Correspondence.

Correspondence .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish , in a spirit of ( air play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limitsfree discussion .

A GRAND LODGE FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , 1 think you have struck the keynote , when you suggest a postponement of the recognition of the new Grand Lodge of Western Australia , formed as it is out of 33 lodges belonging to the English Constitution only .

I imagine , however , you will agree with me that the situation is accentuated , when 1 adduce some additional facts , with which you do not appear to be acquainted . , At the last quarterly communications of the United Grand Lodges of New South Wales and Victoria , application for recognition was made by the

newlyfounded Grand Lodge of Western Australia . Jn both instances also there were a protest and a "warning" from the brethren of the lodges holding k ' under the Scottish Constitution in the colony , against recognition . There was therefore more of the " sympathy" of the Scotch lodges for the new movement which you mention in your article .

The Scottish lodges in Western Australia , I would explain , are quite twothirds the number of the English lodges that have started the new sovereign body , which I take it is a very important matter for consideraticn . By the way , I am not aware of there being any Irish lodges in the colony . Apart from the foregoing facts , however , it is singular that on the very same

occasions the new Grand Lodge of Western Australia was seeking recognition from New South Wales and Victoria , there was a similar application from another section , professing to be the supreme body in the former colony . This , I may mention , was started about a year ago by certain brethren , with , strange to say , not a single constituent lodge behind them . The claims of the latter body may consequently not be deemed worthy of serious thought .

But the upshot of the application for recognition by the regularly-formed Grand Lodge of Western Australia , so far as New South Wales and Victoria arc concerned , is significant , inasmuch as it was agreed in both cases to take no action for the present . Surely , then , as New South Wales and Victoria are both on the spot , so to speak , they may be credited with knowing more of the local surroundings than we can possibly know , situated as we are some 10 , 000 miles away .

It is , therefore , to be hoped that the advisers of the M . W . the G . Master of England will carefully look at the advisability of taking a leaf out of the book of the sister Grand Lodges of New South Wales and Victoria , with the view of delaying recognition until such time as the opposing elements join their forces into one homogeneous whole . This judicious step will be the means of promoting union and preserving harmony . Besides , is not the Grand Lodge of Scotland entitled to some little consideration on so momentous a question ?

To conclude , I have a vivid remembrance of the unhealthy rivalry , the heated discord , and the altogether generally regrettable state ' of affairs that prevailed in New South Wales and Victoria prior to the establishment of the present Grand Lodges in those colonies , and we ought certainly , I think , at this end of the world to pause ere we contribute to a similar and possible source of strife in the

western colony . Let us , therefore , be in no haste over this matter , and when the day arrives —as no doubt it must eventually—the Grand Lodge of England can then cheerfully and unhesitatingly acknowledge , not the present hurriedly conceived institution , but what it ought to be , a United Grand Lodge of Western Australia . — Vours fraternally , W . F . LAM ON BY . February 17 th .

A NEW MARK LODGE IN NORFOLK . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , The Mark Masons of Kind ' s Lynn and neighbourhood on the 14 th inst . signed a petition praying for a warrant to be granted for a new Mark lodge to be named the Philanthropic , and to meet at the Masonic Hall , King's Lynn , the third Thursday in March , September , and December , and recommended 0

Bros . Harry James Sparks , 32 , as first W . M . ; William Pattrick , 30 , as first S . W . ; and R . H . Oldham , 18 " , as J . W . Bro . Chas . E . Ward , 18 ' - , was appointed Secretary pro tent ., and the petition has gone forward to Ws . lpole Mark Lodge , No . 92 , Norwich , for its approval , the founders signing the petition in addition to the above were : Bros . Hamon Ie Strange , P . G . M . O . England , 33 ° ; J . S . B . Giasier , lS ; Chas . W . Smith , 18 ° ; A . G . Russell , 18 ° ; Thos . H . Hodd , and H . C . Brown , 18 ° .

Founders' fees , & c , were all fixed and a Committee appointed to make arrangements for consecration should the prayer of petition be granted . Several members of the Craft , including two members of the 30 ° , will be candidates for advancement . —Yours fraternally , CHAS . E . WARD , Sec . pro tent .

