Masonic Impostors And An Official Gazette.

nication , and thus circulated through the whole Craft . It is discreditable that the Freemasous of England should be without a recognised organ for the dissemination of the official notices , & e ., of their Grand Lodge .

A column of the Freemasons' Magazine might be appropriated to au Official Gazette , in which all notices of meetings , motions , < fcc , should appear , and the fact of their thus appearing should be deemed equivalent to the serving of these notices on the lodges individually .

If mine is not an erroneous impression , the labours of . the Grand Secretary would thus be considerably lightened and the Craft materially benefitted by the universal diffusion of the information contained in this Gazette . Tours fraternally , BNALXO .

Uniformity Of Ritual.

UNIFORMITY OF RITUAL .

10 THE EDITOB OF TUB FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROB . Dear Sir and Brother , —Bro . Canada ' s letter on this subject is very acceptable . I entirely agree with him as to the title of the Order and its establishments and officers ; but I cannot quite go with him as to costume , because it appears to me difficult to reconcile

fragments of ancient dress with the swallow-tail of our modern period . I have the honour to be one of the commissioners uuder the treaties of uniformity , and I confess that I view the difficulties of the subject with some anxiety . If Bro . Canada will refer again to my letter , I think he will find that I did not allege the

cross now used by Priors of the Masonic Order of Malta to be inappropriate . I simply pointed out that it had been originally pirated from the Ordre du Temple of France , and ' after its disuse by the English Templars for some time it had been revived , not for the Templars , hut for the Order of Malta . I think it a very beautiful cross ; I have in my possession au original French specimen , of the largest description , than which no decoration can be more beautiful . The

star certainly was not known originally . I shall be glad if Bro . Canada will kindly give the authority which he quotes as " The old authors , " and if he will also give the quotation from "Flavine" as to the black cross of eight points , indicating in each instance the probable date to which the quotation refers .

_ The Knights of Christ , of Portugal , must be considered as a good example of the early Templars , they having survived as an Order to this clay . They were re-constituted , as "Knights of Christ , " in 1317 . In this Order we ought to find some remains of the original Templars ; but the earliest information I

have met with is contained in " Guillim ' s Display of Heraldry" ( ed . of 1769 ) . He says , — " Their habit was black , with cross patee gules charged with another argent . " It is , perhaps , hardly correct to express a belief in that of which you have no proofbut I am quite

-; pre pared to adopt the theory that the combined Orders of St . John and the Temple were planted in this country from Scotland . I have observed the note at page 10 of the Scottish Statutes of 1 S 43 . Tours fraternally , LUPUS .

The Masonic Mirror.

THE MASONIC MIRROR .

* ... * All communications to he addressed to 19 , Salisbury-street , " Strand , London , W . C .

MASONIC MEMS . UNIVERSAL MASONIC CALENDAR FOR 1 S 69 . —A few remaining copies of the second edition are for sale at a reduction of 20 per cent . GRAND LODGE or MARK MASTERS or ENGLAND AND WALES ,

AND THE COLONIES AND DEPENDENCIES or THE BRITISH CHOWS' . —The half-yearly communication of this Grand Lodge will be held at Freemasons' Tavern , Great Queen-streefc , Lincoln ' s-inn-fields , on Tuesday , June 1 st . THE consecration of the Kennard Lodge ( No . 1 , 258 ) , will take place at the Clarendon Hotel , Pontypool , on Thursday , the

3 rd June ; Bro . Bartholomew Thomas is the "W . M . designate . PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OE BERKS AND BUCKS . —A meeting will be held at the Town Hall , Windsor , on the 21 sfc inst ., for the transaction of business . The R . W . Bro . Sir Daniel

Gooch , Bart , M . P ., will be installed as Prov . G . M . It is expected that a numerous and influential body of brethren will be present on the occasion . BRO . DAWSON ( of Westminster Abbey ) , announces a concert nt St . James ' s Hall , to take place on the 21 sfc inst . The programme contains the names of several eminent members of the

musical profession . BRETHREN are reminded that the Lodge Music published a few weeks ago , in several issues of the MAGAZINE , has been republished in a convenient form for Lodge use , priee 2 s . 6 d . PORTRAITS of the St . Hon . the Earl of Dalhousie , K . T ^ . G . C . B ., MW . G . M . Mason of Scotland , can now be obtained at

this office , price 3 s . Gd . each . A few copies , with ornamental border and Masonic emblems printed in gold , on large sizepaper , ran be had , price 10 s . 6 d .

Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS .

The eighty-first anniversary festival of the Royal Masonic-Institution for Girls , was celebrated on Wednesday evening , at Freemasons' Hall , and as usual drew together a numerous and brilliant company , Lord Leigh , Prov . Grand Master for Warwickshire presided , and he was supported by representatives of every lodge in the province , with two exceptions , besides many others , both metropolitan and provincial . There was an unusuall

y numerous attendance of ladies , and their splendid costumes added greatly to the interest and beauty of the scene . An address was circulated in the ball , and as it so fully describes what the institution is , and what it has done , that we here present it to our readers . " The Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , supported entirely by voluntary contributions , was instituted on the 25 th of March ,,

T 78 S , at the suggestion of the late Chevalier Bartholomew Ruspini , Surgeon-dentist to His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales , for the purpose of educating , clothing , and maintaining a limited number of girls , whether orphans or otherwise , the children of brethren whose reduced means prevented them affording their female offspring a suitable education . His late Royal Highness The Prince of Wales , with other members of the

Royal Family , the Nobility , Clergy , and Gentry , and many of themost influential members of the Craft , gave the project their warmest support , and by their united efforts established this institution , which has preserved numbers of children from the dangers and misfortunes to which females arc peculiarly exposed , trained them up in the knowledge and love of virtue and habits , of industry , and cultivated the practice of such social , moral , and religious duties as mig ht best conduce to their welfare and eternal happiness .