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TO ADVERTISERS . the FREEMASON has a large circulation in all parts of the Globe , its advantages as an a _ vert _ ing medium can therefore scarcely be overrated . ADVERTISEMENTS should reach the Office , 198 , Fleet-street , liy 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 add rtsscd to th Office , ro 8 , Fleet-street , Linden .

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IMPORTANT NOTICE .

COLONIAL ind FOREIGN SUBSCRIBERS are informed th _ t acknowledgments of remittances received ar .. published in the first number of every month .

It is v _ . */ necessary for our readers to advise us of ill money orders they remit , more especially cn _ se from the United States of America and India ; otherwise we cannot tell where to credit tilem .

To Our Readers.

TO OUR READERS .

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

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 Goad Hope , Ceylon , China , Constantinople , Demerara , France , Germany , Gibraltar , Jamaica , Malta , Newfoundland , New South Wales , New Zealand , Suez , Trinidad , United States of America , &_ .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

The following stand over : — Provincial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire ; St . Aubyn ' s Lodge , 95 8 ; Rowley Lodge , 1051 ; Lebanon Lodge , 1326 ; Era Lodge , 1423 ; Blackpool Lodge , 1476 ; West Smithfield Lodge , 1023 ; Wolsey Lodge , 16 5 6 ; Prince Frederick WiUiam Lodge of Instruction , 753 ; Mcunt Lebanon Chapter , 73 ; Priory Chapttr , 1000 . " The Instructed and the Preceptor , " next week .

BOOKS , & c , RECEIVED . " Bathing in London , " by Bro . Hadley Prestage ; "The Lodge of the Nine Muses , " by Bro . Walter Webb , W . M . ( a review in cur next ); " Keystone , " "Monde Maconniquc , " " New York Dispatch , " ' Craftsman , " " Voice of Masonry , " " Masonic Herald . "

Births ,Marriages And Deaths.

Births , Marriages and Deaths .

L His charge is 2 s . Od . for announcements , not exceeding four lines , under this heading . ]

BIRI HS . CAHTEP . —On the 20 th inst ., at Shanghai , the wife of W . II . Carter , of a son . JOHNSON . —On the 18 th inst ., at Wytham-on-the-Hill , Bourn , Lincolnshire , the wife cf A . C . Johnson , Esq ., of a daughter . ROUE-ITS . —On the 18 th inst ., at Fopstone-road , Earl ' scourt , the wife of J . Roberts , Esq ., of a son .

MARRIAGE . ALDRIDGE—LiTTLi ; . —On the 17 th inst ., at the palish church , Frindsbury , John Thomas Aldridge , of Paddockterrace , New-road , Chelsea , to Emma , daughter of W , B . Little , Esq .

TIBBETTS—SOUTHERNWOOD . —On the 22 nd inst ., at Holy Trinity , St . Marylcbone , by the Rev . W . Cadman , rector , James Kirby . second son of the late William Holliday Tibbetts , of Buckingham , to Bessie , fifth daughter of the late Eleazar Southernwood , Esq ., of Tring Park , Herts .

DEATHS . C ' VNON . —On the 18 th inst ., at Brentwood-road , Romford , George Cannon , formerly of 7 , Primrose-street , Bishopsgatc , aged 6 (> years . GRAHAM . —On Ihe 17 th inst ., at Cornwall-terrace , Regent's Park , James Graham , Esq ., in his 68 th year .

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The Freemason , SATURDAY , MAY 26 , 1 877 .

H.R.H. The Duke Of Connaught At The Masonic Orphan School Gathering, Dublin.

H . R . H . The DUKE of CONNAUGHT at the MASONIC ORPHAN SCHOOL GATHERING , DUBLIN .

All the members of our Craft will-read with the deepest interest the record of the day ' s proceedings of that interesting anniversary , the manly speech of our Royal Brother , and the account of the prosperity of these useful institutions . They will be pleased to think that so much prosperity

is attendant on thc charitable educational efforts of our good Irish brethren , and we propose to recur to the subject in our next . But we note with pride and pleasure—and we feel sure that the Craft in Great Britain will coincide with us in the feeling — that , like our

Royal Grand Master , his brothers lose no opportunity of evincing their kindly sympathy and attachment as regards our often calumniated Order , a sympathy and attachment whicli are as becoming to our august brethren

as they are grateful and consolatory to us . The words of H . R . H . the Dnke of Connaught will long be remembered by those who had the privilege of being present , and by the children to whom he spoke so naturally , so kindly , and so well .

The Last Election For The Benevolent Annuity Fund.

THE LAST ELECTION FOR THE BENEVOLENT ANNUITY FUND .