LODGE BANQUETS . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir ar . d Brother , As a constant reader of your paper I am interested in the doings and customs of the Craft in dill ' erent parls of the country , and have frequently observed that the banquets following Masonic meetings in London and the south

of England apparently are far more costly than in the northern provinces , where the modest suppcis are simply designated " refreshment" after labour , which is decidedly too mild a term to apply Vo the London banquets after lod ^ e meeting * . As an illustration permit me to refer to one of the "Masonic Notes" on pige 85 of a recent number of the Freemason , where it was announced that at the

convocation of the Provincial Grand Chapter of Hertfordshire , to be held at Watford , on the 21 st inst ., the price of the tickets for the banquet for the companions who desire them will be £ 1 is . each ! Why make the banquet at a meeting where all the companions in the province are invited to attend so exclusive r Surely the j . rice named to a majority of the companions who attend the meeting would be prohibitive .

In the provinces in the north of England the desire of the officials is to have as many of the brethren or companions , as the case may be , stay to the dinner after provincial meetings , and tlie price of tickets seldom , if ever , exceeds 5 s . tach , and in many instances I have known the price to be less . Why should the brethren or companions , who have often to pay railway fares and travel

considerable distances to attend provincial meetings , be practically debarred from the banquet , when they need refreshment , by the exclusive and prohibitive charge of one guinea for the privilege of dining wilh the Provincial Grand Master or Grand Superintendent , after sitting with him in the lodge oc chapter ? 1 commend this to the consideration of the worthy Grand Superintendent of Hertfordshire and his officials , —Yours fraternally , EX-SECRETARY , P . M .

Correspondence.

FREEMASONRY AND JESUITRY . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Relying upon an advertisement in your columns I purchased and have carefully read a pamphlet entitled " The Pith and Marrow of the Closing

and Coming Century and related position of Freemasonry and Jesuitry . " And for the good of trade and of truth , I may say that I hope it will have a large sale , but I certainly think that the Craft ought to utterly repudiate any responsibility for such a publication , for it is quite certain that in certain quarters the publication will be put forward ex cathedra as being more or less promoted and endorsed by the Craft .

The pamphlet is , I find , issued by " The Theosophical Society , " aad the writer is anonymous , and pretends to be a Mason , but in my opinion he is a Jesuit of a very ignorant and bigoted type , and America would appear to be the home of this extraordinary latter-day prophet and seer . According to this anonymous scribe , Freemasonry is responsible for the war in Cuba , for the Crusades , the American Revolution , the war between Greece and Turkey , for in this last , page 11 , we read , " The Masons put arms in the hands of

the people ( Greeks ) and precipitated the war . " We are also told , page n , " Masons planned , precipitated , and successfully prosecuted our American Revolution against tyranny and oppression . " According to this sapient writer , in France , Germany , Sweden , and Spain , in Canada , in fact , all over the world , mankind is supposed to be on the verge of grappling together in a deadly war , a veritable Armageddon in fact , and divided into two forces or camps , viz ., those of Freemasons and Jesuitry , and yet poor little sleepy England is urged in the shape

of the M . W . G . M . to " arouse himself , and follow in the footsteps of Sweden's King and Mexico ' s warrior-statesman President . " ( Page 13 . ) Having conjured up this terrible bogey of a world-wide war we are treated to this spread-eagle utterance , " The cyclic operation of this great universal law has again brought the cumulative results and forces of 50 centuries—good and evil —face to lace for final combat under the white flag of Masonry and the black flag of Jesuitry . " ( Page 14 . )

The whole tendency of this high falutin cryptic pamphlet is bad and immoral , because it makes anonymous and unfounded and unverifiable charges of promoting insurrections , wars , and bloodshed against the Cratt ; , not an atom of proof is given for the libellous statements made , and yet it hypocritically is urged that the tenets of the Craft tend to uplift humanity , and promote equity , brotherliness , and peace . It equally as mischievously and wickedly states , without an atom of real proof , that Jesuitry and members of that society are opposed to liberty , progress , and humanity , and guilty of tyranny and injustice .

This is not a time to create jealousy , illwill , and suspicion and distrust between man and man . Whatever his creed or belief , it is our duty to conciliate , promote friendly intercourse and mutual change of opinions in any and all quarters , not to impute bad motives or evil intentions to others who think differently to ourselves , not to smell out and discover the minor evil points in our opponent's character , but to first purge out our own and in any case to seek peace and pursue it . Much more might be said but I do most strongly protest against the absurd statements that wars , insurrections , and national tumults have all been inspired , and promoted , and engineered by Masons .

