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Correspondence.
explanation . So far from being ojrposedto the system then introduced , 1 should wish to see it adopted on future occasions , as I consider it a vast improvement on the old custom . For eighteen years I have endeavoured to give a firm support to what I have deemed the true interests of Masonry ; and it is scarcely just that the sincerity of princiles should now be doubted .
my p I remain , dear Sir ancl Brother , yours fraternally , 11 . WARNER WIIHEI . HR , P . M ., Nos . 27 and 321 ; P . Z ., No . 2 . United Universitij Club , Pall Mall , Nov . 15 th , 1359 .
REVISION OF THE CALENDAR , TO THE EDITOR OS TUE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Devoted as I am to the science of which your pages are an admirable exponent , it is a source of great satisfaction to me , and doubtless to the Craft in general , to witness the increasing vigour in the articles you have published
from week to week since the change in your form ; there is more of useful and interesting information ; more of inquiry into the origin and history of Freemasonry , as well as into the traces of it which may be found in false systems of religion ; more opportunity for eliciting opinions and facts hy means of your " Masonic Notes and Queries . " While all cau enjoy and apply the varied knowledge which you thus disseminate , the communications of
correspondents to your pages will more or less partake of the characteristics of the individual writers . Some are charged with antiquarian lore ; some with expositions of our rights and ceremonies ; some with the statistics of our Order ; on the latter of these departments I propose now to make a feiv remarks . It appears that the highest number of a Loelge in the Calendar ofthe present year is IOCS , whereas at the beginning of 1 S-1 S the hi
ghest ivas only 80-1 ; thus apparently Freemasonry has become much more nourishing and extended in the course of the last eleven years , inasmuch as the number of Lodges has increased by nearly a third . From this , however , a considerable deduction must he made , for , during this period , sixty-three Lodges which were in existence at the commencement of 1848 , have been erased . From this statement several useful considerations naturallarise
y . First : —As about six Lodges have on an average been broken up in each year , ifc is worth while for the Masonic authorities to institute an inquiry as to the cause , and especially why in one year ( 1852 ) the number was so large as twenty-eight , whereas in ISIS , 18-1-9 , aud 1855 , not a single case of this kind occurred .
Again it will be observed that in some cases warrants are granted for the establishment of Lodges , which continue for a short time and then sink , yet , after the lapse of a few years application is again made , and another warrant is granted . Take Stafford as an example . Lodge No . 1-27 was established in 1814 and broken up in 1850 . Lodge No . G 26 was founded in 183 ( 3 and erased in 1852 . Then an interim occurred without a Lodge in that town , till 1857 , when 1028 institutedSuch this
a new one , No . ,, was . a case as ought to form a subject of especial inquiry as to the cause of these variations , which are most undesirable and indicate a great want of unity and firmness of purpose . Nor is this an isolated case , for Norwich affords another instance , though not quite so glaring . In that town two Lodges were abandoned in 1852 and 1853 , but no other HCAV ones have been since
opened ; one of those-two was instituted only in 1831 . Another question should also he entertained , namely , whether in all the instances of Lodges being broken up , the warrants have been returned to the Grand Secretary , as I apprehend they ought to be ivhen Lodges are erased from the calendar . If they have not , immediate search ought to be set on foot , and these important documents should be recovered and safeldeposited the
y among archives of Grand Loelge . A little consideration will show that this is a serious matter , since , under such warrants , diverted from their original purpose and localities , and in the hands of desi gning persons , all sorts of improprieties may be perpetrated , and " pseudo masonry" be introduced , such as that respecting ivhich you gave a caution to the brethren in your last number . On this point I do not speak at random and without authorityAbout and
. a year a half ago , happening to pay a visit to a small toivn in which there is no Lodge , I found several resident brethren who ivere affiliated in neighbouring towns , and who were anxious to commence arrangements for opening one in their OAVII locality . Inquiries were set on foot , to Avhich I cheerfully gave some little assistance , in the course of Avhich I ascertained that many years ago a LocVc had existed there ; and I discovered a brother wlio had belonged to
it , and who , if I remember rightly , had still some of the furniture in his possession . In reply to a question as to the warrant , he informed me that it had been conveyed ( I think ) to Brazil , and that a Lodge is working under it there—very probably without the knoAA'ledge of the Grand Lodge of England . Under proper arrangements , strictly carried out as they ought to be b y our officials
, such a proceeding as this should be simply impossible . If an English charter had been in like manner carried off to Smyrna , anel the Lodge there had commenced working under it , such an order as that which has recently issued from Grand Lodge relative to brethren initiated in it would be justifiable only on the ground that the transfer of the warrant had not been duly authorized .
