Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

——? [ THE EDITOR does not hold himself responsible for any ojiinimis entertained by Correspondents . ' ] BRO . BINCKES'S FAKEWELL .

TO THE EDITOll OF THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIEROII . SIR AND BROTHER , —So thoroughly and determinedly disingenuous is the treatment to which all who venture to differ from you and your august patrons are subjected , that I shall decline to employ either reason or argument in contravention of the malicious insinuations and malignant criticisms which form the staple of your two last numbers . The of the most acute logician

powers avail nothing with those who stubbornly disregard proof ancl demonstration , and certainly in my weak hands such simple weapons as truth and fact are as nought when contending against arrogance and power . I will admit , if you like , that by taking a prominent part in recent discussions , and by trespassing upon your columns from time to time with " worthless lucubrations" I have rendered

my , myself amenable to , if I havo not invited , criticism and remark . " Those who play at bowls , must expect rubbers , " and I should not for one moment complain if I had met with anything like fair plaj- or common candour . In place of this , however , what is the course you have for some time past systematically adopted ? I repeat , in spite of your disclaimer and that of " Your Reporter , " whose contemptible effusion I dismiss altogether from further

notice , as ere lie penned it he must have partaken largely " of the insane root that takes the reason prisoner "—that you have wilfully perverted nry meaning—that you have constantly attributed to me motives and . intentions which never entered iny mind—that you have endeavoured now and again to make me the butt of your harmless pleasantry and innocuous ridicule—that you have , whether intentionallor not I forbear to an inion

y express op , given unfair and partial reports of what I have said—that many things have been attributed to me which I never did say—that you have thought proper to denounce ancl abuse me in the most unmeasured terms , for simply wishing to set myself right when I have been misrepresented—and , in short , that you have in every respect acted as the unscrupulous agent of a powerful and

unscrupulous " party "—ancl all this while professing to be governed by the principles of charity and brotherly love . Unfortunately my name lias appeared too often in your pages ; but it has been , because , while unable to keep silence under tbe continued provocation offered to that " party" ( if you will have it so ) , of ivhich I am a member , I could not " stab men i' the dark , " nor coward like shield myself under the refuge of an anonyme . I will ,

however , promise you one thing , and that is , that so long as matters remain as they are , my name shall be struck out of the list of your correspondents , and that if 3 'ou have the honesty to insert this personal defence , and choose therefore to inflict a chastisement more severe than any preceding one , I will not retaliate . Briefly , then—thus to avoid misunderstanding , or the imputation that I have shirked any questions at issue between us—I have not

a single assertion to withdraw , or one statement to qualify . Well , indeed , may you wish to draw a veil over the latter portion of the proceedings of the Special Grand Lodge of 2 : 3 rd ult . Rarely , indeed , has such an exhibition of petulance , ill-regulated temper , and offensive demeanour , been witnessed in Grancl Lodge as that afforded by Bro . Havers on the occasion in question . "What would have been the fate , under similar circumstances , of any

member of the newly-denominated " Club party , " one shudders lo imagine . I suppose , however , that what in a cherished member of the executive is " but a , choleric word , " is in one of the obnoxious "faction , " "downright bksphenry . " Then , again , how pitiful were the accents in ivhich the President of the Board of General Purposes narrated the martyrdom he bad undergone , " I have been vilifiedwritten againstspoken against" & c & c

, , , , . as if he had never himself meted out similar measure to others . Let your own pages bear witness to tbe systematic persecution with which Bro . Havers , in season and out , of season , has visited all those who by opposing his policy have earned for themselves the title of " factious . " Without wishing exactly to apply the quotation , I could not help , while listening , being forcibly reminded of a quasi ill us-

Correspondence.

tnous potentate , who is represented as taking a part in a somewhat important debate : — ' ' - ' On the other side uprose in act graceful and humane . he seemed In dignity composed and high exploit ; But all was false and hollow : tho' his tongue

Dropt manna , ancl could make the worse appear The better reason , to perplex ancl dark Maturest counsels ;"— Suffer me to conclude with a quotation or two from a popular author , ivhich appearing in the first number of your new , and I hope reformed , series , may afford some consolation to earnest , conscientious , and well-abused men : —

' It is a rare instance of virtue to despise censure which we do not deserve ; and still more rare to despise praise , which we do . " ' " In the tortuous and crooked policy of public affairs , as well as in the less extensive , but perhaps more intricate labyrinth of private concerns there are two evils , which must continue to be as remediless as they are unfortunate ; they have no end , and their only palliatives are diffidence and time . They are these—The most candid ancl enlightened must ive their assent to a probable falsehoodrather than to an

img , probable truth ; ancl their esteem to those who have a reputation'in preference to those who only deserve it . " Recent events notwithstanding , I have to thank you for some courtesies in times past , which I now beg gratefully to acknowledge . And so I bid you heartily farewell , J . am , Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , London , J-ulii 2 » rf . 1859 . ' FREDK . BINCKES .

[ vv e do not wish to quarrel with Bro . Binckes , but we might take exception to such terms as " malicious insinuations , " " malignant criticisms , " " unscrupulous agent , " & c , & c , being used by one who takes us to task for want of brotherly love ; but as irate brothers cannot hel p being abusive , we let it pass . There is one remark , however , which we must make ; in our Number of the

22 nd June , Bro . Binckes accused us of misreporting a certain speech oi' his , and lie now repeats the charge . We have , since he first made the charge , had the opportunity of reading a report of Bro . Binckes ' s speech in the publication with which it is well known that he is connected and ice find that report corresponds , word for wordwilli thai ivhich ice . paMished . Surely if we were in

, error Bro . Binckes might have corrected his speech before allowing it- to be republished in a journal of whicli he is acknowledged to be one of tbe conductors . AVe would also remind Bro . Binckes that in speaking of his " lucubrations , " we did nofc prefix the acljeo--tivc—Eo . ]

Freemasonry And Odd Fellowship.

FREEMASONRY AND ODD FELLOWSHIP .

TO THE EDITOR OE THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I have this moment seen in your number of yesterday , the remarks in your Architectural Chapter in reply to Bro . Tweddell ' s letter , and further holding up to reprobation the conduct of those Leicester Freemasons who , as such , accepted an invitation to dine at the recent annual meeting

of the Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows . Although I perceive that you have in your hands for publication a letter from Bro . Clephan , in reply to your former strictures on this subject , 1 cannot allow the departure of a single post without troubling you with a few remarks , ancl stating that the reprobation of tbe fraternity , if such be deserved , must fall upon myself and the AVorshipful Master and brethren of St . John ' s Lodge , No . 348 , of Gaunt Lod

as well as upon Bro . Clephan and the John ge - for , if guilt there be , we are all equally criminal . Indeed , Bro . Editor , " I may be said to be " the very head ancl front of the offence , " for ^ not only did 1 , like other members of the Order , nccept this invitation , ' but it devolved on me officially to return thanks for the toast of "The Bight Hon . Earl Howe , Prov . Grand Masterand the honourable Order of Freemasons . "

, Jf the censure you have passed upon us be deserved , we must bow to it and bear it with the best grace we can ; but I . conceive you have looked at the affair from a wrong point of view ; at all events you have given a colouring to it very different to that in which it appeared to the Leicester brethren . The facts of tlie case are simply these : — A deputation of the local committee ol Odd Fellows waited