Correspondence.

does it not follow that the consequence of their discovery and revelation must be momentous to mankind ? Tours fraternally , W . N . CRAWFORD .

"The Irish Church From A Masonic Point Of View."

"THE IRISH CHURCH FROM A MASONIC POINT OF VIEW . "

TO THE BDIIOB 01 mil FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC 31 IKKOB . Dear Sir and Brother , —Freemasonry to the rescue The House of Commons is going to perdition in uniting with the present Government in placing the established Church of Ireland in its " present awful crisis ! " Such is the spirit of an advertisement which appeared at the end of last week's Magazinecalling

, upon " every trite Mason " to pray for the protection of said Church . I think this , under the circumstances , is going a little too far ; it is about tantamount to requesting " every true Mason " to pray for the overthrow of the Government Bill , with which , as Freemasonswe have ( more especially under the

cir-, cumstances ) no right to interfere . However , as a Mason , I might pray that in this , as in all other Government schemes , the Great Architect of the Universe would cause all things to work for His glory and the good of the people . And , as a Protestant , as regards the Government Bill , I would say—with the

vitality exemplified by the free and united Presbyterian churches of Scotland , we need have no fear for our Protestant brethren in Ireland , if they do their duty , supposing the Church was both disestablished and disendowed to-morrow . The wailing appeal of last Saturday is a curious dernier ressort—a sort of preparatory tuning , perhaps , for the requiem . Tours fraternally , FIDES .

P.M.'S And The Working Brethren Of Lodges.

P . M . 'S AND THE WORKING BRETHREN OF LODGES .

TO THE IDITOE OF THE FREEMASON'S' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . Dear Sir and Brother , —A case has arisen of considerable importance to Past Master ' s and the active working brethren of lodges , which , with your kind permission , I wish to lay before the Craft through your columns , in the hope that any discussion on the subject which may take place will excite attention in

the Grand Lodge , and cause a definite settlement of a point now far from clear , and in regard to which there is some diversity of opinion among P . G . M . ' s , and , consequently , widely varying practice iu several provinces . Indeed , I have reason to know that doubt on the question has often been a cause of annoyance .

I beg to refer your readers to a report of the Pleiades Lodge meeting , held at Totaes , on February 25 th , which is contained in your number of March 13 th , on pages 214 aud 215 , iu which it is said that " the chair was taken b y Bro . Dr . Hopkins , P . M ., who opened the lodge in the first degree , " assisted b y the officers

. " A letter from Bro . G . Heath , W . M ., was read , explaining his inability to attend on account of urgent business , and requesting Bro . Dr . H . to perform his duties . " To my great surprise , on the day after this report appeared , I received a note from the R . W . the P . G . M . of Devon , calling my attention to Art . G . , under the head " Masters and Wardens , " p . 78 of the Book of Constitutions ( editiou 1867 ) , " by a perusal of which you will observe that the

P.M.'S And The Working Brethren Of Lodges.

LP M . must preside if present in the lodge , or ( in his absence ) some P . M . of the lodge . If I remember ri g htly , you are not a P . M . of the Pleiades Lodge , and could not therefore properly preside on such an occasion . " On reference to the law , it will be seen that the word used is not must , but shall .

To this note I replied , expressive of my doubt a 3 to the correctness of the interpretation of the law as given by the P . G . M ., pointing out that I had given the I . P . M . and officers an opportunity of asserting their claim to occupy the chair , of which they had not availed ' jthernselves , and that then being deputed

iu writing by the W . M . as his locv . m tenons , I felt that I was acting up to the spirit of the law in taking the chair . I added that , however the law may be interpreted , custom in all provinces sanctions the course I pursued , of which I gave frequent instances in the Pleiades Lodge itselfbut thatneverthelessI should

, , , obey his orders . In a reply to my letter , the P . G . M . still asserted the correctness of his view , and his decision that as a P . M . of other lodges but not having served as such in the Pleiades Lodge , I have no right to occupy the chair of W . M . under any circumstancesthough I

, may assist with the ceremonials , lectures , & c , standing out of the chair , thus depriving them , as I think , of much of their dignity and impressiveness . I have since taken some trouble to ascertain the

opinions of several Masons of eminence on this point , viz ., the D . P . G . Masters of Oxfordshire and Leicestershire , the Grand Registrar of England , the Editor of the Magazine , Bro . Hughan of Truro . Bros . Bird and Chappel , P . M . ' s of 954-, Bro . Lidstone , P . M . of 797 , the Rev . Bro . Powning , P . G . Chap . & P . M .

710 . Moreover , the W . M . of 710 has obtained the written opinions of the I . P . M . of 1 I 3 S and of the two P . M . ' s of 710 . I think without exception all agree with me that custom and practice sanction a liberal interpretation of the law , in the li ght in which I regard it : As to the abstract interpretation of the law , there

are varieties of opinion , but all think that the Grand Lodge should interfere to place the quest-ion beyond a doubt , by making the verbiage more explicit , and giving a rendering in accordance with usage . Such a change has been made , somewhat similar in character , in Art . 2 , under the head " D . Prov . G . Master "

, where , in the edition of 1863 , the word used is " presides , " changed in the edition of 1 S 67 into "may preside . " Some such sli ght alterations in the case before us would remove the difficulty . It would hardly be ri ght to send you for publication copies of all the communications I have received

on this subject . I may , however , send you my own opinion in a complete form , which will probably open a discussion , and have a tendency to procure a decision of the question in Grand Lodge . It is as follows : —

My opinion is , that the W . M . is responsible for the propriety of all proceedings in the lodge over which he has been installed ; that , in case of unavoidable absence , it is his business to make proper provision for the performance of . his duties ; and that thus he is still responsible for all acts done just as if he were present ; that his choice should be restricted to one of the P . M . ' s who are members of the lodge , wherever they may have served as W . M . ; that whoever may have such a position delegated to him by the W . M .