Original Correspondence.

frequently , whose circumstances in life certainly do not warrant them in paying down the amount of initiation fee , and contracting to pay an annual subscription , unless from the point of view that they are joining a friendly society , in the commercial sense of the phrase . What would any prudent man think of another who out of an income of under X 200 per year , with a wife and seven children , seeks

to join Masonry ; and what can you think of the W . M ., Wardens , P . M . 's , and a majority of the brethren of that lodge , who , when he petitions for relief , actually certify that in their opinion his circumstances in life warranted him joining Masonry and their accepting him . In my humble opinion there should be some further test

of eligibility than the specified time , the applicant's petition , and the lodges recommendation ( for putting a candidate's name forward for relief from the funds of the Lodge of Benevolence , or from the funds of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , or on any other of our charities . I could give details of many cases that came under my

personal observation , where all these forms were gone through and the candidates duly put on the lists , but they were not elected afterwards ? Why ? Because in this province we have a Charity Committee , who investigate matters and steadily decline to waste the voting powers of the brethren of the province , and I am very pleased to

note that the brethren of the province place most implicit faith in that Committee , and very rarely , indeed , is a vote polled , except as directed or approved by the Committee . But this does not prevent the waste of the votes of sympathetic London and country brethren , who are only too willing to lend an indiscriminating assistance to almost

any . one who can concoct a painful thrilling tale in a circular . How often do you see cases on the . various lists , dragging their weary time out , and at last removed as ineligible , in connection with our schools ? With our aged , death more frequently terminates the tale . But why in the name of all that is

Masonic land benevolent should such cases be so promiscuously adopted by the various Institutions without a more responsible sifting and enquiry ? Interested lodges and individuals can get up cases , and get them on the printed lists as adopted of the Institutions , but there they remain , as a painful disgrace to our organisations .

Can this not be remedied ? Cannot our Provincial and District Grand Lodges be utilised by our Charities in this respect ? I presume nearly , if not all , our Provincial Grand Lodges have Charity Committees , who would gladly give their opinion , if , asked ; and no doubt our London brethren could , if they so felt disposed , organise themselves in

districts for a similar purpose . Our estimable and hard-working Bro . Woodford has tried long and patiently in this direction , though apparently without that success which he appears to me to have deserved . This matter is not , however , to be done by one individual brother , however hardworking ; it ought and must be representative in order to

be useful and discriminative , and just and charitable . Nor should it be possible to get any cases on the lists unless approved and adopted , in the first instance , by one of these Provincial , District , or London organisations . Some such means as this , I fully believe , would keep in

the background many cases that would not bear the light of strict investigation , and thus render our Charities more strictly deserving of the support of the affluent and the benevolent . Yours fraternally , SIX TIMES A STEWARD AND L . G . October 14 th .

A SISTER BY PURCHASE . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I venture to trespass on your space very shortly , while I point out to you that this question , which has called forth so many speeches , and excited so much interest , has

received its " quietusfor the present , at the last quarterly meeting of the Girls . School . As a "byestandcr" it is somewhat amusing to note the moods and words of the successive orators , " pro and con , and to see where they are consistent or inconsistent with former declarations and previous deliverances .

Having been present at the former meetings , I note , I think , what are many elements of amusing divergence and either conscious or unconscious change of position and opinion . Even the mover of the nonconfirmation of Bro . Tattershall's motion was , as it appears to me , not consistent with his former remarks . It may be , that taking up

another brother ' s motion unexpectedly , or knowing from experience the Quarterly Court before the polling to be in no mood for listening to long speeches , he so condensed his arguments that very few could follow him . As I understood him originally , he contended that on two grounds the purchase of a sister was justifiable , one being the legal

interpretation of the laws , the other the liberty of subscribers . On Saturday , lie seems to have based his argument solely on the right of a province or a lodge to purchase a sister s nomination . He did allude incidentally to Bro . Mclntyre ' s important opinion , but only incidentally ; and he gave me the idea of a speaker who was

not satisfied with his own argument , or sure of the audience he was addressing . It was somewhat remarkable , as I noticed , that nearly all the Provincial Charity members voted with him , the majority against him being mainly composed of London brethren . Bro . Raynham Stewart did two amusing things , —1 st , he moved an amendment on an amendment , which the Chair-

