Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

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

OLD LODGE RECORDS . To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIE AND BROTHER , —An unfortunate gap of somo forty odd years , viz ., from 1770 to 1814 , occurs in tho history of an old Lodge ( English Constitution ) , established about tho middlo of tho last century .

May I ask , through tho medium of your journal , whether any documents bearing upon such period are accessible to tho Masonic public at tho archives of Grand Lodge ? and also , whether tho researches of any brother , in a similar quest , havo resulted in a profitablo exploration of tho British Museum Library ? Yours fraternally , G .

18 th September 1876 . [ The British Museum ia of little TISO for the purpose contemplated , but the Kegisters in tho Grand Lodge might supply the requisite information and complete tho missing particulars of the Lodge history . You do not say when or whero the Lodgo was

constituted , or under which Grand Lodgo of England , henco we are unable to aid you in any way save to indicate the probable source of reliable facts as to tho subject . If memory servos correctly , tho Britannio Lodge history was mainly compiled through tho particulars afforded in tho Grand Secretary ' s office . —EDITOR . ]

Coloured Freemasonry.

COLOURED FREEMASONRY .

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . PEAK SIR AND BROTHER , —Allow mo , in your columns , to thank Bro . Hnghan for his courteous letter of the ] 4 th instant . I trust , however , he will pardon mo for saying that he has not quite hit the point on which I am anxious to obtain illumination . I do not donbt tho legality of tho Constitution of African Lodge . I am merely

anxious to learn , if possible , from him , whether Prince Hall s statement , made in 1784—when applying to tho Modern Grand Lodgo , England , for a charter—to tho effect that his Lodgo had been in working for somo eight years or thereabouts , had or had not any foundation in fact . If ho cannot answer this quostion , will ho kindly tell mo if , and in such case where , I shall be able to obtain the

desired information ? I am sorry to be obliged to differ with so learned an authority as Bro . Hnghan , and am sensible that so humble an opinion as mine will havo but little influence in opposition to bis . I cannot , however , admit that this intricate yet important Coloured question is one on which English Freemasons should abstain from offering an opinion ,

and that we must wait till tho American Grand Lodges have given their decision . They are more nearly interested than wo in England , but the imaginary case you put in your receut article headed " Coloured Freemasonry , " is by no means unlikely to arise . It is very far from being improbable that some fine day one of these socalled Coloured brethren may present himself for admission into

one of our Lodges . In such circumstances it would be necessary for the presiding officer of tho Lodge to settle off-hand whether or not the applicant was admissible . I will assume the latter presents himself , armed with all the requisite vouchers in the shape of his Coloured Grand Lodgo certificate , & c , and is competent to undergo the examination of experienced brethren , should any examination be

deemed necessary . There still remains the important question for the TV . M . 's decision—Is the applicant a regularly mado Mason ? that is , has he been mado a Mason in a legally constituted Lodge ? Is the Grand Lodge certificate with which he is armed an instrument , the validity of which is recognisable by tho Grand Lodge of England f It is unfortunate , yet I do not see how it is avoidable , that whichever

way the W . M . or his locum tenens decides—whether for or against tho validity of tho Coloured applicant ' s certificate—he places the English Grand Lodge , of which he is a member , on the homs of a dilemma . In either case he commits our Grand Lodge , which must endorse or disavow the decision of its subordinate , to a direct expression of opinion on a question of the greatest delicacy . I hold ,

however , it is far better it should speak out authoritatively than leave the phance of an awkward decision , ono way or the other , to a subordinate officer , who may bo utterly incompetent to decide . It may , perhaps , bo politic for it to ignore tho existence of a question not officially brought under its notice ; but is it politic to leave the settlement of so delicate a matter to mere chance ? Let Grand Lodge say , Until

tho Americans have settled these differences among themselves , we know nothing of these Coloured organisations : we cannot recognise them in England until they are recognised in the United States : in which ease tho so-called Coloured Masons would be inadmissible into our Lodges . Or let it give an opinion for or against the legality of their constitution . What I want to know is : If I happen to be in

tho chair of a Lodge whew one of these so-railed Masons presents himself for admission , am I to admit or to refuse to admit him ? I said , in a former letter , and I say again here , I have no desire to draw Bro . Hughan on this question , I fully recogniso the propriety of an individual not interposing in this , or , indeed , in any conc-Yersy , AUI want from him I have re-stated in the first paragraph

Coloured Freemasonry.

of this letter , and concerns tho early history of African Lodge only . As to tho far more important question of the legality of those Coloured Grand Lodges , yon , Sir , hare argued against their recogni .

tion . Be you right or wrong , I think wo aro entitled to ask for somo official statement which may servo for tho guidance of our Lodges , should tho question of recognition or non-recognition bo brought before tho notice of any of them . Fraternally yours , NIMIUJI NE CREDE COLOKI .

