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® Ij £ Jltastfttir ^ iar - THURSDAY , Igj ^ gSg ^ MARCH 14 , 1889 .

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

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Published every Thursday Morning , price ONE PENNY , and may be had from all Newsagents through the Publishers . 123 to 125 . Fleet Street , E . G . Subscribers to THE MASONIC STAR residing in London and the Suburbs will receive their copies by the first post on THURSDAY MORNING . Copies for Country Subscribers will be forwarded by the NIGHT Mail on Wednesday .

TERMS , including postage , payable in advance : — United Kingdom and Countries comprised Places not in General comprised in India , Postal Union . Postal Union . via Drimlisi . Twelve Months ... 6 s . 6 d . ... 8 s . 8 d . ... 10 s . lOd . Six Months 3 s . 4 d . ... 4 s . 6 d . ... 5 s . 6 d . Three Months ... Is . 9 d . ... 2 s . 4 d . ... 3 s . Od .

Post Office Orders , payable at the General Post Office , London , E . G ., 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 . " AH other communications , letters , & c to be addressed " Editor of THE MASONIC STAR . 59 , Moor Lane . Fore Street . London , E . C . "

Publishing Offices : 123 to 125 , PLEET STKEET , E . C . In Masonic Cloth Cover—Now Ready —Price 3 s . 6 d . I , VOLUME

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

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

ELECTION OF GRAND TREASURER .

To the Editor of THE MASONIC STAB . DEAR SIE AND BROTHER . Will you permit me through your columns to express my grateful thanks to those brethren who kindly recorded their votes in my favour at yesterday ' s election . ' To the provincial brethren who came long distances , at , I fear , much trouble and inconvenience , my thanks are especially due .

Will you further allow me to state that immediately the result became known , a large and influential meeting of my sirpporters was held , at which I was strongly urged to again become a candidate . A resolution embodying assurances of support was unanimously adopted , to which I promised a most appreciative consideration . Yours fraternally , March 7 th , 188 !) . GEO . EVERETT .

2 ' o the Editor of THE MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , Will you permit me , through the medium of your columns , to thank those brethren who came from the east , south , north , and west , to vote for me , in giving me such a magnificent majority . To the committee , the members of mv mother lodtm . and thnsn

brethren who came voluntarily from such districts as Durham . Cornwall , ice , my thanks are especially due , and I shall never forget their kindness . If it were possible I would thank each of them personally , as it is I shall be obliged by the insertion of this letter in your next edition . Fraternall y yours Terry ' s Theatre , March 11 th , 1880 . EDWARD TERRY .

BOARD OF INSTALLED MASTERS

To tire Editor of THE MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , As a P . M . and one who has had the privilege and honour for several years of filling the office of Installing Master in his lodge I think it would be a great pity to put a stop ( as appears to be the object of some provincial officers ) to that portion of the ceremony

in the opening of a Board of Installed Masters , which I ' DI- briefness I will designate proof and prayer , and substitute a more formal declaration . The proof and prayer in the opening of the second and third degrees might with as much reason be omitted . Would not the self-same provincial brethren be astonished if when visiting a lodge they heard the W . M . proceed to open his lodge by asking his wardens if they vouched for the brethren in the W . ii N . k S ., and himself vouching for those in the E . and

Original Correspondence.

naming the degree declare it open . Here would be prerogative with a vengeance ! Yet I would ask what is the difference , if it be illegal for a W . M . to open his lodge by declaration , what makes it legal , as he proceeds in the ceremony and opens a Board of Installed Masters , for him to omit that proof and prayer , which would be illegal if omitted in the working up of the lodge ? To my mind if

it is illegal in the one case , so is it in the other . In conversation with a very old Mason , a P . M . and P . P . Officer , he told me that , to his own knowledge , for a period of over forty years he never knew a Board of Installed Masters to be opened by mere declaration , but always by proof and prayer . I have also

the authority of the secretary of one of the oldest lodges under the English constitution , that in his old lodge for a period of over one hundred and fifty years it has been the unvaried practice to open a Board of Installed Masters with proof and prayer , or as you put it in your editorial , using <; a form of ceremony for constituting in due form and with much solemnity a Board of Installed Masters . "

That this form of ceremony and solemnity may be transmitted through all generations is the fervent desire of Yours respectfully and fraternally , Prestwich . Mar . 10 th . 18 S 9 . A . MERCER . P . M .. Sec . 1534 .

