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DED CROSS OF CONSTANTINE . The Grand Conclave Meeting will take place at the Freemasons' Tavern on Wednesday , the 22 nd inst ., at Halfpast Five o ' clock precisely , to be followed by the usual Banquet at Seven . Brethren who wish to attend the Banquet will kindly communicate at once with the Grand Recorder . Every Conclave has had due notice through its Recorder . Bro . W . R . WOODMAN , M . D ., Grand Recorder , will be glad to receive names of Sir Knights willing to act as Stewards at the Annual Festival , to be held on Wednesday , the 22 nd inst ., at Freemasons ' Tavern , Queen-street , W . C .

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•TO ADVERTISERS . THE FREEMASON has a large circulation in all parts of the Globe . In it the official Reports of the Grand Lodges of England , Ireland , and Scotland are published with thc special sanction of thc respective Grand Masters , and it contains a complete record of Masonic work in this country , our Indian Empire , and thc Colonies . The vast accession to tlie ranks of ihe Order during thc past few years , and the increasing interest manifested in its doings , has given the Freemason a position and influence which few journals can lay claim to , anil tlie piopiittoT caw assert vatW covvftdcncc lhat announcements appearing in its columns challenge thc attention of a very large and influential body of readers . Advertisements for thc current week ' s issue are received up to sW o ' clock on Wednesday evening .

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TO OUR READERS . THE FREEMASON is published every Friday morning , price 3 d ., and contains the fullest and latest information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . Subscriptions , including Postage : — ...,,,.. , r , " i 'Vt '"' ' " ,- ' ,- Inilia , China , Australia United Kingdom . Canada , the Conti- v ' ...... . « ncnt , & c . ¦ Ncw ' - ¦" ' •' -n ' . ' - 13 s . 15 s . 6 d . 17 s . 6 d . Remittances may bc made in Stamps , but Post Otlice Orders or Cheques are preferred , the former payable to GEUROK KENXISO , Chief Office , Lonelon , the latter crossed London Joint Stock Bank

To Correspondents.

To Correspondents .

Owing to pressure on our columns the following stand over : — Walker Lodge , No . 1342 , Newcastle-on-Tyne . Primitive Pilgrim Chapter Rose Croix , No . 5 , Holyhead .

BOOKS , & c , RECEIVED . "Brighton and Sussex Daily Post , " "The Complete French Course" ( Part II . ) , "The Hull ancl Lincolnshire Times , " "Hull Packet , " "South Wales Daily Times , " "Broad Arrow , " "Sunday Times , " "Croydon Guardian , " "The Egyptian Gazette , " "Masonic Advocate , " "Walter Pelham ' s Journal , " "'The National Reformer , " "Der Long Islaender , " "Society , " Jewish Chronicle , " "The Hebrew Leader , " "Die B .-itiJiutte . "

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THEFREEMASON. SATURDAY , DEC . IS , ISSO .

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THE number of the Freemason in thc Christmas week will be issued to subscribers and the trade on Thursday , tlie 23 rd , instead of Friday , thc 24 th . It will contain its normal issue , and , as a supplement , the contents of the Christinas Freemason .

Among other interesting matter which it will contain , will be the " yearly summary" ; . 1 special review by Bro . \ V . J . HUGHAN on " The Freemason's Calendar and Pocket Book "; a review

of the Poet Laureate s new volume of poems ; and a paper on Christmas festivities , past , present , and future . Orders should bc at once sent to Bro . \ V . LAKE , 198 , Fleet-street , E . C .

* * BRO . HAVERS' lucid and important letter , in our last impression , suggests many most serious considerations . We shall all regret to note his touching reference to his own suffering health , which keeps

him away from that Grand Lodge to which he has rendered such signal services . Wc shall hope that he may regain health and strength in thc New Year , and once more appear amongus , to help , to counsel ,

and to guide . We might say a good deal more on the subjects Bro . HAVERS alludes to so forcibly , but deem it more prudent to forbear doing so . We will only add lhat after his letter in our columns some official explanation becomes absolutely necessary .

