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NOTICE . The Subscription to THE FREEMASON is now 1 os . per annum ,, post-free , payable in advance . Yo ! . I ., bound in cloth 4 s . 6 d . Vol . II ., ¦ "'¦ ;¦ is . 6 d . ' •' oi . s Hi ., IV ., V . sii'l VI each 15 s . od . heading Cases to hold 52 numbers ... 25 . ( id ; Ditto ditto 4 do . ... is . Gd . United States of America . THE I ' ' . SEMASON > s delivered free in any part of the United States for 12 c . per rjinum , payable in advance . 7 , 'he Freemason is published on Snumlr . y Mornings in time for the early trains . The price of the Frcemnson is Tv / openai per weelc ; annu . il sudscnp . icn , IOS . ( p . iv .-iWe i , a sdir . nct-O All commu « U , it ' . 3 ns , letters , Sec , to be addressed to the Editor , jqS , Fleel-street , e .. C . The Editor wii' pay cm odd .-mention to ail MSS . entrusted to him , but cannot undertake to return them unless accompanied by postage Ptamt-s . Now Keaclv . INDEX to Vol . VI . of "THE FREEMASON . " Way be Ua . d at the Publishing OiUce , 19 S , Fleetstreet .

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llnsfocrs to Correspondents . All Communications , Advertisements , & c , intended for insertion in the Number of tbe following- Saturday , must reach the Office not later than 0 o'clock on Wednesday evening ' . AJAX ' letter has been received and published . We shall always be happy to inseit such communications . T . F . ' s letter and tokens received with thanks . T . F . —Thc "Lecture on the Past Matter's Jewel" appeared in the Fmmumii , May 20 , 1871 , page , 309 . Bno . GALLICO ' S letter next week . IN answer to D . M ., we are of opinion that any P . M . going in for the represeutatUe system in cur ceremonies would forthwith find himself sat upon by Ihe Board of Gcr . ual Purposes .

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THE HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY , FROM ITS ORIGIN TO THE PRESENT DAY . Drawn from the best sources and the most lecent investigations . BY J . G . FINDEL , Second Edition , Reused , and Pa-face written by Bro . D . MURRAY LYON . One ; ol ., 800 pages 8 vo ., with an Index . Cloth gilt . Price , 1 os . 6 d . " This book is a strictly historical one , from which all is excluded that is not based upon asceitaiued or probable fact . "—linihkr . " Of its value to Freemasons , as a detailed history of their Brotherhood , it is not possible to speak too highly . " — Public O / iinitiii . " 'Ilie author seems to have fairly exhausted thc subjeet . "—The Athenaeum . "This volume is the history of Masonry pur excellence Every interested person may regard if , therefore , as the present text-book on the subject . "—Manclialtr Guardian Loudon : UliOKGK KENNING , 19 S , Fleet Street .

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Now ready , with Index anil Preface , in Twelve Imperial Folio Parts , 5 s . each , or bound i-r one handsome volume , £ , *;¦ THK FREEMASONS' LIBER MUSIGUS , Dedicated by express permission to M . R . I I . TI IK PRINCE OF WALKS , Cast Grand . Master of England and Wales . Edited by Dn . WILLIAM SI > AIIK , P . P . G O ., W . Y . —2 Q 8 . This Work contains 2 I 5 pp . and 188 Musical Compositions , suitable for the Ceremonies of thc Masonic Order ; First , Second , and Third Degrees ; Consecration and Dedication of ( falls and Lodges , Programmes , Toast ? , Songs , Tiios , Choruses , \ c , lor llancjucts ami other Festive Gatherings ; Laying Foundation or Comer Stones ; Installation , Mark Masonry ; Royal Arch ; Masonic Funerals ; Voluntaries ; Marches , & c „ ode , HANDSOME CLOTH COVERS , with gilt lines , aud lettered , for Binding ( similar to those used for the Graphic and Illustrated News ) , price 5 s . each . LONDON : GEORGE KENNING , ig . 8 , Fleet-street .

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MADAME " " TUSSAUD'STXHIBITION , BAKER STREET . Kow added , POn'Vtt / kVT MODELS ol the CZAR OF RUSSIA , Silt GARNET WOLSELEY , the Three Judges in the Tichbome Trial , Cockburn , Mellor , and Lush ; the Shah of Persia , Marshal MacMahorr , SI . Thiers , and the late Mr . Chailes Dickens . Admission is . Chile 4 j-n under ten , Od . Extra Uooms , fjd . Open fro ' i ten a . m . to ten p . m .

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The Freemason , SATURD . -Y , NOVEMBER 21 , 1874 ,

After-Dinner Speeches.

AFTER-DINNER SPEECHES .

