The Cryptic Rite.

Comp . Col . A . B . Cook was obligated and invested as Deputy Grand Master , after which the following appointments were made by the Grand Master , those present being invested with their collars of office : Comp . Col . A . B . Cook ... ... ... ... Deputy G . M . Sir T . innpl F . Darell RarL ... ... G . P . C of W .

; , Rev . A . W . Oxford ] G . Chaps . „ Rev . H . R . Cooper Smith ... ... ... ) r „ R . Berridge ... ... ... ... G . Treas . .. C F . Matier ... ... ... •••G . Recorder .

B . R . Bryant ... ... ... •••G . Lecturer .

,, Augustus Harris ... ... ... •¦•G . D . C . „ H . E . Cousans ... ... ... ... A . G . D . C . „ A . Tupman ... ... ... ... G . C of G . „ Dr . E . M . Lott ... ... ... ... G . Org .

„ F . Mead ... ... ... ... ) „ R . J . Voisey ... ... ... ... S G . Marshals . „ Major Clifford Probyn , ... ... ... ) " " £ \ f ] G . Stwds . „ E . Histed ... ... ... ... 3 „ E . J . Mills ... ... ... ... G . Sentinel .

It was resolved , on the proposition of the GRAND RECORDER , that the proceedings should be printed and circulated amongst the companions . The Degree of Royal Master svas then exemplified in a very able and impressive manner by Comp . W . Vincent , assisted by Comps . Voisey and Matier . The Grand Council was closed in due form , and the companions subsequently dined together at Freemasons' Tavern , the Most III . Grand Master presiding , and the customary toasts were subsequently given .

In proposing " The Most 111 . Grand Sovereign , " Comp . Col . COOK , Dep . G . M ., said they all knew the interest taken by the Earl of Euston , not only in this Degree , but in every Degree to which he belonged . In fact , during the past 20 years he had had no experience of anyone in the position now occupied by the Earl of Euston who had taken so much interest in every Degree , commencing as

that illustrious companion did with the Craft . They had Provincial Grand Masters appointed as rulers in the Craft and in every Degree , but they seldom found one who took the trouble and entered into the minor details of his province as they found in their M . 111 . Grand Master that evening . Their Grand Master was only too anxious to do all he could for the Craft , Royal Arch , and all other Degrees and they hoped he would be long spared to continue his good work .

The Earl of EUSTON , M . 111 . G . M ., having returned thanks , said his Deputy had gone into the history of his Masonic career , vvhich was' perfectly correct , although some of the details were left out . He could sincerely thank the Dep . G . M . for 20 years true and trusty friendship . He thanked the companions for the way they had received him , and only wished their numbers might be increased . If any ideastruckthe companions present or any member of the Council which would tend to augment and increase the Order in general and the attendance at the one meeting

in the year—he hoped they svould not hesitate to write their suggestions to the Grand Recorder , and they would be g iven every attention possible . He could hardly say much , for nearly all present were Present or Past Grand Officers , but if they would go back to their respective councils and try to urge the matter on , he should be g lad . The work they had heard done that night , and the other parts vvhich had not been rendered , vvere most impressive , and vvere quite the sort of Degree to impress any man interested in Masonry , and vvho had Masonry in his

heart . They belonged to the Craft as a start , and then in about four months joined the Mark , and after a year entered the Royal Arch , and he thought that rule of one year had done the Royal Arch a great deal of harm , for many men found they could join the Mark immediately after they had completed the Third Degree in the Craft . With respect to those vvho were only half-hearted vvhen they found they had to wait 12 months before they could join the Royal Arch , they cooled down and did not join a chapter . It vvas a pity they did not , for all must be Royal Arch Masons as well as Mark Masons who wished to belong to the Degree in connection vvith

vvhich they had met that evening . He hoped the chapters would pull round , for he knew from personal experience that a Mark lodge started in a town could do a large amount of harm to a chapter in that way . In this Cryptic Rite they vvere a small number at present—he meant working Masons . There vvere two or three Councils going on really well , but he thought that in Liverpool , Manchester , and other large towns , they might have one Council well looked after if the companions vvould keep it up , and if any companion would send up a petition for a Council to be started , he would attend and consecrate it in whatever part of England it mi ght be situated .

Comp . C . F . MATIER , P . D . G . M ., G . Recorder , said he vvas honoured by the commands of the M . I . G . M . to propose the next toast , and he knew that toast vvas committed to his care as he was by seniority the oldest D . G . M . present . The toast he had to propose vvas the very latest addition to the ranks of D . G . M . ' s—Colonel Cook—and in welcoming him to their ranks they welcomed no unworth y representative of the great cause of Masonry in whatever Degree they chose to speak of . As a Grand Officer of the Grand Lodge of England , a Past Master of

many and most distinguished lodges , Past Grand Officer of the Grand Chapter , and of the Grand Mark Lodge , Sublime and Valiant Prince of the 32 ° , as a member and Past Master of every Order in England , he thought they would say Col . Cook vvas a fit and proper person to receive honours from the hands of the M . I . G . M . He could in the name of the companions pledge their allegiance to their new D . G . M ., and say to him , as well as to their illustrious chief , that their best services would ever be given cheerfully and willingly .

