Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

[ TBE EDITOR does not hold himself responsible for any opinion , entertained by Correspondents . ] MASONIC PERSECUTION . TO THE EDITOH OF THE FKEEUASOXS 3 IAGAZISS ASB 1 U 30 > ' : C IIIBSOH . DEAE SIB AND BBOIHEB ,- —There is a great mistake in your loader of last week under tho Lead of " Masonic

Persecution ' '—also in Bro . P . M . "Warner ' s letter—which please correct in your next issue . I beo- to say Dr . Bowles , Prov . G . M . of Herefordshire , appointed the Yenerable Archdeacon Freer as Prov . G ' -. S . Warden , and not D . Prov . G . M ., as reported , although at that timo Archdeacon Freer was S . W . of the Pnllaclian Lodgeandthereforenot entitled to that appointment

, , , , not having served the office of Master of a lodge . Tho Venerable Archdeacon Freer was not fully acquainted with the laws upon tho subject at that time , or I am sure he would have at once refused the office ; but I can assure you he is the right man in the right place . It is also the wish of every Mason iu the whole province to see Bro . the Venerable Archdeacon Freer the Prov . G-. M . of

Herefordshire . Wo should then have a gentleman whom everyone in the province highly respects , and Masonry would consequently flourish , in this province an hundredfold . It is no use having gentlemen placed in that high position who consider those beautiful ceremonies of Freemasonry as so much lomfoolcrg . Tho office of Prov . G . M . ought to be conferred upon Masons who take an interest iu the working of Masonry , ancl not on those who do not adhere to her true principles .

In liro . Warners case , Dr . Bowles charged mm in open lodge ivith being the author of the letter referred to . He stated that he had moral proof of it , after Bro . Warner had positively denied it . I think , with you , that Dr . Bowles ' s conduct ought to be brought before the G . M ., that he may be taught a lesson for the future . What can ive expect , if the Prov . G . M . is acting in the way Dr . Bowles is , but the breaking up of Masonry in the province ?

I can confidently say to Bro . Warner that every member of the Pnllaclian Lodge believes him to be quite innocent of the charge laid against him by the Prov . G . M ., and that the brethren of the JPalladian Lodge will hold out to him tbe right hand of friendship whenever be chooses to visit that lodge . I am , Sir and Brother , A MEMBER OF THE PALLADIA ^ LODGE , Jlcrfovd , J 3 c .. c :-iik-i-17 t /) , 18 G 0 .

WAS ADAH BLACK OE WHITE ?—Dr . Guthrie , at a recent- meeting in Edinburgh , said he was not sure but what Adam ivas black . ( Much aud long continued laughter , ancl cheers . ) He would tell them the reason why . ( Renewed laughter . ) Major Denham , a distinguished African traveller , went to that country , and spent three or four years in the borne and cradle of the slave race , and he had got so accustomed to the dark beauties of Africa , and had

got so much to admire what men call God ' s image in ebony , that when he reached the shores of our own land , and saw the ivhite ladies , oh , they looted very sickly-like to him . ( Laughter . ) That ivas a fact in a man's experience , ( l . enewed laughter . ) And he war , now going to tell them a fact in philosophy , and he hacl never heard it answered . The celebrated Dr . Fleming , ' professor of natural science in the Free Church College , and one of ' the greatest- naturalists cf his day , maintained that black was the rlaht and proper colour

, and that we are all bleached up —( roars of laughter)—thai we were just like one of those shawls that were seen sometimes in the Cowgate — ( laughter ) — the coloiw clean gone . ( Renewed laughter . ) lie would give them a physical fact in connection with this . The skin that covered cur bodies ivas composed of certain layers—one of these anatomists called the rele mueosnw . That was a learned term—( laughter)—but it was a sort of membrane ivhieh consisted of a congeries of cells . Xow , in the white man these

were very like the boxes kept in such shops as those of Mr . Knox —they were all for show—there was nothing in them—( laughter ); —but in regard to the dark race the rele -miicosum- was tilled with what is called a black pigment , and if the rele . nueo-. um was not made for the black pigment , what was it made for at all ? ( Laughter . ) That was rather a philosophical argument . ( Benewed laughter . ) The opinion was held by some that the black race was the old original race of man : black face and a white heart . There was maiiv a man who hacl a white face and a black heart . ( Cheers . )

The Masonic Mirror.

THE MASONIC MIRROR .

