Correspondence.

Correspondence .

VVe do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limitsfree discussion .

REMOVAL OF THE BOYS SCHOOL . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I fancy I have discovered some explanation for the extraordinary opposition of some of our Yorkshire Brethren , to this admirable scheme . It appears to me to be a question of local influence and politics v . Masonic duties and responsiblities .

I learn that the East Riding County Council , in the face of some opposition has decided to apply , £ 2000 , money received from the Government under the Local Taxation Act , 1890 , to the relief of the Rates , instead of applying the sum to Technical Education .

Such a retrograde and unpatriotic movement would be impossible in a community desiring better education , improved teaching , and schools for its children . —Your obedient servant , J . G ., P . M . and P . Z . 23 rd November .

Tothe Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , In your issue of the 21 st instant , there appeared a letter signed by " A P . G . Secretary Who Knows . " From the contents of that letter I should say the writer thereof must be " A P . G . Secretary who knows very little , " otherwise he must be aware of the fact that we elect our boys with a voting power which represents so much capital invested in the Institution . —I am , yours fraternally ,

J . H . SILLITOE , Chairman East Lancashire Charity Committee Freemasons' Club , Manchester , November 23 rd .

THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , May I point out , through your columns , as I pointed out at the recent meeting of the Committee of Management of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , that the proposal made to celebrate in the year 1899 the jubilee of the Widows' Annuity Fund is , in point of fact , an attempt to have a second Jubilee Festival of the Institution .

All of us recollect the magnificent sum raised at the Benevolent Jubilee Festival in 1892 . The circulars then issued invited our support for " the Jubilee Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons , " and reminded us that the elder , or Male , Annuity Fund was founded in 1842 , and the Widows' Annuity Fund in ISJQ , and gave the numbers of annuitants on

each Fund at 181 and 230 respectively . The special privileges granted to donors at this Festival were not restricted to donors to the Male Annuity alone , but applied also to the Widows' Annuity Fund . I submit that , upon these facts , I was justified in arguing that the Widows ' Annuity Fund had celebrated its Jubilee Festival in 1892 , and that consequently it was unreasonable to ask the Craft to support the proposal for a second Jubilee

Festival . At the meeting above referred to , I was the only brother present who protested against the proposal , and , although no answer was made to the argument I put forward , the proposal was carried by 12 votes to to . I am aware that the Benevolent Institution , as some brother remarked at the meeting , has no concern with our two Educational Institutions , and that if it is right that a second

Jubilee Festival should be held , the interests of the other two Institutions should not be studied ; but , admitting for a moment that it is right to have a second Festival , is it necessary or expedient , in view of the Centenary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys in 1898 , to put forwa . rd in 1896 proposals for a Jubilee Festival in 1899 ; - —I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours faithfully and fraternally , STANLEY J . ATTENBOROUGH , Patron R . M . B . I . and R . M . I . B . ; Vice-Patron R . M . I . G . iS , Piccadilly , W ., November 19 th .

AN APPEAL . To the Editor of the '' Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Two years ago the surplus funds subscribed for the children ' s banquet in the Guildhall were spent ^ n sending 200 hampers to poor crippled children .

Last Christmas the public enabled the Press to extend this seasonable gift to 5000 applicants . I am informed that though Edinburgh , Manchester , Sheffield , Nottingham , and other towns have adopted the idea , there is no intention on the part of any London newspaper to repeat this noble distribution this year . Meanwhile , it has come to my knowledge that charitable people are anxious to continue the splendid work ; and I believe that if nothing is done , the disappointment of the afflicted little ones will outweigh the good which was accomplished a year

ago . I have , therefore , resolved to appeal to the public to supplement the means which are annually placed at my disposal for the New Year's Entertainment of about 1500 poor children in the Guildhall by the permission of the Corporation , a Festivity which will be attended by the Lord Mayor , the Lady Mayoress , and the Sheriffs in State . These children are selected by the Ragged School Union , from the poorest districts in London , and many of them have crippled brothers or sisters who will be denied all participation in the treat unless I have a surplus sufficiently large to send them a seasonable hamper each .

A grea' deal of money has been spent in the classification of the Gooo cripples who are registered on the books of the Ragged School Union , and it will be possible for me to adopt exactly the same machinery of distribution which was in operation last year . I _ Jiould propose , at a certain time , to make a first selection of cases according to the funds in hand , giving prefe rence to children who are

bedridden , who could not , therefore , be given the summ < r outing . If the money prove sufficient I would add indigent cases between certain agrs , and so enlarge my hamper list accordingly as the public should help me to do . But I hope and trust 1 shall be in a position to deal with them all , and that the size of the hamper may grow with the generosity of the public .

To supplement it gifts in kind would be welcomed at the offices of the Ragged School Union , 37 , Norfolk-street , Strand , but subscriptions should be sent to me . —I am . Sir , vour obedient servant , W . P . TRELOAR . CS , 6 9 and 70 , Ludgate Hill , E . C .

Correspondence.

THE NEW ZEALAND QUESTION . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , In view of the approaching Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge it will , perhaps , not be out of place to call attention to the extraordinary state of things now existing .

