Correspondence.

10 THE EDITOR OE THE I ! EEE 3 IAS 0 IfS' 3 UGAZIHE AUD SIASOJTIO 3 IIEE 0 E , DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —A short time ago a man of colour , giving the name of John Mason , visited us for a few days , coming , as he said , from Shields , and as he represented himself to be a Mason in distress ( though without a certificate ) succeeded in victimising several of the brethren . Among others

he [ visited the W . M . of No . 764 , who , having subjected him to a little cross-examination , soon found him to be an impostor , and summarily dismissed him ; Avhen the next that Ave heard Avas that two days afterwards he was committed for felony to Durham-gaol , where he willno doubtbe safelkept for the next

, , y two months . This fellow could give the signs , tokens and words pretty correctly , and was fairly up in the stock questions ; these , however , were carefully avoided when it was curious to see Quashibungo's ignorance on other points , and at last losing his temperhear him knavely exclaim"If 'd onl

, , you y ask me Avhat I know ! " A little time previous we had another fellow under nearly the same circumstances , Avho was also well acquainted with the usual formula , but gravely told his examiners in answer to leading questions , that when admitted to the third

degree his hat Avas placed on head and he was seated in the S . W . 's chair . Neither of these vagrants had a certificate , though as all almoners of lodges know the production even of such a document is very little proof of the truth of the applicant ' s story . No doubt a great deal of information is obtained by this troublesome class of impostors from and indiscreet

young Masons . E . A . 's and F . C . ' s , proud of their newlyacquired knowledge , are eager to try it on whomsoever they may suspect to be a " brother , " and many Masons who can scarcely work themselves into a lodge , and probably have not been within one for yearsthink themselves fullcompetent to a

, y prove stranger , whereas the truth is that but a small proportion of Avhat are called working Masons are so qualified , and I know some who are well up in the ceremonies and yet as liable to be deceived as the youngest member of the lodge . Indeed not long since I heard a brother who has the reputation of

being particularly sharp give a visitor a very good lesson when all the time he was professing to examine him ; and I have visited more than one lodge where the brother sent out to test me has been quite incapable and but loosely prepared himself . There is no doubt that the visits of these casuals have become

to many lodges quite a pest , and do us an incalculable injury ; as a means , therefore , of mitigating the annoyance let me , as others have done in these columns , strongly impress on members of lodges to afford no private relief whatever nor to hold any Masonic communication with strangers , but in all cases to direct

them to the W . M . or regularly appointed Almoner of the lodge , who may inquire into the truth of their statements , when , if found to be deserving applicants , he can give them such relief as he thinks fit from the lodge funds , or if , as nineteen out of tAventy are , discovered to be impostors , they can be punished , and

their names be published in your excellent J $ A . GA . ZmE . Tour fraternally , S . W AND SEC . NO . 531 , Hartlepool , 26 th Sept ., 1866 .

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THE MASONIC MIRROR . * All communications to be addressed to 19 , Salisbury-street , " Stand , London , W . C .

Masonic Mems.

MASONIC MEMS .

VOTES IOST TO CANDIDATES FOB OUR CHARITIES . —We had occasion some time back to refer to the numbers of votes which become lost through subscribers who have not boon canvassed for or who have not themselves an interest in any particular candidate , allowing their balloting papers to remain unattended to . Moreover , many of the subscribers to our charities are so

occupied with the pressure of their daily avocations that the balloting paper is apt to share the fate of a circular ; it gets out of sight , and is unthought of until it turns up accidentally , and often too late to be utilized . We find the number of votes thus lost is very considerable indeed , and , to avoid this annually-recurring loss , we would suggest to subscribers who

are not interested in any particular case , to send us their balloting papers as soon as they receive them , that we may carefully preserve them and use them in due time , with proper directions on behalf of deserving candidates . We should thus be enabled to comply with many of the touching and painfullyheartrending appeals which reach us . We commend the sng .

gestion to the earnest attention of subscribers . These "lost votes" constitute a reflection upon the craft Avhich should not exist . BRO , A . QSJSAJI HATE . —A Scottish correspondent writes : " I cannot allow to pass unembraced the opportunity which the appearance of ' The Nemesis' in your pages affords of

congratulating you upon the valuable acquisition to your literary staff Avhich Bro . Anthony Oneal Haye's favourable response to become a contributor to tho London FBEEAIASOHB' MAGAZINE secures . Bro . Haye is an author of acknowledged ability and pure literary taste , and his services as editor of , and principal contributor to , the now-defunct Scottistt , Freemasons' Magazine have earned for him the lasting gratitude of the numerous

readers of that well-conducted and , in his hands , highlyprosperous Masonic periodical . Indeed , from the impetus given to the Scottishfmagazine during the year 1861-65—Bro . Haye being then editor , a post Avhich in April ' 65 he resigned on account of the proprietors' interference with him—nothing short of an accident could hane militated against its

continuance . Were Bro . Haye to publish in these pages his 1 History of the Knights Templars' —a work upon which he has for several years been engaged , and which we understand is now undergoing a final revision—lie would greatly increase the interest already felt in tho usefulness and prosperity of your excellent magazine . "

"PROVINCIAI / GRAND LODGE OB SOUTH WALES . —We regret to have to announce that in consequence of the outbreak of cholera at Swansea , the Provincial Grand Lodge meeting Avhich was to have taken place on the 27 th inst . has been postponed by the Prov . Gr . M . for a few weeks . Whilst we regret the cause of tho postponement , the step taken is , we consider under the circumstances , a prudent one .

Metropolitan.

METROPOLITAN .

PVTIIAGOSEAN LODGE ( NO . 79 ) . —The summer recess of this old-established lodge having passed away , the regular meeting was held on Monday , September 24 th , at the Lecture Hall , Greenwich . One brother was passed in an able manner to the P . C . ' s degree by Bro . P . AV . AVard , AV . M . The minutes of the