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NOTICE . The Freemason for next week will be issued to the Trade and delivered to Subscribers on Wednesday morning instead of Friday .

To Correspondents.

To Correspondents .

Trc ftilluvving correspondence vvas received too late for publication , ancl is held over until next week : — " The Itoyal Ma-ionic Institution for Bojs and Bro . Wilson . " Tbe following also stand over : — Stockweil Lodge , No . 1339 . Mark Master Masons and Royal Ark Mariner . * . Brixton Lodge , Royal Ark Mariners , No . 113 .

Duke of Connaught Lodge of Instruction , No . 1524 . St . John ' s Lodge , Stockport , Nc . 104 . York Lodge , York , No . 23 6 . Lodge of Affability , Manchester , Ne > . 317 . Zetland Lodge , Salford , No . 852 . Falcon Lodge , Thirsk , No . 1416 . Old England Lodge , No . 1790 . Mark Lodge , No . 27 6 .

HOOKS , tec , RECEIVED . " East Sussex News , " " West Middlesex Advertiser , " ' Hull Packet , " " Brief , " " Alliance News , " " Royal Cornwall Gazette , " " Broad Arrow , " " Chelmsford Chronicle , " " Weston-super-Mare Gazette , " " The Newcastle Daily Journal , " Der Triangel , " " Masonic Eclectic , ' " Dramatic

Notes , " " Our Actors and Actresses , " " Birmingham Daily Gazette , " " The London and Suburban Ofiichl Programme of Amusement * , " " Thc Freemasons' Monthly , " " Boletin Official , " " Liverpool Daily Post , " " Hebrew Leader , " " Die Baiihutte , " "The Athnll Lodges , " " Thc Illustrated Household Journal , " " Masonic Newspaper , " " Truth , " " Keystone . "

Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

[ The charge is 2 s . dl . for announcements not exceeding Four Lines under this heading . ] BIRTH . AniiowsMiTii . —On the 15 th inst ,, at Batholomcw-road , N . W ., the wife ol li . H . C . Arrowstnith , of a son . DEATH . S . M . vi . i-. —On Ibc 11 th inst ., of bronchitis , John Sm . a ' e , of 19 , Great Marlborough-street , aged 6 3 years .

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THE FREEMASON SATOR / JAY , D' -CKA'HI ' R 20 , 1870 .

1879.

1879 .

We think it right in this our Christinas number of the Freemason to give our annual summary of Masonic sayings and doings in 1 S 79 . True it is that the old year lias not yet quite disappeared from the Masonic Calendar , but in these anticipatory remarks we feel sure that we shall

be consulting thc wishes and interests of our readers as well as our own . We trust , too , that our view of the " situation " will be accepted b y our patrons and friends . It is a mistake , in our opinion , to spin out with too great a detail and with verbose prolixity , records which none

can remember and very few care to read . To enter into minute explanations of debates and difficulties which have only a passing interest , to load our pages with conclusions in which nothing is concluded , and statements in which nothing is stated , transactions in which nothing

is iransacted , always has appeared to us , we confess , the height of inane and worthless padding . All that the Masonic reader wants , in our opinion , is , though we admit we may be perfectly wrong , a clear and concise statement of leading facts , so as to refresh his memory and renew

his interest when he is leaving an old year for a new one , and when Freemasonry is passing from a twelvemonths' struggle to face the labours , and difficulties , and animation of another year . It is with these feelings that we venture to commend our summary of Masonic life in 1879 to

the notice of our many kindly and cultivated readeis , seeking for it , what we know it will receive at their hands , sympathetic attention and fraternal criticism . The New Year began for us , as all New Years begin , with a mingled " yarn " of joy and sorrow , grief and glee , the normal skeins of life are eyer partly bright and

partly dark , and so with our Masonic Calendar —it witnesses always of the sorrows and joys of us poor mortals , and like our chequered floorcloth tells in unmistakeable witness of mingled scenes and memories—joyous and depressing . Tlie last strains of rejoicing had scarcely died away which announced our Pro Grand Master ' s happy marriage , when we had to deplore the

1879.

