Correspondence.

Correspondence .

VVe do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents but we wish , in a spirit o £ fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limitsfree discussion .

THE CONSTITUTIONS OF 1767 . To thc Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Bro . Hughan ' s notice in your last issue brings to mind that the Lodge of J / nanimity , No . 239 , Penrith , in my own Province of Cumberland and Westmorland , has , or , at all events , had , in its possession three-and-twenty years ago a fine copy of Entick ' s 1767 " Book of Constitutions . "

The volume originally belonged to an older Lodge of Unanimity in the same town , warranted in 1776 , but the lodge was erased in 1811 , "for repeated and uniform neglect and refusal to make returns , or to submit to any decisions . " In 1 S 12 , however , the forfeited warrant was given to a lodge called Candour , at Saddleworth , and it is now No . 337 , at Uppermill , in the West Riding of Yorkshire .

The "Book of Constitutions" in question is lettered on the cover : Book of Constitutions Lodge No . 408 T . Stephenson

MR . I may also add that in Australia , about a dozen years ago , I saw a copy of the 1756 edition of Entick ' s " Constitutions . "—Fraternally yours , May 20 th . W . F . LAMONBY .

QUERY AS TO A W . M . ' s RULING . To the Editor of the '' Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , _ I . At a recent meeting of our lodge , the usual motion , of which previous notice had been given , according to the bye-laws , appeared on the agenda , " That the amount of £ 7 7 s . be voted towards the purchase of a jewel for the

retiring W . M ., & c . " The Master demurred to so much being spent on a jewel for which he had no desire , and suggested a simple pendant to his founder ' s jewel , the remainder of the money voted being spent in securing a Life Subscribership in one of the Charities . Accordingly , the following amendment embodying his ideas was proposed : " That a sum be voted , sufficient to purchase a pendant

jewel for theW . M . and to secure a Life Subscribershi p in one of the Charities . " Acting on the advice of a Past Master , the W . M . ruled that this was not an amendment and that notice must be given for consideration at a future meeting . If . At each regular meeting of a lodge , before closing , the W . M . rises three times . to inquire if any brother has aught to communicate , & c .

At an emergency meeting no business can be considered except that appearing on the notice calling it . Will you kindly give your opinion on the following questions : I . Was the W . M . ' s ruling correct ? II . Is it necessary or desirable for the Master to inquire for communications which cannot be considered ¥

I have been present at several lodges when subjects have been discussed in response to the usual inquiry which were quite out of order . —Yours fraternally , May 15 th . PUTNEY .

A MOST UNIQUE EVENT . To thi Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Having been away from London for some days , and not knowing if you have been written to about a very interesting ceremony which took place at

Freemasons' Hall on the 7 th instant , I venture to send you a slight account of it , and should be pleased if you could insert it in your next issue . Itwas the installation of Bro . F . W . Middleditch by his son , Bro . J . M . Middleditch , P . M . Grosvenor Lodge , No . 1257 . I have made inquiries as to such an event having ever before taken place , but cannot hear of such , therefore this may be a record , and , if so , a note should be made of it .

From the remarks made during the banquet ( which was well served ) , I learned lhat the W . Master was a joining member , having been initiated in the Eccleston Lodge , No . 1624—curiously enough , I believe , both Pimlico lodges . But especial mention should be made of the very beautiful manner the installation ceremony was gone through , for a more clear , distinct , and impressive delivery by an I . M ., I can say I never heard , and the elocution was perfect , aid though evidently

nervous on such an event the I . M . never faltered , and all those who heard the delivery expressed a hope that younger brethren would profit by it , it wis simply grand . The W . M ., from his remarks , was formerly in the band of the Coldstream Guards ( of which he is evidently proud ) , then under the bandmastership of the former Mr . Charles Godfrey , father of Lieut . Dan and Charles Godfrey , so we spent a delightful evening , for besides other artists , two came especially to do honour

to their old friend and worthy brother in the persons of Bro . J . H . Hamilton ( flute ) , who played a solo " Reminiscences of Sullivan , " arranged especially on account of the intimacy in business matters of the W . M . with the late Bro . Sir A . Sullivan for many years , and also Bro . John Solomon ( cornet ) , who played " II Bacio " ( Arditi ) ; they each also gave an encoi" . Both these brothers showed that they were first-class artists , and gave us great pleasure . The W . M . is evidently an old favourite in musical circles .

