Original Correspondence.

Bro . H . Hacker , and seconded by Bro . Troke , approved of the prayer of the petition , and recommended that it be granted . " I think this resolution , which I have taken from the minute book of the Panmure Lodge , is sufficient to prove that your correspondent was either misinformed or intended to mislead . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours faithfully ,

JOHN S . HICK LEY , P . M . Panmure Lodge , No . 723 , Aldershot , 14 th January .

UNIFORMITY OF RITUAL . Dear Bro . Kenning , — I think you will agree with me that it is neither for the good of Masonry nor the dignity of the Freemason that I should personally encourage a discussion on this difficult subject in the tone and temper in which Bro . Perceval has so excitedly thought fit to indulge . It will be

in the memory of your readers that in the exercize of my admitted right as a member of Grand Lodge , I expressed my humble opinion on an important subject under discussion . As that opinion did not , unfortunately , coincide with that of Bio . Perceval , he forthwith proceeded to declare my few remarks the " most illogical " speech he had ever heard . I pointed out in a subsequent letter that my

speech was not illogical , in that its premise was sound and its conclusion , I thought , incontestable , ar . d that if any charge of want of logic could be substantiated , it was not against my arguments , but those of Bro . Stevens and himself , who on a decidedly unsound " petitio principii " had come to a still moie unsound conclusion , their whole argument resting on a pure fallacy . I need not advert to

his three subsequent letters , they are , to my mind , perfectly humiliating to read 011 Masonic principles . I therefore withdraw from a correspondence out of which no good can come , simply expressing my regret that we can discuss nothing apparently as Masons without personality .

I still am of the opinion I have always held , and which I shall express , "in season and out of season , " that a more unwise and futile an agitation never before was commenced in our Order , thc evil of which it is not hard to predict , but the consequences of which none can foresee . Yours fraternally , A . F . A . W .

To the Editor of thc " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I am extremely amused by the childish impatience manifested by Bro . Perceval to make out my real name . That is , as you are aware , a " secret" between you and myself , and until I think fit so to do I am not going to disclose it either on account of the objurgations of Bro .

Stevens , or thc insinuations of Bro . Perceval . If Bro . Perceval has discovered some likeness between my style of writing and yours , hc is a very clever man ( much cleverer than 1 take him to be ) , and to say the truth , if the resemblance is great it only exists I fancy in his most fervid and excited imagination , being that between Jonah and the whale . Luckily no one would compare his

style to any one else's , for a more wonderful one I have never seen . Broken sentences , half expressed meanings , veiled insinuations , and childish personalities constitute a " form of speech " neither very attractive nor very dignified . But enough . If occasion serves I mean to write again ; as it is I do not see that there is much left . Bro . Stevens ' s ground is , in my opinion , entirely cut from

underneath his feet , and he has as much left him of his original argument as Orton had of his character when the present Lord Coleridge concluded his cross-examination of the greatest impostor and bore this age has seen . Bro . Perceval accuses me of being a prophet . No : I am not so .

But I did venture to think that after all the letters which oave passed little explanation was needed of a " proposal" so peculiarly unwise in itself , and which had been shown to be utterly uncalled for on every ground of Masonic history , reason , or common sense . If Bro . Perceval does not write again , as far as I am concerned , " mum ' s the word . " ONE WHO WAS IN GRAND LODGE .

To the Editor ofthe " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — As a long silence on my part may be misconstrued unless previously explained ( by some being set down to inability to reply to , by others to contempt of , those who differ from mc ) , I think it well to write one more , and , for a few weeks to come at least , a final letter .

I he cause I advocate is , in my opinion , so good , and my own action in regard to its advocacy so single minded , that I shall not attempt to justify any measures I have adopted . Qui s'excuse , s ' accuse ! I do not agree with Bro . Woodford that he cannot honcsily be a member of the proposed Committee . He has his opinions on the subject , as I have mine , and , as he has

an unchallenged right to do , he candidly and openly avows them . I wish I could say as much for others . His very antagonism to my project renders it , to my mind , a duty incumbent on him to see that the Committee is not formed entirely of brethren of only one way of thinking ; and his place is there as the representative of those who oppose interference . If he is the honest-minded man I believe

him to be , he will be open to conviction in Committee , and , if good reason is shewn to him , will concede as readily as hc now firmly retains those points in respect of which a majority may be agreed . I still hope he may see his way to take pai t in the deliberations of those who will assuredly make a repoit to Grand Lodsre either for my

extinguishment as an unnecessary a ^ iiator , or for an amendment of present objectionable practices in Freemasonry . And now permit me to dispose of your other correspondents of 10 th and 17 th ins :., for after this I shall be silent in your pages for some time t > come . To " One who was in Grind Lodge" ( 10 th and 17 th ) I hope will ere lone be voucher . H th _ r _ , __ . _ - < ;_ hi .

