Exclusion Of Visitors At Masonic Trials.

not do so he would make a mot-ion for that purpose , as , indeed , he had been requested to do by several members of the lodge . Nothing further was said on the subject , and the impression naturally remained on Bro . Thompson ' s mind that if the W . M ., of his own accord , did not order the exclusion of visitors , he would , at least , offer no objection to the sense of the lodge ( which was very

well known to be against their admission ) being taken on the question . Otherwise , Bro . Thompson , instead of proposing the motion which the W . M . refused to put , would have contented himself by entering a protest against what he considered to be a most unjustifiable proceeding " on the part of the W . M . of St . John ' s Lodge .

It was , you will recollect , upon the decision of tho D . Prov . G . M . for the District of Quebec , & c , in respect to Bro . Thompson ' s appeal to the Provincial Grand Lodge here , that the adverse judgment of Grand Lodge was given ; and upon a review of the facts I have here given you , endeavouring , whilst I have done so , " nothing to extenuate or ought set down in malice , " you cannot

fail to gather an insight into the un-Masonic agencies of Albion Lodge , and those who had its best interests , as well as those of the other English lodges in this city , at heart , have had to contend against . The Albion now , I am happy to say , is in a most flourishing condition ,- — " prospering and to prosper , " whilst this time last year it was upon the very verge of ruin . This is due to the

lodge having excluded from it ( as I have intimated at the commencement of my letter ) , the brother who was , no doubt , the chief conspirator against ib , as well as him who was a mere tool of the former , and who , so wickedly and foolishly , expressed his black balling propensities ; and also to the lodge having added an additional black ball , making ib three , to the number required for the

rejection of a candidate , which must serve as a great protection against tho recurrence of such an unprincipled combination as the one the lodge has thus escaped from . The one drawback to the satisfaction entertained at this improved state of things , is the decision of Grand Lodge against our D . Prov . G . M . This

¦ decision was undoubtedly premature , or I should , perhaps , rather say over-hasty ; and , although unquestionably right 23 er se—inasmuch as there can be no appeal to his lodge against the decision of a W . M ., the case was one which should have been adjudicated upon upon broader grounds . The meeting of St . John ' s Lodge , where the question first arose , was not an ordinary one .

It was a special meeting , called for the sole purpose of the exercise by its members of extraordinary functions of a judicial character , appertaining only to colonial lodges , and the general rules of the Craft , regulating the lodges in the mother country , ought not , as they have been by Grand Lodge , applied to it . The lodge was for the time being a Board of General Purposes , and the

regulations governing that body , and not those laid down for the guidance of lodges when performing their usual work , were those by which its proceedings should have been held to have been regulated and judged . In conclusion—for I am afraid I have already overtaxed your patience—let me add , as regards Bro . Thompson being an " honorary" member of St . John ' s Lodge ,

upon which circumstance a good deal of stress has been laid , as well by the appellant , as by some members in Grand Lodge , that the by-laws of St . John ' s Lodge give him the same powers , rights , aud privileges , as any other member of the lodge . I remain , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , W . S ., W . M . Albion Lodge ( No . 17 ) , E . R .

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Two things well considered , would prevent many quarrels ; first , to have it well ascertained whether we are not disputing about terms rather than things ; and secondly , to examine whether that , on which we differ , is worth contending ahout .

The Masonic Mirror.

THE MASONIC MIRROR .

METROPOLITAN .

PYTHAGOREAN LODGE ( NO . 79 ) . —The usual monthly meeting of this old established and prosperous lodge was held on Monday , November 30 th , at Bro . Moore ' s , Globe Tavern , Eoyal Hill , Greenwich . Bro . W . R . Orchard , W . M ., presided , and passed three brethren to the Fellow Craft ' s degree ; Bro . H . A . Collington , P . M ., raised one brother to the sublime degree of a Master Mason ; Bro . W . C . PennyP . M . and Hon . See . pro

, , tem ., initiated one gentleman into the Order . All the work was ably done , as may be imagined from the names ofthe brethren who presided in the different degrees . After business the brethren partook of one of those excellent banquets which Bro . J . Moore is now so well famed for . There were several visitors .

