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Article GRAND ORIENT OF FRANCE. Page 1 of 1 Article GRAND ORIENT OF FRANCE. Page 1 of 1 Article GRAND ORIENT OF FRANCE. Page 1 of 1
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Grand Orient Of France.
GRAND ORIENT OF FRANCE .
To the Editor ofthe " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Having had the honour and privilege of being a Freemason for many years , I have always regarded the Craft as the most noble , free , and universal of all Institutions ; but after reading the account ot the proceedings of the
Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge held on Wednesday , the 6 th inst ., I must confess that Freemasonry appears to be a very different tiling from what I have always been taught to believe it is . The pain which I felt upon a perusal in your journal of the resolutions carried by Grand Lodge with respect to our French brethren vvas quite equalled by my astonishment .
The facts are simply as follow . The Grand Orient of France , in order to respect the feelings of every good stone man , has tlecided that in future a candidate shall not be forced to pledge his woid that he believes in certain dogmas about which , possibly , he may have some doubt ; that august body has therefore decided to leave out the words relating to the existence of God and thc immortality of the
soul . As to thc first , every one believes tn God in some form or other : we in Eng land believe in our God , our brethren in India , China , and elsewhere , in some othertotally different it may be ; nevertheles' , I rep : at , they all believe in a God , a Supreme Ruler , a Great Architect ; but a man who believes in Buddha would doubtless hesitate in an English or a French lodge to declare his belief in God ,
and upon this principle—the Grand Orient of I'ranee has resolved to " eliminate the name of the G . A . O . T . U . from its Ritual . " As to the second " elimination , " it is well known that a large proportion of our Jewish brethren do not believe in the immortality of the soul , but I was never in a lodge where an Israelite was refused permission to enter it upon , this account .
With the greatest respect fortheM . W . Pro . Grand Mister I must say that I think he put the resolutions to Grand Lodge in a manner not altogether impartial ; he treated it as a foregone conclusion that all present would vote with him ; he said , " I believe that there can be but one feeling and one voice n this Grand Lodge ; " again , " I apprehend that there can be no objection in this Grand Lodge " & c ,
and again , " I trust that it will be in the power of Grand Lodge to vote unanimously . " If these remarks had not been made , I believe much could and would have been said on the other side . It appears to me ' that this act of Grand Lodge is calculated to undermine the ancient and noble institution of Freemasonry—it undoubtedly will impair its usefulness and
diminish its popularity and universality ; and the enemies of Freemasonry will hail with delig ht this act of dictatorial harshness , as well as weakness , emanating from a body where charity and freedom oug ht to be paramount . The Grand Lodge actually objects to " absolute liberty of conscience . " Then may we not ask—is Masonry any longer free ? Has his Lordship forgotten how to answer the
question " Who are fit and proper persons to be made Masons ? " If so , it would be well to remind the noble Earl that there is not a word in thc reply relating either to God or the soul . Can it be possible that the members of Grand Lodge have also forgotten " what are the three grand principles upon which the Order is founded ? " The'importance of the step taken by Grand Lodge
cannot be overrated . Until now , no religious discussion was allowed to take place in any lodge , but Grand Lodge having broken through that estimable rule , how are we to prevent it being broken in our private lodges ? What bickerings , what ill-feeling , what prejudice , what hatred and contempt may not hencefoith mar the harmony which exists amongst us at the present time I For as no wars are so cruel as
religious wars , so no scorn and fierceness can equal that of people whose relig ions are antagonistic , It is fearful J . 1 contemplate that such anarchy might prevail , and that many lodges in their despair of securing harmony under such rule may throw off altogether their allegiance to Grand Lodge , and split up into sections having various head centres of their own . And again , suppose some
eloquent Grand Officer , after reading the four last verses of the 3 rd . chapter of Ecclesiastes , were to come to the conclusion that our illustrious founder , King Solomon himself , did not believe in the immortality of the soul and persuade Grand Lodge of the same I Shall we in that case repudiate him as our First Master and fix upon some one else ? The gravity of this affair is such that it deserves to be
