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Q £ Ij £ Jftastfttk Max . THURSDAY , "" ^^^^^ JULY 25 , 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 Newsagents through the Publishers , 123 to 125 , Fleet Street , E . C . 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 AA ' ednesday .

TERMS , including postage , payable in advance : — United Kingdom unit Countries comiirisod Places not . in ( . cTHM-al comprised in India , Postal Union . Postal t'niou . ia Brindisi . 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 . " All 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 , FLEET STEEET , E . C . In Masonic Cloth Cover—Now Ready — Price 3 s . 6 d . . I VOLUME

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

AVithont 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 thn name of the writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith .

To the Editor of Imz MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , Kindly permit me to assure " Master Mason" upon the three points he now suggests . 1 st . AVhen I want to attack the Secretary , or anyone else , there will be no room to doubt the fact . 2 nd . AVhen I have no case I will not abuse the plaintiff ; and , 3 rd . I do not

flatter myself that I am capable of sarcasm . He may therefore , I hope , rest assured of my sincerity , and trust himself to enter upon the subject " freely and at length " ( without fear of me ) , if he thinks he can benefit the Institution , at the recent success of which I am moderately well pleased . Yours fraternally , A VICE-PRESIDENT .

INSTALLATION OF AV . M .

To the Editor of THE MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , I observe that nearly every correspondent in reference to this subject compare their diversities with what is briefly known as " Emulation working . " I would like to see some remarks by some brother who knows something of the " Stability working . "

• t I have it under the authority of Bro . Fenn that" both' Stability ' and ' Emulation' modes of working about the time of the Union , received either the direct or indirect sanction of the Grand Lodge and the Duke of Sussex . " He does not say that other modes were submitted and sanctioned also , but I think it is an undoubted fact that other modes did exist , more or less localised ; and it is also an

undisputed fact that some of the oldest lodges in the Constitution still preserve a form of ceremony , which they do not recognise the " power of any man nor body of men " to cause them to alter—it is , in fact , one of their ancient landmarks . Not many years since a distinguished P . M . of this province ( since gone to the great majority ) was being severely criticised by a

brother from London ( since made a Grand Officer ) for constituting or opening a Board of Installed Masters , and the discussion went so far that the brother from London threatened to report our Lancashire brother to the Board of General Purposes , to which he somewhat indignantly replied to the effect that " he did not regard even

the opinion of the Board of G . P . in the matter . " I quite agree with him . AVe have no Board or Committee qualified or authorised to interfere or dictate in such matters , not even the entire Grand Lodge combined ; nor can I see how anything can be done definitely tending towards uniformity of the observances in this respect , until a Grand Board of the I . M . ' s of the entire

Constitu-R . M . I . B .

Original Correspondence.

tion is summoned by the G . M . to meet him in covnvjil on the subject . At such a conclave the differences could be discussed , and the probability is a very appreciable approach could bo arrived at , if not a quite uniform system . ' ' The time to effect this would necessarily be very lengthy , as the prorimi would have to be done by lodges , then by provinces and

districts , and finally by a fair and equal delegation of representatives duly selected , especially for districts and provinces at a distance from London . The question is , would the result be commensurate with the trouble , time and expense . ' One thing is certain , some of us would get to know something Ave do not know now or can only vaguely guess at . Yours very fraternally , AV . NICHOLL , P . M . 317 , P . P . G . T ., E . L .

To the Editor of THE MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . Under the above heading in your issue of July lth , yon had a " communicated" article with which I was very much pleased . Doubtless it was unpalatable to many , but all must admit that it places before us a matter of great importance .

Some months ago an active mason , who has the welfare of the Craft at heart , was talking to me on this subject . He suggested that all AV . M . ' s and P . M . ' s passing an examination proving thenability to work our beautiful ceremonies should have the privilege of wearing a distinctive mark—a specially designed bar on the ribbon of his P . M . jewel . Under tho present system the P . M . jewel

is almost worthless . Seven Past Masters or AA ' . M . " s , not more than three being members of the same lodge or lodges as the candidate , should constitute an examining board . They , having witnessed an Initiation , Passing or Raising , either in a regular lodge or at a lodge of instruction ( or indeed a special meeting held for the purpose ) , if they unanimously

agree that the ceremoiry was well and properly worked , should sign a paper or certificate to that effect . A AV . M . or P . M . having obtained such papers or certificates for all three degrees , including opening and closine / in the three degrees also , should be entitled zo wear the specified bar . Later on it might be required that the examining board must be

liar holders or certified wasters . The bar might be of any design containing the word "Certified , " or "Certified Master . " or "By Examination , " or of a special design without words . Surely no one could object to such a scheme—except on the ground that it is not stringent enough—for it would in no way interfere with the present system . It would simply allow those who had really earned the honors of the chair to show that they

were duly qualified . AVhile placing before you the above suggestions I wish you to understand that I thoroughly agree with your previous articlethat no one should be allowed to occupy the chair until he had proved himself qualified . Yours fraternally . T . AV . RICHARDSON , P . M ., 2029 , J . III . Clarence Road , A \ ood Green , N .

PENSIONS OUT OF CHARITABLE FUNDS . To the Editor of THE MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . AVill you or any of your readers inform me under what rule pensions have been granted from the funds of our charities ; and out of what funds these can be legally paid . '

So much attention having been given to the affairs of our Boys ' School , it behoves us to see that our finances are managed strictly according to " rule and line , " otherwise , any dissentient brother has the power of upsetting any pension by obtaining a rule in Chancery compelling the committee to apply the funds eiitrusted to their care strictly to the purposes for which they were contributed .

I myself believe such payments to be entirely " ultra , circs , " and hat it would be so ruled by tho Court of Chancery ; and having taken up a considerable amount as steward , I am anxious to assure those kind brethren who helped my list , that the funds entrusted by them to me for the R . M . I . B . will be sacredly devoted to their

intended object ; viz .: the sustenance of the R . M . I . B . during tin current year , which certainly implies that no money shall be paid out of these funds except for services rendered or to be rendered during the year for which their monies have been contributed . Yours fraternally . 20 th July , 1880 . SEMAJ .

QUALIFICATIONS OF AV . M .

THE R . M . BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

To the Editor ((/" THE MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , On the 10 th of January last , you publish a letter of mine which drew attention to certain matters connected with the above Charity . This letter ( as well as others ) was referred to in violent terms of reprobation at the time by your contemporary The

Freemason . Subsequent events have shown in the case of the Boys ' School that much information was required , and the attention which was drawn thereto was based upon no frivolous pretexts , but on lamentable fact . I find that the accounts , & c , of "Benevolent Institution" have recently been criticised by a brother ( who , by the way , is not

described as " silly , " " stupid , " & c . ) who takes hold , inter alia , of some of the points my letter drew attention to , which criticism is dealt with at some length in an article in the current number of The Freemason with the view of , as the late Bro . Birch said , " endeavour being made to correct flagrant abuses . " I now again

venture to address you , repeating some of my former observations . AVe are told that the Collector ' s commission is £ 512 1 'Js . ( It figured as £ 03 !) odd for the previous twelve months . ) Now , sir , I again say , it would be interesting if the secretary would make known the actual amounts received throvah the collector ,