Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications , . 4 . 7 , Letters must bear the name and address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith .

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS . To the Editor of THE F REEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR STR AND BROTHER , —A pamphlet , signed " T . W . Tew and 0 . G . D . Porrott , " reached me on Saturday , and has , I believe , been very Avidoly circulated . To reply to it in your columns is impossible , but I hope you will alloAV mo to ask your readers not to accept as truthful the accusations Avith which this unique production is

replete . The twin authors are pleased to describe my case " as very weak , " but , judging from the numerous notices and personal expressions I have received and heard , such is certainly not the general opinion . The pamphlet under notice reiterates the charges in the first ( by Mr . Tew ) , Avhich have been proved to be groundless—and adds others which have about the same

foundation as tho former . Let one instance suffice . At page 29 , portentous prominence is given to the case of " James Gasson , " tho palpably evident construction being that the second record of a grant of £ 10 is not only a duplicate record , but increased to £ 10 for the purpose of fraud . The facts are—On 4 th May 1872 , Gasson received a grant of £ 5 , for the usual outfit given on leaving the school .

He conld not find employment for some months , when Mr . Jackson , Watchmaker , Bethnal-green ( that is "the lad ' s employer ' s name" as given ) , offered to receive him as an apprentice , on condition that the sum of £ 10 could be found . The boy being an orphan , and entirely friendless , I brought his case before the General Committee , Avho kindly made a grant of £ 10

— £ 5 to be paid at commencement of his time , and £ 5 at tho expiration of a year . -This simple explanation could have been afforded , if asked for , but such a simple course of fair play is not understood by the pamphleteers in question . Equally easy of explanation is every other accusation so unjustly charged , and equally susceptible of solution is every apparent difficulty to Avhich allusion

is made . In drawing attention to my salary , it is stated that I receive " £ 581 9 s 6 d , besides commissions and other remuneration . " The £ 81 9 s 6 d Avas spent in the service of the Institution , and was money out of pocket , allowed under well-considered rule . What is intended by " commissions" is a base and unfounded calumny .

What is meant by " other renumcration , I have not the sli ghtest idea . With the characteristics of the late Head Master I am so thoroughly acquainted that I feel no surprise whatever at his share in this " Reply to the Secretary , " and if Mr . Tew elects to associate himself with him he must be content to accept tho consequences .

I have a right to complain that these charges and accusations have been sown broadcast , based as they are on assumptions treated as facts without any opportunity for explanation . Condemnation has preceded enquiry , the old English maxim reversed , and officials are doomed as guilty until proved to bo innocent . In fact , tho motto of theso specimens of Masonic practice is , " Try first and hang

afterwards . " This is apparent from " par . G , page 3 , second edition ( altered from par . 6 in first edition ) , Avhich runs -. — " W * demand the appointment of a new Committee , tho dismissal of tho Secretary and Matron , and a thorough investigation . " Have tho latter , by all means , if wished aud deemed advisable ; but pray let it precede , not follow , tho sus . per coll . of the Committee , the Macron

and myself . It is jnst possible that of the thousands who so generously support tho Institution , there may bo some whoso views are not those of " T : W . Tew and O . G . D . Perrott . " Snrely , if I Avrite somewhat strongly , the contents of this pamphlet fully justify my doing so , and I appeal to the Governors and Subscribers of the School for a fair field aud no favour .

I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours faithfully and fraternally , 19 th October 1875 . FRED . BINCKES , Secretary . [ We have received a copy of the Pamphlet referred to in the above letter . We had hoped to haA-e taken notice of it in this issue , but the pressure on our space is such that we must defer our remarks till next week . —ED . F . C ]

Reviews.

REVIEWS .

All Books intended for Review should be addressed to the Editor of The Freemason ' s Chronicle , 67 Barbican , B . C . 1 . —The Imperial Constanlinian Order of St . George . A Review of Modem Impostures , and a Sketch of its true History . By His

Imperial Highness the PRINCE RHODOCANAKIS . In two parts . London : Longmans , Green and Co . 1870 . 2 . —Reply to a Criticism in the Saturday Review on the Imperial House of Rhodocanakis . Westminster : Nichols aud Sons , 25 Parliament-street . 1870 .

ALTHOUGH it is somewhat late in the day , Ave readily give publicity to this dispute between the claims of the Imperial Constantinion Order of St . George and the Masonic Red Cross Order , as Ave think our readers should have information upon this branch of Masonry , and the discussion which has been inaugurated thereupon by thu

present Grand Master Mason of Greece . Some of our readers will be aware that , outside tho degroo of Master Mason , there is a Chivalric fraternity which has existed in this country for sixty or seventy years , called tho Rod Cross of Rome aud Constantiue , the ceremonials of Avhich claim that ic was instituted by Constantiue tho Groat for those Masons Avho aided him iu his

Reviews.

war against Maxentins , Avhich gave him eventually tho throne of Constantinople . A few years ago this degree Avas revived in London , and a now claim to represent the State Order of the Byzantine Empire was added , with an assertion in the statutes that tho degree had been planted hero by tho Abbo Giustiuiani , whilst acting iu London as Venetian Ambassador .

