Masonic Lifeboat.

MASONIC LIFEBOAT .

10 THE EDITOB OF THE FREEMASONS * MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRIIOJ ! . Dear Sir and Brother , —I am glad to see in your number of the 2 nd inst . a most praiseworthy letter from Bro . Arthur Woodhouse , announcing that he has brought the subject of that important proposition , the Masonic lifeboat , before his lodge , No . 310 , and

that he has commenced a subscription—indeed , that he is receiving subscriptions . I shall briug the subject before my lodge and friends . "Would not a very suitable patron of this benevolent undertaking he our E . W . Bro . Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis , Bart ., Prov . G . M . of Hampshire ?

I trust you will think this object worthy of your countenance , ancl that you will allow contributions to be received at your office . Tours fraternally , E . T .

Quality, Not Quantity.

QUALITY , NOT QUANTITY .

TO THE EDITOE OF THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AXD MASONIC MIItEOIt . Dear Sir and Brother , — Under the heading " Quality , not Quantity" you have inserted a letter from " Z " casting some aspersions on Jersey lodges , in reference to the initiation of a person who , said to have been a slavehas adopted the of

, cognomen "Box Brown , " and at the same time calling on some energetic brother in that province to give the name and number of the lodge where this was clone . Prom 1858 till the summer of 1866 , when my residence in the island ceased , I was so identified with Masonry there hy the readers of your journal that I

feel bound to notice the remarks you have published , though unable at present to give the required information , which I hope will be aftorded bv some one else , There are eight lodges in Jersey , which differ very much in their characteristics , namely ( in order of seniority ) , Tarborough , 244 ; Mechanics ' , 245 ;

Eoyal Sussex , 491 ; Samare ' s , 559 ; La Cesaree , 590 ; Eoyal Alfred , 877 ; St . Aubin ' s , 958 ; and Prince of Wales , 1 , 003 . There are also the Justice Lodge , under Irish warrant , and Les Amis de l'Avenir , under French warrant . The latter being illegal under our Constitution , its members who belonged to English lodges have been suspended .

As 1 was a member of 590 and 958 , I can vouch that the initiation did not take place in either of these , and I think I may say that the lionour does not belong to 877 or 1 , 003 . ' in 559 ' no initiations occur , so that is excluded . Thus it must attach to one of the three oldest lodges iu Jersey . I can assure " Z " thathi the two lod to which

, ges I belonged , the greatest care is taken to inquire into character ancl antecedents before admission of a candidate to our privileges . He is mistaken in his supposition that , as a rule , the fees are less than those in our lodges . In most of them the initiation fee is five guineasthough I think that has

, one a somewhat lower scale , aud so have some iu England . Such is notoriously the case in Ireland and Scotland , and hence , according to my own experience , that of vonr correspondent " 1 S ° , " and many others , most of the itinerant begging Masons come from those countries .

Tour correspondent " Z " suggests that an inquiry night to be . instituted into the mode of 3 Iasonic

Quality, Not Quantity.

government iu Jersey . I can fully endorse this remark , having been one of a party composed of the best Masons there , men of undoubted character , conduct , and intelligence , by whom persistent efforts have been made during a course of some years to obtain such an investigation , though without effect .

The case of " Box Brown " is by no means the worst that would be laid be / ore such a commission . Grand Lodge ancl those in authority seem not to care so much about the morality ancl consistent conduct of members of the Craft as about delay in the payment of fees and other irregularities of the kindif we

, may judge from the agenda of the Quarterly Communications , ancl from the manner in whieh the applications to head-quarters for examination into the Masonic arrangements and government at Jersey have been received . Constant readers of the MAGAZINE will call to mind many notices on the

subject by myself and others . A reference to the following numbers of the MAGAZINE will suffice toshow what I sav—April 7 th , 1866 , p . 268 ; June 23 rd , 1866 , p . 488 ; July 2 nd , 1867 , p . 52 . One copy of the MAGAZINE goes to Lodge La Cerare ' eand I question whether another is taken in

, Jersey . It is probable , therefore , that" Z . ' s " letter will not be seen by those whom it affects . I will ,, however , write to a brother there about it . Tours fraternally , H . H .

Looseness In Masonry.

LOOSENESS IN MASONRY .

TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . Dear Sir and Brother . —I have read fche letter of " AV . P . B . " in your impression of the 2 nd inst ., and must acknowledge that I fully coincide with him as regards the latter portion of the second and the whole of the third paragraph . I think there is no doubt as

to the good character of the men who are made Masons , but that it is the loose manner in which they are made . As a proof , I will give you two cases , viz ., 1 st ., some ten years ago a gentleman who was a traveller , having visited a small town in Scotland not far from the borders on business , being at an inn ,

benighted , and just about to retire , a friend , whom I shall style as A , said to B , the traveller , " I must bid you good-night , for it is our lodge meeting , and I must away . " " What sort of a lodge ? " says B . "Freemason , " answered A . B : "Ah ! are you a Mason ? I have often thought of becoming one . "

A : " Well , come up stairs and we will make you . " B : "I thought you proposed on one lodge night ancl made on another . " A : "Sometimes ; but come up , and we will see . " So up B went , was proposed , accepted , initiated , ancl paid the fees , £ 1 7 s . Gd ., and he said he believed lie got upwards often degrees the

same night , and , if he had been willing to stand glasses round of whiskey toddy , he believed he might have obtained eighteen degrees . Since then he has joined the Carlisle Lodge , paid the difference between liis initiation , and the recognised fee of an English Masonwas formally passed through the necessary

, ceremonies on three regular lodge nights , and is now as good a man as his neighbour , besides being a thorough Mason . Secondly , six members from the Carlisle Lodge visited Annan some few years ago for the purpose of attending a procession on some par-