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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 . ADVERTISEMENTS should reach the Office , 19 S , Fleetstreet , London , by 12 o ' clock on Wednesdays .

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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 .

Important Notice.

IMPORTANT NOTICE .

COLONIAL and FOREIGN SUBSCRIBERS are informed that acknowledgments of remittances received are published in the first number of every month .

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 j otherwise we cannot tell where to credit them .

To Our Readers.

TO OUR READERS .

The FREEMASON is a sixteen-page weekly newspaper , price 2 d . It is published every Friday morning , and contains the most important , interesting , and useful information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . Annual subscription in the United Kingdom , Post free , 10 / 6 . P . O . O . ' s to be made payable at the chief office , Lontlon .

NEW POSTAL RATES . Owing to a reduction in the Postal Rates , the publisher is now enabled to send the " Freemason" to the following parts abroad for One Year for Thirteen Shillings ( payable in

advance ) : —Africa , Australia , Bombay , Canada , Cape of Good Hope , Ceylon , China , Constantinople , Demerara , France , Germany , Gibraltar , Jamaica , Alalia , Newfoundland , New South Wales , New Zealand , Suez , Trinidad , United States of America , & c .

Births, Marriages And Deaths.

Births , Marriages and Deaths .

[ The charge is 2 s . Cd . for announcements , not exceed , ing four lines , under thic heading . ]

BIRTHS . Cons . —On the 17 th inst ., at Avenue-road , Regent's Park , thc wife of 11 . Cohn , Esq ., of a daughter . DF . AN . —On the 18 th inst ., at Cleveland-square , Hyde Park , the wife of F . J . Dean , of a elaughter .

LANO . —On the 22 nd ult ., at Simon ' s Town , Cape of Good Hope , the wife of Lieut . H . B . Lang , R . N ., of a daughter . STEWART . —On the 18 th inst ., at Neville-street , S . W ., the wife of A . Stewart , Esq ., of a son . TAVLOR . —On the 16 th inst ., at St . Leonard ' s-terracc , Streatham , the wife of W . Taylor , of a daughter .

AIARRIAGES . GitciiRiST—Ksox . —On Dec . 20 , at St . Mark ' s , Darling Point , Sydney , N . S . W ., William Oswald , son of the late J . Gilchrist , to Clara Elizabeth , daughter of E . Knox , of Fiona , Double Bay . SANDERSON—PARKINSON . —On the 10 th inst ., at

Heidelberg , Germany , Hugh James , son of the late G . S . Sanderson , Esq ., of Birkenhead , to Margaret , daughter cf the late J . K . Parkinson , Esq . WVATT—AIAVHIW . —On the Sth inst ., at St . James's , Piccadilly , Henry Wyatt , Commissariat Staff , son of the late Major-Gen . Wyatt , to Lilly , daughter of the late W . G . Alayhcw , Esq .

DEATHS . BRITTON . —On the 13 th inst ., at Boyson-road , Camberwell , Alaud Alalia , infant daughter of Samuel Britton . GRIFFITH . —On the 14 th inst ., at Cavendish-place , Eastbourne , Maria , daughter of the late J . W . S . Griffith ,

Esq ., aged 78 . LITTLE . —On the 17 th inst ., at Paris , Lockhart Little , late Captain ist Dragoon Guards , aged 55 . REED . —On the 9 th inst ., instantaneously , by his horse falling , Henry Arthur Reed , The Elms , Alarlborough , aged 42 years .

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The Freemason , SATURDAY , FEB . 24 , 1877 .

The Returns For The Late Anniversary Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

THE RETURNS FOR THE LATE ANNIVERSARY OF THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

We do not think it needful to dilate too much on this topic , as not only are " comparisons " still always " odorous , " as Mrs . Malaprop so justly observed once upon a time , but from some little experience of the matter , we are perfectly aware that the mere abstract figures

do not ever tell us very much . Many circumstances combine to swell the list of this or that particular Steward or province , and though it may be an amusing marshalling of figures when we have nothing else to say , and space is difficult to fill , just now we cannot afford

to be too prodigal either of the space of the Freemason , or trespass too much on the patience of our readers . It will suffice us to note , that the metropolis has contributed £ 6680 , the provinces £ 5580 , —making a grand total of £ 12 , 660 , in

round numbers , be it understood , as they say , " all through . " It is true that Bro . Terry announced fourteen lists to come in , and it is just possible that they will bring in a net ^" 300 , — making the noble amount of £ 13 , 000 . We are not in the secrets of the House

Committee or Executive , nor do we trouble ourselves about the little " on dits " of the lobbies or the " canards" of unauthoritative authorities , but after this grand result of heavy meritorious labours , we are glad to see that the managers of the Institution have made a gallant effort (

responsible as they are to the liberal support and sympathy of the Craft ) to place a large additional number of applicants on the charity this year . The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution is in " very good case , " as they say , and had a large balance to credit last year . With £ 13 , 000 for its annual festival , in addition to Grand Lodge

grants and funded property , it is in a position to make 1877 a memorable year in its annals by this sensible extension of beneficent provision for our aged and decayed brethren , and their often suffering widows . We are truly glad to hail any official announcement to that effect . We confess that we should after this result have been

prepared to go a little further , relying on the genuine enthusiasm of our benevolent Order . But that is , we must fairly admit , after all , a matter mainly for the Executive of the Institution to decide , and not for outsiders like ourselves .

