Progress Of Freemasonry In The Provinces.

G . L ., the simplicity of which contrasts very forcibly with those of the present time . A description of nearly every City church existing at that period , manyof which are now demolished , follows . I should like to know if this is a well-known work . Yours faithfully , A . S . [ Bro . Hughan will probably reply to this . —ED . ]

A CHAPLAIN'S SURPLICE . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — In answer to G . C , I beg to say that such a use is not customary , though there is nothing positively illegal in it . Yours fraternally , A CHAPLAIN .

FREEMASONRY AND CIVILIZATION . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — The information respecting thc picture thus named came in the usual course to , and there was no reason for its accuracy being doubted by , Yours faithfully and fraternally , THE WRITER OF THE NOTICE IN QUESTION .

To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir , — As a former newspaper editor , both here and n America , although no Mason , will you allow mc to reply n your columns to a letter from Mr . James Stevens , published by you on May 18 th last ?

Mr . Stevens has not considered it necessary even to mention my name , although the picture of Masonry and Civilization was painted by me . In the first place , Mr . Haigh has ' two separate compositions of mine—one in wash and one in Une—of the subject in his hands , founded on letter-press in his possession .

Both these sketches were made by me under Mr . Haigh ' s supervision . In the second place , Mr . Stevens was only in Mr . Rowe ' s studio , 157 A , Buckingham Palace-road , where the picture was painted , twice during the three months I was engaged upon it , and I may honestly say that to Mr . Hyde

Pullen , with the two reverend gentlemen Messrs . Simpson and Tebbs , I feel decidedly more indebted for suggestions than I do toMr . Stevens . In the last place I cannot but consider it extremely cool for any one to talk about "elaborating" a picture , in speaking of which he does not even mention thc ai list ' s name , who must , it would necessarily be supposed , have

allowed him to " elaborate " it . I can also bring undeniable proof , if require- ! , that in March , 1877 ( not September , as Mr . Stevens states ) , the idea was first suggested , and an artist was engaged to compose the subject , although ill-health prevented his being able to elo so . I have the honour to sign myself , dear Sir , yours very obediently ,

CHARLES ROSENBERG . Mr . Rowe ' s Studio , 157 A , Buckingham Palace-road . [ We publish this letter from a non-Mason with all reserve . —ED . ]

THE BOYS' SCHOOL . To the Editor of thc " Freemason . " Dear Sir , and Brother , I quite agree with your correspondent of last week , that the nomination of a whole committee of twelve members by one subscriber is a most irregular proceeding ,

and ought to meet with a very strong protest from the General Committee on the first of June j but I am not sure that Ihe writer ' s assumption , that the nomination was approved by the present House Committee , is quite correct , one member of which has positively denied having had any previous knowledge of such a proposition , and it may

be inferred that others were equally ignorant of the intended slight to the General Committee . By all means let the Governors at their next meeting , on the ist of June , protest against such proceedings , but let them also take care that in doing so they " put the saddle on the right horse . " I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours very truly , FAIR PLAY . May 21 st , 1878 .

BROTHER BURGER'S LETTER . Dear Brother Kenning , — As it is by my advice that Bro . Burger ' s letter docs not appear in the Freemason , I think it right to allude to it to-day . I am very sorry to stop any "Jupiter Tonans" or " Pluvialis" holding forth " ore rotundo , "

but I could not , for thc life of me , see what possible good could accrue to the Freemason in particular , or to Masonic manners in general , by the appearance of Bro . Burger's letter , which is written in " hot haste , " with much asperity , and is , in my opinion , what the French would term " bete . " No one who has read Bro . Burger ' s lecture , our

leader , and my letter , as well as Bro . Burger ' s , but must be struck with two things ; ist . Bro . Burger ' s very high opinion of his own theory , by no means novel , antl 2 nd , his extremely low opinion of every opponent . Indeed , the sublimity of Bro . Burger ' s style and line of argument is ¦ most affecting , not to say " knock-mc-down . " One is

quite affected by the grandeur of the '' new philosophy , " and of the line of attempted support of it . It puts one in mind of a good story in Walpole ' s letters to Mason , where * , when a lady asked Bishop Dawes had he " seen the 1 clipse of the moon . " That prelate gravely replied , with ineffable dignity , " No , Ma ' am . I saw the eclipse of the sun , my Chaplain saw the eclipse of the moon . " Had Bro .

Progress Of Freemasonry In The Provinces.

