A New Work On Masonry By Bro. W. J. Hughan P.G.D.

A NEW WORK ON MASONRY BY BRO . W . J . HUGHAN P . G . D .

IT will be welcome news to our readers that there will be published , at no very distant date , another historical Masonic work by our respected and indefatigable Bro . W . J . Hnghan , while to the students of our Craft it will be still more welcome news that the new work will

deal especially with Eoyal Arch Masonry in its association with the English Rite of Freemasonry . It is unnecessary for us to point out that the subject is a difficult one to handle , nor are we venturing into the domain of flattery when we affirm that of the small but diligent band of

Masonic writers there is no one more competent to treat of such a subject so exhaustively . The full title of the work will be " Origin of the English Eite of Freemasonry , especially in relation to the Eoyal Arch Degree , " and in the seven chapters of which it will consist will be severally

discussed the following subjects , namely , in Chapter 1 , " Eise of Masonic Degrees ; " Chapter 2 , " Investigations on the Third Degree ; " Chapter 3 , " Premonitions of the Schism ; " Chapter 4 , " Advent of Eoyal Arch Masonry ;" Chapter 5 , " Organisation of the Seceders ; " Chapter 6 ,

intension of Additional Degrees ; " Chapter 7 , " Constitution of the Grand Chapter . " The Appendices will contain , as matter supplementary to or illustrative of the body of the work , the " Charter of Compact ( E . A . ) 1767 ;" "Laws of Grand Chapter , " 1 st Edition , 1778 : "Charter

of Compact ( K . T . ) 1780 ; " " List of E . A . Chapters , 1769-1813 ; " "List of Grand Superintendents , 1778-1813 . " Among the illustrations will be included " Seals of the Grand Lodge of ALL England " ( York)—seal and counterpart ; " Seals of the Grand Chapter of ALL England "

( York ) ; Jewel of the " Nine Worthies "—both obverse and reverse ; and the obverse of the Centenary Jewel , Eoyal Arch . The Preface will be from the pen of Bro . T . B . Whytehead of York , a worthy friend and collaborator of

Bro . Hughan , and the whole will be dedicated to another conspicuous and most enlightened Craftsman , who , we understand , is among the oldest of the author ' s friends , and his early instructor in Masonry—Bro . Dr . Hopkins , of

From this synopsis of the contents of Bro . Hughan ' s further contribution to Masonic history the reader will be in a position to form some estimate of its character . That is , he will know beforehand the ground that will be traversed , and if he has devoted any time to the study of Masonic history he will probably be able to form a pretty shrewd guess from the order of the contents , of Bro . Hughan ' s theory of the origin of the Eoyal Arch Degree . But he will not be able to formulate , even approximately , an idea of the immense amount of labour which an

enquiry of this nature must have involved . For ourselves , we have long known that it was in Bro . Hughan's contemp lation to write some such work as we are now privileged to announce , though it is only now we are certified ° r the exact form in which the result of his labours will be

presented to the Craft . We were aware he had been busying himself in collecting information about the Royal Arch Degree , and in a very few weeks , or it may be even days , we shall be in the full enjoyment of his elaborate collation . That it will be elaborate we make bold to predict ; that it will be so thorough as pretty well to e xnausfc our present store of knowledge—not only what is

A New Work On Masonry By Bro. W. J. Hughan P.G.D.

food , but likewise what is caviare to the general—we feel tolerably certain , while that it will enhance the fame of the author by showing him at his best—which is invariably when his task is one of exceptional difficulty—we have

no manner of doubt . The only part of the news that has reached us , on which we feel inclined to throw the cold water of disbelief is , that the promised history , which ia Bro . Hughan ' s seventh separate contribution to our

literature , will also be his last . There are far too many important Masonic questions yet unsettled for Bro . Hughan to resolve on laying aside his pen in the fulness of his intellectual vigour .

There is one little scrap of information to be added . The work , when published , will be obtainable from the author only ( " Grosvenor House , " Torquay ) , at the modest price of 7 s 6 d , post free .

More Of The Quebec Imbroglio.

MORE OF THE QUEBEC IMBROGLIO .

THE other day we referred , in general terms , to the discordant voices which prevail in the Province of Quebec , our remarks being based particularly on the edicts of non-intercourse with the Grand Mark Lodge of England , published by certain American G . E . A . Chapters , and the

pleasure such edicts had afforded to a Masonic contemporary of Ohio . To-day we are under the necessity of reverting to the same subject , in consequence of our having received copy of an " Answer " by the Victoria Royal Arch

Chapter ( English ) of Montreal " to untruthful printed matter in the printed Proceedings of 1883 in the self-named , but unrecognised , Grand Chapter of Quebec , with copies of letters refuting the same . " The circumstances described

in this pamphlet are not new to us . We have long known that differences existed between the brethren of the English Lodges in Montreal and the Quebec brethren as to the legality of the Victoria Eoyal Arch Chapter , No . 440 on the roll of Grand Lodge England , the Grand Chapter of

Quebec maintaining that the original warrant had been surrendered as far back as 1863 , and consequently that the warrant of confirmation , since issued by the Supreme Grand Chapter of England , was illegal ; while the Anglo-Montreal brethren asserted that the original warrant had

been stolen , not surrendered ; that there had never been any break in the continuity of the said Victoria R . A . Chapter ' s existence , and that its present status was strictly in accordance with the requirements of Masonic law . These circumstances , we repeat , have been known to

us , in outline , for some time past . We now have them before us in the pamphlet that has been forwarded to us , with a grave particularity of detail which strikes us as being fatal to the contention of the Quebec G . Chapter , and most discreditable to its sense of honour .

We understand and respect mere differences of opinion ; we fully recognise that there may be two or more opinions as to the details of a particular occurrence ; but -we fail to see how there can be any opinion , much less any difference of opinion , about an event which never happened . It is

perfectly true that the warrant of the Victoria R . A . Chapter disappeared on a particular occasion in the summer of 1863 . This is vouched for by Comp . Badgley , District G . Superintendent of Montreal , and other Companions who were members of the said Chapter at the time of its disappearance , and have remained members ever since .