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AN APPEAL TO THE CRAFT . BRO . VOIGT -J . BROS . CARR , TREVOR , AND LAKING . This very un-Alasonic Action was tried at Leeds on the ioth August last , before Air . Justice Boiven and a common jury , for libel alleged to be contained in a circular ( issued according to regulation ) by the W . AL ( Bro . Carr ) and the Secretary ( Bro . Laking ) , two of the Defendants , to the members of Lodge Alexandra , No . 1511 , Hornsea , which embodied a motion by the other Defendant ( Bro . Trevor ) for the exclusion from the lodge of the Plaintiff ( Bro . Voigt ) —see reports of the trial in the Times oi August 12 th and the Freemason of August 21 st last . On the gth February , 1877 , a few days after his exclusion , the Plaintiff served the Defendants with notice of this action , -without any remonstrance with them or the Lodge , or appeal of any sort to higher Masonic authority . But in consequence of the order made a few months later by Air . Justice Field , before whom his demurrer was heard in the Queen ' s Bench , that the case " should stand over to go before the Grand Master , " the Plaintiff appealed to his Provincial Grand Master , Lord Zetland , who declined to interfere -siith the sentence of exclusion passed against him by thc Lodge . He did not , however , withdraw the legal proceedings he had instituted against the Defendants , but ultimately obtained a verdict with " One Farthing " damages . Seeing that this Action has been brought in open defiance of all Masonic principles and law , 1 earnestly appeal to the Fraternity at large , to assist me in defraying the very heavy costs of my defence , which will amount to £ 150 at the least , and which I am quite unable to bear without their fraternal and liberal help . TUDOR TREVOR , Royal Cumberland Lodge , No . 41 , New Temple Preceptory , No . 117 , P . AL , P . Z ., P . E . C , 3 d , & c , & c . 120 , Highgate , Kendal , 6 th September , 1 SS 0 .

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NOTICE . ST . LUKES LODGE OP INSTRUCTION , White Hart Hotel , King ' s Road , Chelsea , near Sloane Square Station , S . VV . The brethren will take notice that the annual meeting will take place on Friday , the ist of October . 1 SS 0 , for the election of Secretary , Treasurer , Auditor , and other business . BRO . J . ARDEN , P . M ., Preceptor , W . M .

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TO ADVERTISERS . v THE FREEMASON has a large circulation in all parts of the Globe . In it thc official Reports of the Grand Loelges ot England , Ireland , and Scotland are 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 thc ranks of thc Order during thc past few years , and tlic 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 anel in / fticrrtral hotly ot readers . Advertisements for thc current week ' s issue arc received up to six o ' clock on Wednesday evening .

To Correspondents.

To Correspondents .

Bro . Tunou TREVOR ' letter received with thanks , but we think the discussion relating to the black-balling had better cease . P . M . —In our next .

BOOKS , & c , RECEIVED . "Jewish Chionicle , " "Sunday Times , " "The Croydon Guardian , " "The Cornwall Gazette , " "Broad Arrow , " "Hull Packet , " "Urania , " "Citizen , " "Allen ' s Indian Mail , " "Die Bauhiitte , " "Thc Chicago Daily Tribune , "

"The National Baptist , " "Keystone , " "Addressof the Grand Alaster to the Grantl Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States at its Twenty-first Triennial Conclave" ( Chicago , August , 1 SS 0 ) , "Masonic Age , " "The Egyptian Gazette , " " Register Der Wettig Geconstitueer de Loyes , Knz 5 SS 0 , " " Der Long Islaeneler , " "New Vork Dispatch , " "The Freemason " ( Sydney ) .

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THE FREEMASON . SATURDAY , SEPT . II , 1 SS 0 .

