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We have very great pleasure in announcing that to-morrow ( Saturday ) , the Caxton Convalescent Home at Limpsfield , near Oxted , which is intended for the benefit of members of the Printing and Kindred Trades , will be formally opened by our respected Bro . J . Passmore Edwards , who is President of the Institution , and has evinced the deepest interest in the promotion of this useful

Charity . Special arrangements have been made with the London , Brighton , and South Coast Railway , by which those intending to be present at the ceremony will be conveyed to and from Limpsfield at exceptionally low return fares on production of the card of invitation . Full particulars of the Secretary , Mr . Charles Irvine , at the London Offices of the Home , 33 , Chancery-lane , W . C .

The first meeting of Quatuor Coronati Lodge , No . 2076 , after the holidays will be held at Freemasons' Hall , on Friday next , the 4 th October , when , after the election of a number of candidates for the Correspondence Circle , a W . M ., Treasurer , and Tyler for the ensuing year will be elected . Subsequently a paper

by Bro . John Lane , P . A . G . D . C , will be read on " The Early Lodges of Freemasons : their Constitutions and Warrants , 1717—1760 . " From the catalogue we have received , we note that very numerous—and in some cases very valuableadditions to the Lodge Library have been made during the period from 10 th June to the nth September of the current year .

A very successful function was held at the Asylum of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution at Croydon on Wednesday evening , when Bro . Horace G . Banks , W . M . of the Citadel Lodge , No . 18 97 , Harrow Station , gave his very entertaining lecture , entitled " From England to America , '' in which a graphic and comprehensive description of the latter country and its people , as seen

through an Englishman ' s eyes , afforded the keenest enjoyment to the inmates and the numerous friends of the Institution who had assembled on the occasion . The lecture was accompanied by a series of dioramic effects , and there was plenty of good and appropriate music to illustrate the several features . Mr . Willie Wright

did duty as accompanyist , and Messrs . Frank Swinford and Richard Evans were the vocalists . A supplementary ventriloquial entertainment was also given by Professor Barnard , whose marvellous performances were greeted with the heartiest applause . A full report of the meeting will appear next week .

We regret that our reports of the annual meetings of the Prov . Grand Lodge and Prov . Grand Chapter of Durham should have reached us , like that of the entertainment at Croydon , too late for insertion in our issue for this week However , they are in type , and will appear in our next number .

Correspondence.

CoiTeeponbence

[ We do not hold ourselves responsible for tne opinions expressed by our correspondents , we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . J

FRIENDSHIP LODGE , No . 44 . To the Editor of the " Freemason , " Dear Sit and Brother , An extraordinary statement respecting the above lodge was made in your issue of the 14 th inst ., by whom furnished I am ignorant , but the authenticity 'of the statement which displays such gross ignorance might have been ascertained by reference to Bro . John Lane ' s valuable " Masonic Records . "

The date of the Friendship Warrant is 23 rd February , 1803 , which can be clearly proved from Grand Lodge Records . This lodge was one of the " Athol , or Ancients " Grand Lodge , and No . 39 . There were several warrants issued with this number . The first was dated 18 th June , 1755 , which was cancelled on 5 th June , 1703 , and never re-issued ; another was dated 4 th March , 1795 , which

lapsed shortly afterwards ; then the present Friendship Warrant , now No . 44 , was issued 23 rd February , 1803 , therefore , it cannot be correctly stated as having commenced in June last , the 141 st year of its existence . The same statement , says the W . M . elect , Bro . Wilkinson , is present W . M . of a lodge in Leeds . This is incorrect , as he is W . M . of the Scarborough Lodge , 1214 , Batley .

If , as I am afraid , the author of these misstatements is a member of the lodge , how comes it that he breaks his Masonic obligation by revealing the state of the ballot for W . M . thus publicly , which is utterly foreign to the genius and spirit of Masonry . —Yours faithfully and fraternally , JOHN CHADWICK , September , 21 st . Prov . G . Sec . and P . M . 44 .

