Masonic Notes And Queries.

and yet we are loudly told that such a secret society exists no further off than Ireland , and that a secret sect , called the Fenians , are organising a rebellion , or rather a massacre , in which all trace of the Saxon in Ireland is to be obliterated , and the great Keltic race arc to resume possession of their now green but then ensanguined soil . "

Ought we not , as members of the most respectable secret society in the world , to put forward a disclaimer of such views and to prove that Freemasons , at least , are free from the blame of being disloyal subjects , and are as vigorous now as they were in the early clays of the Craft ? Will you , or some of your

correspondents , answer the above ?—L . "W . —[ We shall not reply . Public writers often assume a great deal to lead up to their test , and , in the extract , wo see nothing that calls for any disclaimer , or protest on our behalf . If we were to notice every shadow that crosses our path , however transiently or

harmlessly , we should have nothing else to do but write replies , rejoinders , remarks , comments , and the thousand ancl one other forms that denial takes , to every man who pens a sentence not up to our standard of Masonic belief . If you think it necessary that an answer should be Avritten on behalf of Freemasonry , which we do not , do it yourself , and send it to the paper in which the original appeared , and not to us . ]

OLD ET-LA . VVS . The following " Rules for the conduct of the Brethren " belonging to one of the daughters of Mother Kilwinning were drawn up and adopted in 1765 . Perhaps Bro . Matthew Cooke will havo the kindness to take note of them . The-charter of the lodge in question bears to have been purchased by eighteen brethren—" all . Domatick Masons . " - —D . MUEEAY LTOST .

" 1 . That , at the third stroke of the Grand Master ' s hammer , always to be repeated by the Senior Warden , there shall be a general silence ; and every brother shall keep his seat , and not move about from place to place during tho communication , except the Wardens , as having more immediately the care of the lodge ; and whoever shall break silence without leave of the

Grand Master , or Depute Master , or not keep bis seat and keep strict silence when called to order , shall be publicly reprimanded , and fined in twopence sterling . " 2 . Every brother , when he has anything to say , shall address himself to the Chairstanding in a

, proper posture , ancl not speak twice to the same purpose , unless it be to explain himself , under the above penalty ; nor shall any interrupt him while he is speaking , without having the liberty of the Chair , under the above penalty ; and iu case any brother , while speaking , shall waver from the subject in

debate , the Master shall order him to silence and to sit down until liberty be given him from the Chair . " 3 . If any brother shall transgress the above rules after he has been twice called to order , and be guilty a third time at one meeting , the Grand Master , after he has ordered him to be finedas aboveshall

peremp-, , torily order him to quit the lodge for that meeting . " 4 . Whoever shall he so rude as to hiss at any brother while speaking shall be solemnly excluded the communication , and be declared incapable of being a member of the lodge until , at another meeting , he be

allowed to come and acknowledge his fault publicl y , and his grace be granted . " 5 . No motion for any new regulation , or altering any of the old ones , shall be made until the said motion be handed up to the Chair in writing , and the same be perused by the Grand Master about five or ten minutesand then audibly read by the Secretary ;

, and if he be seconded or thirded hy any brother , then it shall be considered by the whole , and their ^ ense of it heard . After th at , ifc shall be put to a vote of the company pro and con . " 6 . If any brother shall recommend a friend to be made a Masonhe shall pass his word that he

, really and truly believes him to be such a man as will conform himself to the rules of the loclge , lest the lodge should suffer any reflections through his conduct . " 7 . That no person shall be made a Mason unless he pay 14 s . sterling into the person's hand who is to

recommend him , before a meeting be called , and do actually meet for that purpose ; and if the person retract , or refuse to enter , then , in that case , he shall lose 7 s ., and have the other 7 s . delivered back , and the 7 s . that ' s forfeited shall be put into the box . And if the person that wants to be made a Mason

has served an apprenticeship to a Mason , then he shall only pay 7 s . for his entry ; and in case be shall draw back and not enter after a meeting is called to enter him , he shall lose his Is ., which shall go into the box , as above . And if any brother shall receive any money from any person for the above purpose , and not deliver it into the hands of the Master , or the Wardens , or the Secretary , he shall be excluded

the brotherhood for ever . And every one that enters shall pay the Tyler M-. sterling . ' ' S . Every Entered Apprentice , when he is made a Fellow Craft , shall pay Is . sterling , and every Fellow Craft who is raised to a Master shall pay 1 * . Gd . sterling .

" 9 . None shall vote for the Grand Master but such as are raised to a Master ; nor shall any bear any office unless he be raised to a Master . " 10 . There shall always be a working Mason made either Grand Master , or Depute Master , and one of the Wardens and one of the Stewards .

" 11 . Whoever shall break a drinking glass at any meeting , he shall pay immediately the expense , stating for every one he breaks , before he be allowed to leave the room or company . " 12 . The brethren shall always meet the first Wednesday of every monthat seven o ' clock at night

, , from the 1 st of February until the 1 st of October , and at five o'clock at night from the 1 st of October until the 1 st of February ; and whoever is not present one hour after the appointed time , shall forfeit and pay 2 d . sterling . " 13 . Every brother shall pay intothe box at the

, first Wednesday of every quarter 3 c / . sterling . " 14 . Every brother being within three miles of the lodge and does not come once every year , at least , and clear his accouuts , shall have his name blotted out of the book ; and if any brother belonging to the lodge be within fifty milesancl does not comeor

, , send and clear his accounts once in four years , at least , he shall likewise have his name erased out of the book . " 15 . That no member of this lodge shall be a