Original Correspondence.

have only to extend this principle a little further , and then we can see at once , I think , how utterly puerile is the allegation that an exchange of votes , 'in the abstract or concrete , is morally wrong . I quite admit that if money is given for votes , or Masonic votes are exchanged for non-Masonic votes , something may be said as regards such a proceeding , but these

are exceptions to the general rule of " exchanges , ' and are so " few and so far between" as not to be really worthy of notice here . For , usually , all exchanges are most fair , open , and " above board , " and conducted on the principle I have enunciated above , for the object of the institution and the benefit of some particular case . But then it is averred that much evil has come of

exchanges , and that many deserving candidates have been disappointed thereby . Now , my long experience tells me , just the reverse , that many most deserving cases never would get in at all if it were not for the possibility of exchanges , and that where cases fail , they are either weak per sc , or the supporters are lukewarm , or the province cr district with which they are connected does not do ils duty . In my

long Steward chairmanship , I can truly affirm that 1 have never known a really good case fail , though I have seen many bad cases get in ; and the change advocated by our reformers will lead to more bad cases getting in , because we shall have lost " public opinion , " a great " levelling power " as to exact merit , and the best antidote to jobbery and the " caucus . " So I end as I commenced . Let us " leave well alone . " Our charity voting is on the whole as

fair as fair can bc , and wants no tinkering ; but let us all seek , be we who we may , to educate our Order up to that high-minded pitch of conscientiousness , somewhat difficult I admit , so that we may set our faces against weak cases and bad cases , and improper cases , that is to say , when for one or more satisfactory reasons the case never should appear on our lists at all . •1 am , yours fraternally , AN Oi . n CHAIRMAN OF A CHARITY COMMITTEE .

To the Editor oj the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I am rery sorry lhat the two articles in the Freemason ol last week , together with the letter of " An Old Chairman , " are based on an assumption ( which I have twice openly and clearly repudiated ) , that I am

advocaring a " committee in London" which is tu supersede the votes of the subscribers . I have done no such thing . 1 do not mean to do such a thing . I advocate the removal of certain well-known abuses , which by time and custom have grown over the voting system , and whicn hundreds of Masons ( and these " clear " and " careful , " " thoughtful " and " intellectual " J

thoroughly condemn , and would fain remove . I pass by the many hard adjectives which you apply to the proposer , as well as the propositions on these points . I leave our brethren to judge between us , and I may at once say that your courtesy in opening the discussion has already brought a host of converts to the views I have ventured to set forth .

One favour I ask—nay , one claim I must make—and that is , that I must not be credited , or discredited , with views which I hive never held or put forth . I never advocated " a central committee , " much less one " with unlimited power . " I distinctly said in my last letter to you ( June 2 nd ) " 1 proposed no committee in London . " And yet , after this , you have an article on the ground

that I do ! This does not seem to me very fair , and looks a little like throwing dust to clear the air and make men see . Our charities are the back-bone of Masonry , but if by any indirection or abuse the wrong persons get into thc right place , then it were better that the charities should not exist , as the brethren are subscribing to support those

for whom the charities were not intended . While some are enabled to shirk the responsibilities which God and nature have imposed upon them , and the sacred name of charity is made a proverb nnd a by-word . I am glad to find , dear Sir and Brother , that you consider many " unfit " and " objectionable " candidates are thrust in upon our charities . If so , I trust that you will

strongly advocate a strict preliminary investigation ol claims , and then a fair and pure system of election , "leading us not into temptation , " and upholding the strai ghtforwardness of Englishmen , and the justice of Masons . lam , yours fraternally , R . J . SIMPSON . [ We note Bro . Simpson's remarks , and will allude tc hem in our next . —En . ]

CURTAILED REPORTS . ' To Ihe Editirr of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Why have you not given the details of the appeal case decided in the last Quarterl y Communication , because the full statement of the ignorance of the brethren would have been very useful and beneficial . It is one thing to state the fact , simply as a fact , it is quite another ,

and much more important , to give us the " ipsis . sima verba " of the speaker . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , IGNOTUS . [ We agre ; with the writer , and will see what we can do to remedy the deficiency , if not this time , at any rate , another ; though probably our Reporter exercised a wise discretion . —En . ]

AN IMPOSTOR . To the Editor of the . " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — A few days ago , a man , about thirty-two years of age , and representing himself to be a distressed Mason named " William Harrison , " an engineer , late of New-

Original Correspondence.

castle-on-Tyne , called upon me for assistance , itating that he was anxious to get to Cardiff , his native place , whither his wife and children had already been dispatched . He stated that he had been initiated at Cardiff in Lodge No . 3 6 , and that he was still a member of that lodge , and he gave other particulars . I felt it my duty to write to thc W . M . of No . 3 6 , and have , by return , his polite and business-like reply to the

effect that he had " caused the books of thc lodge to be looked through for several years , but could not find any reference to thc party named , " & c . I learn that this person has imposed upon other brethren , and I therefore ask you to publish this note as a safeguard to others . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , J . BAXTER LANOI - , P . M . 1423 ; S . W . 871 , & c .

