Business To Be Transacted In Grand Lodge.

consider will be the feelings of the majority . The last notice of motion on the agenda paper is by Bro . Head : " That the sum of

£ . 50 be given from the Fund of General Purposes . That the money be placed in the hands of the Secretary of the Asylum of the Royal Masonic Benevolent

Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons , to supply the inmates at Croydon with coals during the winter season . " It is one which commends itself

at once to our sympathy and support , and the amount requested will most assuredly be granted without demur . The late Bro . Udall for many years had the privilege of

proposing this vote , and his mantle has now fallen upon a worthy Elisha in the person of Bro . Head , who , we hope , may long be spared to plead for the " old people . "

We have now finished our summary of the business to be transacted in Grand Lodge , and although it may seem a somewhat uninteresting recital , we believe that

the Craft at large , who have no other medium of information , are not unwilling to learn through these columns all that is likely to transpire at each succeeding Quarterly Communication .

WE learn that the correspondence which has been published in this journal on the "Qualification for the Mark Chair" is likely to have a practical result , as we are

informed that the V . VV . Bro . James Stevens , G . J . O ., has given a notice of motion for consideration of the Grand Lodge of Mark Masters , to be held on Tuesday next , with

a view to amend that portion of the regulations which necessitates the installation of a Mark Master as W . M . in a Craft lodge

before he can be installed as W . M . of a Mark lodge . The matter is one of great interest to the members of the Mark

degree , and we hope it will be discussed without prejudice , and settled to the general satisfaction of the Mark Craft .

RED CROSS OF CONSTANTINE . —A conclave is about to be formed at Liverpool , and to be named the " Liverpool . " Capt . G . \ V . Turner , P . M ., P . Z ., will be the first M . P . S ., and Dr . Kcllett Smith , P . M ., P . Z ., the first Viceroy . A conclave , No .

56 , has been established at Allegheny , Pennsylvania , and all the founders ( sixteen in number ) comprise part ofthe Knights Templar tourists , now on their way to Europe . Several other conclaves have also been recently started by Dr . Alfred Creigh , the zealous Chief Intendant-Gcncral for the Northern

States of America . DISINFECTANT FOR SCARLET FEVER . —Ahomely , but apparently most useful , method has been communicated to us for disinfecting houses and rooms in which cases of scarlet fever have occurred . Dissolve saltpetre up to the point of saturation , and

in the solution soak several sheets of coarse blotting paper , which must be allowed to take up as much as they can , and afterwards dried . Carefully close every door , window , and chimney of the affected room , and let the prepared blotting paper be lighted and smoulder itself out . This is of course not

intended to supercede the use of Condy ' s fluid , the value of which in every household where there is sickness is sufficiently well known j but we have heard ' of such success in checking thc spread of infection by means of the saturated paper , and it is moreover so easy of trial , that we gladly publish the information sent to us . —Food Journal .

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

Multum in Parbo , or Masonic Notes and Queries .

BRO . NORTON AND " OUR ANCIENT BRETHREN . " It seems to me that for any special enquiry , the discussion lately conducted in a most friendly manner between Bro .

Jacob Norton , of Boston , U . S ., and myself has been much too discursive * and taking the last interesting communication of Bro . Norton ' s as a sample , I should require a

number of THE FREEMASON to do justice to the evidence which he submits in support of his theories ( and often in proof of my own ) , and therefore it is not my intention to continue the discusion in such a

general manner . Let one statement say , be objected to in my . article on " Freemasonry and Christianity , " and when that is disposed of , then take another , and so on until all are exhausted ; otherwise we might

go on ad Infinitum objecting and answering until the original points in dispute have altogether been forgotten and neglected . The main thing is to keep to the question at issue closely , and allow of no irrelevant matter being introduced .

Bro . " Lupus " ( an illustrious Mason and scholar ) and myself may ( and can ) cheerfully admit a great deal of what Bro . Norton

presents to the readers of THE FREEMASON , and yet we still hold to our views of the Craft as expressed in these columns and elsewhere .

I believe strongly that the " true history of Freemasonry in this country is the history of an operative body . " Notwithstanding , however , that such is the case , that does not invalidate the fact that gentlemen

were members of lodges before the 18 th centur )* , and that lodges were held which were mainly speculative before the revival of 1717 . W . J AMES HUGHAN .