carefully considered by every Mason in the land . For it comes to this—let a man be ever so true , so faithful to Freemasonry , charitable and just , yet if he do not believe exactly what I believe , he is not to be admitted into my society , he is to be discarded by me and spurned from the door of my lodge I But some will reply , "No , he need not believe exactly what you believe—he need not believe in your God ; it is sufficient if he believe in a God , in his own
God . " Are we then to assume ? as J . S . Mill irreverently says , " any God will do ? " If so , I would just remark that in the Sacred Writings we read a description of some persons " whose God is their belly , " and surely it is not desirable to admit such people amongst us ; but however strongly I myself feel upon the subj . ct of out holy and sublime religion , I , for one , should be very sorry to be guilty of the impertinence of asking a foreign brother before entering my lodge what were his ideas and opinions of the
G . A . O . T . U . I hope , Sir , that you and other brethren who read these lines will give the writer credit for sincerity and good faith ; all I wish to do is , to have thc subject well ventilated . I have the deepest respect for our M . W . Pro Grand Master and the rest of the Giand Oflicers , but I believe they have
fallen unawares , nncnns ' n . usly , and without adequate consideration into a i-crinus error which may , unless speedily rectified or mod-Ti ? d , form a fatal blow to the unity of Freemasons , and I would earnestly entreat all who have a sense of the extreme importance of this act to come forward and endeavour to prevent thc reproach and heavy
Grand Orient Of France.
responsibility of weakening the strong ties of brotherly love from falling upon the Grand Lodge of England . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , A FREEMASON AND P . M . [ We publish this letter on the ground of Masonic free discussion , but wc disagree with every argument , and utterly reject the assertions of our brother . In fact , we do not
understand what our brother is reall y driving at . We think it is a pity tbat he has made any remarks about tbe Pro Grand Master , whose presidency vvas admirable , dignified , and impartial , and as the writer clearly ignores the opinion of a great minority in France , so he is utterl y ignorant of the strong feeling of English Masons on the subject . —ED . ]
ROVAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — As the balloting papets for the ensuing election are now in the hands of subscribers , the following analysis of thc cases on the list may prove interesting to some of your readers .
For eighteen vacancies there are twenty-four candidates , of whom eight are from London lodges , two from Hants and I . of W ., two from E . Lancashire , and one each from Bristol , Devonshire , Durham , Essex , Lancashire W ., Leicestershire , Lincolnshire , Nottinghamshire , Somerset , Warwickshire , Yorkshire W ., and Singapore . In four instances ( Nos . 2 , 4 , 18 , and 22 ) this will be the last
opportunity for election , Ten are new cases , the others having been candidates on previous occasions—viz ., one four times , three three times , eight twice , and two at the last poll only . Nine parents are returned as being lodge members at the time of death , but from a comparison of the dates of initiation and death with the number of years subscribed , five others appear to belong to this category .
The duration of membership varies from nine months to eighteen years . Three only of the twenty-four ( Nos . 3 , 14 , and 18 ) , are recorded as charity subscribers . One child ( No . 18 ) has lost both her parents , one ( No . 21 ) has both parents living , the remainder having mothers only . Two applicants ( Nos . 1 and 8 ) have two sisters each , and five candidates ( Nos . 2 , 6 , 15 , 20 , and 22 ) have one sister each ,
already in the Institution ; whilst two ( Nos . 7 and 14 ) have each a brother in the Boys' Schoal . I think these details prove the weakness of one of the strongest arguments used by advocates for altering our system of voting—i . e ., that the majority of subscribers , not having a personal knowledge of the merits of the different cases , are unable to decide for themselves which
they should support , and consequently either sacrifice their votes by non-polling or give them hap-hazird to the first comer . As may be seen from the above , the information given in these lists is so full , although concise , that any one may , in a few minutes , by a series of marks , determine upon the most deserving else , according * to his own opinion , of what chiefly constitutes
urgency ; whether as last application , subscription to charities , or the number of children left , & c , & c . My meaning will be , perhaps , more clearly illustrated by a summary of the pressnt list in the following form , in which I have allowed 5 marks for last applications , 1
mark each for previous applications , 5 if the father was a lodge member at his death , 1 mark for each year of membership beyond five , 3 marks each for charity subscriptions and stewardships , 3 for each parent lost , and 1 mark for each child dependent . Of course these numbers are not arbitrary , but may be varied at discretion .
