Original Correspondence.

De Grasse did establish , before the 21 st of February ,. 1803 , a Supreme Council at CapFran 5 ais , San Dominga for the French West Indian Islands . This body was dis - persed when France lost that island ; and De Grasse and the other members who fled to France claimed that the Council created by him still continued to exist , in their

persons , in France , so that if the island were re-conquered , and they returned there , it would return with them . In 1804 , De Grasse created the Supreme Council of France . There was no antagonism between the two bodies . The De Grasse Council created no bodies and claimed no jurisdiction in France . It existed there , for the French West Indies . The two lived side by side . Until 1812 , the

names of the members of the Supreme Council of America always appeared in the tableaux of the Supreme Council of France , following those of its own members . They were omitted for the first time in 1812 , in consequence of some disagrement . In 1813 the Supreme Council of France apoloised for the omissi on , styling it " une mesure d'ordre . '

The Supreme Council of America , which had begun to hold separate meetings in 1811 , continued to do so , and in 1814 its Grand Commander , De Grasse , returned to Paris , reassumed the exercise of his functions , and commenced the negotiations for a union with the Supreme Council of France , which , interrupted by the events of 1815 , were successful in 1821 .

In 1815 this Supreme Council for America thought it might exercise , ad interim , the powers of the dispersed Supreme Council of France . It divided into two parts in 1817 , one of which tried and condemned De Grasse . But his party prevailed , and the other disappeared as a Supreme Council . In 1818 he resigned , and the Comte , afterwards Duke , Decazes became Grand Commander

of the Supreme Council of America . During the year 1820 he occupied himself with re-uniting the members of the Supreme Council of France , " ten of whom had died after their dispersion in 1815 . "—Heboid , 478 . On the 4 th of May , 1821 , that body re-assembled , the Comte de Valence presiding ; and on the 7 th of May , 1821 , it united with the Supreme Council of America .

I have the " Extrait du Livre d'Or " of the Supreme Council for France , containing the minutes of its session of 24 th June . 1821 . The Comte de Segur presided ; Comte Muiaire and General dc Fernig were Secetaries . The Comte Muraire , in his address , stated that the Supreme Council had met on the 4 th of May , and again on the fib , and that there were nine places to fill to make its

number twenty-one , which had been given to members of the Supreme Council of America . It is therefore entirely a mistake that " the Supreme Council if France was not instituted until the 7 th May , 1821 . " "A 33 ° " says that a spurious body existed in Patison the 15 th November , 1814 , designating itself " the Supreme Council of the 33 for the French West Indies

Islands . " He does not mention the fact that in 1821 this body , which the Supreme Council of France never considered " spurious , " but , on the contrary , bore for many years the names of its members on its own rolls , was united with it as a lawful and legitimate body . It made Prince Paul of Wurtemburg a 33 , and had on its rolls in 1818 the Baron de Fernig , as Lieut . Grand Commander ,

the Comte Bclliard , the Comte Allemand , the Due de Saint Aignan , the Duke de Reggio , the C"mte Guilleminot , as Treasurer-General , the Prince of Hisse-Darmstadt , as Secretary-General , the Comte Kr 6 re , the Baron de Coinville , the Comtes de Castellane and d'Estourmet , and a host of other nobles , French , Russian , and Polish . H Dr . Morison ' s patent of 15 th November , 1814 , was signed by De Grasse as Grand Commander , it emanated

from that body , and not from the Supreme Council of France . He was made by it a 33 ° , as many others were , who were always recognised by the Supreme Council of France . But all this has nothing to do with Dr . Morison's powers in 1846 . That union in 1821 , by which the Supreme Council of France recognised that of America as a lawful body , and

received at first nine and afterwards five of its members into itself , made Dr . Morison ' s patent to have the same effect as if it had been granted by itself , and he was consequently always afterwards recognised by it as a lawful Sovereign Grand Inspector General . The question is not what powers the patent of 1814 gave him , but what powers he had in 1846 . He had

ample power then , and if he even had not , the subsequent ratification by the Supreme Council of France retro-acted , and was equal to an original delegation of power . Bro . Loth , some time ago , wrote to me pretty much as " A 33 " writes , and my reply will bc found in the No . of our Bulletin , which I send you , at page 377 . Dr . Morison , of Greenfield , died at Paris in 1849 , after

residing there 27 years . He was " membre du 33 mc degii , admis et rcconnu , " present as such in the Supreme Council of France , in 1827 , 1828 , Wfco , 1836 ; and is on the tableaux of that body , of 1836 , 1838 , 1841 , 1842 , and 1843 , always as a membre reconnu , as Grand Representative of the Supreme Council of the Low Countries in 18 3 6 , and Representative of the Supreme Council at Bruxelles

in 18 38 . He never was an honorary member of the Supreme C ouncil of France , but was recognised was admitted by it to be a Sov . Grand Inspector General . As such he had the power to create a Supreme Grand Council in Scotland . Dr . Crucefix getting his 33 ° ( by having the ritual sent to him , and taking the obligation from the Supreme Council at Boston , was precisely what