We rejoice in being able to report that 24 widows were elected out of 3 6 , and 29 men out of . 34 male applicants , at the election on Friday last . All our brethren will be glad to realize the great prosperity attendant on this invaluable

charity of our Order , and we congratulate the executive and Bro . Terry warmly and sincerely on that most happy position of atfnirs , which marks the onward progress of that well-managed

Institution , the Royal Masonic Benevolent . As regards its exact financial condition , it is one ot unexampled prosperity . Up to the 31 st March , 1877 , the Male l ' und stood thus .-

—. RECEIPTS . Balance March 31 , 1876 £ . 3825 7 2 Donations from Grand Lodge ... 500 o o ., „ Grand Chapter ... 100 0 o Donations and Subscriptions from

Lodges , Chapters . and Brethren 4907 19 o Annual Subscriptions 1148 3 0 Dividends S 28 18 11 Small sums 10 6 n

. £ ¦• • 320 14 10 DlSIi URSE MENTS . Annuitants sB-fiS * ° ° Salaries 3 ° 3 < 5 8 Collector 231 \ t o

Messenger 500 Ollice expenses 42 19 o Medicines , Asylum 12 10 o Salaries , Asylum 6 4 o 0 Taxes , Asylum 28 4 4

Repairs , 8 * c , Asjliim 43 _ 10 Surveyor 5 " j ° Stationery and Printing ., no 11 2 Advertising 14 6 8 Postage 98 , 3 - 5

Rent 18 o o Petty expenses ' . 10 4 j Entertainment 22 9 6 Fire Insurance 8 11 c Gratuity to Mrs . Lane 50 o o Purchase of __ . ' 2 ooo Consols .... 1880 o o

_ fe 7799 12 o Balance to Credit 3521 2 JO Widows' Fund : —¦ RECEIPTS . Balance March 31 , 187 6 ...,. __? i _ 4 i 17 11

Donation from . Giand Lodge 300 o o „ „ Grand Chapter ... i , ' o o o Donations from Lodges , Chapters , and Brethren 4847 ij 6 Annual Subscriptions 1009 1 0 Dividends , « ( -32 8 3

The Last Election For The Benevolent Annuity Fund.

Legacy of the late Bro . W . B . Gates 45 o o Small sums 8 93 a _ ' 8 i 34 *_ II DISBURSEMENTS . Annuitants 3645 10 o

Salaries . 303 6 8 Collector 188 ij 0 Messenger ,. _*; o 0 Rent 18 o 0 Secretary ' s Office expenses 42 18 n

Medicines , As } lum 12 10 0 Matron 30 o Q Rates and Taxes 28 4 Repairs , & c 41 8 3

Stationery and Printing 105 9 r Postage 88 5 0 Gratuity to Mrs Lane jo o o Small sums , 61 4 0 Purchase of s £ icoo Consols . ... 940 o 0

55 60 11 e Balance to Credit £ 574 _ < 5 The united balances amount to the large sura of £ 6122 12 s . 8 d . The Male Fund has now

invested £ 28 , 950 , and the Widows' Fund has £ 18 , 450 . Certainly Bto . Terry may well claim credit for the good fraternal work this excellent Masonic charity of ours is doing .

The Exchange Of Votes.

THE EXCHANGE OF VOTES .

With reference to the question of a reform of the " voting system " in our Masonic institutions , one of the points often alleged is the " exchange of votes . " The argument on this head seems to be this . " The voting paper is a responsibility ( per se ) , and therefore the brother

voter ought to give it to one of the cases presented to his notice . " Now , this we maintain , in our humble opinion , involves two fallacies . First , it is not necessary that the voter should exercise his franchise , he may refuse to vote at all , and , therefore , he cannot be compelled to vote ,

just as he cannot be required to vote in lodge , unless he thinks fit to do so . There is no compulsory voting in Freemasonry . Secondly , the voterjhas a clear right to take thisjview of his privilege . Bro . A ., for instance , says to Bro . B ., "You have Case 24 this time , which vou deem a most

deserving case , now I have a case coming on next time that I consider a most distressing case . If you will vote for me , cr obtain for me so many voles this time , to carry my candidate in , I will vote for you and endeavour to obtain an equivalent number of votes for you next time . " There

is surely nothing wrong in this ; and all exchanges , as a general rule , whether by individual or charity committees , proceed on the assumption of a special case , which is cocsidered most pressing . We have seen that no one voter can be compelled to vote at all . We have before pointed

out that it is impossible to lay down what is absolutely the most distressing case and therefore there can be no necessity for any one directly to vote , if for any reason the voter thinks it best to allow another person to use the votes which belong to him . For all cases are supposed to be

deserving " per se , " ( whether they are all equally so is not the point for the voter , but the committee to consider ) , and we assume as a matter of fact , that no improper case is on the list , and that therefore the exercise of the voting power becomes simply a matter of private jud . ' ment and of individual discrimination . It runs

be remembered also that all exchanges , P " suppose , the eventual good of some one " more candidates . They are not made at haphazard or corruptly . They are not entered into from any unworthy motive . There is nothing prima facie wrong , legally or morally , a- * vot

them , but they simply represent a use ofthe - ing power , clearly within the voter ' s competency to effect the election of a particular candidate , special case . Now , let us suppose , as a illustration , the following incident , which » we know has taken place more than once . 1 . . •¦ r ... _ c _ : ... „< , _ nn tho committee of takes U

charity a province P Girls' list , and finds that it has no candidate-But it knows , as a fact , that it will havo a cana * date at the October election . It has , say , °° votes of its own , and it is aware that it ^ , require 1200 to succeed . Is it not justine saying to the charity committee of another p