* i ** . bo a . ^ _« 3 - 3 II 'if ! '•§ * . l oi § s a S 31 U il t « -J . £ g g II * . 0 . 2 J * - S-j eg J = B ° < fl * a H
1 - 4 5 2 S l 6 253 ... 5 5 - 20 3 - 3 5 S S 18 4 5 3 S 5 3 21 . * * — 2 5 2 IS 5 3 32 6 •... 2 ... 2 ... 5 3 12 7 •••2 S 1 ... S 5 18
5 ... 2 5 5 2 14 9 •••2 ... S ... 5 4 16 « o ... 2 S S S 17 11 ... 2 ...2 ...5 2 II 12 ... 2 S I . . . 5 I 14
13 ... « 5 5 2 13 14 ... 1 . •¦ 3 10 5 4 23 13 10 ... 3 6 21 16 2 ... 5 7 14 i ? 5 5 2 12 18 5 . . . S ... 10 10 5 35 19 5 13 •» S S 28 20 7 ... e 6 18
21 5 10 15 22 5 ... s 3 ... S 4 22 23 10 ... S 6 21 24 S 5 2 12 There are doubtless other points which some subscribers
may desire to take into account , but the principle can be extended to any number of considerations—pro and conwhich it may be thought desirable to include , although I have only used the heads under which information in the official list is given . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , H . T . THOMPSON .
r . M . JEWELS AND THE CHARITIES . To the Editor ofthe "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Our Masonic Charities arc certainly more thought about than they were some years ago , and a still greater
Grand Orient Of France.
amount of good remains yet to be done , and one very beneficial result could easily be effected if some great effor ( not my feeble pen ) , either on the part of the Masonic press or those holding high office , if the three indefatigable Secretaries of our three great Benevolent Institutions could be prevailed upon to combine and induce some enterprising Masonic jeweller to bring out a jewel for each charity
—or bars , if necessary—and induce every lodge voting a P . M . jewel for its outgoing Master , to send the amount to that charity the brother may select ; thc Secretary of that particular charity to provide the jewel and its inscription , recording in token of £ voted by Lodge ( or Chapter ) No — , to Bro . , as W . M ., for his services in the chair .
The value of this jewel need not exceed 25 s . or 30 s . and will be just as valuable at a brother's death as a £ 3 5 s . od . or £ 10 ios . od . one is now . ft does not require any argument to establish the fact that it must be to thc interest of any one and all o Ur charities to pay 25 s . to get in £ 3 5 s . od . or £ 10 ios . * ., and if it were to become a rule for every lodge that votes a
jewel to send the amount to one or more of the charities ( cither as life members or governors ) , thc honour would soon be as much coveted as the present jewel now is , and our funds would flow in the proper channel , and not , as in many instances , wasted . The jewels of a brother , upon which an enormous sum
has been expended , will net at his death realise more than as many shillings and are of no use to any one else- and if the above suggestions were carried out no one can tell the good that would be effected or the immense wealth that must flow in to the various charities . Yours fraternally , A P M
PROGRESS OF THE CRAFT . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I have read with great iritcrest your articles on the growth and progress of the Craft , and feel convinced that the practice of having expensive banquets is at the root of all the evils of which you complain .
In many London lodges there is a banquet after each meeting , and as the subscriptions of the members could not possibly pay for the feasting , thc fees of the initiates are consumed , and , as a natural consequence , thc number of candidates is more considered than the fitness . There was a time when thc Craft was confined to men of some social position , but now anybody will do , the
names are sent in , and the ballot is always unanimous , or nearly so . As a consequence many of the persons convicted of notorious frauds are found to be Masons and the Craft suffers . In looking through the papers a week or two since I noticed the names of three people charged with various frauds who are lo my knowledge members of the Craft .