Burger not responded , in his haste , his grandcur , and his anger , he would have seen that the remarks in the " leader " ( not my letter , ) did not and could not apply to him " personaliter . " In that leader , the writer simply laid down a " canon " as regards all " fautors , " of change in all things human , the Masonic ritual included , antl , dividing all such reformers into three classes , placed Bro . Burger in the first ,

or " honest class . " What more could he do ? His remarks about " greater rascals " is surely a common-place assertion , that among all reformers such individuals are to be found , such a view giving point to old Johnson ' s witty apothegm that " patriotism " was the " refuge of a scoundrel . " Before then , Bro . Burger writes again , or

lectures you or me , or indulges in such excessive eloquence or bathos , as you like to consider it , let him read the context of any leader he criticises , and above all , let him remember that other people besides himself have an opinion on the matter , and that there are two sides to every question . Yours fraternally , THE EDITOR .

ROYAL ARCH DEGREE AND TRACING BOARD , To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — As a R . A . M . I feel greatly indebted to Bro . K . Mackenzie for his valuable discovery . His graphic and interesting description conveys at once the importance , historically considered , of this ancient document . May 1 ask him , through the medium of your excellent paper , il

he will state the reason which induced him to fix t . he age ati 2 o years ? I am sure he will be delighted to do so , in order to dispose of any criticism which may be indulged in when this document is quoted as a visible testimony , and as a refutation of the fallacies indulged in by those who assert the very modern origin of this Sublime Degree . I am , Mr . Editor , faithfully and fraternally yours , E . S . MAIN , P . Z .

THE GIRLS' SCHOOL ANNIVERSARY . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — The leading article in your last week's number on this subject mentions that only five lodges from 1700 to 1732 were represented , also that lists under £ 100 seem to require no special note or commendation , although you

somewhat qualify this rcmaik . As the Steward representing No . 1716 , and in justice to that lodge , I think it should be known that it was consecrated on the 21 st September , 18 77 , and notwithstanding the heavy expenses attending the formation of a new lodge , we sent a Steward to the Benevolent Festival with nearly £ 40 on his list , and at the Girls' Anniversary , I am proud

to say , I handed in a list of £ 50 8 s ., since which I have obtained £ 10 ios . to add thereto , so you will see from the consecration to the present time nearly £ 100 has been contributed to the Charities from Lodge 1716 . This , to my mind , clearly shows that we have the experts of whom you speak amongst us , and it also forms one of the exceptions deserving remembrance , if not special note or

commendation . Would it not have been well to have published the result of the efforts of the five new lodges , as an incentive to others to " go and do likewise ? " With these remarks I will follow you , and say—Farewell Anniversary 1878 . Yours fraternally , J . KEMP COLEMAN . Steward 1716 .

To the Editor of thc Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — In your leader of Saturday last , respecting the Girls' School Anniveruary , you speak of my having taken up thc second largest amount as Steward of 1628 . It should have been 1608 ( the Kilburn Lodge ) . Kindly repair the error in your next issue , and oblige Yours very fraternally , GEO . EVERETT , P . M ., Treasurer .

Grand Lodge Of Scotland.

GRAND LODGE OF SCOTLAND .

The following circular has been issued , whicii we publish in the Freemason : — Freemasons' Hall , Edinburgh , May 14 , 1878 . R . W . Sir and dear Brother , — The recommendation of Grantl Committee regarding the Grand Orient of France , as shown on page

eight of No . 6 of " Proceedings of the Grand Lodge ol Scotland , " already in the hands of lodges , was unanimously adopted at the Grand Quarterly Communication held in Freemasons' Hall on Monday , the 6 th May current . Lodges holding of the Grand Lodge of Scotland are therefore required to exercise the utmost caution in admitting , as visitors or otherwise , brethren hailing from lodges

under the French Constitution . The Grand Lodge of Scotland cannot recognise as true and genuine brethren any who have been initiated in lodges which either deny , or ignore a belief in , the existence of T . G . A . O . T . U . 1 am , R . W . Sir and dear Brother , yours faithfully and fraternally , D . MURRAY LYON , Secretary to the Grand Lodge .

PORTSMOUTH GRAMMAR SCHOOL . —Mr . Serjeant Gaselee , who formerly represented Portsmouth , has announced his intention of giving £ 1000 for the founding of a scholarship in connection with the local Grammar School . Mr . P . F . Poole , R . A .., has been elected a member , and Mr . J . Fulleylove and Mr . Harry Hine have been elected Associates , of the Institute of Painters in Water Colours .

