The Sun.
London, England, 1870-11-11 00:00:00

THE EARL OF CARNARVON ON
FREEMASONRY.

The Earl of Carnarvon,in speaking to a gathering of
Freemasons in Lancashire on Wednesday, said : A great
writer had said that the great public buildings of Europe
built long since by their Masonic forefathers owed their
decline to three causes : to the effects of time, to the revo-
lutions of political or religious thought, and to passions
and bad taste. It was a perfectly true indictment,
but he asked, had Masonry, which had been subjected
to all these three influences—had Masonry succumbed

in the way and degree that the handiwork
of masonry had succumbed throughout Europe? Their
works had felt the effects of time and passion, but the
spirit of Masonry, the inner essence and life,,had remained
untouched and unassailable. It had not merely not
affected Masonry, but in every part of the world Masonry
had gone on spreading. In lands civilised, in lands bar-
barous, in lands near, in lands distant, still the
same tale ; each traveller who returned told
them how great was the power of Masonry.
In war men owed their lives to it, in sickness they
received attendance and care, in desolate countries they
were rescued, and he knew of an instance where a mission
of high importance to the north of India attempted to
Pass in vain until at last the jofficer in command of it gave
certain signs and symptoms known only to them as
masons, which 'at once secured his free passage to the
country. And if there was one part in the
whole habitable world iwhere masonry had taken
deep and firm root, he claimed for that part
for England ; and if there was one corner of

England where,.masonry had taken deeper root than else.
where he thought they might claim it for Lancashire. It
was said about three hundred years ago by one of the
wisest men of the time that England was the place
above all others where the love of truth prevailed, in
coujUnction with reverence for that which was old.
He believed that saying was equally true of masonry.
Those truths which had come through so many genera-
tions could not be without value, and it was for this
that masonry had received so much care and reverence in
this country. There was another reason. We were said to
be a practical nation, and masonry bad shewn its true
value in this, that it had manifested a wonderful adapta-
tion to all the modern requirements and all the wants
of our time. It was a law under which we lived that
every institution in this country must shew cause for its
being, 'and must be prepared to stand its trial ; and he
was satisfied that all good, true, and genuine institutions
would stand the test, and would come out like gold more
and more refined from the ordeal. Masonry might gladly
stand that test, for she would, he . was convinced,
come out of it, and the lessons of ;masonry were not

likely to grow old in our days, for they were as applicable
to us as to our forefathers. They could never tire of the
great cardinal principle of masonry—charity—and should
neve forget that great. bond that united them together.
Lastly, they should never forget how masonry repre-
sented the principle of good citizenship and social order.
In other countries masonry unfortunately had too often
lent herself to other 'societies, who had taken advantage
of her, and under the shadow of her great name had dared
to foist upon society their own miserable doctrines and
theories.

THE WINTER CIRCUIhS.
The following are the winter circuits of the judges :
Lancashire—Mr. Justice Mellor and Mr. Justice Brett.
Leeds, York, and Derby—Mr. Justice Byles.
Glamorgan, Worcestershire, and Warwick—Mr. Baron
Bramwell.
Stafford, Durham—Mr. Baron Cleasby.
Hampshire, Leicester, Northampton, Norfolk—Mi.
Justice Lush.

A Cabinet Council was held yesterday in Down .
ing-street. The Ministers present were the. Right
Hon. W. E. Gladstone, the Lord Chancellor, Earl
de Grey and Ripon, Viscount Halifax, the Right
Hon. H. A. Bruce, Earl Granville, the Earl of
Kimberley. the Right Hon. E, Cardwell, the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, the Right Hon. Hugh Childers, tits Right
Hon. G. J. Goschen, the Marquis of Hartington, the
Right Hon. C. Fortescue, and the Right Hon. W. E.
Forster,
The Patric says that the nephew of Lord Panmure and
the son of a high functionary of the English Church have
joined the free-shooters as volunteers.

•
THE ACCIDENT TO THE PRINCESS LOUISE.—
Princess Louise's knee continues to improve, but the
necessity of still maintaining absolute rest is strictly
enjoined.
It is stated that the Irish Ambulance Corps which
left Dublin for France about three weeks since is about
to serve under General Bourbaki, at Lille.

At the opening meeting of the Royal Geographical
Society next., Tuesday, the last letters of Mr. G. W.
Hayward on the Geography of Gilgit and Yassin will be
read.

Following the example of their fellow-workmen
in Edinburgh, about 200 masons have struck work in
Leith, to resist a reduction of their wages from bid. to
6d. per hour.
A. new steamer for the North German Lloyd's was
successfully launched from the shipbuilding yard of
Messrs. Caird at Greenock on Wednesday. It was named
" Graf Bismarck." The vessel, which is to be supplied
with engines of 400 horse-power, is the fourth of a
splendid fleet of German steamers recently launched by
the same firm.

The Freeman's Journal states that preparations
are being made for holding a great Catholic demonstra-
tion in Dublin. This meeting will take place before the
close of the present month, and will be the most imposing
assemblage held in the city for many years. A number of
Catholic gentlemen are almost daily occupied in completing
the arrangements.

A pew railway will probably soon be started in
Kerry, a company having already been formed for the
purpose. Its starting-point will be from Killorglin (one
of the most prosperous towns in the county), and it will
run by Milltown, whence it will be continued until it
joins the railway station at Farranfore, midway between
Tralee and Killarney. The proposed' line has the warm
support of the landed proprietors of the county.
The barometer has fallen at all stations, especially
iu the south-east. Temperature has fallen donsiderably,
except on our north and east coasts, where there is
little change. The wind has veered to north and north-
east at nearly all stations, and freshened. In the north
-of Scotland it is strong, and squalls of snow, sleet, or hail
are general in the northern districts, and at exposed
western stations. Warnings:were issued to the northern
coasts of Great Britain on Wednesday, and, are now ex-
tended to Wales and the south-west of England.
SEVENTY DAYS IN MICTZ.—The correspondent of
the Manckester Guardian, who was shut up in Metz, con-
tinues his diary of the investment. It is most unfavour-
able to Bazaine. The writer winds up his description of
one bf the sorties thus :—" Thus sadly endad our last
hopeful day at Metz. Never aggin had we any confidence
in the military qualities of the *Commander-in-Chief.
We saw a movement, commenced at daybreak, suspended
until evening, in view of the enemy. We saw a force
sent out with divided councils. We saw the movement
arrested when a night's march could have carried the
position. We saw a force, weakened by a fair day's
work' and a long night's watch, left unsuccoured. We
saw our victory snatched from us when, in spite of those
disadvantages, we had almost grasped it ; and the shock
was too rude. Confidence refused to grow again, and
when we found political trickery added to military
incapacity, we ceased to consider our commander-in-chief
either wise or honest."