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ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS . PATRON : HER MAIKSTY THE QUEEN . PRESIDENT : HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE P RINCE OK WALES , K . G ., M . W . G . M . THE RT . HON . VISCOUNT HOLMESDALE , R . W . Provincial Grand Master of Kent , has kindly consented to Preside at the 85 th ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL , to be held On WEDNESDAY , 27 th June , 1883 . The services of Brethren as Stewards are earnestly solicited . Particulars , with information as to " Special Privileges " in connection with the " Preparatory School Building Fund , " attainable only to 31 x 1 ! December , 1 SS 3 , may be obtained on application . FREDERICK BINCKES , V . Pat . ( P . G . Stwd . ) , Secretary . Office , C , Freemasons' Hall , W . C , 21 st December , 1 SS 2 .

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CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS . LONDON AND NORTHWESTERN RAILWAY . ROYAL MAIL ROUTE . The EXPRESS TRAINS of the LONDON and NORTH-WESTERN RAILWAY afford the most expeditious means of reaching the principal towns in the North of England , the Midland manufacturing districts , Scotland , Ireland , and Wales , including Liverpool , Manchester , Birmingham , Chester , Dublin , Shrewsbury , Leamington , Wolverhampton , Preston , Carlisle , Glasgow , Edinburgh , Perth , Dundee , Aberdeen , Inverness . A fast and frequent service of trains is run from London to Birmingham in 3 hours , London to Manchester in 4 ? hours , London to Liverpool in 5 hours . WEST COAST ROUTE TO AND FROM SCOTLAND . —Direct trains to and from London ( Euston ) , Birmingham , Liverpool , Manchester , eic , and Edinburgh , Glasgow , Greenock , Perth , Aberdeen , Inverness , and the ' north . Drawing-room carriages , fitted with Lavatory Accommodation arc run by the Day Expresses ; the Sleeping Saloons by the night trains . For full particulars of Train Service seethe Company's Time Books and Bills . OMNIBUSES FOR USE OF FAMILY PARTIES Travelling by London and North-Westcrn Railway . — 'lhe London and North-Western Railway Company provide Small Omnibuses , capable of carrying six persons inside and two outside , with the usual quantity of luggage , to meet trains at Euston Station , London , Limestreet Station , Liverpool , and at London-road Station , Manchester , when previously ordered . The Omnibuses will also be sent to any Hotels or private residences for the conveyance to Euston Station ( in time for any of the down trains ) of parties proposing to travel by London and North Western Railway . Orders for these vehicles can be given cither direct to the Station Masters at the various termini , or by advising the Station Masters at the starting point of the journey ( if a London and North-Western Station ) . The charge for the use of an Omnibus will be One Shilling per mile ( Driver and a reasonable quantity of Luggage included ) , with a minimum charge of Three Shillings . G . FINDLAY , General Manager . Euston Station , December , 1 SS 2 .

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DREADNOUGHT SEAMENS ' HOSPITAL , Greenwich , S . E ., and DISPENSARY , Well-street , London Docks , E ., for Sailors of all Nations . No admission ticket or voting papers of any sort required , but both are entirely free to the whole maritime world , irrespective of race , creed , or nationality . Since establishmentupwardsof 225 , 000 have been relicvedfrom no less than forty-two different countries , and the number of patients during 1 SS 1 , was 7132 , as compared with 4245 , the average jf the preceding ten years . Qualification of a governor me guinea annually , or a donation of ten guineas . New nnual subscriptions or contributions will be thankfully received by the bankers , Messrs . Williams , Deacon and Co ., 20 , Birchin-lane , E . C , or by the Secretary at the Hospital . Funds are urgently needed for this truly Cosmopolitan Charity , which is supported by voluntary contributions . W . T . EVANS , Secretary .

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ANY Gentleman who is a Freemason , having SPARE TIME at his disposal , and wishing to occupy it profitably , will do well by applying by letter to Mr . M . Underwood , 45 , Ludgate-hill , London .

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THE Nottingham Masonic Hall Co ., Limited . Wanted a Married Man ( whose wife must be an experienced Cook ) , thoroughly competent to take the management—as STEWARD—of the Masonic Hall and Club , Nottingham . Must have unexceptional references , and be a Mason . Apply , by letter , giving ages and references , to the Secretary , Mr . E . F . Cross , Masonic Hall , Nottingham .

