A Masonic Press.

op inion , ever characteristic of the loyal Freemason . With a new year of opening metropolitan work , the publisher and editor of the "

Freemason " beg to offer to its friends and subscribers their heartfelt thanks , and venture to express their confident hope that in the future , as in the past , the " ¦ Freemason " will merit and maintain the favourable judgement and the cheerful support of' large and increasing numbers of our ancient and honourable fraternity .

English And French Freemasonry.

ENGLISH AND FRENCH FREEMASONRY .

Our worthy Grand Secretary has delivered some very weighty words with reference to the present unfortunate position of the French Grand Orient and their Masonic proceedings in respect of the necessary condition of reli gious recognition of the Great Architect of the Universe and the very existence of God . We be" respectfully to

call Bro . Caubet ' s attention to the remarks of Bro . Hervey , given elsewhere , most important in themselves , and deserving of grave consideration by the French Freemasons , as Bro . Hervey never speaks unadvisedly , and is well-known to be one ofthe most cautious of officials , and peace loving of men . We hope that the Grand Orient of France and our French brethren will take his

warning " notes in good part . We quite admit the independence of national Grand Lodges , but there is one universal law of Masonry , which no particular section of the great family can contravene without damage to itself , and without disrespect to the other portions . The unchanged law

of a million of Anglo-Saxon Freemasons is the recognition of the existence of God , and if French Freemasonry takes that great truth from its formularies , it separates itself necessaril y from Anglo-Saxon Freemasonry , and assumes for itself , as French Freemasons have

themselves clearl y seen , a position of melancholy isolation and baneful negativism . We hope for better things from French Freemasonry , and we beg to commend to the notice of our French and English brethren Bro . Hervey ' s speech , as alluded to lower down .

The " Cosmopolitan Masonic Calendar " For 1877.

THE " COSMOPOLITAN MASONIC CALENDAR " FOR 1877 .

Our publisher has put out his " Cosmopolitan Masonic Calendar"for the ensuing twelve months , and we propose to say a few words respecting this his useful publication , in our pages to-day . We

are induced to do so for the reason that many mistaken notions appear to prevail respecting it , and some of our good brethren seem to fancy that such a publication is somehow or other ( though how , "deponentsaith not" ) an encroachment on the "Freemasons' Calendar " authorized

by our Grand Lodge . and which is alone published under their sanction . Now we wish shortly to say that no greater mistake ever was made . or possibly could arise . The " Cosmopolitan Masonic Calendar " emanated simply from an idea of our

publisher , who thought that he saw his way " for the information of the Craft , " to utilize a little work which had previously been begun and dropped under another Grand Lodge , and to enter upon Masonic " regions , " so to say , not at all

trodden over by our English Craft . Accordingly , the " Cosmopolitan Masonic Calendar " was started with a two-fold object , first to give a correct reference to the existing and important bodies of the High Grades

which had no general or official almanacks ; and secondly , to supply the names of forei gn Grand Lodge Officers , and of foreign lodges ; and this the "Cosmopolitan Masonic Calendar " certainly has most successfully achieved ,

and has offered to the Craft a mass of information previousl y unattainable and of great interest . Instead , then , of any of our brotherhood looking upon the " Cosmopolitan Masonic Calendar " as set up in opposition to the existing and needful

almanack of Grand Lodge , it should ° e regarded as a supplemental volume of considerable importance , inasmuch as many Ite 1 nCeS and much information , ready to tne hand , and not otherwise procurable , and rt ? Er i P ° rtant *< " •the Craft as for me High Grade Mason , is thus placed

The " Cosmopolitan Masonic Calendar " For 1877.

within the reach of every brother . We do not suppose , for one moment , that any of our hig hest authorities or leading Masons entertain any such opinion , as their own intelligence would show them that they ware under a grave misapprehension in this respect , and were

doing injustice to the exertions and efforts of our worthy and energetic publisher . But there are in Freemasonry , as in all other institutions , some petty or mediocre minds , which cannot raise themselves above trade jealousies , or personal antagonism , and can see nothing

good , and everything that is bad , in the praiseworthy labours of some one whom they are opposed to in business , or differ from in opinion . The publisher of the " Cosmopolitan Masonic Calendar" has only exercised the right which belongs to all