The time was , even in all our memories , when the after-dinner speeches of our good old Order , were something very peculiarly striking in themselves . We remember , ( years ago , it

is now , alas !) that a friend of ours , a non-Mason walked into our room , and taking up the then Freemason ' s Magazine and Masonic Mirror scanned curiouslv its contents . "Ah !"

he exclaimed , at last , ' * old fellow , I never did read such bosh as these speeches ! " Well , we knew the speech to which he alluded , and so we admitted at once the soft impeachment , but said , ( for it was all we could say ) that , it was

an " after-dinner speech . " Some years ago , assuredly , our Alasonic after-dinner speeches were but little to be commended , as a rule , and

even the brethren complained of them . But , like as in all other things , both mundane and Alasonic , improvement has set in . The Alasonic schoolmaster has taught us to mind our P ' s

and Q ' s , and the staple of our after-dinner speeches is now much a-head of what it used to be , say , twenty-five \ cars ago . Of course ever *; now and then some brother , some

" enfant terrible" of hreemasonry , says just the thing he ought not to say . Still the " out come " of many an eloquent oration , and many a burning peroration is neither very wise , nor ver y

Alasonic , and it may be true in its measure that Freemasonry , like Liberty , has many follies committed initsangustname ; has too often to implore in pathetic accents , " Save me ! oh , save me from

a candid friend ! " Our opinion long has been that speeches , to be thoroughly good , ought to be alike pithy and pointed , short and telling , and thc best speeches wc have ever listened to ,

were delivered by those who knew what they were talking about , ] nnd felt that to be diffuse or verbose , or repetitive , could only mar their eloquence and bore their brethren . As a general

rule , latterly , ^ after-dinner speeches have been marked by excellent taste , and have been very much to the point . If injudicious remarks have been made from time to time , thc brother

might say , as the gentleman once said , who made a most inappropriate speech , " I beg your pardon , brethren , but I have lost one of my front teeth , and a word will fall out every

now and then , which I can t keep m . ' Freemasons are very tolerant and are always ready to make allowance for timid , or bashful , or nervous speakers , though they are , and ought to

have but little sympathy for the brother who cannot make a speech , or sing a song , or offer a sentiment . He is evidently one of our useless drones , of whom not a few seem to like to feed

on the honey of our meritorious and hard-working Alasonic bees . We always think , too , what a great pity it is , if anything is ever said on a festive occasion , or by those in

authority , to mar the happiness of the hour , or inflict pain on the feelings of any worthy brethren , if even they be a little sensitive . Whether the gathering be Alasonic or non-Masonic , it is clearly unjustifiable to seize an

After-Dinner Speeches.

occasion of a public character , to make " a deliverance" on account of some personal views or special idiosyncracies . B ut at a Alasonic festival Lt is most clearly out of place and wrong on every

true principle of Freemasonry , and when we notesuch occurrences as Alasonic journalists , we have a duty to perform to the Craft , which we have always endeavoured and always shall endeavour

to perform , without fear and without favour , our motto being "Fiat Justitia ruat ccclnm . " Our attention has been called to a speech published in the Western Mail , and republished

m our impression of Nov . 14 th . All speeches thus publicly uttered and published become a subject for fair , general , and journalistic comment . We allude to the speech of the P . G . M ;

for the Eastern Division of South Wales , AI . W . Bro . Theodore AI . Talbot , which was recorded in the Western Mail , and loudly applauded by the brethren apparently , and has since been

transferred to our columns . Swansea is a growing town of 70 , 000 inhabitants , which has two lodges , the Indefatigable and the Talbot . Bro . Talbot alludes to the fact , to use his own words ,

not ours , that a " proposal " had been " mooted to form a third lodge for S . vansea , " and goes on to say that " though he was glad to see that Masonry was so . flourishing in South Wales , "

he believed at the present moment three lodges in South Wales were not necessary . " Wc fancy that by a mistake of the printer " South Wales is here substituted for " Swansea , " as we note

that in the " Alasonic Calendar nine lodges are set down to South Wales Eastern Division . We have always understood that in matters civil , as well as in matters Alasonic , no allusion was

generally made to a question " sub judice . ' The Prov . G . M ., Bro . Talbot , when he made his afterdinner speech at Aberavon , knew that the very question upon which he so decisively gave his

opinion was practically now before the Grand Alaster . And though we hope that we shall not imitate his indiscretion , we cannot forbear saying this , that such a speech , at such a time , is not

respectful either , to the Grand Alaster or to the Grand Secretary , or the undoubted privileges of his brethren , as laid down in the Book of Constitutions . Bro . Talbot , as P . G . AI ., has quite a

right , at a proper time , and in a proper way , to express his opinion , to which all constitutional attention will be paid , but he has no right , we venture to apprehend as impartial journalists ,

while the above matter is before the Grand Alaster , to advert to a subject which was still " in lite , " according to the rights guaranteed to the brethren , and the limits of complaint and

appeal prescribed by our most admirable Book of Constitutions . Wo say this in all good will to Bro . Talbot , as we believe him to be a zealous Alason , and we know him to be a distinguished ruler in the craft .

Another Attack On Freemasonry.

ANOTHER ATTACK ON FREEMASONRY .

IT IS announced , apparently by authority , that in the December number of the " Contemporary Review" there will appear another attack on Freemasonry , written by no less a person than Archbishop , ( and by that time probably Cardinal ) Manning . This is a report which has appeared