To Correspondents.

To Correspondents .

The following correspondence was received too late for publication , and is held over until next week : — Bro . Perceval ' s letter . Proof will be sent . The following also stand over : — Laying the Foundation Stone of the New Law Courts

at Invercargill , New Zealand . An Extinct Lodge . Holmesdale Lodge , No . 874 , Tunbridge Wells . Royal Arch—Jerusalem Chapter , No . 185 ; Royal Cum berland Chapter , No . 41 , Bath .

BOOKS , Src , RECEIVED . " Western Daily Mercury , " " South London Chronicle and Southwark and Lambeth Ensign , " " Banbury Guardian , " '' Hull Packet , " " Christmas Number of Brief , " " The Girl's Own Paper , " " The Masonic Herald , " " Die Baiihutte , " " Citizen , " " Alliance News , " " Broad Arrow , "

"Croydon Guardian , "" The North China Herald , " "The " Bridgwater Mercury , " " La Chaine d' Uuion , " " The Freemason , " N . S . W ., "Voice of Masonry , " " Brrletin Official , " " The Rough Ashlar , " " Sutton ' s Amateur ' s Guide to Horticulture , " " Masonic Advocate , " " Hebrew Leader , " " Masonic Newspaper , "

Births, Marriages And Deaths.

Births , Marriages and Deaths .

[ The charge is 2 s . 6 d . for announcements not exceeding Four Lines under this heading . ] BIRTHS . NICHOLS . —On the 19 th inst ., at 3 6 , Hetherington-road , Clapham , the wife of Mr . T . Nicholls , of a son . THYNNE . —On the 19 th inst ., at Teddington , Mrs . F . G . Thynne , of a son .

MARRIAGE . KENNitny—WM-TEN . —On the iSth inst ., at the paiish church , Westbury , Wilts , by the Rev . II . Duke , Major-General J . W . A . Kennedy , to Marion , daughter of the late Mr . Robert Wecton of Kew .

DEATH . COOPER . —On the 18 th inst ., at Farningham , Kent , Isa bella , daughter of the late Mr . T . Cooper .

Ar00408

THEFREEMASON.SATURDAY , DECEMBER 27 , 1879 .

The Old Year.

THE OLD YEAR .

The Old lear \ s on its "last legs , " and a New Year is rapidly drawing near . Thus , as ever in the great reality of human life , age makes way for youth and youth presses upon age . Before we again greet our readers the old year will have gone to its many forefathers , and a new year

will have dawned upon this struggling world of ours . With an old year passing away and a new one supervening there necessarily arise many thoughts , seasonable for us all . We have ourselves seen , though still here to-day in the good Providence of God , in the last twelve

months , friends and comrades pass away , we have witnessed how sickness bteaks down , and how weakness succeeds strength , how many are the disappointments , the grievances , the heartaches of life , how ephemeral its best possessions , how transitory its purest

joys . Twelve months hence how many of us will still survive , nay , rather , how many of us may not have passed away amid the shadows of the past . It is useless to disguise from ourselves that as we march on year hy year we , ourselves , grow weaker and older as each succeeding twelve

months fleet over our heads , and that for us all the flight of time means too often the weakening of powers , the decay of intellect , the submergence of all those things on which we most count here often , on which we most set our hearts , which are bound with our sincerest

and tenderest sympathies , in the dark and turbid wateis of the great rolling river of time . Just now we are all of us rather indulging , ( for extremes ever meet here ) , in an epicurean or a stoical philosophy , and to some of us all such thoughts as we have ventured

to sktrtch out are alike unwelcome and out of place , unseasonable and uncalled for . Not that as a rule we care very much either for the criticisms of the critical or the objections of the antagonistic . But we would ask which is the

best and truest teacher , he who points ont things as they rerlly are , proclaims that truth which is objective to us all , or he who " daubs the work with untempered mortar , " and seeking only to please or to commend himself to the frivolous and the parasite , skims over what is real

The Old Year.