BOARD OF INSTALLED MASTERS . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I , as an old P . M ., am quite in accord with " Another ex-Secretary , P . M ., " and Bro . C . H . Wood . The Grand Lodge have decreed that the form of

ritual of Installed Masters is irregular and an innovation . The installation ceremony is surely beautiful in the extreme as handed down to us from our ancient brethren , and I for one consider the ritual of Board of Installed Masters no improvement but rather otherwise . I never took any part in the ceremony myself , and shall be glad to hear of its discontinuance throughout the region over which the Grand Lodge bears sway . —Yours fraternall y .

P . P . S . G . D Manchester , September 23 rd .

THE DECORATION OF ST . PAUL'S . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I have been away from London , and have only just had an opportunity of reading the excellent leading article in your issue of the 14 th instant ; and for that , and for the editorial support which you have given to the object of Freemasons contributing towards the decoration of St . Paul ' s , I ask you to permit

me to heartily thank you . After the interesting discussion in Grand Lodge had closed , one or two of the brethren present expressed the opinion that I was wrong in withdrawing the motion , and that had I gone to the vote , 1 should have had a majority in my favour . Whether this would or would not have resulted I do not know ; but I felt that I could not resist the arguments which appeared to meet with the concurrence of many present , and which were , at all events , expressed by he majority of the speakers . It would , too , have been unfortunate if any sort of

Correspondence.

friction had occurred on such a subject , and it appeared to me , upon the moment ' s reflection , that I could not do better than accept the kindly and sympathetic sug . gestion to withdraw the motion which came from the majority of the speakers . This leaves me now in a far better position than would have been the case after an adverse vote to prosecute the idea , which has met with so much encouragement

from many Freemasons , and I shall , in conference with those who in Grand Lod ge gave me their personal support , endeavour to "formulate a plan " —as you , Sir suggest—by which the Masons of England may be enabled to assist in promoting what Bro . Alderman Dimsdale so appropriately described as a " great national undertaking . "—I am , Sir , your obedient servant ,

WM . WOODWARD 13 , Southampton-street , Strand , September 24 th .

ORDER OF THE TEMPLE . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , The fusion of Convent General with the Great Priory which has just been accomplished , cannot fail to be received with satisfaction by all Knights Templar who take any interest in the welfare and progress of the Order . The

statutes which are proposed for the future government have been promulgated , and a copy sent to the English Constitution of every preceptory in the province , and I presume to others—with a request for any suggestions or alterations to be sent to the Vice-Chancellor on or befort ist October . As many preceptories cannot meet previous to that date , and ours among the number , I should like , with your kind assistance , to call attention to a few points of interest in connection therewith , worthy of the consideration of every knight of the Order .

In the first place , Great Priory is to be called " Chapter General . It is true our illustrious prototypes and founders held chapters for the installation of novices in their preceptories , but as a body corporate they were called preceptories , and I venture to submit that the alteration is not an improvement . It is also suggested to abolish the term of salutation " Sir Knight , " and adopt that of " Brother Knight . " To this I think stronger objection can be urged . " Sir " is always associated with every Order of knighthood , Masonic or otherwise—to use the Craft term seems to me to be like tickling the ears of an old friend who

will not acknowledge your existence , only as "Lord High Chamberlain" ( see Mikado ) , and is not calculated to promote anything but confusion . It is also proposed to limit the term of office of Provincial Grand Priors to three years , but for what reason does not appear . There is also a rule to forbid the introduction in any meeting of Great Priory or " Chapter General" of any business that has not been previously submitted to the Genera ] Purposes Committee and approved . I can draw upon my imagination at very short date to conceive how easy this rule will operate against us ; it is what 1 can only describe as a censorship of despotism and not at all calculated to foster a spirit of interest in the Order .

As to clothing , very elaborate details are given , but one very important omission is the absence of any mention ot a cap or head covering . In West Yorkshire and some other places , a cap of consistent pattern is worn , and it has also been seen in Great Priory meetings . 1 hope no arguments are required to show the necessity of being consistent and supplying this glaring omission . The Templar Knights of old never went uncovered , either in church or preceptory assembled .

