Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

TO THE EDITOR OE THE EREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROE . Dear Sir and Brother , —Having received a communication from certain brethren , passengers on board the Royal Mail steamer Soman , from the Cape of Good Hope , stating that on the 24 th of June last ( St . John's Day ) at the close of a social meeting a

subscription was collected in aid of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for granting annuities to widows , and the sum of £ 10 subscribed , for which a draft was enclosed , I shall feel obliged by your acknowledging its safe receipt in your paper , such being the wish of the donors .

Yours fraternally , W . FAENFIELD , See . Freemasons' Hall , London , July 20 , 1870 .

Masonic Sayings And Doings Abroad.

MASONIC SAYINGS AND DOINGS ABROAD .

The Grand Master of Iowa , in his annual address , says : — " I am gratified to report a degree of uniformity in work that has , perhaps , no parallel' in any jurisdiction . This is only the more wonderful when we consider the many enthusiastic Masons who are attracted hither from distant states , and who , Avere

our own system less perfect , would continually impress upon it those variations to which , from long use , many of them are much attached . In fact , we have all the uniformity that is desirable , and it is UOAV fully time that more attention were given to the weightier

matters o f the law ; that , instead of attaching so much importance to the tithes of mint , anise , and cummin that we devote ourselves to the great duties of Masonry , and learn from it to do justice , love mercy , and

walk humbly before God . Alas ! how many there be who can , parrot-like , run you off the whole catechism , and who think themselves ' brig ht Masons , ' who have never learned that' Masonry is a beautiful system of morality , veiled in allegory , and illustrated by symbols . ' Do not understand from this that I rate

proficiency in work as of little value . Not so . The forms of Masonry are valuable as such , but they are not Masonry ; they are but the casket which holds the jewel . The treasure is worthy of its beautiful surrounding , and the husk is necessary to the safety and growth of the kernel within . A soul , pure and true ,

is all the better for an accompanying body , beautiful and strong , but still it is the soul which "is the better part of man , " and is alone worth y of our deepest love . "

The lodges in New Mexico are talking of organising a Grand Lodge . They are at present wholly , we believe , under the jurisdiction of tbe Grand Lodge of Missouri .

The Grand Lodge of Ohio has recently suspended the charters of two its lodges for meeting in the same room with another secret society . If lodges of Free and Accepted Masons can't meet in their own temple , why build one or surrender the charter . Freemasonry

cannot go into partnership with any other order , and keep its " work" pure . The young Mason when he first sees tbe "lig ht" in the hall or room of some other order , has incorrect conceptions of what are the innovations in his advancement . The Grand Lodge of Ohio is eminently Avisein its action . —Keystone .

Among the coins and other articles of value deposited in the corner stone of the new Temple at New York on the Sth June last was a really valuable work of art , presented by Bro . S . H . Black , of Hope Lodge ( No . 244 ) , of New York , and manufactured by a process of his own invention . It was a duplicate of his original

copy " declaration of independence , " in has relief , in which , on a plate of copper , heavily gilt , of five inches square , was a full and accurate copy of the declaration itself , as also facsimile signatures of the fathers of American independence . It was executed by electricity , aud when examined is clearly readable through

a microscope . There it is , however , verbatim , literatim et fir / uratim , and , unless a triplicate be made , the original will be of great value . The duplicate , though engraved by electricity , will in all probability for centuries to come be free from electrical action , and should future generations witness the unsealing of the box in which it is contained , it will not bs the least attractive of the deposits found there .

We learn from a correspondent that at Copenhagen , according to arrangements last year , after the 7 th degree had been conferred upon Comp . Denton , of Leeds , a chapter of emergency Avas called together this month to confer upon him the Sth degree . The Prov . G . M . and his deputy , with a grand array of

officers , conferred the Sth degree upon him in a very able and impressive manner , in the presence of a great number of companions who had assembled at a very short notice . All coincided in the opinion that they had never heard the exaltation so ably performed . — Gothenburg , June , 1870 .

The R . W . Grand Lodge of Maine has recognised the schismatics of Quebec . This is easily explained . The sun rises so near to Maine that the twilight is not bright enough to enable the Craft there to see the landmark , aud the law of Masonry in the full light of the noontide , which down this way enables us to detect errors . — Keystone .