Original Correspondence.

we have no right to interfere in the internal discipline of the Romish Church , and , so far , " H . C . L . " is right . But , sir , as a Roman Catholic Army Chaplain , Father Cuffe owes an allegiance beyond that due to the Pope of Rome . He is a paid servant

of the English State ; paid by the money of Protestant and Romanist alike ; paid to render to our Roman Catholic soldiers the services of their church . In his capacity of State servant , of what avail is it to prate of his duty to the Pope ? We have nought to do with the Pope !

The Pope has no sovereignity in these dominions . If , then , Father Cuffe says that his alleg iance to the Pope will not allow him to perform the duties for which he is paid by the State , we reply , " Get you gone ; resign your State Office and your salary to some one who will . There are now plenty of Catholic priests , fortunately ,

who have cast oil" the degrading fetters of an infallible Pope . The case stands thus : Father Cuffe , as . an officer of the British Army , has refused to discharge his duty ; let him then be called to account by his military superiors , and be made to understand that such conduct must notand shall

not be repeated , I am , yours fraternally , WILLIAM DATE , W . M ., 814 . MASONS' MARKS .

To the Editor of The Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — After all that has been said , and written upon this subject , it is quite amusing to read such remarks as those b y Bro . Chalmers 1 . Paton , at page 139 . Were he some newly made

brother his ignorance might be excused , but for Bro . Paton now to pretend not to know that the old operative Masons before last century were at liberty to take their mark with either an even or an odd number of points just as they chose is in ; xcusable . As a proof of this , he has only

to turn to page 67 of Bro . Lyons splendid new Masonic work , " Freemasonry in Scotland , " where a large number of Masonic marks from buildings and old Masonic records are so beautifully lithographed , and counting the points in the marks there shown , he will find about one

half of them with an even number of points . He must also remember , as shown at page 530 of The Freemason , for September 2 , 1871 , that it was the rule among the old operative Masons to give to every apprentice his mark when being entered as an apprentice . The idea of confining the mark to Fellow Crafts was a

new style of doing things , introduced when the mark degree was first instituted about the middle of the last century . The rule that the mark was to be always of an odd number of points was a new rule introduced when the mark degree was started . The reference which Bio . Paton makes to Bro . A . Kerr is rather

unfortunate , one might as well bring Ptolemy forward to prove that Sir Isaac Newton was wrong as bringing Bro . Kerr forward to prove Bro . Hughan wrong . Those who desire more light upon Masons' marks , and upon the mark degree ,

may find some at pages 474 , 4 8 9 , and 522 of The Freemason for July 29 th , and August 5 th , and joth , 1871 . 1 am , yours fraternally , W . P . BUCHAN .

Freemasonry In China.

FREEMASONRY IN CHINA .

( F ROM A C ORRESPONDENT AT SHANGHAI . ) We have very interesting news of the progress of British Masonry in China , and an energetic old Mason once more appears to the front . We need only mention the name of Past Master

Sidford to remind China Masons of the founder of the Tuscan Lodge , 1027 E . C , at Shanghai in 1864 . A new lodge has been established at Chin-Kiang , a rising port on the great Yang-tze River

during last year , and has been very favourably mentioned as doing useful work amongst the community at that place , and from what we hear

there is still plenty of work before it . We have been favoured with a copy of the minutes of a meeting of the D . G . L . of China , from which wc make some extracts relative to the final con-

Freemasonry In China.

stitution and consecration of the Doric Lodge of Chin-Kiang No . 14 . 3 . 3 , E . C , and wish the lodge and its members " God speed , " a wish that will be generally expressed amongst ail our Masonic readers .

Minutes of a special meeting of the Doric Lodge No . 1433 , E . C , held at the lodge-room , Chin-Kiang on Monday , 15 th December , 1873 , for the purpose of constituting and consecrating the lodge , and installing its first Worshipful Master and Wardens .

Present—Worshipful Bros . Thos . W . Kingsmill , P . D . G . Superintendent of Works , acting for D . D . G . M . . J . H . P . Parker , P . D . G . S . B . ; Henry H . Sidford , Bros . Gearing , Abbott , Menzies , Goldspink , Nunn , Middleton , Walker , Camajee , Sanders , Moore , and Williamson . The lodge was opened in ancient form and with solemn prayer at 9 . 30 a . m .

The circular convening the meeting was read as follows : — "Doric Lodge No . 14 . 3 . 3 , E . C , "Chin-Kiang , 13 th Dec , 1873 . '' Dear Sir and Brother ,

" \ ou are requested to attend a special meeting of your lodge , to be held at the Masonic Hall on Monday , the 15 th Dec , 187 , 3 , at 9 . 30 a . m . precisely . " By order of the W . M . " Yours fraternally ,

" ( Signed ) G . WILLIAMSON . " Secretary . " Business—The consecration of the lodge and installation of W . M . and officers . " The representatives of the District Grand Lodge , Wor . Bro . Thos . W . Kingsmill , P . M ., No . 570 , P . D . G . Superintendent of Works , Sec

& c , and Worshipful Bro . J . H . P . Parker P . M . No . , 501 , P . D . G . S . B ., were then announced as desiring admission , and were received with Grand honours , they were then conducted to the East ., Wor . Bro . Sidford offering the chair to Wor . Bro . Kingsmill , who desired the W . M . to continue the work .

