Original Correspondence.

buncomeorators than even " British tyranny" has done . We hear them on St . John ' s Days ; we hear them in Grand Lodges ; we" read them in its proceedings . I have lately criticised in the Mystic Star a buncome oration by a P . G . M . of Illinois exceeding in absurdity even the e :

Antiquities " of Dr . Oliver . The orator pretended to deduce , from the emblems on the Masonic carpet : first , that our Masonry never originated from the Masonry of the operatives ; second , the antiquity of our emblems as Masonic emblems ; and , third , that those emblems taught

Christian dogmas , and that Masonry was , of course , a Christian institution . During the delivery of the aforesaid oration , the G . M ., Bro . Harman G . Reynolds , smiled benignantly , and at its conclusion , a Past Grand Orator moved for a vote of thanks for the very able address ,

& c , which vote was , of course , unanimously adopted . These sublime speech-makers form a mutual-admiration club for ever displaying Masonic courtesy , which means " you tickle me and I tickle you , " all which is compressed into the word buncome .

B , ut among all the buncome Masonic we have Bro . Albert G . Macke / s is by universal consent designated as the greatest . Before the southern rebellion , Bro . Mackey was regarded as the Grand Master Oracle in the U . S ., Bro . Moore , of Boston , as the Senior Warden Oracle , and

Bro . Harman G . Reynolds , of Illinois , as the Junior Oracle . Time , however , has modified public opinion about their oracleships . The Masonic public at large at last began to understand that the truthfulness of those oracles was over-rated , in short , that it was very much like buncome .

By referring to Tin : Fx ; f .:-::. Asow cf July 15 th thereade > : •will p ^ xceU'f . ' . \ y , \ Bro . ilacV . cy ' s theme at the WashiugCo'i bf-. uquet in honour of chc Earl de Grey ai ; a Kipon . was the universality oi Freemasonry . He said rhen , " The universality and tolerance of Freemasonry are indeed the

two brightest features of our noble and venerable institution . He thanked God from the bottom of his heart that there is such a common altar where Christian , Turk , and Jew may kneel in adoration to a common Father ; " and he said twenty other very pretty things besides . But is

that true ? Did Bro . Mackey ever see such an altar in a Masonic lodge in America ? Did he ever use his influence either with his pen or tongue to induce Bro . C . W . Moore , his S . G . W . Oracle , or Bro . Reynolds , his Junior Oracle , to bring about such a Freemasonry as he thanked

his God for ? Is it not notorious that for twenty years the sectarian question has been agitated in the U . S . ? Have not articles appeared in more than a dozen Masonic journals filled with complaints at the deception practised in our lodges ? In 1855 Bro . W . P . Melleu wrote

several articles in his magazine ( the Acacia exposing the fallacies of the Rev . Bro . Randall , G . M . of Massachusetts , who , as chairman of a committee in 1851-2 on a petition to remove sectarianism from the Masonic work , claimed Masonry to be Christian , justified the retention

of Christian saints and Christian prayers 111 the lodge work , and with the usual inconsistency of his ' class , he added , "At the building of the Temple the society was mainly in the hands of Jews , now it is mainly in Christian hands ; but open for Jews as well as Gentiles . " The report

of the Massachusetts Rev . G . M . was not only attacked by Bro . Mellen and two or more other journalists in the U . S ., but the Rev . Bro . W . Carver , then Representative of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts in the English Grand Lodge , also wrote several letters to Bro . Moore ,

denouncing the practice and principles of American Masonry . The subject was even noticed in a London Masonic magazine . After stating that the object of the petition was " that prayers in lodges should be addressed alane to the Supreme Being , and that allusions to Christian saints and Christianity should form no part and

parcel of Masonry , the editor went on to say " The committee lo whom the mitter was referred , after great delay reported against the petitioners , stating in their report , ' the petitioners say in their petition that Masonry was intended to unite men of every country , sect

Original Correspondence.

and opinion ; this is not so , all reasoning , therefore , on the ' subject is erroneous ; ' to which the editor added : " This is not so is certainly a very ready method of getting rid of the question ; but if it is not so , the Masonry we have been taught and that of Massachusetts must be very different . '''

Now , previous to the breaking out of the late rebellion , Bro . Mackey , as already remarked , was the supreme Masonic oracle in the United States . No Pope's dictum was ever regarded by pious Catholic with more veneration than an opinion of Dr . Albeit G . Mackey by the Masonic

luminaries of this country . A word from Bro . Mackey in the right direction would have , turned his subordinate oracles , with all their lesser lights , into the right direction . Instead cf doing so , Bro . Mackey came out as an apologist for the prevailing humbug . In 1855 he informed us in his " Lexicon" that the dedication of

lodges to the Saints John was not on account of their having been Christians or Saints , but because they were eminent Masons . Now , I would not have disputed the sincerity of Bro . C . W . Moore had he at that time expressed his belief in the ridiculous St . John ' s legend ; for

notwithstanding that Bro . Moore has beea puffed up by Bro . H . G . Reynolds as " the greatest Masonic authority in the world , " and by the " you-tickleme-and-1-tickle-you" party , as " an eminent Masonic scholar . " I venture to say that he is not so regarded by those who know him

intimately . It is true that he has been editor for many years ; show me , however , an editorial in his magazine that displays any historical knowledge or classical leamina-. and I will prove

that it was written by Dr . Humphry , or som other brother . Bro . Moore never was an extei : sive reader or deep thinker . Indeed , he . pvide h-. iiisc'f .: •!•. his never reading a book or t-vrcici i . u . it Ci ' mtiicts Wi'dl \ i ' S . IJi " i : COi '; Cei \ cd -OniillOr .

ana whenever he nnds a contemporary editor in the U . S . taking an independent course , conflicting with his dictum , he generally stops exchanging papers . If Bro . Moore told me he believed the moon was made of green cheese , I would give him credit for sincerity . Dr .

