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® Ij £ Ittasoitk ^ tar . Jtflfc THURSDAY || j 2 ®) igg MARCH 281889

, : 11 | r , . Etiitcd hy 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 Wednesday .

TERMS , including postage , payable in advance : — I'nitctl Kininlom : uul Countries roi ) i ]> riscd Places not in Ooneral comprised in India , Postal Union . Postal Union . via lirindisi . Twelve Months ... 6 s . 6 d . ... 8 s . 8 d . ... 10 s . lOd . Six Months 3 s . Ad . ... 4 s . 6 d . ... 5 s . 6 d . Three Months ... Is . 9 d . ... fs . 4 d . ... 3 s . Od .

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 , 51 ) , Moor Lane , Fore Street , London , E . C . " 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 , 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 .

To the Editor of THY . MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , ' I have been reading with interest about "Soldier Masons , " and I wish to tell you why I am not at present a member of any lodge . The regiment to which I am attached left India in November , 1885 , and instead of coining to England as intended , we went to Africa

and stayed there till November , 1886 , but expecting orders to leave everymonth . When we did come home the regiment went to Norwich . After having been there about seven months ( May , 1880 ) we went to Colchester . We left there in April , 1887 , and went to Manchester : while there I visited the Blair Lodge several times on invitation . Again in April , 1888 , the regiment left and went to

Leeds , and I came here to Birmingham with a detachment . On the 11 th of this month I was invited by a brother to the Temperance Lodge , and received a very warm welcome . In responding to the toast of my health , etc ., as a military visiting brother , I gave a short address which I send you to do what you like with . * I would willingly join the Temperance Lodare , No . 730 . but

unfortunately we leave here about the middle of next month for Scotland ; so you see that the continual shifting about prevents me joining a lodge and do credit to it . They say we shall remain in Edinburgh two years—I hope so . I have served offices as S . D . of Star of Agra Craft Lodge , No . 1 !) 3 G , and M . O . of Taj Mehal Mark Masters Lodge , No . 2 ' . > S . East India ; and am also a R . A . Mason . What I have learned I have not forgotten , and I have confidence that I can

still carry out the work and duties of the offices I mention . I am very glad that you are taking up the cause of Military Masons . It is very interesting to read about them . I was told by a civilian brother in Manchester that he was surprised to see a soldier a " Freemason . " Fraternally yours on the [_ , Sergt .-Farrier W . WILLIAMS , 13 th Hussars . Birmingham , March 22 nd , 1889 . * 117 ' tied space for this admirable address in another column — ED . M . S ' .

SANDGATE LODGE AND SOLDIER MASONS .

To the Editor of THE MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , In your admirable Leader on the above subject on the 21 st inst ., it appears to me that the position of these Military brothers has not been put to you as clearly as it might have been .

In 1882 . If . 11 . 11 . The Field Marshal Commander in Chief recorded his orders much as follows : "I have no objection to a soldier being a Freemason , but £ disapprove of Military Lodges , " and I have no doubt the motives of 1 l . R . fl . would be fully understood by every officer and N . C . ollicer of experience in the service , but as the only military warrants are 3 I ( i , 352 , 1 < I 7 , 528 . 718 and 821 , the order is probably

Original Correspondence.

of much older date , as some of these lodges are fast approachingtheir centenary , hence it follows that Rules 155 , 150 , 157 and 188 , in the ' ¦ General Laws and Regulations for the Government of the Craft , " do not apply to soldiers at all unless they b . long to the Royal Scots , Royal Warwick , Suffolk Reg ., Somerset Lt . Inf ., 1 st Batt . East Surrey , or the 2 nd Batt . R . I . Fits ., execntinsr so far as

the general rule applies about initiating no soldier below the rank of a corporal . Now in II . M . Service there happens to be a large body of Royal Engineers , Horse and Field Artillery , Army Service Corps , besides Departmental Corps and 173 regiments , besides the six mentioned above , and I suppose it will not be contended that Civil Lodges and these six regiments have a claim to monopolise the benefits

of the Craft . What has been applied for and refused is an ordinary warrant with a hojie to get Bye Laws sanctioned that would confer the same privileges on military brothers stationed at Shorncliffe Camp as are granted at other military stations and nothing more . Yours fraternally . W . PERRY , I . P . M ., Sandgate Lodge , No . 1130 .

