The Onward Progress Of English Freemasonry.

of lodges , in round numbers , reported by the Grand Secretary—an increase of nearly iooc lodo-cs in >? years . In 187 . 1 , tlie Calendar con-1 "

O > J J ¦ rained the names of 1 . 329 lodges , in 1874 of 14 6 9 odges . Thus , we note that close upon 200 lodges have been added to our numerical s . evength

in two years , very nearly an average or 100 per lnnuin , up to Midsummer , 1 S 74 . When our

new Calendars are published in November , in all probability , some other auditions will have been made to the Ions ? roll of English lodges .

Thus far , we think we may fairly assume , that , we are progressing at the rate of 100 lodges per annum , and that , supposing , too , the present rote of increase is maintained , and that nothing occurs

o check or hinder the extension or our prosperous and united Order , in ten years time—say 1884—our English Grand Lodge will number about 2 500 warranted lodges . There are those

amongst us , who affect to think they see evil in this increase of our Order , and wdio are inclined to shake their heads at the applications for . new warrants . We entirely dissent from such

ill-founded and narrow views of tlie subject , and we will g ive our reasons for so doing . lathe first place , we think that , according to the Book of Constitutions , the appointed number of

lawfully made Masons under our Grand Lodge , tor " good and sufficient causes them thereto moving , " applying for a warrant , according to the provisions of the Book of Constitutions , and

duly recommended by the Provincial autiiontics should be encouraged in forming new lodges . Many of our popular lodges are far too numerous and unwieldy for Masonic sympathy and work ,

and sociality , from that very cause , to suit the position or gratify the not uiiie .. ~ otiabie Alasonic aspirations of many oT our younger brethren . Whenever a lodge exceeds So , or at any rate 100

members , a '• ' swarm " of industrious Alasonic bees ( not drones ) should be encouraged from the mother hive . For each such new hive of Masonic industry and pleasant fellowship is , like its

prototype in nature , a gain to the brotherhood of workers , a nucleus of other equally active little communities in due time , and a fosterer of strength and unity , of good will and light . It

very often happens alike in London as m the provinces , that some of cur lodges become , through materia ! orosperity , rec well to dc nncl of . eti ~ c

. . 'eiiisivc- . . t :: at tr . e nare'cce e , i .:.. ic .. u ; ce - . cm . ; . ion , ir . 3 mese severe of :: !• proi / atier-. ; , f . ve alii , -e voice < - (' iriro- ' iiet ' : ^ s . V . ii t - / "id -f . .- ' ¦ - r . t

:. l .: ! 0 : Tr : ie . - . ! i'Iil . " / :- ' . - ' < - '' ' *' .: m •' . ; . S nr e ' . ' , ' \ vr . v- ' c . 33 ii' . ' . m . ; - " ,, t / i . e . . e'i 1 ' . ' eM ue ' . aeeu o .. u , .. . (' . if ' .-cr . ! . elrnr ; vo :. . _• .., ier one nor the oilier , in ; uie paracularly famous lodge , you have' not the

slig htest chance of passing . successfully through the grave ordeal of the ballot . And without seeking to derogate for one moment from the absolute and inalienable right of all our lodges to

exclude any one they think lit from their roll cf members , we yet feci that cases may arise , a : id they often do arise , where many worthy brethren who are unable , ftoin some cause or other , to

join paiticular lodges , should be permuted to fo < m new lodges , according to the wise a nd liberal piovisions of the Book of Constitutions in that

respect . And in tne next place , wc entirely disagree with those who think that we weaken old lodges , or unduly increase our body

The Onward Progress Of English Freemasonry.

by granting n « % v -warrants . We , on the contrary , strongly hold , _ that , supposing all the preliminaries are arranged in a Masonic spirit , and on true Masonic principles , each accession to onv

Order is to jbc hailed with pleasure by every sincere and thoughtful Freemason ^ It is said in some things , that nothing " deadens like custom , " and sure we are , that lodges , like

everything else , are apt to become sleepy aud indifferent , careless of anything but routine , alike in work and refreshment , and intolerant of improvement or change . Hence wo are always

requiring , so to say , a little Masonic revival amongst us , a little new blood thrown into the stagnant veins , a little awakening of the old " dry bones" of good old-fashioned easy-going

Afasonry . Every new lodge properly founded , and as properly ruled over , has a distinct place to occupy , and a mission to fulfil , in the economy of our little Alasonic world . Tlreat

then we conceive to be a very one-sided view of things , which deprecates new lodges , for fear of interferimr with vested interests , or which

condemns any active brethren , wnether in town or country , to a practical exclusion from the rio-hts and privileges and beneites of Freema' -. r . ii-. -- . - .

because by some possibility , . - . young ar . d ; . ew and active lodge may impinge on tlie prior claims of some okLestablished body , or in the ; slightest detrrce withdraw from its ranks or candidature .

e > ' some who might otherwise have sought to be initiated in or affiliated to it . We therefore heartily approve of the fair an . l clear and truly

Alasonic principles , on which our Grand Lodge authorities are so happily acting with regard to the granting of new warrants and new lo . igis to-day .

A Complaint From Our Soidier Brethren.