This must be the case while so much feasting goes on , and the charities suffer not only in the increased number of applicants , but because if a lod ge spends the whole of its funds for the benefit of thc landlord of the tavern a very meagre sum is handed to the Steward for the festival of cither charity , say for every pound spent in eating and
drinking a shilling is given to the charities . In the provinces lodges can and do meet and separate , either quite without refreshment or with a simple repast at the expense of the members present . This letter may set some brethren thinking , especially those who , likeTnyself , have the welfare ofthe craft at heart . Yours fraternall y ALPHA .
A NEW HALL . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — AH those brethren who had the good fortune to find room for the soles of their feet in Grand Lodge on Wednesday , March 6 th , must have been struck with the inadequacy of accommodation provided for the
representatives of the Craft , and must have regretted that the motion made some time ago to consider the propriety of erecting a more suitable building did not meet with more encouragement from the powers that be . The object of my letter is to suggest the conversion and
completion ofthe structure ori ginally intended for an opera house , situated on the Thames Embankment ; we might then boast of the possession of a temple worthy of our already great but still growing institution . Yours fraternally , ARTHUR E . TAYLOR , W . M . 1201 .
BOYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — In your report of the General Committee of Saturday , the 2 nd of March , when referring to my motion
for increasing Miss Hale ' s salary , you state it was from £ 100 to £ 130 . This is a mistake in reporting ; the sum asked for , and carried unanimously , vvas that it should be increased from £ 100 to £ 130 per year . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , W . ROEBUCK .
ST . ALBAN AND FREEMASONRY . To the Editor ofthe " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — St . Alban is stated " to have formed the first Grand Lodge in Britain , A . D . 287 . " Is this statement supported by tradition only , or can it be proved by historical records ? I shall be much obliged for any information your readers may be good enough to give me respecting St . Alban .
I am , Sir and Brother , yours ttuly and fraternally , EDWIN * PRIOR . [ See " Kenning's Masonic Cyclopaedia . " ED . ]
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Grand Orient Of France.
GRAND ORIENT OF FRANCE .
To the Editor ofthe " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Having had the honour and privilege of being a Freemason for many years , I have always regarded the Craft as the most noble , free , and universal of all Institutions ; but after reading the account ot the proceedings of the
Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge held on Wednesday , the 6 th inst ., I must confess that Freemasonry appears to be a very different tiling from what I have always been taught to believe it is . The pain which I felt upon a perusal in your journal of the resolutions carried by Grand Lodge with respect to our French brethren vvas quite equalled by my astonishment .
The facts are simply as follow . The Grand Orient of France , in order to respect the feelings of every good stone man , has tlecided that in future a candidate shall not be forced to pledge his woid that he believes in certain dogmas about which , possibly , he may have some doubt ; that august body has therefore decided to leave out the words relating to the existence of God and thc immortality of the
soul . As to thc first , every one believes tn God in some form or other : we in Eng land believe in our God , our brethren in India , China , and elsewhere , in some othertotally different it may be ; nevertheles' , I rep : at , they all believe in a God , a Supreme Ruler , a Great Architect ; but a man who believes in Buddha would doubtless hesitate in an English or a French lodge to declare his belief in God ,
and upon this principle—the Grand Orient of I'ranee has resolved to " eliminate the name of the G . A . O . T . U . from its Ritual . " As to the second " elimination , " it is well known that a large proportion of our Jewish brethren do not believe in the immortality of the soul , but I was never in a lodge where an Israelite was refused permission to enter it upon , this account .
