Correspondence.

Correspondence .

[ We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but we wis \ in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . J I

BOARD OF INSTALLED MASTERS . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , It seems to me that the correspondence anent this question is drifting far away from the original point at issue , viz ., "the formula sometimes used in opening and closing-a Board of Installed Masters . "

Whatever ceremonies were in use prior to 1813 were annulled by the Articles of Union of the two Grand Lodges , and the ceremonies arranged by the Lodge of Reconciliation , and submitted to , and approved by , the United Grand Lodge in 1816 , were declared to be the ceremonies to be worked in the then future . It is true that the installation ceremony was not then included , but in 1827 the Grand Master , H . R . H . the Duke of Sussex , under a special warrant , appointed a number of expert Past Masters to formulate the ceremony , which was done , and subsequently approved by Grand Lodge .

Bro . Sadler proves very clearly that the ceremony now taught by the Emulation Lodge of Improvement is almost to a word identical with the ceremony agreed to under the 1827 warrant ; this surely should be sufficient to convince any one as to the authorised working . As to the spurious opening and closing , it can be easily ascertained from whence it is derived . This was clearly demonstrated by Bro . J . H . Sillitoe , of

this city , in some lectures he delivered to Installed Masters some few years since , and from which I have concluded that the innovation is simply a relic of some old and obsolete Degree , such as the constructive Past Masters' Degree referred to by Bro . Hughan in his " Origin of the English Rite , " and dovetailed into the installation ceremony by some zealous brother by way of embellishment , and , like other new ideas , " caught on . "

The letter of " P . P . G . S . D . " is most amusing . He runs away from the point altogether , and attacks the " ritual of a Board of Installed Masters" ( not the opening ) . In one line he calls it an " innovation ; " in the next he says it is "beautiful in the extreme ; " then he ( an old P . M . ) goes on to say that he has never taken part in the ritual of a " Board of Installed Masters , " and that it

ought to be discontinued . Query— How , when , and where was he installed , if not in a Board of Installed Masters ? and if the ritual is to be discontinued , how will our successors be installed ? I should like to reply to Bro . C H . Wood , only I am afraid I have trespassed too far upon your space already . —I am , yours fraternally ,

MANCUNIUM . Freemasons' Club , Manchester , October 2 nd .

To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , As an old and perhaps somewhat old-fashioned Mason , I have read with some surprise the correspondence re the " Board of Installed Masters . " I am not concerned with the dispute as to the two forms now in use : to me the essentials appear to be the same in both , as far as my opportunities have enabled me to judge .

But the curious point for me is that both parties to the dispute appear to agree as to the jurisdiction of Grand Lodge in a matter of ritual . I have always understood that such jurisdiction was entirely vested in the Grand Master , and that for very obvious reasons which I need not state . However , that may be , the suggestion that Grand Lodge , which is largely composed of Master Masons , should

" claim as its right to determine what is and what is not irregular and to rule accordingly " in the ceremonies used by the Boards of Installed Masters , seems to me , on the face of it , a very novel contention . I await with curiosity the proposal of schemes for the submission of the ritual of the Second Degree to the E . A . ' s , and that of the Third Degree to the F . C . 'sfor their approval or revision . — Fraternally yours .

T . C . ROYLE , P . M . 117 . October Sth .

LODGE OF FRIENDSHIP , No . 44 . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , The account given by Bro . J . Chadwick , Prov . G . Sec . East

Lancashire , in the Freemason of the 28 th ult ., respecting the Lodge of Friendship , No . 44 , Manchester , is quite correct . There can be no reasonable doubt in the mind of any one who knows the facts that this lodge dates from 1803 only . The Grand Lodge records all prove this . The recital in the warrant of confirmation is an error , and , unfortunately , it is not the only one of the kind .

Does Bro . Heywood , who seems to place great reliance on this erroneous recital , wish your readers to believe that the present lodge is directly or in any way connected with the old Athol Lodge , No . 39 , warranted on 18 th June , 1755 ? Or even that it can trace any continuity ( however slight ) with the No . 39 warranted 40 years later , i . e . in 1795 ? Bro . Heywood must surely have overlooked the facts ,

for , if my memory serves me correctly , the Grand Lodge Register shows most clearly that the members of the lodge formed in 1803 were altogether new people , and had no connection whatever with the former and defunct lodges . The ( Athol ) Grand Lodge proceedings of 1803 show the payment on 20 th February , 1803 , for the warrant of No . 39 as a new lodge .