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

[ The following appeared in our SPECIAL EDITION last week . ] The annual meeting of the Subscribers and Governors of this Institution was held on Friday week at Freemasons '' Tavern . Bro . Colonel Creaton , P . G . D ., presided , and

thtre were also present , among others , Bros . S . Rawson , Benj . Head , Raynham W . Stewart , Rev . C . J . Martyn , Rev . A . F . A . Woodford , Henry Smith ( West Yorkshire ) , E . Cox , J . L . Hine , John Mason , H . Hacker , Conrad C . Dumas , Peter de Lande Long , Thos . W . White , Thomas Cubitt , G . Finch , Joseph Smith , T . R . Fames , George Kenning , R . B . Webster , A . H . Tattershall , John Bellerby ,

G . Ward Verry , J . Newton , Charles Lacey , A . Middlemas , J . A . Farnfield , W . H . Farnfield , Capt . J . Wordsworth ( Leeds ) , E . J . Harty , J . G . Stevens , Alfred Best , E . Dawkins , George M . E . Snow , T . J . Sabine , F . Binckes , H . G . Buss , A . A . Pendlebury , W . Dodd , Walter Hopekirk , W . J . Crutch , James Willing , jun ., W . J . Murlis , A . D . Loewenstark , L . Stean , James Robins , W . H . Watts , Geo .

Bolton , C . J . Percival , H . Potter , W . Hilton , W . H . Masterman , James Terry , Secretary , and H . Massey ( Freemason ) . The minutes of the . la . st annual meeting having been confirmed , the Auditors' report ( in a condensed form , but the full details of which are given below ) was ordered to be received and entered on the minutes . Bro . James Terry then read the report of the committee

of management as follows : — " In presenting to the Governors and Subscribers a report of the proceedings , the committee of management desire to express their thanks for the support which has been extended to the Institution during the past year , resulting in the largest sum having been contributed to it since its formation .

The annual festival was held on the 13 th February last , under the presidency of His Grace the Duke of Manchester , V . P ., R . VV . Prov . Grand Master for Norths and Hunts , supported by a board of Stewards , 225 in number . The amount announced was £ 11 , 136 13 s . 6 J ., with a few lists to come in , the total sum brought in being £ > 3 ' 13 IS - 1 * Committee earnestly appreciate the

kindness of His Grace in presiding , and the services so willingly rendered by the Stewards , and tender them their sincere thanks . As candidates for election to-day there are 30 men and 41 widows . Two candidates ( one male and one female ) have died since the voting papers were issued . The deaths during the past year have been is men and

11 widows . The committee considering the large increase made last year in the number placed as annuitants did not feel themselves justified in materially augmenting the number this year , more especially as there was a diminution in the amount announced at the festival . They have , therefore , determined to fill up the vacancies thus created , and make an addition to the number of widows

already on the fund by electing five extra . There will then be on the fund 145 men receiving £ 40 each , amounting to £ 5800 , and 135 widows receiving £ 32 each , amounting to £ 4322 . There are also 11 widows receiving half their late husbands' annuities , amounting to £ 2 20 ; so that the Institution will after this election stand committed loan annual payment of £ 10 , 342 to

annuitants . The working expenses will be slightly over £ 2 , 000 . There will therefore have to be raised nearly £ 12 , 500 to maintain the Institution in its present state of usefulness . The committee are confident that this has but to be made known , and the Craft will in the future , as it has in the past , render to the Institution their kind and generous

support . They regret that during the past year they have to report that through the failure of Messrs . Willis , Percival , and Co ., the bankers , there has been incurred a loss of £ 990 19 s , lod . They entertain , however , the hope that in thc end this will be entirely made good . To the Grand Lodge the committee tender their thanks

for the renewed donation of £ 70 , voted to supply the residents of the Institution at Croydon , with coals during the winter months , a gift which is highly appreciated by the recipients . To the Supreme Grand Chapter they also tender their thanks for the vote of £ 1 , 000 stock , viz ., £ 500 to the Male Fund , and £ 500 to the Female Fund .

The Institution having during the past year been thoroughly repaired , the committee have much pleasure in stating it will require for some time to come very little outlay to maintain it in its present condition . To Henry J . Strong , Esq ., M . D ., the Honorary Surgeon , they tender their warmest thanks for his unremitting caro

and attention to the residents , which he has continued to give for nearly 17 years . Subjoined is a statement of the receipts and expenditure during the past year , " ending the 31 st March , 1878 , together with the particulars of the permanent income of the Institution .

MALE FUND . Balance 31 st March , 1877 ... ... £ 3521 4 10

Receipts . Donation from Grand Lodge £ 500 o o „ ,, Chapter 100 o o ,, Lodges , Chapters , and

Individuals ... 4908 10 11 Annual Subscriptions ... 1342 16 6 Dividends on Stock in the ' Government Funds ... 857 13 o Rent of Field ( 5 quarters ) ... 12 10 o Interest on Cash at Call ... 35 16 7