and of moment , and places before his readers what only , "subjective" at the best , is fraught by its perverted or sentimental use with the most evil consequences to our intellects and our hearts- And so we think it well always to remind ourselves that as Masons we profess to

teach morality , and , therefore , we should never forget that after all our " seria mista jocis , " mirth and sobriety combined , are the best mental food for us all . If any of our readers dislike our more serious tones , let them remember we cannot hope to please all ,

and that our best consciousness and reward will be that we have sought at the same time to improve and to amuse , to interest and gratify our many readers . May the old year now passing away leave us with grateful memories and reverent hearts , and may Masonry everywhere in

the new year as in the old not be ashamed to proclaim its beneficent and reli gious and tolerating principles for the welfare of our brethren here below , and the material progress and the social peace , and fraternal concord , of a great and listening world .

Uniformity Of Ritual.

UNIFORMITY OF RITUAL .

Another point in connexion with this subject it is necessary to consider now is— "how will it affect lodges of instruction J " We have every reason to believe that its effect will be most disastrous upon them one and all , and that

the probability is that it will simply introduce a system of " cramming " most objectionable per se , and most injurious to an educated rendering of the ritual . It is one thing , ( as we a . l perfectly well know ) , to deliver our ritual carefully and culturedly , and another to repeat it with parrot-like

monotony , until its repetition palls on and pains the ears of the educated . Up to the present in London the Emulation Lodge of Improvement has maintained its high character , has done much good to Masonic ritual , and has sent from its bosom , many , —as we can testify , —most

competent Preceptors and " bright Masons . " What will be its position with a so-called Board of Preceptors ? First of all , what is to be the litual r Is it to be the ritual of 1813—now recognized by Grand Lodge—or is it to be one settled after full , and patie n ( r , and long revision , which will

end the conflicting views and theories , not of 1813 , but of 1 SS 0 ? Under the circumstances of an othcial Board such valuable centres of Masonic Instruction as the Lodge of Emulation must of necessity cease to exist—their use is ended , their value is gone . And then let us see what must and

will follow . At present the gains of the unworthy brother who , despising the injunctions of his Order , trades in the unhallowed merchandize of an tinlicenced and illegal " crib , " will be increased , because he will profess , '' mine is acopy of the one authorized ritual . " At present , owing to a wise

liberty of verbiage and ceremony , the great land marks being rigidly observed , rill such illicit works are comparatively useless , all such nefarious gains are comparatively limited . But the truth islet us look at it fully—we are landing ourselves

by this movement upon an undiscovered shore of doubt , vexation , trouble , and dispute . The only one point in favour of the motion is that in December , 1 S 6 9 , Grand Lodge passed a resolution in favour of the motion . But the

fact that no action has been taken since shows the inherent difficulty of the question , in a much greater measure than those who have not studied the question can realize . It is a fact that Grand Lodge did pass the resolution , but under what circumstances ? Clearly , as was

well pointed out in our correspondence last week , hastily , and without sufficient discussion . In the report of the proceedings , besides Bro . Stevens , only Bros . Stebbing , Browse , and Cooke spoke , and the reporter especially adds , — thev " made a few remarks , " and the motion was

carried . The Grand Lodge that night , owing to the reception of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , was too excited to listen to anything , as is often the case under similar circumstances and in similar meetings . In the Grand

Lodge of March , 1880 , it seems that the motion to appoint a Committee was lost on an amendment by Bro . Havers , to defer the appointment to next Grand Lodge , and at the Grand Lodge in J une Bro . Horace Lloyd , then Grand

Uniformity Of Ritual.

Registrar , moved an amendment on Bro . Stevens ' motion which was carried . We refer Bro . Stevens to the pages of the Freemason , which he has so often quoted , and which he claims as once friendly to his contention , for these very facts , What then becomes cf the boasted sanction of Grand Lodge ten years ago }

The Appointment Of Grand Secretary.

THE APPOINTMENT OF GRAND SECRETARY .

