Masonic Notes.

brethren who attended were only about a hundred in number . Now there are II lodges in Wiltshire , and the muster will undoubtedly be four or five times as great as in 1853 . We trust everything will pass off satisfactorily . * * *

In our Tidings" columns last week it was announced that the Blackheath Lodge , No . 1320 , had " granted a warrant for a lodge of instruction , " and that " Bro . James Terry , P . G . S . B ., " had " kindly consented to consecrate" it . Article 158 of the Book of

Constitutions provides that " No Lodge of Instruction shall be holden unless under the sanction of a regular Warranted Lodge , or by the special license and authority of the Grand Master , " and it was in the sense of " sanction" that the correspondent who

forwarded us the news used the word " warrant" in his ' paragraph . The context further shows that what Bro . Terry had "kindly consented" to do was not to " consecrate " the lodge of instruction , but to rehearse the ceremony of consecration .

We have much pleasure in announcing that the Duke of Connaught was elevated to the Degree of Royal Ark Mariner at Chichester , on Monday , the 26 th inst . The ceremony was performed by Bro . the Earl

of Euston , D . G . M ., who was assisted by Bros . C . F . Matier , P . G . W ., G . Sec . ; Robert Berridge , P . G . W ., G . D . C ; and R . Clowes , J . G . Overseer . His Royal Highness was afterwards enthroned as W . C . N , by Bro . Matier and invested with the jewel of Grand Council .

We commend to the attention of lodges to which Royal Arch chapters are attached the following notice , which appears in the last summons issued by the Williamson Lodge , No . 949 , of which Bro . G . W . Bain is Secretary : " Any member of the lodge , being

a M . M . of 12 months' standing , desirous of joining the Williamson Royal Arch Chapter , may hand in their names to the W . M . or Secretary , who will give further information . The exaltation fee is £ 2 2 s . The next

meeting of the chapter is November 3 rd , 1891 . " If this were generally adopted we believe it would have the effect of adding many new members to Royal Arch chapters that are at present languishing .

Correspondence.

Correspondence .

I We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wish in a spirit of fair play to all to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . !

THE FUTURE OF FREEMASONRY . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I have read with much interest the letters that have appeared in your journal on the above subject , as well as the editorial thereanent that was printed in your issue of the ioth October . After

such a stirring article as the latter , I quite expected to have found in the Freemason of last week several letters from prominent brethren , qualified by their position and experience to speak with authority , but as none such appeared , and no announcement was made that such letters were being held over for another

issue , I am constrained to think that even that article has failed to taunt such brethren into writing . Many there be who detest the very thought of writing a letter to appear in the columns of a public journal , and this may have deterred some , while to many who have read the letters I speak of , the subject must seem such a

vast one to grapple with that this may probably have deterred others . But at all events I cannot think , as the article of the ioth inst . seems to suggest , that no interest has been aroused by this correspondence , on the contrary , I believe that a very great interest has been created by them in the minds of manv of our

most thoughtful brethren . And as there has been no attempt on the part of my more exalted and learned brethren to carry on what should prove as beneficial as it has already been interesting a series of letters , I now , with much diffidence , propose to address to you a few observations written with little skill of

schoolcraft , disconnected probably , and still more probably being anything but logical , but still written in good faith and with a singleness of purpose by one who has been for nearl y 20 years one of the rank and file of the grand old Craft in a remote province , and who has ever had the best interests of the Craft at heart .

lhere seems to be quite a concensus of opinion among my brethren , your correspondents , that the Society ( or Order , if you prefer it ) is growing too rapidl y , and that men of too low a social class , men who are likel y either in their own persons or in the persons of their

wives and children to " come on the funds , " are being admitted , aye , and being admitted freely . That * s so undoubtedl y , and the reason wh y it is so is clearly put by the writer—it is simply because some lodges cannot exist unless they go on initiating , and of course « k ing initiation fees . Why is this allowed to continue ? annot the provincial authorities in whatever province

Correspondence.

such a lodge is situated do something to prevent this evil ? If there be no law in our Book of Constitutions to provide for this ( and I frankly admit I know of none such ) it is high time that such a law were enacted and embodied therein . There is just another point I should like to mention here , and that is the occasional personal

supervision of private lodges by either the Provincial Grand Master , the Deputy Provincial Grand Master , or the Provincial Grand Secretary . I mean that I think all the lodges in a province should at the least once in every year be visited by one of these officers quite unexpectedly to see that everything is as it should be .

