The Degree Of Knights Templar Priest.

I can speak thus confidently of tho degree , being in possession of the Scottish ritual for many years , as also that of tho ono used in the oldest Tabernaelo in England , attached to the Jerusalem Conclave , N «> . !' . of Knights Templar , Manchester , one of tho very few now remaining , and whoso by-law .- * were drawn up at its revival in LSI 3 , with the names of all admitted from time to time appended to I hem ,

these rules , which are termed secret , ate very stringent , and were only to be read in full to Templars seeking admission . Tho duties inculcated being most solemn and binding on tho membors , are not to be lightly undertaken . An instructive little work on the Orders of the Temple and St . John , & c , published by Bro . John Yarkor , of Manchester , in 18 f > 9 , gives an interesting account of this dogree in connection with the Tomplar Order , and can be rend with advantage .

It only remains to say that the high moral and religions teachings of the ritual recommend its not being allowed to drop altogether into oblivion , but as an appendago to the ceremouies and history of the Templar Order , it has but littlo value , and was wisely discontinued . Rituals stamp the character of degrees ; therefore , the more simple thoy are , and more direct tho reference to the history of tho degree , tho more likely they are to impress the candidate .

Annual Dues.

ANNUAL DUES .

FROM THE MASONIC NEWSPAPER . THE system of annual dues is , we believe , one of tho most pernicions that was ever introduced into the Fraternity . Annual dues are the recruiting sergeants of tho army of the Unaffiliated . It is very fine to say that every brother can afford to pay his annual dues , and that if not all he has to do is to state his circumstances to tho Lodge and the membors will at once remit them P Now , practice

is better t nan theory . Wo once knew a brother suspended for won payment of dues the very evening he applied for assistance , being at the time very ill and unable to work , and somo brethren who read this article will remember tho incident . But it is not the annual dues of tho Lodge alone that are so troublesome to meet ; thero are other Masonic bodies besides tho Lodge , and the poor man has an equal

right with tho rich to seek moro light in tho so-called higher bodies , if Lis inclinations lead bim in that direction . Are the poorer brethren to be excluded from a knowledge of . the work of the Chapter , Council , Asylum , and Consistory , because they cannot afford to pay ten or twenty dollars per annum F Tho system is wrong . If thero is anything beueficial , useful or beautiful in these

Hautes Grades , why not givo them to every brother that desires to obtain more light from them . Freemasonry was never intended for tho rich man alone , and yet by this system of annual dues the poorer brother is literally excluded from his rights . The Dives , who cares naught for the Craft except the regalia and title , can flaunt "Sir Knight" before his name , aud place that wondrous number , that

seems the acme of ambition to many , 32 ° , after his name , while the earnest , eager , plodding Lazarus , who delves deep and long in tho quarries , finds he must remain there , because , although ho might scrape together money enough to pay his fees for tho degrees , he cannot afford an annual tax of some fifteen or twenty dollars in order to keep up his position in the Craft .

We don t care how high in reason the fees for degrees may be placed , but once having paid them , let that bo an end of it ; then a brother can feel free , but so long as ho dreads an annual tax , it is a dread and a drawback . Times may become hard , he may lose his situation , there may bo sickness and death iu his family , and the annual dues that at the time of joining were a mero bagatelle , aro now

an important item of expenditure . Ho cannot meet them , and then he is summoned to show cause why he should not be suspended for non . payment of dues . Perchance he has been a regular attendant for years , an officer high in the esteem of the Craft , yot because he is financially embarrassed his brethren (?) disgrace him , and bring obloquy upon his family by suspending him for non-payment of dues ,

and his Grand Lodge blackens its banners by publishing his name to the profane as a susponded Mason . This is not the Masonry of our forefathers , when the youngest Entered Apprentice had a voice and voted in the annual assemblages of the Craft . Fancy suspending a brother from his rights and titles , and privileges of the Craft , because he is poor , and this is really tho reason .

But to add iniquity to the injustice of tho proceeding , his Lodge dues go on and accumulate during the period of said suspension the same as if he were still participating in all the pleasures and privileges of the Fraternity . Is this honourable , just , or right ? Is it the Freemasonry that our fathers practised in those good old days when works and deeds formed tho daily labour of tho Order instead of ritual

and regalia ? Our theory is that the fees for joining any Masonic body should be large enough to permit that body to put on one side a certain amount for the legitimate expenses of the Lodge , and a larger proportion for a fund to be permanently invested for the bonefit of those in distressed circumstances , the sick , the dying , the widow and the orphan .

There is no reason why this cannot be clone . A man then knows the cost before joining , and ho would know that once having received the degrees of any particular Masonic body , he would not be deprived of the privileges pertaining to them shonld be at any fatnre period find his circumstances in life unfortunately changed for the worse . We are amongst those , therefore , who believe that tho interests of

Freemasonry would be advanced by raising the fees of initiation into the Lodge and Membership of the higher bodies , and do away in toto with annual dues . Many a brother cannot afford to pay annually six dollars for his Lodge , four for his Chapter , three for his Council , five for his Commandery , and perhaps ten for other Masonic bodies . Such

an amount becomes a heavy tax upon the purse-strings of many an earnest worker , and at last , finding himself unable to keep them np , he is forced , when perhaps his presence is most required in the Craft , to withdraw entirely or rob the home and children of the actual necessaries of life . This is not as it should be , and can only be remedied by the total abolition of tho system of annual dues .

