Correspondence.

HOLIDAY HAUNTS . To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Will you allow me to point out a slight inaccuracy in your interesting article on the attractions of the Eastern Counties as a holiday resort ? Referring to Sudbury and Snffolk , you state that both the great

painters—Gainsborough and Constable— " wero natives of this charmin «¦¦ old town . " Sndbury can certainly boast of having produced Gainsborough , bnt Constable was born at the village of East Bergholt in Suffolk , situate on the Stour , opposite Manningtree . Apologising for troubling yon , I am , Dear Sir ,

. Yours fraternally , GEORGE F . BRUCE , Metropolitan Lodge 1507 . 36 Hargrave Park-road , N . 31 st Jnly 1883 .

[ We are mnch obliged to Brother Brace for his correction . The writer of the article trusted to ' liis memory , which on this occasion unhappily failed him . In a reprint of the article the error has been corrected . —ED . F . C . l

The Mother City Of Masonry In America.

THE MOTHER CITY OF MASONRY IN AMERICA .

EEOM THE KEYSTONE .

OUR esteemed contemporary , the New York Hebrew Leader , after quoting from our recent review of Bro . the Hon . J . Simpson Africa ' s excellent historical address on Freemasonry in Pennsylvania , delivered during our Sesqui-Centennial Celebration of last year , adds : — " The above logical address of Bro . Africa is admirable , but we

fail to appreciate the assumption of the term ' Mother , ' by the Key stone , which implies that all the other State jurisdictions are its progeny . In this sense Pennsylvania cannot claim to be even the mother-in-law . Let us rather use a Masonic term , and say Elder Sister . "

Bro . Leader , we cannot accept your amendment . Pennsylvania is neither the mother-in-law of Masonry in America , nor simply the elder siste of the other Masonic jurisdictions ; neither do we recognize " Elder Sister" as a " Masonic term . " We would not wish Pennsylvania to be the mother-in-law of Masonry , for mothers-in-law are sometimes thrown out of tho window , sisters-in-law sometimes

deserve to be , and elder sisters often assume authority simply on account of their age ; while mothers are always and everywhere respected , save perhaps among the Hottentots and Fejee Islanders . Bro . Leader , you fall into error when you say we " ASSUMED" the term "MOTHER , " for tho Masonic jurisdiction of Pennsylvania . It is a demonstrable fact , that we hope to make clear to you before we have finished , that this same Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania , meeting in

Philadelphia , has introduced and successfully planted many Lodges in the present territory of nearly all of the United States of America , and that these Lodges continued under the jurisdiction of Pennsylvania , until they successively united in forming independent Grand Lodges for themselves . This , we take it , is irrefragable evidence of the fact , that Philadelphia is entitled to be styled the Mother City of Masonry in America , and Pennsylvania the Mother Jnrisdiction .

Now for the proof . Nearly all of the Middle , Southern and Western States received Freemasonry by Warrant from the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania , meeting at Philadelphia . We by no means confined our Masonic efforts to spreading Masonry through the State of Pennsylvania , but we also introduced it in the States of New Jersey , Delaware , Maryland , Virginia , North Carolina , South Carolina ,

Georgia , Louisiana , Ohio , Indiana , Missouri , North-West Territory and Indian Territory ; , leaving only the New England States , or rather the territory immediately adjacent to Massachusetts , to receive its Masonic light from that jurisdiction . We will now specify a few particulars in proof of our allegation . We gather them from the authoritative "List of Lodges , " appended

to Part III . of the reprint of the " Early History , Constitutions , and Proceedings " compiled and published by the Library Committee of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania , in 1880 . Lodge No . 5 was chartered m Delaware ; Lodgo No . 7 in Maryland ; Lodge No . 10 in New Jersey , Lodge No . 12 in "Virginia , Lodge No . 20 in North Carolina , Lodge No . 27 in South Carolina , Lodgo No . 42 in Georgia , Lodge "P . 78 in tho North-West TerritoryLodgo No . 105 in OhioLiilgo

, , No . 107 in Indiana Territory , Lodge No . 100 in Louisiana , Lodge No . Hi , ' ,, g ( j _ L 0 UiS ) Louisiana Territory , & c „ & c . Wo havo given bnt a tithe of the Lodges warranted by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania outside of the State of Pennsylvania , because these , and a reference to tho others , are sufficient to establish the principle for which we contend . Besides these , Pennsylvania also warranted ^ wlges in Mexico . Cuba . Trinidad . San Domingo , and elsewhere . Bv

^ hese unanswerable facts we prove , and do not assume , that Philadelphia is the Mother City of Freemasonry in America . But there are two elements which necessarily cuter into this question—not only maternity , but the absolute priority of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania . This , trio , is demonstrable beyond a peiarlventure . The earliest Deputation issued bv the Grand Lodire of

"gland for any present Masonic Jurisdiction " in America , was that to ^ o . Daniel Coxe , Provincial Grand Master of the Provincps of New iork , New Jersey aud Pennsylvania , dated 5 th June 1730 . We want uo better proof of this than the fact that the Grand Lodge of

The Mother City Of Masonry In America.

