To Our Readers.

TO OUR READERS .

The FREEMASON is a Weekly Newspaper , price ad . 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 Kingdom , the Continent , & c . Via Brindisi .

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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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ADVERTISEMENTS to ensure insertion in current week ' s ; ssue should reach the Oflice , 198 , "Fleet-street , hy 12 o ' clock on "Wednesdays .

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

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

The following letters , crowded out , will appear next week : St . Peter ' s , C . J . Perceval , A Young Mason , R . Thorpe . BOOKS , & c , RECEIVED . "Masonic Advocate ; "" Hebrew Leader ; " " Medical Examiner ' ; *' -. /' . Advocate ; " "Hull Packet ; " " Sunday School Teachers' Bible * , " " Scottish Freemason ; " " Broad

Arrow * , " . '' Masonic Record of Western India ; " "Canadian Craftsrnan ; " •" Australian Freemason ; " "La Voz de Hiram ; , " / 'Risprgimento ; " "Keystone ; " " Loomis ' Musical and Masonic Journal ; " " Richmond Daily Palladium ; " " Otago Daily Times ; " " The Lion of England and the Turkish Wolf ; " " Der Bund ; " " Proceedings of tbe Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters of Massachusetts ; " " Exporters'Directory , 1878 . "

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IMPORTANT NOTICE .

COLONIAL and FOREIGN SUBSCRIBERS are informed that acknowledgments of remittances received arc published in the first number of every rr-onth .

It is very necessary for our readers to advise us of all money orders they remit , more especially those from the United States of America and India ; otherwise we cannot tell where to credit them . Several P . O . O . ' s are now in hnnd , but having received no advice we cannot credit them .

Births , Marriages And Deaths.

Births , Marriages and Deaths .

[ The charge is 2 s . Od . for announcements , not exceeding four lines , under this heading . ]

BIRTHS . GAY . —On the 17 th ult ., at Harrington-street , Calcutta , the wife of E . Gay , Esq ., ot a son . HAMILTON . —On the 15 th inst ., at Preston Hall , Dalkeith , the Hon . Mrs . C . II . Hamilton , ofa son .

HOPWOOD . —On the 17 th inst ., at Queen ' s-gate-terrace , South Kensington , the wife of E . R . G . Hopwood , of a daughter . SEWELL . —On thc 17 th inst ., at Clapham-rise , the wife of "W . A . Sewell , Esq ., of a son .

DEATHS . EDWAIIUS . —On thc 17 th inst ., at his rcsidtnce , Dorset-placc , Bridport , James Edwards , Esq ., in his Sist year . Friends will kindly accept this intimation . HEDGE . —On the 17 th inst ., at Brighton , Edward Hedge , Esq ., barristtr-at-law , of Stone-buildings , Lincoln's Inn . Friends will kindly accept this intimation .

SCOTT . —On the 161 I 1 inst ., at Brompton Barracks , Chatham , Robinson Garner Scott , Capt . R . E ., in his 35 th year . Toovg . —( in the 17 th inst ., at Albert-street , Regent ' s Park , - ** Maria , wile of S . Toone , aged 311 . "WIIITWOIITII . —On the 13 th inst ., at Westbournc-lerrace , Hyde Park , Elizabeth Sarah , widow of lhe late R . Whitworth .

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TheFreemason, SATURDAY , MARCH 2 . 3 , 1878 .

The Grand Lodge Of England And The Grand Orient Of France.

THE GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND AND THE GRAND ORIENT OF FRANCE .

ft will be seen by some correspondence which we publish elsewhere that a few English brethren appear desirous to oppose themselves to the views of Lord Carnarvon , and the resolutions of Grand Lodge . We venture , however , to think and to say , openly and plainly to-day , that Lord

Carnarvon has the entire confidence and approval of the English Craft , alike in all he so ably said , and so clearly contended , in the arguments and conclusions at which he arrived . We are decidedly of opinion , that an overwhelming majority of our Order is prepared to stand by the dicta of

our Pro Grand Master , and the unanimous opinion of our Grand Lodge . Indeed , it seems to us that it is both rather bold , and , to say the truth , somewhat questionable in tone and taste , thns to impugn the unanimous approval of Grand Lodge , and the dignified presidency of Lord

Carnarvon . We have thought it well , in the interest of full , free , fair Masonic discussion in our pages , to print the letters we have received , though we doubt very much whether they are likely to affect or please our English Fraternity , either in respect of the views they put forward

the statements they make , or the arguments they make use of . We wish that those who hold such theories and are so unwise , in cur opinion , now to print them , had been present in Grand Lodge , and said what they have written on the subject . It would have been a far more satisfactory man

ner of dealing with the question , from an entirely French point of view , denying the impartiality of the Pro Grand Master , and deprecating the proceedings of Grand Lodge . Our Grand Lodge is our highest court of legislation and appeal , and deserves the respectful regard and loyal adherence

of a'l English Masons . We very much doubt whether half-a-dozen brethren in England participate in the views and feelings of our correspondents , or can be found to endorse their elaborate complaints , though , to say the truth , there is not much in their

letters , we feel bound lo state , beyond what appears to us a weak and watery hashing up of the " vol-au-vents " of Bros . Caubet and Grimaux , and the more solid " piece de resis . tance" of our good Uro . Thevenot . For the course followed by the French Grand Orient is , as we have often previously said , hurtful to