One more item I have to mention was the kind feeling the I . M . exhibited , in returning thanks , in thanking the I . P . M . for giving him the opportunity of his being able to instal his own father in the chair . Th ' s was one of the happiest evenings I have ever spent at a dinner ; the liveliness of the W . M . was immense , especially for his age—now getting on for 74 years , as I understood . A most uniqueeveningj such a jolly set of P . Ms . —Yours fraternally ,

May 19 th . AN OLD MASON .

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Your criticisms on my letter in favour of supporting the motion of Bro . F . Craggs , P . M . 834 , although voluminous , are by no means convincing . It would take more space than I could expect you to spare to answer each point in

detail , and I sincerely hope that your remarks do not represent the feelings ot the mijority of the Subscribers to the above Institution , but that the . e same . subscribers will empower the Committee to so alter their laws as to prevent undeserving cases lrom getting on the list , and that all cases being in future dtt-erving , it may be possible for a friendless but otherwise worthy case to -ultimately obtain the benefits of thc Institution b y seniority of application .

Correspondence.

In your final paragraph you draw attention to the fact that the amount annually distributed has more than doubled in the brief space of 25 years , but you are not able to inform us how many brethren and widows have gone down to the grave unsuccessful , after many years of "hope deferred . " Surely , while we annually collect fro m ^ 20 , 000 to , £ 25 , 000 , £ y 2 might be devoted to the relief of one widow and one

brother who have been the longest on the list ( as several similar Institutions do even in a larger proportion than I suggest ) . Or are we to say to these friendless ' ones , abandon all hope of relief ; as you have no friends , you must be contented with our sincere sympathy , you must forget all you have heard about brotherly love relief , and Charity ? If such is to be the case , the title of the Institution ought to be

altered and the word" Benevolent" expunged . Our ritual becomes nothing more nor less than a solemn mockery , and the difficulties of the office of Steward for the Charity will be enormously increased . Trusting this may be averted by Bro . Craggs ' s motion being carried or by the Committee suggesting some alternative . . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally ,

WILLIAM C . PARSONS , P . M . & SEC . 180 , V . P . 51 , Loughborough-park , Brixton . May 15 th .

To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother . I am one of many who would like to sae those old men and women who have been waiting so long for the annuity satisfied . I notice the Hospital for Incurables have a rule that at each election the candidate who has been waiting the longest time is admitted . Why cannot we have a similar arrangement in the R . M . B . I , it would give , I am sure , satisfaction to the whole of the Craft . —I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , PITY .

Reviews.

Reviews .

Clonfcrt Cathedral : Its History and Progress of the Restoration . Fund , by Bro . Rev . Canon Mcl . arney , B . A ., Rector of Clonfert , Banagher , Ireland . This little pamphlet deals with the history and progress of the restoration fund for one of the oldest cathedrals in Ireland , Clonfett having been founded in A . D . 55 S . There is an excellent representation of the wonderful 12 th cintury dnrwiy of the cathedral on the front page , which we reproduce in this issue . It was this doorway which the late lohn

Ruskin so much admired . The sum of £ 2 . 125 ha ? been expanded in the wjrk of restoring the cathedra 1 , of which £ 1812 1 is . 4 . } . his b ; en collectel . In conscience of the war in South Africa subscriptions have fallen oil and the work has had to be stopped for want of funds . T here is a debt of upwards of £ 501 ) , To clear off this debt and complete the restoration £ 20011 will be required . A list of gifts received , and gifts invited , appears at the end of the pamphlet , and among the former we notice subscri ptions from no fewer than six Masonic lodges , one of which is an English lod ^ e and the umaining live , Irish .

"V ICTORIA VALI :, " by Wilfred Woollam , M . A ., L . L . M ., published by Elliot Sleek , 62 , Paternoster . ro * , pric ; ( 5 s . This little brochure tikes its na-ne from the openinr chapter , which consists of an eloquent address on th : cbie of ths Victorian era . The remaining chap' . ers comprise selections from the author's previous woik "All Change , " and other compositions , all of them replete with humur , sympathy ' and in : isive satire . All the profit- ! from the sale of "Victoria Vale " will be given to the National Memorial to Queen Victoria Fund .