Masonic Notes And Queries.

the moon has a kind of sharp weasand profile assigned to her , aud the back of the head almost invariably very black , as if moonlight was partial darkness . Is there any traditional , or other , reason that the sun and moon should be thus depicted ? Ou the back of a lodge chair I once saAv the most hatchet-faced moon

ever carved by mortal man . Is such Masonic pre-Raphaelite art the correct thing , or are our upholsterers afraid to represent natural objects as they are?—MAHL-STICK .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed hy Correspondents . "THE POLITE LETTER WRITER . " TO THE EDITOJt . OF THE FREEMASONS * . MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIUKOS . DEAR SIB AND BROTHER , — " A Lover of Plain English " publishes a letter in your issue of the 15 th inst ., complaining that lie has received no less than fifty

printed appeals to his benovelence on behalf of the Freemasons' Girls' School , and every one of the appeals is made in vaiu . The tone of his letter SIAOAVS that they were addressed to the wrong person . No contribution towards an institution of Avhich our Order is justly proud ueed haA'e been expected from his purse . No

effort on his part to obtain contributions from others need have been looked for . Derisive sneers are not the characteristics of benevolent intentions . The sounding brass aud the tinkling cymbal become those who have not charity . Even were he indeed a steward for the next Girls' School Festivalit is highly

, probable that the interests of that " truly Masonic institution " might be found to suffer in his bauds , aud "its peculiar claims" to be disregarded . In dealing with tlie weak satire and mild irony which ho Avrites with such complacent self-satisfaction , it is almost cruel to say that his OAVU letter is as much

" sheer nonsense " as the circular he condemns . He himself also appears to have "just had a resuscitation , " for he must have been dead to Masonry not to know that the " formula , " as he inappropriately styles the

circular iu question , has been long in use hy the stewards ofthe Girls' School Festival , year after year . I have received a copy of it from successive stevfards of my lodge , and if ifc has not produced the intended effect on brethren generally , at all events the increasing list of annual subscriptions testifies that it has not diminished the sum total .

Reducing the reproaches of this latest and liveliest of " polite letter writers " to an intelligible shape , he blames some one— -1 st . For sending him fifty copies of a circular which are entirely useless to him—because he is not a steward on " the occasion" ( on what occasion ?)—because they arrived in a dog ' s-eared and

creased condition . 2 nd . For having no genius in " framing the form " of the circular—because the Girls' School is therein stated to be a truly Masonic institution—because it is therein asserted that the Girls' School Festival is the last of the three charitable festivals ( of the yeax siibaudita ) . 3 rd . For issuing

any circular to any one—because it presumes all the stewards to be uneducated—because it is framed so as not to be readable . There are , however , among the Craft some brethren who take great interest in promoting the prosperity of the School , and long experience in this and other benevolent charities , have convinced them that in the present "high charity

Correspondence.

pressure ( meaning high pressure charity ) an appeal of some sort is necessary to awaken others even to a sense of " peculiar claims . " If such an appeal contains an involved or au ambiguous sentence so much the worse ; aud a " Lover of Plain English " is but au unfaithful lover ofthe plain English he professes to adn ' . ire ifin pointing out a faulty constructionhe

, , , employs p hraseology yet more open to criticism . Let me remind him of the old law maxim mala r / rammatica non vitiat chartam . Yours fraternally , P . M ., ' No . 21 . [ Th e above was received too late for insertion lastweek . ] -

Masonic Laws.

MASONIC LAWS .

TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS * MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIUItOE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Having lately been under the necessity of malting myself thoroughly acquainted with the " Book of Constitutions " of the Grand Lodge of Mark Masters , ifc has appeared to me thafc in some respects impro \ -ements have been

m % de on those of the Ovaft Grand Lodge of England , Avhich may be earnestly recommended to the careful consideration of that hoiy , if those composing it are not too proud and too satisfied Avith their own arrangements to profit by what has beeu beneficially adopted by those to Avhom ( Avith regret be it said )

some degree of hostility is supposed to have beeu shoAvn . I wish it distinctly to be understood thafc I am not urging the Mark degree on their attention , bufc merely such circumstances in tlie government of that branch of Masonry as seem more judicious than those to Avhich Ave have beeu accustomed . It may be welt

from time to time to call attention to these points , in the hope that some of them may attract the notice of our Craffc Masonic authorities , aud be proposed for adoption . On the present occasion I desire to refer to the highest of our officers , namety , the Grand Master , ancl his representatives in the different districts , the Provincial Grand Masters . In both—that is to say , the Graud Lodge of

England and the Grand Mark Lodge—the Grand Master is elected annually ; hut in the latter it is very wisely provided that he shall not hold office for more than three years in succession . By general concurrence the Earl of Zetland does honour to his high position hy his zeal , ability , experience ancl judgment , taking

au active part in matters which , if he pleased , he mig ht leave fro his deputy . In this respect the Craft may not ahvays he so fortunate ; but since there are many of hig h social rank who are probably equally capable , but have no opportunity of being tested , it seems unwise to maintain a monoply of this kindand

, to exclude others for many years from the attainment of the honour . It is true that the Grand Lodge has the power , if ifc choose to exercise it , of making a change annually , but after so many years' good service , it would be a bad compliment to the Earl of Zetland to remoA'e him , so long as it is his pleasure to

accept the annual nomination ; indeed , under present circumstances , such a proceeding would imply a Avant of confidence which no one Avould Avish to convey . Ifc is suggested therefore that during the period of retention of oflice hy his Lordship , ifc is desirable to alter the law , to come into operation after his resignation , with a view to limit the term of his successors to three years , with eligibility for re-election after a