Correspondence.

Correspondence .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents hut we wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limitsl'i discussion .

ERASURE OF WARRANTS . To tht Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , The writer of the series of able and interesting ' articles now appearing in the Freemason , when he says " the usual plan is to return the warrants to the Grand Secretary , by whom they are cancelled , " seems to be unaware of a very important fact .

At the present time there are between 200 and 300 English warrants in Australia and Tasmania that have never been returned to the Grand Lodge that issued them . On the contrary , when the several Grand Lodges were constituted , these warrants were irregularly and unconstitutionally dealt with by the officials of the new Grand Lodges in South Australia , New South Wales , Victoria , and Tasmania .

Thank goodness a procedure of this nature is now impossible , and , therefore , the rights and privileges of minorities are thoroughly safeguarded , which they certainly were not in the days that I refer to . —Fraternally yours , W . F . LAMONBY . August nth .

ENGLISH MASONRY IN PARIS . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , May I , through your columns , remind any brethren visiting Paris that the Anglo-Saxon Lodge—the only English-speaking lodge in that citymeets on the first Saturday in each month at No . 42 , rue Rochechouart . The lodge opens at 8 , and the brethren are prepared to extend the heartiest of welcomes to English Masons visiting Paris on pleasure or business . Thanking you in anticipation . —Yours faithfully and fraternally ,

GEO . R . HAINES Gladesmuir , East Sheen , S . W . August 13 th .

THE ROYAL ARCH . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I have read with much interest the correspondence which has appeared in the columns of the Freemason during the past few weeks , and like your -correspondent Comp . May , who , I believe , introduced the subject , I think

that good will result from the discussion . I , however , fully expected that his immature or crude scheme for popularising the Degree would be severely criticised . Such an innovation as artificially created Past Masters with the object referred to would not be tolerated by the Craft , nor is it essential that such a course should be adopted , for , as a rule , in the towns where there are , say , two chapters , there are usually five or six or more lodges , so that there will be as

many W . Ms , installed each year , and only two Third Principals' chairs annually available for them in such chapters . On reference to the interesting table or schedule of lodges and chapters working in this country , compiled by Bro . Green , Prov . Grand Secretary of West Yorkshire , which was published in your paper of June 16 th last , it will be seen that in the somewhat compact Province of Derby , with 27 lodges and only eight chapters , every

year there are three times as many additional Past Masters as there are Third Principals' chairs in the province available ; in the Province of Shropshire the disparity is greater , and in each of thc provinces referred to the ratio of the members of the Royal Arch is very small as compared with the members of the Craft ; on the other hand , in the Province ol Cambridge , where

there are seven lodges and four chapters , more than one-half of the lodge members are Royal Arch Masons , which is even a larger proportion than in the Province of West Yorkshire , where the Degree flourishes . AH who are interested in and appreciate the Royal Arch would be gratified at a large accession of membership , such increase , however , must be obtained by the only perfectly legitimate manner recognised by the Order .

Admittedly there are numerous chapters already established both in London and the provinces , many of which , from various causes , scarcely justify their continued existence , and with a declining rather than an increasing membership , have little hope of improving their position . The principal cause of a decaying chapter is not infrequently the death or removal from ' the district of those members whose zeal for the Order mainly supported the lodge to which such

chapter was attached , which consequently suffers a period of stagnation . In such a case it would often bean advantage to the chapter were it removed and attached to another and more active lodge , where its membership would be increased , although the Constitutions provide machinery for such transfer , opposition would prevent its being carried out . I have noted with gratification the number of new lodges in the London district and elsewheie to which new chapters have recently been attached .

This is as it should be , a thriving lodge will usually makes aprosperous chapter , as the zealous or active members of a lodge will join and support a chapter attached to or held in connection with their own lodge who would not feel the least interested in a chapter attached to another lodge with whose members they , perhaps , were unfamiliar . I am not sure that in the interest of the Royal Arch it would not be an advantage to allow some of the languishing chapters to be erased and grant new chapters in connection with flourishing lodges , where probably the bulk of the members would seek exaltation to the Degree .

An old lodge , meeting near my residence , has a membership of from 60 to 70 , the bulk of whom are Royal Arch Masons , a chapter is attached to the lodge , it is worked on the same premises , the annual subscription of the members being nominal ( only a few shillings annually ) , in such a chapter there is not the slightest necessity for the artificial creation of any Past Masters to qualify for the Principals' chairs , as usually a month or so after , the new W . M . is installed in the

lodge , he proceeds to the Third Principal's chair in the chapter , and so promotion goes regularly on . The same result is not so readily obtained in a chapter which is supposed to do duty for several lodges , in such a case it frequently happens that a number of Past Masters of such lodges have to wait for years without having the opportunity of attaining to a Principal ' s chair in the chapter , with the result that they have grown weary of waiting and lost their interest in , and , finally , retired from thc chapter .

Another custom prevails in the provinces which , in the writer ' s humble opinion , militates against the prosperity of the Royal Arch ; it is that when a flourishing lodge , having , say , a dozen or more Royal Arch members on its register , with plenty more material available , decides to apply by warrant 01

Correspondence.

charter for a new chapter to be attached to their lodge , the provincial authorities , before entertaining or even encouraging such petition , feel constrained to consult any existing chapter or chapters in the same town or district whether their ranks are full up , or whether , in the opinion of the existing chapter or chapters , there is any occasion or requirement for such new chapter . Naturally , viewed from their

standpoint , the answer to such an inquiry would probably be in the negati ve although there may be in the lodge seeking the charter 20 or 30 members who would readily join or be exalted in a chapter connected with their own lodge , yet only a small percentage of whom would ever be likely to apply for exaltation in any other chapter .