deaths of three distinguished brethren m Freemosonry Bro . Capt . Duff" M . P ., and Bros . Head and Boyd , the last two being most eminent and respected members of our Order , whose services to the Craft had been most meritorious , whose memory will long linger among the

brethren . It is pleasant to remember that 18 / S closed with this fact , announced by the Secretaries , that - £ 40 , 31-1 4 s . 3 d . had been contributed to the Masonic Charities during the past year of light and grace . A goodly fact , my masters ! The New Year opened properly enough with the

annual New Year ' s Entertainment to the inmates of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . Bro . Hobbs , Secretary of the Alfred Lodge , 340 , Oxford-street , early in this month received a jewel and a purse of fifty guineas as an acknowledgement of his services as Secretary for

twentyfive years . On the 6 th there was the usual Twelfth Nig ht Entertainment at the Girls ' School . The monthly Lodge of Benevolence on the 22 nd voted £ 970 in all for gratuitous aid to suffering and needy brethren . On the 24 th a deputation waited on the Earl of Carnarvon , Pro

Grand Master , with an address of felicitation on his marriage . And thus January passed away amid much activity of our London Lodges after the Christmas Holidays were over . FEBRUARY . —On the 5 th was the Quarterly Communication of Grand Chapter , at which

warrants for three new chapters were granted , and the Hervey Chapter received permission to call itself the John Hervey Chapter . On the 12 th the Anniversary Festival o' the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution was held , under thc presidency of Bro . Lieut .-Col . Le Gendre N .

Starkie , P . G . M . E . Lancashire , before a crowded hall , and with 2 SS Stewards , Bro . A . F . A . Woodford , Chairman . The amount realizedthe hig hest ever known on any similar occasion —was £ 13 , 926 , which was greeted with deafening cheers when announced by the indefatigable

Secretary , Bro . Terry . On the -9 th the Lodge of Benevolence met , and granted £ ^ So in relief of distressed brethren . The third annual ball of the Carnarvon and Morpeth Lodges took place at the Cannon-street Hotel with much success . The death was announced this month of Bro .

Joseph Bowles , D . D ., Archdeacon , P . G . M . for Oxfordshire since J S 48 . MARCH . —The Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge took place on the jth , when our distinguished Bro . Lieut .-Col . John Creaton was elected by an overwhelming majority Grand

Treasurer . During this month Bro . Creaton received the presentation of his portrait by the Lodge of Antiquity for honorary services to the lodge . In this month the Lodge of Benevolence granted £ 667 in Masonic Charity . A' -RIL . —In April the Craft heard with regret

of the resignation of that excellent Mason , Bro . John Huyshe , of his office of Prov . Grand Master of Devonshire , through age and ill health . The elections for the Boys' and girls' Schools took place in this month , the former electing ei ghteen out of a list of forty-seven applicants , the latter

sixteen out of a list of sixty-eight applicants . The Lodge of Benevolence on the 23 rd granted £ 63 ^ . The Grand Festival took place on the 30 th , when the appointment of new Grand Officers was announced . The death of Bro . John Tunnah , the veteran Prov . Grand Secretary for

East Lancashire , aged 72 ,. occurred on the 27 th of this month . MAY . —May opened with the loss of our excellent and worthy Bro . Charles Bryant Payne , Grand Tyler . On the 7 th Supreme Grand Chapter met , when the installation of new Grand

Officers took place , and the warrants for five new chapters were granted . On the 14 th of this month the Festival of the lioyal Masonic Institution for Girls took place , under the presidency of Bro . Lieut .-Col . Creaton , Grand Treasurer . About 500 brethren and 300 ladies were present .

The unusuall y large sum of £ 1171 , 3 s . 3 d . was announced amid great cheering . The Lodge of Benevolence of May 21 st granted £ 530 in benevolence . J . —Grand Lodge met in Quarterly

Communication on the 4 th , when Bro . H . Sadler was appointed Grand Tyler . Bro . Tyrrell Leith was appointed District Grand Master Bombay . On the j Sth the Lodge of Benevolence granted £ 63 $ ; on the 25 th June the Festival of the Royal Ma-

1879.

sonic I-osntution for Boys took place , the Earl of Rosslyn , K . T . iand P . G . M . for Scotland , presiding , at the Alexandra Palace , in the presence of about 900 ladies and brethren , when , £ 10 , 534 10 s . was announced .

