Knight Templar Jottings.

issimo ; 3 , a Captain-General ; 4 , a Prelate ; 5 , a Senior AVarden ; 6 , a Junior Warden 7 , a Treasurer ; 8 , a Recorder ; 9 , a Standard-Bearer ; 10 , a Sword-Bearer ; 11 , a Warden ; 12 , three Guards ; 13 , the Sentinel . The E . Commander , the Generalissimo , and the Captain-General ,

together with all Past Commanders , are members of the Grand Commandery . One great feature in these Grand Bodies ( as is also noticeable in the Grand Lodges of the United States and the Grand Chapters ) is the attention given to 'Foreign Correspondence . " The "Proceedings "

are most interesting , and so for from only containing a lot of dry information , as our reports clo , they are generally full of most useful and valuable information , and are well worth the careful perusal of all Masons . In this respect also , I wish the authorities here at home would take a hint and

venture to make the " Reports , published annually , more readable and interesting . The Freemasons of the United States are , generally speaking , more conversant with the history of their own Grand Lodge , and the progress of the Craft universal than we are , and I think to their " Proceedings" is mostly due such a result .

In the regulations of the Grand Commandery are to be found some very excellent rules ancl explanations , e . g ., membership is thus defined : — " The members of a Commandery are all Sir Knights who may be created therein , or who may affiliate therewith . In either case

unanimous consent is necessary to the completion of the act of membership . A Sir Knight can be an active member iu but oue Commandery ( or Encampment ) at the . same time . Honorary membership confers no positive rights , and is but the expression of a compliment by the Sir

Knights . Every Sir Knight ought to belong to a commandery , and assist by his presence ancl contributions in maintaining its dignity and promoting its prosperity . Candidates for the order of knighthood must be so far free from physical defect or blemish as , in the judgment of the

Commandery , to be able to receive and impart the necessary instruction of the ritual . " The rule of succession , in conferring the degrees in the United States , i . s as follows : —1 , Knight of the Red Cross ; 2 , Knight Templar ; 3 , Knight of Malta .

At the annual Grand Conclave of Connecticut , May 14 , 186 S , the oflice of Historiographer wns established . At the Grand Conclave of Illinois .

the committee on jurisprudence " proposed that in every petition for a subordinate Commandery , it should be declared that one of the petitioners is competent to discharge the duties of Eminent Commander , and able to open and close a Commandery , and confer the orders of knighthood in a proper manner . These recommendations

are also to be affirmed as true by the nearest Commander ) -. " But I must conclude , having said enough to show that our American friends , though inclined to depart from the simple clothing of the British Knights , are after all very careful to cany out the great principles of the order .

Let us remember what the committee of G . C . of Texas stated , and act according to our knowledge : — "Too great popularity is the bane ot Masonry . Let us have a few , full of courage and zeal to advance , endued with the principles

of love and generosity , of winch our emblems are typical , and we will be conquerors of all that is worth conquest , and at last receive the crown of faith in the Grand Master ' s Kingdom . " \ V . I . HUGHAN .

The next meetings of the Masonic Arclueological Institute will be held on Thursday , 9 th ' une , and Thursday , 30 th June , at Freemasons' Hall , at 8 p . m . The celebrated Amwell Grotto , near Ware , was sold by auction on Tuesday . The grotto is very remarkable , consisting of seven chambers , of various

dimensions , excavated in the chalk , communicating by a scries of passages , and artistically embellished with rare shells , coral , ore , & . C ., evidently in masonic design , and was executed under the superintendence of John Scott . Esq ., the A in well poet . It is in

excellent preservation , and i . s si . ited to have been commenced about the year 1 734 , to have occupied thirty years , and cost upv . aids of __ io , ooy . ll is one of the most remarkable grottoes in England , and is believed to b : pcifcctK unique in de .-ign .

Grand Mark Lodge.

GRAND MARK LODGE .

The half-yearly Communication to Grand Mark Lodge was made on Tuesday evening , at the Free-Masons' Tavern , the Grand Master , the Rev . G . R . PORTAL , presiding . There was a large attendance of members of this degree , among whom we observed : —Sir John Conroy , S . AV . ; "W . E . Gumbleton , J . AV . ; Lord Holmesdale , Past G . M . ; Lord

Carnarvon ; AV . AV . B . Beach , M . P . ; Lord Leigh ; Earl Percy , Prov . G . M . Northumberland and Durham ; T . M . Talbot , Prov . G . M . South Wales ; T . Meggy , as G . M . O . ; W . Reynolds , G . S . O . ; Jos . Nunn , G . J . O . ; T . F . T . Ravenshaw , G . Chap . ; J . G . Marsh , G . L -Works ; H . C . Levander , P . G . D . C . ; J . R . Stebbing , G . Treas . ; AV . H . AVarr , G . D . C .