Comp . Colonel A . B . COOK , D . G . M ., in response , said that if he could be of use to the Cryptic Rite in the position vvhich by the favour of the Grand Master he occupied , he should only be too happy to give his services . He had been a Mason for many years , and had taken an interest in all Degrees . It vvas very wise and right that before a brother could belong to this Degree he must be a Royal Arch

and a Mark Mason . It vvas an inducement for them to prosecute their Masonic career . The Grand Master had been kind enough to appoint him as Deputy Grand Master , vvhich vvas a proud distinction for anyone to fulfil , and if he could in any way act up to those who had gone before , and if at the end of the year he had done any good to the Degree , he should be perfectly satisfied .

Comp . R . BERRIDGE , P . D . G . M ., Grand Treasurer , replying for "The Past Deputy Grand Masters , " returned thanks for the kindly proposition and reception of the toast , and said it had given all those included in the toast great pleasure to do anything for the advancement of the Order . Their services were always at the disposal of the companions , and they were only too pleased to assist in any part in Masonry .

Comp . F . 'MEAD , G . Marshal , respondedfor " The Grand Officers , " and said their tongues would always be sounding the praises of the Grand Master , for no one throughout the whole of Masonry had more endeared himself to the hearts of Masons . The Grand Master had asked them to offer suggestions by which the numbers could be increased . They would endeavour not only to use their tongues , but they would also cudgel their brains to find some means by which the Degree might be increased . They felt they had an illustrious Grand Master , and that was sufficient in itself to cause the number of 500 before long to increase to 5000 .

Comp . Major PROBYN also replied , after which the health of the two companions—Comps . Vincent and Voisey—who exemplified the work in the Council was given , and duly replied to by the latter companion . The proceedings then terminated .

Supreme Grand Chapter Of Scotland.

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER OF SCOTLAND .

The Quarterly Communication of this Supreme Body was held in the Freemasons' Hall , George-street , Edinburgh , on Wednesday , the 4 th inst ., Comp , James Crichton , acting Grand Z ., assisted by Comps . J . Foulds , acting Grand H . D . Murray Lyon , acting Grand J . ; R . S . Brown , Grand Scribe E . ; Dr . George Dickson . Grand Scribe N . ; C . C . Nisbet , acting * ist Grand Soj . ; T . M'Nauo-ht

Campbell , acting 2 nd Grand Soj . ; and J . Carruthers , acting 3 rd Grand Soj . The other members of Supreme Grand Chapter present included Comps . W . Officer , J . Dalrymple Duncan , Major F . W . Allan , and E . Macbean . The following recommendations by Supreme Committee vvere cordially agreed to * . —1 . That a letter of condolence be forwarded to the Grand Chapter of South

Carolina , U . S . A ., on the death of their M . E . Grand High Priest , Comp . A . Doty .-. 2 . Confirmation of by-laws of Chapter John Saunders , No . 225 , Johannesburg , S . A . R ., and alterations on those of Chapters Peace and Harmony , No . 173 Beaconsfield , South Africa , and Faith and Charity , No . 72 , Kurrachee , India . —3 , That a charter be granted to a chapter at Mount Morgan , Queensland , Australia , to be named Mount Morgan . After some discussion it vvas resolved that the

alterations in laws proposed by Committee on Supreme Chapter Laws be printed and circulated among members of Supreme Grand Chapter and discussed at the next Quarterly Communication . The reports of proceedings- of the Grand Chapters of Indian Territory , Maryland , Maine , District of Columbia , and Illinois , U . S . A ., were received svith thanks . With a slight alteration , the office-bearers as nominated by Supreme Grand Committee were elected , the following being the

office-bearers elect for the new session : — Comp . the Right Hon . the Earl of Haddington ... Grand Z . „ William Officer ... ... ... ... Depute Grand Z . „ lames Crichton ... ... ... ... Grand H .

,, James Dalrymple Duncan ... ... ... Grand j . „ R . S . Brown ... ... ... ... Grand S . E . „ Charles Baxter ... ... ... ... Grand S . N . ,, Dr . George Dickson , Z . ... ... ... Grand Treasurer .

,, James Melville ... ... ... ... Grand Recorder . ,, Major F . W . Allan ... ... ... Grand Chancellor . „ Colonel P . Stirling ... ... ... ist Grand Soj . ,, Edward Macbean * ... ... ... 2 nd Grand Soi .