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A ROYAL ARCH MASON wishes to BORROW from a private source £ " 150 for a period of Three Years . The amount will be fully secured and a good interest given . Address— " Hiram " Freemason , iO , Great Queen-street , W . C _

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Twelfth Edition , post-free , is . DR . WATTS on ASTHMA and BRONCHITIS . A Treatise un the only Successful Method of Curing these Diseases . By ROBERT G . WATTS , M . D ., F . R . S . L ., F . C . S ., & c , 5 , Bulstrode-strccl , Cavendish-square , London . London : C . Mitchell and Co ., Red Lion-court , Fleet-street .

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ROYAL SEA BATHING INFIRMARY , MARGATE . ESTABLISHED 1791 . THE ONLY ONE EXCLUSIVELY FOR SCROFULOUS POOR . COL . CREATON , TREASURER . JOHN M . CLABON , ESQ ., HON . SECRETARY . This Hospital requires aid . An extra liberal diet table is of necessity required on account of the exhausting nature of this terrible disease . Donors of £ 10 10 s ., Annual Subscribers of £ 1 is ., can recommend patients . 250 beds . Average number of Inpatients per year , 750 , and of applicants over 1000 . Bankers , the Bank of England ; Coutts and Co . ; and Cobb and Co ., Margate . Offices : No . 30 , Charing Cross , VV . JOHN THOMAS WALKER , Secretary .

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© 0 CCorresMonttmts * The following stand over : Palatine Lodge , No . 97 . Lodge of Fortitude , No . 105 . BOOKS , & c . RECEIVED . " Proceedings of the Convention of the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Peru , " Constitution of Grand Lodge of Peru , " "Freemasons' Chronicle" ( Sydney ); "The Hull Packet , " "The Newcastle Daily Journal , "" The Jewish Chronicle , " "" The Rock " ( Christmas Number ) , "The New York Dispatch , " "Masonia , " "The Royal Cornwall Gazette , " " La Revista Masonica , " " The Broad Arrow , " "The Citizen , " "The New Zealand Freemason , " "The Masonic Review , " "The City Press , " " The Freemason " ( Sydnev ) , "The Manchester Weekly Times , " "The Court Circular" ( Literary Number ) , " Ballarat Star , " "The Second Annual Report of Bolingbroke House Pay Hospital , " " Maconnique , " " Bath and Cheltenham Gazette , " "The Evening News , " "The Anglian Times , " " The British Workman " ( Christmas Number ) , " Band of Hope Review . "

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Wlre ||| asoiil SATURDAY , DECEMBER 23 , 18 S 2 . _ o—

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ We do not hold ourselves responsible for , or even approving of , the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish in a spirit of fair play to all to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion , " ! -

PROVINCIAL PREFERMENT . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — The correspondence upon this subject , which has of late appeared in your columns , is so contrary to the Book of Constitutions , and such an unwarrantable

interference with the undoubted privileges of a Provincial Grand Master , that I should have abstained from taking any notice of it had not a most unjust slur been cast upon Provincial Grand Secretaries , in a letter signed " A Subscriber , " in your last issue . The insinuation that Provincial Grand Secretaries are in

the habit of receiving bribes for the purpose of pushing on brethren to the purple is , in my opinion , unworthy of the pen of a Mason , and ought at once to be withdrawn . No doubt " A Subscriber" will try to shelter himself under the plea that the words are not his own ; but he is blameable for having given them publicity in print .

I happen to number amongst my Masonic friends several Provincial Grand Secretaries , and can , in the most positive manner , refute such an imputation , so far as they are concerned . The mode of selection of officers varies in the different provinces , each Provincial Grand Master adopting ( as he

doubtless has a right to do ) such a system that to his mind seems best ; but whatever system may be adopted in large provinces , some disappointment must necessarily arise , because it must be surmised that every lodge possesses one or two Past Masters who would adorn , and are worthy of , provincial rank ; but how can a Provincial Grand Master

with , say sixteen officers at his disposal , satisfy all worthy brethren in sixty or seventy lodges , each of which annually qualifying a brother , thereby continually increasing the roll of aspirants to oflice . Why do not lodges , where there are Past Masters so

eminently qualified , communicate the names of such brethren to the Provincial Grand Master , by a written recommendation signed in open lodge .- Doubtless such a document would have some weight when the election ol brethren to fill the offices is made . Yours fraternally , MANCUN 1 UM .

