Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

0——[ THE EDITOU . does not . hold himself responsible for any opinions entertained by Correspondents , ] BRO . PEKCY WELLS . TO Till" EDITOE OI' THE FREEMASOKS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIK'tOB .

DEMI SIR ASH BKOTIIER , —Can any of your readers inform me whether Bro . Percy Wells , who " has recently been appointed to 11 high post in connection with the Mark Degree , in Australia , by Lord Leigh , be the same person who formerly resided iu this province ? Some few brethren , here are troubled with suspicions that it may be so . I have made a few inquiries , but unsuccessfully . Perhaps you may be able to throw some light on the of

subject-. I am opinion , whicli , as Mr . Gladstone savs , ' ¦ amounts to a persuasion , " that the Percy whom the Grand Master of Marks lias deli ghted to honour is none other than an indigenous production of that fertile colony , and not lie , formerly of Bath . This " persuasion" is not unnatural , seeing that that inestimable ancl never to bo forgotten brother rdedged himself never again to ally his sacred person to any Masonic body ; and from fche several orders "

on retiring to whicli he belonged in this province a collateral pledge was tendered on his behalf , by more than one of his friends , that lie never should again officially join a- Masonic body here or elsewhere . It may be a- slight violation of the laws of probability to suppose that there should be a second Frederick Thomas Percy in Australia , distinguished alike with the remarkable personage who bore that honoured trilicate hereand who

p , emigrated thither recently . What of flint ? These are clays of wonders . Why should Bath alone produce its Percy ' , Nobody will deny or seek to i gnore the peculiar coincidence ; but is it so ? Is the " recipient of Lord Leigh ' s distinction our Percy ? Thatis the question . Perhaps Bro . Bidgway could answer it . I am . dear Sir anil Brother , yours fraternally , / iaih . March im , 1860 , ' AN OLD " Wi'XLS'Ais ,

American V. Trish Freemasonry.

AMERICAN v . TRISH FREEMASONRY .

TO l'im EDITOK 01 * THE FEEEMASOIfS' MAGAZINE AUD MASONIC Mil ! ROB . Dio .-ui SIR AXD BKOTIIEK , —In a late number of your interesting Magazine , a- brother signing himself "P . Z . " seems somewhat annoyed that I should have advanced the opinion in a recent letter on the subject " Inspection of Lodges , " that our American brethren conducted tlie Lodges more regularly , and sent forth better working Masons than the brethren of this countryand

; calls on me to visit the Cork Lodges , but more particularly Concord Lodge , A o . 71 , in refutation ' of my views . Before proceed I may here state that my desire was not to laud our American brethren at the expense " of those of this country , as "P . Z . " would give mc credit for : my motive was purely Masonic . Having witnessed the Graft at work cm both sides of the Atlantic , and also having repeatedlseen brethren examined from different

y parts of each country , I unhesitatingly and conscientiously state ( as far as my experience goes ) that Brother Jonathan does more justice to our beloved Order than wc do . Hence my reason for introducing the subject . Bro . " P . Z ., " to substantiate his belief that " our American brethren have little to boast- of superior to us in the knowledge and practice of genuine Freemasonry . " relates the follow in a incident : —¦ '

' An -American brother from 'Kentucky was introduced to our Lodge by a well knoivn brother , Past Master of one of our city Lodges , and consequently it was considered unnecessary to subject him to the customary tests ; however , on being asked for his certificate from his Grand Lodge he answered that diplomas ivere not granted in any ofthe American States , except in the State of Now York , and added that he would wish to be regularly tested by us the same as though he hud not come to us vouched forTiro ofthe brethren were then directed to do

. that duty : one ot ! the said brothers alluded to , put three questions to our American brother , neither of ivhich could he answer ; and this induced our testing brother to say that if he were the "Worshipful Master of the bodge , and the tested brother unvoiiehod for sought admission to the Lodge , ho would not admit him . In the after part of the evening the same brother , as well as other brethren of the Lodge , bad to correct our American brother in severalMasonic matters whicli he advancedand

. : if he had ' ,-m ear to hear' lie certainly learned that evening ( in Cork bodge , No . 71 ) , Masonic truths he never heard before , though reported to be a well informed Mason in Kentucky Grand Loclge . I mention luese facts to show that our American brethren have not the superior ! I y <> ver Irish brethren that some give them , credit for , "

American V. Trish Freemasonry.