By the Book of Constitutions , the Royal Arch is recognised as a part of pure Masonry , and I venture to express the opinion that any flourishing lodge with a sufficient membership should have the privilege of working the Royal Arch Degree , as we read from the minute books of old lodges was originally the case . In a few of the old lodges in Yorkshire , the Mark Degree was worked b y the Craft without any special warrant for the purpose , and , in the interest of Royal Arch Masonry , I would advocate the privilege of working the Degree

should be conferred on the . Royal Arch members of any active lodge where there is a reasonable probability that it can be advantageously worked . Like most mundane creations , lodges and chapters have their corresponding periods of youth , manhood and old age , some flourish and grow rapidly for several years , and , perhaps , from causes before referred to , they practically cease working and only live while they are practically dead . Be it so , but such a chapter has ,

nevertheless , done good work in its comparatively short day and exalted many good Masons , but that is no sufficient reason why the aspirations of a number of Royal Arch members of an active lodge and who are willing and feel competent to work a chapter in connection with their lodge should be restrained , nor should the objections of an existing chapter , or chapters , attached to other lodges be entertained as sufficient or reasonable ground for refusing assent to a petition for a new chapter in a proper and suitable case .

Like that of your correspondent , Comp . May , my letter may possibly meet with severe criticism ; in writing it , however , I am trying to advocate increased membership of the Royal Arch Degree ; admittedly there is room for improvement in that respect , and in my judgment it is through the active and flourishing lodges , and not by means of many of the semi-moribund existing chapters , that such a result can be obtained . Apologising for the length of my letter , I am , & c . yours fraternally , J . T . LAST , P . M . 2321 , P . Z . 603 .

MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE . To the Editor of thc "Freemason !' Dear Sir and Brother , Your correspondent , " Masonic Jurisprudence , " has quite understood my complaint , and I now give him the sequel . Bye-laws which were in existence for over six or seven years before the present Secretary came into office , and which have been approved of by the late Grand Secretary—and there was never a question about revising them or

altering them before the lodge—have been altered and reprinted by the Secretary without the knowledge of anybody . Only by chance was it that one day I took a copy of them from the Secretary's table , and , on reading them , I found them altered . I immediately put the question ( privately ) to the Secretary , and he replied , " When I came into ollice I submitted the old bye-laws to the Grand Secretary , and he pointed out to me certain irregularities , and , of course , I altered them , and had them reprinted . "

According to your correspondent ' s advice the only course open to me is to say it is wrong and against the law of Freemasonry , or create a disturbance and make myself disagreeable . As to the second point— " Cooking " the minutes—the Secretary gave notice

of motion in the regular way in the Agenda for the meeting . The motion was properly printed and adopted without discussion . At the next meeting , the minutes were read for confirmation , and , to my astonishment , a whole line was added . I protested , but the Secretary said it was all ri ght , and the minutes were carried . I don ' t believe my protest was entered on the minutes .

This is not a case of accuracy of recollection , the printed notice is in my possession , and the minutes will show the alteration . Now , how would you like a brother to act ? Am I , a Mason of 45 years ' standing , to protest or be silent , and let him go on for the sake of harmony and good feeling * . These are matters which occurred about 12 years ago , and I could state many other such arbitrary cases . I resigned the lodge , and there it ends .

Should not Grand Lodge occasionally examine into the state of our lodges ? No one likes to go before the Board of General Purposes for the purpose ol making complaints . I should like to know how " Masonic Jurisprudence" would act . —Yours fraternally , M . L . S .

Masonic Notes And Queries.

Masonic Notes and Queries .

1130 ] INCORRECT WARRANTS . —I . The present warrant by which the " Newcastle-upon-Tyne Lodge , " No . 24 , works contains some singular errors , some apparently being due to the document having been , in part , rewritten , the original caligraphy having become indistinct . A marginal note on the left side of the charter reads " Atholl Lodge , No . IS , late No . 131 . " The first number is wrong , as it should be 15 , which was given the lodge at Newcastle-upon-Tyne in recognition of its Masonic zeal , and thus thc

previous No . 131 was exchanged for a very much higher position . It was a custom with the " Ancients , " either as a gift or by purchase , thus to utilise the numbers of extinct warrants . The titles credited to the Grand Master are in several cases erroneous . They are as follows : "The Most Noble Prince John , Duke , Marquis and Earl of Atholl and Earl of Sullibarshire , Earl of St rat May and Strathardle , Viscount Ballgitidn , Glenalmond , and Glenlyon , Lord Murray ,

Belvany , and Gash , & c . " These mistakes are suggestive of the ignorance of the transcriber , or rather writer over the original , and explains the remarkable error as to the number . The Senior Warden of the lodge is inserted as Hill instead of Reed , and other differences might be noted , but being of little importance really , I have not thought it worth while to mention them . Whatever may be left untouched on the present warrant , the number 13 , at all events , should be changed to 15 , and could be easily done . W . J . HUGHAN .

TUB AUSTRALIAN B ANOUET to Bro . the Earl of Hopetoun will take place on October 3 rd , as , according to present arrangements , Lord Hopetoun has determined to leave London on October 4 th . _ I lis lordship expects to reach Sydney about December 15 th , and the formal inauguration of the Commonwealth will take place on January ist .