WEELixo-TOtf LODGE ( NO . 54 S ) . —The usual meeting of this well established lodge took place on Tuesday , December Sth , at the Clarendon Arms Tavern , Upper Lewishain-road . Bro . John Stevens , W . M ., assisted by Bros . Simmons , P . M . ; K . Welsford , P . M . ; Owden , P . M . ; 11 . Bentley , P . M . ; W . Hay , P . M . ; Bagshaw , S . W . ; Wakefield , J . W . ; Earaty , Treas . ; Bumstead , Sec . and J . D . ; G . Wilton , S . D . ; Gale , I . G . ; Carver , E . SkinnerMillerLiddiardSavageand many others opened

, , , , the lodge . Amongst the visitors we noticed Bros . P . Walters , W . M . 73 and Sec . 871 ; G . Bolton , P . M . 147 , 169 , 1044 ; S . Blomeley , S . W . 871 , & o . The only ceremony which was performed was raising one brother to the sublime degree of a Master Mason , which Bro . J . Stevens , W . M ., performed in his usual faultless manner . This being election night for officers for the ensuing year , the by-laws were read and ballots

taken for W . M ., which was declared unanimous in favour of the S . W ., Bro . Bagshaw ; and for Treasurer , it was declared to be unanimous in favour of Bro . B . Welsford , P . M ., the former Treasurer , Bro . Karaty , declining the honour of serving another year . The officers for the Benevolent Fund were all unanimously re-elected . Bros . Carver , Liddiard , and Savage were elected as Auditors . The munificent sum of £ 5 was unanimously voted

from the benevolent fund of the lodge towards defraying the funeral expenses of a member who died in distressed circumstances . Business being completed the brethren adjourned to a superior banquet .

INSTEUCTION . EJHTLATI O-T LODGE OF IMPROVEMENT ( NO . 256 ) . The anniversary of this excellent Lodge of Instruction was celebrated at the Freemasons' Tavern , on Friday , the 27 th ult . The lodge was opened at seven o ' clock by Bro . S . B . Wilson , P . G . D ., who presidedsupported bBros . M'lntyreG . Eeg . ;

, y , J . LI . Evans , President of the Board of General Purposes ; Head , G . D . ; Udall , Potter , Hopwood , and Savage , P . G . D . 's ; Wood , G . Dir . of Cers . ; Mutt , Assist . G . Dir . of Cers . ; Empson , P . G . S . B . ; Farnfield , Assist . G . Sec . ; Stebbing , Vice-President of the Board of General Purposes ; and nearly 200 other brethren . The first lecture was ably worked as follows : —1 st section , by Bro . It . Grey , J . W . 269 ; 2 nd , Bro . W . C . Bacon ,

I . G . 269 ; 3 rd , Bro . W . Hollingworth , J . W . 76 ; 4 th , Bro . W . E . Jefferys , P . M . 215 ; 5 th , Bro . C . A . Murton , P . M . 7 ( See . ); 6 th , Bro . F . Binckes , P . M . 11 ; 7 th , Bro . F . Mead , S . W . 275 . At the conclusion of the working a vote of thanks was unanimously passed to Bro . Wilson for the able manner in which he had presided , and a similar well-deserved compliment accorded to the various brethren who had worked the different sections . The lodge having been closed , the brethren adjourned to

THE BANQUET , which was admirably served . Bro . M'lntyre , G . Eeg ., presided ; and , on the removal of the cloth , proposed the usual toast given on these occasions , " The pious Memory of Peter Gilkes , " the founder of the lodge , which was drunk in solemn silence . The W . MASTEH then said that loyalty to the Sovereign had ever been the characteristic of Englishmen , and the health of her

Majesty . had ever been received with acclamation among Masons They had been in the habit of regarding the Queen as the daughter of a Mason and the niece of Masons , and he trusted that before twelve months were over they would be able to hail