Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

CHARITY JEWELS . To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , if there is no other reply to " P . M . " as to the Charity Jewel , will you kindly inform

him that I consider it is the most distinguished jewel a Mason can wear , and that he is now midway to obtaining the privilege of wearing one . The jewel is presented to a brother on his serving the office of steward to two of the three

charities—the Boys' and Girls —and he will be entitled to wear a clasp for the other charity when he serves the stewardship , and an additional clasp for every other stewardship of any of the charities . A'ours fraternally , MAGNUS OHREN , P . M ., Past Steward of all the Charities .

THE ORDER OF THE TEMPLE . To the Editor of The Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — As a Knight Templar anel a member of the Ancient and Accepted Rite I have read with surprise and regret a letter , quoted in a leading article in your valuable paper , dated the

14 th inst ., addressed by Sir Patrick Colquhon to John Scott Cunningham . I pass over , with the silence I consider it merits , the unpardonable egotism displayed throughout the Arch Chancellor ' s effusion , and

content myself with pointing out the decided errors into which he has fallen , and the equivocal position into which the entire body of Knig hts Templar have , through the illdirected zeal of a "lawyer of standing , " been placed .

1 should first remark how utterly distant from the truth is the statement that honours and dignities are distributed , not by favour , but by merit , and that provincial officers are real entities instead of ornamental and useless dignities . I can instance within my own

knowledge several cases in which Knights Templar , who have only been installed companions for a very short period , being appointed to nominally important , and responsible offices in a Provincial Priory , as it is now termed .

I have , no doubt the Prince of Wales is deeply grateful for the paternal care with which his career has been watched over by Sir Patrick , and tlie exertions he lias displayed to secure for H . R . H . the honour of Grand Master .

There is , however , a far more important point of view from which the matter must be considered . I have no hesitation in affirming that such an alteration in the constitution of a body , which had until recentl y considered itself a " Masonic "

one , has been made , is unwelcome to a very large proportion of its members , who although most willing to welcome the Irish Templars , would not , had they had an opportunity of considering the matter , and expressing an opinion on it , have consented to its having been made .

There were very few members of Encampments held out of London who had the sli ghtest idea of what was proposed to be done until the resolutions forming the basis of the amalgamation had been passed , and this having been done

further discussion was burked by the assertion that as the Prince of AVales had sanctioned the so-called amendments , he would be unable to accept the office of Grand Master if they were not confirmed .

It is asserted " that the principle accepted was that the body is not of itself Masonic . " Is this the case ? AVhat have many eminent authorities said upon the subject ? That worth y Mason Bro . How , to whose valuable work I shall hereafter refer , is clearly

ot opinion that it cannot be controverted that the Kni ghts Templar possessed some features of similarity to Freemasonry , and the connection between the two bodies has frequently been asser-ed by the friends and enemies of both .

Bro . Laurie says , " AVe know the Knights Templar not only possessed the mysteries but performed the ceremonies and inculcated the duties of Freemasons , " and he attributed the dissolution of the l ) i tier to the discovery of the-ir beiny

Original Correspondence.

Freemasons and assembling in secret to practise the rites of the Order . These views are adopted by Bro . Mackey , an American Mason of

. A careful study of works relating to Knights Templar will , I think , prove that Masonry was a prominent feature of the Order , and it cannot be controverted that whilst Templary flourished Masonry prospered , churches were built and

fortifications erected . Again referring to the statement that the past rank hitherto bestowed was a " ridiculous aping of Craft Masonry , with which it has no connection . " To use your own words " out of his own lips this Arch Chancellor stands condemned , " for has

he not written that the body "has a Masonic basis and qualification" and are not the ranks of the Knights Templar recruited from Freemasons alone ? Supposing for one moment that the Order of the Temple is not of itself Masonic , what then

is the legal position occupied by it , and its members ? This ought to be known to " a lawyer of standing" but although I am content to accept a more humble position in the ranks of the legal profession , I feel it a duty incumbent

upon me to point out the lamentable position which the ill-timed and ill-directed exertions of the gentleman ( who deprecating the use of past rank by others , does not fail to inform our American brother that he has been a " Chief

Justice" ) has brought us to , if his assertion that the body is not Masonic is correct . It is possible we " want no assistance from the law , " but it is an undeniable fact that we are subservient to it , and I propose to point out what , in my opinion , the law is .

The Act . 57 Geo . III ., cap . exxiii . is still in force . By it all persons administering , & c , " any oath or engagement ... to be of any society . . . or to obey the commands or orders of any committee or body of men not having authority by law for that purpose . . .

shall be guilty of felony ; " and " any engagement or obligation whatsoever , in the nature of an oath , shall be deemed an oath within the intent and meaning of this Act . " By 39 Geo . III ., cap . Ixxix ., every society then or thereafter to be established , the members

whereof should be required to take any oath whicli should be unlawful under the last-mentioned Act , should be deemed unlawful , section 5 expressly exempting "Lodges of Free Masons ;" and 57 Geo . III ., cap . xix .. enacts that all societies , the members whereof are required to

take unlawful oaths , & c , within the two beforementioned Acts , or " to take any oath not required or authorised by law , " shall be deemed to be within the provisions of 39 Geo . III ., cap . Ixxix , " Lodges of Freemasons" in this instance also , being specially excepted .

