Original Correspondence.

again I must remind our country R . W . M . ' sand Secretaries " that the annual return of intrants is very incomplete , " so that if due care is taken " to make full returns " and payments to Grand Lodge thc numbers of intrants and diplomas , may for long keep up the average : here is another opportunity for making up arrears and helping Grand Lodsre in the future .

Charters and Prov . G . Masters commissions must ever be variable ; thc same may be said of rents of Masonic lodges , & c , and [ rents of Grand Hall ( save that in this latter case I think I have under-estimated its true value . Miscellaneous receipts speak for themselves . According to Chap . 20 , Sec . xxxiv ., fees for diplomas ( minus actual cost of same ) and the dues to the liquidation fund are to

be set aside to extinguish the debt . JThis is taking a large sum—no less than £ 1458 , " if all dues are paid up , " but after deducting under this head arrears of liquidation fund and cost of diplomas , this is materially decreased . Again , the Grand Lodge current account is gTeatly reduced by arrears , & c , as well as increasing expenditure . Grand Lodge , then , must be strengthened in purse , and

while so doing we should strengthen it in deliberative power , and knowledge of the working of the Craft . All Grand Officers who have served their time of office shoulc be qualified thereby to remain members of Grand Lodge so long as they contribute their test fee of membership , viz ., 5 s . per annum , and are subscribing members of a daughter Iodg ' , and be entitled to all precedency of their

past rank , wearing- a distinguishing mark on their aprons in lieu of the collar and jewel of office , " which is movable . " This same to apply to Provincial Grand Lodges in their respective districts . Again , all Masters of lodges " who have served their appointed time in the chair" should , so long as they continue subscribing members of a lodge holding of Grand

Lodge of Scotland , be entitled to be kept on the roll of Grand Lodge as " Past Masters , " and be entitled to vote and speak therein , and in their several Provincial Grand Lodges , so long as they pay Granel Lodge and Provincial Grand Lodge dues . Both Granel Loelge anel thc Provincial Grand Lodge would thus be greatly improved .

Again , I woulel urge as to Proxy al . ' s anel Wardens , that they " should be duly qualified" before they can b admitted to Grand Lodec , viz ., " that they should be subscribing members of a lodge holding of Grand Lodge of Scotland , and have been installed in anel served ( at least ) the office of Warden for thc appointed time . It should be made compulsory that every lodge holding

of G . L . of Scotland should have an annual subscription from its members , however small that subscription might be . The table of dues to Grand Lodge , Prov . Grand Lodge , & c , as rcgarels intrants , & c , should be revised , ( vide next article ) .

These are matters immediately relating to G . L ., and here I shall stop at presejnt , keeping over to my next communicition , the questions of " Amended tables of receipts , & c , Fund of Benevolence , Provincial Grand Lodges , and daughter lodges , as well as a more extended view of the question as to Proxies and Past Masters .

Copy of Motion proposed by Bro . G . R . Harriott , P . G . M " Wigtown anei Kirkcudbright ; sccondeei by Bro . Adam Thomson , S . P . G . M . Peebles and Selkirk ; moved before Grand of Scotland Nov ., 1876 , to be brought up Feb . 1877 . That a " Special Committee" be appointed to consider the two following points in all their bearings : —

ist . The state of thc funded debt and "floating balance , " amounting to £ 13 , 188 4 s . 2 d ., anel other items as per Reporter for 1873 " the last published . " 2 nd . The increasing excess of expenditure per annum over receipts . Said "Special Committee" to be empowered , ist to summon witnesses , and collect all evidence as may seem necessary to it ; 2 nd . To consider the question of the

generai financial system of Grand Lodge of Scotland , and to suggest any improvements thereon which may seem to them to tend to ameliorate thc present state of affairs and place Grand Lodge on a " sound financ ' nl basis . " 3 rd . That it be empowered to cali accountants and other professional advisers , " when and wherever required , " and that it be empowered to demand production of all books , accounts , vouchers , Sec , from the executive officers . Grand Committee , eir the daughter lodges .

MASONIC QUERIES . To the Editor if Ihe " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I must thank " A . T . "for replying to my queries , though his No . 3 does not in any way meet my difficulty , and 4 is needlessly uncourteous . He seems to imagine that when he has quoted the

Constitutions lie has settled thc matter beyond dispute . And this , perhaps , is true , for that large class of brethren who have neither time nor inclinationforinquiryinto the reasons of things . Toothers , however , the mere fact of a particular statement being printed in that august volume is not by any means a conclusive argument or convincing proof that it must therefore cf necessity be right , but only a

reason for regarding it with respectful consideration , since Grand Loelge is not infallible , anel its exponents or publishers may make mistakes like any one else , by way of either omission , commission , or transposition . Of the first of these wc have a signal example in Section 9 of " Masters and Wardens , " as "A . T . " himse : U acknowledges ,

and of thc last , I believe we have an equally striking instance in his Regalia quotation , where the words , " Horizontal " and " Perpendicular " are misplaced . My reason for saying so is this . " Masonry is a beautiful system , illustrated by symbols , " which hide its mysteries from the outside world , but reveal them to the initiated Craftsman . Unless , therefore , the symbols employed arc

