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NOTICE .

The Subscription to THE FREEMASON is now ios . per annum , post-free , payable in advance . Vol . I ., bound in cloth 4 s . 6 d . Vol . IL , ditto 7 s . 6 d . Vol . s HI ., IV ., V . and VI eachi s . od . Reading Cases to hold 32 numbers ... 25 . 6 d . Ditto ditto 4 do . ... is . 6 d .

United States of America . THE KXSEMASON is delivered free in any part of the United States for 12 s . per annum , payable in advance . The Freemason is published on Saturday Mornings in time for the early trains . The price of the Freemason is Twopence per week ; annual

subscription , ros . ( payable in advance . ) All communication ' s , letters , & c , to be addressed to the Editor , 198 , Fleet-street , E . C . The Editorwill paycarefulattention to allMSS . entrusted to him , but cannot undertake to return them unless accompanied bypostag : stamps .

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NOTICE

Alany complaints having been received of the difficulty experienced in procuring the Freemason in the City , the publisher begs to append the following list , being a selected few of the appointed agents : — Abbott , Wm ., Great Tower-street . Bates , Pilgrim-street , Ludgate-Hill .

Born , IL , 115 , London Wall . Dawson , Wm ., 121 , Cannon-street . Gilbert , Jas ., 18 , Graccchurch-strcct . Guest , Wm ., 34 , Patcrnoster-row . Phillpott Bros ., 65 , King William-street . Pottle , R ., 14 , Royal Exchange .

Births, Marriages And Deaths.

Births , Marriages and Deaths .

DEATHS . SILI . IFANT . —On the 19 th instant , Bro . Edwin Sillifant , of Crofton-lodge , Upper Tulse-hill , Brixton , and Grcshambuildings , Basinghall-street , aged 41 . On the nth inst ., Edward B ., eleventh child of Bro . G . A . Taylor , of 27 , Change-alley .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

All Communications , Advertisements , & c , intended for insertion in the Number of the following Saturday , must reach the Office not later than 6 o ' clock on Wednesday evening . All Communications should be sent to 198 , Fleet Street .

EmiATUM . —In the letter of Bro . J . Chapman last week , for " London Lodge " read " Jordan Lodge . " BETA . —At a recent meeting of a chapter , a candidate was ballotted for and rejected , whereupon a member declared the ballot was an illegal one , inasmuch as some of the members who voted were in arrears of subscription . This objection was in turn objected to on the ground that

it came too late , and was simply a device to discover , if possible , who the objectors were . The AI . E . Z ., however , notwithstanding the protest , ordered the Treasurer to read out the names of members in arrear , excluded such from voting , and ordered a fresh ballot tc be taken . I . Was not the AI . E . Z . guilty of irregularity in ordering the second b . illot under the circumstances ? II . What

remedy do you recommend , protest being unheeded ? Again : —IH . Under what circumstances do you consider the ballot may legitimately be taken a second time for the same person ? IV . Are members at liberty to shirk responsibility , or connive at trickery by abstaining from voting for candidates ? i . e ., is individual voting obligatory ? [ We are of opinion that the AI . E . Z . was guilty of an

irregularity , both in ordering the names to be read out , and authorizing a second ballot under the circu mstances . Something might be said for the chapter by e-laws 011 the subject , but though the AI . E . Z . might , perhaps , before the ballot , caution the members in arrear , it is quite clear to us that he could not do so legally after the ballot was over . A ballot cannot be taken a second time , except in case of

a clear mistake , or a possible misconception . In that case the presiding officer is justified to have a second ballot to clear up any doubt he has on the subject , before declaring the result . The only remedy wc can suggest is an appeal to the P . G . Superintcndant . Alembers cannot bc compelled to vote . The freedom of voting in chapter as well as in lodge , is absolute . —ED . ]

Bro . Constable's and Bro . Hughan ' s kind communica tions in our next . " Ad Rem , " " W . Hopkins , " and " Master Alason , " in our next . " A Alark Alaster , " received , but requires consideration , as we do not insert personal communications .

The following communications also stand over Reports of Lodges 523 , 343 , and 1123 E . G . ; 178 , 219 , 354 . 408 , 437 , and 536 , S . C . A . LITSTEII . —The Freemason has been sent you regularly each week . Any that have failed to reach you shall be replaced by others , on learning the dates of each .

REA 1 ITTANCES RECEIVED . Alcazar , J . L ., Trinidad , P . O . O £ 2 o o Fetta , C , ( U . S . A . ) , P . O . O 3 13 4 Henry , Wm ., P . O . O 319 6 Imlath , R . W ., ( Demarara ) , P . O . O 140 Jenkins , T ., ( New Zealand ) , P . O . O 012 6 . Litster , A ., ( Simla ) , P . O . O 200 Wetherill , H ., ( Constantinople ) , Stamps 1 1 4

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The Freemason , S ATURDAY , F EBRUARY 271875 .

The Installation Of The Grand Master.

THE INSTALLATION OF THE GRAND MASTER .

We announced to the Craft last week that the Albert Hall had been selected as the "locale" for the installation of our Royal Grand Master , Freemasons' Hall being clearly too small to receive the number of brethren who are expected to attend on that auspicious

occasion . We congratulate the Order on the decision arrived at , one which we feel sure will receive the unanimous approval of the Craft . The Albert Hall is adapted to receive a large number of brethren , and we shall hope in an early impression to give a detailed account of

its size and capabilities . Our readers may rely on us for giving them the earliest intimation possible of the minor details of the programme for the day ' s proceedings , as we well know the interest which is prevalent in all parts of England , with respect to this important gathering of our English Order .

Freemasonry In Scotland.

