Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

UNITED PILGRIMS' LODGE , No . , 507 . To the Editor of The Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , The report in your last issue of the proceedings at the United Pilgrim ' s Lodge , . 507 , is slightly inaccurate . The portrait of our lamented Bro . C . W . Haddock was not presented by the

brethren privately , but was , at my suggestion , substituted by the lodge for a Past Master ' s jewel , voted to him before his death ; the lodge also presented a copy of the portrait to his family . The portrait of Bro . Thomas was not the gift

of the lodge in its corporate capacity , but subcribed for some of the brethren privately , the idea originating with me . I trust you will excuse my troubling you on the subject , but as it was an opportunity given to me to pay the last tribute of respect in my power to a lamented brother , and at the same time offer a token of

regard to our revered and respected Secretary , Bro . John Thomas , I am naturally anxious it should be known that both suggestions , which met with the heartiest approval of the brethren , were mine , and carried out solelv by Yours fraternally , J . DUCKET , W . M . United Pilgrims , 507 .

BRO . D . MURRAY LYON'S " HISTORY OF THE LODGE OF EDINBURGH . "

To the Editor if The Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , Owing to your taking such a lively interest in tlie above publication , a great number of letters from subscribers have been received inquiring when this important work is to be issued .

Will you allow me to state in the Freemason that the " History of the Lodge of Edinburgh " is at length printed , and is at once to be placed in the binders' hands , so its appearance may safely be depended on in June .

The cause of the delay ( the strike amongst the compositors in Edinburgh ) has alread y been made public through your columns , and I trust nothing now will occur to present its speedy issue , and its ready sale . 1 believe

the whole edition is nearly subscribed for , and if so I beg to congratulate my friend , Bro . Lyon on such signal success . Yours fraternally , \ V . I . HUGIIAN- .

WITHIN THE CENTRE . 7 < i the Editor if the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , A line in reply to J . B . ( in No . 219 ) and I will not trouble you again on this point . 1 am not responsible for the word be it in , //•/'/// , or within . I look to the allegorical meaning , and

should prefer the word in , but as to " the phrase " one word is as good as the other . I gave that one generally accepted . We know that Masons do , sometimes , use wrong words . I have often heard W . M ' s . say , rise newly obligated , which is simply

ridiculous .- . The word of course is duly . At sometime the word has been badlv pronounced , and so handed down . I myself was taught to say it , lint J afterwards rejected it , and all my initiates have been duly raised . M vox us On RUN . P . M . 3 . 3 , eVc

THE ORDER OF THE TEMPLE . To the Editor if'The Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — Allowing to others what I claim for myself , namely the holding of my own opinion on Masonic or any other matters , 1 am still

sorry to note the tone of Bro . II . B . Hodges ' letter at page . 539 . He surely need not be sc angry about the alteration of title adopted by the Order of the Temple , and particularly as he does not appear to be one of the Knights of this Order .

I believe the Knights themselves , with few exceptions , are perfectly satisfied . I have 110 doubt there some who , like Bro . Hodges , can see nothing attractive in " High Degrees . " It will always be the case , and proves

Original Correspondence.

nothing but a want of a less prejudiced mind in approaching the subject . I feel sure the Order of the Temple are quite willing to allow Bro . Hodges to uphold his dignity by repudiating all connection with them , if he thinks such a result will follow , and as to

his advice to Freemasons to cut off all the High Degrees as excrescences , I have no doubt , when that determination is arrived at by those who may agree with Bro . H ., that the present Order of the Temple will survive the shock . The only reason Bro . H . gives is that he

cannot see his way clear to become a Knight Templar , and that feeling is strengthened by reading a work of very questionable authority on the subject , inasmuch as the author had a strong bias against this degree , and he even then admits that an immense amount of learning has

been developed in the Higher Degrees , but makes the excuse that the Craft is capable of as much if it could be worked on old principleswhat these old principles are Bro . " H . " does not explain . As to his suggestion that the members of the Order of the Temple should be sworn to

celibacy , and also his very witty allusion to tailors , shoemakers , lawyers , & c , and his homely advice to " let the old hare sit . " 1 will leave for some Brother or K . T . more advanced in this style to reply to . Yours fraternally , EXCELSIOR .

To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — Will you permit me to offer a few remarks in reply to your correspondents . I am sorry to see that Bro . Hodges should assert in your last issue that the Chivalric Orders are

frequently most injurious to legitimate Craft Masonry , and 1 should like to know how he proposes to cut oil' all such excrescences as the " quasi Masonic Chivalric Orders . " I fear he will find it rather beyond his powers .

I believe a great many Masons enter the Craft simply to quality for the Order of the Temple , who would not otherwise join us , and the Craft gets the benefit of their initiation fees and subscriptions , at all events .

I have already shown that so far back as 1780 the prefix Masonic was not used , and I have also shown that in the articles of union between the two Grand Lodges in 1 S 13 , the position of the chivalric bodies , as such , was admitted and acknowledged .

