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% \) t J & a * 0 nk ^ iar-THURSDAY , ' ^^^^^ MARCH 7 , 1889 .

Edited by W . BRO . JAMES STEVENS , P . M ., P . Z ., & c , & c .

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Published every Thursday Morning , price ONE PENNY , and may be had from all NeAvsagents through the Publishers . 123 to 125 . Fleet Street . E . C . Subscribers to THE MASONIC STAR residing in London and the Suburbs Avill receiA e their copies by the first post on THURSDAY MORNING . Copies for Country Subscribers will be fonvarded by the NIG-HT Mail on AVednesday .

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Post Office Orders , payable at the General Post Office , London , E . C , to Messrs . ADAMS BROS ., 59 , Moor Lane , London , E . C . Postal Orders and Cheques should be crossed & Co . and all communications concerning Subscriptions and Advertisements should be addressed to " Manager . " All other communications , letters , & c , to be addressed " Editor

of THE MASONIC STAR , r > 9 , Moor Lane , Fore Street , London , E . C . " Publishing Offices : 123 to 125 , PLEET STREET , E . C .

In Masonic Cloth Cover—Now Ready —Price 3 s . 6 d . * VOLUME I

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

Without in any Avay holding onrsoives responsible for , or OA ' CII apiirnvinpr of the opinions expressed , Ave freoly vlirow open onr columns for the proper discussion of all matters of a trenoral cliaractcr relating to Freemasonry . Correspondents must , be as brief as possible , must write plainly , only use one side of tlie paper , and cannot expect the return of rejected contributions ! Every contribution must be accompanied Avith the name of the writer , not neccssarilv for publication , but as a guarantee of trood faith .

To the Editor of THE MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . My friend of "The Organ" is at it again , I see . This time you , as one of " the other Masonic Journals , " come in for a share of his favour . AA ell , I daresay your back is broad enough to bear it , and that you can take your OAVU part . Still . Ivy the Avriter in the

THE MASONIC CHARITIES .

¦ 'reeniaxon , there are one or t . Avo points Avhich I think I may fairly be alloAved to draw attention to . The first is his statement that he ' did not make sufficient allowance for counteracting influences , " one of which he says is * ' the criticisms . Arc . " This is a curious admission after the Avay he Avrote about those criticisms , calling them " silly , " " stupid , " ignorant , " and so on , and insinuating

that no one ought to or would pay airy attention to them , but treat them in the same high and mighty contemptuous manner Avhich he arrogated to himself . I thought at the time that " sufficient allowance " Avas not being made for their probable effects , and UOAV , though only one of the "silly ones , " the ( I had nearly Avritten ¦¦ ' scribbler " ) organ of the craft , OAVIIS to the effect of the

shortsighted policy of abuse and silence . I cannot pass OA er the statement made that "these criticisms obtained publicity Avithin a feAv iiTchs of the day appointed for the Festiwil . " On the 7 th January I addressed you on the aboA e subject , and my letter appeared in your impression of the 10 th , nearly two months ago . NOAV . Sir , to say that this was within a far irrelts of the FestiAiil is straining a

point . Probably if courteous attention had been accorded , it Avould not have been necessary to continue the correspondence , but the way in which an " uninspired Avriter" tried to besmirch those Avhose only object Avas to endeavour to obtain a rectification of abuses Avas about as blameAvorthy as possibly could be . Instead of a fair and manly front being shown and complaints considered .

attempt Avas made to completely burke the main question , and by personal abuse and clamour obscure it . NOAV . 1 AV on Id ask , as I read that these criticisms ought to haA e been published during the "slack season of the year , " Avhen that season is . Perhaps the Festival having now gone by . I his is the slack season so far as the R . M . B . I . is concerned . If so , various questions having been raised , AVIIA' not proceed to /// mice " discuss " them ' ! Mine , for

instance , regarding commission to "Mr . Collector . " Statements SIIOAV that some . C ] 3 , 000 have been got together , names are given of SteAvards on Avhose lists names of donors have been inscribed , hut I cannot see any item representing money collected and paid-in by the collector . Sir , if the authorities of the R . M . B . I . will answer , IIOAV is the time to do so . On IIOAV much , if any , of this sum is a commission payable , the reason why it is so payable , and why it is not shown that "Mr . Collector " collected it , instead of those whose

Original Correspondence.

names are published ? Also , if those in authority have the good of the Charity alone at heart , they Avill tell us the meaning of , in both accounts , the items " provincial and other expenses" . 1 * 80 Os . Id . each . AVith some C 2 . 000 to be found " somehoAv , or someAA \ here , " perhaps part of it may be made up from amounts Avhich are so vaguely described as these . I suppose there is no chance of any surrender of a tithe even of " official salaries ? "

The Girls School Festival is m May and the Boys' in June next ; Avhen might it be considered would be the proper time to criticise , as I intend to do , the affairs of those Institutions . ' NOAV , or aftei the Festivals have taken place . ' The fact is that one Institution can scarcely be criticised Avithout clashing * , in point of management Avith the others . Fraternally yours , " SUBSOltlBEi ; .

