Correspondence.

Correspondence .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents , But wc wish , in a spirit ot fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limitsfree discussion .

THE LODGE CHARTER OR WARRANT . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Being in the North , I have not had an opportunity of seeing Bro Last ' s letter in the Freemason of the Sth instant until to-day .

I fear that Bro . Last's very apparent argument that , a lodge being duly con - stituted—it may be a century or more ago—the warrant need not , of necessity , be produced thereafter , rests upon a very flimsy texture . May I refer our worthy brother lo Article 126 of the Book of Constitutions , which provides for the issue of a confirmation warrant , in thc event of an original warrant being lost ? That one fact , I should think , will entirely dispose of Bro . Last's contention .

Reverting to the case that came before the Board of General Purposes , I may explain , for the information of Bro . Last , that the occasion in question was the 1 ast meeting I attended ; but , if I remember correctly , the Master and Wardens of the lodge involved were summoned to appear before the Board . As to the sequel , I never heard , not being a member of the Board , subsesequent to the said meeting . —Yours fraternally , W . F . LAMONBY . October 14 th .

ROYAL ARCH WORKING . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother I should like to respectfully suggest to Bro . M . Spiegel , P . Z ., that the substitution of "Omnipotent" for the " Word " cannot be correct . I have not the honour to belong to the R . A ., but Omnipotence is but an attribute of

power , one part of three , of which the other two are Omnipresence and Omniscience a trinity in unity of all-power , all-presence , and all-knowledge , constituting the trinity of attributes of the " Word " the sum ot the whole . The Word which is set forth in the Gospel of St . John , chap , i ., ver . 1-14 , Hebrews , chap , i ., is that seventh word of Genesis , chap , i ., ver . 2 , which is the key to unlock the mystery of the sacred writings above quoted .

The Aleph and Lameth ( Lamed ) the first and twelfth of the Hebrew signs or letters correspond in Astro-theology to Aleph or Taurus the Bull mouth , and to Lamed or Aries the Ram mouth ( see Psalms CXIX . ) referring to the Word or Logos coming in Vernal Omnipotence at that period of the year . Briefly , then I submit that the Word cannot be touched or altered and that Omnipotence is but one attribute which cannot under any circumstances be substituted for the " Word " which is the sum , a unity of a trinity . — Vours fraternally ,

T . MAY , m . 40 , Spondon-road , S . Tottenham , October 17 th . P . S . —I hope Bro . Klein's instructive lectures now appearing in your columns will be published in handy book form .

Reviews.

Reviews .

"Tim CATHEDRAL CHURCH OK SOUTHH-BLL . "— This is the 14 th volume of the handy and handsome Cathedral Series , published by Messrs . Geo . Bell ami Suns , York-street , Covent Garden , at rs . Cd . each , in specially designed cloth cover , each being lavishly illustrated . The present brochure is by the Rev . Arthur Dimock , M . A ., and has 37 illustrations , some of which are exceptionally good , and all are both appropriate and carefully printed . The particulars afforded of this grand old Fane are of exceptional interest , and well so when " Lincoln is now reckoned as of a venerable antiquity , yet her Chapter is appreciably the junior of Southwell . " It is stated that the Jewish

money-lenders of York and Lincoln assisted in the building , but that is not to be wondered at when it is remembered that " neither the contributions of the liberal , nor forced labour would suffice " to meet the drain of all funds consequent upon " the universal system of rebuilding on a more magnificent scale , " so the despised Jews found the money required . As to this point and numerous others Mr . Dimock's deeply interesting work may with ample confidence be consulted , for it is fully equal to its predecessors . The set so far published include Canterbury , Salisbury , Chester , Rochester , Oxford , Exeter , Winchester , Lichfield , Norwich , Peterborough , Hereford , Lincoln , Wells , and now . Southwell . Uniform with the above series , is a charming little book of some 100 pages ,

abundantly illustrated ( and there are also various plans interspersed ) devoted to " The Church of St . Martin , Canterbury , " by the Kev . C . F . Routledge , M . A ., F . S . A ., Hon . Canon of Canterbury . The author considers it more than probable that parts of the original structure mentioned by Bede are still standing . This old Church , both from its nistory and structure , occupies a unique position , being at once thej cradlejof purely English Christianity , and also a witness of that earlier Christianity which existed in Britain during the period of the Roman occupation , as Mr . Routledge observes . A list of Rectors is appended from 1314 j the whole work from lirst to last proving how thorough have been the investigations to make the history complete and accurate . The whole series leaves nothing to be desired , eitherarchaologically , architecturally , or artistically .

