To Our Readers.

TO OUR READERS .

The FREEMASON is a Weekly News paper , price x & Q . It is published every Friday morning , and contains the most important , interesting , and useful information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . Subscription , including postage : United America , India , India , China , & c .

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Important Notice.

IMPORTANT NOTICE .

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TO ADVERTISERS .

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Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

BOOKS & c , RECEIVED . "Brief , " "Hull Packet , " "Scottish Freemason , " " Citizen , " " The British and Colonial Printer and Stationer and Newspaper Press Record , " " Corner Stone , " "The Masonic Eclectic , " The Advocate , " " Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania ; Abstract of the Proceedings during the year 1878 , " "Masonic Advocate , " "New York Dispatch , " " Masonic Monthly , " " Our Home , " " Public Ledger . "

Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

[ The charge is 2 s . 6 d . for announcements not exceeding Four Lines under this heading . ] BIRTHS . DAKZBI . L . —On the i 8 eh March , at Broom House , Fulham , the wife of Mr . R . Dalzell , 79 th Highlanders , of a

daughter . HARBORD . —On the 14 th March , the Hon . Mrs . Walter Harbord , of a son . MOULD . —On the 13 th March , at Bury-St .-Edmunds , the wife of the Rev . F . T . Mould , of a daughter .

MARRIAGE . LAMB—LITTI . KWOOD . —On the 15 th Jan ., at Christ Church , Wanganui , New Zra ' and , by the Rev . T . L . Tudor , Henry Alexander , son of the lite Mr . John Stewart Lamb , M . D ., of Mai . la Vale , London , to Emma Theresa , daughter ol Mr . Riehard Webster Littlewood , of Wanganui , New Zealand .

DEATH . GRAY . —On the 14 th March , at Graymount , county Antrim , Major George Gray , Deputy-Lieutenant ,

Ar00610

THE FREEMASON . SATURDAY , MARCH 21 , 1879 .

Our Masonic Charities.

OUR MASONIC CHARITIES .

From time to time we hear of energetic suggestions for the reform of our general Charities , and even our Masonic Charities do not always escape the benevolent interest of the caviller and censor . To say the truth , we are not so far very keenly impressed , we think it fair to say ,

with cries for reform or assertions of defect . Our Charities are all on the whole efficiently managed , and the alleged abuses not only too often resemble what Carlyle terms " bottled moonshine , " to affect deeply the man with sober senses , but seem destined to afford a fund of

indefinite amusement and excitement , not only to these " gentlemen who write with ease , " but to a not meagre crowd of pseudo reformers . For there are " reforms and reforms ; " and all changes are not necessarily good , reasonable , or advisable , all open or anonymous assailants are

not deserving of being treated as " amici curiae . Indeed , to-day , irresponsible advice and unreasonable changes crop up daily and hourly , requiring alike prudence and discernment to meet and reply to . We live at a time when the " subjective " is crammed down our throat by those who ought

to know better as the objective , and we are bid , with a dogmatism which is often painful , and always ludicrous , to accept the assumption of first principles as the first principles themselves . We protest to-day , as we often have protested before , against that " positivism " of the private

judgment and opinion , which is obtruded upon us with all the force and authority of Ultramontane infallibility . All proposed reforms must be treated by certain distinct principles of need , seasonability , applicability , and common sense , which alone constitute their " raison d ' etre" and

their true power on the thoughtful and the practical . We never could believe , for instance , that as regards our Charities , that which is termed "the most distressing case theory" is either reasonable or logical , or advisable , or practicable , in any case . In our opinion it is a chimera , an

utter impossibility to realize or develope . Still less could we accept such a theory as regards our Masonic Charities . Such a step could only result in the extinction of local efforts , and provincial and metropolitan energy , and we cannot profess to understand how it is even possible , much less

probable in any way . We agree on the whole with the professed and simple aims of the London Masonic Charity Association , which , we think , puts the " boot on the right leg , " when it seeks to encourage provincial zeal amid metropolitan brethren , and to ask both the metropolis

and the provinces to send up their strongest cases . Further than this at present we cannot clearly go , and we must not forget that there are in all human cnterprizss the clinging seeds of decay and failure , so even a General Committee for the Charities might degenerate , and probably

would , into a " close borough , " and lead to mournful jobs , " and a good deal of unpleasant underhand work , from which open voting and a tree canvass keep us free . The only one possible objection to the London Masonic Charity Association rests upon a similar

apprehension , but in that case there is the counterbalancing effect , as in the system of open voting , of much publicity , much opposition , and above a large , independent , and earnest constituency . Even the work , however , of the London Masonic Charity Association is only " tentative , "

and , though we believe it will do good , and turn out to be sound in theory and practice , we do not see how we can , afc present at any rate , hope to extend the principle with advantage either to the voters or the Charities . Indeed , the probable evils far outweigh the possible advantages , as

under the selection of one select Committee , all public opinion would , we think , practically ceasi " . But on the whole , as the present system rests upon the appeal to the individual Life Governor and subscriber for their subscription ' s sake , if not for them , such a change would be tantamount to a revolution which would greatl y

Our Masonic Charities.

unsettle our excellent Masonic Charities , and so we dismiss it to the limbo of hopeless and chi - merical projects , of which we read so many nowa-days .