Sectarian Bigotry.

SECTARIAN BIGOTRY .

We have often stated , and it is well to repeat the asseition to-day , that we all may make a note of it , that there is in this world a great amount of intolerance and bigotry , on the part of pseudoreligionists , as regards Freemasonry , which would be veryamusing were it not so very humiliating to

the common sense of humanity , so derogatory to the true teaching and temper of religion itself . It is not only Roman Catholics who denounce Freemasonry , but fanatics of various sects seem to like to hare a fling in their ignorance and bigotry , at a society whose tenets they do not

understand , and whose work they cannot realize . Latterly Mr . Moody has expressed his disapproval of secret societies , and by implication of Freemasons , on grounds which appear to us a burlesque on all tight reasoning , and to betray a mournful want of appreciation of the true

principles of Scripture exegesis . But we are not concerned just now with Mr . Moody ; as his " deliverance " was , so to say , " in the abstract , " but , as it however deserves consideration , we will deal with it in our next issue . But we have to contend rather with those direct attacks on Freemasonry which crop up here , there , and everywhere

just now , amidconstrasted sectsand from opposite corners of the world . In a late number of the Masonic Advocate appearsa story called" Joe Grafton ' s Trials , " from which we now propose to give some extracts , and which we understand to be " an ower true tale , " founded on fact . So let us hear the Masonic Advocate , quoted

Sectarian Bigotry.

by the Canadian Craftsman . " A number of years ago an honest young man moved from the State of Indiana to Iowa , where he settled in a town called Fairfield . Honest and industrious , conscientious and respectable , he worked at his trade of a carpenter , hoping to

make of himself a good citizen , and to gain some limited fortune . Having formed the acquaintance of several gentlemen of the Masonic Fraternity he applied for initiation among them , and in due course of time became a Master Mason . He soon learned to love the Institution , and the lessons of the lodge-room became the

study of his years . Their regular and called meetings found him always in his place , eager to learn and anxious to maintain the ancient prestige of the Order . He there learned that devo . tion to truth was the high road to integrity , and that none were more religious and happy than those who loved their fellow-men . The

fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man became his life spirit , and under these convictions and reforms he some time afterwards became a member ot the Church . On the broad basis of a liberal fraternity and a free Christian Church he began , more particularly than ever

before , to fix his principles and regulate his life . Honest and true , and of good report before he had joined the Masons , he became , as he hoped , a better man in becoming a Church member , for there his latent talents were brought out in many generous actions and liberal charities , such as he

though ' : were in harmony with the Divine government , and consistent with a strict Christian profession . In these highly respectable relationships he soon became known as a good citizen , a prosperous workman , and a gentleman of high moral character . His society was courted by

the pious , and his influence was sought for among his brethren of the Church as one who feared God and kept His commandments . The sunlight over him was bright , and the first year passed over him without a cloud of trouble . But the visit of an itinerant evangelist to the village

made a sad change in his happy relationships , because it created in a very brief period a great change in the spirit of his dreams . Among his other relig ious ideas , this wonderful evangelist taught the people that nothing was more detrimental to the true progress of truth and vital

piety among them than the existence of secret societies . He taught them that they were essentially sinful , and contrary to the genius of all progress , as well as all free governments . He insisted that no such people should be tolerated among them , and that all Church members should

come out from among them . Ignorant and bigoted as this evangelist was he made converts among the churches , for many soon partook of his spirit , and in a short time a large portion of the Church of which our brother was a member

were anxious , yea , even zealous , for the total extermination of all secret societies , and more especially of the society of Freemasons , as it was supposed to be the most ancient of them all , and the mother of the whole brood of

anti-Christian institutions . The bitterness of spirit engendered was relentless and vindictive , and within a brief space a crusade was inaugurated of men , women , and children to exterminate the last vestige of ' the whore of Babylon , ' as the evangelist termed all secret societies . The Church

became the head-quarters , and the pastor himself assumed the leadership of the Inquisition . Meetings were held weekly , and most devout prayers were offered for Divine aid in the glorious work of driving from the land the secret organizations of the devil . Every one who had any connection with them was exhorted to come out from

among them , on the pains and penalties of even 'eternal damnation . ' If any persisted in remaining members of such Godless institutions they were proclaimed as being infidels , or what was worse , they were proscribed as men unfit for any pure or social intercourse . All such were not to be dealt with , not to be employed

and above all , they were not to be communed with in the Holy Sacrament , as tbey were of their master , the devil . Under such circumstances the hero of our story was made to f « - ' ' very sad , for he was told that unless he left the Masonic Order he would be ' counted out' > his church membership , and that , too , without much ceremony . This seemed to be the decree