It is to be hoped that , as the subject of the inaccuracy of the Grand Lodge Calendar has been again mooted , steps will be taken by the Calendar Committee to have the correct dates of the early warrants inserted therein . —Yours fraternally ,

JOHN LANE .

MASONIC VAGRANTS . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , The enclosed refers to a case of a familiar type , but as it is a communication from a German Lodge I have been requested to ask you to publish it . The "brother" applied for assistance to the Clausentum Lodge at Woolston ,

giving the Pasewalk Lodge in Germany as his "home . The Secretary communicated with the Secretary of that lodge and the following is the result . — Yours fraternally , H , L . Southampton . " Pasewalk , 4 th September , 1895 . " My Dear Brother ,

" Your writing arrived to the address of our lodge , and I am ordered to answer you in the questionable matter . Bro . F . C was never a member of our lodge and is quite unknown to all our brothers . Therefore we are praying you not to give any support to thc * man , because we believe he would misuse the name of our lodge . Bringing to you and your lodge the best fraternal greetings of all our brothers . —I am , fraternally yours , " C WEGER , Secretary . "

Correspondence.

RECEPTION OF VISITORS . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , During the past io years I have had the pleasure , and I hope to again , of entertaining and assisting to entertain several London brethren . D . uring the same period I have visited two London lodges . Upon the first occasion the work was bad , which was accounted for by it being the " off " season

and the brethren were , some of them , away . Upon the second occasion at another lodge the work was good , but the treatment of a visiting stranger was not such as would tempt him to repeat the visit . I was hardly spoken to by any one . The Tyler was indefatigable in looking up the members of the lodge for refreshments . I had just laid in provisions , so I did not want , but I can't hel p thinking the treatment would have been the same however much refreshments might have been acceptable to myself or any one else visiting .

In the country I am of opinion that the spirit of Freemasonry is carried out better , and what we have we share with those who come to see us , and try to make them welcome and feel at home . It seems to me no good to preach one thing in the ritual and act another . Trusting my experience may be an isolated one , which I am afraid will nevertheless send me to the theatre or music hall upon my next spare evening in town , —I am , Dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , " PROVINCIAL . *'

Reviews.

Reviews .

'' VOICE OF MASONRY . " John Brown , Editor and Publisher , Chicago , 111 . —The opening contribution to the September number is by Bro . Edward Conder , jun ., who writes very ably concerning early Masonry in Egypt and in England . Bro . * W . E . Ginther's article " What is Freemasonry ? " is continued , and there is also a disquisition by Bro . Hugh McGurdy on Templarism . The " Masonic Gleanings" include particu . lars relating to the Grand Lodges * of Wisconsin , Washington , South Dakota , Oregon , and Nevada , the Grand Chapters of South Dakota , and New Hampshire , and the Grand Commanderies of West Virginia , Minnesota , and South Dakota .

"THE PACIFIC MASON" is a new candidate for public favour as an organ of the Craft . It is published at Seattle , Washington , and the first number appeared in August . The constituencies it is proposed to appeal to are the brethren in the States of Washington , Oregon , Idaho , Montana , Alaska , and British Columbia , and if we may judge from its general appearance and the character of its contents , we are inclined to augur favour .

ably as to its future career . The chief contributions to No . 1 are a biographical sketch of Bro . Ihomas M . Reed , Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Washington , with accompanying portrait , and an account of the recent annual communication of the Grand Lodge of Washington at Olympia , with portrait of Bro . Joseph M . Taylor , the Immediate Past Grand Master . " The Pacific Mason " has our most cordial greetings on its appearance as one of our contemporaries and our hearty " good wishes for its success .

" THE KEYSTONE "—237-9 , Dock-st ., Philadelphia—for the 21 st ult . contains the fourth of the very able series of papers by the late Grand Master , Bro . Joseph R . _ Chandler , entitled " Objections to Freemasonry , " an account of the Centennial Anniversary of Concordia Lodge , No . 67 , Philadelphia , with much else in the shape of Craft , Arch , Commandery , and Council Reports , for the most part of interest locally .

"THE MASON ' S SIGN . " Humorous Song , written , composed , and , sung * byBro . Charles J . Taylor , P . M . 1987 . Bro . Taylor is to be congratulated on his composition , which is admirably suited for introduction at the after-dinner proceedings of our lodges and chapters , when audiences are not inclined to be too critical , and what they m ostly desire is—as this is described to be—an amusing song set to an easy flowing accompanient with a good , ringing chorus . Bro . Taylor's song satisfies these requirements , and deserves , therefore , to be very popular .

