Summer Excursion Of The Quatuor Coronati Lodge, No. 2076.

( Continued from page 305 . ) Apart from its high architectural interest the church is noticeable for containing the body and statue of Lord Bacon , " the wisest , greatest , meanest of mankind . " Sauntering through the fields , along the banks of the river , and under the spreading elms , a typical scene of English rural beauty

at its best , the brethren made their way to the Abbey , where they were met by the Rev . AV . Urwick , who has made the registers and archives of the edifice his special study for years . Under his capable guidance every part of the structure was visited and its history explained , the old work admired and the restoration criticised . Some difference of opinion was apparent as to the taste .

but none as to the solidity and thoroughness of the restored parts , or as to the public spirit and generosity of Lord Grimthorpe , who for years has borne the enormous cost of what is more than restoration , for it was necessary in many parts to entirely reconstruct . Lord Grimthorpe himself now joined the party , and kindly submitted to a course of " heckling , " the reasons for this and that

alteration being fully explained by his lordship in answer to home questions , and he incidentally supplied many details as to the structure of the Abbey , its foundation , vaults , & c , which were of great interest . The party having been generously admitted by the Rector , the Ven . Archdeacon Lawrence , free , thus entailing a loss on the restoration fund , a collection was made , which , we are glad

to say , considerably more than covered any charge lor admission , Lord Grimthorpe was thanked for his explanation , and there being still an hour to spare before dinner , the brethren struck once more across the fields , visiting the old Roman walls and moat , and reached an eminence whence a beautiful view of the Abbey and its surroundings was obtained .

Dinner was served at the " Pea Hen , " at ( J o ' clock . After _ which votes of thanks were moved and carried to Bro . Rev . V . Faulkner and to the Rev . Mr . Urwick for their kindness in affording the brethren so much instruction and the pleasure of their company , and suitably acknowledged , Mr . Urwick eloquently pointing out that St . Albans was the scene of more than one martyrdom ,

interesting in ecclesiastical history . Bro . Speth was thanked for making the arrangements , and indicated that Bro . Klein would be their guide next year through a district of great interest around his own residence at Stanmore , whilst in 18 !) I he ( Bro . Speth ) hojied to introduce them to Sandwich , the city of the dead , the

Roman ruins of Riehboro' Castle , Minster Church and Abbey , Dandelion Gateway , near Margate , and other monuments in the Isle of Thanet . The party returned by the 8 . 32 train , to which a saloon carriage had been added for their separate use , it being unanimously admitted that the day had been most enioyable .

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® Ij £ JKastfttk Max . THURSDAY , ^^^^^ 1 , 1889 . Edited by W . BRO . JAMES STEVENS , " P . M . , P . Z ., Ac , Ac .

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All other communications , letters , & c . to be addressed " Editor of THE MASONIC STAR . 59 . Moor Lane . Fore Street . London , E . G . " Publishing Offices : 123 to 125 , FLEET STREET , E . G . VOLUME I . In Masonic Cloth Cover—Now Ready —Price 3 s . 6 d .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

Without in any way holding ourselves responsible for , or even approving of the opinions expressed , wo freely throw open our columns for the proper discussion of all matters of a general character relating to Freemasonry . Correspondents innsc bo as brief as possible , must write plainly , only use one side of the paper , and cannot expect the return of rejected contributions . Every contribuiiuii must be accompanied with the name of the writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith .

Jo the Editor of THE MASONIC STAB . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , Some kind friend has sent me" extracts from your journal of the 10 th and 31 st January last , and of the 25 th inst ., all bearing on the subject of our Benevolent Institutions , for which I am much obliged .

The error to which your correspondent " Subscriber " refers in his letter of the 25 th inst . is a misprint . The balance brought forward should be . C 4 , 108 7 s . lid ., not as printed , £ 408 7 s . lid . That part of my statement was an exact reprint from the published accounts of the Institution . A similar misprint has been made in my letter of the 22 nd inst . to The Freemason . The cost of investing

the £ 5 . 325 should be stated as £ 13 ( is . 3 d ., not £ 13 ( 1 3 s . as printed . I consider it the duty of all of us who are interested in the welfare of our Masonic Charities , however painful and unpleasant it may be , to insist on them being worked as economically as possible , and I consider it monstrous when the getting up of the festivals form an integral part of the work of the secretaries , that they should be voted sums of money for doing their own proper

work , and that then the cost of " votes of thanks " and " entertainment of stewards " should be thrown on the general funds of the charities . As stated in my letter to The Freemason of the 22 nd inst ., I consider the " collector" an unnecessary luxury , and I trust the committee will see the advisability of abolishing the office as soon as possible . Faithfully and fraternally yours , July 20 th , 188 !) . C . LETCH MASON .

