The Antiquity Of Laying Corner Stones With Religious And Mystical Ceremonies.

Ono instance , aud that after the Union had taken place , is given ot tho three degrees being conferred on one aud the samo individual . 11 one and the samo meeting , bnt the circumstances Avhich justified this are not even alluded to . The penultimate entry in this Book bears date 9 th May 1816 , and is to tho effect that "Thos . Sutcliffe ' * Ouery , an ancestor of the late Bro . Satellite of tho Province of

Lincoln— " wishes to lie dormant for some time , " but though this brother may havo been permitted to do so , tho practice does not appear to havo found favour with tho Lodge , for on 23 rd October 1817 , a resolution Avas put "That for tho filter none shall lie dormant . " In the Fifth Book , tho first entry fixes the night for meeting , and

also that " tho Lodge of Instructions should bo held ou tho next Sunday but ono to tho Lodgo night , and spend 3 d out of tho Stock " —no very extravagant expenditure it must bo admitted . About this time ( 1819 ) thero Avould seem to havo been started the idea of establishing a Sick Fund in connection with tho Lodge , for wo read moro than ono entry to the effect that " ropitatious " or "

repilations " Avere made on tho subject—Ave presume by theso aro meant " motions" or " recommendations . " An entry on 23 rd Sept . 1 S 20 points to there having then been a Provincial Lodge , for AVO read that " Bro . Ishcrwood delegated to Preston to the day of the Grand Meeting . " Tho next entry lays it down that no member Avas to receive any allowance outside tho Lodgo , Bro . Brockbank suggesting

that this refers to a desire on tho part of tho brethren to drink outside tho Lodge at tho Lodge expense . In November or December of this year two brethren were expelled for non-payment , and " 6 candidates admitted to tho order of Red Cross of Babylon . " Wo can only imagine thafc by this is meant the "Red Cross of Constantino , " though ifc seems an unpardonable slur on the memory of

the first Christian Emperor of Rome to havo confounded his order with the pagan city , Avhich is usually associated Avith a class or order thafc is unmentionable in polito society . But more important is it to ask Avhat our brethren of those days can have been about when , in tho teeth of the Articles of Union , in which pure aud ancient Masonry is clearly defined , they ventured to work any other than

the Craft degrees in a Lodge . We have read iu other local Masonic histories of similar irregularities , but this is certainly the strangest that has come under our notice . A minute relating to the

purchase of jewels for Deacons and Tyler , " according to present fashion" and "A Record 30 Juno 1830 , " with nothing recorded complete this Book . As Book 6 covers tho fivc-and-twenty years , from 1821 to 1846 , wo shall defer all further comments on it till next week . ( To be continued ) .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications . All Letters must hear the name anl address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of rjood faith .

ELECTION OF HOUSE COMMITTEE OE THE BOY'S SCHOOL .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON s CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I attended this election on Saturday last , believing that the introduction of a little new blood would benefit the Institution , especially as the names of some of the new candidates proposed , and marked with an asterisk , strongly recommended themselves as being earnest sincere business-like brethren , well calculated

to share in the management of an Institution towards Avhich they have beeu such liberal supporters . The laAvs of the Institution informed mo that the votes Avero given by ballot , and I have always nnderstood that to mean secret voting . I Avas therefore not a little surprised and amused to observe one indefatigable member of the Committee grasping at and filling up more than a score of voting papers . It Avas exceedingly obliging , bnt neither fair nor in

accordance with secret ; voting . Perhaps means -will in future be adopted to allow members of the Committee to fill up their own voting papers , more especially as I observe that the two UBAV members elected havo only subscribed in the one case £ 10 10 s and in tho other £ 11 lis towards the funds of the Institution . Your obedient Servant , A Lfi'E GOVERNOR .

27 Walbrook , E . G ., 7 th Juno 1880 . To the Editor of Tut : FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I think attention ought to bo called to the manner in Avhich tho elections of our Masonic Charities aro conducted , I am led to say this from Avhat I saw afc the election last

Saturd ay of the House Committee for the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . Article 37 of tho laws distinctly states thafc the election " shall take place by ballot , " yefc how it can be called a ballot wheu 0110 brother fills in a pile of ballotting papers is moro than I can

understand , and this Avas done by ono of tho prominent members of the old House Committee last Saturday , as can be vouched for by others as Avell as myself . I am no advocate for secret voting , aa I think open voting , properl y ruled by the chairman , to be much tho safer plan bufc if tho ballot I

Correspondence.

is to be adhered to it should be conducted strictly as a ballot . I think the papers ought to bo given out to each brother , either by tho chairman or by the scrutineers , aud marked by them in such a manner that tlio scrutineers may easily identify tho papers that havo been properly issued .