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-o OUR exalted Bro ., thc EMPEROR OF GERMANY , has fixed October the 15 th next as the date of thc opening of the lately finished cathedral at Cologne , when he , with most of the Imperial Family , will

be present , and many visitors . Wc presume that the German Freemasons will put in an appearance , since the building of thc " Dom " at " Koln " carries them , and us , back to thc " Bauhiittcn of the Steinmetzen , " the lodges of the stonemasons

of the middle ages . Indeed , it mig ht well be a question whether we English Freemasons might not take part in so interesting a ceremonial . Since 1821 , it is calculated that forty million marks , or

over £ 2 , 000 , 000 , havc been spent upon that wonderful structure . As thc correspondent of the Times at Berlin truly reminds us , " In point of altitude , too , " the towers of the cathedral are unequalled b y any " edifice in the world , being 160 metres high , their

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" closest competitor being the spire of the Protes" tant St . Nicholas Church in Hamburg , with " 144 metres . Then comes St . Peter ' s , in Rome , " with 143 metres ; the Strasburg Minster , 142 ; " the Cheops Pyramid , 137 ; St . Stephen ' s , in

" Vienna , 135 ; Freiburg , in Baden , 125 ; Antwerp "Cathedral , 123 ; Florence , 119 ; St , Paul ' s , "London , ill ; Madgeburg Cathedral , 103 ; " Berlin Town-hall Tower , SS ; so that the Cologne " Cathedral is nearly twice as hig h as the last " named imposing edifice .

* * THE following paragraph , from a "daily paper , " shows us how very foolish in France is that system which permits Masonic lodges to discuss " affairs of " State , " in matters affecting the

Commonwealth" The Freemasons belonging to the Parisian Lodge " of Labour and Constant Friendship have just " signed a curious petition to the Chamber , pray" ing the Deputies to ordain that any person con" demned three times for vagrancy or larceny be

" transported for life to one of the penitentiary " colonies . The petiti . < rs add that after a cer" tain lapse of time those convicts whose conduct " may be found satisfactory mig ht be liberated , " and favoured with the concession of a plot of

" ground in the colony , which they should , however , " never be permitted to quit . " If , instead of attending to such ridiculous questions , the French Freemasons would do something for charity—for what they now do is an abject mockery on Masonic

professions—it would be much better for French and Cosmopolitan Freemasonry . Truth compels us to say that French Freemasonry does nothing for Masonic

Charity worthy of the name . But there is a tendency just now , despite a constitutional prohibition , in fact—to meddle with matters which certainl y neither concern Freemasons nor Freemasonry .

* * WITH respect to the blackballing case , it seems that the "P . P . G . Sec . " was wrong about the three black balls , and that we were far too hasty in assuming irregular proceedings on the part 0 $

the lodge . For this we express our regret , but the ignorance of the Book of Constitutions often exhibited is inconceivable , and extraordinary in thc highest degree , so we were not surprised at thc statement .

* * BRO . D . MURRAY LYON ' communication anent the Royal Order of Scotland is , as with everything from his pen , most lucid and interesting ; and he

shows , we think conclusively , that , despite some " archaisms" in its ritual , it is comparativel y modern , and is , curiously enough , apparentl y more English than Scottish .

* * THERE was a singular case before the Grand Lodge on appeal at the last meeting , which deserves a few nolcs " en passant" at our hands . That substantial justice was done by the decision of Grand

Lodge , as recommended by our able and esteemed Grand Registrar , we are quite convinced , and hope that his reasonable , and kindly , and trul y Masonic recommendations may be followed by all thc persons interested in this-lamentable affair .

From first to last , to say the least of it , there seems on all sides tp have been much " straining" of the sound , good laws of Masonry , and we do hope thai this and other recent instances will be

monitory reminders to all our brethren , wheresoever they may be , how necessary it is for thc welfare of Freemasonry , and the peace , and comfort , and rights of thc brethren , always to adhere to thc laws at all hazards .