BRO . CLABON'S MOTION . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Permit me to reply to Bro . Mason ' s letter in youi

last impression , 'lhe worthy and esteemed brother has , I feci assured , quite unintentionally misrepresented what I really did say in Grand Lodge un the 6 th inst ., in the debate on Bra . Clabon ' s motion . I am reported to have said :

Original Correspondence.

i . "The provincial brethren at the present time contribute to the Fund of Benevolence about as much as the metropolitan brethren . " What I really said was that "individually the brethren in the provinces contributed only half as much to the Fund of Benevolence as those of the London district ; " and this , I maintain , cannot be denied .

2 . " The country brethren who were relieved represent two-thirds of the amount of that number . '' What I did say was , that " of late the grants which came before Grand Lodge for confirmation represented in numbers two-thirds of country cases to one-third of metropolitan ; " and this cannot be denied . "

3 . " I was adverse to be mulcted in a larger sum than the provincial brethren . " What I said was that " I for one had no objection to pay six shillings per annum to have the double privilege which provincial brethren enjoy , but was adverse to be mulcted in lifty per cent , more than I already paid without such corresponding advantage ; " and this I

still assert . In each of the above propositions , I seek to show that " equal measures " are not secured to Freemasons in England and Wales individually . On the 1 st January in this year , 1 SS 2 , there were on the register of lodges of the Grand Lodge 1000 country lodges , 312 London lodges , 405

district lodges , and 129 military and non-stationary lodges , there or thereabouts . I take no account here of the number of new lodges created this year , though , if I had present time for the computation , I believe my argument would be strengthened . Now , I deal only with the two former sections of lodges , country and metropolitan , and will take

Bro . Mason's figures as the basis of an arithmetical test as to the correctness of my statements as applied to the General Fund of Benevolence , from which such have like privileges . Bro . Mason says , in respect of contributions , " London provides £ 2587 , and provincial lodges £ 4894 . " Therefore , each provincial lodge ( taking its members , whether few or

many , collectively ) subscribes an average of less than £ 5 per annum , as against £ S 5 s . per annum from each metropolitan lodge ; that is to say , the former contributes a trifle more than half as much as the latter . And if I could ascertain the number of individual Freemasons in the provincial and London lodges respectively , I feel assured that this

proportion of contributions would still further favour my propositions ; for the average number of members of the London lodges is , to the best of my knowledge and belief , far in excess of those of provincial lodges . Hence , a larger proportionate contribution comes from London than from the country .

As to the disposal of the fund , a large portion is distributed in small grants , which do not require the confirmation of the Grand Lodge , and of which we have no published record ; but , in respect of the larger grants submitted to the Grand Lodge , let us take the agenda paper of the last Quarterly Communication as a fair specimen . On that

occasion grants to the amountof £ 1050 were recommended and approved . Of this sum , seven grants of £ 50 each = jC 35 ° > wer 0 to London cases ; and eleven , namely , three of ^ 100 each and eight of £ 50 each = £ ' 75 o , were to the provincial cases . Therefore , as to number , the latter represented nearly two-thirds of the whole of the cases , and as to amount granted , more than twice as much as to the

former . Bro . Mason says " It is well known that every Mason in England and Wales contributes one shilling per quarter to benevolence . " Granted ; but not to the general fund of benevolence , to which every Mason has an equal right to apply . To quote our worthy brother again , " In

London the whole is paid over , but in the provinces the Constitutions allow the brethren to send half to London , and half to their Provincial Grand Lodges . " The italics are mine . Well , thereby the provincial brethren secure a second source of relief ( usually made use of before applying to the general fund ) denied to those metropolitan

Brethren who individually subscribe twice as much to the latter ; and I therefore say , looking to the fact that the general fund must be kept up , and its present accumulation left undisturbed , every Freemason in England and Wales should subscribe equally thereto , and if any have the benefits attached to a second organisation for charitable

purposes they should provide the necessary additional contributions entirely irrespective of the supreme Fund of Benevolence . In my turn 1 must apologise for the length of this letter ; but for what I hope may be considered a requisite

explanation , condensation of these remarks would have been ineffectual . Yours faithfully and fraternally , JAMES STEVENS , P . M ., P . Z . Clapliain , December iSth .

PROVINCIAL BRETHREN AT GRAND LODGE . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I have just read the letter on the above , which appears in your issue of to-day , and can add my testimony to that of a "Country Brother" as to the inconvenience

we experienced through the lack of courtesy and want of attention on the part of the scrutineers at the last meeting of Grand Lodge . As a regular attendant at the meetings of Grand Lodge / I regret to say that this is not exceptional . Younj faithfully and fraternally , PAST MASTER 539 . - Walsall , lGth December , 1 SS 2 .