Meeting Of The Lodge Of Benevolence

MEETING OF THE LODGE OF BENEVOLENCE

THE Lodgo of Benevolence met on Wednesday evening , at the Freemasons' Hall , when thero wero present—Bros . . f . M . Clabnn President , Joshua Knnn Senior Yice-lYesiuYni :, Jmnr-a i' . rett Junior Vice-President , H . G . ISIISS Assistant G . Secretary , W . Dodd , "NVviHo Green , J . M . Case P . G . I ) ., Erasmus Wilson l ' . O . D ., C . A . Cottobrnno P . G . P ., J . B . Shackleton , W . Stephens , G . P . Britten , Charles Daisy ,

II . Garrod , II . Massov , Charles Atkins , Herbert Dickctts , W . Hilton , W . Hill Evans , M . D ., ' A . Lamarqno . R . E . K . Wilkinson , T . F . Knight Smith , J . II . Matthew , Alfred Withers , Joshua Holden , W . Brody Date , John Lee , George B . Brodio , J . G . Robinson , W . Fonlsham , Henry Speedy , Win . Hope , M . D ., Deputy Master Xo . 2 , E . Far wig , J . I . Cantle , Thomas W . Bond , Goorgo S . Elliott , A . Timothy , G . F .

Siogc , E . Squirrell , W . W . Gray , Robert Harmon , D . W . Belfmge , and S . G . Coope . Tho brethren first confirmed grants of £ 110 recommended by last Lodge , and afterwards granted £ 125 to now cases . There wore eighteen of these on tho list . Five worn dismissed , and two were deferred . Two grants woro made of £ 100 each , three of £ 10 each , and two of £ 5 each . Thero wore also grantod ono of £ 30 , ono £ 20 , ono £ 15 , aud ono £ 10 .

The annual gatherings of the various Provincial Grand Lodges frequently tend to produce great Masonic activity in the towns where such take place , and undoubtedly serve to create an interest in the Craft which would not otherwise be aroused . The townsmen who are thus honoured

naturally strive to make their hospitality worthy of their guests , and in no few instances to shew by their after actions that what they undertook when thoy engaged to entertain their rulers was but a fair index of their general zeal . Tho City of Canterbury bids fair to illustrate this .

Ircemasonry in that ancient city has progressed most favourably of late ; since tho visit of P . G . Lodgo in 187 S the members of the various Lodges and other Masonic bodies held there have striven to show they are really in earnest . A special building has been secured for the meetings , aud

other improvements are either in contemplation or in course of completion . Wo learn that one of its Lodges at its next meeting , has it in comtemplation to vote a considerable amount in charity . Besides tho Institutions connected with our Order , —which will come in for a largo

share of tho amount , —the claims of local institutions will not be forgotten . "We trust our Canterbury brethren will be enabled on this , and future occasion ? , to prove tho reputation of Freemasonry in their city is left in the charge of good aud worthy brethren .

There is an anthem of fraternal feeling whose grand and heavenly notes have been pealing since tho clay King Solomon arranged its matchless harmony . Thousands and tens of thousands , who aro making their solemn march toward tho boundary of time , hioiv the music , and unite in accord with it . They seize tho echo as it rolls back to tbem from tho millions who have gone beyond our straining

sig ht into tho shadows of the unknown world . They teach the keynote , and the pitch to those who are to follow thorn , and thus friendship ' s music is never silent , its secrets never lost ; tho air will never cease to vibrate with it , nntil time shall be no longer . Many of those who claim to bo Masons may havo never learned the pitch of Masons ' music . They may get skill to handlo tho instruments , thoy may givo

utterance to some kind of a tuno , but the true "Key-note of King Solomon , " thoy receive not . And why ? Because thero never was a taste for such harmony iu their souls . Thero never was a capacity to appreciate such refined ideas . Their cars had become blunted to tho sounds of such celestial notes , and wore only delighted by tho rude imitations which men without Wisdom , Strength and Beauty , have ffiven forth to tho world as fraternal music .

Tho Master of the Lodge is under more peculiar obligations to show respect and reverence to the Holy Scriptures than a private member . You will discover tho reason for this by reading tho solemn injunction made you at your Installation . It is with this as with the Junior Warden's Charge concerning temperance : he must practise

temperance oven moro sedulously than private members , because he has accepted the office under those pledges . Yon ( tho Master ) accepted Installation under all tho declarations of the Monitor , and ono of these is extremely forcible concerning faith in tho Holy Scriptures . — Hob ilfom ' s .

The Perfect Ashlar is a symbol of perfection—tho quest of tho ages—that perfection which man through all time ; and in eternit y too , will doubtless seek , and at last attain . Here nothing is perfect . Every year there is , in nature , a killing frost . Man himself at last succumbs to the frost of age , if he lias not previously fallen before tho frost of disease . In Summer there is sickening heat , in Winter there

is hail ; in youth there is disappointment , in age death . All things return to the quarry of earth— " earth to earth , dust to dust , ashes to ashes . " The truly Perfect Ashlar will only bo found in the great hereafter , in the Temple above . But here wo may find Ashlars afc least quasi-perfect . There may he upon them the marks of the

Craftsman's tools . They may be found numbe--ed . among tho brethren , squaring their actions by tho Square of virtue , walking uprightly before tho All seeing Eye , and their Brother Masons , as admonished hy tho Plumb , and ever bearing iu memory the lesson of the Level , as thoy hasten over the rugged road of time toward . tho undiscovered realm of eternity . — Keystone ,