* * * WE publish elsewhere some important communications relative to a so-called Grand Cerneau Council

in New York . We do not ourselves profess to understand , on the common law of Masonry , how what is clearly clandestine can be made a legal body , or can claim acknowledgment or adhesion .

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WE call attention to a statement elsewhere with reference to a burglary at the Masonic Hall , Newport , by which the lodges have lost , -it is said , £ 1000 in lodge property .

* * THE present position of English Lodge " numera" lion , " we think , deserves consideration at headquarters . During 1 S 80 thirty-three lodges have been added to thc long list of English lodges , and

the Calendar for 1 SS 0-S 1 leaves us at No . 1 SS 6 , which number will probably be increased to 1900 by the end of the year , or soon after . Twenty-one chapters have been founded in 1 SSo , and their j-iumbers now reaches 1717 . Not that the numbers

represent the true state of the case , because a large number are " dormant , " or " lapsed , " or " want" ing , " and , therefore , we think thc time for " re" numbering" has come , and as Bro . GOULD is on the Board of General Purposes , he can give efficient help in the work .

ei-Ax the recent meeting of thc Creaton Lodge a testimonial was p resented lo Bro . C ANTLE , the active Secretary , and one of its leading founders , as a proof of the regard , and affection , and

acknowledgements of his brethren for many good services . Thc testimonial consisted of a handsome gilt enamelled clock and vases lo match , together with a solid gold Masonic ring , and was presented to Bro , CANTLE after some appropriate remarks by Bro . JOHNSON * , W . M .

A LETTER from our well known Bro . HERVEY SMITH , of W . Yorkshire , appears elsewhere in our impression of to-day . He has a good claim to be heard in all that relates to our great Charities , and not thc least thc Boys' School . Mis remarks

were penned before the account of last Saturday s meeting appeared , so , perhaps , they may be modified in some degree by what then took p lace . The Freemason has never advocated the " building operations , " of a " new school , " to bc at once

begun . We have undoubtedly expressed our opinion favourably lo the extension of thc School , b y forming a preparatory or junior school , as wilh the Girls ' , in a house to bc obtained near

Woodgreen . Those who were present on Saturday and heard two of the . candidates read , seemed to be of one accord as lo the need , use , and meaning of a preparatory or junior school .

e - e Hi THE brethren of ihe Ear ! of Carnarvon Lodge , No . 1642 , have also recently presented to Bro . W . MURLIS and to his wife certain valuable tokens

of their affection and respect . Bro . MURLIS IS well-known as one of the most zealous workers in the Craft , and he well deserves such a token of recognition and regard .

el : A WORTHY testator , in a will recently mentioned in the Times , has left to the three Metropolitan Charities a small legacy . Wc are glad lo nole the fact , as wc cannot help

feeling and thinking that such would be a graceful evidence of Masonic interest on the part of nianj' of our richer brethren . We do not urge large legacies , or unconscionable bequests , to the prejudice of "kith and kin , " for that , in our

opinion , is never right as a moral act , and large legacies are often inconvenient to such Charities as ours . But such a friendly remembrance of our Charities as we notice to day isalike lo be commended and encouraged amongst us .

lie * WE understand thai a Committee has been for some time at work revising thc Book of Constitutions , and that before long we may hear of some of the results of their labours .

* * ANOTHER dreadful colliery explosion in Wales , by which many lives have been lost , appeals to the

" well-to-do and the compassionate . I he LORD MAYOR has opened a Fund of Relief at the Mansion House . The number of widows is 65 at the very least , and children left destitute 20 G .

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WE beg to call attention to our Christmas Freemason , which appeared last Friday , and which will , we think , commend itself to our many readers and

the Craft at large , both by its artistic appearance and its literary merits . We feel bound to say this much , though for the rest we leave the matter in the hands of our Masonic public .