If the Order of the Temple ceases to be Masonic , it at once becomes an unlawful society , and the whole of its members liable to be subjected to criminal prosecution . And now as to the unwarranted attack made upon the Ancient and Accepted Rite .

In the first place , Sir Patrick Coiqulioun , knowing that the Supreme Council 33 ° had incorporated itself under the Companies' Acts of 1862 and 1867 ; and being himself a member of the 32 —and , as such , pledged to support the authority of the Council—must be taken to be

aware of the objects of the incorporation , which , as set forth in the memorandum of association , " are the promotion of Scientific and Archaeological Freemasonry , and the encouragement and development of Masonic Charity ; and the doing of all such tilings as may be incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objects . "

Had Sir Patrick Coiqulioun not been above the law he would have known that under the last mentioned Acts , associations may be registered for purposes other than that of trading and the license granted to the Supreme Council by the Board of Trade , by virtue of 30 and 31 A'ict ., c . exxxi . sec . 23 was upon the express condition

" that the income and property of tlie Association shall be applied solely to the promotion of the objects of the Association" as before set forth and no portion thereof is to he " paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividend or bonus or otherwise by way of profit" to any person whomsoever .

Original Correspondence.

How then does he reconcile this with his utterly unfounded assertion that the Council is a trading company for the sale of Masonic or quasi Masonic degrees ? Is then the Order of the Temple upon a firmer basis than the Ancient and Accepted

Rite ? I think that I have clearly demonstrated that if the Arch Chancellor ' s assertion is correct ( which I do not admit ) then the latter has a legal instead of an illegal position . It can amalgamate with other bodies , in fact generally do anything that may be conducive to

the carrying out of the object for which it was incorporated . I must apologise for these lengthy remarks , but the subject is one of interest and appears of too great importance not to require ample ventilation .

I am Dear Sir and Brother Yours fraternally , J . E . C .

A Masonic Funeral In New York.

A MASONIC FUNERAL IN NEW YORK .

The New York Dispatch gives the following interesting account of the funeral obsequies of the late Bro . Orr , Governor of New York : — The sun has rarely shone on a finer clay than the one set apart for the tribute offered by the fraternity and the civic authorities of New York

to the memory of the late Governor Orr , whose remains were passing through our city to their final resting place in South Carolina . From the moment of the arrival ofthe steamer in the bay the casket was in charge of the Craft , under direction ofR . AV . Bro . Thorne , D . G . M ., and the

various commanderies , with read y devotion , guarded it and its honoured burden . Friday having been named for the public ceremonial , found the craftsmen ready to honour themselves in honouring one who in life had been a faithful exemplar and consistent exponent of the

principles Masonry teaches . Promptly at the hour named in general orders , the Knights began assembling in the City Hall Park , and when the line of march was ready , there could not have been less than 800 Templars in it . The coffin having been placed in its place , the cortege moved in the following order : —

Section of Mounted Police . Inspector Dilks , with Captain Leary as Special Aid . Platoon of the Broadway Squad , under Capt . Allaire . Knights Templar Band , H . B . Dodworth ,

leader . Grand Marshall and Chief of Staff . Aids to Grand Marshall , in full evening dress , black , with blue rosettes and lambskin aprons . The Grand Commandery of New A ' ork as

follows : — Sir Frand L . Stowell , R . E . Grand Com mander . Sir Robert Blake , A ' . E . Deputy Grantl Com mander . Sir Townsend Fondey , E . Grand Generalis

simo . Sir Geo . AV . Southwick , E . Grand Captain General . Sir James A . Read , E . Grand Prelate . Sir George AV . AValgrove , E . Grantl Senior AVarden .

Sir George H . Chase , E . Grand Junior AVarden . Sir A . AV . Shadbolt , E . Grand Treasurer . Sir Robert Macoy , E . Grand Recorder . Sir Charles Ail'inan , E . Grantl Standard Bearer . Sir Edmund Cooper , E . Grand Sword Bearer .

Sir Ralph AV . Kenyon , E . Grand AVarder . Sir Jackson H . Chase , E . Chief of Staff . Sir Peter Forrester , Special Aid to Grantl Commander .

Commanderies of the State of New York , in the following order : — Columbian , No . 1 , SirAValtcrM . Fleming , E . C . Constantine , No . 48 , Sir Geo . AV . AValgrove ,

JS . U . Morton , No . 4 . Sir George Smith , acting E . C . Clinton , No . 14 , Sir Claudius Beattie , E . C . Pale-tine , No . 18 , Sir Henry Myers , acting E . C . De Witt Clinton , No . 27 , Sir John H . Mott , acting E . C .