Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

have been , to a certain extent , decreased had the ritual taken place as suggested by Bro . Longstaff . As to the time having arrived for stopping the publication of unauthorised rituals ,

I think an effort should have been made to do thislong ago ; but the difficulty is , how to do it effectually . There is no law to prevent the publication of spurious Masonic works , and as long as capital can be thus

made , a certain class of printers and publishers will always be found to circulate the catch-penny trash with which , I am sorry to say , we are now almost inundated ; and to remedy which the Grand Lodge is completely powerless .

_ I cannot see that an authorised printed ritual would tend to secure " uniformity of working . " The lodge to which I have the honour to belong ( the Humber , No . 57 ) is particularly fortunate in this respect , which

I attribute to the efficiency and intelligence of the officers , and the strictly Masonic behaviour of the brethren ; and I think , in any lodge , that this alone can secure so important a desideratum as " uniformity of working . "

Bro . Longstaff inquires if the time now spent in orally acquiring thc ritual could not be devoted to better purposes ? I think not , and for this reason , that the oral acquisition of the ritual constitutes an

important part of a Mason ' s preliminary education , and more firmly fixes upon his mind those inspiring principles which he may afterwards be called upon to elucidate to others . Neither , as I believe , that havine

to do so , prevents many able men from filling our chairs . Should any person be either incompetent or unwilling to learn the ritual , or so much thereof as appertains to

the proper discharge of thc duties of any office he may have to fulfill , I do not think he should be considered , in a Masonic sense , an "able man . "

It is certainly more impressive to hear thc ritual decently read , than hesitatingly and badly delivered ; but , as a rule , it is easier , by far , to deliver well than read

impressively , and there are many men who could deliver a charge very creditably , who , if they were called upon to read it , would make it almost unintelligible .

In conclusion . let us always endeavour to keep the insidious and thc uninitiated from prying into the secrets of our Order ; letus , in strict accordance with its teachings , observe an inviolate secrecy with regard to

all relating to its mysteries . Let us remember that all who wish to teach must submit to learn ; and , in the language of a skilled brother , " if we depart , in any particular form , from thc principles on which

Freemasonry is founded ; if we perpetuate in thc future any mistakes or perversions of the present or the past , we must expect

that those mistakes and perversions will , in due time , bear bitter fruit . If wc sow the wind , we must expect to reap the whirlwind . " A YOUXG MASON .

Bro . Longstaff proposes in his questions the revision of thc Rituals and their printing . I am afraid the brother is entering upon an impracticable task . The revision of thc Rituals was proposed by Bro . Adam

Thomson , P . M . Lodge St . John ' s Galashiels , to Grand Lodge of Scotland in 18 C 5 . Hy it thc matter was referred to Grand Committee , whoappointed a sub-Committee to report . This sub-Committee never met ,

but one of its members ( Bro . William Hay ) stated that he saw no reason to entertain the question . This did for it . True , in 1865 , a clique predominated , which at a future time received a stunning blow , from

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

which it is slowly recovering , and which , unless means are taken the clique will again resume its supremacy . This clique is opposed to everything \ j \ xt pure Freemasonry , which in Scotland takes the form of

mountain dew , with hot water and a piece of sugar in it . I cordially sympathize with Bro . Longstaff in his scheme . The American brethren have published authorised Rituals of all Masonic degrees , and we

should do the same , but I am afraid that the worthy Brotheris entering" upon a subject which will bring down upon his head all the petty and narrow minds who love the letter , and hate the soul , of Freemasonry . RANDOLF HAY .

FREEMASONRY AND UNITARIANISM . By turning back to page 683 , it will be seen that I spoke of the " Philosophy of Freemasonry . " I would not wish to see Freemasonry and Unitarianism identical ,

only it is my opinion that Unitarian Freemasons have just as good a right to have their views expounded in THE FREEMASON as Christians—if references to one sect arc to bc kept out , so ought all to be . Another

point is , that brethren ought to understand that a Masonic paper and a Masonic lodge are two distinct things , as are the functions

of a Masonic editor and a Masonic W . M . Whatmight bc wrong in a lodge , is perfectly allowable in a Masonic paper . W . P . R

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

¦> The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by C ' orrcsrjondcnts . " MERIT AND ABILITY . " ( To the Editor of The Freemason . )

SIR AXD BKOTIIEII , —As the good old landmarks of the Craft , Merit and Ability , do not seem fully recognised in some provinces , and promotion is regulated more by favour and

influence than zeal and knowledge , I would suggest for discussion in your columns the subject of establishing , in connection with every P . G . Lodge , an examining Hoard . The examiners should test every brother presenting himself