"INDIAN MASONIC REVIEW . "—Addison and CO ., Mount-road ,. Madras . —Among the principal contents of the September number are an article on " Masonic Clothing , " and a further strong condemnation of "Masonic Sweeps . " The " Sweeps " to which exception is taken are not those exceedingly useful people who relieve our chimneys of their superfluous soot , but the " Sweeps , " or to use the complete term , " Sweepstakes , " in which some people love to indulge at race meetings , _ & c . We quite agree with our contemporary that Masons have good reason to complain of those who apply the term

" Masonic " to a hazard of this kind in connection with the St . Leger or other important racing fixtures . We have no objection to Sweeps thus associated which are organised by clubs , and if the members of the "Masonic Club" in Calcutta or any other city or town situated within the compass of the United Kingdom , or in any of its possessions and dependencies abroad , choose to organise a sweep among themselves , we see no just cause or impediment why thev should not do so . But let it be understood that they do this as ordinary individuals , not in their character of Masons . We should like to see the

District Grand Master condemn in open District Grand Lodge the use of the term " Masonic " in describing what has no association whatever with Masonry . There is also an account of the constitution of a new lodge | in the Vizagapatam District bearing the name of Waltair . In its "Chips " our contemporary appears to hav « some doubts about the wisdom of selecting Bro . Lord Sandhurst for the olfice of Pro District Grand Master of Bombay , in which he has been recently installed . It seems inclined to think

that Bro . Shields should have been chosen for the position . No doubt that brother is a competent Mason , and has ; shown himself well qualified to govern the District in the absence of the District Grand Master , but it is , in our opinion , a great advantage to have presiding over the District Grand Lodge a brother filling such an important office as that of Governor of the Presidency . In addition to what we have referred to , there is plenty of readable matter—Reports , a long letter on the "Sweeps" question ,

"THE WORKS OF BRO . J TRAFFORD CLEGU . "—Bro . James Clegg , of the "Aldine Press , " Rochdale , has just - printed and published "The Works of John Trafford Clegg [ Th ' owd IVcig / ivcr ] "—stories , sketches , and rhymes in the Rochdale dialect—which ought soon to be as popular as the previous compositions of this master of the quaint Lancashire dialect . The lamented Bro . Trafford Clegg was only spared to reach his 38 th year , having died on the 18 th March of this year at Bournemouth , where his remains njw lie , and whose funeral was attended by brethren of the " Mystic

Tie . " The badge placed on the coffin and buried witb him was sent by the St . Chad s Lodge , No . 1129 , Rochdale , for whose use , it is said , he wrote hymns during the ceremonies . The tales are far beyond the ordinary , and can be read and appreciated by persons not familiar with thc local patois , though naturally they will be more heartily valued and enjoyed by Lancashire born lads and lassies . As a rule such compositions have an exclusively local interest , and are not known beyond , but this pathetic , amusing , quaint , and original volume will be welcomed throughout this country by book lovers ,

who can see the bright , humorous , and poetic mind beyond the vernacular , and penetrate into the mental and imaginative characteristics of the versatile worthy , who is as pure in his diction as in his thoughts , and is quick to detect and describe the whims and fancies , as well as the deeply seated feelings and aspirations of the " common folk . " The handsome volume , beautifully illustrated , extends to nearly 500 piges , the typograp hy being in perfect taste , as might bj expected from the press of Bro . James Clegg , the editor and printer of the famous "International Directory of Second-hand Bookseller 3

and Bibliophile ' s Manual , now in its fourth edition . T he book should be widely known in the United States and Canada , as well as in Great Britain and Ireland , for the author loves the dialect spoken in the " Roch basin . " He declares : " The dialect miy die , hi jj it cannot die for ns until we ourselves are dead . " It is published by subscription at nal ' a guinea per copy , the long list of subscribers testifying to the widespread interest its nearest

advent has excited , and as any balance from the sale will be devoted to the relatives of the deceased , it is to be hoped the circulation will be fully as large a :- "" - witty , racy , and powerful volume deserves . A second or additional volume will be pub " lished if 250 subscribers can be secured . There will be no difficulty in getting nunj more patrons than the minimum number if the present work is duly perused by genuine book lovers .