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NOTICE . The Subscript on to THE FREEMASON it note i os . per annum , post-free , payable in advance .

Vol . I ., bound in cloth 4 s . 6 d . Vol . II ., ditto 7 s . 6 d . Vol . s HI ., IV ., V ., & c . ... each 15 s . od . Reading Cases to hold 52 numbers ... 25 . 6 d . Ditto ditto 4 do . ... is . 6 d .

United States of America . THE FRRKMASON is delivered free in any part of the United States for 12 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 , 10 s . ( payable in advance . ) All communications , letters , & c , to be addressed to the Editor , 198 , Fleet-street , E . C . The Editor will pay careful attention to allMSS . entrusted to him , k ut cannot undertake to return them unless accompanied by postag : tamps .

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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 , Wm ., 121 , Cannon-street . Gilbert , Jas ., 18 , Gracechurch-street . Guest , Wm ., 54 , Paternoster-row . Phillpott Bros ., 65 , King William-street . Pottle , R ., 14 , Royal Exchange .

May also be obtained at W . H . Smith & Son ' s Bookstalls at the following City Stations : — Broad-street . I Holbom Viaduct . Cannon-street . | London Bridge . Ludgatc Hill .

Births, Marriages And Deaths.

Births , Marriages and Deaths .

DEATH . LIMPUS . —On the 15 th inst ., Bro . Richard Limpus , of 41 , Queen-squre , London , aged fifty years , Organist of St . Michael's Church , Cornhill , P . Prov . G . Organist Middlesex , W . M . 1309 . A brother who was esteemed and respected by all who knew him .

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 6 o ' clock on Wednesday evening . All Communications should be sent to 198 , Fleet Street .

Q . Y . —Will you kindly inform me the correct style to address the First Principal of a chapter . Is it E . Z ., or M . E . Z . ? What is the title of the First Principal of a Prov . Grand Chapter , and of the Supreme Grand Chapter ? Also how should Comp . H . and J . be addressed ; as E . Comp . H ., or J . respectively ? And have Past Zs . any other distinction than " P . Z . " ?

[ Strictly speaking , we think that , in all probability , E . Z . is the proper appellation for the First Principal of a subordinate chapter , and the same rule applies to J . and H . But custom seems to give to the First Principal the same title as is given in Grand Chapter , " M . E . Z ., " and equally in Provincial Grand Chapter . There is no distinct rule

certain on the subject , but " mos est lex . "—ED . The following stand over : —Letters from " Deux Etoiles ; " Fred Mo : 1 M 1 Oxford ; AMI . ; reports of Early Grand Encampment , Scotland ; Rock Lodge , No . 1289 ; Whittington , 862 ; East Surrey Lodge of Concord ; 603 ; Lodge of St , George , 323 , Nelson , New Zealand ,

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TheFreemason,SATURDAY , MARCH 20 , 187 K .

Preliminary Arrangements For The Installation.

PRELIMINARY ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE INSTALLATION .

We were happy in being able to announce some of the preliminary arrangements for the installation of our Royal Grand Master in our last impression , and we call attention to the official documents to-day . We think that the announcement of the " modus , " proposed for appointing the additional Stewards

will give much satisfaction The London lodges are to nominate each one Steward , and the provinces , two Stewards each . The idea seems a very happy one , and if perfectly and practically carried out , will tend greatly to simplify the proceedings of the day , and to obviate many possible difficulties . The Craft wiil be

Preliminary Arrangements For The Installation.

greatly pleased . to note that by the favour and consideration of the Grand Master , all Master Masons can be present ; at any rate , an allotted number of them . This act of grace will be warmly appreciated . Our contemporary , the Times , despite its usual accuracy , made one or

two mistakes in its statement about things Masonic on Monday week last , to which we think it right to call the careful attention of our brethren . It states , for instance , that a Committee of Grand Officers was proposing regulations , & c , and drawing up the arrangements . Our

distinguished Bro . Sir Albert Woods has " virtute officii : " the natural direction and elaboration of all the needful arrangements j but by special appointment of His Royal Highness , the Grand Master , the superintendance of the arrangements for the accommodation of the members

who are privileged to attend , has been entrusted to Bro . Thomas Fenn , who officiated for some years as Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies . The Times also announced that only 400 tickets would be issued for the festival at Freemasons' Hall . In this , we

believe that the Times is both premature and incorrect . The arrangements for the dinner rest with the Grand Stewards alone , and they certainly have not yet decided on any such course of action . We will endeavour faithfully to keep

our brethren " au courant" of all the arrangements and regulations , as they are matured , from week to week , as we well know the deep interest which our loyal brotherhood feels in regard of this most felicitous event in the annals of our English Craft .

The Special Stewards.

THE SPECIAL STEWARDS .

Some brethren , especially in the provinces , are under the impression that by serving as a Steward on this occasion they become Grand Stewards and have the privilege of wearing the " crimson . " We need hardly , perhaps , say to our general readers that this is not the case . These Special Stewards have nothing whatever to do with the Grand Stewards or the Grand

Stewards with them . The ; Grand Stewards ' duties are entirely distinct . They are connected with the procession , the ceremony , and particularly the banquet at the Freemasons' Hall , or , properly speaking , the Grand Festival , of which they pay a large proportion of the expense .

