Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

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

WHY IS BRO . PEOKHAM ANGRY WITH JACOB NORTON ? I

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —The New York World , of 23 rd Decernber , gave notice of Bro . Peokham ' s mental excitement . It says : — " Mr . Peckham claims a vindication . " It then goes on to say : " The commuuication , by Jacob Norton , in a recent number of the FKEEJIASON ' CHRONICLE , of London , attacking William H . Peckham ,

a prominent member of the Fraternity in this city , for his position with regard to the Grand Orient of France , has called forth a lengthy reply from the latter gentleman , addressed to tho Editor of tho CHRONICLE . The criticism of Peckham was based in part upon the latter's expressed objection to the visit of Bro . F . J . S . Gorgas , while in Paris , in 1888 , to tho Grand Orient Scottish Rita concerns ,

which visit Norton defended , as not inimical to the eanso of Freemasonry . In his reply and support of his claim , that Bro . Gorgas violated his obligations and fealty to the Order , Peckham calls alien . tion to a letter addressed by Gorgas to the Grand Master of Mary . land . Gorgas stated that while in France he attended informally a meeting of what he understood was a purely Scottish Rite Body .

Upon hearing that it was instead a Grand Orient Body , ho wished to disown any intention of dishonouring his own Grand Lodge , and expressed regret for what he had done . The Grand Lodge of Mary , laud accepted the disclaimer , in the spirit in which it was offered , and passed a resolution emphasizing tho severance of relations between that body and the Grand Orient of France , on account of

the elimination from the latter ' s charter of the name of tho Deity . This action is quoted by Peckham as supporting his own view of the apparent disloyalty of Gorgas . " From the above extract , and from Bro . Peckham ' s " Reply " in the FHEEMASON ' S CHKONICXE , one would infer that I have attacked Bro .

Peckham s character . But the fact is , as a citizen , I believe that he is all that is good , and , as a Sovereign Scotch Riter , I believe that ho is just as legitimate and legal as the Sovereigns of the Southern and Northern Jurisdictions , as Bro . Gorman , as Bro . De La Granja , as Bro . Foulhoze . or as either of tho two coloured Masons who rule

over the coloured Scotch Riters . I moreover believe that no Blue Mason ' s Grand Lodge has a right to interfere with the respective claims of our Scotch Rite Sovereigns . I did find fault with tho opinion of the Grand Secretary of New York for advising that charges should be brought against New York Seymour-Cerneauites , because their Sovereign , Bro . Gorgas , visited a Scotch Rite concern

in Paris , and I still maintain that a Grand Lodge has no more right to prohibit me visiting a Scotch Rito concern , wherein some of the members are atheists , than it has a right to forbid me visiting the Royal Society because some of its members are atheists . Brother MacCalla distinctly admitted that all the so-called high degrees are more " Masonic excrescences , " and if so , it is simply absurd ou the

part of Grand Lodges to make a distinction between the said excrescences , for each of the excrescences alike pervert Masonic universality . Bro . Peckham says , " Bro . Norton makes that I am not in good standing . " The truth is , I merely quoted from what a Scotch Riter of another faction wrote , and instead of approving tho treatment Bro . Peckham received from his opponent Scotch Riters , I

expressed my opinion that they ought to have received the penitent sinner with gladness and kindness , especially so when he did it from high religious motives . True , I expressed surprise that Bro . Peckham did not discover that he was serving a sinning Sovereign until about eighteen months after it was known that Bro . Gorgas hobnobbed with the Grand Orient in

Paris , and I must say that the excuse Bro . Peckham made for his long delay has not solved the puzzle . I believe that something yet remains untold in connection with that question . And , now , about Bro . Peckham's disapproving of fault-finding . In every court house the judge is a fault-finder . He finds fault with a man for having been drunk ; with another for stealing , cheating ,

forging , & c , & c , and the said judge is not regarded as a bad man for his fault-finding . Every citizen here has as much right to point out all the faults—both in Church and State—as the judge has in his court ; and I claim equal right to point out the faults of Grand Masters , Grand Lodges , high degrees , and low degrees too . Can any one deny that we had and still have scores of Masonic writers who invented

legends and perverted Masonic history P Or can any one deny that Masonic charlatans have invented so-called Masonic rites and degrees , and palmed them off on our credulous brethren as ancient ? Or , can any one deny that the descendants of those charlatans do not claim to be higher Masons ? and of having a right to rule Grand

Lodges ? And can any one deny that some of our American Grand Lodges are absolutely ruled by Scotch Riters ? So much so , that they even claim the right to expel Masons or abolish Lodges , because Masons choose to patronise Cerneauism ? Nay , more . A Grand Master of Ohio would not suffer the Grand Master of Tennessee to

choose a brother for his representative in the Grand Lodge of Ohio , not because the brother was a Oerneauite , for he was actually a Scotch Riter of the orthodox concern , bnt the said brother believed that a Grand Lodge has no right to meddle with outside organizations . Again . Some years ago , American Grand Lodges severed connection with the Grand Orient of France because it acknowledged tho legality of our coloured Grand Lodges . But as the United Grand Lodges of Germany have also acknowledged the legality of our

Correspondence.

coloured Masons , why do not our rulers treat Germany as they did the Grand Orient of France ? Tho truth is , it was not on account of the coloured Masons that spite was shown to the Grand Orient of France , but because tho Grand Orient acknowledged the legality of a Scotch Rite concern in New Orleans , and if the German Grand Lodges , instead of acknowledging the legality of the coloured

