To Correspondents.

TO CORRESPONDENTS .

The largely increased circulation of the Freemason necessitates our going to press at an earlier hour on Thursdays . It is therefore requested that all communications

intended to appear in the current number may be sent to our offices not later than 5 p . m . on Wednesdays . Advertisements and short notices of importance received up to 12 o ' clock noon on Thursdays .

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TO ADVERTISERS . I ' m FREEMASON has a large circulation in all parts of the Globe . In it the official Reports of the Grand Lodges of England , Ireland , and Scotland arc published with the special sanction of the respective Grand Masters , and it contains a complete record of Masonic work in this country , our Indian Empire , and the Colonies . The vast accession to the ranks of the Order during the past few years , and thc increasing interest manifested in its doings , has given the Freemason a position and influence which few journals can lay claim to , and the proprietor can assert with confidence that announcements appearing in its columns challenge the attention of a very large and influential body of readers . Advertisements for thc current week ' s issue are received up to » i * o ' clock on Wednesday evening .

To Correspondents.

To Correspondents .

HERMES . —Under consideration . QUATUOR CORONATI . —A note "thereanent" has been received , and shall appear in our next . Owing to pressure on our columns the following reports , Sic , stand over : — Lad y Freemasonry in Spain ; Prov . G . Lodge of Somerset ; Correspondence , Bro . Tudor Trevor ; Duke of Cornwall Lodge , No . 1 S 39 ; Creaton Lodge of Instruction ,

No . 1791 ; Sir Hugh Myddelton Lodge of Instruction , No . 1602 ; West Smithfield Royal Arch Chapter , No . 1623 ; Zetland Chapter , No . 236 ; Shakespeare Mark Lodge ; Faith Lodge , No . 141 ; Royal Hanover Lodge , No . 1777 ; Royal Commemoration Lodge of Instruction , No . 15 S 5 ; Sun , Square and Compass Chapter , No . 119 ; Derby Lodge , No . 724 : Wandsworth Lodge , No . 1044 .

BOOKS , & c , RECEIVED . "Broad Arrow , " "Sunday Times , " "Hull Packet , " "Croydon Guardian , ' "Jewish Chronicle , " "Egyptian Gazette , " "The Wallington and Carshalton Herald , " "Allen ' s Indian Mail , " "Die Bauhutte , " "The Baltimore News , " "The Stock Keeper and Fancier's Chronicle , "

" Where shall I Get the Most for my Money ? " " Voice of Masonry , " "The Freemason ' s Repository , " "Selected Readings , " "The Liberal Freemason , " "The Masonic Review , " " Boletin Oficial , " ' Masonic Token , " " Der Long Islaender , " " The Nassau Guardian , " " The Nassau Times , " " The Bridgwater Mercury . "

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THE FREEMASON . SATURDAY , Nov . 6 , 1880 .

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THE more we think over , and read over , the proceedings at the LORD MAYOR ' S banquet , the more we are struck with the kindliness and friendliness of the great gathering , the more we realize how very well and thoroughly thc "idea" has been carried out

and brought to a satisfactory and striking conclusion . Freemasonry has had often "hard lines " and bad words to contend with . It has been laughed at , sneered at , persecuted , and anathematized ; but here in this good year of light and

grace , 1880 , under the auspices of the LORD MAYOR , in the Mansion House of the greatest municipality of the world , it is publicly recognized , its work lauded , and its members honoured . If in any quarters there still lingers , in the ineptitude and

ignorance of childish prejudice , any doubt as to the real aims and ends of English Freemasonry , if its loyalty be sometimes questioned , its " cui bono " carped at , and its organization held up to suspicion and sarcasm , that assembly on last Monday week

in the Mansion House of the City of London is the best reply , if reply be needed or vouchsafed , to ignorant assailants or dubious questioners . The

genial hospitality of the LORD MAYOR will long be remembered gratefully by those who were able , happily , to avail themselves of his fraternal invitation for October 25 th , 1 SS 0 .

* * WE are not surprised to note that some citizens of London are seeking to commemorate the admirable

manner in all respects 111 which our distinguished Bro . SIR FRANCIS WYATT TRUSCOTT , the J . G . W . of England , has carried out the duties of his high office as LORD MAYOR in 1879-80 . We

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say that we are not surprised at such a movement , for we think any such recognition of the thoughtful and graceful hospitality which has marked his administration as the City's municipal

ruler , is alike appropriate and well merited . We as Freemasons can cordially enter into and gratefully re-echo both such feelings of admiration and such words of praise .

* # A KINDLY discussion is going on about our Charities and Charity returns , Lodge and Chapter

subscriptions , Stewards' lists , & c , We hope good will come out of it , and that the result of so many " warm ; words " may be to benefit our excellent Charities .

ANOTHER amicable controversy is proceeding anent the status of Grand Officers . We do not quite see how it is all to end , but we always think , as a general rule , on such " points " and subjects

that " quieta ' non movere " is a good adage for us Masons to keep before us . We have , as our readers know , never ceased to have but one view , that the " onus probandi " lies upon those who seek to upset the course of English Masonic social

courtesy and constitutional precedence certainly for a generation . But as our remarks have been already criticized and found fault with more than once , we think that for the present , at any rate , for us , silence is " golden " and certainly more dignified . Since we wrote the above we have received

the following from a distinguished brother of our Order , which , as it throws some light on the " matter , " we are glad to append—The Grand Master ( the Duke of Sussex ) , in a letter to the Board of General Purposes , dated December , 1837 ,

ordered chains , instead of collars , for the Grand Officers of the year ; " to be worn only in Grand Lodge , or at such great ceremonials and festivals when the Grand Officers appear in their official capacity . The Provincial Grand Masters , however , being the Grand Master's Officers

always in function , may be permitted to wear similar collars in the Grand Lodge , in their Provincial meetings , or when officially present at any lodge in their respective districts , or when paying a visit to any other Provincial Grand Lodge . "