HONORARY MEMBERSHIP . To the Editor of THE MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . AVould you mind letting me have an answer to the folloAving query . ILnye honorary members a A ote or A'oice in the lodge which has made them hon . members . '

Out here some lodges all OAV them to speak and vote : others bv their Bye-LaAvs forbid it . I should like to have your opinion . I ahvays thought an honorary member Avas a member to all intents and purposes , but who in consideration of valuable services AVMS excused fees . Yours sincerely and fraternall y , Madras , January , 1889 . ' C . II . M . * ,. * The Jloolt of Constitutions i . \ xilent ax to the right x and pririln / es of Honorary Members . —El > . M . S .

CERTIFICATES .

To the Editor of THE MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . I should like to be informed of the rule regulating the transmission of certificates , as to the time that should elapse before a member receiA r es the same after his initiation into Freemasonry , as I have been informed that I have to wait one year from the date of my raising . Yours fraternall y . London . E . C March 1 st . I 88 ! l . J . F . p ,

% * You hare been icronyly informed . Ytm are entitled lo a certificate IMMEDIATELY after your initial ion , passing and raixiny rexpectircly . It is customary , for the xahe of conceniciiee , fur a brother to trait until he hax receired the ileyree if J /" . J / 1 , but immediately thereafter hi' xlimild be jilaccd , in possession of hix cert i / iratc See / look of Constitutions , llules VMS to 203 . —ED . M . S .

QUALIFICATIONS FOR MASTERSHIP . To the Editor I / T HE MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . In reference to this important subject Avhich I observe has been treated of in the earlier numbers of your journal , I send you an extract from the Bye-LaAvs of one of our lodges , with Avhich I am

closely connected : — " No brother to be eligible for the office of W . M . unless he has seiwed the office of "Warden in this lodge twelve months ; neither shall he be eligible for the office of AV . M . unless he is capable of opening and closing the lodge in the three degrees , and Avorking the ceremonies : the qualification of such candidates shall be

certified by a Board of Past Masters prior to his election , and no prei ' erence shall be given to seniority in the craft , hut to personal Avorth and merit only . " This rule has been in operation for maiij * years : in fact I think I can ansAver for 22 or 23 years , and I am happy to say that during * the Avhole of that time Ave have only had one case in Avhich the

P . M ' s could not recommend the S . AV . as duly qualified . In my opinion it is a most salutary rule , because Avhen a brother takes office he knoAvs that unless he makes himself acquainted with the working it Avill be useless for him to aspire to the office of AV . M .. consequently he sets to Avork in earnest , and generally with a good result . Of course it is a rule which should be applied Avith some discretion

because Ave cannot expect every one to be Avord perfect , and we have never draAVii a hard and fast line in this respect , more especially if Ave had reason to believe that the brother had Avorked hard and tried his best to be proficient . It undoubtedly acts as a fillip to the lazy and careless ones , and that is the great ' point . Yours fraternally , GreenAvich . Mar . 1 st . JSSII . E . J . B . BU . AISTEAO .

SANDGATE LODGE AND SOLDIER MASONS .

To the Editor of THE MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . THE MASONIC STAR of 7 th , 11 th and 21 st inst . contain letters on the above subject , in respect of Avhich , with your permission . I shall take the advice you gave to " Punjabi " and " speak out . "

•• Punjabi ' s " letter is all right , excepting so far as ' P . M . 1 , 13 ( 1 " has been able to correct him over the vicar . I suppose it Avas I AVIIO made him chaplain , and I had his Avord that he did not require any other office ; but I have no hesitation in saying that he is a great acquisition to the Sandgate Lodge , and having said that I Avill go

on to the chief question involved , and deal \ vith "P . M . 1 . 13 ( i . " 1 hope IIOAV the subject is opened , that it will be the means of getting the , military brethren Avhat thoy require , or a good reason shown Avhy they should not have it , and ( if possible ) stop internal and external squabbles in connection Avith the lodge . To this end I propose to put the following * questions for solution : — 1 . Are military brothers entitled to the same advancement in the craft as civilians /