Generally , I look upon the new statutes as not being quite calculated to promote an increased interest in our Order which commends itself so strongly to those Freemasons who are not satisfied with the social side only , or to' those who regard the mosaic cosmogony as a stepping stone to an Order whose principles supply the cravings of those who are looking forward to a higher and better life than this , that dispensation represented by our Cross .

I hope that wisdom and understanding will abound in the hearts and minds of those who are responsible for the well being and good government of an Order the writer loves and admirers . —Yours fraternally , Manchester , 21 st September . F . W . LEAN .

Reviews.

Reviews .

"THE SCOTTISH FREEMASON , " Glasgow . "—The September number , in addition to its Notes and Reports , contains several articles of exceptional interest , prominent among them being one entitled " Historical Notes on Scotch Lodges , " by Bro . Li - Murray Lyon , G . Sec .. Glasgow Kilwinning , No . 4 , being the lodge which Bro . Lyon treats in this article , and though the date of its constitution goes no further back than April , 1735 , he has included several interesting particulars concerning it , and more will

doubtless follow in the further instalment or instalments yet to come . Bro . John Smith , r . M ., author of "The Old Lodge of Dumfries , " continues his valuable " Historical Sketch of Lodge Operative , No . 140 , Dumfries , " and there are other important articles on " The Mark Degree , " the " Formation of the Grand Encampment of the United States of America , " by Bro . James E . Hopkins , together with one extracted from the Evening Dispatch , on the vexed question— " Was Burns Poet Laureate of the Canongate his

Kilwinning Lodge ? " The tendency of the writer ' s opinion may be gathered from concluding remarks . "To sum up , " he says , " there was a large body of evidence , direct and indirect , including the exertions , acts , and conduct of those most likely to know and most entitled to speak and to be believed . There was a continuous , and till recent times , unchallenged tradition resting on that evidence . On the other side there absence of certain

was no evidence to the contrary , but only an eager insistence upon the additional evidence , mainly inadmissable in law , even if it existed , and all of it , such as not to prevent any logical contradiction of any part of the positive evidence in favour ol the fact . It was not too much to say that nothing could ever be proved if the absence of additional proof were admitted to counteract positive evidence of the fact . " From all which it is clear that the writer thinks an affirmative answer is the proper one to make to the question he has been considering .

"T HE INDIAN FREEMASON "—W . Norman and Co ., the Caxton Press , Calcutta , The chief items of the August number are a report of the Quarterly Communication ot the District Grand Lodge of Bengal on the 24 th June last ; a further instalment of the " History of Freemasonry in Bengal , " compiled by Bro . Andrew McCruze , from tne RprnrHs of District flnnd Ijidire ! a biorranhical sketch , with oortrait . of Bro . Chafes

D . Wise , Grand Secretary of All Scottish Freemasonry in India ; and a paper—continued from the July number-by Bro . Oswald G . Wood , P . M ., P . Z ., & c , on " The Second Kxodus of the Jews and the Rebuilding of Jerusalem . " The Notes , too , and tne Correspondence are interesting , and there are several lodge reports which show that even at this period of the year the duties of Freemasonry are diligently carried out in ou Indian lodges .

"M ASONIC TIDINGS "—Milwaukie , Wis . The opening article of the Sep temh number contains a description of the New Masonic Temple which is about to be tree ^ —and of which , indeed , a beginning has already been made—in Milwaukie . From l it is evident the building will be an elaborate one , of seven floors , and the cost is down as amounting to 100 , 000 dollars ( £ 20 , 000 ) . The premises will contain a '" j , ^ asylum , and club-house , and there will be stores on the ground floor , and on the lv *\ immediately above , offices . The Drill Hall for the Templar body will be on the »» door , while the fifth and sixth will be appropriated to Grand Lodge . The work is " pushed forward , and our Milwaukie brethren are looking forwarded to its being « pleted in the summer of 1 S 9 G . There is plenty of other readable matter in the num