* * WE publish elsewhere a correspondence which we think few will read without regret . It seems that the members of the Ancient and Primitive Rite , as they term themselves , deem themselves aggrieved

by an official circular of Bro . SANDEMAN s , written as Grand Secretary General of the Supreme Council , 33 , Ancient and Accepted Rite , Goldensquare , and write hastily and angrily , and not , we venture as Craftsmen to think , in a Masonic

temper . It appears to us that the real purport of the " circular , " which was intended for , and addressed to , the chapters of the Ancient and Accepted Rite only , complained of has been misunderstood . Having read it ourselves we

apprehend that all it professes or seeks to enforce and lay down legally and technically is , that the Ancient and Primitive Rite is not synonymous with the Ancient and Accepted Rite , and is not recognized as such by any jurisdiction of the Ancient

and Accepted Rite . It also states that Bro . HILL ( 32 ) is not a member of the Ancient and Accepted Rite . But we confess we do not see that it expresses any opinion of the Ancient and Primitive Rite further than this , that it is not identical with

the Ancient and Accepted Rite , and , therefore , to us perhaps calmer and more philosophic Craft Masons , a good deal of this " vis " and excitement of language seems really uncalled for and outside the

question . We only write , we think it well to observe , as Craft Masons , and there may be more meaning in Bro . SANDEMAN ' S clear and simple words than we are able to discover .

* * IN answer to the pointed queries of Bro . HILL in our last , with respect to the history , & c , of the so-called Ancient and Primitive Rite , we have thought it well to give a full and friendl } ' answer

today , though , to say the truth , the whole matter lies a little outside of our usual routine and course of action . The Freemason is a Craft journal , in perfect amity and good feeling with the " High " Grades , " but by no means wishful to seem to interfere in matters relative to their discipline , his-

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tory , order , or practice . We must premise then , for Bro . HILL ' S information and that of our many readers , that in all we are now going to say we write and speak simply as " Masonic students , " with no pretence of dogmatism or authority on

the subject . 1 . As regards the authority of the Supreme Council , 33 , Golden-square , we hold that , just as in the same way as in England the English Grand Lodge has a " sovereign jurisdiction " over all so-called Craft Masonry , just in the same way

the Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Rite has the same " sovereign jurisdiction " over all so-called " Scottish Masonry . " And this " authority , " as we regard it , is that of "history , " " common sense , " " needful unity , " " necessary

" jurisdiction , " and , according to the old adage , " similia sirnilibus . " We do not lengthen out our remarks to-day with any question as to the " char" ter , " for that is a matter which concerns the Supreme Council alone ; but we lay down this

broad Masonic canon , as applicable to "Scottish " as to Craft Masonry—that each "Sovereign State " has a right to a jurisdiction of its own , whether it be Craft or of the Ancient and Accepted Rite . But this point leads to further considerations

relative to the existence of early English High Grades which are beside the present question . 2 . The Rite of Memphis is a Rite whose origin , progress , and revival are alike most obscure . Hardly any two writers agree as to

its real origin , which according to some was very questionable , Masonically speaking . All that we can fairly say of it is , that such a Rite once did exist , and has lately been revived . It is not and cannot be a "Rite sui generis , " or an

"independent system , being at the best but " aside Degree . " However ingeniously composed its oriental origin is of course pure " muthos . " 3 . In our humble opinion , the Ancient and Accepted Rite dates in its essential grades from the middle

of the last century ; in its completed or re-arranged form of Thirty-three Grades , from quite the end of the last , or the beginning of this . Please to note that we are again speaking simply as Masonic students . 4 . As regards the so-called "

Antient and Primitive Rite , though there is some evidence of a grade called " Rite Primitif " at Narbonne , or " Pite de Narbonne , " about 1780 , it eventually joined with " Les Philaletesat Paris , in 1784 , and by a publication in 1790 , it

appears to have had three classes , the first two classes consisting of three Grades each , and the third class of four chapters . This Rite was " absorbed " by thc Grand Orient of France in 1806 . But we are not aware of any other Rite of

Ancient and Primitive Masonry . The Rite seems under its present adopted and adapted name to have been revived in America in 1856 , and rearranged and re-organized in 1864-5 . We recommend our readers to consult " Kenning's

Cyclopaedia , " though it is fair to say that Bro . MACKENZIE in his " Royal Cyclopaedia" seems to admit the early existence of the Ancient and Primitive Rite , which the Editor of Bro . "

Kenning's Cyclopaedia " clearly does not . We hope that we have answered Bro . HILL ' S queries clearly and fully , and in a Masonic spirit of courtesy and goodwill .

* * * THANKS to a kind correspondent we print elsewhere a portion of Paris correspondence which will be read by Anglo-Saxon Freemasons with mingled feelings of pain and amusement . The

French Freemasons have distinguished themselves of late years by the perversity of their proceedings , and the childishness of their changes ; and we know of several excellent French brethren who have left the lodges rather than share in such

indefensible acts . In the contentions about education , and religious funerals , and the like , we have seen many regretable manifestations of a very untoward spirit , and now this interference with marriage is likely to make them still more

objectionable , and still more ridiculous , in the eyes of sensible and serious Frenchmen . Are there no good Masons in France to warn thc French Freemasons of the folly of their proceedings , and the dangerous ^ un-Masonic course theyseem bent on taking ?