Correspondence.

improvements effected in the Grand Master's apartments and the Grand Secretary ' s office , the new parts of the building being made to harmonize , and the whole property presenting a noble and architectural appearance worthy of the great Masonic body . Trusting you will pardon my encroaching at such a great length upon your space ,

I have the honour to be , Sir andBrother , yours fraternally , AN OLD PAST MASTER , And Member of Grand Lodge . P . S . —I have heard the name of Bro . Stephen Barton Wilson mentioned , as suggesting some plan for the adaptation of the property , his great Masonic experience , united to professional talents of the highest order , entitle Ms opinions to every consideration .

The Masonic Charities.

THE MASONIC CHARITIES .

10 THE EDTIOIt OF THE FREEMASONS MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . DEAR SIR . AND BROTHER , — -YOU have , it is true , raised a very important topic in your last number , under the head of Masonic Charities . You state a presentation has been effected in the Girl's School , by a payment of one hundred guineas , aud I would enquire- if that has been found inadequate seeing you now propose an extra ten guineas

to that amount ? From another part of the Mirror I see such persons as ivould become , under the scheme , presenters for life , or iu perpetuity , would have no right to vote at elections but simply to nominate a child upon the vacancy of his last appointment . Would snob a child have to undergo the examination proposed to all children for admission

io the schools , and be subject to rejection by the Committees ? Then if so , would it not be better to purchase such a number of votes and always have the means in the presenter ' s hands of getting , by his own exertions , a child into the schools ? For it is well known that unless

certain people can get their children in , all those who are not so favoured must stand by until Mr . Committee-man . is ensured of his candidate . I am not so clear why you should assume that only young men would buy presentations , to the Royal Benevolent Institution , by fixing the age of the presenter at 30 or 37 . If your theory on this point is correct the

older the presenter is the less it ivould cost , but who is to receive the benefit , the presenter , or the presentee ? To my thinking the calculation should be based on the age of the recipient of the benefits , because it matters but little how many the presenter appoints seeing he has paid a fixed sum and taking one presenter with anotherthe chances would ive a pretty fair to

, g average each . Hoping you will not lose sight of this subject , for which we are all indebted to yon , but show us , by actual tables pointed on specific data , the true way to accomplish so great an end , and returning you my thanks for your valuable , though imperfect suggestions .

I am truly yours , A P . S . It must be admitted that but few brethren would avail themselves of being presentoi-s , but many a lodge could , and would no doubt , constitute their W . M . a perpetual presenter , then I would ask how is the age of the presenter to be regulated ?

[ We would advise our Correspondent to read our article again . We have never assumed that all parties buying presentations would be young , having given the price up to the age of eighty seven , tolerably old ive think . As regards the last question there can be no difficulty , we having proposed that a perpetual presentation should be granted for a fixed sum . —ED . ]

The Province Of Northumberland And The Charities.

THE PROVINCE OF NORTHUMBERLAND AND THE CHARITIES .

TO THE EDITOR OE THE FREEMASONS MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . DEAR , SIR AND BROTHER , —In replying to P . M . 624-, 1 beg to say that I do so for the last time , for though the worthy brother is well known to me , I think , and having replied to his letter in my own name , he ought to have done the same . My reply shall be much briefer than his . In the first

place I beg to assure P . M . 624 , that if he sent me such an invitation to attend , I certainly did not see it ; and as in May I was in London this may account for it , as local circulars are not sent after me . Had I been at home or received the circular in time before leaving home I would certainly have attended 62-1 , and given them every exlanation they required .

p 2 nd . Whether my scheme was so obscure as it is wished to have it made out , or whether the resolutions of St . George ' s Lodge are as courteous as they should have been , I allow your readers to judge . 3 rd . 1 have reason to believe from . the expressions I received , from some of the oldest ancl most respected members of the provincethat P . M . 624 would be hi the

, , minority in upholding the proceeding of the Deputy Prov . G . M ., who interrupted a brother whilst speaking to a motion before the Provincial Grand Lodge , of which regular notice had been given at the last regular Provincial Grand Lodge meeting—as reported in the Magazine—both the manner and the interruption was uncalled for ; and I was congratulated for the forbearance

shown by me , and rather than produce an unpleasant discusssion in tho lodge I took the course reported , of giving up the motion for the present . 4 < th . P . M . 624 forgets that he stated in Prov . Grand ! Lodge that no scheme was forwarded to the different lodges , as ordered in the lodge of emergency , and that , therefore , there was a reason why we should not discuss my motion in Prov . Grand Lodge last November . At the same time he says in his letter to you , ' Bro . Barker ' s ,

scheme was well understood by bM : Ot course he can best explain thc contradiction . 5 th . As to the extraneous matter introduced of fees of honour , and whether the recipients have been worthy of the honour or not ; and whether only brethren who can repeat by rote the tvork of the different degrees should receive a passport to the purple , and all other Masonic

worth be ignored , is a question I need not enter into here , as totally foreign to the present subject , and might advantageously be discussed with the great guns the worthy brother finds fault with , and who can defend themselves better than I can defend them ; as I don't consider , nor have ever considered , myself a great gun . The Charities will not suffer much from the

postponement of my motion , as one of my worthy colleagues , P . M . of 24 , both last y ear and this year , actively worked , and is working , for the Charities . I trust that his collections this year will be , for the Boys' and Girls' School , as large as they were last year for the Royal Benevolent Institution of Aged Freemasons' and their Widows . This worthbrother is not only a good working Mason

y in our ceremonies , from the B . A . to the 18 ° inclusive , but he is indefatigable in every good Masonic work , and yet he is not a great gun ; therefore Northumberland will keep its stand with the Charities , nothwithstandiug the postponement of my scheme . In proof that St . George ' s Lodge is not cognizant of the funds from which I intended to raise the money to

purchase votes for the lodges of the province , they say in Rule XVII . of their bye-laws , " But that iu the case of W . M . and Wardens , who may prove themselves bond fide working officers , the Finance Committee shall have the option of paying their fees of honour to the Provincial Fund of Benevolence , and also , " & c . Now , sir , these fees of honour are not paid to the Fund of Benevolence , but to the Fund of General Purposes . To you , sir , I was not far wrong in saying