Historical Sketch Of Masonic Events During 1864.

to by the Grand Lodge itself . Whilst on one hand provincial rights are claimed with respect to those brethren who , in the Channel Island of Jersey , have submitted themselves to a French Grand Lodge , the Grand Lodge is oblivious of the fact

that it has under its authority a lodge at Frankfort , which belongs to the province of the Eclectic Grand Lodge , and that it keeps up the best understanding with the Grand Orient of the Netherlands , although the latter has erected lately a

number of lodges at the Cape of Good Hope . In England also the malpractices of the high degree system are most glaring , and there are but few lodges that have commenced to emancipate themselves of this useless appendage . Thus , the German Pilgrim Lodge , of London , has been working very satisfactorily ; at a few places libraries

have been opened that had been entirety wanting hitherto . On the other hand , it appears that most peculiar ideas and schemes are harboured in many heads . A brother has lately started the project of founding a lodge whose members are to have , all

and every one of them , equal religious , christian views . The Provincial Grand Master of Huntingdonshire , Bro . the Duke of Manchester , has proposed to introduce iu the lodges discussions on religious subjects , in order to remove the palpable

contradictions existing between the facts of revelation aud those of science , and to reconcile both together . This , he thinks , is the real object of Masonic gatherings . We should advise the illustrious brother above all things to peruse the constitution of the association , in order to become equal to the duties of his high office .

A great obstacle to the wholesale development of Freeuiasom-y in England is the absence of special halls and meeting houses . In most instances the brethren are sitting together iu the public houses , smoking cigars , drinking ale , and listening

to the performance of the ritual , and this will make up the whole of Masonic life in this country . Thus , the following occurrence will be easily accounted for : —One Mr . Williams was to be received in a-

Oardiff lodge , when a brother who was present stepped forward and observed that there must be a mistake in the matter , as he himself initiated this man , when he was Worshipful Master of an Aberdeen lodge , three years before , and the

astonishment of the brethren increased when the adept corroborated this statement . Nevertheless , the Worshipful Master ruled that , as Bro . AVilliams was not in possession of a regular certificate of

initiation , his reception , which he had applied for , must be proceeded with . Many of the brethren , dissatisfied with this decision , left the lodge , when the re-initiation took place without any hindrance . It seems that the Worshipful Master has heard of

the old German proverb , that " twice sewn will hold better . " Query : Is the acquisition the lodge made , of a brother who after three years had forgotten _ his initiation , really worth contending for ?

IRELAND . —The author has observed , in a former paper , that in all probability there exist up to the present day , among the working Masons of England , secret societies having peculiar signs and usages of their own . This opinion has not , as

yet , been corroborated by any reliable facts ; still , it has become known , of late , that in some counties of Ireland the working stonemasons have a j ) eculiar language ( slang ) which they are most anxious to preserve intact and secret . They pretend that

the orig inal Freemasons , "whose descendants are those constituting the Craft now-a-days , have stolen their tools from them , hundreds of years ago . It is well known that similar charges have been preferred against the Freemasons in Germany

by the so-called Grussmaurers . AUSTRIA . —The Government of Austria , though now a constitutional monarchy , has persistently opposed the re-openiug of Masonic lodges . Endeavours have been made , of late , to establish some lodges in this country , under the auspices

of the Hamburg Grand Lodge , but they ivere attended with no success , as the preliminary conditions , as required by that Grand Lodge , could not be acceded to . A statement was published recently according to which there are several lodges ,

devoid of political elements , in existence in Hungary ; but nothing tends to corroborate this statement . THE LEVANT . —In Greece , notwithstanding the rotten and fragile political state of the country ,

several lodges have been formed , and the erection of a Grand Lodge is contemplated . In Turkey , also , Freemasonry is progressing ; even in Smyrna , where the Catholic party are very powerful , a lodge has lately been established . In

Constantinople , there exist Italian , English , and French lodges , also a German one , styled Germania am Goldenen Horn . In the latter , lectures and conferences take place on Masonic subjects , especially history . A remarkable sign of the times is the initiation of many Turks , among whom are a cer-