In the first chapter of the first part of tho Review tho Princo Rhodocanakis completely disposes of tho Masonic Red Cross Order as having the slightest pretensions to derivation from tho Byzantine State Order ; and in the second chapter ho ably disposes of the "Anzoli" claims , and the alleged Grand Mastership of Giovanni Andria Angelo Flavio Comneno , whom Popo Innocent XIII . and his relative , Francis Farnese , set up to make a sale of the most anciout Order in Christendom . The Princo adds : —

'Thus terminated an intrigue , remarkable in tho history of popular deception , by which tho historian already referred to , and probably one of its supporters , was nominated a Grand Ci-osa—not , indeed , as he would have us believe , of the trno Byzantine Order , but of its imitation , concocted between the puppet Angelua himself , and the house of Farnese . "

In the second part of the Avork the Prince goes on to explain tho descent of his House from Nicophorns Dncas , King of Rhodes ( 914-929)—who descends from the father of Constantino the Great —and tho subsequent marriage of H . R . H-. Princo Demetrius Rhodocanakis Avith Theodora Pahcologina ( b . 1594 , m . 1614 , d . 1605 ) , heiress of the Byzantine Empire , from Avhich marriage his House

derive their chief title to the Order in question . In the Reply , Prince Rhodocanakis , Appendix A , gives a list of fifty-three works from A . D . 1546 , " in which tho Imperial Constantinian Order of St . George is noticed and recognised as the first Order in Christendom . " In Appendix B a list of twelve works from A . D . 1498 , "in which the Houso of Rhodocanakis is duly mentioned

and recognised . In Appendix C a list of works from A . D . 1600 , " in which members of the family of Rhodocanakis appear as authors . " Appendix D contains " Extracts from Byzantine Historians , in which the attempt to seize the Crown of tho Byzantine Empire by Constantiue Dncas in A . D . 913 , tho nomination of his brother , Nicephorus Ducas , as King of Rhodes , and tho origin of tho

House of Ducas and Rhodocanakis are fully recorded . The discussion brought tho Masonic Red Cross Order to closo quarters , and caused the issue of the following document : — " TO . ill members of the Masonic Order , known as the Order of tho Red Cross of Constantino , and to all others whom it may concern . WHEREAS the Masonic Order , now known as the Order of tho

Red Cross of Constantino ( hereafter concisely called the Red Cross Order ) , hits been recently revived in England , and occupies a prominent position as a chivalric branch of the great fraternity of Freemasons ; and WHEREAS discussions have arisen whether tho Red Cross Order has or has not any alliance with the ancient Chivalric Order known as tho Constnntinian Order of St . Goorgo , and as it is

expedient that such discussions shall bo terminated by a declaration of the claims of the Rod Cross Order . NOW , THEREFORE , I , Thomas Taylour , commonly called Earl of Bectivo ( Lord Kenlis ) , the Grand' Sovereign of tho Red Cross Order , do hereby , for myself , and on behalf of the Council of the said Order , signify aud declare as follows : — THAT tho Order of tho Red Cross does not claim , or proposes to

haA - e , any connection Avith the ancient public Order of Knighthood knoAvn as the Imperial Cotistantiuian Orcicr of Saint George . THAT the Rod Cross Order claims to be a revived branch of tho Masonic brotherhood Avhich formed part of the system of tho Baron Hiinde in or about the year 1750 , aud which has since been working in England under various auspices until the establishment of a Grand Council of the Order iu or about the vcar 1796 .

THAT the Order as now conferred is , AVith certain modifications , tho same as that over Avhich the late Duko of Sussex presided from 1813 to 1843 . THAT the Red Cross Order claims to bo a chivalric institution of Freemasonry for reception into which the degree of a Master Mason is a necessary qualification .

THAT tho above articles were approved at a meeting of the Council of the Order holden at Freemasons' Tavern , London , on Friday , the 19 th May 1871 . . . ( Signed ) BECTIVE . 0G~'

A true copy . ( Signed ) R . WENTWORTH LITTLE , G . Recorder . London , 29 th May , 1871 .

To His Imperial Highness Tho Prince Rhodocanakis , of Scio , Knight Grand Cross of the Constantinian Order of St . George , & c , & c , & c . The Clarendon Hotel , New Bond-street , London . "

We may add , for the information of our readers , that about the date mentioned in this Red Cross document there was a degree called the Red Cross of Babylon , which is very similar to tho English Royal Arch Degree ; but that we have as yet seen no satis f actory evidence which will connect the " Masonic Red Cross of Rome " and Constantiue" Avith Hiinde ' s Rite , or , indeed , any of its offshoots , and that , in all probability , it has no history in this country much beyond

tho time of its Grand Master , Judge Wa'ler Rodwfll Wright , in 1811 . When the Templar degree began to be popular iu this country it was tho fashion of Finch , and other lecturers , to invent degrees embod ying the claims of ail the ancient , Chivalric Orders of Christendom ; and the absence of the " Red Cross of Rome and Constantiue " from foreign Rites would favour tho supposition that the birth-place of the Order is England . Wo should be pleased to receive any proofs of higher antiquity .