Ar00600

NOTICE .

The Subscription to IHE F REEMASON is now ios . per annum , post-free , payable in advance . Vol . I ., bound in cloth 4 s . 6 d . Vol . II ., ditto 7 s . 6 d . Vol . s 111 ., IV ., V . and VI each 15 s . od . Reading Cases to hold 52 numbers ... 25 . 6 d . Ditto ditto 4 do . ... is . Cd .

United States of America . THE FVSEMASON is delivered free in any part of the United States for 12 s . per annum , payable in advance . The Freemason is published on Saturday Mornings in time for the early -vains . The price of the Freemason is Twopence per week ; annual

su ! : sei ' p . * icn , ios . ( pnynhle in advance . ) All communications , letters , & c , to bc addressed to thc Editoi , 1 i ) . S , Fleet-street , E . C . The Editor will pay careful attention toallMSS . entrusted to him , but cannot undertake to return them unless accompanied by postag : stamps .

Births, Marriages And Deaths.

Births , Marriages and Deaths .

DEATH . BF . I . I .. —On thc 12 th January , very suddenly , at his residence , Thirsk Hall , Bro . V . Bell , P . M ., P . Prov . G . S . W ., aged 44 .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

All Communications , Advertisements , & c , intended for insertion in the Number of the following Saturday , must 1 each thc Office not later than 6 o ' clock on Wednesday evening . All Communications should be sent to 198 , Fleet Street .

IIin . vM . —Can a W . M . vacate his chair ? [ Wc think not—the W . M . can call on a P . M . to assist him , but he should stand by the Master ' s side . The Master alone can govern the lodge . —En . ] P . M . —In rase a Warden , Secretary , or other assistant officer in a lodge resigns his ollice , has the W . M .

powersee- Book of Constitutions , p . 79 , section 9—to appoint another brother to the postal once ? If so , has the W . M . power to " invest" the newly-appointed brother in open lodge ? Further—If the resignation results in a step being given to each of the junior officers , is it necessary for them to formally resign their present respective collars , and to

be " invested with those belonging to their new office 111 open lodge ? [ We are of opinion that tile W . M . has power , on resignation , to appoint another officer , just as in the case of " displacement , " which is specially provided for by the Book of Constitutions . P . M . is no doubt aware that no

mention of resignation occurs in the- Book of Constitutions at all , and the step is apparently not contemplated , at any rate , it is a " casus omissus" in our Masonic jurisprudence . Indeed , it has been contended that no officer can resign , especially . as the Book of Constitutions has made no provision for such a step . With regard to the other officers , wc could not advise such a proceeding as change

of situation and re-investment . In the- case of a Junior Warden , it would simply disqualify him fur the Master ' s Chair . We do not think such a course is either legal or practicable . The only alternative in such a case of absolute resignation is the appointment and investment of a new officer , " pro tanto , " in open lodge , to fill up the vacancy until Ihe next regular appointment of officers . — En . ]

A Cniiiti-criox . —In the report of the Lodge of Fortitude , Truro , page 31 , Bro . Hughan , in speaking of LordPetre , is made to say that his lordship presided " nominally " over the Grand Lodge . It should be " Roman Catholic nobleman presided over the Grand Lodge . "

The following communications stand over : — Letters on " Masonic Jurisprudence" from T . A . D . U ., and VV . Letter from Bro . Harriott . Funeral of Bro . F . Bell . Reports of lodges : —Pha-nix , 331 ; British Union , 114 ; Faith , 141 ; Duke of Edinburgh , 1182 ;

Combermere , ( 145 ; Alliance , 66 7 ; Hartington , 1021 ; Norman , 1334 ; Ivy , 1441 ; Pleaides , 710 ; Hemming , 1512 ; Gosport , yo , *;; John o'Gaunt , 523 ; Urban , 1190 ; Tregullow , loofi ; Union of Waterloo ( Instruction ) , 13 , Scotland : — Mother Kilwinning ; Atholc , -584 .

Ar00607

The Freemason , S ATURDAY , J ANUARY 30 , 1875 .

Our Royal Brother , Prince Leopold.

OUR ROYAL BROTHER , PRINCE LEOPOLD .

The state of the august sufferer ' s health still must inspire some uneasiness in all who read the cautions bulletins . He continues very weak , but there is yet grounds for hope . Tlie whole Craft deeply feel for and sympathize with th e Queen and tlie Royal Family .

Brotherly Love.

BROTHERLY LOVE .

We hear a good deal in Freemasonry of brotherly love ; it is alike the key-note of our teaching , and the foundation-stone of our whole greet Masonic building . But brotherly love , like most other virtues—charity especially—has a duplex existence , if wc may so speak , in the

conscience and acts of man has two sides , so to say , in its theoretical teaching and its practical development . For instance , we may have the technical performance of charity without its constraining spirit ; we may have the letter of brotherly love without having embraced fully

its gentle and healing and tolerant sympathies . We may give liberally ; our names may be inscribed on many charitable tablets , and found on many subscription lists ; but yet we may remain all the while , even to our dying day , narrow-minded and intolerant , fanatical and

uncharitable to our fellow men . We have given of our substance , as we think , fairly and freely for works of piety or utility or benevolence j but we have not entered into that diviner spirit , which is ever best shown forth here , by the loving heart and the enlarged mind . And so it

is with brotherly love . We talk a deal about it , we profess it very often it is the glory and distinguishing merit of Masonic teaching , in our eyes , and we boast of our practising what we profess—of our actions following our precepts . In one sense , no doubt , we do carry out its

genuine teaching in our great channels of active benevolence ; and our Masonic charities may fairly be- adduced in defence of this Masonic vitality of ours . But though it is true , as we feel bound to say , that we give with no niggard hand , whether to the Benevolent Institution or the