Mackey , on the other hand , is not only a better educated man , but he is also a man of research , and free from superstitious bigotry ; he therefore not only disbelieves in the moonshine story of the Grand Mastership of the Saints . but the concluding part of that very article in his "Lexicon " conclusively proves his disengenuousness .

I have said before , that previous to the late rebellion in the Southern States , Messrs . Mackey , Moore , and Reynolds exercised supreme power over the Masonic mind in America . But how has their power fallen , and how has their influence waned ? Go to-day to

Illinois , to South Carolina , or to Massachusetts and try to ascertain public opinion on these once great oracles , and I venture to predict that in each jurisdiction where the party is best known , the answer to your inquiry , by

nineteentwentieths , will be , "Oh ! he is played out " ( also an Americanism ) . You may still , however , occasionally read or hear of certain compliments paid to these extinct oracles . A Grand Master or Chairman

of a G . L . Committee may still here and there , from old habits , indulge in complimenting the disinterested Masonic zeal of Right Worshipful Bro . Reynolds , the eminent Masonic scholarship ot Bro . C . W . Moore , or the sincerity of the illustrious , or thrice illustrious , Bro . Mackey .

If , however , you were present when those compliments were being uttered , and carefully watched the countenances and gestures of the by-standers , you might perceive an involuntary twitch of the nose on one brothers face , a smile on that of a second , a knowing squint on that of a third , a . shrug of the shoulder by a fourth ,

the mutterance of " bosh by a fifth , and other significant gestures denct ' ng that those highflown compliments , are ] art and parcel of " Ma ] sonic courtesy "— " you tickle me and I tickle you "—tersely expressed an I conveyed by the

invaluable Americanism , viz ., " BUNCOME . " Fraternally yours . JACOB NORTON . Boston , U . S ., August 8 Ui , 1871 .

Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS .

The General Committee meeting of the above-named Institution was held at Freemasons' Hall , on Thursday , 31 st ultimo . There were present : Bros . Browse (

chairman ) , F . Adlard , Major Creaton , S . Noble , H . Massey , A . H . Tattershall , J . R . Sheen , F . Walters , W . Young , and E . H . Patten , Secretary .

Tlie minutes ofthe previous meeting were read and confirmed . The minutes of the Howell Testimonial

Committee meeting , which was held on Thursday , 17 th August , were read . There were present on that interesting occasion : Bro . B . Head , V . P ., in the chair ; Major Creaton , and W . Young , when it was

unanimously resolved that a silver tea and coffee service , with a salver , together of the value of forty-five guineas , be presented to T . S . Howell , Esq ., with a letter of thanks , inscribed on vellum , as follows : —

Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , St . John ' s-hill , Battersea-risc , 24 th August 1 S 71 . To Thomas S . Howell , Esq ., M . R . C . S . E . Dear Sir and Brother , —At the Quarterly Court

of this Institution , holden at Freemasons' Hall , Great Queen-street , on the 13 th April , 1 S 71 , it was unanimously resolved to acknowledge in some degree , the high opinion entertained by the House Committee of vour valued services , at all times

rendered to the pupils , but more especially during tlie prevalence of a severe epidemic , as its honorary medical officer , lhat a testimonial should be offered fnv your acceptance : and they regret exceedingly that thev ?* - '' ; constrsin-CcLat vour own . rsaacst . from

msiu :. ^ r »_ 'X- ^ . ' fO' . 7 _ . e ; . < T . ieru > . ' n a more su ! Mt ? . 3 . ! S . l : i r . iforiis th .- ; House Committee , however , the greatest pleasure in askingyou toacccpt the accompanying articles of plate , as an expression of their deepest gratitude and friendship . We have the honour to remain ,

Dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , H . BROWSE , J . NUNN , E . Cox , W . PAAS , G . Cox , D . ROLLS . J . CKEATON , J . A . RUCKER , S . C . HADLEY , J . R . SHEEN , B . HEAD , W . YOUNG ,

E . H . PATTEN , Secretary . It was also unanimously resolved : " That the sum of twenty pounds be presented to Edward Sutcliff , Esq ., M . D ., Bro . Howell ' s partner , as a mark of high consideration for his constant attendance and valuable

services rendered during the severe illness of the pupils . " The above was presented to Bro . Howell , and to Edward Sutcliff , Esq ,, M . D ., through Bro . Howell , at the House Committee

meeting at the Institution , on Thursday , 24 th August , by Bro . E . Cox , V . P ., the Chairman of the day , to which Bro . Howell returned a suitable reply in acknowled ging the kindness of the Committee by their

very handsome present . Flic vote of thanks was very nicely engrossed on vellum , and handsomely framed . The plate consisting of a tea and coffee service and a salver service , all silver . It is only fair to state that a vote of one hundred guineas would have

been passed unanimously had not Bro . Howell declined to accept it , and seventy guineas was voted in lieu for the plate and testimonial . The children had each a glass of wine and cake , and were presented with a new shilling " each by the Secretary . The minutes of the House Committee

were then read for information , and several cases of apjjlication for admission to the school were again deferred , one from the Humbcr Lodge , No . 57 , being accepted .

It waa announced that there were 17 vacancies and 28 applicants . The voting papers are being issued . The usual vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated th * meeting .