* * WE might have thought that recent exposures had convinced even thc most fanatic spiritualist of thc absurdity and imposture of so-called spiritual manifestations . But not so ! The " charlatan" and

thc " credulous " still subsist , and p robabl y will do so to the end of time . Let our readers note and realize the following amusing account of another " exposed " medium . " On Wednesday week Mr . " STUART CUMBERLAND and Dr . T . KOERNEN " writing to the Daily Chronicle from the Royal

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" Hotel , Blackfriars , stated that 011 the previous " night a ' medium for materialisation' gave a " seance , in which he was supposed to go into a " trance in a room away from the spectators , over" hung with thick black curtains . A spirit form , who

" claimed relationship to Mr . CUMBERLAND , ap" peared between the curtains : This happened " three times , the shade nodding with great " familiarity to its reputed earthly brother on each " appearance , promising by raps to approach

" nearer . On carrying out this promise Mr . CUM" BERLAND arose , and being prepared with a foun" tain ring filled with cochineal , squirted it over " the materialised form , which apparently was " attired in evening dress . The curtains were

" immediately drawn together , and Mr . CUMBER" LAND rushed to them and grappled with the "' spirit , 'in whom he recognised the medium as " it sank in hot haste on the floor behind . Mr . " CUMBERLAND called for a light , but a credulous

" spiritualist jumped up and turned out the faint " glimmer of a gas jet , and the medium ' s confed" eratc interposing , sufficient time was allowed the " medium to arrange his dress and stow away his " isguise . On , however , a committee of

inspec" tion , embracing Dr . FORBES WINSLOW , entering " the inner apartment , the medium was discovered " feigning a trance condition . There were , though , " outward and visible signs of the said liquid " smudged on his face . "

* * WITH reference to the same subject , our contemporary the Graphic very truly says : " One would " have thought that with Messrs . MASKELYNE " and COOKE ' anti-spiritualistic marvels publicl y

" repeated day after day for years past , and the " many exposes oi so-called mediums that have " from time to time been made b y investigators , " the delusion would have long since been driven " from London at all events , if not entirely out of

" the country . But it is not so ; the faith of the " spiritualist is so unbounded and impervious that " nothing seems capable of affecting it , and cun" ning folk , apparently acting on the now histori" cal axiom that people with plenty of money and

" no brains were made for those with p lenty of brains " and no money , continue to reap a rich harvest of " admission fees to ' light' and ' dark ' and " ' materialisation ' seances , 'trance lectures , ' and " the like . At the moment we write we hear of a

" meeting at Liverpool , given under the auspices " of the local Pyschological Society , at which the " supposed spirit of the late Earl of DERBY made " a speech of eighty minutes' duration , thc means " of communication being the vocal organs of a

" certain ' trance-speaker . ' Here is a specimen " paragraph from the oration r ' My mind imbibed " the principle of civil authority nnd power ema" nating from and under the Constitution , which , " to my mind , formed itself upon this phase of

" political morality rather than the chimerical " p latitudes of natural rights . ' It seems incredi" blc that an audience of otherwise sane persons " should listen patient !) ' and attentivel y for over " an hour to such meaningless verbiage as this in

" the full belief that the veritable ghost of thc late " statesman was addressing them . It is too much " lo expect that any private individual should enter " upon a crusade against these ingenious persons , " and wc should , therefore , like to see the matter

" taken up in a ' spirited ' manner hy the Criminal " Investigation Department . The police and magis" tratcs arc ready enough to punish thc vulgar for" tune-tellers of low life , who for sixpence or a " shilling profess to cast one ' s nativity or read

" one ' s destiny in a pack of dirty cards . How is " it that wc never hear of a raid being made upon " these professors of magic who move in a higher " sphere of society , and delude people whose edu" cational acquirements ought to have placed them " above thc reach of such transparent imposture ?"

* * THE report of the Metropolitan Police , as we said last week , is a most interesting one . We have alread y called attention to some of thc most salient points , but there are others which deserve our attention . The metropolis to the end of 1879 had " in-