Masonic Notes And Queries.

authorise the formation of Chapters of an Order which has never been Masonic and has never ceased to be private property . It might with equal propriety be declared that subordinate Priories may form a consistory of the White Elephant of Denmark . I do not for a moment say that the " Grand

Council of England , now held under Lord Kenlis , " first introduced the Masonic element into the lied Cross Order . On the contrary , I say there is no evidence whatever that there is anylldng else than a Masonic element , nor a shadow of proof that there ever was an institution in this country of the oriinal Order of

g Constantine or of the Holy Sepulchre ; or that the Masonic Orders called by those names have , or ever had , any connection with the Orders they assume to imitate and whose regalia they appropriate . A very grave responsibility rests upon any noblemanor body of gentlemenwho assume such a

^ , position as this , and who profess to confer the distinctions of Orders actually existing and well known . True , we may be told that Victor Emmanuel and the Patriarch of Jerusalem are perfectly aware that branches of their Orders exist in this country amongst

the Masons , and , . if this he so , all obstacles are dissipated ; but I may be excused if I doubt whether the former has any idea that his Grand Crosses can be had at another mart than his own ; or whether the

latter has such a regard for Freemasonry as to induce him to listen to any alliance . No doubt the promoters of these Masonic Orders have desired to place before the brethren a ceremonial of Masonic Knighthood " as ancient as any on record , " but that desire should be sustained by

reasonable proofs when the living Orders are amongst us to challenge the ring of the new metal . R . W . L . says" We may safely confide its destinies to the impartial and intelligent verdict of our brethren in Freemasonry . " I hope so too . I deduce from his communication that there are no proofs to offer of tho

connection with the Order of Constantine . But there is nothing whatever to be even said in favour of assuming the Order of the Holy Sepulchre ; and-that , having established the Grand Council , the promoters must now trust to the fraternity accepting all assumptions for what they are worth . I desire to treat the

subject with no want of courtesy , and I therefore refrain from observations upon what is my view of pretending to Orders of wliich the ownership is so palpably well known . I , like R . W . L ., must confide the question to the verdict of my brethren , aud , if no better explanation can be forthcomingI think I

, may venture to say that in the educated circles of those who own the mystic tie , no great prophetic power is necessary to predict what " the impartial and intelligent verdict" will be . —Lupus .

02 . THE LODGE OE GLASGOW ST . JOHN . Bro . James Anderson expresses his intention to communicate further with the Magazine on au early day . Perhaps , as an interesting point of Masonic law , he will kindly say whether it is a fact that Bro . Baird has never served as a Warden of a lodandif

ge , , so , how the difficulty was surmounted?—LUPUS . SEAL OE THE ENGLISH OEDEK OP K . II . S . In No . 497 of the Magazine we presented our readers with a fac-simile of the jewel of the Order of

the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem , and we now supplement it with a seal of the English Order of K . H . S ., at present under the rule of Lord Kenlis .

This seal ia 100 years old , and was used by the Chiefs of the Order from 1770 ; viz ., Lord Rancliffe , General Waller Rodwell Wright , the Duke of Sussex , and William Henry White . In a future number we hope to give a description of a diagram recently discovered , which will throw li the Red

great ght upon the past relations borne by Cross Order to the Masonic fraternity . In this diagram—which is conjectured to be 110 years oldthe Royal Arch , Rose Croix , Kadosh , " and other degrees , form part of a series , with the " Red Cross " as the last degeee , " moral , physical , and p hilosophical . "

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The'Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents , "CRUX" ON THE LODGE OF GLASGOW ST . JOHN .

TO IHE EDIIOK OF TIIE FHI . E . USOX'S' 5 UG . _ Zr . rE AJTD STASOIflC JIIKBOB , Dear Sir and Brother , —I have read with much interest and attention the letter of Bro . James Anderson ; and , while I admire his attempt to defend the proceedings of his lodge , I confess I think he has only made matters worse . He should call to mind the Greek warning—M 7 KUCKavapwarjPerhaps he will

.. . allow me to inform him that there is no " if " in the matter , and that a reference to the passage I quoted from the columns of THE FEEEJIASONS' MAGAZIXE would have prevented him casting a doubt upon the authenticity of the quotation . At the same time , he admits candidland fairlthat " subsequent

_ y y my moralizings , " as he is pleased to term them , would not be affected by the truth or falsehood of the report alluded to . In that surmise he is quite correct , but I think it will not be difficult to demonstrate from the contents of his own letter , that the report was , iu the main , true . He admits that professional

allusions were made in favour of Bro . Baird , but maintains that it was not done for the sake of disparaging the claims of his rival , but to keep intact the distinctive character of the lodge . May I ask what he considers to be the signification of the term distinctive in a Masonic sense ? I am perfectly well aware that , not only by tacit understanding among themselves ,