With the greatest respect fortheM . W . Pro . Grand Mister I must say that I think he put the resolutions to Grand Lodge in a manner not altogether impartial ; he treated it as a foregone conclusion that all present would vote with him ; he said , " I believe that there can be but one feeling and one voice n this Grand Lodge ; " again , " I apprehend that there can be no objection in this Grand Lodge " & c ,
and again , " I trust that it will be in the power of Grand Lodge to vote unanimously . " If these remarks had not been made , I believe much could and would have been said on the other side . It appears to me ' that this act of Grand Lodge is calculated to undermine the ancient and noble institution of Freemasonry—it undoubtedly will impair its usefulness and
diminish its popularity and universality ; and the enemies of Freemasonry will hail with delig ht this act of dictatorial harshness , as well as weakness , emanating from a body where charity and freedom oug ht to be paramount . The Grand Lodge actually objects to " absolute liberty of conscience . " Then may we not ask—is Masonry any longer free ? Has his Lordship forgotten how to answer the
question " Who are fit and proper persons to be made Masons ? " If so , it would be well to remind the noble Earl that there is not a word in thc reply relating either to God or the soul . Can it be possible that the members of Grand Lodge have also forgotten " what are the three grand principles upon which the Order is founded ? " The'importance of the step taken by Grand Lodge
cannot be overrated . Until now , no religious discussion was allowed to take place in any lodge , but Grand Lodge having broken through that estimable rule , how are we to prevent it being broken in our private lodges ? What bickerings , what ill-feeling , what prejudice , what hatred and contempt may not hencefoith mar the harmony which exists amongst us at the present time I For as no wars are so cruel as
religious wars , so no scorn and fierceness can equal that of people whose relig ions are antagonistic , It is fearful J . 1 contemplate that such anarchy might prevail , and that many lodges in their despair of securing harmony under such rule may throw off altogether their allegiance to Grand Lodge , and split up into sections having various head centres of their own . And again , suppose some
eloquent Grand Officer , after reading the four last verses of the 3 rd . chapter of Ecclesiastes , were to come to the conclusion that our illustrious founder , King Solomon himself , did not believe in the immortality of the soul and persuade Grand Lodge of the same I Shall we in that case repudiate him as our First Master and fix upon some one else ? The gravity of this affair is such that it deserves to be
carefully considered by every Mason in the land . For it comes to this—let a man be ever so true , so faithful to Freemasonry , charitable and just , yet if he do not believe exactly what I believe , he is not to be admitted into my society , he is to be discarded by me and spurned from the door of my lodge I But some will reply , "No , he need not believe exactly what you believe—he need not believe in your God ; it is sufficient if he believe in a God , in his own
God . " Are we then to assume ? as J . S . Mill irreverently says , " any God will do ? " If so , I would just remark that in the Sacred Writings we read a description of some persons " whose God is their belly , " and surely it is not desirable to admit such people amongst us ; but however strongly I myself feel upon the subj . ct of out holy and sublime religion , I , for one , should be very sorry to be guilty of the impertinence of asking a foreign brother before entering my lodge what were his ideas and opinions of the
G . A . O . T . U . I hope , Sir , that you and other brethren who read these lines will give the writer credit for sincerity and good faith ; all I wish to do is , to have thc subject well ventilated . I have the deepest respect for our M . W . Pro Grand Master and the rest of the Giand Oflicers , but I believe they have
fallen unawares , nncnns ' n . usly , and without adequate consideration into a i-crinus error which may , unless speedily rectified or mod-Ti ? d , form a fatal blow to the unity of Freemasons , and I would earnestly entreat all who have a sense of the extreme importance of this act to come forward and endeavour to prevent thc reproach and heavy
Grand Orient Of France.
responsibility of weakening the strong ties of brotherly love from falling upon the Grand Lodge of England . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , A FREEMASON AND P . M . [ We publish this letter on the ground of Masonic free discussion , but wc disagree with every argument , and utterly reject the assertions of our brother . In fact , we do not
understand what our brother is reall y driving at . We think it is a pity tbat he has made any remarks about tbe Pro Grand Master , whose presidency vvas admirable , dignified , and impartial , and as the writer clearly ignores the opinion of a great minority in France , so he is utterl y ignorant of the strong feeling of English Masons on the subject . —ED . ]
ROVAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — As the balloting papets for the ensuing election are now in the hands of subscribers , the following analysis of thc cases on the list may prove interesting to some of your readers .