I suppose some literary genius will next have the audacity to assert that Cain was a Freemason , and of course all murderers since have been Masons . There would be as much ground for this assertion as all the absurd farrago of nonsense recorded in above pamphlet . —Yours fraternally , T . MAY , 754 . Tottenham , February 20 th .

General Committee Of Grand Lodge And Board Of Benevolence.

GENERAL COMMITTEE OF GRAND LODGE AND BOARD OF BENEVOLENCE .

The quarterly meeting of the General Committee of Grand Lodge , and the monthly meeting of the Board of Benevolence , was held on Wednesday evening at Freemasons' Hall , London . Bro . J . H . Matthews , President of the Board of Benevolence , took the chair , Bro . D . D . Mercer , Senior Vice-President , and Bro . Henry Garrod , Junior Vice-President , were in their customary positions , while Bros . Edward Letchworth , G . Sec , William Lake , Asst . G . Sec , William Dodd , G . S . Recknell , and Henry Sadler , G . Tyler , represented the official department . The other brethren who attended were Bros . Col . James Davis , P . D . G . D . C ; W . M .

Bywater , P . G . D . ; E . W . Nightingale , R . W . Ker , James Block , F . W . Hancock , Charles J . R . Tijou , W . Kipps , S . H . Goldschmidt , Lewis Lazarus , George Graveley , Henry W . Kiallmark , John Ellinger , Charles Henry Stone , W . H . Caton , Lieut .-Col . G . E . E . Blunt , John Nixon , William Radcliffe , George R . Langley , Frank Ruthven , J . Dorton , J . W . Burgess , Money Marsland , C . W . Mapleton , H . Thomson Lyon , Frank Evans , W . J . Mason , F . A . Guimrams , C . J . Harland , H . Broughton , E . H . Bassett , H . T .

Read , George Simonds , John Trude Fripp , Rev . S . J . [ Roco , VV . Digby Ovens , F . Buscombe , C . J . Homewood , J . Carey , Henry J . Moxon , R . Parish , A . Bullard , G . M . E . Hnmilton , C . J . Grove , Walter Webber , Edgar Green , Samuel Jones , George May , Henry James Weston , Edward Radclyffe , F . Toten Willcox , Henry Stiles , F . W . Downes , A . J . Swarh , George Symons , W . E . Hale , George Herbert Burns , and H . Massey . At the Board of Masters the paper of business for Grind Lodee QvtartctW

Communication of March 7 th was read to the brethren , and when the Committee was closed the Board of Benevolence was opened . The brethren first confirmed to the extent of £ 225 grants of over ^ , ' 20 each , which were referred at the last meeting to the Grand Master for his approval , which approval his Royal Highness had given . The new list of cases contained 33 names , and the petitioners were qualified through lodges in the London district and at Cheshunt , Old Swindon , Sitlingbourne , Framlingham , Secunderabad , Bradford . Rangoon ,

Beccles , Rochester , Aldershot , Lowestolt , Knlisld , Bristol , Newport ( Isle of Wight ) , Exeter , New South Wales , Sunderland , and Aberavon . One of these was dismissed and four were deferred . The remainder were voted a total of £ 830 . Two cases were recommended to Grand Lodge for confirmation for £ 100 each and two for £ 50 each . The Grand Master ' s approval was asked for two grants of . 640 each and seven for £ 30 each . Nine grants were made of , £ 20 each and six of , £ 10 each .

Dedication Of A Masonic Temple At Ilfracombe.

DEDICATION OF A MASONIC TEMPLE AT ILFRACOMBE .

The new Masonic Temple at Ilfracombe was recently dedicated by Bro . G . C . Davie , P . A . G . D . C . Eng ., Dep . Prov . G . M ., assisted by Bros . F . B . Wesllake , P . D . G . D . C . Eng ,, P . S . G . W . ; Rev . T . Russell , P . P . J . G . W . ; Rev . R . W . J . Smart , P . P . G . Chap . ; and Jno . Stocker , P . G . Sec . The following members of the lodge were present ; Bros . R . M . Rowe , W . M . ; A . H . Fisher , I . P . M . ; C . H . Browning , S . W . j H . Braund , J . W . ; W . Walters , P . S . G . D ., Treas . ;