The Plymouth Question.

announced that such refusal extended to all similar processions . But that assumption was based on two great errors . First , the cases were not identical : and , secondly , the original refusal

had evidently only been a refusal " ad hoc , " and bound the supreme military authority at Plymouth no farther necessarily than it went . For " non constat" that because a refusal was given

to a band to march in a temperance procession , therefore an application to march by 120 non-commissioned officers , with two thousand of the " elite" of Devon and

Cornwall , to welcome the Prince of Wales , would have been refused . We do not think that the permission would have been refused , and therefore we believe that the

" assumption" was grossly incorrect in its first position . But in the next place what evidence is there that the application ever came before the military general commanding , except

informally ? No one ever applied to htm formally , that is quite clear . It is true that it was stated in the Marine orderly room , and by the gallant officer commanding that distinguished body of

men , that a refusal had been sent . But who saw the letter ? or who had it from the only rightful authority ? Bro . Col . Elliott assumed from the beginning that it was so , but he was

not in communication with the Major-General commanding , but wrote , it seems , to a Col . Burton , who had nothing whatever to do with the matter . " Leo " had good reason for

believing , no doubt , and saying , that a refusal had been given , but " Leo , " we believe , like everybody else , was a victim of a false " assumption " from the beginning to the end . It is just

possible that the Major-General commanding may have naturally said , " I cannot allow , for the sake of precedent , 120 non-commissioned officers to parade before their comrades in

Plymouth in coloured clothes and round hats , and therefore I cannot allow them to appear in such a procession at all . " No soldier can blame the Major-General commanding for such a

view , if such a view was expressed , and certainly no civilian has a right to do so . Could we believe that the Major-General commanding understood that the Masonic procession

was forbidden by the Queen s Regulations , then , it would be the duty of Grand Lodge to obtain an official declaration on the subject . But we do not apprehend that any such view exists , or

that any such interpretation was put on the military regulations in the present case . An important , if subsidiary , question has been raised by an able correspondent , " P . G . D ., "

relative to soldiers appearing " properly dressed . " No doubt , " without leave , " no soldier Freemason could put on Masonic clothing over his uniform at any time ; but " with leave , " it has been done on several occasions . The two

noncommissioned officers at Dover were " without leave , " evidently , and no good soldier would seek to do such a thing without previously asking for " permission" to do so . If the

Major-General commanding took that view , that is another matter , but no evidence appears of any such question having been raised , and we

adhere to our opinion , that greatly to the prejudice and untoward annoyance of our soldier brethren , the whole affair was a " mal entendu , "

The Plymouth Question.

a mistaken " assumption , " an unauthoritative opinion , to which the committee or committees too rashly deferred .

Is The Pope A Freemason?

IS THE POPE A FREEMASON ?

We are endeavouring to solve this question by a reference to America . The Italian Freemasons having now stated , distinctly , that the Pope was made a Freemason at Philadelphia , U . S ., in an

Italian lodge called the " Figh dt Hiram , we have written to Philadelphia to verify such an important and distinct assertion . Havannah , one of the South American Republics , Palermo ,

Rome , New York , Madrid , have all been asserted to be the locale of the Pope ' s reception into the Order , so it is really most important to ascertain the precise spot of earth where Pio Nono saw

the " Light . A correspondent has written to say that Dr . Leeson declared that Pio Nono belonged to the High Degrees , but Dr . Leeson could know nothing of the subject on his own

authority . The Italian Masons aver that he attended , as Nuncio , a secret lodge at Madrid , and was also made " Rose Croix , 18 . " We presume in the " Rite Ecossaise , " as the statement comes from the " Luce del Terreno "

of Palermo , a lodge , we believe , of the " Rite Ecossaise . " We fancy all the statements have but one foundation , partly true and partly false , but

until we have a distinct reply from America we can say nothing more positively on the subject . We shall publish a letter frcm Bro . Gallico on the subject in our next impression .

Grand Chapter.

GRAND CHAPTER .

The Quarterly Convocation of Supreme Grand Chapter was holden on Wednesday , 4 th inst ., at Freemasons' Hall . Comp . H . D . Sandeman occupied the Z . chair , Comp . S . Rawson , the H ., and Comp . M'Intyre , Q . C ., the J . Comp .

John Hervey , S . E . ; Comp . J . E . Saunders , as S . N .: Comp . Rucker , P . S . ; Comp . Percy Leith , 1 st A . ; Comp . Philbrick , Q . C ., and A . ; Comp . Joseph Parkinson , S . B . ; Comp . Josh . Smith , D . of C . ; and Comps . H . G . Buss ,

Joshua Nunn , C . A . Murton , Berry Head , E . S . Snell , H . Muggeridge , and C . B . Payne , Janitor , with several others , were also present . The following report of the Committee of General Purposes was unanimously adopted .

