The Scottish Rite In California.

THE SCOTTISH RITE IN CALIFORNIA .

The following is from the Address of III . Bro . Washington Ayer , S . P . R . S . 32 ° , and Grand Minister of State of the M . P . Grand Consistory of California , delivered at the Grand Annual Communication , held in San Francisco , on Wednesday , the 11 th day of January , 1871 .

Daily we are reminded of the rapid flight of time ; the earth moves on with unerring exactness in its orbits , bringing light and darkness upon its surface and seed time and harvest , when the husbandmen is well rewarded for his labour , and tbe season is full of the rich melodies of life , and joy surrounds him .

Change is the immutable Jaw of Nature , and ever-varied scenes are placed upon the portraiture of life ; and though our labours may be great , time and patience will overcome all our difficulties .

Such has been our experience in establishing the Scottish Eite upon a sure and stedfast foundation ; the moving panorama has not been of uniform precision and beauty—alternate light and darkness have overshadowed us , and our hearts

have grown sad in many disappointments , until the season has at last arrived for the harvest , and our hearts are full of hope and joy .

The Eite has been of slow growth in California , yet I am sure it has taken root in good soil , and will in future flourish ; and I feel I can congratulate our brethren to day upon the organization of this Grand Conistory , to which all subordinate

bodies may apply for advice and instruction . It embraces all the most excellent tenets of Masonry , and all that is good in Masonic lore ; and while its interests are now placed in our keeping , we have an important work to perform , and must exercise a wise and discriminating care in the use of authority .

The history of the introduction of the Scottish Rite Masonry upon the Pacific Coast , is brief . On the 4 th of August , 1866 , the S . G . I . G ., 111 . Bro . E . H . Shaw , an active member of the Supreme Council for the Southern Jurisdiction of

the United States , called together several brothers , known to be eminent Masons and good men , throughout the State , and , after having

communicated the degrees from the 3 rd to the 32 , organ ized the California Lodge of Perfection , No . 1 . Most of the members of this body being engaged in business which occupied much of their time , and being members of several other Masonic

bodies , found more time would be required to learn the work than they would be able to give and consequently have preserved a great inactivity . The whole number of bodies established in

California is 12 , as follows : California Lodge of Perfection , No . 1 , San Francisco ; Pacific Lodge of Perfection , No . 2 , Marysville ; Palestine Lodge of Perfection , No . 3 , Sacramento ; Bethlehem Lodge of Perfection , No . 4 , Grass Valley ;

Kilwinning Lodge of Perfection , No . 5 , Placerville ; Yerba Buena Lodge of Perfection No . 6 , San Francisco ; Hartley Lodge of Perfection , No . 7 , Stockton ; Naval Lodge of Perfection , No . 8 , Vallejo ; Khurum Lodge of * Perfection , No . 9 , Petaluma .

COUNCIL P . o _? JERUSALEM . —Damascus , No . 1 , Sacramento ; Mount Moriah , No . 2 , Grss Valley , ' . Libanus , No . 3 , Placerville ; Yerba Buena , No . 4 ,, San Francisco . CHAPTER OF EOSE CEOIX . —Alpha , No . 1 ,

Sacramento ; Calvary , No . 2 , Grass Valley ; St . Paul , No . 3 , Placerville ; Yerba Buena , No . 4 , San-Francisco . COUNCIL KTS . KADOSH . —Godfrey de St . Omar , No . 1 , San Francisco ; Jaques de Molay , No . 2 ,

Sacramento . There are now about 245 affiliated and 59 nonaffiliated Scottish Eite Masons in California . Of this number , about 100 belong to this Grand . Consistory as active , adjunct , and honorary members .

As Masonry in general teaches a hostility to vice and a war against evil , we may be asked , oui bono ? what other benefit we expect from our Grand Consistory , our Knights Kadosh , E . G . and P . of J . and Lodges of Perfection ? I would

simply refer , in reply , to the Chapters and Commanderies . And we must remember , while at labour , that all these other branches of Masonry are entitled to receive from us the dignity and respect they have so long enjoyed . For a long time a cloud hung over the " Rite /' and many of us became disheartened on finding