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TO OUR READERS . Tae F IIEEMAS JN 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 / 6 . P . O'O . ' s to be made payable at the Chief Office . London .

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TO ADVERTISERS . The FBEEMASON has a large circulation in all parts of the Globe , its advantages as an advertising medium can therefore scarcely be overrated .

ADVERTISEMENTS to ensure insertion in current week ' s issue should reach the Office , 198 , Fleet-st . eet , hy 12 o ' clock on Wednesdays .

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NOTICE . To prevent delay or miscarriage , it is particularly requested that ALL communications for the FREEMASON , may be addressed to the Office , 198 , Fleet-street , London .

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IMPOHTANT NOTICE . COLONIAL and FOREIGN SUBSCRIBERS are informed that acknowledgments of remittances received are published in the first number of every month .

It is very necessary for our readers to advise us of all money orders they remit , more espe cially those from the United Status of America and India ; otherwise we cannot tell where to credit them .

NEW POSTAL RATES . Owing to a reduction in thc Postal Rates , the publisher is now enabled to send the " Freemason " to the following parts abroad for One Year for 'Thirteen Shillings ( payable in advance ) : —Africa , Australia , Bombay , Canada , Cape of Goad Hope , Ceylon , China , Constantinople , Djmerara , France , Germany , Gibraltar , Jamaica , Malta , Newfoundland , New South Wales , New Zealand , Suez , Trinidad , United States of America , & c .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

The following unavoidably stand fiver : —¦ Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of Middlesex and Surrey ; Freemasonry in New Zealand ; Swctlenborgian Rite . Letters from " Athole ; " " 4 j . S , " ( M isonie Lotteries ) ; in our next . BOOKS , & c , RECEIVED . " Hebrew Leader ; " '' Canadian Craftsman ; " " L'Art ;" " Calendar of the Great Priory for 18 77 ; " " Church of the People . "

Births ,Marriages And Deaths.

Births , Marriages and Deaths .

[ Ihe cnarge is 2 S . 6 d . for announcements , not exceeding four lines , under this heading . ] BIRI HS . CIA-IKE . —On the 16 th ult , at Murree , Punjiub , India , the wife of Major Clarke , 4 th Hussars , of a son . COUI . SON . —On the 14 th inst , at Ferryside , Twickenham , the wife of Frederick B . Coulson , Esq ., of a daughter .

MARRIAGES . IL I . VKEN—B EM .. —On the 13 th inst , at St . Paul ' s Church , St . John ' s-hill , Clapham Junction , Walter Blackie Ranken , Esq ., youngest son of Peter R inkcn , Esq ., to Anne Marie Bill , youngest of the late William Bell ,

Esq . AitciiEii—HAM :. —On the 161 I 1 inst ., at the parish church , Ewell , Surrey , John Locke , eldest son of John A . Archer , Esi \ ., of the Strand , to Sarah , eldest daughter of Brn William Hale , of Drury-lane .

DEATHS . T AI'I . EV . —On the 10 th inst , at Turville , near Henley-on Thames , Thomas II . Tapley , Esq ., in his 41 st year . HAI . COMo . —On the n ill inst , at Cheltenham , Thoina Halcomb , Esq ., aged 84 . HEMMINC—On the 12 th inst , at Stutlley , Warwickshire

Richard li-.-niming , Esq ., in his Stith year . Gnnm . ii- ** . —On the 13 th inst , at 233 , Maida-vale , W ., Fredk . S . Shirtliff , Esq ., in his 31 st year . BUCKI . EV . —On the 17 th inst , at ' 14 , VVVstbournc-squarc , W ., Robert Norris Rede , eldest son of Robert Orford Buckley , Esq , in his 27 th year .

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The Freemason , SATURDAY , J 21 , 1877 .

A Contrast.

A CONTRAST .

We fear that the contrast we are about to essay to draw , if with feeble pencil , will not be the most agreeable or welcome of topics to some of our courteous readers , and we , therefore , in the outset , recommend those who are not particularly anxious to study Masonic ethics , to spare themselves the perusal of lucubrations which possibly

may go much " against the grain' with them . At the same time we beg to say that we do not wish to appear to write too sternly , or in any spirit either of complaining criticism , but only desire to " point the moral " for all who , like ourselves , believe in Freemasonry , and consider that it has something more to boast of than the

mere social gathering ; something in it about which we may be both pleased and proud that we are permitted to announce ourselves to be Freemasons . After this little prologue our readers will , perhaps . be wondering what it is we are , as the Irish say , " afther . " At this period

of the year we are struck by the constant com memoratious of summer St . John ' s , and we can call to mind numerous pleasant gatherings at which our good brethren are neither conspicuous for defect of attendance or for want of appetite . All , in fact , goes with them merrily

and cheerfully as a " marriage bell . ' We can even well remember the " menu " so artistically arranged , the '' bouquet" of that last bottle of dry champagne st ll lingers with us contentedly . And then the friendly conversation ; the guy banter ; Pigwiggin ' s little story ; and Duxbury ' s

charming song ; the beaming smiles of the best of W . M ' s . * the assurances of the most correct of Treasurers ; the pathos of that indefatigable Secretary ; the " old , old story " of that excellent P . M . ; the promises of assiduous officers , and the thanks of contented vi .-itors ! All these float

before our peaceful vision at the hour we write , surrounded as it were by a wreath of savoury vapours , composed of cigarettes and full llavoured Havannahs ; the sweet scented rosewater , and the titillating lodge snuffbox . Well , all this is very agreeable and very enjoyable while

