there is a great difference between English and Foreign Freemasonry , and to the Masonic investigator , there is a wide margin of separation . How does it arise ? Why should there be this essential divergency between portions of a so-called

universal system ? The answer to these queries is to be found in the peculiar constitution and habits of foreign Freemasonry , and continental Freemasons . Broadly stated , England , Ireland , Scotland , the United States , Holland , and Switzerland , possess one simple uniform system of symbolical Freemasonry , though in

some the higher grades exist under distinct and separate organizations . In almost all other foreign countries , Freemasonry appears under the form of some especial "system " or of the far spreading " Kite Ecossaise . " In many of these countries , the hi g her degrees are

The Difference Between English And Foreign Freemasonry.

governed by a Grand Council or Chapter , which is yet , in some mysterious way , and by some strange " concordat , '' virtually overruled b y the Grand Lodge , or " Grand Orient . " In Germany , for instance , several Grand Lodges exist , and several systems , though the tendency

latterly there has been , as with us , to adhere to the simpler system of Craft Masonry . This is one great and marked difference between English and Foreign Freemasonry , but there is also another still more striking . We in England are purely Freemasons , and we carefully eschew

alike political discussions , and religious controversies . Now in this respect , the foreign Freemasons widely differ from us . We do not deny that in some countries the condition of affairs is widely different from ours , but yet we feel sure of this , that whatever the state of

things may really be in any country , our system of abstention from all passing polemics , whether they be in respect of politics , or religion , is the best for Freemasons , and the safest for Freemasonry . Hence , in England we are admittedly a loyal bod ) - , and no one in

his sane senses would think of accusing us of being a partizan , or revolutionary association . Abroad we feel bound to say that the proceedings and manifestoes of the Masonic bodies are not always marked by similar prudence or discretion . They publicly dilate ,

and they privately debate on questions , which , to use a French expression , are in our opinion , " hors de la ATaconnerie , " altogether . Instead of confining themselves to the simpler considerations of true Masonic teaching , and the active work of living Masonic charity .

they plunge boldly into the most controversial and debateable topics of social science and of administrative government . They do not seem to realize that the ruling powers of any country might , a priori , fairly object to such discussions , especially when carried on under the

conditions of a secret society ; and so they throw themselves , " in medias res , " without any doubt as to their right or propriety in so doing . New we venture respectfully to express our decided opinion , that in thus acting they are altogether in the wrong , and have practically put themselves

" out of court . " Freemasonry never was intended as a secret debating society , either on the problems of government or the intricacies of our national interests or domestic arrangements , much less was it ever intended to serve , by the dissemination of Utopian schemes for the

reconstruction of society , as an active propaganda of modern socialism . And not only this , but almost inevitably such discussions lead them , ere long , into a very dangerous " terrain , " inasmuch as opposed by some religious bodies strongly in some

countries , they find themselves by degrees in antagonism to religion itself . Hence arise those fretful and heated cries of " sacerdotalism , " of " dogmatic tyranny ; " hence , in some countries , the Bible is taken out of the lodges •hence we hear of the ridiculous and hurtful custom of

" Masonic adoption ; hence we listen to those denunciations against nny religious formularies in lodge ; hence above all at last we have to contend with the open disavowal of the Great Architect of the Universe , all which things are stumblingblocks to English Freemasons , and serve to show

the vital and enduring disagreement between much of foreign Freemasonry and our own . Happily , in England , keeping the "golden mean " in this as in nil other things , we have , while most tolerant , nay , universal in our teaching , never banished , and we never will , either religion

or the Bible from our lodges . Our work as Freemasons is begun , and ended , in the solemn invocation of the Divine Blessing on our purposes and on our labours j and much of the real , deep , honest , and sincere character of English Freemasonry is fairly ascribed to the fact , that

without being debalors or dogmatists , without fulminating anathemas or damnatory decrees , we have conserved with all our Masonic sympathy and fraternal aspirations for our common humanity , the sanction of religion , and our

reverence for the Most High . This , we venture to conceive , is the only true basis on which Freemasonry can be safely founded , the only rightful conditions under which it can permanently prosper , and enlightened b y tlie condition , and warned by the present aspect , in

The Difference Between English And Foreign Freemasonry.

many countries abroad , of the less satisfactory status of Freemasons and Freemasonry , we shall adhere more firmly than ever to those good old principles of our famous Craft , which , as year has followed year , have imparted stability and prestige , loyal zeal , and peaceful progress , to our genial and united English Brotherhood .