The lodge was passed to the E . C . ' s degree , and all brethren below the rank of M . M . having retired , the lodge was opened in the third degree . Wor . Bro . Sidford , then vacated the chair and handed the gavel to Wor . Bro . Kingsmill , soliciting at the hands of the delegates of the District

Grand Lodge the constitution and consecration of the Doric Lodge . The delegates were also placed in possession of the charter , furniture , jewels , Regalia , and minute book of the lodge . Wor . Bro . Kingsmill opened a District Grand Lodge in form with solemn prayer at 10 . a . m .

The ceremony of constituting , and consecrating the Doric Lodg « , No . 1433 , E . C , was then gone through . The minutes of the meeting of the lodge held under the Provincial Dispensation were read b y the W . M . Elect , the same being ; approved ,

Wor . Bro . Kingsmill in the name of the District Grand Lodge declared them fully confirmed . The District Grand Lodge was closed in form and with solemn prayer at 10 . 40 , the Doric Lodge resuming labour in the third and second degrees

respectively . The W . M . Elect , Wor . Bro . P . M ., Sidford was then presented for installation . The ceremony of installation followed , the W . M ., P . M . Henry . / EneasJSidford , | receiving the salutations of the brethren .

The lodge closed m the third , opened in the second , closed in the second , and resumed labour in the first degree at 11 . 15 . The W . M . proposed a vote of thanks to the delegates of the District Grand Lodge in the following terms : —

" Worshipful and dear brethren , as the mouthpiece of the brethren of the Doric Lodge , I beg most heartily and gratefully to return our sincere thanks to you for your kind assistance in coming up to Chin-kiang and constituting and consecrating our lodge , confirming our previous work , and installing myself and the other officers .

Looking forward to this auspicious occasion , seemed at one time a long , almost a faltering expectation , but those times of anxiety and weakness are numbered amongst the things of the past , and we now go forward with renewed strength , vitality , and hopefulness . The work already cemented by your approval and confirmation has done good amongst the community

Freemasonry In China.

of this port ; our minutes have shown you that there is still plenty of labour before us , and we promise as far as lies in our humble power to continue faithful in the discharge of the Masonic duties which still await us . Worshi pful | Sirs , I may safely say you can never receive a more

hearty expression of thanks than that which I now propose to oiler to you . " Bro . S . W . Gearing gladly seconded the thanks of the Worshipful Master , and the brethren carried it with acclamation . Worshipful Bro . 'Kingsmill acknowledged the

pleasure it had given him in being the fortuna te witness of the real prosperity of the Doric lodge , and trusted that when the time came round for Worshipful Bro . Sidford to vacate the chai .- , his successor would worthily follow his predec issor ' s

successful example . He , Woishipfcl Bro . Kingsmill , would have great pleasure in testifying to the District Grand Lodge that the working of her youngest offshoots was worth y of all commendation .

The W . M . proposed , Wor . Bro . Kingsmill , seconded , and the lodge carried unanimously , a cordial vote of thanks to the visiting brethren from Shanghai , coupled with the name of Bro . Camajee , whose presence amongst us was a proof in itself of our universality and

non-sectarian principles . Bro . Camajee and also Bro . Saunders acknowledged the vote with a few suitable observations Nothing further offering for the good of Freemasonry in general , or this lodge in particular ,

it closed in due and antient form with solemn prayer at 11 . 35 a . m ., tne brethren separating in peace , harmony , and brotherl y love . ( Signed ) GEORGE WILLIAMSON . Secretary .

A new Worshipful Master , It . J . Abbot , was installed as W . M . ( by W . P . Master H . E . Sidford ) for 1 S 74 early in January , and at the next regular meeting , 13 th January , a vote of thanks was proposed by the J . W . Bro . George Williamson , seconded by the Worshipful Master , and carried with acclamation : — " Worshi pful Sir and Brethren ,

" Being one of the first to be o—g—ted upon the volume of the Sacred Law now before you , T have peculiar pleasure in proposing a cordial vote of thanks to our Immediate Past Master Wor . Bro . Henry vEneas Sidford for presenting that handsome volume ,

with the square and compasses , to this lodge . I am sure all these who are privileged to call this their " Mother Lodge" will join me in supplementing this proposal by gratefullyacknowledging his kind and patient exertions to thoroughly fit us each and all for the several

degrees he has been pleased to confer upon us . May he hereafter have the satisfaction of knowing that those whom he has placed in the N . E . corner ol this lodge , not only tend to strengthen and adorn this edifice ( in the rearing of which

he has displayed so much ability and zeal ) , but that through his instructions they have also been rendered better members of that vast lodge by which we are surrounded , in which , as here , each individual has an influence for the better or

the worse . And may he , and we , by acting in conformity with that Sacred Law , meet again in that Grand lodge above , where T . G . A . O . T . U . lives and reigns for evermore . " Chin-Kiang , 16 th January , 1874 . Worshipful and Dear Bro . Abbot , Dear

Wardens , and Brethren , The flattering and unexpected vote of thanks that I was so undeservedly honoured with at our last regular meeting , took me so much by surprise that I was unable at the moment adequatel y to give utterance to all I then felt , and do still

feel . 1 ou will therefore allow me now , more explicitly to record my gratitude to , and Masonic love for , all who joined in those expressions of fraternal regard . May the time never come , Worshipful Sir , that you alluded to , where remarking , that the Volume of the Sacred Law

shall be returned to my hands . Allow me , most earnestly and lovingly , to impress on your minds , that with unity in your lodge you possess strength , attain and command success , and permit of one word , and only one , of fraternal caution . Let the remarks and observations of an unenlightened—possibly invidious , if not envious