To Our Readers.

TO OUR READERS .

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Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

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Births ,Marriages And Deaths.

Births , Marriages and Deaths .

[ The cnarge is 2 s . 6 d . for announcements , not exceeding four lines , under this heading . ] BIRTHS . BAi . tn . —On the ist inst ., at Park House , Clifton , Mis . Arthur Baker of a daughter .

GIBSON —On the 2 nd 111 st ., at Woodridings , Pinner , thc wife of E . Giamc Gibson , of a daughter . KNIGHT . —On thc 22 nd ult ., at Oxford-road , Tollington Park , the wife of J . Knight of a son . TOWNSEND . —On the ist inst ., at Baily Glas . Abersychan , Monmouthshire , the wife of F . E . Townsend , of a son .

MARRIAGE . CARTWRiGiiT—FLETCHER . —On the 2 nd inst ., at St . Peter's Eaton-square , Aubrey T . C . Cartwright , son of A . Cartwright , Esq ., of Edgcote , Northamptonshire , to Louise Florence , elaughter of the late J . C . Fletcher , Esq .

DEATHS . BANKS . —On the 2 nd inst ., at Fenton Villa , Lewisham , Edith the beloved daughter of William Copparel and Louisa Mary Banks , in her 10 th year . PORTER . —On the 3 rd inst ., at the White Swan Hotel , Deptford , Elizabeth , widow of the late John Porter , in her 60 th year , deeply mourned and regretted . *•**** ! : ¦ ~** 2 '"

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The Freemason , SATURDAY , MARCH 9 , 1878 .

The Quarterly Communication.

THE QUARTERLY COMMUNICATION .

The Quarterly Communication for March assembled under circumstances of gloom and depression , which were clearly visible alike in the countenances and conversation of the brethren . The feeling of the great blow sustained by the Craft in the financial misfortunes of the Grand

Treasurer was paramount and apparent on every side , and while the immediate loss to Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter was fully appreciated , and while above all , the serious mischance to the Boys' School and the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , ( which no foresight on the part of

the officials could have avoided ) were , to use a commercial expression , fully discounted , yet the members of Grand Lodge , like true Englishmen , bore this painful situation of affairs calmly and courageously . The election of a Grand TreJSurer was deferred till next Quarterly

Communication , and a committee was appointed to make the necessary financial arrangements . Lord Skelmersdale hoped that the loss sustained would be readily made , up , and announced that Bro . Harrison , Prov . G . S . W . East Lancashire , had offered to contribute to a special fund for that

purpose , tae munificent sum o 200 guineas . The grants of the Lodge of Benevolence were all confirmed . We are indebted to our contemporary , the Times , { or the following lucid " precis " of the admirable report of Lard Carnarvon . " The Pro Grand Master , who on risinsr

was received with warm cheers , said that it was then his duty to call attention to a report of a committee appointed " to inquire into the circumstances relative to the elimination of the name of the Great Architect of the Universe from its ritual by the Grand Orient of France . "

The committee , the noble carl said , had agreed unanimously to a report , bnt before he stated its effect he requested the Grand Secretary to read the old and the new regulations of the Grand Orient , which declared that the " principles of the Order are the existence of a God , the

immortality of tlie soul , and human solid-rite ' -, " and that it excluded no person on account of his belief ( the same in effect as the general principles of the Older universally ) . In the altered regulations the words regarding the existence of God and the immortality of the soul were

eliminated , and there were substituted the words " absolute freedom of conscience . " The Pro Grand Master then proceeded to state that the committee , having regard to all thc circumstances of the case , proposed four resolutions—one , that Grand Lodge should state that it viewed with

profound regret the step which had been taken by the Grand Orient of France in thus removing from its regulations the foundation of the Craft upon the existence of God and the belief in the immoitalityof thescul , —a removalopposedtoall principles of the Craft , as was seen in the history and

traditions of Freemasonry from the earliest times . The second resolution proposed was to the effect that the English Grand Lodge , while anxious in the most fraternal spirit to greet brethren from foreign lodges initiated in lodges where thc true and genuine principles were adopted , could not