Original Correspondence.

of such a significant character as to "illustrate , " i . e ., elucidate or throw light npon the office , degree' , or secret to which they arc attached , they not only fail to serve their intended purpose , but become ridiculous in themselves , and the cause of ridicule to those who use them . Now , thc true " Apron Symbol " of a W . M . is undoubtedly thc Greek TAU , as representing thecross-handled

staff of Patriarch Jacob , the hammer of Saxon Thor , and the gavel of King Solomon , which is the "Master ' s im . plemcnt and emblem of power , " and I still desire to know why the regulations turn it upside down , so as to convert it into a Level , which , as applied to the W . M ., is both meaningless and misleading , inasmuch as it does not "illustrate" his official character and distinctive magisterial

duties , hut sends him back , as it were , to the S . W ., from which he has just emerged . Perhaps some brother , older and wiser than "A . T ., " will be kind enough to tell what he knows about this matter , and also about the date and origin of the ritual of the Board of Installed Masters . W . M . C . N .

7 b the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — " A . T ., " in his answer to " W . M . C . N ., No . 4 , " quotes from the Constitutions on regalia . Permit mc to call the attention of W . M . ' s , P . M . ' s , and Directors of Ceremonies , to the remainder of the Constitution from which "A . T . " maeie his quotation ( pp . 125-6 ,

ed . 18 73 ) : — " The length of the horizontal lines to be two inches and a-half each , and of the perpendicular lines , one each ; these emblems to be of ribbon half an inch broad , and of the same colour as the lining and edging of the apron . If Grand Officers , similar emblems of garter-blue or gold . " In all lodges I have visited this Constitution is more or

less violated , and emblems of white metal , plate , or silver , substituted . 1 think this very general violation arises from a misconception of a previous Constitution on apronsp . 124—headed " Master Masons , " ice which occurs the following' passage : — " No other colour or ornament shall be allowed except to officers and past officers of lodges , who may have the emblems of their offices in silver or white

in thc centre of the apron . " The emblem of the W . M . ' s office is the Se ] . ; that of the P . M ., the Sq . and 47 th prop , ist Bk . Euclid ; S . W ., Level ; J . W ., Plumb ; Treas ., Key , Sec , Cross Pens ; Deacons , Dove ; I . G ., Cross Swords ; Tyler , Sword . And these emblems , typical of office , may be worn by officers

and past officers of lodges in the centre of the apron , in the same manner as by Grand and Prov . Grand Officers . There seems no authority whatever for W . M . ' s and P . M . ' s to wear other than blue J _ levels on their aprons . If there be any authority , I have , failed to trace it in the Constitutions . I am , yours fraternally , P . P . M .

THE POLISH NATIONAL LODGE . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — As one of your readers you must excuse me if the interest which I take in your paper and in thc cause of Freemasonry prompts me to make some remarks on a meeting ot the Polish National Lodge , reported in your

number of the 13 th inst . I happened to be a visitor on that occasion , and I must say that seldom if ever was I more agreeably and more pleasingly surprised than I was by the proceedings of that night , both on account of the truly harmonious and brothcriy tone that pervaded the atmosphere , as well as by the loftiness of character that elevated anel braceil thc too

often stale and commonplace gatherings of thc every elay performances of this kind . Bro . Rath , the W . M ., > vith a freshness of aim and a thoroughness ot purpose , gave us one of those mental feasts ever memorable to those who , like myself , wcre privileged to partake in it . I am sure you must feel with mc the distressing shallowness and unthinking mcaninglessness with which all

the best and purest principles and incidents of our Order are too often treated by those whose ennobling office it ought to be , to raise the spirit of the mass of the followers of our star . elard to something that should be worthy ol the granel cause which we uphold , and which ought to be of a nature to shew good cause why wc shoulel not be considered merely as " fruges consumcre nati . " Then , ii

1 begin my letter to you by such a wailing over thc degeneracy of the age , it is not because I think that there arc not many amongst us who arc really worthy of the high trust reposed in them to be the standard-bearers ol humanity , or because I thought that your valuable paper , as the organ of such a great brotherhood like ours , docs not do its very best to guide the fraternity in the true path

of thc spirit of our ancient landmarks , but because I think that our best endeavours should certainly always be directed to raise up the sluggish , half-thinking , and halfeating members amongst us to that perfection which is the only " raison d ' etre" of our society . Certainly I must say that the brother who took upon himself the responsibility of reporting on thc proceedings

of the Polish National Lodge of the evening in question cannot possibly have been aware of the gravity of thc duties the execution of which he so lightly undertook . If you had been , like myself , present at that memorable meeting you must have been discouraged in reading the senseless and distorted heap of illogical , unconnected ,

and thoroughly ungrammatical word-whirl wind , to say nothii g of the sad fate that befel the Queen ' s Englishwhich disfigured such a large space of your paper . 1 cm make every allowance for you , whose manifold duties will not always permit of every communication being thoroughly sifted , particularly whcn . it comes , as it often does , from influential brothers , who are supposed to