Dr . Morison was , and made the Supreme Council of England and Wales in the same manner . The Supreme Council for Ireland had been made in the same way . The Comte de Grasse received at Charleston , on the nth of November , 1796 , from Hyman Isaac L » nge , Deputy Inspector General his patent as Knight Kadosh and Deputy Inspector General , of the Rite of Perfection . There

Original Correspondence.

was no 33 rd Degree or Ancient and Accepted Rite in South Carolina until 1801 . "A 33 ° " is at sta about the Bro . de Grasse and his patent , I have several copies in full of the patents of 179 6 , to De Grasse and Delahogue . The 33 " patent of De Grasse does not bear the signature of six " unknown " Masons , neither does bis patent of Deputy Inspector . All the names on both occur in many

other Masonic documents of the two periods . The patent of 179 6 was signed by several French brethren residing in Charleston , and whose names you will find on the old registers of lodges in Charleston , and part of them on the tableau of the Grand Lodge of Perfection , of 1802 . De Grasse was a member of the Lodge La Candeur , of Charleston , in 1796 ; in August , 1797 , was one of the

founders there of the Lodge Reunion Francaise , of which he was at some time Master ; in December , 1798 , he received at Charleston the Degree of Knight Commander of the Temple . In October , 1799 , he was Deputy Sovereign Grand Commander of the Grand Council and Sublime Orient , at Charleston . In June , 1802 , he was . Senior Warden of thelodge , and Senior Grand Warden of the

Chapter des Sept . Freres Reunis , at Cape Fran 9 ais . His patent of 1802 ( of the 33 ° ) is signed by Grand Commander Mitchell , Dr . Dalcho , and other members of the Supreme Council . So that it is absolutely certain that he was a 33 " , authorised to create a Supreme Council for the French West Indies ; and he did create that of France , and in proper

person or by delegate those of Belgium , Spain ( at Madrid ) , and Italy ( at Milan ) . See the discourse ' of the Bro . Langlois . de Charlange , at the meeting of the Supreme Council for the French Possessions of America , ' ori the 2 jth of November , 1817 . ' The Grand Orient of France could not invest a " Scottish Council of Rites" in Scotland , by warrant , with

authority to work the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite . I should like to see in print a copy of that warrant . The Grand Constitutions vest the power of administration and government in Supreme Councils only , and the Grand Orient of France itself never had lawful possession of the

Supreme powers of the Anci ; nt and Accepted Scottish Rite . Its possession for a long period of time became title by usurpation . And if a Scottish Council of Rites did work the degrees of the Rite , that was no obstacle to the ciea ' . ior . of a Supreme Council . These can be established wherever none

exists . " A- 33 ° " calls upon me to enlighten your readers in regard to the designation of our Supreme Council as " The Mother Council of the World . " He disputes that on two grounds . One is , that Frederic created a Supreme Council . I believe that , but it died , childless , almost as soon as born .

It left no offspring . Ours was the next . From it , mediately or immediately , all existing Councils have sprung . De Grasse , a member of it at its origin , created that for France , and from hirr . our Grand Orient received the degrees , its members swearing to obey the Supreme Council . Secondly , that " all these degrees , as is well known , were practised by the Grand Lodge and Grand Orient of

F ' rance many years before the commencement of the present century . " It would be difficult to compress more error into so many words . The Grand Lodge of France practised the Blue Degrees only . The Grand Orient , in 1786 , reduced its dtgrces to seven , the seventh being the Rose Croix . The Council of Emperors of the East and West , which was for a time united with the Grand Lodge , practised the Rite of Perfection , in twenty-five degrees , but

seven , never worked by Grand Lodge , or Grand Orient , or any other body in France , were added , besides the 33 ° , to make the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite . And , in 1804 , none of the degrees of the Rite of Perfection were worked or known in France , except the four above the Blue Degrees included in the Rite Fram ; ais or Modcrne of the Grand Orient . Fraternally yours ,

ALBERT PIKE . Washington , June 12 th , 1878 .

VOTE-TOUTING IN GRAND LODGE BALLOTS . To the Editor ofthe "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Now that you are calling attention to some unhappy disclosures respecting the recent election of members of the Board of Purposes , will you kindly allow me space to point out a practice most reprehensible in itself , as well

as a nuisance to the brethren and a disgrace to Grand Lodge itself , which ought to be swept away at once . I mean the thrusting into our hands little bills , similar in appearance to those forced upon many passengers in the streets , and containing an urgent request to vote for certain brethren .

Nor is this all , for at last Grand Lodge , one of the Scrutineers who was seemingly too busy to attend to his duties properly—thus causing the brethren unnecessary delay—was actually occupied in handing these documents to the brethren he passed , and in some cases was even going so far as to request the brethren to comply with the demand therein contained .