Our Bro. Lord Lindsay.

OUR BRO . LORD LINDSAY .

By the courtesey of the Grand Secretary , we have been favoured with a file of the overland Commercial Gazette , from Mauritius , of January 8 th . That paper contains a most interesting account of the Masonic reception there of our distinguished brother . As some

of our readers may be aware , our P . G . W . had proceeded there in the interests of astromomical science , to note and report on the transit of Venus . The Freemasons of Mauritius , alike English and French lodges , vied with each other in giving him a most warm and

hearty-Masonic reception . The account is unfortunately too long for our columns , which are just now in much demand for the passing records of our English Freemasonry , but we may add that nothing could exceed the success of this truly Masonic manifestion , alike in lodge , and at

the banquet , at both of which all the Masonic notabilities of Mauritius were present . Twice only during 61 years had any official of English Grand Lodge visited the Mauritius , and this fact added much to the interest of the meeting , and the reception . We subjoin the

addresses of Bro . Pastor , Venerable of the lodge , la triple Esperance 5 and of Bro . Bewsher , W . M , of the British , as we think they deserve to be recorded and preserved in the pages of the Freemason . Had space permitted , we should

have been glad also to insert the addresses < 5 f the Reception Committee , as well as that of Bro . Avice , Venerable of loge La Paix , as well as the able speeches of Bro . Sir C . Shand , Chief Justice , of Bro . Nagle , and of Bro . Bewsher .

" T . \ C * . F . * . Lord Lindsay , " Le ve ' ne ' rable de la Res . * . Loge " La Triple Esperance , " et tous les Fl-V . de cet atelier , travaillant depuis 06 ans sous I ' obe'dience du Grand Orient de France , vous souhaitent la bien venue de la maniere la plus sincere , dans ce Temple , oil nous sommes fiers ct

honores de cooperer a votres Reception , ct que nous avons tite' heurcux de mettre , pour cct objet , a la disposition des Macons de votre obe'dience . " Ce jour comptera dans les annalcs maconninues de notre orient . " Nous devons au domaine de la science , qui occupe

une grande partie de votre existence , l'hcureux hasard qui vous a porte dans notre petit Pays . Puisse lc Grand Architecte de l'Univers couronner vos honorables cntreprises d'un plcin succes . Vos ff . \ dc Maurice s ' en rejouiront de plcin cceur . " CVst pour la scconde fois , tres cher F . * . Lord Lindsay ,

depuis 61 ans , qu'un Macon aussi haut grade , d'un merite aussi profond que vous fait a la Maconnerie Mauricienne l'honneur dc sa visite . Dans ce memc local de La Triple Esperance , d ' oii le 10 aotit 1813 , a la suite d'une me ' - morable tenuc pre ' side ' e par Lord Moira , le Pro Grand Maitre de toutes les Loges de la Grande Bretagne , ce

tris III . * . Frere , accompagne' de notre F . \ Sir Robert Townsend Farquhar , le Gouverncur dc Maurice ct de tous les Macons de cet Orient , avec leurs insignes , banniercs deployees , se rendit sur la place dc notre Eglise Catholique pour y poser maconniquement , au milieu d ' un concours immense d'habitants , venus de tous les points de

Pile , la premiere pierrc de cctte Cathe'drale . " CVst pour les Macons des Loges de Maurice nonseulement un plaisir , mais un grand honneur de recevoir voire amiable visite . Les Mcmbres de la Loge La Triple Esperance esperent que vous voudrez bien venir

un jour les honorer de votre presence , les aider dc vos lumieres , et y reccvoir encore l ' accueil respectucux ct fraternal qui vous attend dans toutes les Loges de notre Orient , oil vous laisserez un doux et agrL able souvenir . "

" My Lord and Right Worshipful Brother , " It will be a memorable day in the annals of the British Lodge , to have had the honour of conducting the Masonic work of this evening , at the reception of a brother so

exalted and distinguished in the Craft , and to have been amongst the first to offer you welcome to these shores , and congratulate you on the valuable results of your expedition , for the study of the arts and sciences , has , from time immemorial , been intimately associated with Masonry .

" Right nobly have you acted up to the Charge delivered to you on the night of your initiation in that Grand Old Lodge , the Lodge of Antiquity , and to the subsequent charges as you mounted , round by round , the Masonic ladder . " It is by such examples , Right Worshipful Brother , that our Order is made illustrious , and that to be a Freemason is rendered an honour .