Masous , had acknowledged Bro . Peckham as the only legal S . G . C . of the U . S . and its Territories , the Grand Lodges iu America , who are ruled by Scotch Rite cliques , would have severed connection with the German Grand Lodges too . Still again . If deviating from Anderson ' s landmarks , by leaving out the Deity from the Ritual , is a Masonic offence , tho ignoring of

Anderson ' s landmark of Masonic universality should bo equally regarded as a Masonic offence . Why , then , are our landmark sticklers so indignant against the Grand Orient of France , while they remain very friendly with tho Grand Lodge of Sweden , where none but Christians can be made Masons ? Bnt that is not all . The Masonry of the Grand Lodgo of Sweden

and the Grand Orient of France is at least consistent iu their respectivo Jurisdictions . In tho former , Masonry is undisguiaedly sectarian , and in the latter it is truly universal and cosmopolitan . But how is Masonry in America ? Is it consistently universal ? or is it consistently a Christian Institution ? If it is cosmopolitan and universal , then neither Holy Bible nor holy saints should be mentioned in tho

Ritual ; and if Masonry is Christian , why do you admit Jews , and pretend to universality ? The fact is , our Masonry is faulty ; hence , in some Grand Lodges belief in tho authenticity and inspiration of the Bible is not deemed essential to Masonry , while in other Grand Lodges Masons are expelled because of their disbelief in the Bible .

The latter would be all right , providing a candidate for Masonry signed a plain-worded creed as to what is required of Masons to believe ; but as no such creed is submitted to a candidate before his initiation into Masonry , it seems to me grossly unjust to expel a Mason for disbelieving what ho was never required to believe before ho paid his money for being made a Mason . Fraternally and respectfully yours , BOSTON , Mass ., 7 th Jan . 1890 . . T ACOII NORTON .

Devon Committee Of Petitions.

DEVON COMMITTEE OF PETITIONS .

THE Committee of Petitions , Provincial Grand Lodge of Devon , held their annual meeting on tho 29 th nit ., at Plymouth . There was a large attendance . The Secretary ( Bro . J . B . Gover ) reported that since the last report there have been two electionsboys and girls . The number of votes received for the use of the Province was 570 boys and 329 girls , as against 545 boys and 300 girls in tho corresponding period of the previous year . There is a

steady increase in our members votes , but it is not commensurate with the vastly increased number of votes now requisite to carry a candidate . The report of Bro . Rev . W . Whittley P . G . D . of England , tho representative of the Committee in London , stated that the votes received from the Province in October last were available for the next elections . If he received every vote the Province could send

him , it would be all he could do to carry one candidate . He therefore hoped that all having votes would be loyal to the Committee , and leave their votes for the adopted candidate . Once more he urged the necessity of all the voting papers being signed and sent to tho Secretary immediately on being received . Many votes had been lost to the Province by the lateness of the arrival of proxies . All

other Provinces were able to negotiate at least a fortnight before the elections . He had been unable to do so , not knowing what votes ho would receive . Subject to the approval of the Committee , he had promised to see the girl A . D ., aged nine , daughter of a brother of Lodge 1254 , Exeter , carried at the next election . He hoped tho Committee would empower him to act accordingly , and give him one

other candidate , for whom he would do his best . Both reports were adopted . To two distressed brethren , ouo aged 54 , of Lodge Harmony , Plymouth , the other aged 63 , of Lodge Metbam , Stonehouse , £ 5 each was voted . There were six applications from widows of deceased brothers , six from distressed brothers , seven on behalf of children , candidates for the Schools . The widows are from 156 , Plymouth

age 62 ; Bnxbam , ago 62 , Budleigh Salterton , age 78 ; Brixham , age 72 ; 106 , Exmouth , age 66 ; Crediton , age 58 . The brethren were from Lodges Tavistock , age 62 ; Dartmouth , age 71 ; 1247 , Plymouth , age 68 ; 202 , Devonport , age 68 ; Brixham , age 66 ; 159 , Plymouth , age 62 . Among the children the candidate recommended by Bro . Whittley was adopted . Among

the senior applicants two were strongly recommended for immediate consideration . The brother from Lodge Tavistock was adopted , and the other brother from the Friendship Lodge , Devonport , was warmly advocated to be recommended to the London Representative , should he be able to do anything for him at the coming election . Brothers W . G . Rogers , Rev . H . Whittley , and J . B . Gover were unanimously re-olected Chairman , London Representative , and Secretary respec .

tively . A recommendation from the London Committee of General Purposes to appoint a Provincial Committee to consider all applications for relief , and where necessary to ask for statutory declarations was adopted . Bros . W . Rogers , W . Whittloy , and J . B . Gover were appointed the Committee , with power to add to their number . A recommendation from a London Committee to raise £ 2500 by a subscription of about £ 2 10 s per Lodge to pay off Bro . Binckes was adopted .

Ad00403

/ - 'lOLEMAN'S LIEBIG'S EXTRACT OF MEAT and MALT \ , i WINE . —A 2 s 9 d bottle of this celebrated wine sent free by Parcels Peat for 33 stamps . Over 2 > 000 testimonials received from medical men , COLEMAN & CO ., LIMITED , NORWICH , Sold everywhere .