" The Committee of General Purposes beg to report that they have examined the accounts from the ijth July , to the 20 th October , 1874 , both inclusive , which they find to be as follows : —

To balance 15 th July , £ 530 o 8 To subsequent receipts 245 1 6 ^ 776 * 2 By disbursements during the

quarter £ 190 1 10 By purchase of £ 300 consols at 92 ! and commission 278 5 o By balance 306 !< , 4

5 ^ 772 2 2 which balance is in the hands of Messrs . Willis , Percival , and Co ., bankers of the Grand Treasurer . In compliance with the Committee ' s

recommendation , the following petitions for charters for new chapters were granted . 1 st . From Comps . Mark Newsome as Z .,

Henry Ingram as H . Joseph Hebblethwaite as J ., and eight others , for a chapter to be attached to the Scarborough Lodge , No . 1214 , Soothill , to be called " The Scarborough Chapter , " and to

Grand Chapter.

meet at the Station Hotel , Soothill , near Batley , Yorkshire . 2 nd . From Comps . John Brown as Z ., William Henry Gillman as H ., James Henry Blackell as ] ., and seven others , for a chapter to be attached to the Huyshe Lodge , No . 1099 , Stoke ,

to be called "The Huyshe Chapter , " and to meet at the Masonic Hall , Home Park , Stoke , Devonport . The Companions also adopted a further recommendation of the committee that in printing new books of the general regulations of Royal

Arch Masons , in conformity with the resolution passed at the meeting of the Supreme Grand Chapter on Wednesday the 5 th of August , with the view of making any needful alterations , the numbers of the paragraphs be made to run in sequence from the beginning to the end of the

volume j and that the regulations should be printed in duodecimo ( but without plates ) as well as in the present octavo size . After this there was a long discussion on an extensive list of verbal alterations in the Book of General Regulations proposed by the Committee .

There was then brought before Grand Chapter the letter from Grand Chapter of Ireland referred to and read at the Quarterly Communication of August 5 th , with reference to the recognition of Grand Mark Lodge of England , but the matter was again deferred . We give , however , the letter , which is as follows : —

" Grand Secretary s Office , " Freemasons' Hall , Dublin , " 13 th day of July , 1874 , " Dear Sir and Companion , " With reference to the correspondence which has taken place at various times between

the Grand Royal Arch Chapters of England , Ireland , and Scotland , and the Grand Mark Master Masons Lodge of England and Wales on the subject of recognition of the last named Grand Body , I am directed to inform you that

the attention of the Grand R . A . C . of Ireland having been again called to the subject , it was directed at its meeting on the 1 st inst ., that a correspondence be opened with the Grand R . A . Chapter of England , in order to ascertain its

. " The Grand Chapter of Ireland is now , as ever , desirous of maintaining the most fraternal relations with the Grand Chapter of England ,

and , as the latter has not thought fit to recognise the Grand Mark Masons Lodge of England , our Grand Chapter has always hesitated to do so , but now wishes to explain the difficulty in which it is placed .

"The Grand Chapter of Ireland is fully aware that the Mark degree is not recognised by the Grand Chapter of England , but in this country that degree has always been recognised , and is now worked under our R . A . warrants , and under our recent rules ( copy by book-post sent

herewith ) , it is required as an indispensable step to the R . A . degree . " It therefore appears to the Grand Chapter of Ireland , that its position ( in respect of the Grand Mark Master Masons Lodge of England ) , is essentially different from that of the Grand

Chapter of England ; and that the principal , perhaps the only reason which prevents the latter from recognising the Grand M . M . Lodge , ( viz .: —its non-recognition of the degree itself ) does not operate with us , and that our recognition of that Grand Body would not in any way

interfere with the friendly relations between the two Grand Chapters which the Grand Chapter of Ireland is always anxious to maintain . " I am however directed to assure yoa that this Grand Chapter has deferred considering the desirability of recognising the Grand M . M . M .

Lodge of England until it shall have ascertained the views of the Grand Chapter of England , but feels that , as it requires the Mark degree to be conferred as a preliminary to the R . A . degree , and as the Grand Chapter of England does not

work that degree , it ought seriously to take into consideration whether or not the only authority in England under which that degree is conferred ought not to be recognised by the Grand Chapter of Ireland .

"Might we therefore ask you to favour us with the views of the Grand Chapter of England on this subject , and particularly whether there