OUR BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS .

To the Editor of THE MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , I should be obliged if you will kindly allow me to enquire through the medium of your valuable columns whether it be the wish of the majority of the stewards for this year ' s festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys that some £ 120 of the surplus amount from the steward ' s fund of this year should be voted to the

secretary of the above institution ? I attended to-day at the final meeting of the stewards for the Boys' Institution ( at which there were not 20 stewards present ) , and learnt that there is a balance from the stewards' fund of more than £ 200 . After voting sums for the clerks in the secretary ' s office , for the band of the Boys' School , for the hon . treasurer to subscribe to the institution , and for the expenses of the stewards ' visit to AA ood Green—in all about £ 100—there remained as above

stated a balance of over £ 120 . It was proposed that this balance should be granted to the secretary , and to this proposition there were but three dissentients , of whom I had the honour to be one . I proposed that the £ 120 be given to the Boys' Institution , but my proposition did not find a seconder .

STEAVARDS' FEES .

Original Correspondence.

I think that it is right that the large number of stewards who were unable to be present at to-day's meeting should know what was done there , and how their money is spent , especially as I learn that no balance-sheet is ever published of the stewards' fund , even though so considerable a balance as that of this year may remain to be distributed .

At ; the general meeting of the subscribers to the institution a few weeks ago , the consensus of opinion was certainly not in favour of voting extra pay to the secretary for the discharge of his regular duties . Furthermore , there has been this year an urgent appeal for funds for the institution . Why then was not this balance applied for its benefit ? Your obedient servant . Hampton Court , Julv 24 . 1889 . HERBERT AV . SEAGER . M . B .

% * Those nih-o pay the piper hare a right to call the tunc . This < j ii est ion does not affect in any manner tlie disposition of the sums collected for a specific purpose in aid if the Institution . Into a general fund , to cover all c . ejienses of the Festival a , certain sum of money is paid by certain brethren acting as Stewards , and- they have a , perfect right to dispose of that money as they iri . ll . There is nothing to prevent their achnowlcdt / in

clcrhs , bawl or other au . eiliarg aid , so long as not a penny of the charity fund- is touched for any purpose -whatsoever connected- with the Festival . The fact that hut few attended , the Jiual meeting of the Board of Stewards , and- thai amongst them there was but one dissentient to a general desire , may be deplored- by many brethren v liable to be present , hut raiiii't render the detenu illation arrived at in anu wau im / treprr . —ED . M . S .

To the Editor of THE MASONIC STAR . AA . BROTHER , I shall be glad to take advantage of your columns for a fewlines respecting the above . Is it the " Rule " for the Officers in Craft Lodges to pay " Fees of Honour . ' " I am the AV . M . of an old lodge , and it has its " Benevolent Fund "

made up of the Officers' Fees of Honour , five per cent , of the lodge receipts , and contents of the charity box . This fund is disposed of by a vote of the lodge , so that after ' filling all the offices and paying about £ ( i ( is . in fees , the AV . M . at the end of his year of office gets " no credit " for this support . AVhen one of the last "lists" were out for the elections , you

commented upon the hopelessness of some of the cases , and said that in 8 or !) of them the brothers , although they had been connected with the Craft for several years , had not supported any of our Institutions . You may or may not have caused some uneasiness , for if any of them had paid "Fees of Honour , " they would have

certainly supported the charities . AA ould it not be well , to make the lists complete in the future , to give that " information . " If you think the above worth a place , I feel sure some of your readers will be able to give the information required . Yours fraternally . T . B . * * * M ' e shall be glad of the opinions of brethren on this subject , and will refer to the matter in our ne . et issue . —[ ED . M . S . ]

" OFFICERS' FEES OF HONOUR . "