Our Late Bro. Lord Dalhousie.

Though latterly he has not appeared often in Grand Lodge , yet alike by Grand Lodge , and the English and Scottish Craft , his loss will be sincerely regretted .

When his great relative Lord Dalhousie , afterwards Governor General of India , was addressing some Scottish electors , he told them " ye'll be daft to refuse the Laird o' Cockpen , " and if the

late Lord Dalhousie succeeded to that title , among others he inherited from the great Governor General , we think that he was indeed a true representative of that worthy and genial

personage immortalized in Scottish poetry . With Lord Dalhousie passes away another representative of our older statesmen , and of these brethren of our order , who once were

grouped , a goodly band , around the Duke of Sussex and Lord Zetland . The following notice appeared in a Scottish contemporary : —

A notable feature of his Lordship ' s public lite was his connection with Freemasonry—a connection which may be called hereditary , seeing that his father , grandfather , uncles , and other

members of his family had been prominent members of the Craft . Having been initiated in a Canadian lodge in 1824 , he was , on his return to this country , affiliated to various lodges both

in England and Scotland . Amid the labours and responsibilities of statesmanship , he somehow contrived to find leisure for Masonic engagements , and accordingly rose to high office in the

fraternity . For some years , ending with i 860 , he acted as Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England , which body he long represented in the Grand Lodge of Scotland . He

was also for some time Provincial Grand Master of Elgin and Moray , and in 1852 succeeded his father as Provincial Grand Master of Forfarshire , which office he had held ever since . On the

elevation of Bro . Whyte Melville to the Masonic throne of Scotland , his Lordship was appointed Depute Grand Master ; and while occupying this position he was also chosen in July . 1867 , to

preside at the great funeral lodge held in Glasgow in honour of the late Sir Archibald Alison . In November of the same year , Lord Dalhousie was unanimously elected Grand Master Mason

of Scotland , being the 68 th in succession . This high office he held for three years , in the course of which period he laid the foundation-stone ofthe Glasgow Industrial Schools at Mossbank ,

ofthe Free Library and Museum at Paisley , of the Albert Bridge , Glasgow , and ofthe new hall built by Lodge Journeyman of Edinburgh in 1870 . To his Lordship ' s influence the Scottish

Order are largely indebted for the patronage of the Prince of Wales , who , it will be remembered , was installed at Freemason ' s Hall in October 1870 , and on the following day laid the

foundation-stone of the New Royal Infirmary . As an I acknowledgment of Lord Dalhousie ' s Masonic services , a subscription was set on foot at the time of his demission of office for

the purpose of presenting him with a suitable testimonial . This took the form of a fine marble bust , by John Hutchinson , R . S . A ., which is

now in the Masonic Hall , Edinburgh , the balance of the subscription being , at his Lordship ' s request , set apart as a fund for pensioning aged Freemasons or their widows .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

[ We do not hold ourselves responsible for , or even as approving of , the opinions expressed by our correspondents , but xv £ wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , " to permit—within certain necessary limits—free discussion . —Eu . J

BRO . HUGHAN'S CHALLENGE .

To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — In common with your correspondent '' Reviresco , " p . 405 , I was very much pleased at reading the challenge thrown out by our highlv esteemed and talented Bro . Hughan at

page 388 , June 27 th , and I trust that some of those who hold views opposed to his will have the courage and manliness to come forward and say what they can in support of them . In regard to " Reviresco" himself , however , I would beg to call his attention to his own words at page

405 , and point out to him where he seems not to have properly taken Bro . Hughan up . " Reviresco" says , " respecting the existence of degrees beyond the third , and of rituals of the Craft prior to the last century . " Now under his 2 nd head , Bro . Hughan , not only calls in

question or denies " the existence of degrees beyond the third , " before the last century , but he denies the existence of even the " third" itself , before about A . D . 1717 . Nay , more , he also denies the existence of the second before then , or even of

any degrees at all , his words being , ' ¦ ' and whatever esoteric customs may have been communicated to Craftsmen , before the last century , they do not appear to have necessitated the temporary absence of either class of members from the

lodge . " In connection therefore with a truthful history of Freemasonry , it is surely a most important point to settle whether or not our three degrees existed before A . D . 1717 . The majority of Freemasons , I fear , consider that our three degrees have existed since Solomon ' s time , or

for nearly 3000 years . Until I began to study the subject personally , I believed so myself , but now I am with Bro . Hughan , in asserting that they are only about a century and a half old . In short I am as one with Bro . Hughan , upon his second and third heads . In regard to his first

head , however , I cannot so unequivocally subscribe to my acceptance of it without a word of explanation . I admit that the " ( a ) Freemasonry before A . D . 1717 , was not wholly operative , ( b ) but partially speculative , " in the sense that the Masonic societies which existed befoie J ' Ji ' J ,

admitted men who were not operatives , but the in I that sense , pre-1717 , " Speculative" Masons no more became acquainted with our system of Speculative Freeemasonry thereby , than did the Right Hon . Benjamin Disraeli the other day , when he was made a Speculative Tailor .

