Address To Our Readers.

ADDRESS TO OUR READERS .

THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR .

WE avail ourselves of the opportunity afforded by the completion of this , the seventeenth volume of the new series of the FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIEEOE , of again addressing our readers " " according to ancient custom , " at the conclusion of each half-yearly issue ; and , as at this particular period and season of the year , we feel , perhaps , more than at any other time wishful to be on terms of peace , harmony , and good-fellowship with the rest of mankind , and particularly with our brethren

in Freemasonry , we at once enter upon the task as an agreeable duty not to be omitted , although , indeed , we have upon this occasion but little to say upon subjects that more immediately concern our ancient and honourable Order , except that , generally , peace and goodwill reigns supreme , and that the noble Oraftis still rapidly extending and thriving prosperously throughout the world . The sacred cause of charit y has , during the year now about to pass away , not only been

supported " as of yore , " but , having been so warmly and so ably advocated and successfully advanced , has flourished and prospered to an extent amongst us hitherto unequalled , and never before reached . Not only have our strictly Masonic Charities been thus supported , but general charitable efforts , and the many charitable institutions of the entire world have received a larger amount of contributions in aid from individual members of our Order , as well as from our various

Masonic lodges at home and abroad ; and we may here note the growing disposition so laudably shown by the more enlightened , better educated , and liberal minded members of our Order to extend still more generally our charitable aid to objects of national and local interest ; and we are glad to be able to state that not only has this practice been followed by the Harmony Lodge at Bradford for several years , but that other lodges have more recently adopted this course , so much to be admired ,

and so worthy of imitation by others . Never in our recollection was there so great a necessity for a more widely extended application of charity than now exists throughout this country ; never were the deserving and industrious populations of our great cities , and centres of industry , manufactures , and commerce so much in want of extensive relief and judiciously applied aid from the charitable as now . Tens of thousands of those who were until recently earning a livelihood by their skill and

labour—not only at the east end of this great metropolis , but throughout it and throughout many of our great manufacturing towns , seaports , and centres of commerce—are without work and in a state of pauperism . Let those who have , give to those who have not ; and let it not be said that in this rich and Christian country the unemployed and would-be industrious , because they cannot obtain employment , are permitted to starve amidst plenty .

Amongst the numerous excellent suggestions received by us during the last half year , we have had one made by an old correspondent , which , we trust , will commend itself most favourably to the Craft in general—namely , the collection of funds from Freemasons for the purpose of purchasing a Lifeboat , to be placed on some coast station where such a means of saving- human life is much needed ; and it must not be forgotten that around our iron-bound coast there are many such , Ifc