Freemasonry In Turkey.

and how ? Are the lodges holding under the Grand Lodge of England in Turkey bound to pay any fees to ^ the English District Grand Lodge , and if they refuse , which they do , how can payment be enforced ? Allow me to add that the present position of the District Grand Lodge of Turkey is anything but satisfactory , aud some remarks from yon as to the

duties of lodges on this point will , I am sure , clear up the bad feeling or misunderstanding now existing . I am , dear Sir aud Brother , Yours fraternally , A PAST MASTER . [ We insert the letter of a Past Masterwhich Ave

, have received on the eve of going to press . Judging from the contents of our correspondent's letter , there does indeed appear to be great necessity for improA'ements in the state of Freemasonry in Turkey . — ED . F . M . ]

The G. Y. Brooke Lifeboat.

THE G . Y . BROOKE LIFEBOAT .

SO THE EDITOB OE THE EliEEJIASOXS' MAGAZINE AND ilASOMIC MIMlOIt . " Honour to whom honour . " DEAR SIR AUD BROTHER , — The last seutence of "A . B . ' s" letter in the MAGAZINE of the 27 th ult . may be misunderstood . He says , " When the G . V . Brooke lifeboat was mooted in your MAGAZINEsoon after the loss of

, the Zondon the credit of the suggestion Avas awarded to another brother , although my suggestion was iu your paper weeks before . " There cannot , however , be a question as to whom is due the merit of suggesting the appropriate memorial to Bro . G . V . Brooke . "A . B . " wroteit

, seems , in December ( before G . V . Brooke had determined upon taking his passage in the ill-fated London ) , advocating the establishment of a Masonic lifeboat—a very laudable suggestion , having no connection with the subsequent proposal of a Brooke lifeboat beyond the coincidence of the committee

being all Masons ; in other respects the Craft , as such , had no part or lot in the movement . Indeed , with the exception of a few donations from personal Masonic friends of one of the committee , and the

grant of a guinea from a lodge of instruction , there were no direct contributions from any other Masonic source . A few weeks ago the MAGAZINE gave a correct account of the ori gin of the G . Y . Brooke lifeboat , and the proceedings at its successful launch , at which several well-known brethren attended in Ireland as a

deputation from London . As a proof of the correctness of the information you have already published , I am at liberty to mention the following facts—the proposal to found a memorial to our departed brother was first made at a private dinner party at the table of the present W . M . of the Panmure Lodge two days

only after the intelligence of the wreck reached London . The invitations for the dinner had of course been issued some time previous to our being in possession of the melancholy news . Although not a Masonic dinner party in the . ordinary acceptation of the termit included some celebritiesand it turned

, , out quite unexpectedly , even to the host , that all who were present were members of the mystic tie . The subject of the loss of Bro . Brooke Avas naturally the topic of conversation ( especially as the company included dramatic authors , managers , and actors of

The G. Y. Brooke Lifeboat.

renown ) , and a general feeling prevailed m favour of some prompt measures being taken to perpetuate the memory of their personal and professional friend . The host being appealed to , and his concurrence obtained , Bro . Holt after dinner formally proposed that those present ( about twelve in number ) should resolve themselves into a provisional committeeand

, it is due to Bro . J . Billington , who knew nothing of the FEEEMASONS' MAGAZINE , and had never seen or heard of " A . B . ' s " suggestion , to state that the idea of the lifeboat as an appropriate memorial to G . Y . Brooke emanated from him . Bro . J . W . Anson , ever foremost iu good works , undertook the office of

honorary secretary , and to his exertions much of the success is due . At the dinner table in question no less than £ 100 was guaranteed by those present , and such prompt ancl generous conduct on that occasion of course contributed greatly to the successful result . Let every praise be awarded to "A . B . " for his

proposal for establishing a Masonic lifeboat . If properly brought forward , such a proposal Avould , I am sure , meet with approval , for there are many who have expressed their views on such a subject , long even anterior to "A . B . ' s" suggestion in December last ; among others I can name a P . M . of 507729 ,

, and S 57 , Avho has on several occasions warmly advocated such a project . INNER GUARD , A member of the G . Y . Brooke Lifeboat Committee . London , Nov . 1 , 1 S 66 .

Preservation Of Life From Shipwreck.

PRESERVATION OF LIFE FROM SHIPWRECK .

TO TIIE EDITOR OE THE EKEEMASONS MAGAZINE AND 1 TASONIC IIIHROH . DEAR SIR AND BEOTHER , —It is sincerely to he hoped that the excellent letter of " The Three Legs of Man , " in your last issue , will meet with the attention that it deserves ^ The subject is one that I have myself frequently mooted , but unfortunately I met with very little encouragement .

Several bodies have already succeeded in arising the funds requisite for the building and annual expenses of lifeboats to be stationed on the exposed portions of our coasts . An appeal from the Rev . Teignmoulh Shore , editor of the Quiver , met with a hearty response from the readers of that journal .

The Sunday schools of the country have also equipped a lifeboat—the Robert Raikes—Avhich is to be seen at the exhibition in the Islington Agricultural Hall . I have somewhere read that the commercial travellers have also exerted themselves in the good Avork . I also obseiwed in a recent number of the

Solicitors' Journal that the members of that powerful profession were about to follow the good example set them by so many other bodies . Are Freemasons to be outdoDe iu any work of charity or beneficence ? I cannot think so . The matter , I feel assured , has only to be ventilated in

order to ensure ample success . A very small subscription from every brother in England will enable us shortly to have the gratification of handing over "The Freemason" lifeboat to the noble society by Avhose instrumentality so many of our fellowcreatures have been rescued from a watery grave . J . KINGSTON , Oct . 24 , 1 S 6 G . P . Prov . G . Chap , & c .