WE also have been requested to repeat the announcement that , owing to an influx of matter , for which we thank our many kind correspondents , and which demonstrates a fact of which wc have always

felt satisfied in our own mindst—he latent power and talent of our Order—the January numbei of the " Masonic Magazine " will be composed solely of Mascnic and seasonable tales .

* ie * As Freemasons , wc shall have been touched with the account of the recent commemoration of the anniversary of the death of the late PRINCE CONsoRTand of PRINCESS ALICE , in thc mausoleum at

Frogmorc . Our GRAND MASTER and the PRINCESS oi" WALES were present , and all the Q UEEN ' surviving children , except the IMPERIAL PRINCESS OF GERMANY . Thc record of the ceremony is very interesting .

The New Cerneau Council In America.

THE NEW CERNEAU COUNCIL IN AMERICA .

We have received from America an interesting statement of facts relative to a body calling itself the Cerneau Council , extracts from which wc have thought well to print for the information o £ many , if not all , of our readers , ancl

on which vve have drawn up the following statement of " facts : " — From the early portion of this century to the year 1 SG 6 , there were three claimantsof authority over the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite in the United States , with varying fortunes . These may he classified as follows : ( 1 ) , the

Supreme Council of the Southern jurisdiction , with its Grand East at Charleston , South Carolina , claiming date of 31 st May , 1 S 01 ; ( 2 ) , that for the Northern jurisdiction , known as thc " Gourgas" Council , claiming date 5 th August , 1 S 13 ; and , ( 3 ) , that of the Cerneau Organization , with jurisdiction over the whole United States , and

claiming the date of 2 Sth December , 1 S 07 ; both of the latter named bodies having their Grand East in the city of New York . Prom circumstances which it is not necessary to the purpose , however , to repeat , a schism , or division , occurred in August , iSCio , in the Supreme Council of the Northern

jurisdiction , resulting in tteo councils claiming the same name , thus making four distinct organizations . At the last mentioned period , 111 . Albert Pike commanded the Supreme Council for the Southern jurisdiction ; III . William H . Van Rcnnsallar commanded one of the Supreme Councils of the Northern jurisdiction : 111 . Edward

A . Raymond commanding the others ; while the Cerneau Supreme Council vvas commanded by 111 . Edmund 13 . Hays , and of which , on the 24 th June , 1 SC 0 , Bro . Henry G . Seymour became the Grand Master of Ceremonies . Amid the contentions for supremacy in the Northern section of the Union , on the 7 th February , 1 SG 3 , a

combination , or union , was heartily effected among the Supreme Councils commanded by Edward A . Raymond and Edmund 15 . 1 lays , the body taking the name of the " Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Rite for the United States of America , " with 111 . Bro . E . B . Hays for Grand Commander , and Edward A . Raymond as Deputy Grand

Commander , Bro . II . G . Seymour being rst Grand Master of Ceremonies . Whereupon there became again three Supreme Councils in the United States . The nevvly-combincd Supreme Council progressed successfully and actively , having its Grand East at New York city , but it too frequently indulged , like

its opponent , in conferring the Thirty-third Degree , until its Grand Commander refused to confer further that grade except under most exceptional circumstances . Bro . H . G . Seymour vvas also at the head of the " Memphis Rite , " to which he admitted , without fee , members of the Scottish Rite at Iirst . All sessions of the United Supreme Council

of the Scottish Rite were fully participated in by Bro . Seymour , and all duties , up to ancl including the session of October 19 th , 20 th , 21 st , of 1 SO 4 . On the last day of this session , to wit , October 21 st , a regular election of officers took place , when III . E . B . Hays vvas elected Grand Commander , but H . G . Seymour vvas superseded by C . ' *'

McClenachan as Grancl Master of Ccriimonies , from which time Bro . Seymour ceased his attendance on the Supreme Council . It is needless to advert to thc session of Supreme Council nth September , 1 SG 5 , further than to say that certain

allegations were made against Bro . Seympur , and referred to a "Commission , " consisting of Bros . i H ., C Banks , John Turner , and Hopkins Thomson . At the same session a motion was' made to change the dame of the body to that of the " Supieme Council for the