Original Correspondence.

man properly refused to notice ; and then he appealed to the meeting on the pure ground of sentiment and the injustice done to others by purchased cases . He is too experienced a debater not to know that no amendment can be moved on an amendment ; but he equally well knows that in such a meeting as he was addressing , impatient of verbosity and intent on other matters , the only way of proceeding was to

start a "hare " and run it down . Thus he got " mixed up , ' as all do , between " election and purchase " and " purchase and election , and not sufficiently discriminating as between what was becoming for the voters and what was the claim of those who pay for a nomination , he persuaded the meeting to confirm the resolution . His view was

clearly , however , the view of the meeting , it is only fair to observe . It was amusing to note the " gyrations " of one or two brethren , who on a former occasion voted against Bro . Tattershall ' s motion , andon this occasion supported Bro . Raynham Stewart . Whether they did so because they , too , had got

the ideas of purchase and election " mixed up , " it is impossible to say ; but so it was , so it is . The only consistent man , to my mind , was Bro . Tattershall himself , who did not speak at all , wisely allowing the "inevitable tendencies of the hour" to work out their slow and silent influences on the eloquence of the speakers , and

the convictions of voters . There is one only conclusion , 1 think , every impartial Mason must . arrive at , that an assembly impatient for other , to them , the most pressing business of the day , is a bad court of appeal for important questions , or decisive resolutions . Yours fraternally , A BYE STANDER .

SOUTH AUSTRALIA . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , It is pleasant to note the progress made in Freemasonry at the Antipodes , and to observe the growing intelligent interest that is taken in matters concerning the

Craft . A late mail has brought me a copy of the "South Australia Masonic Guide" for 1 SS 2-S 3 , published by Bro . Philip Sanson , of Adelaide , which is really a most admirably compiled work . It contains an essay on the Masonic lectures by Bro . Jas . M . Killop ( a Victorian visitor ) , a variety of calendarian information , a list of lodges and chapters

with the names of the officers , and a very large amount of Masonic information in the shape of pithy paragraphs , embodying a quantity of facts and maxims most desirable for every working Mason to know . I think you will be glad to know that our brethren in this distantcolony are willing to patronise so able a production ; and I may add that

such local calendars , in conjunction with your admirable „ Cosmo ., " render our knowledge of Masonry in any country absolutely complete . The " South Australian Guide " is published under the patronage of the heads of the three Constitutions in the colony . Yours fraternally , T . B . WHYTEHEAD .

A QUESTION OF ETIQUETTE . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — One lodge is visiting another . The W . M . of the visiting lodge is not present , but the officers include the I . P . M ., the Secretary ( a P . M . of the lodge ) , and the S . W . Whom among the three must be considered as the spokesman of the absent W . M . ?—Yours , CURIOUS .

Reviews.

REVIEWS .

VAN DALENS KALENDAR FUR FREIMAURER , 1 S 83 . J . G . Findel , Leipsic . This very useful annual German Masonic pocket-book , so-called after its original editor , published by Bro . Findel , is now edited by Bro . Karl Paul , and is in its three and twentieth yearly issue . It is full of most interesting statistics as regards cosmopolitan , and , above all , German Freemasonry . There are in Germany ( Deutschland ) , as some

of our readers may know , no less than S Grand Lodges and 5 independent lodges . These are—1 , the Grand National Mother Lodge of the Three Globes ( Weltkugeln ) , Berlin , with 119 Johannite and G 3 Scottish lodges , and 14 , 284 members ; 2 , the Grand Countries Lodge , at Berlin , with 3 Provincial lodges , 88 Johannite lodges , 26 " Andrew ' s " lodges , and 375 6 members ; 3 , the Grand Lodge of " Royal York , Berlin , with a Provincial Grand Lodge of Breslau , with 55