J . —On the 2 nd July Lord Tenterden , U . S . of State [ or Foreign affairs , was installed as Prov . G . M . for Essex before a numerous gathering by the Earl of Carnarvon , Pro G . M ., who made a most excellent speech on the occasion . The nth Annual Festival in aid of the

Benevolent Fnnd of the Grand Lodge of Mark Masters took place in this month , Lord A . Hall presiding , when £ 528 16 s . was reported to have been received . In this month a complimentary dinner was given at tlie Star Hotel , Richmond , to Bro . ths Rev . Dr . P . H . Ernest Brette , by

tne members of the Aldersgate Lodge , No . 1657 , a compliment well deserved by our worthy brother . At the meeting of the Lodge of Benevolence in this month £ 700 was voted . In July the Prince ami Princess of Wales paid a visit to

Grimsby , when an address was voted to our Royal Grand Master b y Lodge 792 . During this month the second festival of the Peckham Lodge , 1475 ; Metropolitan , 1507 - and Royal Savoy , 1 744 , took place .

AUGUST . —Grand Chapter met on August 6 th , wh-n charters for ten new chapters were granted . In this month the Lodge of Benevolence granted , £ 425 . The normal mode of Masonic initiation was varied in this month by the announcement that a profane had been initiated

tn a bedition called the " Captive of Paris , " by a French lodge , under thc Rite Eccosais . Some Masonic writers have alVected to find fault with this proceeding—for our part we think the least said is the soonest meneied ; indeed , as a little variety to the disagreablo situation of French

Masonic Officers , we are rather inclined to approve of this airy flight of Masonry . Sui-rEMBKit . —The Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge took phce this month . At a meeting of the Lodge of Benevolence a sum of £ 390 was voted to indigent brethren . On the

17 th a meeting of the Wentworth Little Memorial Fund Committee was held , and subscriptions to the amount of £ 25 t iSs . 6 d . announced . OCTOBER . —Few events of importance to the Craft occurred in October—the usual halfyearly election to fill vacancies in the Girls ' and Boys' Schools bein £ the most noticeable . In

the former eighteen were elected out of a list of fotty-eight , and in the latter sixteen were successful ont of a list of seventy-seven . At a mee ing of the Lodge of Benevolence in this month the sum of £ 75 ^ W as voted in Charity . The Provincial Grand Lodsre of Oxford was held on the 29 th , and was presided over by Prince Leopold .

NOVKMUER . — In this month Masonry , especially in the metropolis , shows signs of returning life and activity . Summer lodges and holiday outings at suburban places of meetings are things of the past , and real earnest work begins , and the record of Masonic labour becomes

fuller . On the 5 th Supreme Grand Chapter met , and granted warrants for four new chapters At Reading the foundation stone of the New Public Buildings was laid , with Masonic ceremony , by the Pro Grand Master , the Earl of Carnarvon . On tlie / 9 th the Lodge of

Benevolence met and granted various sums , amounting to the large sum of £ 103 - ,. A pleasant gathering took place on the 18 th , when the members of the Board of General Purposes and Colonial Board dined together . An important matter came before the Governor and Subscribers of the

Royal Masonic Institution for Girls at their meeting on the 22 nd . On the recommendation ofthe Building Committee the following resolution was unanimously carried : " That the sum of six thousand i ' tvti hundred pounds ( £ 6500 ) bs expended in the purchase of Lyncombe House

and grounds ( freehold ) , the property of Wm EvilJ , Esq ., adjoining the grounds of the Insti tution , at St . John ' s Hill , Battersea Rise , S . W . ' Among Craft meetings may be noticed the in stallation of Bro . Edwin Sivanborojgh as W . M

of the Asaph Lodge , on which occasion a complete set of Masonic clothing was presented by the W . M . ' s mother , Mrs- Swanborough . DECEMHER . —This month the Craft heard with grief and sorrow of the resignation of its