For eighteen vacancies there are twenty-four candidates , of whom eight are from London lodges , two from Hants and I . of W ., two from E . Lancashire , and one each from Bristol , Devonshire , Durham , Essex , Lancashire W ., Leicestershire , Lincolnshire , Nottinghamshire , Somerset , Warwickshire , Yorkshire W ., and Singapore . In four instances ( Nos . 2 , 4 , 18 , and 22 ) this will be the last
opportunity for election , Ten are new cases , the others having been candidates on previous occasions—viz ., one four times , three three times , eight twice , and two at the last poll only . Nine parents are returned as being lodge members at the time of death , but from a comparison of the dates of initiation and death with the number of years subscribed , five others appear to belong to this category .
The duration of membership varies from nine months to eighteen years . Three only of the twenty-four ( Nos . 3 , 14 , and 18 ) , are recorded as charity subscribers . One child ( No . 18 ) has lost both her parents , one ( No . 21 ) has both parents living , the remainder having mothers only . Two applicants ( Nos . 1 and 8 ) have two sisters each , and five candidates ( Nos . 2 , 6 , 15 , 20 , and 22 ) have one sister each ,
already in the Institution ; whilst two ( Nos . 7 and 14 ) have each a brother in the Boys' Schoal . I think these details prove the weakness of one of the strongest arguments used by advocates for altering our system of voting—i . e ., that the majority of subscribers , not having a personal knowledge of the merits of the different cases , are unable to decide for themselves which
they should support , and consequently either sacrifice their votes by non-polling or give them hap-hazird to the first comer . As may be seen from the above , the information given in these lists is so full , although concise , that any one may , in a few minutes , by a series of marks , determine upon the most deserving else , according * to his own opinion , of what chiefly constitutes
urgency ; whether as last application , subscription to charities , or the number of children left , & c , & c . My meaning will be , perhaps , more clearly illustrated by a summary of the pressnt list in the following form , in which I have allowed 5 marks for last applications , 1
mark each for previous applications , 5 if the father was a lodge member at his death , 1 mark for each year of membership beyond five , 3 marks each for charity subscriptions and stewardships , 3 for each parent lost , and 1 mark for each child dependent . Of course these numbers are not arbitrary , but may be varied at discretion .
* i ** . bo a . ^ _« 3 - 3 II 'if ! '•§ * . l oi § s a S 31 U il t « -J . £ g g II * . 0 . 2 J * - S-j eg J = B ° < fl * a H
1 - 4 5 2 S l 6 253 ... 5 5 - 20 3 - 3 5 S S 18 4 5 3 S 5 3 21 . * * — 2 5 2 IS 5 3 32 6 •... 2 ... 2 ... 5 3 12 7 •••2 S 1 ... S 5 18
5 ... 2 5 5 2 14 9 •••2 ... S ... 5 4 16 « o ... 2 S S S 17 11 ... 2 ...2 ...5 2 II 12 ... 2 S I . . . 5 I 14
13 ... « 5 5 2 13 14 ... 1 . •¦ 3 10 5 4 23 13 10 ... 3 6 21 16 2 ... 5 7 14 i ? 5 5 2 12 18 5 . . . S ... 10 10 5 35 19 5 13 •» S S 28 20 7 ... e 6 18
21 5 10 15 22 5 ... s 3 ... S 4 22 23 10 ... S 6 21 24 S 5 2 12 There are doubtless other points which some subscribers
may desire to take into account , but the principle can be extended to any number of considerations—pro and conwhich it may be thought desirable to include , although I have only used the heads under which information in the official list is given . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , H . T . THOMPSON .
r . M . JEWELS AND THE CHARITIES . To the Editor ofthe "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Our Masonic Charities arc certainly more thought about than they were some years ago , and a still greater
Grand Orient Of France.
amount of good remains yet to be done , and one very beneficial result could easily be effected if some great effor ( not my feeble pen ) , either on the part of the Masonic press or those holding high office , if the three indefatigable Secretaries of our three great Benevolent Institutions could be prevailed upon to combine and induce some enterprising Masonic jeweller to bring out a jewel for each charity
—or bars , if necessary—and induce every lodge voting a P . M . jewel for its outgoing Master , to send the amount to that charity the brother may select ; thc Secretary of that particular charity to provide the jewel and its inscription , recording in token of £ voted by Lodge ( or Chapter ) No — , to Bro . , as W . M ., for his services in the chair .