Original Correspondence.

know what they assume in bringing matters of this kind before the public . But not being able to address myself to any one but the responsible Editor , I am in that position that what I have to say I must submit to you . Nothing helps truth better than truth , and , acting on this ever true principle , I trust that ycu will accept my communication in the spirit in which it is tendered . Publicity is a well known " nostrum " for all errors ,

and if you will take my well-mcanf criticism in that sense you will once more convince me , as I always was , of your love cf truth anel progress and of your impartiality . I enclose my card , and remain , Sir and Brother , yours very obediently , A VISITOR . [ We do net understand to what " A Visitor" refers . — En . ]

BRO . MAJOR BURGESS . [ We have been requested by Bro . Major Burgess to publish the following correspondence ; we Have done so , suppressing one or two passages which appear to us personal . We express no further opinion on the matter , but think it right to find space for a complaint on thc part of a brother , if couched in proper terms . —En . ] "

Office of the Grand Lodge of Mark Masters , 2 , Red Lion Square , 12 th January , 1877 . Sir and Brother , — Your letter under date 2 nd Dec , 1876 , addressed " To the Secretary of the Mark Master Masons , London , " was read at a meeting of the General Board ot this Grand Lodge yesterday , when the following resolution

was unanimously adopted : — " That the General Board is unable to entertain , or to recommend Grand Loelge to entertain , the communication from Major Burgess , elated 2 nd Dec , 18 7 6 , the same not being couched in ' proper anel respectful language , ' as required by Clause i ) b of the Book of Constitutions . " f am , Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , ( Signed ) FREDERICK BINCKES , P . G . J . W .,

G . S . 16 th January , 1877 . Sir , — I have receivcel your letter of the 12 th instant . In reply I desire that you will inform the General Board of thc Mark Master Masons that they cannot expect from other people obedience to the clauses of the Book of

Constitutions until they themselves set an example of such obedience . By expelling me they have distinctly freed me from all obedience to those Constitutions ; and until they cancel ihe expulsion which in June , 1875 , they caused to be pissed against mc , in defiance of Clause 13 of the Constitutions ( " No brother shall be expelled until he shall have been summoned to show cause in the Grand

Lodge why such sentence shoulel not be recorded and enforced " ) , they leave me free to express , how and when I please , an opinion of their conduct . 1 am , your obedient servant , ( Signed ) CHAS . J . BURGESS . Thc Secretary of thc Mark Master Masons , London .

DUTIES OF STEWARDS . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — Referring to the letter of " One of the Stewards" in your last week ' s issue , upon matters relating to the above , I find you did not accord to him a reply—so usual to your customary courtesy—but possibly you were at a loss to quite

understand the drift of his question , and I confess I don't clearly sec it , unless it is that he , with others , arc told off in turns to perform a menial office by a private rule of the loelge , at which it appears our worthy brother has very naturally , and 1 think excusably , taken umbrage , for it must be cvielent to thc Craft generally that such a custom —which , by the way , I will venture to think is quite an

exception—is a lowering of self-respect , not to say derogatory to a Masonic body . No brother , I fee ] sure , would object voluntarily to render his personal assistance at tea or banquet table , providing it was a necessity , but to be told off for it as a " duty , " to assist in conjunction with the waiters of thc establishment , and to partake of the after dinner-viands , amounts , I think , to plebianism ,

and a blow to Masonic dignity . And for a brother to make " an ill-natured public remark " completes the picture . I trust our brother will feel it due to withdraw the remark that " One of thc Stewards " complains of , and thus show that he has not an entire elisregard of Masonic

feeling , if he has of its obligations . It is evidently not a part of a brother ' s duty to perform the menial office complained of . The latter part of our brother ' s letter was to the point , anel in accordance , I believe , with thc custom of thc Craft generally . Yours fraternally , EXCELSIOR .

THE ECLECTIC LODGE . To the Editor of Ihe "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , — I have been most pleased to read thc account of the installation of Bro . E . J . Harty as W . M . of the Eclectic Lodge , No . 1201 , and especially because it is a lodge in which I take a special interest . Not because our good friend and Worshipful Bro . Fenn could only procure a

glass of water on its constitution , though as a life-long total abstainer 1 might be excused if such had been the case , but in consequence of my believing its basis is a truly sound and Masonic one . I presume that thc only departure inaugurated by Bro . Harty is the provision for Masonic banquets , and so far as I can see there was no regulation against such under the old regime , so long as the cost thereof did not fall upon