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .

The Quarterly Court of the Subscribers of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys was held on the 14 th inst . inthe large hall of Freemasons' Tavern . Bro . Richd . Eve , Past G . Treas ., Patron and Trustee of the Institution , Chairman of thc Board of Management , in the chair . The Chairman was supported by Bros .

Charles fi . Keyser , P . G . D . ; Geo . Everett , P . G . Treas . ; Major Oliver Papworth , P . G . W . of Cambridgeshire ; W . A . Scurrah , P . G . Std . Br . J . E . Le Feuvre , P . G . D . - J . W . Burgess , P . G . W . West Lanes . ; Richard Clowes , John Glass , H . Pritchard , Matbias Barker ( Staffs . ) , James Willing , jun ,, G . Corbie , E . Margrett , P . P . G . W . Berks . ; and John Strachan , O . C , G . Reg .

Bro . J . M . MCLEOD , P . G . S . B ., Sec , read the notice convening thc Court Bro . McLead also read the minutes * of the Court held 011 the Sth July , which were verified . The minutes of thc Council uf 5 th August and 30 th September last were likewise read .

Bro . RICHARD EVK then called upon the Secretary tu announce the total subscriptions lo the Centenary Festival of the Institution . Bro . J . M . MLLEOIJ said that the total amount of subscriptions , the brethren would remember , announced at the festival by hia Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , the chairman on thc occasion , was . £ 13 . 1 , 000 . By the assistance ol thc

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

Stewards , whose services he begged heartily to acknowledge , since that particular time , the amount had now increased to ^ 140 , 376 17 s . 5 d . ( Cheers . ) Bro . RICHARD EVE then said that the brethren had heard the report of the Secretary as to the amount of the subscriptions up to the present time of the Centenary Festival of this year , 189 S . He was sure it must be a great gratification to all present to hear that report , and he knew that the M . W . G . M . would be

delighted equally with themselves—more , if possible—as the result of his advocacy on the occasion of that festival . The Institution had very little time to-day at their disposal to say how very deeply they were indebted , and there was not enough to allow him to say too much , but he would take the work up by proposing the thanks in the words of the resolution already on the paper as notices of motion . He would take them seriatim .

" That the best thanks of the Court are due , and are hereby tendered to—¦ ( a ) W . Bro . Stanley J . Attenborough , P . A . G . D . C , Patron and Hon . Solicitor of the Institution—For services rendered at the recent Centenary Festival , especially with regard to his great work in connection with the arrangements for the ' Prize Day' celebration at the Albert Hall on Tuesday , 7 th June , 189 S ; and in undertaking the Secretary ' s duties with respect to thc distribution of badges , & c . " The brethren knew the Institution had had lhc assistance and the good heart of all the brethren in England and Wales to achieve the great result which had just

been announced ; but there were some brethren who had devoted their time , and not only their own time , but the time of their employes , to attain the great work that had been reached . If it had not been for their great assistance , the Secretary —arduous though his duties and gigantic his work had been—could not have performed all that he had performed . He now moved the resolution ; but begged to say that he could not attempt to describe the work of Bro . Attenborough , but they had endeavoured in these words to express as far as they could the services Bro . Attenborough had rendered . Then he would take clause b—

( b ) " W . Bro . Alfred C . Spaull , P . G . Std . Br ., Vice-Pres . of Inst . —For services rendered at the recent Centenary Festival , especially with regard to the valuable assistance rendered to the Secretary in connection with the work of the office and thc arrangements for the Festival Meeting at the Albert Hall on Friday , 10 th June , 18 9 S . " He would move those two clauses together , that the votes of thanks be given to

those two brethren . Bro . RADCLVF '''' , P . Jt . and Secretary 211 , seconded . On the motion of Bro . J AMES WILLING , seconded by Bro . H . A . TOBIAS , it was resolved that those two vc . es should be engrossed on vellum , and presented to Bros . S . j . Attenborough and Alfred C . Spaull . Bro . Evi * . in proposing c—

(* .- ) " V . W . Bro . E . Letchworth , Grand Sec , Vice-Patron of the Institution ; W . Bro . Charles E . Keyser , P . G . D ., Treasurer and Patron of the Institution ,-V . W . Bro . John Strachan , O . C , Grand Registrar ( Chairman of the Dinner Committee ) , W . Bros . H . Bevir ; F . R . W . Hedges , P . G . S . B . ( Sec . R . M . I . Girls ); W . G . Kentish , P . G . Std . B . ( Vice-Patron ); H . Pritchard , and J . D . Langton ,

P . D . G . D . of C , for valuable personal assistance in the conduct of the Festival , " said , in reference to the next clause , all the brethren had shown untiring energy , and had done their best in this great work , He could not enlarge on what they did , so he would simply propose it . Bro . H . A . TOBIAS seconded . The motion was carried .