French , dishonourable to cosmopolitan Freemasonry . It is simply a revolution , the culmination of an insidious movement of some standing , partly political and partly atheistic . Under such circumstances , that our Grand Lodge should have acted as it has most properl y done was alike natural and to be expected . It would not have done its dutv if it had not taken the course ithas

thought seasonable and proper to take , and we most heartily commend it for the very resolutions which earn the blame of our correspondents . We are not going to contend that all who passed the resolution of the Grand Orient wished to make an atheistic or materialistic profession . We

think , on the contrary , as we point out elsewhere , that the majority was practically deceived , and partially influenced b y conflicting reasons . But we fear , ( as we know ) , that by a large section of the majority the change was hailed as a victory over any sort of profession of faith , and we may

also add this . People may obscure the whole question as much as they like by fine words , and a cloud of phrases—by the jargon of a false philosophy , by the assertion of a nihilistic belief ; but , as Lord Carnarvon well put it , to our Anglo-Saxon common sense it appears a very simple thing : the matter "lies , " so to say , " in

a nutshell . ' The extreme party in the French Grand Orient , finding that those who dislike to avow belief in God were kept out by the existing formularies , have made an entrance for them , putting forward as a reason and excuse fcr the change the plea of " absolute toleration . " Some of our readers may remember an epoch in our national history , when

The Grand Lodge Of England And The Grand Orient Of France.

a similar plea was advanced , equally unreal , equally insincere . Some of us , too , may recall to-day the result of that perverse proceeding , that shallow chicanery . We venture to regard the plea of " absolute toleration " as unworthy of Freemasons , unworthy the Grand Orient of

France , and though we believe it may claim Bro . Massol as its author , yet we equally object to it , whether put forward by that able " irreconcileable , " or his ardent and admiring followers . It is a most curious fact in itself * however , it can be explained that the only persons who can be gainers by this untoward change in

France are the Ultramontane party on the one hand , the unbelieving school on the other . As history always repeats itself , we are [ not at all astonished at such a fact , per se . We are willing to hope , with Bro . Hubert , that the high character and Masonio services of Bro . St . Jean , together with his known prudence and caution , and more moderate counsels in the Grand Orient

itself , will tend to stem the tide of destructive leanings and revolutionary change . We repeat that , with that distinguished French brother , we are willing to hope that such will be the case , but we fear that such retardation ofthe movement party can only be " pour le moment . " In our

humble opinion the French Freemasons cannot consistently or logically remain where they are , but having made one false step they will ere long perforce have to make another . We shall be glad if we prove to be in error , and even to be accused of being ignorant of French Masonic affairs . As sincere well-wishers to French

Freemasonry , we still look for a happier future for it than the destructive zeal of some of its socalled friends seems likely to approve or allow . But , as the old adage runs , " Tempus omnia monstrat , " and like Bro . Hubert , utterly deprecating the past , we patiently regard the present , and calmly await the future .

Our Great Charitable Institutions.

OUR GREAT CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS .

We shall all be sorry for the present pecuniary loss which has befallen the Boys' School and the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , through no fault of the officers , and we shall hail all efforts made with the kind and special attempt to recoup Bros . Terry and Binckes for the

temporary inconvenience they have sustained . No one out of the privileged circle of the banking , interest could have foreseen and foreknown that such a calamity was impending , and feeling strongly that our Bros . Binckes and Terry , amid their always anxious and arduous labours , deserve

the sympathy and support of our brethren , we are glad to note that a praiseworthy and kindly effort is being made to restore the respective accounts ofthe Institutions to the " status in quo " which was theirs before the untoward collapse of 1 Messrs . Willis , Percival , and Co . For once the

Girls' School is on the debit side , and proves the advantage sometimes of not having too good a balance at your bankers . We admit , that such is , however , an abnormal condition of financial arrangements , and one we cannot recommend to the adoption or imitation of our brethren

generally . The Girls' School has , we think , a very good prospect before it , if only the " powers that be " at its head and over its affairs , will seek to improve the occasion , discard all Masonic red tape , and take a common sense view of persons , and things , and events . Lord Carnarvon is to

preside at the Annual Festival •no better Chairman can be found , and the Craft will rally round him with enthusiasm and sincerity . We anticipate a most goodly gathering and a long list of Stewards . The visit ofthe Prince and Princess of Wales to the school having been postponed , an

opportunity occurs for the Building Committee of largely profiting by the circumstance , alike to provide a distinguished reception of their exalted guests , and to advance the financial interests of the School , which need , awing to special circumstances , to be considerably strengthened and

augmented . The Girls' School is drawing largely upon its funds , and it will be a great pity if any very serious or permanent diminution accrues to its funded capital , in ctmsequence of an extension which is an absolute necessity , and of expenses which sould not possibl y be dispensed