societies have acknowledged organs, the Odd-fellows' Magazine and the Foresters' Quarterly Miscellany. Both issue guides to the lodges and courts, the Odd-fellows every other year, and the Foresters annually; and from the last two issued the following figures are selected. It should be premised that the Odd-fellows' book from which the numbers are taken is for January, 1858, and the Foresters', 1859. The numbers of both societies at the commencement of this year were:-Odd-fellows: 429 districts; 3,202 lodges; 287,573 members. Foresters: 175 districts; 2,048 courts; 148,562 members. As a proof of the wide footing and influence they have both obtained, and to show the approximate distribution of members, this table will be sufficient :

On careful examination, some numbers require remark; for instance, the Odd-fellows' under Derbyshire include several Leicester lodges, Lancashire some in Cheshire, and Middlesex includes lodges in Essex, Herts, Kent, and Surrey. The Foresters' are even more remarkable; for Cheshire includes courts in Denbigh, Carnarvon, Derby, Stafford, and Leicester; Hampshire: the Isle of Wight, Chichester, Westbourne, Arundel, Midhurst, Poole, and Dorchester; Lincoln: the courts in Northampton, Nottingham, Leicester, and Yorkshire; whilst Middlesex includes many in Essex, Bucks, Kent, Surrey, Herts, Suffolk, Cambridge, and St. Heliers, Jersey. However, in London, the Foresters are certainly much in excess of the Odd-fellows, and Lincoln also is the Foresters' stronghold, probably from the fact that their forefathers “ attired in Lincoln green."

were

THE SOLICITOR-GENERAL AN ODD-FELLOW.

Ar a meeting of the Loyal Berkshire Lodge, held on Tuesday evening, October 25th, 1859, at the Lodge Room, Crown Inn, Horn Street, Reading, the Members for the Borough, Sir H. Keating (the Solicitor-General) and F. Pigott, Esq., M.P., were initiated into our Order; with J. Boorne, Esq., and T. Rogers, Esq., two gentlemen residing in the town. The attendance of members was numerous, and the room was very tastefully decorated with flags, banners, and evergreens. The chair was ably filled by N.G. Davis, the vice-chair by V.G. Wheeler; while P.G. Atter, of the Norwich district, officiated as G.M., or Lecture Master.

After the usual loyal and patriotic toasts had been drank, the SolicitorGeneral rose and expressed the gratification he felt at having been admitted a member of the Order, and his surprise that he should have remained so long in comparative ignorance of its vast magnitude and usefulness. When he was first asked to join this institution, he requested to see a copy of its laws, and until he had looked through them, he abstained from becoming a member. On examination, however, he found them to be such as to merit his entire approbation.

F. Pigott, Esq., M.P., expressed his entire concurrence with the remarks of his honourable colleague, in the pleasure afforded them by being admitted members of our great society. He had listened with very great attention and pleasure to the address of the worthy G.M., and it had convinced him that, although he had previously known nothing of Odd-fellowship, it was a Society in every way worthy of support.

Thomas Rogers, Esq., and Mr. Councillor Boorne, each briefly expressed a hope that the example they had that evening set by becoming Odd-fellows would speedily be followed by other gentlemen in the town.

A handsomely-bound copy of the general and bye-laws was presented to each member on initiation.

AN ODD-FELLOWS' HALL OPENED IN SYDNEY.

On Wednesday, October 26, the city of Newcastle presented a scene such as was never witnessed there on any previous event in its history. The occasion was the laying of a foundation_stone of a building to be called the Oddfellows' Hall, in Darby Street, Lake Macquarie Road. The brethren and friends assembled in large numbers accompanied by bands of music, and the imposing ceremony was performed by James Hannell, Esq., J.P.

The bottle containing the names of the officers of the lodge, the trustees of the building, and by whom the ceremony was performed, with the newspapers of the day, and coins of the realm, was something of a curiosity. On one corner was engraved a cornstalk; on the second, a thistle; on the third, a shamrock; on the fourth, the rose of Old England-also the following lines:

Coin may corrode and waste away,

As generations pass;

The best of parchment may decay,

So 'tis inscribed on glass

The names of those who lent their aid

In getting up this hall;

Long may they live, and when low laid,
Regretted be by all.

The ceremony included a grand procession, a banquet, and a ball.

• In Memoriam.

JOHN BOLTON ROGERSON,

One of the Manchester Poets of the People, and formerly Editor of the Oddfellows' Magazine who died lately in the Isle of Man.

BY ELIZA CRAVEN GREEN.

SAD, in the Winter that forgetteth Spring,
I stand alone-from Friendship's charmed ring
The pearls drop fast; their place is void and dim,
And the last jewel from my rosary

Of life's lost treasures, falls, in mourning thee,
Friend of my youth and Brother of the Lyre!
I knew thee first when Poësy's kindling fire
Flush'd all thy hopes with glorious desire

For Fame's bright garland. When the prize was won,
And the ripe, golden fruitage of thy thought
Crown'd with calm grace thy manhood's dignity;
When fireside bliss and sweet serenity

Of love were thine, and all thy songs enwrought
With golden harp-notes from an angel hymn,
As thy true life look'd towards the westering sun.
Then rose the " little cloud" that dimm'd thy sky,
Sorrow and stern disease came swooping nigh,
And I, whose wild flowers in thy young renown
Were blent, and mingled in thy laurel crown,
Survive, to shed those wild flowers on thy grave,
And mourn thee, sleeping by the Island-wave!
From the "Kendal Mercury."

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND.