Bro . RICHARD EVE next said hc now came to the next clause , which he might call the omnibus clause . A number of brethren ought to have been in that clause who were not in it ; but the great difficulty was to select . However , those brethren whose names were down in the list in their provinces and districts had done so much in getting together that large sum of money that a vote of thanks ought to be accorded them . Many of the brethren on that list were on the Board of Management , and the Board lelt vvith reference to them that they could

not propose to eliminate them . All the names were gone through , and they felt that something should be done to give them the honorary positions on the lists as Vice-Presidents or Patrons . The Board felt that they could not do that , as they were dealing with themselves . All on the Board had done their best to attain the great result which had been achieved , and they asked now the Quarterly Court to pass hearty votes of thanks to those brethren whose names appeared on the lists . Each one vied with thc other in his district or province to get as much together

as he could . He now moved the thanks of thc Court to the following brethren : ( ir *) W . Bro . Geo . Beech , D . P . G . M . of the Provir . ce of Warwickshire . C . K . Benson , P . P . G . W . North Wales . ' „ Wentworth L . Cole , P . A . G . D . C . of the Albert Hall . „ C . D . Cheetham , Chairman of the Charity Committee . „ V . P . Freeman , P . G . D ., Prov . G . Sec . of the Province of Sussex . „ W . Goodacre ( Hon . Vice-Pres . ) P . G . S . B ., Prov . G . Sec of the

Province of Lancashire ( West Division ) . „ Capt . H . G . E . Green ( Vice-Patron ) , P . G . Sec . of the Province of West Yorkshire . „ Juhn Hcdley , P . G . S . B ., of the Royal Albert Hall . ,, Charles Lee , P . P . G . W . of the Province of Warwickshire . „ H . Manfield , Patron of Inst . ; P . P . G . D . Northants and Hunts . E . Margrett , P . P . G . W . Berkshire .

„ Daniel Mayer , Patron , W . M . of Lodge 59 , and Oscar Philippe , P . G . Std . Br ., Patrons of the Inst , ( London ) , „ Richard Newhouse , P . D . G . S . B ., Sec . of the Province of Cheshire . „ James Newton , Provincial Grand Secretary of thc Province of Lancashire ( East Division ) . \ V . Bro . F . B . Page , Prov . G . Sec . of Worcestershire . „ Alajor O . Papworth ( Vice-Pres . ) , P . P . G . W . Cambridgeshire . „ J . M . Reed , Prov . G . Treasurer of the Province of Sussex , T . J . Ralling , P . A . G . D . C , Prov . G . Sec . oi Essex .

„ W . Russell ( Vice-1 ' atron ) , representing the Province of Kent . „ H . Percy Smith , Sec . of the Charity Committee of the Province of Staffordshire .

„ R . P . Sumner ( Vice-Patron ) , Secretary of the Charity Committee of the Province of Gloucestershire . „ J . H . Whadcoat , Patron of Inst .

„ , Percy Wallis ( Vice-Patron ) , Chairman of the Charity Committee of the Province of Derbyshire . „ F . IS . Westlake ( Vice-Patron ) , P . P . G . W . of the Province oi Devonshire .

„ W . H . Wood , Warwickshire . For valuable services rendered to the Institution in connection with the Centenary Festival . Bro . C E . KKYSKR , thought there was one name omitted which had been intended to be included in the list , and that was the name of Bro . W . C Lup ton . be

the Chairman of the West Yorks Charity Committee . West Yorks it would remembered contributed at the Centenary Festival the largest sum ever contributed by a province at one of these Festivals . The Secretary said the name of Bro . Lupton was in the original proof , but by some printer ' s error it was omitted from the list . He begged to second Bro . Eve ' s motion with thc addition of B ' *

Lupton's name , Bro . RICHARD EM * said he quite agreed with Bro . Keyser that Bro . Lup ton distinguished himself greatly 011 the occasion . For the omission ol the nam from the list they were exceedingly sorry .