Original Correspondence.

present condition " must be " the predominant wish of his heart , " LIGHT ! To Bros . T . Edmondston ( 10 th ) , M . M . No . 392 , S . C , and T . C . W ., P . G . S . B . Middlesex ( 17 th ) , I offer my best thanks for their able and thoroughly unbiassed yet consistent letters . To , Bro . Neilson Ooth ) I would say that he does not

know me , even ever so little , if he really belieVes I could make " wild assertions" in respect of a serious subject , or seek the disturbance of peace and harmony in regard to our Order . To P . M . ( 10 th ) I would suggest the opportunity for a " quiet whisper " in his ear as preferable to any stentorian utterance into a phonograph . In common with some

other brethren he thinks I seek a printed ritual . I don ' t . To X . ( 17 th ) I can only remark that all his questions ( twelve in number ) are capable of lucid replies , but the answers would require more space than probably you could sfford , as well as more labour thah I care to undertake . Surely , having reference to these questions , X . canm . t be in this instance algebraically considered as an " unknown

quantity . " To Bro . John While , P . M . 288 ( 17 th ) , I recommend that " charity which thinketh no evil , " and make my final bow . To those brethren who sympathise with my efforts , and those who in Grand Lodge supported me by their successful vote , I beg to offer my warmest acknowledgments , and

respectfully recommend that patience , without which no good work ever yet had full fruition . To you my best thanks are due for having , notwithstanding our difference of opinion , given me space on so many occasions for expressing my views on thc subject of " uniformity ; " and I trust that you , of all others , will

not impute my intended silence to any other than a sincere conviction that for the present any further discussion is rather to be discouraged , for the sake of the Order generally , than continued in the interests of the movement which I have organised . Yours faithfully and fraternally , JAMES STEVENS .

" CONFIRMING MINU PES . " To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — One of your correspondents , on a subject which has occupied much of your space , raises the question whether the non-confirmation of minutes should set aside a resolution of a previous Grand Lodge meeting . This

course is not singular as regards Grand Lodge . The allimpoitant matter to a lodge—the election of Master—is not completed until the confirmation of the minutes , and the non-confirmation is a rejection of the Master elected at the previous meeting , Even the Grand Master is not proclaimed until the minutes are confirmed , and the confirmation is not a mere certification that they are correct

—it is a confirmation by one meeting of the action in the previous meeting . Parliamentary action is confirmed twice—each measure needing to be brought three times before each assemblage , the Sovereign even then possessing the power t . f veto . In every deliberative body in the country the confirmation of the minutes is held to be the solemn ratification of the action carried out by thc

previous meeting . It is as well that Grand Lodge possesses this power ; otherwise it would be tied hand and foot to a resolution adopted without full consideration—free debate being clamorously stifled , and without Grand Lodge bting allowed to sec the mischief which is likely to result from an attempt to enforce " uniformity " among " free " men .

The simple motion W'll have to be made " That the minutes be confirmed , with the exception of that part relating to the appointment of a committee . " This will end a subject which , however well-meaning may be thc purpose of the mover , is fraught with evil to the Craft in general , to the peace of lodges , and the discussion of which has been " weary , stale , flat , and unprofitable " in whatever form it has been presented .

I apologise for having taken up your space in this discussion , and I excuse myself by the plea that I have been incited to press these objections to the motion b y the allegation that open opposition to the motion was an act of " impropriety . " This manifestation of a Dogberry spirit had to be combated , and it has been combated , on my part , without ill-will , or a lessening of regard for a zealous brother .

I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours obediently and fraternally , JOHN WHILE .

BRO . WILSON AND THE BOYS' SCHOOL . To Ihe Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — A weaker and more disengenucus attempt to support a lame position I have seldom seen than that made by Bro . Roebuck in his letter respecting my disagreement with the House Committee of the Royal Masonic

Institution for Boys , which appeared in your paper of this date ; its weakness must be apparent to every one who has read the correspondence on the subject , and its disingenuousness must be acknowledged when it becomes known that the second paragraph is only a partial statement of the facts . Bro . Roebuck says , " Mr . Wilson was repeatedly invited

to attend the House Committee to give an explanation of a certain charge in one of the estimates , but at the last moment hc always sent some excuse , either through important business or othsrwise , which prevented his doing so , " but hc omits to state that as soon as I knew what the infoimation was that the House Committee required , I sent them a written explanation , and also forwarded them the opinion in writing of a distinguished architect on the

