Original Correspondence.

many brethren , who might otherwise become bright Masons , from penetrating more deeply into the rich mine of knowledge which is open to their researches by an erroneous impression that Freemasonry is something like gilt gingerbread , with all its glittering treasures spread over its

surface . Apologising for the length of this , believe me , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , J AMES A . HAVES . Nov . 20 th , *> S 7 *; .

NUMBERS OF LODGES . To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — On the 6 th July , 186 , 3 , fourteen years ago , a circular w _ s sent to all lodges on the roll of the Grand Lodge of England who were affected by it , altering their numbers , so as to fill up the blanks caused hy the

suspension or voluntary surrender of warrants by many lodges that had ceased to exist . On this occasion Lodge Repose , Derby , which was then nearly the junior lodge , rose from 1104 to 802 , a difference of 302 . It may perhaps interest your readers to learn that at the present time there are 111 vacancies in the roll of lodges , and I would , with all deference , suggest to the

Board of General Purposes , and to the Grand Secretary , that the course pursued in 186 , 3 should be again carried out , in which case the present junior lodge , No . 1574 , would become No . 146 , 3 . I would further suggest that , as the number of lodges increases so rapidly—no less than 150 warrants having been granted in 1874 , and fifty more already in 1875—that this might be done before any new

warrants are granted , so that any lodge warrant granted after the warrant of Lodge 1374 might bear its real number , 1464 , instead of 1575 . I enclose a list of the missing numbers to verify my statement . Yours fraternally , COCKER . LIST OF MISSING NUMBERS . 17 524 628 717 878 1082

118 527 629 722 886 1084 i" 535 ( > 35 74 ° 888 1090 J 38 544 642 744 8 99 1104 16 ' 553 6 44 7 ° 2 9 ° 9 , 109 182 559 648 76 3 92 . 3 1117 35 i 5 62 58 770 924 1127 396 5 6 s 664 774 927 1142

399 568 668 775 953 1162 400 571 674 78 3 9 ss u 76 420 575 -575 7 * 3 ° 96 ' " 87 427 577 676 805 963 1190 436 578 677 808 964 1 Mil

470 59 6 682 826 965 1217 479 612 688 831 9 68 1 245 480 616 690 8 , 35 1023 1412 490 620 6 93 841 1029 514 623 6 95 849 1047 518 627 701 870 105 3

A QUESTION . To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — Who is the Bro . William Watson to whom the large sum of £ 250 has been granted by the last Board of Benevolence ? Is he the same brother who has previously received grants ? and does he still sit and vote in Grand Lodge ? Yours enquiringly , Jons J ONES , PM ., & c .

THE ALEXANDRA PALACE LODGE . To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , On my return to town this day , after a somewhat prolonged absence , 1 find , among other matters requiring attention , a query from a " Master Mason , " in the last issue of the " Freemason , " respecting the Alexandra Palace

Lodge . The Master Mason " has always understood it to be quite contrary to Masonic law for the S . W . to act as W . M ., and perform the ceremonies ; " and having read that at a recent meeting of the Alexandra Palace Lodge , in the absence of the W . M . ( myself ) , the S . W . took the chair , initiated a candidate , and presided at the banquet , a " Master Mason " asks whether such a course was

" correct . " My answer on behalf of the lotlge is , " Yes , perfectly correct under the circumstances , for the Senior Warden of the Alexandra Palace Lodge kindly undertook the duties ' of the chair at my request , and he Bro . Kelly King , P . G . S ., is an old and experienced Past Master . " I may add that the Alexandra Palace Lodge contains among its officers several notably able Past Masters in the Craft , and that its

" work " is never likely to suffer from the unavoidable absence of Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , J . C . PARKINSON , P . G . D . England , P . D . P . G . M . Middlesex . P . M . 181 , 679 , and 778 .

W . M . of the Alexandra Palace Lodge . 13 , Victoria-street , Westminster , S . W ., 23 rd November , 1875 . P . S . —I should perhaps explain to a " Master Mason " that the Alexandra Palace Lodge is in the first year of its existence , and that there are consequently no Past Masters of the lotlge itself .