At the special meeting in July , Grand Lodge was asked to " request the Grand Master to take such steps for the recognition of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand , and for the establishment of fraternal good feeling with our New Zealand Brethren , as he may consider consistent with the honour of this Grand Lodo-e and with just consideration for those Lodges which may desire to retain their ' connection with the Grand Lodge of England . "

This Grand Lodge did by a large majority , and in your leader of the Sth of August , some rather strong language was used about the minority who had dared to exercise the right of thinking for themselves , and voting against what seemed to them an ill-considered and ill-timed resolution , and had ventured to hesitate before accepting as absolutely correct the rose-coloured views and statements of the speakers in favour of the resolution .

Great stress was laid in that Article , as previously in Grand Lodge , upon the statement by Bro . Lord Onslow as to the altered circumstances in New Zealand and a great point was made of his statement that the warrants previousl y detained by the seceders had been returned to their rightful owners . In your leader of the 21 st instant , you quote from the New Zealand Craftsman a speech of a Bro . Bell , Immediate Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge

of New Zealand , detailing the steps he had taken whilst in England , with a view of securing , if possible , the recognition of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand ; and it would seem that he ascribed " the ultimate success of the application " to the influence of Bro . Arkwright , District Grand Master of Wellington , and he ( Bro . Bell ) further stated that he undertook , on behalf of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand , that all the rights of the District Grand Lodges would be conserved , except that of warranting new lodges .

The report of the Board of General Purposes , to be presented to Grand Lodge at the December Quarterly Communication , contains , it would appear from the Grand Lodge business paper , no allusion to the New Zealand question . The business paper , however , does contain a statement that , since the last Quarterly Communication a warrant has been granted for a new lodge in New Zealand , viz ., " No . 2627 , the District Grand Stewards Lodge of Canterbury , Christchurch , New Zealand . "

The Otago Daily Times of October 2 nd contains a very full account of a meeting of Masons under the English , Scotch , and Irish Constitutions , which was largely attended , when the D . G . M ., Bro . T . S . Graham ( EC ) , occupied the chair , and among others present were D . G . M ., Bro . J . Gore ( S . C . ); D . P . G . M ., Bro . D . A . M'NicoIl ( I . C ) ; D . G . Sec , Bro . S . James ( E . C . ) ; D . G . Sec , Bro . H . Neill ( S . C . ); and many others holding high rank .

Bro . Graham ' s speech , which occupies nearly two columns out of the twoand-a-half devoted to the report of the meeting is not altogether pleasant , though it may possibly be salutary , reading to loyal members of the Craft at home . I send you a copy of the paper , and I trust you will see your way to reprint in your next issue the full account of the meeting . Perhaps the most salient points in Bro . Graham ' s speech are—1 . His remarks on Article 219 .

2 . His complaint as to the neglect of Colonial Correspondence in the time of the late Grand Secretary . 3 . His complaint against the present staff , and thereby the Grand Lodge of England . 4 . His comment as to the unusual course taken at the Special Grand Lodge in July . 5 . His denialjof the accuracy of Bro . Lord Onslow's statement as to the Warrants .

6 . His statement as to the neglect of the Officials at home to reply to the communications of the Acting District G . M . of Canterbury , Bro . Thomas . 7 . His comments upon the line of action taken by Bro . Bell , and the distinct denial of Bros . Cunningham and Arkwright , D . G . Ms , of Canterbury and Wellington respectively , of the truth of written statements made by Bro . Bell . I refrain entirely from attempting to offer any opinion as to the accuracy

of any party to the controversy , but I do submit that charges of this nature , made by brethren of high standing , which practically impeach the veracity of highly respected brethren in high oflice at home , are not to be treated lightly or passed over in silence , but should be fully and frankly met . And I further submit that until this has been satisfactorily done no further action should be taken to recognise the seceders . —I am , yours faithfully , November , 18 9 6 . LEX SCRIPTA .

Removal Of The Boys' School.

REMOVAL OF THE BOYS' SCHOOL .

We have had forwarded to us , and have great pleasure in giving publicity to , the following letter from the Prov , G . Secretary of Jersey to the Secretary of thc R . M . Institution for Boys : Masonic Temple , Stopford-road , St . Helier , Jersey , November 2 tst , 1836 . Dear Sir and Brother , —

I have much pleasure in informing you that at the annual meeting of Prov . Grand Lodge , held on Friday , November 20 th , the following resolution was unanimously carried : " That this Prov . Grand Lodge approves of the action of the Board of Management of the Royal Masonic Boys' School with regard to the purchase of a new site for the School-house . "

Believe me , yours faithfully and fraternally , ( Signed ) AI . FRKO C G ODFKAV , P . G . Sec . J . M . McLeod , Esq , Sec . Boys' School .

We have also been kvoured with thc following information ; At the meeting of * the Provincial Grand Lodge of Derbyshire , held on Wednesday , the 25 th inst ., at Derby , a vote of confidence and approval of the policy of the Board of Management ot the Royal Masonic Institution fir Boys on the question of removal of the Schools was unanimously passed .

HKK MAJESTY ' S SUW REVENGE , flying the thg of Admiral Sir J . P . Hoikinfi sailed from Spithead on Saturday morning last fur the Mediterranean , where he has been appointed to succeed Sir Michael Culme Seymour as Commander-in-chief uf the British Fleet in thos ; waters .