Wilful Damage To The Craft.

a needless acknowledgment , hut iu order to meet some observations in Mr . Mason ' s curious letter . " Mr . ' Mason says , in English of his own , that Wilkes Booth , the assassin , ' pursued his profession principally in the Northern States , and was generally understood as inheriting those traits significant of his father ' s name—Junius Brutus Booth . '

" Wilkes Booth , at the time when the slave states were so direfully alarmed by John Brown , the Abolitionist , volunteered into the army which captured Brown , and Booth was , I believe , one of those who surrounded the gallows on whicb Brown was executedon the 2 nd December 1859 . He was a

, , thorough partisan of the slave interest . " As for the ' traits significant of his father ' s name , ' I scarcely presume to translate the phrase ; but I imagine that Mr . Mason supposes Junius Brutus to have been the person to whom the words ' Bit tu , Brute ! ' were addressed by the prototype of Napoleon

I . But , as one is often informed by English writers that Quintus Curtius jumped into the gulf in the Porum , non offender / - maculis . "It is to be hoped that many Southern gentlemen will attend the American meeting , and anticipate the course which the Times so wisely recommends to the Confederates in general . —I am , sir , your obedientservant , " PEEEITASOS " . "April 28 th . "

With the dastardly idea that pu-ivate assassination , for public wrongs , is a remedy few , if any , will be found to agree , therefore both the political and personal aspect of the above may be dismissed at once . AVhat I desire to protest against is the ignorance ancl wilful damage to the Craft some blockhead has perpetrated by adopting the signature " Ereemason "

, thereby leading many to infer that we are , in some way or other , cognisant of the motives on one side or the other . It is quite possible , as well as jirobable , many of our brethren may have their private symjjatbies enlisted on behalf of one of the contending nationalitiesbut why mix up , with an atrocious crime

, , the name of Ereemason ? if an enemy to the Craft has done this great evil , he could not have selected a more public way to make our Order hateful than by importing it into a cause , which all must repudiate ancl condemn . If tho writer be a Ereemason surel y he ought to be compelled to recant , as publicly as he has

offended , and apologise for introducing such a signature to so silly a letter . AVhen a person writes under a nom de plume it is generally understood his signature bears some affinity to the subject of his communication and in this view , that of a very large body of newspaper readers , Ereemasons will be mixed up with assassination , and all because some idiot—for I can term him nothing else—has chosen to style himself one of us .

Yours truly and faithfully , A PAST MASTEE . P . S . —It may he just possible that the writer intended to distinguish himself as opposed to Mr . Mason , to whom he replies , by considering himself as freeand Mr . Mason an advocate of slavery . If this

, is tenable , still the signature should not , by any play upon words , bo wrested from its well understood ancl popular meaning , to the damage of a society who take no part in politics , and certainly none in political crime .

Ar00802

THE MASONIC MIMOK

Metropolitan.

METROPOLITAN .

MOUNT LEBASOX LODGE ( SO , 73 ) . —This prosperous old lodge hold its usual monthly meeting on the IStli of April , at the Green Man , Tooley-streot . Bro . It . Moore , "W . M ., presided ,, assisted by Bros . J . C . Goody , S . W . ; G . Morris , J . W . ; JE . Harris , P . M ., Treas . ; J . Donkin , P . M ., Sec ; F . H . Ebsworth , J . D . ; J . T . C . Powell , I . G . ; M . A . Loewenstark , W . S . ; F .. Walters , P . M ., Dir . of Cers . ; E . N . Levy , I . P . M . . G . Free , and otbers . The only work done ivas the raising Bros . Orel ,

Neale , and Grace to the M . M . degree . There were several visitors present . PYTttAGOBEAi * LODGE ( So . 79 ) . —This old flourishing lodgeheld its last meeting of the season on Monday , April 4 th , at the Lecture Hall , Greenwich . Bro . J . Haslar , VOL , presided ,, supported by Bros . Ward , S . W . ; Vinton , J . W . ; Peckham , P . M .,. Sec ; Traill , S . D . ; Doughncy , J . D . ; Boucey , I . G . ; Orchard , P . M . CollingtonP . M . ; and many others . The business was

; , two raisings and three initiations . After lodge was closed the brethren adjourned to a first-rate banquet at Bro . Moore ' s , Globe Tavern , Eoyal Hill . Amongst a large number of visitors were Bros . Tattershall , S . D . 13 ; F . Walters , P . M . 73 ; Badger , S . W . 1-10 ; and Gale , J . W . 548 .

INSTRUCTION . LODGE OU STABILITY ( NO . 21 V ) . The forty-eighth anniversary festival of the Stability Lodge of Instruction ivas celebrated on Friday evening , the 28 th of April , at Radley's Hotel , New Bridge-street , ivliicli was preceded by tho making of five sections in the first degree . Bro . H . Muggeridge , P . M . 192 , and Preceptor of the Lodge , presided

as W . JI ., Bros . David Law , W . M . 58 , as S . W . ; AUingliam , W . M . 22 , as J . W . ; Norman , J . G . 22 , as J . JD . ; White 22 , J . D . ; aud Farran , 22 , Sec . The lodge was most numerously attended and amongst thoso present were * Bros . John Havers , P . S . G . W . ; It . W . Jennings , P . G ., Dir . of Cers . ; A . J . M'lntyre , G . Keg . ; J . Llewellyn , President of the Board of General Purposes ; George Cox , G . D . ; Stephen Barton Wilson , P . G . D ., President of the Colonial Board ; John Symonds , P . G ., Dir . of Cers . ; S .

E . Nutt , P . G ., Dir . of Cers . ; E . II . Patten , P . G . S . B ... and Secretary of the Girls' School ; John Emmens , G . Purst . ; W . Young , P . G . S . B . ; J . F . Jackson , W . M . 5 ; Henry Grissell , P . M . 2 ; Frederick Binkes , Secretary to the Boys' School ; A . N . Thiselton , Dr . Goldsborough , Massey , 019 ; If . Thompson , P . M . 177 ; " ami numerous other brethren . The sections were worked by the following brethren : — 1 st section . Bro . Alfred Bryant , S . D 192 2 nd „ „ Thos . White 22 3 rd „ „ T . M . Norman , I . G 22 4 th „ „ David Law , P . G . S ., W . M .... 58

7 th „ „ J . II . Allingham , W . M 22 Afterwards Bro . Muggeridge delivered a lecture on the tracing board in the third degree , which was listened to with the deepest attention , and at the close the talented lecturer was greeted with loud cheering . Bro . IIAVEES , P . G . W ., then took the chair , and said tho first proposition he had to make ivas that the sum of 20 guineas bo voted from tho funds of the lodge to the Girls' Schoolwhich

, was unanimously agreed to . It was then proposed by Bro . M'lntyre , and seconded by Bro . Llewellyn Evans , that the best thanks of the lodge be given to Bro . Muggeridge , the able preceptor of the lodge , for the manner in which he had conducted the business of the evening , which ivas unanimously agreed to . Several new members were admitted and the lodge was

closed in due form . Tho brethren then adjourned for refreshment , Bro . Haverspresiding . After the cloth was drawn , The CluiiiMA ! -, gave " the Queen and the Craft . " National Anthem—by Bros . Vernon , George Tedder , Wall , worth aud Woollams . Tho Cn . amtAX said , the next toast commends itself to tho minds and hearts of all Englishmen , as well as of all Masons . I only wish that I could propose the toast fo you as I did the last as a JIasonie toast , May the day not bo far distant when