A . D . Loewenstark , P . G . I . G ., as G . I . G . ; T . J Sabine , as G . J . D . ; Jno . Read , G . Org . ; J . H . Wynne . P . G . I . G . ; Rev . D . Shaboe , P . G . Chap . ; R . Spencer , P . G . S . B . ; S . Rosenthal , G . S . ; Jas . Stevens , G . S . ; F . Binckes , G . Sec ; C . Swan , P . G . S . B . M . Ohren , P . G . S . and AV . Wynne . Prior to the Grand Lodge being opened a Lodge

of Improvement was held , at which Bro . T . Meggy worked the degree , with Bros . Sabine , as S . AV . ; Jas . Stevens , as J . AV . ; C . Swan , M . O . ; Magnus Ohren , S . O . ; and A . D . Loewenstark , J . . In thc Grand Lodge Bro . Binckes , G . Secretary , readtheminutes ofthe Communication of 30 th Nov ., 1 S 69 , which were unanimously confirmed .

Lord LEIGH moved a vote of condolence with the Earl of Carnarvon on the sad event which had recently occurred in his lordship ' s family—thc massacre by Greek brigands of his cousin , Mr . Herbert . He was satisfied that all the brethren felt the calamity most deeply , and would join him in thc expression of his sympathy .

Lord HOLMESDALE seconded the resolution , which was then put and carried . Lord CARNARVON -. Most AVorshipful Sir and Brethren , I was really not aware till I saw thc resolution entered on the agenda paper , that I should have this tribute of sympathy paid to me this afternoon . I thank you very much indeed for thc

kindness which has induced you lo express that sympathy . I thank those noble brethren of mine who have proposed and seconded it , for thc considerate manner in which they have done it . There arc sonic subjects , which you understand it is not easy for mc to speak upon ; but believe mc , when I say ,

I appreciate very deeply this mark of thc sympathy you have given me . Everywhere , by every class , that sympathy has been forthcoming ; but nowhere has it been more freely and spontaneously given than among my Masonic brethren , and from none , may 1 say , do I consider it more kind and hearty . Brethren , ' I thank you most sincerely for your

kindness on this occasion . Bro . AV . BEACH , P . G . M . : Brethren , at thc last Grand Lodge our Worshipful Brother , thc Rev . George Raymond Portal , was nominated Grand Master for thc ensuing year . There was no other candidate nominated . Therefore on thc present occasion , I have to declare that he is elected Grand Master for the coming year of Mark Masters

of England and AVales and the Colonics and Dependencies of the British Crown . As he has already gone through the ceremony of installation , I shall simply declare him elected Grand Master . Having been formally saluted , Thc GRAND MASTER said : Brethren , I beg to return you my very sincere and heartfelt thanks for the honour that you have done mc , in placing mc in this chair for another twelve months , and 1 can

only assure you that as in tunc past , so in time to come , my best endeavours will be at the service of all you , both collectively and individually . The GUANO MASTER then said , it washis pleasing duly to present on behalf of thc brethren Past Grand Masters'jewels to those Grand Masters who had so worthily preceded himself—Lords Leigh , Carnarvon and Holmesdale , and Bro . AV . Beach .

Before doing so , he wished to say a few words as lo the position ofthe Mark degree . Its origin was lost in the most remote antiquity . In our noble cathedrals . ind colleges , we constantly came upon Mark Master Masons' marks . The Grand Chapter of Scotland some time ago appointed a committee to investigate thc position in Masonry ofthe Mark Degree , and that committee reported that from time immemorialand lon _ before the institution of the

Grand Lodge of Scotland in 173 6 . the Mark Degree was wrought by Operative Lodges of St . John ' s Masonry . That was an admission , first that the degree was Operative , and next that it was superior in antiquity to Grand Lodge or Grand Chapter . In the 17 th century , Mother * Kilwinning Lodge , thc oldest in . Scotland , made Masonschoosc their marks ,

and charged them 4 s . for the same . In 1778 the Banff Operative Lodge resolved that all Masons should rise to thc degree of Master Mason before having thc mark , and that they should pay is . 6 d . In this country Mark Lodges have existed from time imineni' -rial , and Bro . ilug ' . ian had a list of seventeen Mark Lodges casting in America in 1797 . all working as separate and distinct lorlgcs .