What the " Masons' Word" was in A . D . 1700 I do not know , nor do I remember of ever coming across anyone who did , neither do I know that said word in 1700 would be the same both in Edinburgh and in London . I remember Bro . Lyon stating that the old Scottish Masons' word

was a monosyllable . One brother lately told me that when he was made a Mason amongst the operatives about thirty years ago , the word he got was " Bye and Bye , " while the " word " in some of the other Crafts , was a verse from the New Testament , all being different from our post-1717 system .

Under clause ( c ) of Bro . Hughan ' s first head the placing of the word " Revival" between inverted commas tends to do away with such objections as I might otherwise have had at its use there , the year 1717 , in my opinion , not being the era of the " revival" of our system of

Freemasonry but of its institution ; Desaguiliers and his confreres simply making use of the " Masons" of their time to carry out their intentions and inaugurate their new system . I am , yours fraternally , W . P . BUCHAN .

Tlie three ceremonies will be worked at the Confidence Lodge of Instruction , White Hart Tavern , Abehurch-lane , E . G ., on Wednesday evening next , the 12 nd instant , at 7 . 30 . Bro . John

Constable , W . M . The members of the Tranquility and Confidence Masonic Charitable Association are informed that the 22 nd inst , will he subscription night ,

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

Multum in Parbo , or Masonic Notes and Queries .

WILLIAM PRESTON . As a most interesting note , and for the information of the Masonic students like myself , I beg to communicate the following extract from a letter of my worthy and expert Bro . P . M .,

Wm . Cowling , of York , of date July 9 th : " I have looked over our old records to find any trace of Wm . Preston . A " William Preston " was proposed in the Grand Lodge of York , April 27 , 1761 . He was initiated and

passed , May 25 , 1761 . I can find no description either of his residence or business . He never took M . M ., and there is no mention of him after May 25 , either visiting the lodge or in any other way . Could this be the William

Preston ? It would be about the time he came to England , and York being at that time rather famous for its printers ; did he stay here on his way to London ? 1774 , January 31 , present at the lodge as a visitor , Bro . Preston , and at

this lodge he was proposed to become a member pro . tempore , and was ballottcd for and admitted . He attended the lodge , February 28 , and March 28 . No Christian name is given , and he is not entered in the list of members .

There is nothing in the minutes to show who he was , or why he was admitted in such an extraordinary manner . In the correspondence that took place between the G . L . of York , and the Lodge of Antiquity , with respect to the

formation of the G . L . south of the Trent , Bro . Preston is spoken of two or three times in a manner that shows that the members of the G . L . of York were acquainted with him . 1778 , Aug . 29 . The Secretary of the G . L . of York , Bro .

Bussey , writing to Benjamin Bradling , J . W . of the Lodge of Antiquity , says , ' my best respects attend Bro . Preston , whom I expect you will make acquainted with the purport of this letter , and that it will be agreeable to him . ' 1778 ,

September 22 nd , Bradling writing to Bassey , says , ' Bro . Preston joins with me in a sincere wish for the prosperity of Bro . Bussey , and all the other members of the G . L . of York . " I should say that Bussey was in London early in

1778 , and indeed seems to have gone there pretty often . One of the lodges formed by the G . L . South of Trent was the Lodge of Perseverence and Triumph , at the Queens' Head Tavern , Holborn , and William Preston , P . M . was the first R . W . M . •it was opened August 91779 .

, A John Preston was one of the seven brethren to whom the warrant of the Union Lodge ( now the York Lodge ) was granted , and was the third W . M . in 1779 . He was a musical-instrument maker , and took his degrees in the Apollo Lodge , York . "

I think the above note most interesting and important , and am myself , unless the minutes of of the Caledonian Lodge can be produced to verify Bro . Stephen Jones ' s statement , inclined to believe that the great historian was after all initiated and passed at York , and raised

possibly in London , in the . Caledonian Lodge . It now becomes a matter of deep interest to ascertain the real truth of the case , and if any brother can give me any clue to the minutes of the Caledonian Lodge , he will confer a great obligation on all Masonic students .

What does our able Bro . W . J . Hughan know about the Caledonian Lodge > A . F . A . WOODFORD .

HOLLOWAY ' OINTMENT AND PILLS . •Rheumatism and Neuralgia . —It is sometimes diflicult to determine which of these diseases is afflicting the sufferer , but this ignorance will not matter if Holloway ' s remedies be used . They alleviate all muscular and nervous pains . In heriditary rheumatism , after bathing the affected parts with warm salt water , Holloway ' s Ointment should be well

rubbed on the spot , that it may penetrate and exert its soothing renovating properties on the deeper vessels and nerves , which are unduly excited , aid cause both the pain and swelling . Holloway ' s treatment has the merit of removing the disease , without debilitating the constitution , which was the inevitable result ofthe bleeding , mercury , and rolchicum practice , formerly adontet ) •" thcse complaints . —Al > YT ,