Proposed Scottish Royal Masonic Benevolent Fund.

taken , extra donations of five guineas to the Building Fund to carry two additional votes for every five guineas . Brethren acting as stewards at anniversary festivals to have one extra vote at all elections for such stewardship .

MEMBERS . Patrons , donors of ioogs . or more , with 40 votes . Vice-Patrons ,, 50 „ „ ao „ Vice-Presidents „ 25 „ „ 10 „ Life-Governors „ 5 ,, , 2 ,,

Life-Subscribers „ 2 { r „ „ 1 „ Annual Subscribers £ „ „ 1 „

COLLECTIVE MEMBERS . —Lodges , Chapters , Councils , & c , represented by their R . W . M ., & c . Patrons , donors of 200 guineas , with 40 votes . Vice-Patrons „ 100 „ „ 20 „ Vice-Presidents „ 50 „ „ to „ Life Governors ,, 10 „ ,, 2 „ Life Subscribers ,, r „ „ 1 „

OBJECTS OI < INSTITUTION . 1 . To provide schools for boys and girls ( children of decayed or aged Masons of good character ) , and to maintain said children while belonging to the institution . N . B . —Under the meaning ofthe word

maintain is meant lodging , feeding , and clothing . 2 . To provide halls in connection with the several Scotch Universities , where students , sons , as above , of aged and decayed Masons , may be maintained and receive instruction ; to keep them in their University career , to pay University and

professors' fees , with a small annual sum as pocket money . 3 . To provide an asylum for the aged and distressed Masons of good character , and their widows , also maintain them in the asylum , or to grant annuities to them , as laid down in the full prospectus .

ESTIMATES OE ERECTION , & C . It is estimated that out of the number of Scottish Masons , both in Scotland and in the Colonies , as well as those Scotchmen now living in England and Ireland , we might reckon on j . ooo people subscribing their half-guineas per annum . Say , s £ i , 6 Ket per annum .

That this could be supplemented by annual subscriptions from Grand Lodge , Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter , diopter General of Temple , Supreme Council 33 , Consistories , 31 , 3 a , 30 , Chapter of Rose Croix , Royal Order . Say , s £ i 00 . Total , £ 2 , 7 ( . 0 per annum .

This to be annual revenue . Note . —The larger donations to be as capital . That it be resolved that no capital be touched until at least £ 12 , 000 or £ 15 , 000 shall have accumulated . No doubt many brethren might , on first sight ,

be deterred from promoting this scheme , for fear of failure from the magnitude of the design ; it is right , therefore , that the promoters should inform the brethren at large that it is not their intention to take up all the branches of the institution at once , or even to carry out too far

the branches which are considered most urgent . As has been already stated , the annual subscriptions are to be considered revenue , this then will be all the money available to start the institution , the larger donations having to accumulate as capital .

It has been estimated , and is earnestly hoped , that at least 5 , 000 brethren will contribute their half guinea ; this gives an annual income of £ 2 , 650 . We trust that Grand Lodge and the other ruling Masonic bodies will contribute at least £ 100 yearly , ; if not more ; this , then , would give s £ i , 750 to work upon .

Considering that schools in Scotland are so fully developed , we propose at first to pass on to the cases of advanced students seeking University education and maintenance , and to the relief of the aged and widows . As no building is to be proceeded with till £ 12 , 000 or £ 15 , has accumulated , no colleges , halls , or asylums are to be built ,

The following is the proposition at first starting : — rst . —To rent a house at one ofthe Universities , as a college hall on a small scale , say to take 10 or 15 students ; from statements and

Proposed Scottish Royal Masonic Benevolent Fund.

accounts of similar institutions it is estimated that with careful administration this would cost about £ 1 , 800 or £ 1 , 900 per annum , leaving a balance of , say , ^ 850 for ' general management and for annuities , as laid down in the full prospectus , for a limited number of widows and

aged . 2 nd . —As the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow are situated in towns where land and houses would naturally be very expensive , it is presumed that the General Court would fix on Aberdeen or St Andrew ' s for the site of their

first college hall , and if , after a time , as funds increase , students display great ability in particular branches , such as medicine , & c , a limited number of out-students so gifted might be allowed certain sums annually to go to Universities where such specialities are

particularly attended to , provided only that the character of the student when first admitted to the college hall is good enough to warrant the General Committee in placing such confidence in said student . The following brethren have consented to receive names , donations , and subscriptions : —

T . Laurie , Esq ., Grand Secretary of Scotland , Interim Secretary of Proposed Benevolent Institution . Geo . R . Harriot , Esq ., Provincial G . M . Wigtown and Kirkcudbright , Killiemore I Lodge , Kirkcowan , Wigtownshire , and No . 4 , Howard place , St . Andrew ' s , Fife .

