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NOTICE . The Subscription lo THE FREEMASON is now ios . per annum , post-free , payable in advance . Vol . I ., bound in cloth ... ... 4 s . fid . Vol . 11 ., ditto 7 s . Od . Vol . 111 ., ditto 15 s . od . Vol . IV ' ., ditto 15 s . od . Reading Cases . to hold 52 numbers ... as . Oil . United States of America . THE FRKF . MASON is delivered free in any pait of the United States for ias . per annum , payable in advance .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

All communications Tor The l- ' vccmason should be written legibly ou one Mile of the imee ' r only , and , if intended for insertion in the current number , mus ! be received not later Ih . an 10 o ' clock ,-i . m . on Tluu-. sd . ivs , unless in very special cases . The name aiuladdrcs . s of every writer must be sent to us in confidence . A . B . C . —There is no law in the Book of Constitutions to prohibit the proceedings to which you allude , but all the authorities in Masonry whom we have consulted on the subject agree in opinion that candidates should be raised separately , as otherwise the solemnity of the ceremony becomes trreviously impaired . 1-iniiAT . v . —In the repoitof the Royal Gloucestershire Lodge last week , in the 6 th line , Bro . T . Tuipor , P . M . should be Trmjlon , and in line id , for " . £ ' 100 , one-tliird the cost , " it should be £ 200 . In the letter of ' •Velox , " 17 th line for crih read mil ) , and for leitheys lead lritlicr ,

Births, Marriages And Deaths.

Births , Marriages and Deaths .

DEATH . IvlDF . rt . —On tec r-ilh hast ., a- ; ed ; o . Hro . Thomas Hider , of the Borough , and Nevvin ^ t . ui Units . Bro . llider was an eminent builder , and was the c uitiactor for ilie erection of l ' iceina-. ons' I lall , and the other propel ty of the Craft in Gient Uueeu-stiecl .

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TheFreemason, iSATCRn . W , SLVTV . yMHR 21 , l 8 f 2 . The Fienna em is pitbli ^ hetl em Saturday Mnn ; in ; s in rime f <; r the i-: iilv iv ; : iir ; . Tlie price til the rice . iiaMiu ' " Twopence per wee !;; ;; unua ! ;; U' » MTipti . m , lo-i . ( payable In alliance . * All nmiivmiiicarinn ' -, leiiev ^ , Sit ,, in be niMres ^ e' 1 In ihe I'diltir , KlS Kleei—uvrt , K . C ' The K-iiiorv . il ! pay e .-m-fulniirntinn i <> all MSS . eutruMril to him , but famicil utitleriake tu return them imiet- > acetanpiiuietl by nti ^ ta ;; e stamps .

The Mark Grand Lodge.

THE MARK GRAND LODGE .

If a Masonic prophet had arisen and predicted in 1870 the success which has gralilicd and

deli g hted the members of the . Mark Grand Lodge of l'higland in 1 S 72 , many would then have been most incredulous .

Looking however , at the facts—and . in this instance 'hey are as pleasant as they are " stubborn " —we suppose that under no previous

Grand Master has such rapid advancement been made , and the Mark Master ' s degree been so popular , as under the gavel of the M . W . Bro ., the Rev . George Raymond Portal , M . A .

r . verywhcre ihe Mark ( irand Lodge has prospered , its certificates are now acknowledged b y the Grand Chapters of Ireland . . Canada , Pennsylvania , Iowa , Maine , eve . : and already representatives have been appointed toaudi from .

, three of the foregoing Grand licdies . The lodges and mei-dieis of the Provincial . Mark ( irand Lodge of Lancashire , constituted

b y the Grand Chapter of Scotland , have left thai . poweriul organisation en 11 : 11 s . e , and are now enrolled undirjhe English constitution . Arrangements are also being mad , ' for the reception of

the few remaining lodges who have not yet civen in their adhesion , and no doubt before many months have elapsed , the ( irand Chapter oi Scotland will most cordially extend the ri hi hand of fellowshi p to Kng ! i-h Marl ; _ M . T-tcrs . and

The Mark Grand Lodge.

peace and prosperity will reign in Capitular Masonry throughout Great Britain and Ireland . The fraternity are principally indebted to the

Grand Mark Master , M . W . Bro . Portal ; R . W . Bro . Uinckes , P . G . W ., ( and Grand Secretary ) ; R . W . Bro . Hughan , P . G . W . ; and K . W . Bro . Matier , G . W ., for this desirable consummation .

We should also state that during the term of office of the Grand Mark Master Mason , the treaty has been signed which recognises the Grand Mark Lodge as the legitimate Mark

Governing Body in this country , by the Grand Conclave of Knights Templar , and the Supreme Grand Council of the Ancient and Accepted Rite for Ensrland .