: t lasts , but there comes a time , as good Bro . Balasso may one day realize , when all these pleasant things will cease to charm us ; when we become cold to the assurance of a " good muster , ' ' of a " first-rate dinner , " of Pigwiggin ' s proper story , of Duxbury ' s entrancing song , when even

the " chorus ' ceases to exhilarate us , and "Worthy Freemasons all" has lost its ancient spell . But do not suppose that because we are old and weather-beaten , and that the infirmities of the flesh make us eschew all such " pomps and vanities , " that , therefore we wish to denounce or disdain such needful relaxation from the laborious

moments of the lodge . Far be from us any such unwise asceticism , any such un-Masonic churlishness . We , on the contrary , would say to all who read these lines , that we sincerely trust they will enjoy these gatherings now , as we did those grateful hours we still can

pleasurably remember and keep before us . For many of us can find , in our lodge social circle , all those refreshing moments which true-heartedfiiendship and genial association oiler us , which are good , fie may believe , to the sympathetic mind and need of gregariousness of man . But a question

may fairly come in , whether in all these respects we tlo not a little overdo it . When we , on the other hand , remind ourselves cf the struggles of Masonic literature and the paucity of Masonic readers , we cannot help asking ourselves very often—do we not sacrifice too much of our time

and attention , and active energies to the material and corporeal , and put on one side the spiritual and the intellectual ? It is a very sad fact to realize how few Masons read , and how still as a closed book is Masonic literature to the many . As regards Masonic arch .-eology and study we

can count up those in England who , amid our 100 , 000 members , interest themselves in such things at all , and in no other jurisdiction is it any better . Without then presuming to lecture or dogmatize too much , may we not justly say that the contrast , as between refreshment and literature , the " knife-and-fork degree and Ma-

A Contrast.

sonic intellectuality , is a very striking , and We must add , a most regrettable one ? But , having said this this , we pause . Though friendly Mentors , we are not spiritual directors , and we dislike confession just as much as we object to Popes of any kind , lay or spiritual . We may however be permitted to express tho

hope that the "tide is turning " somewhat now , and that the generation which \ Vj ][ succeed us will be as famous for their love of Masonic literature as their punctual attendance at a good dinner , and that while they do not ne . gleet the wants of the body , they will also bear in mind the as important needs of the mind .

The Last Quarterly Court Of The Boys' School.

THE LAST QUARTERLY COURT OF THE BOYS' SCHOOL .

A long and important meeting was held on Monday , under the very able presidency of Bro . John Symonds , at which a great deal of busi . ness was transacted . A prolonged discussion took place as to the report of the Houss

Committee for increase of accommodation , which it was understood at last was not a report at all , but a statement , and the meeting received an assurance that a distinct and amended report would be presented through the General

Committee to the Quarterl y Court in October . As Bro . Symonds very pertinently declared , a taint of informality seems to affect the whole proceedings , " ab initio , " but it appeared to be the gene , ral opinion that it would ' have been better hatl

the statement been sent on to the Quarterl y Court , and not circulated until that course hatl been taken . If , however , we all get into tho right way at last , we shall be able to overlook slight informalities . A most important

discussion arose about several of the candidates , two were not elected , and another was withdrawn . There seems to be some legal doubts as io whetlerthe Quarterly Court can do more than elect — almost as a matter of form— and

whether it can reject , which course it is contended by the laws belongs to the General Committee alone . If , however , the Quarterly Court has power to " elect , " it wonld seem " ex-necessitate rei , " to have authority also to " reject , " orelse

a " reductio ad absurdum" might easily be brought about . If the limited view be correct , ( a good deal turns on the clause on the power of the General Committee and on the actual meaning of the words " shall elect , " ) a case might inadvertently get on

the list through an innocent " malfeasance " of duty on the part of the General Committee , and thero is no power to remedy such a direct contradiction of our laws . A case was mentioned ,

as bad as well can be conceived . A brother subscribes one-and-a-half or two-and-a-half years , goes out of Masonry for six years , dies out of Masonry , but his child is put on by the votes of influential brethren at the General Committee ,

in defiance of the express law on the subject . There is no power in the Quarterly Court to take such a case out of the list , it is asserted It seems a very hard case ; and to say the truth , one likely to do harm to the Institution , and as a

precedent , open to grave abuses , and we wish here to impress upon our brethren the injustice to the Boys' School , and other meritorious brethren , which acrues from the action of those who , in defiance of the plain words of the laws ,

for sentimental or other reasons carry can ' didates on the list , even where , as we said before , the wise laws of the Institution declare such cases , " ipse facto , " ineligible . We think , therefore , that power should be g iven distinctly ' °

the Quarterl y Court , to aflirm or refuse uw •'• - commendation of the General Committee , a it seems to be a farce , if the Quarterly Co « rt has the power to elect that it is unable to reject also , and put a stop , at once , io '

clear contravention of the rules of the M School . Though there was , ( owing no doubt ^ the weather ) , a , small meeting , it was very asn J ^ ' factory one , and too much praise cannot becorded to the ' patience and courtesy of Bro . J '

Symonds , always a most careful and consc ^ tious chairman . A committee was very prop ^ appointed to consider about a testimony Mrs . Monckton , and Bro . Constable was eut ^ honorary Vice-Patron . We regret to add ^ there were sixty-three candidates announc for October , and only nine vacancies .