THE ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — The question arose among some young Masons as to the order of architecture the columns of the W . M .

S . W ., and J . W . should severally represent . All were agreed that they were the Doric , Ionic , and Corinthian , but could not agree as to how they were to be appropriated . The question has since been submitted to older Masons and to several Preceptors , but the conflict of opinion has placed the point in a greater state of doubt and uncertainty

than ever . Will you , Sir , either personally , or by the insertion of this letter , cause an authoritative opinion to appear in the Freemason . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , J . C .

THE ENEMIES OF THE ORDER . Tn the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother ,-In a recent newspaper I noticed a singular appeal , by a " Staunch Roman Catholic , " to the priest of his parish , to exert his influence to suppress tlie " abominable Freemasons , " on the grounds that they do not recognise the temporal , ecclesiastical , and spiritual power of the

Pope , and are opposed to thc doctrines of Christ ' s Church . These are , indeed , grave charges to answer , and belong to that class of antagonism to Freemasonry which , ever and anon , arises in different farts of the world among those who are opposed to , and do not understand , its teachings . A very short time ago I had occasion to refer to a charge , somewhat similar , and still more sweeping in its character , made in Paris , and I have the honour to submit it to you now under the caption of

"SECRET SOCIETIES . " It occurs about every decade that a senseless tirade of invective is levelled at Freemasonry , and thc attack on this occasion does not ( as is usual ) arise within our own borders , but comes from la belle France , the birthplace of Lafayette , one of the best Freemasons that ever lived , and

the staunchest friend of thc American republic during her trials . Usually the hue and cry is from some itinerant divine (?) who has been refused admission into the Order , or seeks to gain an ephemeral popularity by denouncing an Institution , than which none more benign was ever erected . These are the men who plainly sec the mote in their brother ' s eye , forgetful of thc beam that is in their

own . " The last shot from an elder gun would be thc occasion of much mirth if it were not freighted with evil attempts to falsify and injure the institution of Freemasonry , and it is cause for surprise that a d 07 . cn intelligent Frenchmen could be found in all France , in this nineteenth century , to appeal to the Corps Legislatif to suppress a

Masonic lodge on the grounds that . it was impious and guilty of sacrilege in its work . Their allegations was in substance ( for we need not go into the absurdity of their detail ) that the effigy of Christ was burned and the body desecrated and trodden under foot amid a scries of diablerie and cabalistic incantations , etc ., and so on ad infin . What the result of these monslrous falsehoods were is

easily surmised , for there is no holier place on God's footstool , the earth , than the altar of a Masonic lodge . '' It would be well for this batch of Frenchmen if their clever countryman , Monsieur Renan , who wrote one of the best lives of Christ extant , should handle them severely and teach them , if possible , a little common sense . So far as any attempt to desecrate the person or the character

of Christ , we are sure that no true Freemason could be guilty of the impious act , and every word and syllable of the so-called ' Lord's Prayer' —the Pater Nostcr—is revered by every Freemason , of whitevcr origin , whether he be Jew or Gentile . What Masonry requires of every man is faith in God ; and whether he joins with the inspired psalmist in worshipping his Creator in the grand language

of the 95 th Psalm , or adopts the modern hymn ' Jesus of Nazareth passes by , ' there are none in the Order to question his right to worship and praise God according to his own conscience , its tenets being Faith , Hope , and Charity . Freemasonry was born when the everlasting hills came looming up in chaotic silence from depths profound -, it was christened by the holy prophets ; it accompanied the

children of Israel as they wandered through the wilderness , and its foundation is upon the ' Rock of Ages . '/ " The value of Freemasonry is in its universality ; its strength in its humanitising influences upon all mankind . It is not necessary for the true brother to ' hang the instructive symbol o'er his door , ' nor do flaunting jewels ,

badges , and regalia make him a corner stone , but that inherent sense of the dignity of true manhood which makes ' all the world akin , ' and renders it impossible that he can do wrong to any man . " We have no doubt that many secret societies exist which are inimical to good governments and injurious to

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the peace and welfare of the people , but they are compara lively powerless before the onward march of the civilisa " tion of our times , and although some remnants of the ' Thugs ' and the ' Stranglers ' may still exist in Asia , and pursue their nefarious avocations , even those are tapinW becoming extinct ; so we may also say of the terrible ' Holy (?) Vhone ' and the ' KIu Klux Klan . " Where are

they , except in the imagination of the credulous ? " As we have not contemplated a defence of Freemasonry , but simply treated it from the standpoint taken by the handful of frightened and sapient (?) Frenchmen , we can assure them that the benefi cent and allwise plan of creation for the spiritual , mental , and physical develop , ment of man is the absolute test of Freemasonry—it

whole principles being guided by , and resting upon , the almighty power of Truth ' . " Thus it will be seen that the views of the gentleman from Ireland and those of the twelve Parisians are , in a great measure , identical , and we recommend the stud y of Freemasonry to them , before they are again guilty of the absurdity of condemning or impugning it .