The value of this jewel need not exceed 25 s . or 30 s . and will be just as valuable at a brother's death as a £ 3 5 s . od . or £ 10 ios . od . one is now . ft does not require any argument to establish the fact that it must be to thc interest of any one and all o Ur charities to pay 25 s . to get in £ 3 5 s . od . or £ 10 ios . * ., and if it were to become a rule for every lodge that votes a
jewel to send the amount to one or more of the charities ( cither as life members or governors ) , thc honour would soon be as much coveted as the present jewel now is , and our funds would flow in the proper channel , and not , as in many instances , wasted . The jewels of a brother , upon which an enormous sum
has been expended , will net at his death realise more than as many shillings and are of no use to any one else- and if the above suggestions were carried out no one can tell the good that would be effected or the immense wealth that must flow in to the various charities . Yours fraternally , A P M
PROGRESS OF THE CRAFT . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I have read with great iritcrest your articles on the growth and progress of the Craft , and feel convinced that the practice of having expensive banquets is at the root of all the evils of which you complain .
In many London lodges there is a banquet after each meeting , and as the subscriptions of the members could not possibly pay for the feasting , thc fees of the initiates are consumed , and , as a natural consequence , thc number of candidates is more considered than the fitness . There was a time when thc Craft was confined to men of some social position , but now anybody will do , the
names are sent in , and the ballot is always unanimous , or nearly so . As a consequence many of the persons convicted of notorious frauds are found to be Masons and the Craft suffers . In looking through the papers a week or two since I noticed the names of three people charged with various frauds who are lo my knowledge members of the Craft .
This must be the case while so much feasting goes on , and the charities suffer not only in the increased number of applicants , but because if a lod ge spends the whole of its funds for the benefit of thc landlord of the tavern a very meagre sum is handed to the Steward for the festival of cither charity , say for every pound spent in eating and
drinking a shilling is given to the charities . In the provinces lodges can and do meet and separate , either quite without refreshment or with a simple repast at the expense of the members present . This letter may set some brethren thinking , especially those who , likeTnyself , have the welfare ofthe craft at heart . Yours fraternall y ALPHA .
A NEW HALL . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — AH those brethren who had the good fortune to find room for the soles of their feet in Grand Lodge on Wednesday , March 6 th , must have been struck with the inadequacy of accommodation provided for the
representatives of the Craft , and must have regretted that the motion made some time ago to consider the propriety of erecting a more suitable building did not meet with more encouragement from the powers that be . The object of my letter is to suggest the conversion and
completion ofthe structure ori ginally intended for an opera house , situated on the Thames Embankment ; we might then boast of the possession of a temple worthy of our already great but still growing institution . Yours fraternally , ARTHUR E . TAYLOR , W . M . 1201 .
BOYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — In your report of the General Committee of Saturday , the 2 nd of March , when referring to my motion
for increasing Miss Hale ' s salary , you state it was from £ 100 to £ 130 . This is a mistake in reporting ; the sum asked for , and carried unanimously , vvas that it should be increased from £ 100 to £ 130 per year . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , W . ROEBUCK .
ST . ALBAN AND FREEMASONRY . To the Editor ofthe " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — St . Alban is stated " to have formed the first Grand Lodge in Britain , A . D . 287 . " Is this statement supported by tradition only , or can it be proved by historical records ? I shall be much obliged for any information your readers may be good enough to give me respecting St . Alban .
I am , Sir and Brother , yours ttuly and fraternally , EDWIN * PRIOR . [ See " Kenning's Masonic Cyclopaedia . " ED . ]