MASOXIC MEMS . At a Quarterly Communication of the Prov . Grand Lodge of East Lancashire , just held , it was resolved to present a hundred guineas to the Eoyal Benevolent Institution for Aged Masons and their Widows , fifty to each fund .

A meeting has been held of representatives of the three lodges held iu Middlesex , out of the London district—viz ., the Union , Uxbridge ; the Carnarvon , Hampton Court "; aud the Crescent , Twickenham , at which it was resolved to memorialise the M . W . Grand Master , praying him to unite them under the guardianship cf a Prov . G . M .

The list of Stewards for the forthcoming Festival of the Eoyal Benevolent Institution for Aged Masons and their Widows has been published , and numbers eighty-seven , the largest list ever obtained since the establishment of the Institution . The London Almanack , one of the neatest of publications of the Stationers' Company , is this year illustrated by an excellent

engraving of the Freemasons' Girls' School , and will be , therefore , acceptable to every Freemason , requiring a sufficiently complete and yet not too large sheet almanac . A special meeting of the Grancl Conclave of Masonic Knights Templar has been summoned for the 25 th January , to elect a Supreme Grand Master in the room of Col . Tynte . deceased . The fraters are ordered to appear in mourning .

Metropolitan.

METROPOLITAN .

GIUXD STEWARDS' LODGE . —The last public night of the year was held in the Temple adjoining Freemasons' Hall , on Wednesday last , Bro . H . G . Warren , W . M ., presiding . The lodge being opened , the sections of the second and third decrees were worked by Bros . Hewlett , P . M . ; Hinxman , S . W ; Samuels , J . W . ; Nutt , S . D . ; Me . rryweather , J . D . ; and Watson , Sec . —At the close of the working a vote of thanks was given to the W . M . and brethren on the motion of Bro . S . B . AVilson , P . G . D ., ancl Adams , G . Purs . —

Tbe W . M ., in acknowledging the compliment , announced that the M . W . G . M . hacl been pleased to intimate his intention of giving the Preston lecture to the Grancl Stewards' Lodge , ancl it would be worked at an early meeting . —Bro . M . Cooke presided at the organ . Br . msn LODGE ( SO . 8 ) . —This distinguished lodge met at the Freemasons' Tavern , on Monday , 17 th December . Five brethren were passed to the degree of Fellow Craft , and a gentleman was initialed into the mysteries of Freemasonrywhich ceremonies were

, admirably performed by the W . M . Bro . Cowlarcl , assisted by the officers of the lodge . This being the day of election , Bro . Walter JNToke ( S . W . ) was unanimously elected W . M . for the ensuingyeav , ancl Bro . John JJSToke ( father of the lodge ) was unanimously re-elected Treasurer , 'i'he visitors were Bro . Fenn , of the Prince of Wales Lodge ( Xo . 321 ) , and formerly of this lodge ancl Bro . Froome ,

formerly of this lodge . \ % Exocii LODGE ( XO . 11 ) . —The second meeting of the brethren took place on Wednesday , the 12 th inst ., at Freemasons' Tavern , when Mr . W . C . Hitehin was most ably initiated into the first degree by Bro . Garrard . The worthy S . W ., Bro . Watson , was unanimously elected W . M . for the ensuing year ; and Bro . W . Williams , after seven years' satisfactory performance of his duties as Treasurer , was unanimously re-elected to the same office . It is

interesting to remark , that Bro . W . Williams has been a staunch and valued friend to this lodge for above "twenty-two years . Other business having been transacted , the brethren retired to banquet , which ivas served in Messrs . Shrewsbury and Elkingtoifs well-known style . Tho W . M . Bro . G . E . Sewell presided . The visitors included Bros . Webb and H . Kopke , whose vocal abilities ( with those of Bro . Peter Matthews ) added greatly to the pleasures of the evening . This lod supplies a Steward for the three JIasonie

ge Charities next year -. —Bro . l ' . M . Peter Matthews , for the Benevolent Institution - Bro . P . Jf . F . Ledger , for the Boys' School ; and the new W . JI ., Bro . Watson , for the Girls' Festival . Bro , Crawley was re-elected Tyler . Krsr Lone E ( Xo . 85 ) . —This lodge held a regular meeting at Bro . Harris ' s , Three Tuns Tavern , Borough , 'ai We . clne _ . doy , December 12 th . There were four gentlemen initiated in the mvsterv