American Correspondence.

iering the lodge that he is " unbiassed by friends " Avhich is understood to imply that no one has asked him to join the Order ; but in Scotland this is not so . Cases occur there in which profanes are elected to become Masons before they had

ever thought of askin g for initiation , and nothingwas more common in the lodges of Scotland ten years ago than to initiate parties Avho " entered Freemasonry because they were invited . " What indelicacy there Avas in the particular case of Bro .

Slack more than that of any other I am slow to see . The invitation was a respectful one , and the reply shows it . Had his Royal Hi g hness considered the invitation unusual he would have paid no attention to it . I think the custom of

invitingpersons to become Masons a hi g hl y improper one ; but the way some of your correspondents have treated it , one would think Bro . Slack ' s case exceptional . That so-called discovery of ancient statues alluded to on page 168 ( February 27 th ) ,

was nothing but a canard . There Avas not a word of truth in the story . One of your correspondents says : — " The Americans have a ceremony for a Masonic Baptism . " He is mistaken . That " ceremony "

is of French ori g in and may be found described in Clavel ' s Magonnerie Tictoresque . One of our " Scotch Rite Masons " undertook to introduce it

here and did "lay holy hands of Baptism" ( as a writer somewhat profanely termed it ) upon some children in New York and New Orleans , but the incident Avas chronicled amidst almost universal disapproval in the Masonic and reli gious press , and

has not been repeated . No Ave are not quite BO friendly as all that . I regret to see that so many irnposters are travelling through Great Britain . We are plagued to death here with the rascals . And Ave always

will be , so long as the practice prevails of giving every beggar " a quarter ( dollar ) to get rid of him . " My rule is inflexible , to examine first , then relieve . If any person is in immediate Avant of relief , it is our dut y for Jesus' sake to help him , and I trust that I shall never refuse . But when

a man comes to me as a Mason to gam relief , u is as a Mason he shall be dealt with . If ho stands the trial he Avill be the gainer ; if he fails , the fraternity Avill not be the losers . I will endeavour to be more punctual in my correspondence hereafter . P . S . —I find that I am neglecting our friend Findel , Avho on page 129 ( Feb . 13 ) , says , in a

American Correspondence.

most charming mixture of Teutonic and Saxon good nature ; " there cannot be any doubt that ib is not agreeable to me to have anything to do with Bro . Morris . " This is rather cool , considering that he has several times attacked me in unkind

terms , Avhile I have uniforml y kept as silent under the infliction as though under the rod of my father . I ivill not say , as he has , that "I do not Avish for anything to do with him . " On the contrary I Avish to have his friendshi p his

co-operation , and even more . He is a good writer upon European topics ; but when he took up American Masonry , be depended on a man ( a clandestine Mason ) who has every motive to misrepresenfc those of us who have refused to recognise him .

And I tell him p lainl y that hereafter Avhen he speaks of me , I Avish him to remember that all Freemasons are supposed to be gentlemen . One thing more . We have some fifteen Masonic presses in this country , and among their conductors are all classes of men . There are

Grand Secretaries who publish papers so that they may he Grand Secretaries . There are regalia manufacturers who publish papers so that they may sell regalia . There are old men with cold sores on them whom nothing can appease ; they publish ,

papers as salves for private griefs . A . nd there are third rate men Avho publish papers because they Avant to come forAvard . Finally , there are gentlemen , and there are scholars , and there are men who p rize their obligations , and such men

publish papers that they may do good . Now I have been the subject of much abuse from several of these classes , but never the last ; and my rule has been to pass it over in silence . The reason . I replied to Bro . Findel , Avas that he had left the

p lace , his leai-ning' and talents g-ave him , and had ! gone IOAV doAvn to abuse me . Dropping the subject now and for ever , I offer this as an apology to those good fellows of your staff of correspondents Avho wondered "that Bro . Morris Avas found in a scolding mood . "

Masonic Notes And Queries.

MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES .

OLD LODGE nirnoiiA . "To all and sundry to whose knowledge these presents shall come . Greeting . " " Darkness compreliendeth it not . " " We the Eight Worshipful , the Master , Depute Master , Wardens , Treasurer , and Secretary of Saint Luke ' s Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons in Gilcomston , in the Kingdom of Scotland , being Legally