Bro . Hodges believes with Bro . Hughan , " that many Freemasons will , now the Masonic prefix is most properly abandoned , rather leave the ranks than act a lie by claiming to be the lineal descendants of the original Knights Templar . " For my own part , 1 do not believe any members of

the Order who are worth retaining will do anything of the kind ; on the contrary , I have every reason for expecting a great accession to our ranks as the results of the late legislation . So long as it is obligatory that Templars shall be Royal Arch Masons , the body is in a sense

Masonic , and it is absurd to say that the mere abolition of the prefix makes us a different Order . Bro . Hughan has always been a great supporter of the Constantinian Degree , which til ! within the last year was known as the Imperial and Kccksinstical Order of the Kni ghts

of the Red Cross and Constantine . In this years' "Cosmopolitan Masonic Calendar " this degree is dubbed the Masonic and Military Order of the Knights of Rome and of the Red Cross ol Constantine , and 1 want to know whether b y a . tering their title the body remains the same , or

whether Bro . Hughan considers that is neither chivalric nor Masonic , and its members are absolved from their allegiance . If the Constantine Knights assume their old title to-morrow . Bro . Hughan would try to be logical and

recommend the members to leave its ranks rather than act a lie , and support a body , which of course by his own showing , would be neither Chivalric nor Masonic . I have every respect for Bro . Hughan , but I cannot accept his dictum , so far as the Knights Templar are concurred .

If I remember right my erudite brother utterl y repudiates Bro . Yarker ' s assertion that there were documents in existence to show that the Grand Lodge of all England recognised the

Original Correspondence.

Knights Templar degree , and afterwards had to admit that he was wrong , and I venture to think that we are all too hasty in assuming that because the proofs are not ready to hand , the Knights Templar have no claim to their title . To our opponents of the Craft I would simply retort

by saying , What claim have you to the arms of the Company of Operative Masons ? What proof can you give of your descent from the builders of King Solomon ' s Temple ? You know the old proverb about glass houses ? Well , don ' t throw stones .

In reply to " A Knight Templar , " who expresses gre 3 t astonishment at the resignation of Lord Eliot , I must say that—whilst I , for one , deeply regret his lordshi p ' s withdrawal from active Masonic life—I have long expected and feared that the intolerance and bigotry of some

of the members of the A . P . U . C . ( the Association for the Promotion of the Unity of Christendom ) , of which Lord Eliot is now president , would drive him from amongst us , as a body antagonistic to the Association . I shall be surprised if our noble brother does not ultimately withdraw altogether from Masonry ,

after the attack which was made upon him in one of the Church organs some time since . In reply to my friend Bro . Newnham , I say that Masonry is still the vital essence of the United Orders of the Temple and the Hospital ; and undoubtedly the obligations we entered into when we joined that chivalric body , we are bound by

now . EMRA HOLMES , P . M ., P . P . G . A . D . C , e \ - P . G . Reg . Suffolk , & c . P . S . Permit me to add that I was greatly disappointed at not seeing an account of the

late meeting of convent general—which , through indisposition , I was precluded from attendingin your columns . There are many who , like myself , look to you to keep us au courant with what goes on in Masonry and its associated orders and degrees .

Testimonial To Bro. Charles Rogers, Ll.D.

TESTIMONIAL TO BRO . CHARLES ROGERS , LL . D .

Our northern brethren will be pleased to learn that a movement is in progress for presenting " a house " to Bro . Dr . Chas . Rogers , honourably known in connection with the National Wallace Monument , and other patriotic

undertakings . The testimonial house is to be reared at Moore Park , near Norwood , Surrey , and the sum of £ 1 , 200 will be required for its completion . Operations are considerably advanced , both in the building and subscription , and an appeal is now being made to the Scottish lodges , and

some of those in the colonies . We hope the appeal will meet with a ready response , and that all our brethren who are more especially cognisant of our brother ' s services will be generous and hearty in acknowledging them . The following is a copy of Bro . Lawrence ' s appeal .

" Sir and Brother , —The Committee on Dr . Rogers' Testimonial are most desirous that all the Scottish Masonic lodges should have an opportunity of contributing to the Testimonial Fund . As the erecter of the Wallace Monument , Dr . Rogers has merited well of his Masonic

brethren in Scotland , and of all who are actuated by Masonic principles . He was , the Committee are informed , restorer of the Royal Arch Chapter of Stirling , which had long fallen into abeyance . In making the present appeal I am directed specially to request , that as most of the Scottish

lodges may probably contribute , and the sum required to build Dr . Rogers' house does not exceed £ 1 , 200 , you will make no effort to obtain contributions on an extensive scale . The sum bf one or two guineas from each of the Scottish lodges would , while testifying approval of Dr .

Rogers labours , abundantly satisfy every requirement . To you , Sir and Brother , as Secretary of the lodge , I direct the present communication , since not infrequently the R . W . Master is nonresident . An answer before Midsummer would oblige . Remittances should be sent to William

Herbage , Esq , Manager City Bank , Ludgate hill , the Treasurer , or addressed to myself per sonally . " I remain Sir and Brother , your fraternall y , "J AMES LAWRENCE , " Corresponding Secretary . " 3 , Turner-terrace , Lee-road , Lee , S . E . "