Massachusetts , in ISO : ? , secured an attested copy of the same from Grand Secretary Clarke , of England , and published this Deputation in full in their Grand Lodge Proceedings for 1871 . In tho same Proceedings thoy published a communication from their own P . G . Master Hoard , stating that when ho visited tho Grand Lodge Office in London , in 1870 , he was shown by Grand Seeretarv FL > rvey ; m

original record of the early Provincial Grand Masters of England , and at the head of those stands the name of Bro . Daniel Coxe . Those speak for themselves . Lodge No . 70 , at tlie Hoop , Waterstreet , Philadelphia , was warranted by Provincial Grand Master Coxe in 1730 , and is recorded in tho " Freemason ' s Pocket Companion of 1735 , " published at Dahlia . We have the authority of so

eminent and disinterested a Masonic scholar as Bro . William James Hughan for tho assertion , that this Lodge in Philadelphia was " warranted as well as constituted in tho latter part of the year 1730 , or , in other words , nearly three yeirs before any other Lodge has boon proved to bo in existence on the Continent of America . " So much , for the earliest Lodge . The meeting of the earliest Grand Lodge

under the Coxo deputation is proved , by Bro . Benjamin Franklin ' s newspaper , tie Pennsylvania , Gazette , issued for Monday , 20 th Juno 1732 , and still preserved . It states that tho Grand Lodgo of Freo and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania mot on 2 Uh Juno 1732 , and elected a Grand Master , Deputy Grand Master and Grand Wardens . So much for the earliest Grand Lodge . We havo now established

both tho priority and the maternity of the Grand Lodge uf Peunsylvania , in relation to the Grand Lodges of America . One word in conclusion . There are those who assert ( we do not , for it is not necessary ) that tho alleged Deputation to Henry Price , of Boston , as Provincial Grand Master of New England , dated at London , 30 th April 1732 , has no valid oxistence . Certain it is ,

according to the testimony of the Proceedings of tho Grand Lodge of Massachusetts for 1871 , where the whole question is thoroughly gone into , that no trace of the Price Deputation is on record in the Grand Lodge of England , except in the printed calendar of 1768 , after the death of Provincial Grand Master Jeremy Gridloy , in 1767 , when Bro . Henry Price was appointed to succeed him , nor is there

any mention whatever there of tho name of Henry Price as Pro . vincial Grand Master of New England in 1733 ; while there is a fnll record , as we have before stated , of the Coxe Deputation of 1730 , and of the appointment of Bro . Daniel Coxe as Provincial Grand Master . The only evidence of the Price Deputation , is an alleged copy of it , in Boston , made , not in 1733 or thereabouts , bat as late

as 1751 , when Bro . Charles Pelham , Secretary of the First or Royal Exchange Lodge , Boston , wrote up the minutes of his Lodge for the previous eighteen years , and placed the Price Deputation at the head . Price ' s Deputation only exists in an alleged copy , and by hearsay evidence , and of false hearsay in one important particular , as we know , when it was alleged , in the Boston prints , that Price ' s

Doputation had been extended by the Grand Lodge of England over all North America ; and it was this false assertion that led Grand Master Bro . Benjamin Franklin to write his now famous Masonic letter , under date of Nov . 28 , 1734 , to Bro . Henry Price . We note also another discrepancy in tho alleged Price Deputation

of 1773 . In the copy of that Deputation , certified to by Grand Secretary Moore , of Massachusetts , in 1871 , it is stated to be signod by " J . Stnythe J . G . W . " This was not the name of the then Grand Junior Warden of tho Grand Lodge- of England , but it was "James Moore Smyth . " Here is another nut for our Massachusetts brethren to crack .

We observe , finally , that not only was the earliest Prov . G . Master and Grand Lodge for America warranted in Philadelphia , by the First Grand Lodge of England , the so-called "Ancients , " in 1730 , but also the earliest , Provincial Grand Master and Grand Lodge for America were warranted in Pennsylvania by tho Second Grand Lodge of England , the so-called "Ancients , " and bears date July 14 , 1761 .

( See Part I , Reprint Pennsylvania History and Proceedings , p 27 ) . Pennsylvania carries off all Masonic honours in this regard , and her historic position is assured . We trust that both our esteemed contemporary the N . Y . Hebrew Leader , and all other leaders of Masonio opinion , will take note of the above facts , and govern themselves accordingly .

A meeting of the Grand Council of the Allied Masonic Degrees of England and Wales , & c . & c , of which Most Worshipful Bro . tho Rev . Cation Portal P . G . M . M . M . M . is the Grand Master , and Right Worshipful Bro . Cbar ' es E . Matier P . G . W . M . M . M . the Deputy Grand Master , will

take place at the Mitre Hotel , Hampton Court , on Saturday , the 11 th instant , at four o ' clock , when , in addition to other business , the Grand Officers Avill be appointed and invested . The Annual Festival of the Metropolitan Council will take place afc five o ' clock . Dinner , including wine , for members , 10 a Gd ; to non members , One Guinea .

Mauri Age.

MAURI AGE .

MATHER-LONG . —At St . John Hie Divine , Kennington , on Mo . uHy , 30 th ult ., Aivrncu ADAM , eldest son of Mr . A . Stoker Mather , to ELIZA J . WE LOUISA , oldest daughter of Mr . Richard Long .

Ad00703

DANCING .-To Those Who Have Never Learnt to Dance—Bro . ami Mrs . JACQUES WTN'ArAN'N' receive daily , and nndertako to teach aclies and gentlemeD , who have never had the slightest previous knowledge or nstrnction , to go through every fashionable biilt-da-xe in a few easy lessons . Private lessons any hoar . Horning and evening classo PROSPECTUS ON- APPLICATION ACADEMY—74 NEWMAN STREET , OXFORD STREET , W . BRO . JACQUES WysirAjrir WILL BE HAPPY 10 TAKE inn MASAGBUENX < MASONIC BALLS . FIHST-CLASS BANDS PBOVIPED .