I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours faithfully and fraternally , S . B . WILSON .

VISITING SECRETARIES .

To the Editor of tlte FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . ^ DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Tho letter of your correspondent "A P . M . " is doubtless , as poor Artemus Ward would have said , meant for a " gonk , " but seriously , a great deal of fuss is being mado about the successes achieved b y Bro . Hedges , Avho is . unquestionably , a nonvisiting Secretary . Ho is to bo congratulated on his good fortune ,

and I am sure tho last brethren in tho world to grudge him tho honour duo to his achievements aro Bros . Binckes and Terry . Equally certain am I , that if theso brethren had any choice , or thought they had any choice , in tho matter , thoy would much rather not bo always running about London and tbo Provinces in tho performance of Avhat they hold to bo their duty . Now thero is an old

saying to tho effect that people must not expect to get Avhat they Avant by sitting doAvn , and Availing aud hoping for it to come . It ia all very well to open your mouth and shut your eyes , & c , but though you may sometimes get a nice little piece of sugar candy , you may , at other times , get an objectionable pebble or piece of dirt . Bro . Hedges must nofc labour under tho mistaken notion that because the con

tributions to tho Girls' School havo been greater since his election as Secretary than formerly , ho will always experience tho samo good fortune . Ifc is well knoAvn that many subscriptions are given by Lodges or brethren on the spur of the moment , or becanse an official of one of our Institutions , like Bros . Binckes or Terry , is there to remind them that our Charities need constant help ; and ifc generally

and very properly happens that tho donation or subscription is handed or forwarded to tho Institution whoso official representative happens to be present . Nor must it be forgotten that Bros . Binckes and Terry visit , as they do , from a senso of duty—the result of many years' experience . If Bro . Hedges , who , by comparison with hia older colleagues , is a mere Toddlekins still in need of his nurse ' s

help to keep him from falling or breaking his dear littlo arms or legs , can do without visiting , so much tho the better , say I , for Bro . Hedges ; but I fear very much that a year or two hence AVO shall find tho Girls' School lagging behind , unless Bro . Hedgos's nurses aro willing to go on doing for him Avhat Bros . Binckes aud Terry for years past have dono for themselves .

I remain , Dear Sir and Brother , Faithfully and fraternally , Nous VERRONS .

THE MASONIC RITUAL .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Your issue of 8 th May contains comments by Bro . Rossetcr on my letter printed the Avoek previous . Bro . Rossefcer interprets " bright morning star " to mean tho sun . This is his so-called '' literal translation of that passage , " and ho is very much I afraid thafc my susceptibility has outrun my discretion . Permit mo

to say that , as Bro . Rosscter is a firm believer iu the Graud Mastership of Messrs . Nimrod , Osiris and Co ., ho may also bo able to believe that " tho bright morning star " referred to the sun , or that tho moon is made of green cheese , or anything else . I , however , cannot believe thab tho literal translation ot the "bright ; morning star" Avas OA'er meant to convoy the idea of fche rising sun , and , should proof bo called

for , I can amply supply him Avith authorities , copied from tho Masonic publications of those who interpreted the said passage just as I did . The fact is undeniable , that since 1717 Masonic Ritual-mongers have been incessantly striving to turn the Lodgo into a conversion trap . It has beeu so in England , in America , aud on the European Continent ; , but Avith only this difference : —in Germany Masonry Avas made

exclusively for Christians . Everything thero was open and above board , but in England and in America thoy tried to make rituals with double meanings ; henco our English and American Masonic luminaries have always been in a pickle—thab is , they Avere either vacillating or prevaricating , as I have stated in a former paper . Tho same authority would declare that Masonry is a religion , and that ifc is not a

religion . It is certainly high timo for us to know what Masonry is . Pray , therefore , do tell ns what Masonry is . These sectarian allusions in tlio Ritual place the Hebrew W . M . in an unenviable position . If he does nofc know what he is reciting , ho is laughed at for his ignorance ; and if he does knoAV tho Christian significance of a phrase , and still repeats ifc , he is regarded Avith contempt for his hypnerisv . Nor is the Hebrew W . M . alono so

regarded , fur the finger ot scorn may bo equally pointed against tho Jewish Masons iu a Lodgo who complacently listen to these Jesuitical interpolations in the Ritual . On the other hand , it cannot bo denied thafc thoso very pious brethren , Avho so persistently oppose the reform of the Ritual , must bo utterly blind ( uothwitbsranding thoir piety ) to tho principles of truth , honour , justice , and of " doing as they would be done by . "

Respectfully and fraternally , JACOIS NORTON . Boston , U . S . 21 sb May 1880 ,