Correspondence.

of the paragraph , that it would be most agreeable if , " during the meeting of the National Rifle Association at "Wimbledon this year , that one evening should be set apart for a meeting of Masons from all parts of the kingdom . " I consider that the forthcoming . meeting of the National Rifle Association miht be

g made the occasion of a cordial greeting of the Masons , who will be numbered amongst those representatives of the different volunteer corps throughout the kingdom , who will come up to contend for the prizes , and particularly for that given by Her Majesty , hut in another respect it might be made especially

interesting . All those volunteers who are Masons . who had the gratification of being amongst the visitors to Belgium in October last , will , I am sure , readily admit that they received from their Belgian brethren a reception which did honour to themselves -as Masonsand proved thatalthough in a forei

, , gn land , " the word brother amongst Masons was something more than a name , " for nothing could exceed the truly fraternal and enthusiatic manner in which they were received . Their delight in receiving their brother Masons knew no bounds , and the late Lord Mayor ( Alderman Phillips ) , although used to a hearty

public welcome , said he felt overpowered by their kindness , for he believed that one universal brotherhood not only existed in the lodge in which he then was , but animated the entire of the Belgian people . Such having been the fraternal warmth of the Masons of Beliumwhat could more trul

g , y exemplify the universality of Freemasonry on the return visit of the Belgian volunteers to this . country , in July next , than by giving them a welcome -corresponding with that which English Freemasons received from them .

The King and Queen of the Belgians went out to receive them ; all the honours that could be displayed towards their visitors were exhibited , and with no sparing hand ; and I am sure that it will be the aspiration of the heart of every English Mason to ¦ reciprocate their kindness when the opportunity shall

-occur of meeting them upon English soil . I will not for a moment presume how this should he done , or who should take the initiative in the 'Work , but I feel that it only requires to be mooted amongst the members of our Craft , to elicit from them an effort to receive with all honours the members

• of that noble Order to which it is our privilege to -heloug . Apologising to you for the length of this letter , hut hoping that it may lead to some practical results . I am , dear Sir and Brother , Yours fraternally , London , March 20 th , 1867 . P . M .

Bye Laws. Bye-Laws. By-Laws.

BYE LAWS . BYE-LAWS . BY-LAWS .

• CO WE EDITOB OE THE BEEEMASOi'S' MAGAZINE A 5 TD MASOXTC MIltEOE . DEAE SIE AXD BEOTHEE , —On Friday evening , , 15 th inst ., St . John ' s Lodge , No . 70 , assembled for instruction , every Friday evening being weekly set . aside for that purpose . It has , as yet , been limited £ o ordinary workings , but it is hereafter intended to embrace the lectures in full . Much pleasure has marked these meetings so far as they have gone , the . same being open to the members of all lodges ; and it is hoped more pleasure will follow . After its duties

Bye Laws. Bye-Laws. By-Laws.

terminated a few brethren assembled in the reading rooms , where almost the first object of notice was myself . Two questions were put to me . The first , Why had I mystified a W . M . in my remarks on the word By-law ? This was soon answered by my saying that if an editorial asterisk with half-a-dozen words

had been put to the foot of the page containing the W . M . ' s second letter , stating that an English zed had been put by the printer for a Saxon gee , & c , I should have been fully satisfied , for I posted expressly to London a note to remove this error ( occasioned by my indistinct writing ) .

Here I may add that no notice would have been taken by me of the word By-law , which Johnson supports by , I believe , three authorities—Cowel , Bacon , and Addison (?)—had it not been from the very peculiar incident , that the word so written by me had been altered to Bye-law by esteemed authority . My

notice of our code , and the item which followed , were , I am free to acknowledge , irrelevant ; but they playfully passed at the time , and were as playfully given in my flying note , without the least intention of mystifying any worshipful brother . Here I will wish good-bye , or a happy home to

verbal disputants , remarking only that if spared and suffered to issue another edition of our little code , I will recommend a Grecian clinch to bye law , and make it run rather a word of two syllables than a compound of two words . To the second question , Had I communicated , as

desired , the proceedings of St . John ' s last convocation ? the simple negation followed : No . Although allowed a sort of carte llanclie—and I feel fraternally thankful for the confidence thus reposed in me—I considered it indiscreet to give the Masonic world the information which , to my knowledge , had not reached Masonic authority . My friends know

that I am not so rash as to promise , having no claim on the future , however limited ; nor so ridiculous aa to apologise , because I endeavour to move with caution and courtesy . If I followed the first , promises in nine cases out of ten would be broken , through circumstances which I could not control ; and if I followed the secondI should have little more to pride myself

, upon than a pitiable weakness . With an honest brother truth is ever uppermost , and fear always out of the question . Lodges , like families , suffer or are supported by their executive ; and if there be one crying sin in either , more open than another , it arises from procrastination .

Having slightly touched upon our lodge of instruction , I . consider myself called upon to give praise where praise is due , and this might be more generally diffused than I have made it here , from the confirmed as well as rising skill of our many past and present officers ; and I would much rather this sentiment

should meet my brethren through the MASOXIC MAGAZIXE than personally through me , or any other isolated channel . We owe much , if not all , in the lodge of instruction to our excellent and worshipful Bro . J . B . Gover , P . M ., P . Prov . G . Assist . Dir . of Cers . whoin his single personhas set aside a

, , , restriction which some would have made perpetual , and laudably directed a spirit of intelligence , and diffused a source of information that stamps him regardful of the higher charities of heart and intellect , which arise without envy , and rejoice not