No appointment has yet been made and may not be for some little time . We have heard several names mentioned , some of which we think must be " canards . " It is no easy matter to

find a suitable successor to Bro . John Hervey , on the one hand , or one who will uphold the prestige , position , independence , and cosmopolitan influence of the Grand Lodge of England on the other .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

f \ Ve do not hold ourselves responsible for , or even approving of , the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish in 1 spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within ceriain necessary limits—free discussion . }

UNIFORMITY OF MASONIC RITUAL AND OBSERVANCE . To the Editor of the '" Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — The result of Grand Lodge vote on my motion on the 3 rd December last was so completely satisfactory to me that for a while I have taken breathing time , and ,

mirabilc did 11 , have not rushed into print on the subject for nearly a month . I should probably have still further proved my sanity in this respect but for the attacks made on the members of Grand Lodge who supported me and on myself personally . But that I know the general impartiality and fairness of the press , I should not venture upon this letter , which , I

know at the outset , must be a long one . To thc editorial comment ( Freemason , Nov . 29 th ) , I take exception . It implies that I am " forgetful of Masonic duty , and insensible to the benefits of Masonic toleration . " and it calls upon Grand Lodge to " affix its mark of reprobation thereon , " and put a stop to a " senseless agitation , " which thc same writer had previously stigmatised as the

outcome of "nonsensical bombast" and " childish ignorance . " I dispose of this by referring to the Grand Lodge vote of 1869 , the confirmation thereof in 1870 , and the renewed vote of Dfcember 3 rd , 1879 , as a satisfactory and very sufficient token of approval instead of reprobation . 1 pass from thc proceedings of Grand Lodge , after the vote had beet : recorded , to the subsequent comments and

correspondence on the subject . There seems to be a great desire on the part of the writer of the editorial remarks in the Freemason ( Dec . 13 th ) , and of Bro . Woodford in his letter { Freemason , Dec . 20 th ) , to lessen the force of Grand Lodge vote by contending that it was carried " after a very partial debate ; " that the motion itself was " rash and ill-digested ; "

that the mover indulged in " vehement incriminations , " is a " professional agitator , " and an " emitter of 'bottled moonshine . ' " What awful words I And yet I live and bear it I My stubborn conscience eiuite alarms me ; whither am I drifting ? Anel yet I find it said : " If such abuses exist ( here comes another five-syllable expletive ) they constitute a grave re flection , " Sec , and " if proved

to be prevalent we fancy the action of thc Board of General Purposes would be summary and decisive . " Why , there ' s my case I I say these abuses elo exist , and I can prove them , and neither Board of General Purposes nor any other authority interferes with their continuance . Again it is said , " Admit it that all be true asJBro . Stevens puts it , what docs it prove but the want of surveillance

and control ? " Exactly so ; what does it prove but that , and is that not quite sufficient to demand a remedy ? As to the references made to the publishing oi spurious rituals , and the unworthy imputation as to the enrichment of those who would prepare them ( the article reads as though / contemplated such an outrage on my Masonic obligations ) , they are not worth my discussing . I learnt my

Craft Masonry without a MS . or printed ritual , and others can elo the same if they will . None need be published , but , if it be a necessity , let Grand Lodge alone give it to the brethren , and so circumvent the " un-Masonic ventures ar . d unhallowed gains . " To Bro . Charles John Perceval ( Freemason , Dec . 13 th ) I feel indebted for a plain and understandable

explanation of my own argument on this subject , and his remark as to the apparent importance of " keeping an eye that the dues of Grand Lodgeare paid , " & c , over " keeping check on the several manners of working , " exposes the blot in our present arrangement , whereby the Board of General Purposes does not control , as it should , the ceremonial and observance of a " standard ritual "

throughout the several lodges under the English Constitution . I may have again to make casual reference to Bro . Perceval ' s , letter . For the present I thank him , and hail his support most cordially . It is of course a matter of regret to me that 1 have not

the benefit of thc Freemason ' s concurrence with my efforts . I know its power and influence are great , and such an ally would have been invaluable to me . Still , as I freely act according to my conscience , I cannot condemn the exercise of a simillar faculty in another , and that other an exponent of pnblic opinion ; and , therefore , whilst I may