Now , Bro . ' 'iP . Z . " cannot possibly imagine -that I mcant . to convey that every Mason in the States ivas in the " dead knowledge of everything" concerning Antient Freemasonry , or that I believed there were not Lodges iu the united kingdom worked as they should be . To do so ivould be simply ridiculous . I candidly confess I never sat in a Cork Lodge ; nevertheless , I have frequentlmet and conversed with brethren from the banks of

y the river Lee , and I really regret to sa } 7 that I invariably found iu them a woi'ul lack of Masonic knowledge . The oftener I read the above extract from Bro . " P . Z ' s . ' letter , the more I think that the stranger ( for such I must call him ) without a certificate , and who could not answer cither of the questions put by the testing brothei " , should not have been admitted ; and were a brother of this country to present himself to an American Lodge nuclei *

similar circumstances , I am confidently of opinion that he would be refused admittance , unless vouched for by a ivell known brother who had witnessed his initiation . I am curious to know , if not too much of a Paul Pry question , what Masonic knowledge the city P . M . had of this Kentucky gentleman without a certificate , and who could give no Masonic account of himself , "though reported to be a well informed Mason in Kentucky Grand Lodge . " ' *

As wc shall probably hear that high tonedorgan again , tho Voice of Masonry , on this subject , I shall conclude , regretting exceedingly that I should have taken up so much of your invaluable space to say so little , and beg to subscribe myself , Dear Sir and Brother , vours fraternally , Skiblereen , Comity Cork . ' J . ' "W , P . . Morcli "J-2 tfi . 18 G 0 .

The Masonic Mirror.

THE MASONIC MIRROR .

METROPOLITAN . LOYAL BENEVOLENT INS'f . TTUTIOiSL AT tha meeting ofthe Committee of this Institution for Aged Masons and thoir Widows on Wednesday last , it was finally resolved to issue ballotting papers for the eleetiou of twenty male annuitants out of

twenty-nine cimdiclates , and twelve widows out of a list of sixteen candidates , — . BROTHER , . DISTI 2 C " . WE have received ten shillings since our last on behalf of this brother , from Bro . . Sheen PAL , No . 237 .

THE BOYS SCHOOL . Till-: anniversary festival of the governors and h-iemh of this most excellent institution was celebrated at Freemasons' Hall , on "Wednesday , an excellent dinner being served under the personal superintendence of Eros . Hlkbigton and Shrewsbury . Tho chair was filled by Viscount LAYXIIAM , M . P ., and P . M . No . 77 S , who ivas supported by Bros . Samuel TomkinsGTreasClarkeGSecSliht Davies

, . . ; . . ; g , G . D . ; , P . G . WPotter , P . G . D . ; P . J . Scott . P . G . D . ; Hervey , P . G . D . ; ' Hopwood , P . G . D .: H . Lloyd , P . G . D . ; Eaudel , P . G . D . ; Phillips . P . G . D . ; " C . Elkington , P . G . S . B . ; J . L 1 . Evans , P . G . S . P ,. ; Dr . Hareourt , D . Prov . G . M .. Surrey : Peach , MJK ; Leiijaimn Head , and about one hundred and fifty other brethren . Upon the removal of tlie ejoth—The Noma- ; CIIAIIVMAX said , that no body of gentleman could display

greater feelings of loyalty than those which always distinguished Freemasons . They ivere proud at all times to acknowledge the obligations they were under to tho illustrious lady who filled the throne , and they never met without paying respect to their beloved Sovereign- ' - ( Cheers . ) He proposed '" 'the Queen , the Patroness of the Institution . " ( Applause . ) The CIIAIII . IIAX said , the next toast he bad to propose was ono which they also hail peculiar leasure in drinking it from the

p , as proceeded attachment they bore , to the family that " reigned over these realms . He , therefore , proposed the healths of His Loyal Highness the Prince Consort , the patron of art , and the eneonrager of every charitable and social institution ; his illustrious son , Hist ? oyal Highness Albert Prince of Wales , whose amiability of character gave assurance that he ivould inherit the many virtues of his illustrious mother ; His Eoyal Highness the Duke of Cambridge , who was assuredly and deservedly

popular throughout tho country , and all the other members of the Koyal Family—might they long continue to give the same support to the Craft as their ancestors had done before them . ( Cheers . ) His Lordship next rose to propose tho health of the Light Hon . the Earl of ! Zetland , M . AV . 'Grand Master , whose name was so well known to the Craft , and whose zeal in promoting the interests of Freemasonry was so highly appreciated by the brethren , as to render it unnecessary i ' or him to do more than mention his lordship ' s name , to ensure its being most cordially responded to . ( Loud cheers . ) The iwWe YiscOTM said fche nest toast ' he had to propose wa *) the