Johannite lodges , S Inner Orients , and G 747 members ; 4 , the Grand Lodge of Hamburgh , with 31 lodges , of which 25 are in Germany , and 3600 members ; 5 , the Grand Lodge of the Sun , at Bayreuth , with 25 lodges and 1950 members ; 6 , the Grand Country Lodge of Saxony , with 19 lodges and 3000 members ; 7 , the Grand Mother Lodge of the Eclectic Bond , at Frankfort - on - the - Maine , with 14 lodges and 139 G members ; and , S ,

the Grand Lodge of Darmstadt , with S lodges and SGi brethren . The 5 independent lodges are : 1 , the Archimedes , Altenburgh , with 268 members ; Archimedes , Gera , with 197 brethren ; Carl zum Rautenkranz , Hildburghhausen , with 63 brethren ; Minerva , Leipsic , with 423 members ; Balduin zur Linde , Leipsic , with 515 brethren . If , therefore , these statistics arc reliable , which we may

fairly assume they are , there are in Germany S Grand Lodges , 4 dependant Provincial Lodges , and 5 independent lodges . These are sub-divided into 2 G 2 Johannite lodges , 78 Symbolic Lodges , 63 Scottish lodges , 26 Andrew lodges , and S Inner Orients , in all 437 bodies , and 40 , 064 members . According to Van Dalen's Calendar , there are in England 32 Prov . Grand Lodges , 302 lodges in London , 95 in East Indies , and ; 1539 in the provinces

Reviews.

and other dependencies . There are also , it is said , 140 . 000 members , though where the editor obtains these statistics as to numbers from we know not . We are not aware of any official declaration on the subject , or any authorized numeration , though it be a matter much to be desired . We shall probably call attention , in a leaderette next week , to the Masonic " tott / e " in the world , according to these carefully compiled statistics .

Unveiling Of Masonic Windows

UNVEILING OF MASONIC WINDOWS

BY THE LORD MAYOR . The Crusaders' Lodge , No . 1677 , having presented two large painted windows to the Parish Church' of St . James ' s , Clerkenwell , to commemorate the restoration of the church , Bro . Sir J . Whittaker Ellis , Lord Mayor , and Sheriffs , in State , were invited to unveil the windows on the occasion of

the re-opening of the church , en the 13 th inst ., which has undergone complete restoration , under the superintendence of Mr . A . W . Blomfield , M . A . The Lord Mayor and Sheriffs arrived at the church at half-past eleven o'clock , and were accompanied by the Lady Mayoress , Miss Ellis , Mrs . Ronald Savory , the City Marshal , and the Sword and Mace Bearers . They were

received with enthusiastic cheers by the many thousands gathered around . In the porch a procession was formed , and entered the church , the immense congregation standing . Among the many eminent persons present in church were Mr . Ashmead and the Baroness Burdett-Coutts , Sir Francis and Lady Burdett , Bro . Churchwarden Goode , Bro . James Terry , Bro . J . T . Bedford , C . C .. Bro . Dr . Hunror .

Bro . Jarvis Maples , Bro . Arthur Millward , W . M . elect of the Crusaders' Lodge , and many brethren and others . Upon the procession reaching the chancel , Bro . Jarvis Maples , P . M . 144 and 1677 , surrounded b y a few of the brethren of the Crusaders' Lodge , handed his lordship the cords attached to the covering of each window , and they were successfully unveiled . After the verv rrrand service .

and a sermon preached by the Rev . Canon Duckworth , the party adjourned to the Holborn Viaduct Hotel for luncheon , where his lordship took the chair . The subject in the north-east light is the " Building of the lemple . " The architect is represented studying the plans with compasses in hand ; in the-back ground various workmen are represented at work in the erection of the in tnc

xempie . renaissance ornament bordering this window is introduced the " working tools , and the seal of the Crusaders Lodge occupies a prominent position over subject , and the whole is surmounted by the All-seeing Eye , which is introduced in both windows . The window in the south-east has a representation of the Oueen of Sheba ' s visit to Solomon on the completion of tfie Temple . King Solomon is shown seated