admit those initiated in lodges which , denied or ignored the belief in the existence of God . It would , therefore , be necessary to state , the report proceeded to say in a third resolution , that no brother from a foreign lodge could be admitted unless his certificate showed that

he had been initiated in a lodge where this landmark of the Order was observed , or unless he should be vouched for as one so initiated , and he also admitted that belief in the Great Architect of the Universe was an essential landmark of the Order . The fourth resolution was to give effect to the other three by transmitting them

to all lodges working under the Grand Lodge of England , to the sister Grand Lodges of Scotland and Ireland , and to all Grand Lodges in communication with this Grand Lodge . The noble earl expressed his deep regret at this action of the Grand Orient . There was no wish , he proceeded to say , upon the part of the

The Quarterly Communication.

English Freemasons to interfere with foreign Grand Lodges ¦ there was no diminution of fraternal feeling upon their part towards foreign brethren ; but , holding that the belief in the existence of God lay at the very root of Freemasonry , the English Grand Lodge could not overlook the distinct abnegation of that principle , and to

that assertion he thought there would be no dissentient in the crowded hall he then addressed . It was , moveover , the duty of this Grand Lodge of England to send forth its views for other Grand Lodges , and general lodges looked to the English Grand Lodge , as to the central Parliament of Freemasonry , for guidance , and the committee considered it should not flinch from

the duty of prescribing and specifying the practical mode in which effect should be given to its views . It is almost needless to add that the resolutions were then put to the meeting , and were carried unanimously . The next important business was the election of a Grand Master for the

year , and upon the motion of two brethren from below the dais , as representing the working lodges , the Prince of Wales was re-elected with unanimity and amid loud cheers , and proclaimed in due form by Bro . Thomas Fenn with all the titles of the Grand Master . We bes ? also to

refer our readers to our own careful report of the meeting of Grancl Lodge for the rest of the important business .

Our Ritual.

OUR RITUAL .

By a correspondence which appears in another column , it will be seen , that there is still a tendency in some to " philosophize , " to improve our old and admirable ritual . In all the affairs of men , as of Masonry , we have to make allowance for that ceaseless love of change , which

seems to dominate the human mind . It may be , as some writers have held , a proof of man ' s aspirations after the To Kalon , the To Agalhon of life , the moral perfection of our being , but as a general rule it is not characterized by anything so li it'll or heroic . In all earthly associations ,

in ell human fellowship , there seems every now and then an intense longing for change , qua change . We become resth-ss under monotony , excited under quiescence , and \ vr ; may always bear in mind when we listen to the often noisy " fautors" of this or that reform , this or that

revolution , the ever seasonable adage of our ancient and Royal G . Master , " My son , meddle not with those that are given , to change . " At the same time , when we say this , we do not shut our eyes to the need and advisability of change under some circumstances . There is apt to

grow over the affairs of the world , and the thoughts and habits of mankind , a placid stagnancy , a contented selfishness , which set them vigourously against all improvement , and above all , any innovation . This is neither wise nor judgmatical , Masonic or commendable .

We therefore have to analyze the composition of all movements for change , whether in respect of the change itself desiderated , or ihe motives of those who seek to compass it . The springs of human action are so complex , the wheel within wheel so hidden , the wires so finedrawn , that it

requires often a good deal of " gumption" and perception to find out the why and how of anything new . We would divide the causes of change into three classes—1 . Those who with honestly to itnpro ' . e ; 2 . Those who desire to be considered great reformers : and 3 . Those wdio

through restlessness or ignorance seek to change for change's sake alone , without measuring the depth of the movement , without foreseeing whither their steps must take them . It is only with the first class that we need concern ourselves to-dav , though we may remark , that , honest

themselves , they are often made the unconscious dupes of longer heads , of greater rascals than themselves . Let us admit , for argument ' s sake , that some of our brethren may wish to alter ,. to improve our ritual , the natural question arises to all thoughtful minds , why ? in what direction . Brother Burger proposes a philosophising

improvement others may suggest verbal emendations , and an uniform system . Now we say at once , that we do not believe in any philosophising reform . What has it all ended in in Germany and France ? Practicall y in nothing . The only - effect has been undoubtedly to introduce either hurtful subtleties , or childish perversities of the