Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor ii not responsible for the opinion ! expressed by Correspondents MASONRY AT THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE . "SCOTTISH CONSTITUTION . " 10 THE EDITOE OE THE SEEfilCASOITS' MAGAZINE AHB HASOKIC UTEBOE .

Cape Town , 2 nd September , 1870 . Dear Sir and Brother . —Agreeable to promise , I now enclose further particulars , respecting the action of the Graud Lodge of Scotland , in granting a "Warrant to suspend a member of the Albany Lodge , Graham ' s Town .

I am dear Sir and Brother , Tours fraternally , MICHAEL T . KING . District Grand Lodge of South Africa , and of

the Colonies adjacent thereto . Report of the proceedings which have led to the suspension of communication and intercourse between the District or Grand Lodge and various lodges in South Africa holding Charters under the Constitution of Scotland .

1 . —On the 23 rd May , 1869 , the Albany Lodge , No . 389 , under the Constitutions of England , and meeting in Graham ' s Town , South Africa , was suspended by the District Grand Lodge for contumacy . 2 . —Due notice hereof was formally communicated to the Craft working under the Constitutions of land

Eng , Holland , and Scotland . 3 . —In October , 1869 , it was represented ( on reliable authority ) to the Board of General Purposes that the suspended lodge had applied to the Grand Lodge of Scotland for a Charter under the title of the Albany Lodge , and has thus tried to elude the sentence

, as well as the jurisdiction of the District Grand Lodge . 4 . —It was further stated that the application of the contumacious and suspended lodge had been transmitted through Bro . Saunders , Past Master of the Senior Scotch Lodge , the Southern Cross , of and who is

Cape Town , generally understood to be the representative or other organ of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , and that the application had been granted . 5 . —Thereupon the Board , with the sanction of the W . M . and P . G . M . specialldeputed BroCowen

, y . , W . M ., of the Joppa , and acting P . G . Sec , to await officially upon Bro . Saunders to enquire into the alleged facts , and if ascertained to be as represented to urge on Bro . Saunders , as the Agent of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , the gravity of the irregularity which had been committed .

6- —Bro Cowen , accordingly so waited on Bro . Saunders , on the 30 fch October , 1869 , and explained the object of his visit . 7 . —Bro . Saunders at once admitted the correctness of the information which had reached the Board of General Purposes , and added that he had used the influence he possessed with the Grand Lodge of

Scotland to sustain the application of the Albany Lodge . 8 . —But he further said , though some books for

the proposed new lodge had arrived , the Charter itself was still on its way to the Colony . 9 . —In the course of discussion between Br . Cowen and Br . Saunders , the latter stated that the application of the Albany Lodge had been supported by some twenty brethren resident in Graham's Town , and by

the Master and members of the St . John ' s Lodge . 10 , —From the manner in which Bro . Saunders referred to the St . John ' s ( No . 828 ) Br . Cowen was led to understand that the Lodge , as a Lodge , supported the application ; subsequent enquiry has shown that certain members of the St . John's individually

supported the application , in ignorance , as they plead in excuse of the irregularity . 11 . —Be that as it may , Br . Saunders himself did not affect ignorance of the suspension of the Albany Lodge ; and had he been ignorant of the fact previously , it certainly was formally and officially

brought to his notice by Br . Cowen , and he then and there undertook not to forward the new charter on its arrival , but to hold it until such time as the case which he was informed by Br . Cowen was to be submitted to the consideration of the Grand Lodge of Scotland and England had been adjudicated .

12 . —The disclosures thus made were regarded by the Board of General Purposes as peculiarly unsatisfactory , and constituted a matter of serious complaint on the part of the District Grand Lodge ; still the important point of impounding the Charter so irregularly obtained pending further enquiry , was supposed to

have been attained , under the circumstances : therefore it was deemed unnecessary to take any further steps at the Cape , but to leave matters in abeyance , until the joint action of the respective Grand Lodges determined the question , but , for certainty sake ; the annexed special notice was sent to Br . Saunders ( as yet unanswered . )

Board of General Purposes , Cape Town , 30 th October , 1869 The "Worshipful Bro . J . Saunders , P . M . & c , Southern Cross Lodge , Cape Town . Dear Sir and Brother , As the Board has learned that a "Warrant has been

granted by the Grand Lodge of Scotland for the Albany Lodge , Graham ' s Town , which works under the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of England , and is and was suspended at the time that the application was made for the above warrant .

I am requested to ascertain the circumstances which led you to obtain it , and whether it is your intention to proceed in the matter . I am also to , as I hereby do , remind you , and give you notice , that the said Albany Lodge and members thereof are still under suspension for contumacy . I have the honour to be

, Dear Sir and Brother , Tours Fraternally , ( Signed ) MICHAEL T . KING , Vice-Chairman of the Board of General Purposes . 13—It was therefore with equal surprise and

. concern that the District Grand Lodge accidentally discovered , some time last month , that on arrival of tha new Charter for the contumacious Lodge , it had been forwarded to its destination by Bro . Saunders