Untitled Article

to the editor op the freemasons * monthly magazines Sir , My attention has just been called to an error in your report of the consecration of the Roval Standard Chapter , No . 730 , in your journal of January 1 st . The

health of Col . Vernon was not proposed by his brother : it was proposed by me , and responded to by the P . G . Sup ., who , at the conclusion of his speech , gave , " Our brave and patriotic Army now fighting their country ' s battles in the East . " Yours fraternally , Dudley , January 25 th , 1855 . Wm , Maneield , Tr .

Sir and Brother , Permit me to call the attention of the Brethren to some most interesting remarks recorded in your last number , in " the Young Mason ' s Yisit to Jersey . " On his visit to the French Lodge , he finds an Officer there unknown in our Lodges , viz ., ' Le Frere Orateur , " " whose duty it is to deliver brief essays on matters of interest to the Craft . " Now I would propose ( but will you tell us if it could be legally carried out ?) , * that this idea be partly adopted in our English Lodges , by one of the

* TO THE EDITOR OP THE FREEMASONS' MONTHLY MAGAZINE .

Brethren , each regular Lodge night , being invited by the W . M . to compose and read a Paper on Masonry on the following Lodge night , and that such should not occupy more than ten minutes in delivery . There would be no doubt that papers could be produced of sufficient interest to merit its insertion in your pages , besides the additional zest it must give to the Brethren who constantly attend Lodge . Our

gallant army m the East have shown their good feeling by adopting many improvements of the French , and should not we also seize the opportunity to do so likewise ? I will next call attention to the following passage : — " There we were , French , English , Irish , Scotch , Poles , Jerseymen , and Germans , all cheerfully united by one common bond of brotherhood . Every shade of politics surrounded the Brother proscribed for his opinions . That little company contained representatives of the court , the legislature , and literature ; law , physic , and divinity ; tirade , commerce , and manufactures . All grades in the social scale and body politic were there . Whig , Tory , Radical , and Republican , rallied round the proscrit in the chair !

' This , ' I thought , as one young in Masonry , ' this is the true fraternity for which philanthropists in all ages have longed . ' A more cordial meeting , a more perfect absence of a look or word , which could foster strife or dissension , I never witnessed in my life , even when all have been of the same religious or political opinions . " I ask , can any Brother on reading this not feel a glow , a brotherly warmth come over him , and reflect how he could assist to more constantly bring about such truly interesting meetings as here described—meetings that probably could not be met with under any other circumstances on this earth ?

Could not greater encouragement be held out for the Brethren to visit each Lodge oftener , by more constant pressing invitations ( I do not mean to banquet ) , and by the absence altogether of u visitor ' s fees , " except in peculiar cases ? I am sure many of us have forgotten , that in part of the twenty-second section , under Private Lodges in our Constitution , it is there enacted , that " In order to preserve

this uniformity ( established mode of working ) , and to cultivate a good understanding among Freemasons , some members of every Lodge should be deputed to visit other Lodges as often as may be convenient . " I have no doubt that this constant interchange of visits among the Jersey Brethren has tended greatly towards the meeting I have alluded to , and is a part of Masonry approaching that which all true Masons would pray for .

I cannot conclude these remarks on our Jersey Brethen , without mentioning that I noticed the name of Bro . P . M . Adams , now W . M . of the Samares Lodge , with peculiar pleasure , as last summer he most kindly replied to a letter of inquiry from me , a perfect stranger to him , and on a matter totally unconnected with

* See Notices to Correspondents .