The Charities.

THE CHARITIES .

LONDON , SATURDAY , JANUARY IS , 1862 .

In an article referring to the Charities last week , ¦ we erroneously attributed the letter on which it was founded to Bro . Hall , the Prov . Grand Master for Cambridgeshire , whereas the writer was Bro . Jennings , P . G . D . C . The error occurred through ojir not having seen the letter , and the name of Bro . Hall being mentioned in the conversation in which we were informed of its contents .

New Grand Master For France.

NEW GRAND MASTER FOR FRANCE .

The Emperor of Prance has relieved the Erench Ereemasons from the decree under which secret societies were prevented liaving a central directing authority , and in a manner peculiarly Napoleonic and Erench , given them a new Grand Master in the

person of Marshal Magnan—who it appears was initiated for the purpose . By this extraordinary stretch of authority the Emperor has at once destroyed one of the main principles of the Constitutions of the Order , that of electing its OAVU Grand

Master . Much as the recent dissensions amongst the brethren with regard to who should be Grand Master , were to he regretted they were as nothing compared to the injury which will be done to the Order by this arbitrary act of the Emperor—the substitution of King Stork for King Log .

The act is thus described by the Paris correspondent of the Daily Hews .- — The Emperor has made a coup d ' etat against Ereemasonry . He has abolished the right and universal practice of the Craft to elect its own Grand Master , and has thrust upon it in that capacityfor a period

, of three years , Marshal Magnan , the soldier who , it will be remembered , officiated in chief at the political and bloody coup tVetat of 1851 . The Opinion Wationale , which , considering its relations with Prince Napoleon , ought to be well informed on such a subject , says that Marshal Magnan is a

Ereemason of only one week's standing , and has been hurried through all the degrees of the Order up to the very highest in that short space of time . I mention this as a circumstance which ought to be known , but I regard it as of no account whatever in comparison with the grievous t involved

yranny in the appointment of a Grand Master by imperial authority . I ; happen to be a Ereemason of considerable experience myself , and therefore cannot help having an ex cathedra opinion on the subject . But I am not , therefore , a very prejudiced witness , because I am bno means an enthusiastic member of the

fray ternity . Indeed I am not sorry for an opportunity of ventilating one humble opinion , which I think ituseful to make public , that Masonry in the present day _ is not an institution of that vast utility and merit which many of its adepts lash themselves into

New Grand Master For France.

believing by long practice in mutual admiration . At the same time my lukewarmness about Masonry does not blind me to the rights of the more devoted brethren . I know no harm of it ( except that it sometimes leads to extravagance and imprudent conviviality ) and it isbeyond doubt- often the

, , , channel of much good . "With these chastened feelings on the subject of the Craft generally , I denounce the appointment of a Grand Master of the Ereemasons of Erance by the Emperor as an act of highly vexatious , mostunealled for , and paltry tyranny , Avhich will gratuitouslinterfere with the innocent

y habits of many thousands of worthy citizens . I look upon it as tantamount to the dissolution of the order . I lately heard that many Ereemasons were leaving the lodges , and I am quite sure that the resignations will now be on a tremendous scale . Happily railways and steamboats render travel easy , and I have

no doubt that numbers of the most distinguished Erench Ereemasons will become members of foreign lodges . There Avill be a Masonic " emigration , " ivhich will make the government repent greatly of this most ill-advised measure . Marshal Magnan will preside over government people only in the great majority of cases .

Freemasonry In France.

FREEMASONRY IN FRANCE .

There has lately been published in Paris a pamphlet entitled " The Grand Orient of France and Universal Masonry—a simple memoir addressed to all the brethren , and to the Orients ( or governing bodies ) of all the Rites "—which gives so clear an account of the

disputes which have arisen relative to the Grand Mastership , that we proceed to lay it before our readers , though the question of the Mastership has now been settled by the Emperor , The brotherhood which binds all Ereemasons

involves the unity of all Orients ; for , if it is true that there can be several Masonic governments , there is , and can only be , one Ereemasonry in the world , as there is , and can only be , one human nature . These important facts have ever prevailed in the breast of the Grand Orient of Erance . A struggle to be regretted , and which unhappily still continues , has ,

however , arisen between the representatives of the lodges and the Grand Master of Erench Masonry . In this struggle , the honour of a great number of Masters of lodges , the rights of the lodges , and the fundamental principles of Masonry , which are those of eternal morality , are at stake . It interests , therefore , all the

children of the widow , as the reputation of a mother interests all her children . Called by chance to defend the common birthright , we believe the moment has eome to render an account of our conduct to our brothers , the foreign Orients , since we have rendered an account of it to those who

have chosen us to represent them . "We have need of the power which gives us the witness of oiir conscience and the opinion of the brethren of our lodges , joined to the moral support of the other Orients , and the sympathising approbation of our brothers of every rite . It is knoAvn that the Grand Orient of Erance consists : —