, surrounded by his attendants , with arm extended , pointing out the beauty and grandeur of the edifice . The Queen of Sheba is introduced in the foreground , while numerous eastern potentates are grouped around , bearing costly presents for King Solomon . In the border of this window are the various jewels of office , and the arms of the Grand Lodare are introduced oversnh .

ject . The windows have the following inscription at foot "To the glory of the Great Architectof the Universe , presented by the Crusaders Lodge , No . 1 G 77 , A . D . 1 S 82 . The windows , which are very much admired , both for harmony of colour and skilful treatment , are very large , and therefore the great amount of detail in every particular is seen to advantage . They were designed and executed by Bro . Charles Evans , of Warwick-street , Regent-street . ¦

Laying Thefoundation Stone Of A Congregational Church With Masonic Ceremony.

LAYING THEFOUNDATION STONE OF A CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH WITH MASONIC CEREMONY .

The memorial stone of a new Congregational Church at Teignmouth was laid with Masonic honours , on the 28 th ult . The W . M . of the Benevolent Lodge , No . 303 , being Secretary to the Building Committee of the Church , invited

his brethren to attend the ceremony , and the Provincial Grand Master having granted the necessary dispensation , a lodge of emergency was called . Lodge being duly opened , the brethren walked in order to the site . The stone was tested in Masonic form by the W . M . and his Wardens , and a large bottle , containing the local newspapers , plans of the building , bye-laws of Lodrre No . in * .

proceedings of the Grand and Provincial Grand Lodges , & c ., was deposited in a cavity under the stone , to which will be affixed a brass plate , bearing the following inscription : "Congregational Church , founded 1 790 , rebuilt 1 SS 2 . This memorial stone was laid by Alex . Hubbard , Esq ., Sept . 28 th , 1 SS 2 . ' On the platform , with the speakers , were Bros . E . C .

tlu' uu 6 l ?? l /" . i P- - -S- of Wks ., the builder of the church ; G . N . Burden , P . M . 303 , P . Z ., P . P . G . S . of Wks ., who carried a new oak malfet ; I . S . Kersteman , p £ V r \ ' r - u -5 V J . "S * bottle ; & Lorane , P . M ., P . I . G . D . C ., who marshalled the procession and acted as vv nr J L ,- ?\ , Evans > W - , -303 , with the square ; H . VV . Marshal , S . W . 303 , with the level : and F . Banburv .

J . W . 303 , with the plumb rule . There was a good attendance ot brethren from Torquay and Dawlish . A telegram was received from Bro . the Rev . VV . Whittley PPG Chaplain , who was prevented from attending by illness . Among the other brethren present were Bros . J . N . Valentine , P . M . Chap . . E . C . Fros £ , J . D . ; W . R . Gilpin , I . G ; Hugh Elhot , Stwd . ; H . A . Schank , Stwd . ; nV' n , ' - > F - C - Hallett , P . M . ; C . H . Collings

, P . M . ; P Hagerty , Tyler ; W . Harvey , H . Myer , R . Frost , W . A . Thomas , S . J . U . Hayman , and E . Everard , of 303 ; C . W . Hamerton , J . W . 12 S 4 ; G . H . P . Wescott , D , C . ; J . B . Coles , I . G . ; R . Williams , S . S . ; ? , " cV' r £ T > W - ^ ° L' -W 3 J J- Parnell , S . D . 135 S ; G . Marlev , 757 ; H . Marley , J . W . 1358 ; G . Ferguson , 141 ; f . li . Newton , Tyler ; j . Lane , W . M . ; T . Prust , S . S . ; J . Dodge , P . M . ; H . J . Hex , I . G . ; w ! u - u ° f \ Vi ? " F- -J Al T - Blarney , I . P . M . ; and B . Knight , J . W ., of 1402 .

OBSERVATION AND EXI ' ERIUNCE . —The public by noting the prescriptions of the medical profession , and acting on a quarter of a century s experience , have found out that there is but one remedy which can be relied upon so to cleanse and soften the skin , that its healthy action shall be absolutely ensured . The remedy is a luxury known a ^ WRIGHT'S COAL TAR SOAP . See that each tablet and wrapper bears the words , Sapo Carbonis Dctcrgcns , without which none is genuine .