The Special Stewards are appointed to assist Bros . Woods and Fenn in carrying out the arrangements for admitting and seating the brethren , and beyond the cost of the jewel , which they may have or not as they please , they will not be called upon to contribute towards any expense .

The Prospects Of Masonic Literature.

THE PROSPECTS OF MASONIC LITERATURE .

It is very remarkable , and at the same time a perfectly inexplicable fact in the annals of Freemasonry , how evanescent have been the eflbrts of Masonic writers generally , and how fleeting has been the popularity of Masonic literature . In this country the record of Masonic literary

enterprize is—with one notable exception—the record of failure and of loss . Of all our Masonic writers , Oliver is the only one who has retained in any measure , if we may so say , the Masonic literary market . Magazines and Mirrors , serials , sentimental and matter of fact , have come and

have gone , and for the most part to-day , they are relics of archaeological curiosity , and serve to " point the moral and adorn the tale" of unsuccessful speculations and an apathetic brotherhood . No one Masonic periodical has so far survived a few fleeting years , and that the

Freemason has weathered the gale so long , cannot fairly be ascribed to the support of our Order , but simply to the pluck and perseverance of its enterprising and fraternal publisher . His motto has been " auspicium melioris aevi , " and we trust that the sympathy of our great Order may yet

be extended to his eflbrts on behalf of literature , and reward his zealous energy and self-sacrifice , by revived interest in Masonic journalism , and a more general display of appreciation and approval . In saying this we do not intend to complain , and we do not complain ; for probably no Masonic journal has ever been cheered by a more kindly

The Prospects Of Masonic Literature.

circle of correspondents and subscribers , and the position of the Freemason is not only one of which our publisher may be proud , as it is his own creation , but it is also , and it is gratifying to remember , in the enjoyment of much confidence and an increasing circulation weekly amongst

our honest and truth-loving English Craft . But we have been led into these remarks , not , we venture to deem , ill-timed or inappropriate , by learning from the other side of the x \ tlantic that the same fate seems to attend literary efforts there , the same spell seems to be cast on the

most striking productions of Masonic literature . Bro . Gouiey ' s Freemason of St . Louis has not only an American but a world-wide reputation . It has been conducted with singular ability , truthfulness , and fearlessness , on the principles of Freemasonry alone , and in a manner

to reflect the greatest credit on our able and energetic brother . And yet here with the January number of his very interesting paper , Bro . Gouley announces that he suspends the publication until April , in order to see if he can receive the more hearty support of his brother

Freemasons , and we fancy , too , the payment of over-due subscriptions . Bro . Gouley tells us that in order to establish the Freemason of St . Louis on a firm basis he bought up and consolidated with his journal five other Masonic magazines , the Iowa Evergreen , the Californiun

Masonic Mirror , the Texas Masonic Mirror , the Illinois Masonic Trowel , and the Mississippi Tablet . He further mentions this startling fact , that though he closed the eighth volume with "over 7000 names" upon his "books , " "in commencing the ninth volume , 1875 , ^ cry ° ^

poverty comes up with redoubled force . - •Though it is true that the " prominent and leading Masons" in most of the American states " continue to increase , " yet Bro . Gouley tells us " the number of reading Masons" who are " willing " to pay " two dollars per year " is " so limited " that he " cannot afford to furnish

a journal of this size for the price without throwing his entire time and labour away , without making a labour of love a labour of loss . " With the following opinion of Bro . Gouley , we fully concur . "The apathy exhibited by the Masonic fraternity , composed as it should be , of

the most reflecting and intelligent minds of the community , whererer located , is perfectly astounding , and as incomprehensible as it is alarming . " Thus we see . that in the United States , Masonic literature has a hard if not a harder battle to wage , both for existence , much

more for success , than even we have in the old country . If in England we count our numbers by tens of thousands , in America they count them by hundreds of thousands , and certainly that two such excellent and high-class periodicals , as Bro . Mackey ' s National Freemason , and Bro .

Gouley s St . Louis Freemason should not be fully supported by our American brethren , does surprise and startle us not a little , we confess . Two causes seem to predominate , in bringing aboutthis untoward state of affairs , unwillingness to pay the annual subscriptions , and lack of

genuine sympathy with the Masonic press . There are a good many excellent brethren , who do not refuse to support the press , but do necessarily dislike to be reminded that the payment of the pittance is due . We all remember that amiable person , Nicholas Nickleb y , who had the

philanthropic weakness and custom of leaving "little accounts , " not long ones , owing . And in Freemasonry , the caterers for Masonic literature have the same class fraternally to deal with , kind , good , zealous Masons , but who meet the reminder of payment with a P . O . O ., and the authoritative

word , " discontinue . " There is also a class of Masons , who seem to expect to have Masonic literature provided for them , " free gratis . " They forget that printers have to be paid , that reporters have to be subsidized , that editors have to be remunerated , and that the publisher has a claim for interest of locked-up capital , for

time , and for general management . This is a fact sometimes forgotten , and it lies , if as truth generally does lie , " at the bottom of a well , " certainly at the basis of all possible Masonis literary profit and success . There is still a lingering dislike to the Masonic press . It is , we venture to think , alike unwise arid unmasonic , inasmuch as a properly conducted Masonic