Grand Lodge Of Ireland.

GRAND LODGE OF IRELAND .

The balance sheet of the Grand Lodge of Ireland is not a good one , and we confess we think it mi ght and ought to be a good deal better . As Paddy says , ' bedad we do . " Its general receipts , including a balance of £ 305 ios . 2 d ., amount to , £ 3943 7 s . nd . Its expenditure

"barnn" a positive balance of £ 6 8 s . gd ., amounts to £ 3939 19 s . ad . It does not seem to have put anything by in 18 , ; 8 , which we regret much , especially on its own account . Indeed , we do not profess to understand why the Irish Grand Lodge funds are so small , but the Grand

Lodge of Ireland has its " skeleton in the closet , " in that it cannot , and does not , enforce sufficient payment from its lodges annually . Its office expenses are £ 1 r 19 16 s ., too large a proportion , in our humble opinion , for its receipts , and it pays a rent of £ 600 a year , clearly an Irish way of

doing business , as the Masonic Hall Company ought to pay it to Grand Lodge , not Grand Lodge to it . Again , when we take up the casual expenses , including printing , we find they represent a considerable amount for the whole income , namely , £ 350 , and we especially dislike

to see that item of committee dinners— £ 134 18 s . 6 d ., on the general of £ 134 i 8 s . 6 d ., and on the charity account , tnongh it is just possible that these dinners are not eaten twice over , but are the same item put in an Irish way . And though it be true that there is a "set off" of

A 170 ios . 6 d . on this head by "cheques for dinner " in the general , and £ 170 ios . 6 d . in the charitable amount—are they the same items ? if so , why ? We think such entries are a great mistake and " bad form . " The charity account has on the credit side £ 1061 us . ^ d ., including the mysterious item of committee dinners , and

on the debit side represents ^ 506 8 s . given as charity , it also has , necessarily , a balance of £ 35 6 3 s - 5 - So that the two balances amount to £ 56 * I 2 S - 2 d . This , we fear , is rather a " Flemish account " for the Grand Lodge of Ireland , aud we wish heartily '' more power to its arm , " and its best " health and inclinations av they be vartuous . "

St. Alban's Restoration Fund.

ST . ALBAN'S RESTORATION FUND .

We are glad to think that this movement is progressing , and beg to commend the laudable undertaking to the notice and support of all our brethren and readers . Bro . C . E . Keyser , 47 , Wilton Crescent , will be happy to give any information , and answer any questions .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[\ V * do wot hold ourselves responsible for , or even approving of , the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish in a spidt of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . ]

FREEMASONRY IN NEW SOUTH WALES . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I consider it my duly to emphatically contradict the statement made by your special correspondent , as being void of truth , under the heading of Freemasonry in New South Wales , as relating to the colony of New Zealand

and the erection of a Grand Lodge , appearing in your issue of the 30 th Nov ., 1878 . For which purpose I enclose the extract alluded to , as also contradictory ones from the Australian Freemasons , which will put the matter in its true light . It is to be lamented that publicity should have been given in your wideiy circulated journal , to unintentionally mislead the Craft at large , to satisfy the morbid

cravings for something new at the hands of your special correspondent , in whose good faith too much dependence has , in this instance , been placed . Therefore , in justice to the loyal Masons ho'ding of sixty-two lodges under the E . G ., I . C , and S . C . in New South Wales , as well as on behalf of out sister Constitutions in the colony of New Zealand , I would fraternally ask the favour of the insertion of the several extracts in your earliest issue , which , I can

assure you , will be deeply appreciated by the several Constitutions here . I remain , R . W . dear Sir and Brother , yours veiy fraternally , WM . HIGSTRIM , P . M ., P . M . M ., P . G . Chap . 110 , P . P . K . Red Cross , P . P . Ark Mariner .- - , P . Prior K . T . of Scotland , P . P . G . S . W ., Prov . Grand Sec . Sydney , Jan . 30 .