Freemasons . He has published a Masonic work , not in opposition to any other work , not patronized by Masonic authority , but simply as an individual contribution to Masonic information , at his own cost , at his own risk , and which he simply commends to the open market of Masonic

approval and support . If his book is worth nothing it will find no purchasers , if it is indeed " value received , '' it will soon find its own level , and need not fear either the cavils of the ignorant , or the criticism of the unjust . But what we fear a little is that it is not so much the work ,

as the success of the work , which grates on the susceptibilities and sensibilities of some whose judgement is very defective , and whose good taste and brotherly feeling appear to us often to represent the " unknown quantity . " For when we open the " Cosmo" to-day , we can

find no possible ground on which to found any objections , much less the slightest complaint . It contains in it a mass of information , which is found collected together , in no ^ one other Masonic Book in the world , information as interesting , as important , and which in these days is

essential , not only to Masonic intercommunication , and to our Masonic officials , but to that advancing interest in all things Masonic , which is characteristic of Freemasonry everywhere at this presenthotir . Both thu ^ ' Fn ^ masons' Calendar " and the " Cosmopolitan Calendar , " are requisite

to our full knowledge of our great Masonic world , and as both give information equally valuable , but of different portions of our Universal Family , there certainly is no jarring , and there need be not the slightest opposition between them . It may suit some foolish persons to say

so , for trade purposes , but the statement is untrue in itself , and deserves the condemnation and reprobation of all Freemasons . We feel sure , on the contrary , that all intelligent members of our Order will welcome now , as formerly , the remarkable amount of valuable and

Masonic information , of other constitutions , foreign bodies and distant lodges , to say nothing of the lists of High Grade chapters , and councils , so laboriously provided , so carefully edited , and so lucidly arranged , in the

" Cosmopolitan Masonic Calendar . We can confidently appeal to our fraternity on its " merits " alone , and we leave it in their hands , without one doubt or fear , as to what their generous and impartial verdict will be .

ENGLISH AND FRENCH FREEMASONRY . —On the nth inst ., another new lodge of the Grand Lodge of English Freemasons was celebrated at the Surrey Masonic Hall , Camberwell-new-road , under the title of the " Crichton Lodge , " bearing the number of 1641 on the list of English lodges .

1 he consecration ceremony , with the sanction of the Prince of Wales , Grand Master , was performed by Bro . John Hervey , Grand Secretary , assisted by several other members of the Grand Lodge , and in the presence of a very numerous body of members of the Craft . Bio . Hervey

also inducted into the chair Bro . J . H . Yockins as Worshipful Master . In the course of Bro . Hervey ' s opening address he remarked that while on the 1 st November , 1863 , the whole number of lodges under the Grand Lodge

of England was 942 , on the 9 th of November , 1876 , they were 1649 , being an increase of 707 lodges , or an annual average of something like 50 during that period . Although such was the satisfactory state ' of English Freemasonry , he could not refrain from alluding to

The " Cosmopolitan Masonic Calendar " For 1877.

certain proceedings which were going on in the Grand Orient of France , which , speaking entirely as an individual , he thought must at no distant period , engage the attention of the Grand Lodge of England—proceedings which struck at the very root of Freemasonry , and which he onl y

viewed with dismay and alarm . Should this matter ever be taken up , it would then become a very serious question as to whether French Freemasons should ever be admitted as visitors to the Grand Lodge of England . The officers were then appointed , and a banquet , at which the Master presided , followed .

The Grand Lodge Of Rome, And Bro. J. C. Parkinson, P.G.D.

THE GRAND LODGE OF ROME , AND BRO . J . C . PARKINSON , P . G . D .

COMMUNISJUE . The following article appeared in the " Unita Cattolica , " November 8 th : — The " Unitu Cattolica" is the leading organ of the Ultramontane party in Italy , and is esteemed to be the most ably conducted of thi extreme Catholic journals .