Which Is Correct ?

WHICH IS CORRECT ?

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I fully agree with the theory broached by your correspondent , who signs himself " P . M ., P . Z ., " as to the desirability of our having a uniform ritual ; but I fear tho difficulties in tho way of obtaining it aro well nigh insuperable . Is there one among our learned doctors of sufficient weight that all the rest will

consent to accept hia version in each and every disputed point ? I think not . Neither do I imagine a congress of preceptors would be of any practical use in bringing about the end your correspondent haa in view . We are far more likoly , I fancy , to obtain this desirable uniformity if , when questions arise as to which of two versions ia correct , the Preceptor will allow himself to be influenced by the

dictates of common sense . " P . M ., P . Z . ' s" case is an illustration . He aaks which is correct ? Preceptor No . 1 , who says , " Benevolence rendered by Heaven . born charity is an honour to tho nature whence it springs , " or Preceptor No . 2 , who says , " Benevolence , & c , to the nation whence it springs . " I say , Preceptor No . 1 , most decidedly . I confess I am not as

deeply versed in our ritual as I should like to be , and many , therefore , will say I havo no right to offer so decided an opinion . It strikes ma a Mason of half an hour ' s standing could decide between the two versions , assuming him to possess a grain of common sense . Wo hear and read daily of benevolence springing from this or that nature , but whoever heard of benevolence springing from a nation . It may

characterise tho nature of an individual ; it may also characterise tho nature of a people ; but no one who was trying to write commonsensibly would dream of saying that benevolence sprang from a nation . Benevolence is present in or absent from the nature of every human being under the sun , wholly irrespective of nationality . Wo havo benevolent Englishmen , Frenchmen , Germans , Americans ,

and so on throughout the nations of the earth , as we have malevolent Englishmen , Frenchmen , Germans , Americans , & c , & c . The beuovelonco of tho former is an honour to their nation , as the malovolence of the latter is a dishonour , but neither benevolence nor malovolence comes from any nation—for instance , from the English nation , or the French nation , or the German nation . If our

Preceptors , as many I know do , will but concern themselves , not with what Bro . So-aud-So taught or teaches , but with the meaning of what it is their business to teach : if they will think less of more parrot-like repetition , and more of the sense ofwhat they repeat , wo shall soon approach as near uniformity as , in the caae of oval teaching , we aro ever likely to approach . Fraternally yours , "Q . "

To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BRO ., — " P . M . and P . Z ., " | of Clapham , ia anxiona to know which word is correct , "Nature whence it springs , " or "Nation , & c . ? " Professing to have been a regular attendant at Lodges of Instruction , as well as a teacher of tho ritual and lecture 3 for somo years , he seems , in the end , to have only succeeded in

enveloping himself in a cloud of uncertainty , suspended in a hazy atmosphere of doubt and perplexity . It is to be hoped some one , able and willing , will speedily hasten to the rescue and administer relief to a distressed and troubled mind . For my own part , I think " nature" is the proper word , and harmonises with the context . Our brother is welcome to adopt this rendering should it happen to

coincide with his own idea or conception . But thero is a point in his letter which may be considered of far higher value and importance and worthy of serious attention . Our brother is a strong and persistent advocate for uniformity of working . It would be difficult to conceive what advantages are likely to arise if the working in every Lodge was precisely identical , unless , indeed , it might

possibly lead to greater efficiency , which , it must be admitted , would be an immense gain . The question , however , which forcibly presents itself , is not the desirability , which every one would readily acknowledge , but tho feasibility of tho plan . To me it appears that the ouly way to render the scheme in any measure pzvtctieable , would be for the Grand Lodge to issue an authorised version , and , at the

same time , enact some effective pains and penalties to follow any deviation therefrom . It strikes me that even then it is a matter of doubt—nay , I may venture to assert it is a positive certainty—that innovations , misconstructions , misconceptions , and ignorant perversions , will , most assuredly , creep in . In theory , the idea ia attractive ; but , like many theoretical problems , the solution of

which look exceedingly well upon paper , prove entire and unmitigated failures when it is attempted to put them into practice ; so I think our brother , whose hopes for the realisation of this pet scheme have , to my knowledge , been kept alive for some years past , will find it excessively difficult to overcome the powerful barriers of

prejudice , conceit , obtnseness , obstinacy , and numberless equally impregnable obstacles , tenaciously obstructing his path . His perseverance , however , deserves success , and although sceptical as to the result , he has the best wishes of , Yours fraternally , E . GOTTHEIL .