I need hardly dwell upon this conduct farther than to say that of the seven names printed upon this paper , no less than five were those of brethren included in the incorrect return , and of these five three were those of brethren not ultimately returned at all . Does net this point to a deliberate conspiracy to

over-ride the will of Grand Lodge ? May we not fairly ask that this—more than nuisance—shall be at once suppressed ? Surely if a brother is worthy of the suffrages of Grand Lodge he will be returned without stooping to any aid of this kind ; and surely , if brethren go to Grand Lodge ignorant of the merits of the respective candidates for

Original Correspondence.

office , they should withold their votes and not become , unwillingly may be , accomplices in such a practice . In any case I cannot imagine that the recent expose will incline the brethren so to alter the Lodge of Benevolence as to render it possible that it shall be manipulated in the way that the Board of General Purposes seems to have been . I remain , dear Sir and Brother , faithfully and fraternally yours W . T

THE SECRETARYSHIP OF MASONIC INSTITUTIONS . . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , —

I beg you will accept my best thanks for your fearless and good intentioned observations upon " Masonic Mendicancy , " and although you appear to have touched a

tender chord of our worthy Bro . Terry ' s , yet , I venture to think , you have expressed the prevailing sentiment of your brethren . You have had the uncommon courage to denounce as unwise , nota growing evil but an evil ol too long standing , and you deserve the thanks of the brotherhood in ventilating this subject , and if from your observations any modification to the present objectionable system of

stumping for charity shall be obtained , you will have conferred a boon upon Freemasonry in general and upon the energetic arid worthy Secretaries of our Institutions in particular . For years I have held the very opinions you have expressed , and with our late lamented Bro . Little I have often discussed them , and with which he in the main coincided . "Who , among us , can say to what extent Secretarial

lodge visiting conduced to the premature deathof that loved brother . " I remember accompanying that brother home one evening , when he was very indisposed , and I urged him to plead excuse from those frequent banquet board visits for his health ' s sake . I even went so far as to remark that he was killing himsell , to which observation he simply remarked " I can ' t help it ,

my brother , it is one of my duties and I must do it . " Does this not speak loud enough to call for investigation ? All constitutions are not alike , ' tis true , all are not of that iron strength to withstand the heavy strain of late hours and festivity . We may , perhaps , congratulate our worth y Bro . Terry , who can , with apparent impunity , endure a strain of 290 out of 36 5 nights at the festive boird—for

if we deduct 52 Sundays , wc find he has but 23 nights left to bask in the comforts of his own fireside , and the endearments of his family , presuming Bro . Terry to be that happy being , " a married man . " We must all , I am sure , share in the regret expressed by him , viz ., that he could not find more time to spend at home . But as he here appears to endeavour to suppoit the " necessity " of

Irequent lodge visiting on the hypothesis that in the alternative the Institutions would entail a loss of from £ 3000 £ 4000 a year , then I submit that such a system ot , to amassing funds is anything but creditable to our Order , and augurs sooner or later its decline . Surely , brethren charitably disposed , can be equally moved to benevolence by their own lodge Secretaries , and thus spare Institution

Secretaries such unheard of labour ; if not , then all I can say is , that that charity which requires forcing by wine , and the eloquence of an accomplished and practised after dinner speaker , deserves another name . I give our Secretaries full justice for their sincerity , their perseverance , and earnest intent of well-doing , but there is such a thing as carrying Masonic mendicancy a little to far far the

wellbeing of our Order , and it is , perhaps , well they do not see behind the scenes , that is , to know how obnoxious such visits generally are to our brethren . As I Speak so warmly upon this matter , it will be remarked possibly that I should venture to suggest some remedy . 1 can do so and that very candidly , viz . " less banquets and the money which would have gone to defray the same placed to the credit of our institutions" — that would at once give our

Secretaries more hours at home and contribute a much larger fund to our Institutions—Should this some day happily come to pass , I think our worthy Brother Terry will not think it so much amiss that his brethren condescend to spend their " 2 d . a week " for the Masonic Organ , that so much contributed to his welfare , and the good of Freemasonry generally . I am , dear Sir and Brother , Yours in faith and fraternity ,

A BROTHER WHO LAYS OUT HIS TWOPENCE A WEEK TO SEE FOR HIMSELF .

To Ihe Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — It was with mingled feelings of disappointment and uncourteous treatment , I learnt on my entrance into Freemasons' Hall to-day that a fet £ or gala day was to take place at the Boys' School , at Wood Green . I feel sure that I am only one amongst many whose contributions

individually and collectively towards that Institution can be counted by hundreds , and , although not Stewards , are entitled by right , let alone courtesy , to be apprised individually by letter when proceedings in which they have proved themselves so much interested are to take place . As tar as I myself am concerned , without any desire of boasting , I will merely say that I am Vice-President of all the Institutions , my two sons are Life Governors ( each ) of

one or more of them , and that our joint contributions to the Charities can be counted by hundreds ; and I do feel a very uncourteous treatment when 1 am not treated with a pennyworth of civility in the shape of a circular or otherwise . In conclusion , let mc assure you that these remarks are made not for one Institution , but for all—from one of tltiem I have invariably rrceived the civil pennyworth . Yours fraternally , ' CARLO LWECREP .