Orphan Academies , we yet often fail , as it appears to us , in another feature of true brotherly love , kindness , and fairness to others . How often , for instance , do we see in Masonic literature , the most remarkable evidence of a thoroughly non-Masonic spirit in the unbrotherly letter and the

hostile incrimination . How frequently do we note that the profession of brotherhood is only a cloak for much of personal animosity , for feelings of active antagonism , and relentless opposition . Rivalries and jostlings for place or influence will ever arise and abound in all earthly

institutions ; and Freemasonry does not profess , as it cannot expect to be exempt from the frailties of humanity . But yet we might have anticipated , from onr own first princi ples , that if such all but inevitable tendencies were developed in our fraternity , they would be somewhat

checked and mitigated by the benign teaching and holy morality of our benevolent Order . Yet , alas ! not so ! There are always some little men who will be jealous of their neighbours j there are ever some inferior minds who will begrudge to talent its rightful sway , and to high character

its well-earned reputation . And if , in addition to this , we call to mind that men will not always " run straight" here ; that there are those who are neither very creditable members of society , or very scrupulous citizens of the word , who are flippant in speech , vulgar in

sentiment , and lax m morals , we must concede , we fear , that , whether as men or as Freemasons , brotherly love cannot be fully appreciated , and , above all , perfectly realised by very many of us all ia our transactions through life , in our conversation

in the world . Were we to attempt to defend Freemasonry as perfect , and only made-up of those who fully acted up to what they professed , we should be doing more harm than good . We write to improve as well as to inform , to amend as well as to elucidate . We will therefore

attempt to sketch out one or two defects in our higher spiritual practice of brotherly love , and to point out , if most imperfectly , what we believe to be the true teaching of our own incomparable formularies , and of the great and ennobling princijjle of fraternal goodwill in its highest of all representations and characteristics . We may

some of us remember how an inspired writer has told us that though we may give all our goods to feed the poor , yet if we " have not charity" we are , after all , really as " sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal . " If then we wish to cultivate the highest and truest spirit of brotherly love ours must be a surrender of all that is mean , and low , and base , and treacherous ,

Brotherly Love.

and unworthy in our intercourse with our fellow creatures , above all with our brother Masons . We must not think that in order to carry a point or gain an end , we may strain the moral law , on this side or that . If we fancy that we can rise on the fall of others , if we

believe that some of our brethren are in our way , if prompted by ambition or tempted by interest , we are given to think that all is fair , if only we succeed , we shall soon over-step the narrow boundary line which divides tr « th from falsehood , honour from dishonour , treachery from

fair dealing , and rig ht from wrong . So too , again , brotherly love bids us always to be most careful of the character of our brethren , to be most chary of believing any reports to their disfavour or discredit . There are those who have an innate love of gossip , of scandal , of detraction

which nothing can weaken or remove . To them the idle tale of a brother ' s folly , for we are all mortal , to them the sadder story of a brother ' s disgrace , are literally a source of actual enjoyment . They listen with greediness , they retail with alacrity . It matters to them nothing , what

feelings they hurt , what wounds they inflict , what tender hearts they lacerate . "Dame rumour , " for them is no " idle jade , " but a lady of the highest reputation . Unlike the good old parson , whom Praed paints for us in such pleasant verse , who did not " count all scandal fair , although

he had a taste for joking , they are deeply impressed with Father Bartolo ' s theory of the excellency and expediency , nay , of the necessity , of " La Calomnie . " And thus it comes to pass , that when in Freemasonry we look for brotherly love amidst our professed declarations , the

moment we dive beneath the surface—we find too often as in most of the things of this world , that lip-verbiage is one thing , that heart-truth is another . Great and good as Freemasonry is , it wants from time to time the reminder that on it , as on all other human institutions , are inscribed

in indelible letters , these two sad little words , " Frailty and Decay . " If we are sincere in our professions , as many of us are , if we love Freemasonry for its own inherent graces , and not for the glamour of its idle show , or high name , or stately rank , or festive hilarity , or glittering

decorations , we shall rejoice to be once again reminded of our hi gher duties , and warned against passing imperfections . The truest of all philosophers is he who seeks not to please but to instruct , not to gratify but to edify , and he is the soundest of

Masonic teachers , in our humble opinion , who does not ' * daub the wall with untempered mortar , " but speaks out clearly , freely , manfully , honestly , face to face , and heart to heart , for the welfare of our common Order , and the elevation of an honourable brotherhood .

Grants To The Educational Institutions.

GRANTS TO THE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS .

Bro . Binckes has announced , though not in our columns , what was his intended amendment to Bro . Clabon ' s motion in Grand Lodge , namely , " a reference to the Board of General Purposes to report on all present Grand Lodge grants to the charitable institutions associated with

the Order . " If we understand Bro . Binckes correctly , £ 150 is now paid by Grand Lodge to the Boys' School , and Bro . Binckes thinks that the time has come , when " Grand Lodge might fairly be asked to reconsider the amount

annually contributed from its funds to the two educational institutions . " The time may have arrived certainly when such a matter may fairly be considered , but , on the whole , we are inclined to think that we had better "leave well alone . "

The Girls' School cannot clearly allege the same claim as the Boys' School , namely , absence of funded capital , and we do not see what any grant our Grand Lodge could vote would do for that object , which is now the main " desideratum " for the Boys' School . Bro . Binckes seems to think that , £ 800 annually , as representing the

1812 grant on the certificates , would be about the figure , but supposing an equal amount granted to the Girls' School , that would necessitate £ 1 , 600 annually . Serious objections occur to us at once to any such proposal . In the first p lace , at our last audit , the balance of the Fund of Benevolence would not have paid £ i , 6 oo , or , if ''