The Knights Templars.

the Order , he asked permission for a brief space to confer with his friend , William de Placian , who was present . This the Commissioners permitted ; and the two retired to a side-room , where they could converse without being heard . { To be continued . )

Life-Boat Services.

LIFE-BOAT SERVICES .

" That the work of the Lifeboat Institution should lave been originated and carried forward by private philanthropy and contributions only , the Morning Post deems more creditable to the nation than to the Government . Considering its services , it must be acknowledged that to aid so important and beneficent

-a work is well worthy the functions of an enli ghtened Government , and that it would be ' better late than ¦ never' to afford such aid as may be requisite towards establishing stations where they are still required and do not yet exist . "

Paragraphs such as the above , called forth by the glorious works of different societies and periodicals , are appearing daily in the Newspaper Press , and we confess that we are looking forward with some degree of impatience to the launching of the Masonic Life Boatthe keel of which has been so abllaid down

, y ¦ b y our zealous Bro . Woodhouse . Surely a body so numerous , so important aud so wealthy , as the Masonic , can have little difficutty in raising the necessary funds to complete the purchase of a lifeboat , when we see the Odd Fellows , the

Foresters , and other bodies , by no means such a numerous and wealth y body , each presenting one . Freemasons cannot harden their hearts to such an

appeal as the present , backed as it will be when successful , with the proud consciousness that we have done something for the safety of those of our brethren who go down upon the waters of the great deep . Great Britain aud Ireland possess some of the most dangerous portions of coast in the world . To

their shores come the navies of the globe , for the British Isles are the hearfcpulse 3 of the world , and a movement in them quivers to the ends of the earth . Can we then not do something to advert the

tearful consequences of shipwreck ? Cau we read calmly the daily accounts of the fearful loss of life upon our shores ? Can we Masons , whose proudest boast is that the happiness of mankind is our care , not do something to preserve man ' s life ? Arouse , brethren ! North and South , East and

West , Scot and Gael , Saxon and Welsh , English and Irish , Briton and Stranger . Not one lifeboat should we have , but half a dozen . A shilling from each Mason in the three countries would set a lifeboat afloat in a month , half a dozen shillings , six . Let us

Life-Boat Services.

all now put our shoulders to the wheel , and launch our first lifeboat , when this example will soon be followed by others . No longer let us delay , but with a long pull , a strong pull aud a pull altogether , put our boat into the water in right good earnest .

Grand Lodge Of Iowa.—Ii.

GRAND LODGE OF IOWA . —II .

The Book of Constitutions being of the utmost importance to Masons , as to it reference must be made in all cases where the Grand Lodge by-laws are silent , we will briefly notice it . In the year 92 G , Prince Edwin , a brother of King Athelstane , convoked a convention of B'lasons at York ,

where , the celebrated code of Gothic Constitutions , the oldest Masonic document extant , was drawn up from authentic writings in various languages . These Constitutions have always been recognised as the fundamental law of Masonry . Although transcripts of these constitutions are known to have been taken

in the reign of Richard II , the document was for a long time lost sig ht of until a copy of it was discovered in 1 S 3 S , in the British Museum , and published by Hallisvell . These Constitutions continued to govern the Order till the beginning of the eighteenth century , when , by reason of incorrect transcribing , they

were found so defective and erroneous , that a new code was ordered to be prepared , which in 1723 was published by Anderson . This work was revised in 175-1 ! , 1766 , and the amendments having been unanimously approved of by the Grand Lodge of England , in 1767 the fourth edition was published .

The Ancient Constitutions are marked by great knowledge of human nature , and a keen insight as to the means to be adopted for keepiag the brethren together in peace and good will . The relationship between man and his Creator is enforced , the

commands of God are charged to be kept inviolate , aud " though in ancient times Masons were charged in every country to be of the religion of that country or nation , whatever it was , yet 'tis now thought most expedient only to oblige them to that religion in which all men agree , leaving their particular opinions to themselves . "

The sense of the last passage is somewhat obscure , for it is almost impossible to think that the Christians in 926 , assembled at York , could have ordered a brother when in Hindoostan to be a worshipper of Yishm . Perhaps the true interpretation is that considering there were so many brethren of different

nations and relig ions under the banner of Masonry , each brothers' creed was to be respected , and reverence paid to his views , by a brother of another creed and nation , residing in an alien country .