On the 21st of May last, his Excellency, the Governor of the Colony, assisted by the Bishop of Wellington, and His Honour the Superintendent, various Military and Naval Officers, Members of the Provincial Executive, Members of the Provincial Council, Clergy of the several denominations, Justices of the Peace, Bankers, Merchants, and a large number of Odd-fellows, laid the foundation stone of the Odd-fellows' Hall, with all due ceremony. The copper plate bears the following inscription :

AMICITIA AMOR ET VERITAS."

This plate is inscribed to commemorate the laying the
FOUNDATION STONE OF A HALL,

FOR THE INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD-FELLOWS, M.U., IN WELLINGTON,
BY HIS EXCELLENCY COL. THOMAS G. BROWN, C.B., GOVERNOR OF NEW ZEALAND,
May 21st, A.D. 1859,

IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS HONOUR ISAAC EARL FEATHERSTON, ESQ., (Superintendent of the Province,)

THE MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE, THE GENTLEMEN REPRESENTING THE CITY
OF WELLINGTON IN THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL, AND THE

OFFICERS AND BRETHREN OF THE VARIOUS
LODGES IN THE DISTRICT,

P.G.M. S. Levy, D.P.G.M. G. Goldfinch, C.S. J. Duck. Also the Building
Committee, consisting of Brothers of the

C. R. Carter, Superintendent of Works; Smith Furness, Builder; Williamson and Bailey, Architects. Engraved by P.P.D.G.M. Marriott.

THE ROMAN CATHOLICS AND FRIENDLY SOCIETIES IN CANADA.

THE following important correspondence has been forwarded to us for publication. We insert it without comment :

West Maitland, June 10, 1859.

To the Editor of the Northern Times and Newcastle Telegraph.

SIR,-I am requested by the "Friendly Societies" of Maitland, to hand you the following correspondence between themselves and the Very Rev. Dean Lynch, R.C.C., of Maitland, and to request the favour of your giving the same a place in your journal. I remain, Gentlemen,

Your obedient servant,

ALEX. WILKINSON, Secretary to the Friendly Societies.

West Maitland, May 14, 1859.

To the Very Rev. J. T. Lynch, Dean, &c.

REVEREND SIR,-It was with the greatest astonishment that the members of a Friendly Society, designated "Odd-fellows," received from their deputation, who waited upon you, upon hearing from the widow of the late John James Penny, (a member of that society), that you would not perform the last rites of Christian burial over his remains, the reply that "Your church did not recognise or countenance any such secret societies,' and that you would not read the burial service if they attended in their insignia, or followed in any manner as a body or society his remains to their last resting place."

Your reverence thus preventing (by your mandate) his fellow members, (of fourteen years' standing), who have administered to his wants during affliction and distress, from testifying, by their presence, the respect and esteem in which he was held by them.

We most emphatically deny your assertion that we are, or have ever been, a "secret society," or that such a designation can properly be applied to us or any body of "Odd-fellows."

The chief aim, object, and end of our Societies (the "Rules and Regulations" of which are certified and enrolled according to the laws of our country) are to relieve the sick and distressed, to assist and protect the widow and orphan, and to insure a certain sum to be paid upon the death of members, their wives, or children, and thus our objects are charitable only; nothing of a political character is tolerated at our meetings, and our societies are open to members of every creed, without distinction. We forcibly inculcate the observance of the most exalted precepts-"Friendship, Brotherly Love, Charity to the Afflicted and Distressed, and a strict adherence to Truth."

The "Sacred Book conveys to us innumerable and impressive exhortations to brotherly love, tender-heartedness, to forbearance, to charity in thought and deed, and to universal benevolence; guided by these principles, and acting from the impulse of these sentiments, the mischievous tendency of those evil passions which injure and destroy the happiness of man, are nullified in our meetings, whilst sincerity, plain dealing, and active benevolence, prompt both Heart and Hand to join in promoting the welfare of others. These are the distinguishing characteristics of Odd-fellowship." With these objects engrafted in each Odd-fellow's heart, judge of our amazement and just indignation in being stigmatised as a "secret society," which, in general, has for its objects the perversion of everything moral and divine, and to pander to the most evil and pernicious passions of human nature. Our indignation was just, in having this noble institution of our fatherland (founded on the purest philanthropy) compared to the secret societies of other countries, which have not the same objects in view, and the sentiment is unworthy of the intelligence of your reverence, or of any other gentleman having the welfare of society at heart, as we sincerely believe you have always had.

The members do you the justice to believe that your reverence's usual good judgment has been warped and misled upon this occasion; and they have no doubt that when the laws and rules are laid before, and properly ex. plained to you, you will withdraw all opposition to the Friendly Societies of Maitland, which are of so much benefit to suffering humanity.

From an early period the Legislature have recognised the great value of "Friendly Societies," and passed various enactments with the view of throwing around them the protection of the law, and the better enabling them to fulfil the objects their founder and supporters had in view. The Act of Parliament of Great Britain, passed in 1851, provides that the rules and tables of all Friendly Societies shall be certified by an experienced Actuary, who must declare that the tables may be fairly and safely adopted, and that they fairly represent the interest of members entering at those terms of age, without prejudice to any.

Thus our Societies, being based upon those calculations, are permanent and secure-the means being commensurate to the end in view; its monetary calculations are correct, and in harmony with those laws of sickness and mortality, which are well known to those who have given due attention to such matters; so that individuals can say that it will really and truly be the support of their declining years, when the infirmities of old age creep upon them, and they will have the consolation of falling back on the industrious savings of their vigorous youth.

The pass-words are always moral sentences, and are changed quarterly; for, if there were not such secret economy whereby members could know each other, a stranger, who had not contributed like the rest, might deceive a true member of the Society, and entirely defeat the purposes for which it was instituted, namely, that of relieving the wants and administering consolation in the distresses of every member who fairly and honestly purchases