I mention these officers as I consider them especially suited to the duties by virtue of their position . The Provincial Grand Master should take a paternal interest in the welfare of the Craft in his province , while as to the Deput y Provincial Grand Master and the Provincial Grand Secretary the one is nominally

and the other generally is actually ( in many matters at least ) his Deputy . I am not advocating any system of espionage—faugh ! The thing is quite foreign to the spirit of Freemasonry , but I am advocating a system of supervision which would , I am convinced , be beneficial . Possibly it may be the recognised system in

some provinces , I do not know , but it most certainly is not in mine . I think I am quite correct in saying that our Provincial Grand Master , his Deputy , and his Secretary have neither of them been inside the lodge of which I am a member any time this 20 years since . And this is not the fault of these brethren , they are

worthy and estimable men enough , administering the affairs of the province with ability , assiduity , and zeal , but it is the fault of custom . It has never been the custom in this province , and for aught I know it may never have been the custom in any other , or at all events in many other , provinces . But nevertheless I

am ot opinion that such a system should be instituted in every province under the rule of the Grand Lodge of England . Then if such practices as one of your correspondents mentions ( and which did not surprise me to learn ) exists in any lodge , surely the Provincial Officer visiting that lodge would , unless he be intentionally

and abnormally obtuse , very soon find out that there was a screw loose somewhere , and that should naturall y be only the first step towards finding out what is actually the matter . But , Bro . Editor , on consideration are our Provincial Grand Masters , their Deputies , and Secretaries brethren calculated to exercise such

oversight over the private lodges in their respective provinces ? As a rule I think not . Our Provincial Grand Masters are very generally peers , heirs to peerages , baronets , or Members of Parliament , men who are nonresident in their respective provinces during the greater part of the year , and when they are residing in their

provinces their time is more than full y occupied by the public duties of their station . Just in the same way the Deputy Prov . Grand Masters and Secretaries are frequently men who in the capacity of country gentlemen or professional men have their hands far too full to exercise any personal supervision at all . But the fact

remains that such supervision is necessary . It would serve very greatly to check , I cannot but think , the enormous influx into Freemasonry of undesirable men ; personal influence and advice tendered personally by its Prov . Grand Master would , I believe , go far towards putting the brethren of even a lax lodge in a right

frame of mind as to who should and who should not be admitted into Masonry , and by this means alone much would be done towards killing one of the evils ( than which there is scarcely a greater ) which is slowl y and surely undermining the fabric of the Craft . Apologising for the length of my letter , yours fraternally ,

LATOMUS . October 22 nd . CENTENARY WARRANTS AND JEWELS . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Permit me , through your columns , to thank

Bro . Hughan for his kind and friendly appreciation of my latest work— " Centenary Warrants and Jewels . " His opinion is always worth having , and his letter will probably lead to the volume becoming still more known .

How to reply to the brother who signs himself " 33 " I scarcely know . If I am to understand that he belongs to the 33 ° , he would hardly come to me for " more light . " ^ His note , which on the whole appears favourably disposed , is so long , and asks so many questions of so many people , that if they al ! reply—and I

sincerely hope some of them will—very interesting and instructive communications ought to be the result . Let me , however , say , as briefly as I can , that in regard to the facts recorded in my book , I court the fullest investigation . If I am wrong , it is my desire to be set right . Wherever the volume contains

statements of my own opinions or inferences , it has been after the most careful consideration of all the circumstances involved , my endeavour having been to ascertain , by diligent and persistent research and enquiry , what the truth is about the various points referred to . You , Bro . Editor , in the early part of last year , closed a discussion in the Freemason as to the antiquity

of No . 119 , Whitehaven . In reference to that lodge , I have said what I considered necessary in my book , so do not propose to resume the subject again , but may inform Bro . " 33 " that the second person who is said to have been a member of both the old and new lodges was the Tyler , who , if a serving brother , may fairly be left out of the reckoning .

Correspondence.