W . Spencer , Esq ., F . R . G . S ., Masonic Depot , 2 < 5 , Great Queen Street , Lincoln ' s Inn Fields , London . J . McMuldrow , Esq ., Prov . Grand Sec . Wigtown and Kirkcudbright , St . Cuthbert Street , Kirkcudbright . Capt . G . Shanks , Recruiting Service , Greenock . A . J . Douglas , Esq ., Lockerbie House , Dumfriesshire .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ Wc do net hold ourselves responsible for , or even as approving of the opinions expressed by our correspondents , bnt we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . —lio . ]

THE ROYAL VISIT TO PLYMOUTH . To lite Editor of The Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — I have read , with considerable attention , the various letters which have from time to time appeared in your valuable paper on this subject , and I have no doubt but that a

categorical reply from Bro . Col . Elliott , as suggested by Bro . Hughan ' s last letter , would , or ought to , clear the whole matter up , but I am afraid such an answer is not likely to be seen in your columns . In the first place , I think Bro . Hughan is in error in stating that the military

part of the programme was left in the hands of Col . Elliott . I recollect his being asked to seek permission for the use of the military barracks where the brethren assembled , and to make arrangements for the attendance of a military band , but nothing further .

In the second place , Bro . Col . Elliott is a Mason , but , above all , a soldier , and , although in his zeal for the Craft , and with a view to alleviate that heart-burning which appears to exist amongst the military brethren , he mentioned to the Provincial Grand Lodge that the

order prohibiting their forming part of the Masonic procession emanated Irom the Commander-in-chief , there can be no doubt that he was scarcely warranted , from a military point of view , in doing so , and that for him to divulge in a public paper tho authority from which he derived his information would be a

breach of his professional duties . Dealing with the matter upon its merits , I cannot but express an opinion that your foot note to the letter of " A Soldier Freemason , " in your issue ofthe 22 nd ult ., was somewhat hasty , and unwarranted by the actual circumstances of the case .

I was one ofthe General Committee appointed to carry out the arrangements for the reception of our Royal Brother , and I also formed one of

Original Correspondence.

the Sub-Committee who framed the obnoxious regulations , and I must say that I do not shrink from the responsibility of having done so . The W . M . and P . M . ( a retired naval officer ) were also members of both committees . The

question was fully ventilated at several meetings , and if" CM ., 120 5 " and the other brethren who feel "extremely sore" npon the point , would only act consistently with their Masonic obligation , and have some belief in the truthfulness

of their brethren , we should not be exposing to the " uninstructed world " the melancholy spectacle of one brother accusing another of falsehood . That the General commanding the district did

take it into his head that this was one of the cases to which the Queen ' s Regulations referred there can be no doubt , and although I believe , and I know many of the committee share my opinion , that the General ' s views were

wrong , there was no nlternative but to bow to his decision . The regulations as to dress were framed solely for the purpose of avoiding the incongruity of

the brethren appearing in white hats , & c , Sec , certainly not for the purpose of excluding our military brethren , whom we should have been very pleased to have seen amongst us . I am . Dear Sir and Brother .

Yours fraternally , J . EDWARD CURTEIS , W . M . Lodge Sincerity ( 189 ) .

To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , I notice a letter from the W . Bro . Col . Elliott , ( P . P . W . S . G . W . for Devon ) in the Freemason of to-day ; but as an editorial

note is attached stating a further communication is to be published next week , I shall reserve my statement of the matter until after its issue . Certainly no one who took part in the splendid reception to H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , was

otherwise than sorry at the absence of our noncommissioned officers in the procession , and I acknowledge that you , Bro . Editor , have a perfect right to request an explanation of the

apparent mistaken regulation , as the organ of the British Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons . W . J . HUGHAN .

To the Editor ojthe Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — I wish to ask , in order to promote the cause of a full , fair inquiry into the reason of the exclusion of our non-commissioned officer

brethren from . the procession at Plymouth . Is it trua that a request was sent by the non-commissioned officers to the Committee to ask for

permission to march in the procession , and that such letter has never been answered ? I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours fraternally , EMERITUS .

To the Editor oj the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , —¦ I am somewhat pleased that the letter ' sent to you by me last week did not reach you in time for publication , inasmuch ns had it stood

side by side with that of Bro . William James Hughan , dated 5 th September , without further explanation from me , the two would have been to your readers confusing and inexplicable . Unhappily my avocations took me much out

of Plymouth about the time that the Committee were holding their meetings , and I fear I attended but three of those meetings , at only one of which do I remember meeting Bro . Hughan . The only part of the programme entrusted to

me was to secure the use of the Mill Bay Barracks as a place of assembly for the brethren , and to apply for the regimental bands . When asked to take upon myself this latter duly , I did mention to the Committee that but a few weeks

previous to that time , the authorities had refused to sanction the volunteer band marching in a procession of " Odd | Fellows , " and that the officer who made the request was referred to sec . 6 , par . 44 , of the Queen ' s Regulations . I did not thereby infer that the meetings were similar , but ,