BRO . BUCHAN AND THE " HIGH DEGREES . I hope Bro . Buchan ' s well-meant note will be the means of aiding me in my attempt to have proof for the statements made so generally about the antiquity of

modern degrees . Hammer away , Bro . Buchan , there is plenty yet to be accomplished ; and , indeed , we need not rest from our labours until peace , harmony , and consistency are restored to the Masonic society . 333 ° -

MASONIC ORGANISATION VERSUS POLITICS . After reading the remarks upon this subject at page 329 , it appears to me that "A Royal Arch Mason" forgets that our system of Freemasonry has nothing to do

with politics , and that to carry out his ideas would be to go dead against our constitution and doctrines . It is our duty as citizens to support the " preservation of the public peace" Everything in its own place . W . P . B .

CIVILISATION AND RELIGION . The following from one of the able lectures now being delivered by Dr . LerfH at the South Kensington Museum is worth studying , viz : — " The great importance of

the studies of comparative philology and comparative religion , which seemed to give a clear idea of that gradual and progressive development which had embraced art , language , religion , and civilisation in

general . " From this we perceive that the Jew was possessed of special qualities for the development of religion , just as was the Greek for the development of art , both being equally "inspired" by God for the purpose to be served , This " inspiration "

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

is not a thing of the past , for God is just as much " inspiring " or making use of men

now as in ages long gone by . W . P . BUCHAN .

THE T 7 I 7 THEORY " . _ I am obliged by Bro . Buchan's kindly expressions in taking leave of our short controversy , and , like him , I would also desire to part from it with assurances of fraternal goodwill . In

saying thus much , I am sure he will excuse my correcting a slight error in his last communication , where he explains the result of his challenge to me by stating that I did not produce a statute relating to Masons alone , but one that referred

to " other labourers . " This is a mistake ; the statute implies that the Masons had infringed the "Statute of Labourers , " but in itself it refers to Masons only , and contains no reference whatever to " other labourers . " LUPUS .

RED CROSS OF ROME AND CONSTANTINE . I have observed from time to time signs of the old and fallacious statements respecting this newly-invented Masonic degree cropping up in the pages of THE FREEMASON . Not long since

I saw references to the documents in the box at Freemasons' Hall ; I now observe a quotation from the Keystone setting forth that this degree " claims to have its origin on October 28 , A . D . 312 , at the memorable battle fought at Saxa Rubra .

the conferring of which can be traced , by authentic written proof in England , from 1788 . " I think our American brethren should be told that they are deluding themselves by one of the most absurd and preposterous assumptions that

ever cast ridicule upon our ancient and respectable Craft . Not only has it been honestly confessed in print that the degree has nothing but a Masonic origin ; but the only document yet produced from the box contained evidences that

it related to the old Masonic Red Cross Order , and had nothing to do with that of Constantine . And as to the appendant degree of the Holy Sepulchre , not a word has been ventured in support of its claim , beyond the very brief statement that a few years since it" flourished . "

LUPUS . BRO . YARKER AND THE " HIGH DEGREES . " I do not believe in all Bro . Yarker says . Who does ? He is wrong sometimes beyond question . Who is not ? Even I am now and then .

Let us then be charitable . " One who believes in his O . B . " attacks Bro . Yarker most offensively in terming him a " rag or yarn merchant . " He is not the former ; but supposing he were , it would be better thus and carrying on a lucrative

business than be in the Bankruptcy Court , like some of our noblemen ! Bro . Yarker is a Manchester merchant , and need not he ashamed of his calling . It shows the writer of the article alluded to must be short of arguments to be so

petty . He also attacks Bro . Hughan , who is able to defend himself if he thinks it worth while to notice insignificant personal letters about matters quite foreign to the enquiry . It has occurred to me that Bro . Hughan might

have thought the i 8 an honour in 1865 , under Dr . Leeson , but not now , in 1871 . Not knowing , I cannot say . Does " One who believes in his O . B . " accept the statement of Dr . Mackey

about Frederick King of Prussia ? If so , he believes what has been truly called the " great lie of the Order . " Bro . Yarker has not done yet with the 33 . 333 ° .

THE ROVAL ORDER AND ITS ANTIQUITY . At page 332 I perceive it stated by "A Mason who believes in his O . B . " that "As a member of the Royal Order of Scotland , I am quite well aware of the antiquity and dignity of

that Order , " & c . As to this " dignity , " we may put it on a par with the others , and as to its " antiquity , " we may allow it to be so old as

about the middle of last century . Should , however , any one assert its being older than that , I should like to see some real proof oi such being the case . At present I know of none , and look