( voluntarily , of course ) as to his acquaintance with the history , principles , practices , usages , ritual , constitutions , charities , ancl , in fact , the whole scheme of Freemasonry . No brother should be elected "W . M . unless he is thoroughly

up in the duties of the office . As an indication of proficiency , the brother who conies up to the standard should be entitled to wear a jewel , so that , if visiting . 1 lodge , the brethren , seeing his qualification , might invite him to lecture or assist

in thc ceremonies , as the case might be . The jewel might bear upon it thc words " Merit and Ability , " and have bars upon the ribbon , with " Lecturer , " or " Installing Master , " or " Instructor , " or all three , according to" the degree

of proficiency attained . R . W . Prov . Grand Masters would then bc * able to select their officers sans pair cl sans rcprochc . It is a sorry spectacle , indeed , to witness a P . G . officer exhibit his ignorance in giving a degree or opening a

lodge . Thc P . G . L . of Cumberland and Westmorland does the next best thing to examining the brethren . It sends a deputation

periodically to each loilge , to observe and report upon its working , a proceeding which is worthy of the imitation of other provinces . I remain , Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , P . M .

The Purple In West Lancashire.

THE PURPLE IN WEST LANCASHIRE .

( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , — -Will you allow me space for a few ** lines in reply to your correspondent "One of the Marled ** ' ? He says , " the reasons for Brother Turner ' s nomination were

thoroughly explained . "* ' This is quite true , but he ought to have added , " when Bro . Turner himself spoke , after the ballot was taken . ' "' This was the mistake . Hacl Bro . Turner ' s proposer

or seconder " thoroughly explained , the result would most assuredly have been the election of Bro . Turner as P . G . T . Yours fraternally , Nov . 11 , 1871 . ANOTHER P . M .

( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) SIR , —You will not be surprised to learn that the purple fever is very rife in this province . " Another P . M . " has opened his mouth , put his foot into it , and communicated to the World

that he " influenced at least seven votes in favour of Bro . Armstrong . " What a mighty effort , and yet he lives ! Well , wonderful things are done , even in Masonry * but it would , indeed , be wonderful to

find that some P . M . ' s had 111 them more of the true spirit of Masonry . I suppose the next thing to he suggested by "Another P . M . " will be a little quiet bribery . If this be tried—why , then , " success will be sure . '*'

Doubtless I am very ignorant—many P . M . 's are—but I can tell "Another P . M ., " that "if Bro . Turner's proposer had stated the reasons why they brought him out , " ( a proceeding not

snfliciently straightforward to be acted upon ) , tlie Prov . Grand Secretary would have had to record a much larger number of votes in favour of Bro . Armstrong . Yours , & c , DI . CRAN . KIN .

( To the Editor of Thc Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AXD BROTHER , —It is difficult to tell whether your correspondent , " Di . Cran . Kin , " in reply to "A P . M . and P . Z ., " intends to be funnily sarcastic , or indignant ; but I have

good reason to think that he is one of those who have personal cause for feeling annoyed at the fact , that a great number of the brethren of West Lancashire , having become wily , are determined not to let all pass unchallenged that a

small clique of three or four might do or say , and have the firmness to expose some of the abuses which ought long ago to have been laid lav , and who now feel sufficiently strong in the arm and head lo point out to them the peril-ows

position to which they are steering themselves and thc P . G . L . of West Lancashire . They may , ere long , require the aid of a broad bridge to carry them clear of the sharrocks and shoals which are ahead .

Bro . Armstrong ' s victory must be very gratifying to him , when he finds that it was won so easily , it being inferred that it was not necessary to his success that his friends should visit Prescot , St . Helen's , Ormskirk , Southport , Sec , & c .

It is , however , a fact that they did ; and many promises of support were obtained from four to six months prior to the election of Treasurer . With regard to the manner of appointing Prov . Grand Officers , docs " Di . Cran . Kin " deny the

fact that those appointments have been given ( with very few exceptions ) to the worst working Masons in the province , many of them never having attempted to give thc second and third degrees in a Craft lodge , and , in one or two instances , not even the first ?

1 would only further remark , that Bro . Turner is quite able to answer ( if needs be ) any of the silly inferences of " Di . Cran . Kin . " Yours fraternally , A P . M . & P . Z . Liverpool , 7 th November , 1871 .

( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) SIR , —I am sure all right-thinking Masons must deprecate the unkindly feeling that is now