A COMPLAINT FROM OUR SOIDIER BRETHREN .

1 We think , that , all our readers will La ; ei

sua ted with us m tne deep regret , with which we perused the letter from a " Soldier Freemason , " which appeared in our last issue . Wc had wui mly congratulated our Devonshire and

Cornwall brethren on the successful result of their united '' Grand Assembly" in honour of our Royal ane Iv / alted Brother , when : ¦¦ - .- I tei-. c ! : e ! : e V . Leer ee •• om . iur . ' r . ' . ncc em- ee : ; ji < iamt :, ¦

and uiYi'iusonii ' . treatment , by n , ; irr- ; i ; 111 uil . er of WO . til' / ... : e : l . tl . I ! .. ' -. i ,, i . 1 : uctt Oii ' lCtMS ill Her j ., . ' r - . .. forces ! ir- ; ow wo sav . "t once , i :: d vritii'iiit ; : ;> ¦; hesitation , assumi ;)'' the facts lo

oe da-recti / Lt . iv . d , iiiat a v-.-vy great mistake fas b : eii mad-.: by some one , and a mistake opposed to the true principles of Freenu-onry . The soon-. n t'leufuiv , such a : ; sricu : ; b !; m ! er is

acknowledged , an . l rectified ( or the future , the better for all parties concerned . But one rema ;'; a-i to the faetrioi the case . Are they quite correctly staled ? Our" Soldier Brother" makes

the Alasonic authorities 1 ' abL for the error leiiliivly arse ! disliiiciiy stall s , that the Alajor-Ccneral-Conin ') a : id ; iig , did not o ' . ijeec to tiie . uon-eomniissionee ! officer .:, appearin-. i ia uniform , Iml did

object lo their appearing - in " coloureel clothes , " or being utterly ignored as Soieii rs . And such is a very uuj rslandable objection , lire . Col . Elliott , we obierve , however , states , that , the

A Complaint From Our Soidier Brethren.

non-commissionsd officers were forbidden by the " Commander-in-Chief "—wc pa-. suma he means the Alr . jor-General-Commanding , —accord , ing to the Queen ' s Regulations , to attend the

procession . But wc confess that , we do not quite understand the statement of our gallant Bro . Col . Elliott , as there is nothing in the Queen ' s regulations , which

applies specially to " non-commissioned officers , " to the best of our remembrance , which does not equally apply to co nmissieined officers , and private soldiers . On the whole then , we are

inclined to hope and to believe , knowing well some of the excellent brethren who composed the Joint Committee , that no sli ght whatever , was intended to our gallant brethren , but that the

whole dilemma arose , purely , from some inexplicable and fatal misunderstanding ! We are quite aware , that amongst our Order , as amongst all bodies of men , ecclesiastical , or civil , or social ,

there arc those ever to be found , who , " dressed in a little brief authority , " take upon themselves to issue orders and concoct regulations , which in less excited nv- r .. ; is , they would themselves be

the very first p ¦; ;• s in the world to repudiate 1 -id to protest ; . . ii , iSi . In the " nature of things " '¦; people say , our non-eommissioned-ofiiccr brethren had ; v .-ry right to be in the procession a ; F . vem 1 ; i . 1 ¦ if n , 1 as members of the

two provinces , per . Lip .-, j \_ e certainly as visiting members , belonging- to military lodges , probably under English , or Irish , or Scotch warrants , supposing of cu irse they were properly vouched

for , and d . dy introduced . And if they marched in the proecbiion , in what dress were they to appear ? it ie , uiie , and worse than idle , to talk to non-cominissioaed ollicers in a garrison town

like I'lym . nuh , of "' black coats an . l hits , " ice ., when ; l ; e oii iie ' .- of a soldier appearing in '' coloured clothes , " is in itself a very serious out , an ! for which , without special leave fiom

111 s sup ^ i mis , ' :..- . vutild at once be placed under arrest , lsthete then any objection to the uniform ? Or is tht re any to the fact , that the complaining ijri .-i . iuvn were only non-commissioned

oL cers r We ac once repudiate both such ideas , as we feel per . riaded , that such unworthy and umiiuso :: !; : feelings never for one moment swayed r . ny c : > . ur good Devonshire and Cornwal

Lre-iir •; .::. Let us trust , that , the real explanation : v .:. ; . . ' r . o fund in this simple little fact , as we have before said , that , some worthy , but fussy brother , keenly alive to a sense of propriety and

resp ct . ibility , and also remembering the normal divs ' i of the Craft on state occasions , did not unfortunately realize , what a parody on the teaching of Freemasonry , such a regulation must

appeal to our soldier brethren . We do not for one moment , ourselves see , that , any possible impropriety could be found in the

circumstance of non-commiss . onsi-orncers , appearing belli in uniform and their Alasonic clothing , as we remember , years ago , seeing a long procession , when officers and non-commissioned

ouieers appeared in uniform , and the paraphernalia of Freemasonry , with the approval of one of the best ollicers , and strictest disciplinarians ,

tjie English Army has ever seen . We do not however , profess or presume , to day , if Bro . Col . I ^ lliott ' s version of the affair be correct , to call in question in any way , or complain of the