TEW AND PERROTT v . BINCKES . To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — In the " Freemason , " Oct . 23 rd , you insert a letter from Bro . Binckes , date Oct . 16 th , 1875 , in which

occurs the following : — " The insinuation is palpable , and what I complain of is that Mr . Tew , & c , " and again" In opposition to the views of Messrs . Tew and Perrott , itc , " and four times afterwards in the same letter he speaks of Mr , Perrott . I submit , therefore , that your stricture

Original Correspondence.

would have been more apjiropriately applied to Bro . Binckes , seeing that he committed thc first offence . In fairness to Bros . Tew and Perrott I ask you to insert this in your next issue . I am , yours fraternally , HENRV INGRAM , P . M . Batley , 22 nd November , 1875 . [ We publish this letter , and hope that it is the last we shall receive on this subject . —En .

MASONIC HALFPENNY TOKENS . To the Editor of thc Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — In looking over a Masonic relic published in November , 1 794 , I find thc following account of the token in question . The engravings are in good preservation , and your correspondent " T . F . " is quite correct as to the animals being beavers . I will try to get our W . M . to make a copy of them , and will send it for your further

information . Yours fraternally , A MEMBER OF 1089 . "MASONIC TOKENS . —In the course of the past month some copper pieces , newly struck from a die which appears to be executed in a style superior to any of the provincial coins at present in circulation , came to the hands of the proprietor of this magazine . On inspection they appear

to be called Masonic Tokens , and to have been invented by a brother who intended them to serve as pocket pieces ; but , either from the novelty of the idea or the excellence of the workmanship , it would appear that many persons have been content to receive them in change as halfpence , in the same manner as the Liverpool , Norwich , Lancaster , Anglesey , Bungay , Macclesfield , Leak , Manchester , Coventry , & c , coins have acquired credit and currency . "

ELECTION OF W . M . 1458 , MANCHESTER . To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — Your issue of November 20 th , contains a report ( so-called ) of the regular meeting of thc Lodge of Truth , held at the Royal Archer , Dale-st , Manchester , on the 6 th inst . I think that the portion referring to the election of

W . M . for the ensuing year requires a little modification , especially when the title of Lodge 1458 is considered"The Lodge of Truth . " Your report states that , to the surprise of many , the J . W . was elected in preference to the S . W . The surprise , 1 believe , was confined to few , twentytwo members being present , and the ballot being as follows : —Bro . Charles J . Kent ., J . W ., 17 ; Charles Pearson ,

S . W ., and W . M . of 1077 , . 3 ; Thomas Tyers , P . M . and Treas ., 1 -, John Kinder , P . M . and S ., 1 . Bro . Kent was therefore elected by a great majority . Prior to the ballot being taken , Bro . Pearson , S . W ., reminded the members that he held the office of W . M . in the Wilton Lodge , 1077 , and that on the event of his being elected W . M . of 1458 , a dispensation would have to be procured in order for him

to act ; he did not wish to influence the ballot in any way , but considered it justice to the lodge to mention the fact . This fact , however , is not included in the report sent you ; therefore , a stranger to the lodge would infer that our truly Masonic brother , Bro . Pearson , S . W ., was not in favour with the junior members of 145 8 . Such , however , is not the case , he is admired by all , and would certainly

have been elected W . M ., had there not have been an uncertainty with respect to the granting of a dispensation , a grant which has seldom been allowed in East Lancashire . The " junior members " of a junior lodge ( query , Who are the seniors ? the lodge being not yet three years old ) have not been at complimented in the report sent you . They are charged with not studying the interests of the lodge ,

making the election a personal matter , and looking for preferment by disposing of the S . W . Such remarks arc not Masonic , and will tend to diminish , instead of increase , a desire for Masonic knowledge . I have no hesitation in saying that Bro . Pearson , S . W ., would have been elected without one opposing vote , had not the difficulty of a dispensation have presented itself . Bro . Kent , J . W ., is now

W . M . elect , rie has filled the J . VV . ' s chair ably , and , to the satisfaction , I think , of all , and I doubt not , after a little working , he will be as efficient in the chair of K . S . I trust the disparaging remarks referred to may not impoverish his zeal ; or that ot the members in the majority

—the juniors . By inserting this somewhat lengthy letter you will oblige . I would attach my real name , but by so doing might be termed an office seeker . I therefore subscribe myself , Fraternally yours , A J UNIOR MEMBER . Manchester , November 23 rd , 1875 .

Multum In Parbo; Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

Multum in Parbo ; or Masonic Notes and Queries .

As OLD J EWEL . A small jewel has been forwarded to us to ascertain its real meaning . It is in gold , in form of a shield with an apostle , with the halo of glory round his head , holding in his hands a scroll , on which is a cross . Behind him stands a lion , and on a raised ground in the left hand corner are the s-quare and compasses . The whole is suspended to a red hanger by a triangle .