,, J . M'Naught Campbell ... ... ... 3 rd Grand Soj . „ C . C . Nisbet ... ... ... ... Grand Swd . Br . „ John Carruthers ... ... ... ... Grand Supt . of W . ,, Allan Mackenzie ... ... ... ... ist Grand Std . Br . ,, lames Simpson ... ... ... ... 2 nd Grand Std . Br .

„ John Taylor ... ... ... ... Grand Janitor . There were five vacancies in Supreme Committee , for vvhich there were nine candidates , but Comps . Officer and Crichton having been elected to offices which make them ex officio members of Committee , the contest lay with seven . The following svere chosen ( the numbers following the names being the votesrecorded for the respective candidates ) : Comps . Dr . George Dickson , 68 ; Major F . VV . Allan , 61 ; George Christie , 52 ; W . I . Macadam , 51 ; and Edward Macbean , 45 .

The arrangements for the annual festival were remitted to a Committee of three—namely , Comps . Crichton , Officer , and Brown . On the motion of Comp . J . M'NAUGHT CAMPBELL , seconded by Comp . J . D . DUNCAN , it was resolved to alter in Sec . 23 , cap . 16 , the svords " Edinburgh and Glasgosv " to read— " Edinburgh and Leith , and the Province of the Lower Ward of Lanarkshire . "

Comp . STEPHENSON ' motion regarding " spare " clothing , " was remitted to Supreme Committee with powers . A notice of motion to alter Law Sec . 3 , chap . 1 , concluded the business . The companions afterwards adjourned , and spent a pleasant hour in harmony .

Masonic Toleration.

MASONIC TOLERATION .

One of the most important Masonic lessons vvhich vve , as dwelling in a country ruled under concurrent jurisdiction , is that of toleration towards those who belong to a different Constitution to ourselves , and unfortunately it is , from the nature of the country , one of the most difficult to learn . Communities are scattered . Travelling is still expensive and arduous ; consequentl y Masonic visiting is limited and localised , and we gain not that perfect

knosvledge of one another which is the surest corrective to animosities or suspicions . It has been truly said of reli gious sects that if they only mixed with one another a little more freel y half their points of difference would melt in the sunshine of mutual understanding . We dwell under three Constitutions holding jurisdiction over the country , and how very , very few Masons of one Constitution really take the trouble to look into the principles and practice of

the sister Grand Lodges , and still less to take to heart any lessons from them . And even in two or three large centres , the only places where the three Constitutions come fully in contact with one another , one cannot shut one ' s eyes to the fact that beneath the surface of official amity there flows an under-current of distraint between the respective members . And in other places , where a Mason ' s knowledge of another Constitution is generally only based upon hearsay , too often some casual story uttered by Dame

Rumour is made the groundwork of a general condemnation of a whole section of the Craft . This would not be so if , instead of dwelling upon the weak points of our sister Grand Lodges , vve might cut the excellencies of each and endeavour to apply them so far as allowable to our own practice . In each Constitution working in this country their peculiar points of excellence which mi g ht with advantage be copied in the others , to pave the way for a perfect whole , and a knowledge of this truth is real Masonic toleration . —South African Freemason .

^ TALMUD—vvhich seems to come from the Hebrew word " Thalmud , " doctrine or teaching—is a Hebrew collection of earl y biblical discussions , with the comments of generations of Rabbinical teachers who devoted their lives to the study of the Scriptures . It records the thought , so to say , of 1000 years at the least of the Jewish people , and preserves their oral traditions , which seem to be divided into two main channels of thought and direction—the one called " Halachah , " a rule ;

the other " Hagadah , " a legend . The Talmud is made up of two parts—Mischna . and Gemarah . They are the commentaries of successive Rabbis or learned men ; but most of the authorities of the Mischna were dead before the Gemarah was composed . Rabbi Hillel , of Babel , famous in his generation as a teacher , is said to have commenced the Mischna in 3728 A . ., and Rabbi Judah Hanassee , the chief , is said to have finished the Mischna in six sections , called Sederim , in 3978 A . M .. or about the end of the

. fourth century of the Christian era . In 2979 A . M . the commentaries on the Mischna , now called the Gemarah , vvere begun ; and the Gemarah was finished in 4253 A . M ., A . D . 403 . There are two Talmuds . The Jerusalem Talmud dates from 4028 A . M ., or about A . D . 268 . The Bab ylonian Talmud is later . The great difference between the two Talmuds is in the Gemarah . Some writers profess to find Masonic traditions also recorded in the Talmud ; but , to say the truth , up to the present time we know of no satisfactory evidence on this head . — Kennitig Cyclopcedia of Freemasonry .