Original Correspondence.

made , but , moreover , shewed that they were less than I should have been justified in making , and I also , at the request of the Secretary of the Institution , and at great personal inconvenieoce to myself , attended a subsequent meeting at Wood Green , viz ., on the 22 nd November ,

1878 , for the express purpose of giving any further information thc Committee might require , but I was neither asked into the Committee room nor did any of the members put any questions to me on the subject . Bro . Roebuck should recollect that a partial statement often leads to as much misconstruction of the facts of a

case as would a direct untruth . I remain dear Sir and Brother , yours faithfully and fraternally , S . B . WILSON . 17 th January , 1880 .

ADMISSION OF STRANGERS . " To thc Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I trust you will pardon me for trespassing on your valuable time and space , when there is at present such a great demand for it ; but as "M . M . No . 392 , S . C . " seems to have quite misunderstood the meaning of my

letter , I beg respectfully to state that it is not my belief that " two blacks make a white , " as' he puts it . My object in writing was to lay my personal experience before any of the brethren who might think fit to take up the question of " Admission of Strangers , " which he wished to open out—he being furnished with information , I with personal experience . My experience of a Scottish lodge was , as I stated , an exception , as I had always been

received at lodges in England , Wales , and Scotland courteously , but not until after " due trial and strict examination , " to which I again say no M . M . should object j and I may say that I never yet found the difference in ritual to interfere in any way with my admission . Hoping you may find space for these few lines , I am , yours fraternally , M . M . 594 , E . C . Swansea , January 19 th , 1880 .

THE GIRLS' SCHOOL AND THE PURCHASE OF LYNCOMBE HOUSE . To thc Editor if the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — My attention has becn directed to your report of the proceedings at the Quarterly General Court of the Girls * School , in which my interview with the Treasurer prior to

the special meeting of January 3 rd is particularly referred to , and as silence on my part might be considered as admission that my communication as to counsel ' s opinion had not been properly represented , I must depart from my usual custom of avoiding newspaper correspondence , by asking you to insert these few lines in correction . The object of my interview with Colonel Creaton was to

give the fullest possible effect to the advice of Mr . Locock Webb , Q .. C , whose opinion you have already published , and to avoid , if possible , any necessity for further appeal , even to the Trustees . With this view I read counsel ' s opinion at length , and as " amicus curia : " advised the withdrawal of the resolution , and having done so I considered it unnecessary to attend the court to make that

opinion public , I left the Treasurer perfectly free to make any use he might desire of the information I had given him , or to withdraw or postpone the proposition on any grounds hc pleased . The resolution having been pressed to a division and declared carried , I was advised by counsel to bring the facts and opinion to the knowledge of the Trustees , and in

doing so I expressed regret that my personal communication to the Treasurer had been disregarded . I could not have done this if the information had been withheld at my request . In acting as I have done , I have acted only as the

solicitor for my clients , on whose behalf the case was laid before Mr . Locock Webb , and , individually , I have nothing to do with the matter . Yours fraternally , JOHN THOMAS MOSS . 38 , Gracechurch-street , London , 20 th January , 1880 .

Grand Lodge Of Pennsylvania.

GRAND LODGE OF PENNSYLVANIA .

The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania met on St . John the Evangelist ' s Day , the 27 th December , 1879 , in accordance with ancient custom , in Grand Annual Communication , at the Philadelphia Masonic Temple , when the following brethren were duly installed in ancient and solemn form as the officers for 1880 : —

Bro . Michael Nisbet G . M . „ Samuel B . Dick D . G . M . „ Conrad B . Day S . G . W . „ E . Copper Mitchell f . G . W . ,, Thomas R . Patton G . Treas . „ John Thomson G . Sec . „ R . Jarvis C . Walker S . G . D .

„ Daniel Sutter J . G . D . „ B . Frank Breneman ... ... G . Swd . Br . „ George W . Wood ... ... G . Marshal . „ Oscar R . Meyers G . Purst .

„ Harrison G . Clark G . Tyler . The various Committees were re-appointed , thc Committeemen being men of acknowledged Masonic ability and worth , many well known on this side of the Atlantic . Masonry is evidently flourishing in the city of brotherly love .

A meeting of the Grand Masters Council No . 1 of the Degree of the Royal and Select Masters will be held on Friday next , the 30 th inst ., at 2 , Red Lion-square , Holborn , W . C . Thc Council will be opened at 5 o ' clock . The business of the evenine includes the receiving and