HOLLOWAY ' S PILLS : Indigestion . —Dreary November is proverbial for its unpleasantness , which may lead directly to disease , unless some tonic like these Pills he occasionally taken to sustain thc appetite and relish for food . Ir . all cases of indigestion , producing weariness , low spirits , paljiitation , and feverishness , these famous Pills shonld be resorted to as thc gentlest and surest corrective of the stomach , the best antidotes to itsailments . These Pills dispel thc cause of dyspepsia . livery one afflicted with it may rejoice at the safe and satisfactory results which can be secured at so small a charge as the purchase ofa box of Holloway ' s Pills . They purify , strengthen , anu remedy imperfect development of growth and health in young persons . —ADVT .

Reviews.

Reviews .

" KALENDAR _ FREIMAURER . " BRO . C . VAN DALEN . Leipzig : Bro . T . G . Findel . We welcome this well-known and useful little Germanic vade mecum , as put forth by our worthy Bro . C . Van Dalen , Berlin , and by our wellknown and able Bro . !• G . Findel . From it we

are annually enabled to obtain accurate statistics of German Freemasonry , and through its well arranged pages we learn the progress amid the " Deutsch-speechender Volk" of our valuable and cosmopolitan Craft . There are some minor points of difference , as to detail and ritual , as

between Teutonic and Anglo-Saxon Freemasonry and each has special observances or systematic peculiarities , which each deems to be preferable to the other ' s . But there is , nevertheless , much of " aehnlichkeit , " to use a German word , between our Masonic system and teaching and theirs :

the one essential difference being ( we speak of Craft Masonry ) , the completing grade of the R . A . with us , of which in Germany they know but little , that is , actively , in usual work . But despite the foolish attack of some heated writers , some angry and agitated Ultramontane

complainants , we believe that as a general rule German Freemasonry , like ours in Great Britain , is entirely free from political proclivities , or religious discussions . Like us , German Freemasons accept and believe in the great principles of toleration and philanthropy , of liberty of conscience

and freedom of belief , of the due cultivation of the intellectual faculties , and yet of the encouragement of religious aspirations . Like ours , German Freemasonry is expansive and cosmopolitan , and accepts all who , in a spirit of universal comprehension for the purpose of humanitarian work and sympathy , accept a theistic

avowal of faith and truth , and openly acknowledge the great Architect and Creator of all . We therefore gladly hail once again Bro . Van Dalen ' s useful Masonic compendium and companion , and beg especially to call the attention of our many German brethren in England to itsutility and information . w .

" FREEMASONRY , ITS SECRECY , & C . " An Oration by Bro . the REV . THOMAS RUSSELL , P . P . G . C . Oxon , and J . G . W . Devon , and W . M . of the Lodge of Benevolence , Bideford , 489 . Delivered at Bideford , Oct . 13 th , 1875 . We have perused our Rev . Bro . ' s oration with

much pleasure , and we gladly commend it to the notice of the Craft . It appears to us to be an able refutation of the common fallacy which exists in all the arguments of the " perverse disputant , " respecting the secrecy of Freemasonry . * At the same time we say this , we feel bound to

express our opinion that as the objection to a secret society can only really arise from its being illegal by the laws of the land , in Anglo-Saxon Freemasonry , and in most countries happily now , such an objection becomes " a fabella exoleta " altogether . A religious body no doubt might

say ' to its adherents , " I make it a term of communion that you donot belong to any secretsociety , " but then that is onl y laying down a subjective if abstract enunciation of work or duty , and seeking to make it objective , as religious bodies often have done , and probably will often do

again . The Roman Catholics assert that there is an objection to Freemasonry from its secrecy , arising out of what they term the natural Jaw of right , & c , as between man and man , but that we believe to be utterly untenable . We also accept Bro . Russell ' s definition of the true position of

Freemasonry as regards religious truth , and quite agree with him that Freemasonry , though it assumes a position of absolute neutrality , by no means proclaims its indifference to religious truth , inasmuch as , though not professing to teach religion absolutely , it bases all its moral

enunciations , whether of decorum or duty , on the very word oi God . We are happy to think that many of our clergy are now beginning to recognize the arguments put forth by the friends of Freemasonry , and to see that Freemasonry , though not religion , is ever friendly to

religion ; and that the accusations of indifference utterly fail in this , that they do not touch the self-evident truism , that Freemasonry need not be indifferent because it does not pronounce an opinion on matters beyond its scope and its constitution , v * - * .