Die Engraving, Sinking, And Multiplying. By Mr. J. Newton, Royal Mint.

it for tho purpose of milling the edges of tbe planehets of silver at the moment that the impressions on their surfaces are given . This collar , after forming a mould for that purpose , is forcibly depressed by the action of tlie machinery , and must have room to slide down the neck of the clie , and thus to release the imprisoned piece of money . AVhen the nexfc . ' planchet is advanced by the feeding apparatus to be stamped , the collar is made to rise again by means of a spring , ancl in fact it is alternately

raised and depressed at the rate of sixty times per minute so long as the press is in motion . The feeding apparatus in advancing displaces the finished coins ancl leaves planehets in their places . The short necked reverse clie simply enters the collars from above , and the force with which it does so gives the images ancl superscriptions to each p iece of softened silver , and expands it into the milled collar or edge mould . Having clone this it rebounds upwards to the distance of an inch and is free for

another descent upon 'the next p lanchet . Ifc may be saicl that there are eight stamping presses at the Mint , and that their united daily production is 200 , 000 coins , whether of gold , silver , or bronze .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

ABABIAN BBOVEBBS . Some of the following wise laws will be intelligible , andtheir Masonic bearing obvious : —The tongue often cuts the head . If your friend is made up of honey , do not eat him up . When the eat aud mice are agreeable , provisions suffer . Shave your own chin carefully when your son ' s beard begins to grow . If you cannot

accomplish everything , it is no reason why you should abandon everything . So soon as you have uttered a Avord , that word is j'our master ; but as long as you have not uttered it , you are its master . "When you are the auvil have patience ; bufc when you are the hammer bit hard and well . "Who does not understand a book , will not comprehend a long explanation ; the best visits are the shortest . —Ex . Ex .

ASPIRATION FOE OFFICE . Aspiration for office is the bane of ]? reemasonry ; and , although disgusting loathsome to behold , it is , nevertheless , a conspicuous feature in the disposition of a great many of our zealous and otherwise admirable brethren . Ifc produces nearly every annoying trouble with which we have to contendancl is the

, source of nearly all our difficulties . It upsets lodges , severs friendships , destroys unity , turns love into hatred , and friends into enemies ; it prevents . the healthful growth of lodges ; it blunts the acute sensibility with which we view our duties and obligations to our brother and to Masonry ; it enervates the

nobleness of the man , and disfigures in him the image of his Creator ; it makes him contentious and rebellious ; he is humbled to the character of a sycophant , and , finally , if disapppointed , becomes a reviler . * -x- -x- -x- * Many of the applications for new lodges originate in the disappointment of some

aspirant for office , who , when foiled in his efforts to gain the office he seeks , exhibits temper , and , together with his friends , either cease to attend tho meetings or withdraw from the lodge . They then endeavour to obtain a warrant for a ne v one , for the purpose of placing him at its head . Such conduct is

un-Masonic and unlocked for among a band of brothers , and should be discountenanced and resisted . It is altogether vanity in a brother to suppose himself to he the only person in the lodge fitted for the office of Master , or that he has claims superior to his fellows for that office ; the members of the lodge are far more

Masonic Notes And Queries.

competent to judge of bis capacity and qualifications than he is himself ; and if the preference is given toanother , he should , as a modest man and good Mason , retire from the contest , Aviser and better , to abide his time—J . D . E .

AVOKKING AND THINKING . It is not less a fatal error to despise labour when regulated by intellect , than to value it for its own sake . We are ahvays , iu these days , trying to separate the two ; we want one man to be always thinkingand another to be always working , and we call

, one a gentleman and the other an operative ; whereas the workman ought often to be thinking , and the thinker often working ; and both would be gentlemen ' in the best sense . As it is , we make both ungentlethe one envying , the other despising his brother ; and the mass of society is made up of morbid thinkers

and miserable workers . JS ow , it is only by labour that thought can be made healthy , only by thought that labour can be made happy , and the two cannot be separated with impunity . All professions should be liberal , and there should be less pride felt in peculiarity of employment , and more in excellence of achievement . —JRushin .

CANADIAN GEAND IODGE MEDALS . The Grand Master of Canada said : — "At the special communication of Grand Lodge , held in thecity of Toronto in January , 1859 , it was resolved ,, thafc in commemoration ot the happy union of the Crafta medal should be struckand the Grand

Secre-, , tary instructed to procure the requisite number , at the cost of Grand Lodge . Ifc gives me pleasure to announce that the committee to whom this duty wasassigned have completed their labours , and are nowprepared to exhibit specimens for your approval ; I did nothoweverfeel justified in authorising so large

, , an expenditure of money as the resolution is apparently intended to sanction , ancl I have therefore delayed the issue of these interesting souvenirs , until this matter should again be submitted for your consideration . I would therefore now suggest that instead of using Grand Lodge funds for this purpose ,,

that the subordinate lodges be called upon to contribute a sufficient amount to pay for the medals Avhich they are entitled to receive ; it would also be advisable to define with more certainty the parties Avho are to be permitted to wear them . " Have such medals ever been struck , aud , if so , Avho can give a description of them to—Ex . Ex . ?

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The JEdltor is not responsible for the opinions expressed hy Correspondents , CAUTION . TO THE EDITOR OF THE PREEjrASOlfS' MAGAZINE AST ) MASOHIC MIItBOH . DEAB SIE AND BEOTHEE , —A person professing to be the widow of a Ereemason is going about

thecountry obtaining the signatures of members of the fraternity in a book , and soliciting their patronage for a "Shaksperian reading . " Unfortunately , afterthe so-called reading , she forgets to settle for the use of the lecture-room , aud does not pay the printer . Tours fraternally , Devonport , August 10 . LIBEAIEE .