Ihe question ol representation from American Grand Chapters must be considered as a secondary matter b y the Mark Grand Lodge , and the one of recognition as primary . We scarcely believe that the General Grand

Chapter of the United States will exchange representatives with the Mark Grand Lodge of Emrland , but we feel morally certain that the latter

will be recognised by the former as the only lawful governing bod y in this country for the Mark . Masters' degree . We commend the following to the notice of

the brethren . Jt is copied from the published proceedings of the ( irand Chapter of Maine , U . S ., and is written b y M . E . Comp . J . II . Dniiiimond ( General G . I I . Priest of the G . G . Chap , of the U . S . ) , one of the hi ghest Masonic authorities in America : —

" \\ hetherthcongiii .-ti organisation of this Grand Lodge b y onl y three lodges , when there were at least live times that number in existence in Kng-Jand , was masonically regular , so that its exclusive authority in that country would have been

sustained , has now In come of no consequence , inasmuch as all the lodges have voluntarily given in their adhesion to it . We are clearly of opinion that it is the legitiiiiatcStiprenic Masonic

Authority over the Mark Degree in England . a id that till Mark . Master Masons made in England under 1 * its authority , or recognised b y it as regular , are entitled to rccog- nitioii as such everywhere .

" Some Grand Cnapters have exchanged representatives with it , but we are not prepared to advise this Grand Chapter to do so . Recognition does nut neeessarih i iiuplt / eicliuiiire of Representatives . This ( irand Chapter recognises the

Grand Lodge of Maine as the Supreme Masonic Authority over Craft Masonry in this jurisdiction , and the ( irand Lodges of other States as Supreme in ihe same manner in their respective jurisdictions : but an exchange of Representatives

would be universall y deemed absurd . This case is not absolutel y parallel , it is true , because the ( irand Lodges do not recognise the Grand Chapter : tut the dijfere . ' . ' iY in grade seems lo lis a . »///// - cieii ! rccson lor not etchamrimr Reit'Yseiitalives

However , il , upon iu . iher consideration , it is deemed proper to exchange Representatives , it may be done , there being no necessily for finally

deciding that question at the present time . " We quite think with Bro . Drtmimond that there is no hurry to decide the point as to Rcpiesentation , so we will not enter fully into the

matter now , but were it necessary lo do so , we feel quite c ; riain to make out a case for both Recognition and Representation . in aihi / tain to " Point rov ' s Democrat , " which has opened its columns in a most fraternal

manner to Bio . I higiian ( who for sometime lias taken part in the discussion in that paper 0 : 1 the . Mark ( irand Lodge ) , the Evergreen , under ihe editorship of Brothers Parvin and Langridgc , and the Freemasons ' Monthl y Mtiyui . ine ( Charles W . Moore , the . Masonic veteran editor ) , have also ,

The Mark Grand Lodge.

in the most straightforward and friendl y style , considered Brother Hughan ' s p lea on behalf of the English Mark Masters , who may visit or locate in the United States , and whose Grand

Mark Lodge , therefore , desires and deserves recognition . Brothers Moore and Parvin are decidedly opposed to Representation , but Bro . Langridge ,

in a temperate and well argued article in the Evergreen for May , advances man } ' reasons why the both favours should be granted . Bro . Moore , in the Fnviucso ;/' V Month 11 /

Magazine lor August , commences with an article entitled " The Grand Mark Lodge of England . We cannot quite follow that talented Mason in some parts of his paper .

The article is mainly a courteous repl y to our learned Brother , William J . Hughan , the distinguished Alasonic archaeologist of England , on some few points which were not quite cleared

up by the worthy Masonic editor of " Pomeroy ' s Democrat" ( Bro . E G . Tisdall ) . Much of the article has a value quite independent of the present fraternal controversy , as the

editor supplies some most valuable details res peeling the earl y history of the Mark degree . The pith of Bro . Moore ' s objection to Rcpre sentation lies in the followi ' mr : —

" Ihe Grand Mark Lodge or England does not isk representation of bodies of inferior rank , n its own grade , for this would be inconsistent . villi its dignity and official status , but it does

ask that the Grand Chapters of this country , its superiors in grade and position , should recognise and interchange representatives with it , their inferior in rank and position ; and here lies the

principal difficulty to the proposed arrangement . There is an absence of equality between the parties , and where there is no equality there can be no reciprocity of representation . "

1 his extract maybe taken as a fair exponent of the intelligent brethren in the United States who oppose Representation . And as we have now given a view of both sides of the question ,

we shall simpl y await the issue before we entirel y give up hope that ere long a satisfactory settlement will be aimed at , as till the parties £ 0 the discussion are actuated bv the best of

motives , andeach are advocating what to them seems just , and proper . When the Grand Chapter of Scotland sees fit to recognise the Mark Grantl Lodge of England ,

ad the difficulties will be practicall y at an end , and while we sympathise with the impatience manifested in this part of Great Britain as to the delay and slowness of such an official act , we

must remind them that England , as a . Masonic country , has notaiways been free from the charge of " invasion of jurisdiction . '' liven this century there were Royal Arch

Chapters meeting in Scotland ; which were on the roll , ( and warranted ) b y the ( irand Chapter 01 England , and hence , the latter actually did in

Scotland , wnat the-Mark Grantl l . odge complains ihe ( irand Chapter of Scotland has done in Kir-land .

We cannot do better in concluding our remarks b y quoting the admirable Juiale to Bro . Charles W . Moore ' s article .

" J he . Mark . Masters 01 " the I , ' niteii States , whether as individuals , or in their lodges , will always he most happy ; to reciprocate fraternal