To the Editor O / T HE MASONIC STAR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . Can you give me your opinion of the following case ? A brother is drily announced on the usual summons to be raised to the Third

Degree , but owing to pressure of business it has to be postponed to the next ordinary lodge meeting , occurring two months later . By an oversight of the Secretary all reference is omitted in the next summons . Could the raising in this case be legally proceeded with > Yours fraternally ,

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

STEWAUU . —The address of Millie . Eva Normi , the vocalist , is 23 , Colvillo Road Mansions , Notting Hill . AVc should have written to you but your request for Information arrived too late for use . C . II . MrDot . KV . —You can resign at any time , taking care to clear all your dues , to the Lodge in the country : and you are free to join a Lodge in London , whether von resign the c ( untry Indue or not .

We Are Requested To Notify That :-

We are requested to notify that :-

The fifteen sections will be worked in the Nelson Lodge of Instruction , No . 700 , at the Royal Mortar Hotel , Beresford Square , Woolwich , on Tuesday evening next , April 2 nd , at 7 p . m ., Bro . J . G . Milbourn , I . P . M . 13 . Section Master ; Walter Martin , P . M . 87 ! l . S . W . ; E . C . Talbot , 13 ) 0 , J . W . ; and II . Tufnell , 700 , hon . sec .

The annual supper of the Star Chapter of Instruction will take place on Friday , 5 th April , when it is hoped there will be a good attendance of R . A . Masons , at the Stirling Castle , Camberwell . At the Clapton Lodge of Instruction , No . 1305 , Hackney , on

the 22 nd inst ., Bro . Campbell , W . M ., after the business of the evening the sum of five guineas was voted to Bro . Caton ' s list for the Boys' School . Arrangements were made for the delivery of W . Bro . James Stevens' Lecture on " The Ritual and Ceremonial of the Symbolic Dsgrees in Freemasonry , " on the 12 th April next .

The Windsor Castle Lodge . No . 771 , Bro . W . G . Xottage . W . M ., will be to-day , March 28 th , engaged in the melancholy duty of paying a " last sad tribute of respect" to the late Bro . John Whitehouse , the Senior Mason of the province of Berks and Bucks ., whose remains are to be interred with full masonic honours at Slough . The brethren will assemble in the Herschel Masonic Hall , Slough , at 2 . 30 p . m .

The Beaudesert Lodge , No . 1087 , at Leighton Buzzard , Bro . A . W . Tooley , W . M . purposes to hold on the 29 th inst . ( to-morrow ) , a Lodge of Sorrow , in tribute of respect to the late Bro . Gotto , P . M ., P . P . G . S . W . Beds , and secretary of the lodge , who deceased on the l'Jth inst .

The Stuart Lodge , No . 1032 , held a meeting at the Surrey Masonic Hall , Camberwell , on Monday last , the 25 th inst ., when Bro . Edward Pettit was most ably installed in the chair of K . S ., by Bro . Henry E . Vickers , I . P . M ., in the presence of a large assembly of brethren .

The Mawddach Lodge , No . l' . ) S 8 . held its anniversary festival at the Masonic Temple , Barmouth , on the 20 th inst , W . Bro . If . J . Hart . W . M ., presided , and there was a very large attendance ; the D . P . G . M . North Wales , Col . Henry Piatt , P . G . D . Eng ., was present during the business of the meeting , which included Installation of Bro . W . Chas . Logan , as W . M . The banquet was served at the Marine Hotel .

IT is best at all times for Masons to keep the interests of the Blue Lodge nearest their hearts . The Lodge is the base of the Craft . and when that fails all else is like a rope of sand . MASONIC OFFICERS . —The officers of Masonic bodies give character to the Fraternity , and while merit cught to be the criterion for office in every case—civic as well as Masmic—the large majority ot the members of our Fraternity evidence , by their actions , that the

chief requisites for office in Masonry are ability , character , and a . name that is held in good repute in the community . The best and noblest representative clement should be the office-bearers of our Fraternity . However exalted Freemasonry may be in its principles , it should be exemplified in practice by its members , and especially by its officers , in order to maintain its ancient and honourable prestige . —Xem York Dispatch .