There is something very pitiable in the depth of misrepresentation to which this newspaper his descended . It should be added that the " Uniti Cattolica " is credited with representing the views of Cardinal Manning , and that since the fall of the temporal power in Italy it has appeared uniformly with a deep black border on its front page in mourning for the fall of the head of the Church .

THE SPIRIT OF MASJNRY IN A DIPLOMA OF MBIUT TO MR . PARKINSON ( "UNITA CATTOLICA , " Nov . 8 TH ) . The Roman Freemasons , on the evening of the 28 th October , held high festival . To the number of about 100 clothed in the insignia of their Order , they assembled in the Temple of the Grand Orient of Italy in Rome , to welcome worthily Mr . J . C . Parkinson , a Grand Dignitary of

the Grand Lodge of England , and to present him with a diploma in recognition of his services to Italian Masonry The diploma had been specially designed for him , and , according to the "Opinione" of 31 st October , it represented the " Spirit of Masonry ascending to Heaven . " It was handed over to him with solemn ceremony by the Deputy , George Tamaio , Grand Master of Italy , and it was

acknowledged by Signor Parkinson in a lodge discourse on the origin , on the advantages , and on the duties of Freemasonry , hailing , " with peculiar satisfaction the establishment of a Grand Lodge in Rome , where the monuments are eloquent of the sufferings of generations of illustrious martyrs . " ' Passing over the martyrs and the sufferings of the

generations , to how Masonry lias gone to Rome to honour with her presence and with her temple , we may call attention to thc symbol designed on the diploma presented to Mr . Parkinson . In a purely material age , when materialists are summoned from Holland to sit in the Senate of Rome , when thc theories of Biichner and Darwin are held in honour , and taught in the school , when

at every turn we are told that we spring from apes and frogs , and that born of matter by a transformation , we have no other destiny than to be transformed in turn , and never cease to be matter , it does appear marvellous that Masonry at Rome should admit among her symbols the spirit , and give to this a heavenward tendency . A few weeks ago , a congress of Freemasons in Belgium

decided to suppress belief in thc Great Architect of Nature , thus denying the existence of God , and how can it be asserted that God docs not exist , while admitting the existence of spirits and their heavenward tendency ? The abbot Gyr added some documents to the beautiful work on Freemasonry of Rckcrt , advocate , o ! Dresden , to demonstrate that Masonry tends to earth and not to

heaven , and admits thc mast stupi i materialism . * And it cannot be otherwise , when the grossest errors find shelter with Freemasons , who welcome with cordiality everything that is in any way calculated to subvert the pure and sacred doctrines of the Church . But we know too well what is the spirit of Masonry , which teaches materialism in the schools aud usurps the

education of youth , and at the same time pretends to make respected in itself a quality which it denies to the Deity , a haughty spirit , a spirit eminently contradictory , which speaks lies and lives wholly in lies and of lies . Pius XI . from the first day that he ascended the throne indicated this spirit , and defined it exactly when he fulminated against the secret societies " as having emerged

from darkness for the ruin and desolation of all things human and divine , " renewing the condemnations and anathemas of his predecessors . *) ' It is that spirit which in conjunction with Protestantism shakes the authority of the Church , in conjunction with liberalism breaks the bonds of human authority , in conjunction with rationalism denies all authority , natural ' and divine , and throws around reason

thc mantle of " Queen . " It is that spirit , in short , of which an English Freemason spoke in a discourse in Freemasons' Tavern in London in 1862 . " Lucifer is the apex of thc social pyramid , it is he who is thc first Craftsman , the first rebel , the first martyr . We revolutionists ought , out o ! respect and gratitude , to display on our banner the beloved image of the heroic insurgent who was the first to dare revolt against the tyranny of God . "J And

this is what the Masons of Rome have emblazoned on the diploma ot Bro . Parkinson . This Spirit of Masonry tends to rise heavenwards , but is a foolish pretension of " Him who first turned his back upon his Maker . " It is the angel ol darkness , who still transforms himself into the angel of light to deceive and seduce , and directs his flight to heaven , when God has chained him to the bottom of the abyss . The efforts which it makes to destroy the Church , " and to combat