FREEMASONRY IN SCOTLAND .

It seems that some little exception has been taken by a very worthy brother in Scotland , to some editorial words of ours in reply to a correspondent , Saturday , February 13 th . We think it well , therefore , to explain the " why and the wherefore " of our remarks , which we penned

in all good feeling and fraternal regard for our brethren " over the border . " We wish to assure our fraternal critic in the first place , that none can have warmer feelings for the interests and prosperity of Freemasonry in North Britain than ourselves . We have partaken ofthe genial

hospitality of distinguished lodges there , we have ourselves a good deal of Scotch blood in our veins , and we have a very genuine admiration of Scotland and its kindly inhabitants . But we are , in our editorial capacity , " censores morum lathomicorum , " and what we think honestly we

feel bound to say plainly—in all good-will , and in all kindly intent . Our worthy brother states that it is not the custom generally to give more than one degree on the same night , and that our answer went to the effect that " all candidates receive the three degrees together . " But our

words , we venture to submit to our friendly correspondent , do not bear such an interpretation . All that we state is , that such a custom is prevalent in Scotland , not that it is always observed . The same Freemason contains ' the account of a

meeting of the lodge Caledonian Railway , 354 , at Glasgow , in which certain candidates are initiated and passed the same night , and also of an emergency meeting of the same lodge three nights afterwards , when the third degree was conferred on the same brethren . We have often

previously heard of the three degrees being conferred the same night , and such , no doubt , was our impression when we wrote the answer objected to . But we rejoice to learn from our worthy brother that such a practice is in itself illegal , and is not now habitually followed by

the Scottish lodges . We feel sure that the month ' s interval between the degrees , as enforced by the English Grand Lodge , is a very wise and salutary regulation , and that if such was also the law in Scotland much good would accrue to the Scottish Grand Lodge and Scottish

Freemasonry . Our good brother asks what is Scottish Freemasonry , we say the system practised in Scotland under the authority of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , just as English Freemasonry is the system practised in England under the authority of the Grand Lodge of England . We are quite aware that there are ,

and always will be , national peculiarities , and local divergencies , but we have this one fact clear as regards our English system , that no English Mason would advocate any alteration of the three-months regulation . Indeed , some Freemasons have thought it too short . When we mentioned the " unsatisfactory state" of Scottish Freemasonry , we used tb « term with-

Freemasonry In Scotland.

out any offence to our Scottish brethren , as onr only wish and endeavour was to raise the vital power of Freemasonry in Scotland . We stated that there were , in our opinion , three drawbacks to the system in Scotland , which , we ventured to think , were a stumbling block to the advance of

sound Freemasonry . The first was the shortness of interval between the conferring of the degrees , the second was the facility and cheapness of initiation , and the third was the nonenforcement universally of annual subscriptions to every lodge . We believe that in saying this

we express the opinion of a good many longheaded brethren in Scotland , who are fully alive to the weaknesses of their system . How otherwise can we account for the absence of any very striking evidence of Masonic charity ? There

must be many old and decayed Masons in Scotland , to whom annuities would be a most comfortable provision for their declining years ; there must be many orphan sons and daughters of Freemasons to whom education and care would be alike an invaluable and a blessed sift . But

the way the present system works is this—we speak with full knowledge of the subject . A person is made a Mason in a Scotch lodge ; the lodge has no annual subscription ; after a short time the brother leaves Scotland and moves south ; he has only paid a certain sum ; he is

not supporting Scottish Freemasonry in the slightest degree , and yet , though practically unaffiliated , he claims all the present privileges , and all the eventual benefits of English Freemasonry . This is a very common case , known to almost every lodge in the North of England .

Does our worthy brother ask what remedy do you propose ? We reply , you cannot legislate ever so as to avoid all abuse of privileges ; but what you can do is , to do the best you can . It ths Scottish Grand Lodge will enforce an annual capitation fee on all its registered members for the

purposes of benevolence ; it it will require that all lodges shall receive an annual subscription from their members ; if the initiation fee is raised , that is to say that the sum paid for " admission " is considerably increased , if the interval between the degrees is made as with us , we feel sure

that an impetus would be given to Scottish Freemasonry , which would culminate ere long in charitable efforts worthy of so many warmhearted men and good Masons . We trust that our very worthy brother aud critic will take this

friendly reioinder of ours in good part , and will believe that it is dictated by a genuine love for our Order , and above all with heartfelt wishes for the honour and elevation , and progress and prosperity of Freemasonry in Scotland .

Archaeological Progress. No. Iii.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROGRESS . No . III .

We have , in our previous articles , under this heading , referred to some difficulties in the pathway of the Masonic student , and we propose to continue our consideration of the same subject

to-day . Great has been the advance in Masonic arch .-Eology in some respects , in others little headway has been gained so far . For instance , what do we yet know of the history of Freemasonry in England before 1723 ? Our earliest

Grand Lodge minutes , we understand , only go back to that year , and no private lodge minute book , except that of Alnwick , as far as we are aware , has been found previous to that date . We cannot however help thinking that a search

in some of the lodge chests , or among their old minute books would increase our stock of early 18 th century Masonic knowledge . Indeed , we

do not despair of disentombing some day from the dust and oblivion of years , a 17 th century minute book , in this country . It is this paucity of information relative to the habits and acts of

our Masonic predecessors which renders the history of English Freemasonry so full of doubts and difficulties , alike for the initiate and the profane . Even in Scotland , where the minute books are far earlier , the information is very

sparse and the particulars are very limited . And if we are able to account for this by the " nature of the case , " yet it should , we think , be a warning against any hasty dogmatism on matters on which we have no certain information , and which , alike historically and archteologically , are still