To tJie Editor of THE MASONIC STAR , DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , Will not this meet the enquiry of C . H . M . of Madras in this week ' s MASONIC STAR ? "The book of Constitutions does not in any way recognize Honorary Members of Private Lodges . When that Book speaks of

Members it means only those brethren who are regularly contributing members to the funds of the Lodge to which they belong , and such Brethren only ought to be returned to Grand Lodge as Members of private Lodges . The status of an honorary Member must be strictly confined to the Lodge which so elects him , and can in no way give him any position in the Craft outside the door of his Lodge .

He cannot therefore hold any office in the Lodge or vote on any subject which might even remotely affect the Craft at large . In short his status and privileges as an Honorary Member entitle him to attend the Meetings of the Lodge and partake of its refreshments without the necessity of being introduced by a subscribing Member ,

provided always that he he a , subscribing 3 lember to . some other Lodge . Honorary Members have no other right or privilege whatever . ( E . rtniet from , Report of Hoard of General Pu-rjjwtrx , approved by Grand Lodge , 1 th Beeember , 1864 . ) " Yours fraternally , March 10 th , 1889 . A . M .

To the Editor of THE MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . Will you kindly inform me whether a brother initiated in January , 1888 , is entitled to wear a " Jubilee " jewel I Yours fraternally , March 9 th , 1889 . I . G .

* * * We should say not . As -is generally understood , they can be worn only by those iclio were subscribing members to private lodges at the date of the Jubilee celebration hi Albert Hall in 1 SS 7 . —En . M . S .

To the Editor of THE MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . I am pleased that this matter has been settled , and suitable head-quarters secured for the Grand Lodge of Mark Masters . The rent is somewhat high , but we have the satisfaction of knowing

that it goes into the funds of the Craft . One thing in the proceedings strikes me as rather odd , viz ., that Bro . 11 . Plumbe , the Grand Mark Inspector of Works , has not been consulted—it is hardly courteous to him to ignore him altogether . Yours , & c , March 8 th . 1889 . OBSERVER .

HONORARY MEMBERS .

JUBILEE JEWELS .

To the Editor of THE MASOKIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . Can you , or will any of the Craft , be good enough to say whether , on the formation of a new lodge , it is usual to require the ajipointed secretary to pay the joining fee' ! Yours fraternally , A MASON .

BACON'S HOTEL .

* „ . * As far as ice linmu , the first Secretary of a new lodge is generally chosen from amongst its founders , who themselves arrange the conditions under which they become members . There is nothing to prevent their exempting their intended Secretary from 2 > ayment of a joining fee if they so please , but ice think that all founders of a lodi / e should , hi this respect " meet upon the , level "' —ED . M . S .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

P . M . 1-136 . —We cannot possibly insert your letter of the 12 th inst . It is too personal . What a pity it is that brother Masons cannot enter ' upon a eontroversy without disparaging remarks on those who do nol < jultc agree with them ! lint it is ever so !

Press Exchanges And Books Received.

Press Exchanges and Books Received .

The Liberal Freemason , February , 1889 , Bro . Alfred F . Chapman . Boston , Mass . ; Free ma suns' Journal , New York , Win . E . Burton , Editor and Publisher , 104 , Fulton Street , N . Y . ; South . African Freemason , Vol . II ., No . 19 ; 3 lnsonic Jliiviein for February , Edited by Bro . Henry I ) . Moore , Cincinnati , Ohio ; Society .