Notes On American Freemasonry.

justice to sister jurisdictions , as well as a great injury to Masonry generally ; and that if this course is persisted in , this Grand Lodge will be under the necessity of suspending Masonic intercourse with said Grand Lodge . "

The next subject treated of in the report , is that of " asking aid from other jurisdictions , " which is condemned . They think that these demands should be the subject of some general regulation . They next notice the formation of the Grand

Lodge of Idaho , " and recommend that she be welcomed by their Grand Lodge . Number of lodges , 18 ; whole number of Masons , ' 930 ; Masons initiated during the year , 100 ; passed , 94 ; raised , 93 ; applicants rejected , 25 ; Masons died , 10 .

DISTRICT OE COLUMBIA . A Special Communication was held for the purpose of laying the corner stone of the " Masonic Temple" to be erected at the corner of 9 th and F Streets , Washington City . The stone was laid iu

due form ; after which Bro . H . P . H . Bromwell , P . G . Master of Illinois , delivered an address . M . W . Grand Master B . B . French delivered the

• opening address . It was very brief and related principally to the business of that jurisdiction . He stated he had made numerous decisions ; that numerous questions had been asked him and answers given thereto , " which are not deemed of

sufficient importance to be placed on record ; " that the annual visitations had been made to each of the subordinate Lodges in his jurisdiction , at which he was present , accompanied by all the Grand Lodge officers . He also stated that the

. financial condition of the Grand Lodge and of each subordinate Lodge was prosperous . Brother D . B . Searle , Grand Master and

Lecturei ' , reports that soon after his installation in office he organized two Lodges of instruction , one of which met twice a month , the other once , and that they continued to be well attended until the summer season , when they were discontinued .

The result of them is that at this time , there is great perfection of the Masters in the ritual , and a greater uniformity in the work than ever before existed . At an Installation Communication held at

Central Hall , in December , Bro . P . D . G . Master , R . B . Donaldson , who at a previous communication had been elected Grand Master , was duly installed . His address on the occasion was very

appropriate . From it we make the following extract : — " Whilst the institution of Masonry ministers largely to the temporal and physical wants of the community , and is always willing and prompt to

extend the hand of relief and charity to those whose necessities call for it , its great end and aim is to make men better , more useful to their fellow men , and thereby more receptive of that higher aud purer happiness which comes from doing

good ; to awaken in the minds of those who come within its borders a clearer conception of the duties which each owes God , his neighbour , and himself , and to hasten the time when the great

mass of men upon earth will live in conformity with the great light , ' loving their neighbours as themselves , and ' doing unto others as they would that others should do unto them . ' For this purpose , we , in our Lodges , illustrate the beauties of

harmony and brotherly love , and inculcate all the moral virtues by lessons from the great source of moral and spiritual truth—the revealed word of God . We may , therefore , with propriety , claim that Masonry is a hand-maid to religion , and that it is a valuable adjunct to the church , in the dissemination of truth necessarv as a foundation for

that spiritual building which , when erected in the heart of man , becomes eternal in the heavens . We claim that Masonry possesses a beautiful system , by means of which these truths are inculcated and illustrated . We claim that she his able to

present to those who partake of her mysteries , and inducements to rise higher and still higher , as moral and spiritual beings , and to bring forth more fully and freely , in the acts of their daily lives , the principles of good taught within her temples . "

At the meetings of the Lodge he thinks " much might be done by Masters , in making the proceedings more pleasant and instructive by short addresses upon Masonic subjects , delivered in person or by proxy , thus dispensing Masonic light

in addition to that furnished by the ritual , in a less formal and perhaps a more instructive manner . " The Committee on Foreign Correspondence submitted their report . It reviews the proceedings

of thirteen Grand Lodges , that of Pennsylvania amongst the number . It concludes with the following appropriate remarks : " In looking over the reports upon our table , we find some severe criticisms upon the action of our Grand Lodge , in .