Whether , as is asserted , Pope Pius IX . is a Freemason we are not prepared to prove ; but it is a well settled point that a very good Roman Catholic can be a very good Freemason—otherwise the universality of the Order would be at once brought into question and dispute—hence that is the " argumentum ad hominem . " I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , ALFREU WELDIIEM .

MASONS' MARKS , RUNIC SIGNS , AND LETTERS . To the Editor ofthe " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Owing tn being absent from home I did not get my Freemason of May 26 th until it was too late to reply to Bro . John Yarkcr's letter , and my books being

inaccessible ( for the same reason ) , I was unable to give Bro . Yarker the information he requires , but if he wishes to see the marks found on the composition bricks used in building " Shushan the Palace , " he will find six columns of such builders' marks in Mr . W . K . Loftus's * " Researches in Chaldea and Susiana . "

This I stated in one of my former letters . As regards Runic signs and letters , they seem to resemble the roots of form ( the signs of the Hindoo faith ) , which are derived from the triangle and circle . Modificati > ns or combinations of these were ( as I stated in my letter of June 2 nd ) also used by the old Freemasons to designate tnemselvcs in signing their work fur the inspection of the

overseer or master . The Runes and Binderuner of Scandinavia arc known to have been of Eastern origin , and they resemble the Coelbreun y Beirdd of the Celtic Druids . They also resemble the Cuneatic alphabet , and are found on the monuments of all religions . Mr . Deutche states ( as I said in my letter of May roth ) that these marks are found in the foundations of the

Temple of Jerusalem . These old Masons marks are also found in Egyptian and Phoenician ruins , on Druidical rocks , and on Persian altars without temples , also on Persian palaces , Etruscan vases , Turkish buildings , Mohammedan mosques , and on Hebrew tombs , as well as on Christian castles and cathedrals . One of these marks ( the number five of Buddha , the Solomon's seal of Gnostic

art ) appears as a Masonic sign at the side of the sign of the candlestick on thc tomb of one Mellelosa , a Jewess of Torlonia , in Catalonia , about A . D . 500 . Wilson , in his " Pre-historic Annals" ( p . 333 ) , gives 11 letters of the Runic alphabet , and these arc found to be identical with the marks of mediaeval Masons . Others may b : obsolete Runes , such as northern antiquaries recognise in

the Bomaerkcr or house marks used by the Swedish and Norwegian peasantry to sign or indicate their persona ! property . Many of the marks are the same as the caste marks or Yantras of India . It is believed that they date from some ancient civilisation whence the Freemasons also proceeded . By their " marks " or signs the works of tlie several Masons were known , and his " sign " was quoted

when the Mason came tor payment of bis due , or had to suffer fines for damaged blocks . O'Brien , in his work on the " Round Towers of Ircand , " says that " Saer , " the Celtic word for a Mason , had three significations—viz ., ( 1 ) free , ( 2 ) Mason , and ( 3 ) Son of God . The Hebrew word * ' aliben " expresses less than this , but thc English title " Freemason , " gives two of the

meanings which O'Brien attaches to the word " Saer . " In France , upwards of 2000 Masons' marks , ranging from thc thirteenth to the sixteenth centuries , have been collected . Both England and France are rich in Gothic art , whicli dates even further back , but no trace remains ot the contracts or labours connected with the erections of buildings containing these treasures .

In the year 1780 , Father Guglielmo della Valle found in Sienna the original contract of an agreement dated October 3 rd , 1266 , and made in thc church of St . John at Pisa , by the Master Mason or Operarius of the Duomo of Sienna . By this document ( which is in Latin ) he agrees to take with him to Sienna , as his disciples or scholars , Nicolo , Arnolfo di Cambio di Colle , and Jacopo di

Lapo-The Master Mason doubtless carried out his agreement , as these names afterwards became great and famous . Bro . Yarker says that some years ago he pointed out that a large proportion of the old English marks were well formed letters of the Runic alphabet , but occasionally Masonic symbols and even Roman letters . I much surprised to learn that as " this truth did not square modern

with the assertions of the recently concocted and Mark degrees , " lie was voted heterodox . As a Past Registrar in Mark Masonry , I cannot help saying that I am afraid Bro . Yarker in his statement has omitted some of the facts or some important details , as in what he states in his letter I fail to see anything very heterodox , and , as a matter of information , shall be gla