Grand Mark Lodge.

In 1856 a motion was brought forward in Grand Lodge of England to have the Mark Degree recognised as a graceful appendage to thc Fellow Craft Degree . When it came to the confirmation of the minutes thc motion was negatived on the ground that it was a breach of Articles of Union , which said that the only degrees allowed to be

worked should be the three degrees and the Royal Arch , and several brethren said that to violate those articles of union , would in fact be to break up Grand Lodge altogether . Other brethren said it was an entire perversion of this degree to place it after thc Fellow Craft , when it ought to come after the Master ' s Degree . But without going into

this question , as far as memory could reach or history teach , the Mark Degree had been independent of Grand Lodge or Grand Chapter , and it would have been a most disastrous thing if thc articles of union had been violated . The motion having been negatived , certain brethren thought it right to apply to Grand Chapter of Scotland for warrants to open

Mark Lodges in this country . That was a great mistake ; because it sacrificed independence , and secondly it introduced a foreign jurisdiction here . Thatbeingthepositionofthings , those Mark Masters who did not . like to sec a foreign jurisdiction introduced , asked Lord Leigh to call together as many Mark Lodges and individual Mark Masons as he

could to decide what course should be adopted , whether they should allow thc degree to be worked in thc time-immemorial lodges , or place themselves under thc Grand Lodge of Scotland . They determined that independence should be maintained , and that this Grand Lodge should be called . Lord Leigh had conferred a favour on the Mark Degree

in England by the course he took . From that time Mark Masonry had continued to progress , ninetysix warrants having been issued , and 4 , 9 61 certificates granted . Lord Leigh , he was sure , would have satisfaction in seeing that the work he had begun had such a result , and for his own part he ( the M . AV . G . M . ) could only say that it was his desire

to cultivate the most friendly relations with all other Masonic bodies ; and that they had not been entirely unsuccessful was proved by thc fact that a great Knight Templar , Bro . Huyshe , was one of our most energetic Provincial Grand Masters , and Bro . Adair , of thc 33 , had accepted office in this Grand Lodge for this year .

Lords Leigh , Carnarvon and Holmesdale , and Bro . Beach , having been invested with the Past Grand Master's jewel , severally responded . Lord LEIGH , while expressing his feelings of gratitude for thc gift , regretted that he had not been able of late years to be so much among thc brethren as formerly , but from the time he vacated the chair

to thc present day , he had always felt the deepest interest in the degree . The Grand Master had done him justice in saying he was pleased to find the progress the Mark had made . It was with the greatest possible satisfaction he saw that under thc reigns of Lord Carnarvon , Lord Holmesdale , Bro . Beach and the present Grand Master , the degree

had flourished . Lord CARNARVON also sincerely thanked the brethren . The Grand Master had said so much on the subject of Mark Masonry that he would not recapitulate any of those details . Life was composed of many continuous steps , all forming " one harmonious whole ; " each step having relation to

the past and that which succeeds ; and so also it was with Masonry , which was composed of different degrees and steps . That was the case with the Mark degree . He looked back with satisfaction to his joining that degree . He felt his time had been well spent . The knowledge he then acquired was of thc deepest importance to himself . There was

much to be learned in the degree ; not merely that it went back until it was almost lost in the mists of immemorial antiquity , but even through those mists the skilful Mark Master would be able to reap much and gather much from the past : he would be able to sec thc outlines of many Masonic facts which were not so clear in the earlier stages of thc Craft :

and if he turned his time to profit he would carry away from thc degree much that was of value . Mark Masonry opened , not merely thc special secrets and mysteries of its own degree , but inculcated just as strongly as thc other degrees those virtues of Masonry which held us together as one great Brotherhood all over the world , from all time ,

in all countries , appealing to some of the highest qualities of human nature , nnd producing , wherever free scope was given it , some of the greatest benefits of mankind . For all these reasons he looked back with satisfaction to thc time when he filled the chair of Grand Master , and should view with peculiar pleasure the jewel with which he had been invested .

Lord HOLMF . SDALK could only think of his utter unworthincss of so much consideration . Such poor service as lie could render was most heartily at the disposal of Mark Masonry . AVith regard to the Grand Master ' s observations as to cultivating friendly relations with other Masonic bodies , he thought the Masonic world was wide enough for all , and it would be a bad day indeed if they did