The cases "supposed" by Bro . " 33 , " and in respect of which he asks me definitely for an answer , are somewhat hypothetical , and these are generally dangerous to deal with . However , in reference to his first " supposition , " -i . e ., the case of a lodge which had its warrant withdrawn , and a few years afterwards , on

payment of all arrears to Grand Lodge , was restored to its former privileges , with one or two old members and others quite new , Bro . " 33 " asks " Would that destroy its continuity ? " I unhesitatingly affirm that it would , so far as its ability to comply with the definite regulations for centenary warrants are concerned . The lodge

petitioning for permission to wear a centenary jewel ¦ must give " proof of its uninterrupted existence for one hundred years . " How is that possible if there has been a hiatus of two or three years , or even of as many months ? Bro . " 33 " should also be aware that " one or two" members do not constitute a lodge .

The other case "supposed" is somewhat different . If a lodge is transferred ( Bro . " 33 " does not say how ) by consent of all its old members to another set of brethren in another town , with the approval of Grand Lodge , there being no break in its payments to the local and general bodies , would not the continuity

be preserved ? I am not aware of any instance on record parallel to this " supposed " case , but if Bro . " 33 " will g ive me an actual and definite instance , he shall have a clear and definite answer . Suspension , however , in every case , "temporary" or otherwise , means interruption , and as the rule is absolute and unqualified that the lodge must give proof of its

uninterrupted existence for 100 years , I am bound to conclude that whenever and wherever there has been any break in the continuity of a lodge , either by official act or otherwise , that lodge cannot claim a centenary warrant until a hundred years have elapsed from the period of such break in its continuity . —Yours fraternally , JNO . LANE . Torquay , October 24 th .

THE "OLD MASONIANS . " To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir , Will you allow me through the medium of your influential paper to call the attention of the Masonic body to this Association .

The " Old Masonians " are ex-pupils of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , and consists at present of 150 members . The objects and aims of the Association are to mutually assist all ex-pupils of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys who may , from time to time , be

enrolled members of the Association ; to further generally the interests of all old scholars of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys ; and to encourage friendship between them . The President is Bro . Major George Lambert ) P . G . S . B ., the Past Presidents being Bros . Frederick

Binckes ( 1886-7 , 1887-8 ) , P . G . S . B ., Vice-Pat . and late Sec . of Inst . ; A . F . Godson , M . P . ( 1888-9 ) , P-G . D ., D . P . G . M . Worcestershire , Pat . of Inst . ; Rev . C . J . Martyn ( 1889-90 ) , Past G . Chap ., D . P . G . M . Suffolk , Pat . of Inst ; and James Terry ( 1890-91 ) , P . P . S . G . W . Northampton , P . G . S . B .: and the Vice-Presidents .-

Mrs . Jas . ferry ; Miss ferry ; Bros . Asher Barfield , P . G . Treas ., Pat . of Inst . ; D . P . Cama , P . P . G . S . B . Middx ., P . G . Treas ., Pat of Inst . ; B . Cundick , P . M . 1421 ; George Everett , Grand Treas . ; Sir Augustus Harris , Past Grand Treasurer ; F . W . Imbert-Terry , P . M . 214 , P . S . G . W . Essex ; James Morrison

McLeod , P . P . G . Std . Br . Derbyshire , Sec . R . M . L for Boys ; John Mason , P . P . S . G . D . Middx . ; A . R . Motion , 453 ; James Motion , 453 ; J . Newton , P . M . 174 ; W . Paas , Vice-Pres . of Inst . ; and George Read , P . M . 511 . Through the munificence of the great Masonic bod y

a collegiate education has been given to the orphan sons ot Freemasons , but on leaving school no provision has been made to keep the old boys in touch either with their alma mater , or with the Craft , that has so generously provided the means that fit them to fight the battle nf life .

At the termination of school life the boys return to their homes , and , with the exception of gratitude , their connection with Freemasonry is practically severed . As it was through the Brotherhood of our fathers that we obtained the advantages of a liberal education .

we , as sons , wish to form a similar Brotherhood , so that we may give a helping hand to any of our schoolfellows who may be in need of assistance . The Association is composed of young men who > although willing to give time and energy 10 the work , are quite unable to assist financially .

It is therelore necessary if the Association is to be useful that it should possess a fund , the nucleus of which has already been founded , and so enable them to carry out the object for which the Association was established .

May we , therefore , as the " Boys " of Freemasonry , ask those who have been so generous in our boyhood to continue their generosity in that most important part of a lad ' s life—his entrance into the great world . Gentlemen taking an interest may greatly assist the objects of the Association by becoming Vice-Presidents . It has been proposed that if the permission of the authorities can be obtained a day should be set apart