I haA'e been informed that iu South America it is dangerous for a stranger from Europe to visit Masonic Lodges , on account of their political tendencies , anel the consequent suspicion in which the members are held by government ; this may well be the case , if instances of irresponsibilit }' , such as I suspect to exist , arc really to be met with , and of which the case I have quoted probably forms an instance .
From a table ivhich I have prepared , it appears that forty of the Canadian Lodges have been struck out of the list in the calendar , but there are forty-one Canadian Lodges still on the register . Now that there is a distinct Grand Lodge for Canada , apart from the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of England , the whole of these ought to disappear from our OAVII published records . Of the 10 G 3 numbers , there are 1-12 in addition to the
above Avhich have IIOAV no Lodges assigned to them ; that is to say , in the course of time they have become defunct , ancl have been erased . The total of the above numbers is 223 , which , being nearly one fifth ofthe whole 1003 , is sufficiently large , one would suppose , to induce Grand Lodge to revise ancl change the numbers of all the existing Lodges under the Grand Lodge of England , for which the recent separation ofthe Canadian district
affords a good opportunity . I would therefore respectfully recommend that the attention of the authorities should be called to the subject . It would be well , if by means of the constant communication at head quarters ivith all the Lodges under English supervision , some means could be taken to recover the certificates of deceased brethrenand return them to the Grand Secretary . LatterlI
, y have not been so situated as to have opportunity of witnessing the constant attempts which are made by persons who almost adopt it as a part of the trade or profession of a beggar , to obtain pecuniary aid without a shadow of claim to it by means of such documents . Several years ago I saiv quite enough to convince me that this kind of fraud is systematically practised with impunity . There is no doubt that chemical agency is used to take out the
original signatures , and that those of the bearers are substituted . It would be Avell if , on every certificate a direction were conspicuously printed , that on the death of the owner it should at once be sent to Grand Lodge u'hence it emanated . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours faithfully and fraternally , Jersey , Nov . St / i , 1859 . H . H . ' [ Our correspondent appears to forget that it is necessary to prove the brother applying for relief . Imposture is no doubt frequently practised with success from the absence of this very obvious precaution . —E » . l
SPURIOUS MASONIC LODGES . TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Allow me to say a few words in favour ancl extenuation of the so called " spurious Lodges" mentioned with so much indignation in your valuable paper , and
certainly formed in some instances under warrants from the Grand Lodge of France , and in all cases recognized as brother Masons by the various Parisian Lodges . I can aver from my OAVII experience that nothing of a political tendency has any part in the duties of these Lodges , and that the formula is in all material respects the same as in all Masonic Lodges . To deny these brothers admission into societis simplan
your y y act unworthy of the great precepts of Masonry ; and considering in IIOAV fciv instances the admission would be asked , for obvious reasons , perfectly unnecessary . Besides , these brothers , being really unable to pay the heavy fees necessary to admission into an English body of Masons , should , on the contrary , he rather encouraged to form Lodges of their own ; and certainly no liberal man and true Mason would deny them the privilege of meeting for
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Correspondence.
explanation . So far from being ojrposedto the system then introduced , 1 should wish to see it adopted on future occasions , as I consider it a vast improvement on the old custom . For eighteen years I have endeavoured to give a firm support to what I have deemed the true interests of Masonry ; and it is scarcely just that the sincerity of princiles should now be doubted .
my p I remain , dear Sir ancl Brother , yours fraternally , 11 . WARNER WIIHEI . HR , P . M ., Nos . 27 and 321 ; P . Z ., No . 2 . United Universitij Club , Pall Mall , Nov . 15 th , 1359 .
REVISION OF THE CALENDAR , TO THE EDITOR OS TUE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Devoted as I am to the science of which your pages are an admirable exponent , it is a source of great satisfaction to me , and doubtless to the Craft in general , to witness the increasing vigour in the articles you have published
from week to week since the change in your form ; there is more of useful and interesting information ; more of inquiry into the origin and history of Freemasonry , as well as into the traces of it which may be found in false systems of religion ; more opportunity for eliciting opinions and facts hy means of your " Masonic Notes and Queries . " While all cau enjoy and apply the varied knowledge which you thus disseminate , the communications of
correspondents to your pages will more or less partake of the characteristics of the individual writers . Some are charged with antiquarian lore ; some with expositions of our rights and ceremonies ; some with the statistics of our Order ; on the latter of these departments I propose now to make a feiv remarks . It appears that the highest number of a Loelge in the Calendar ofthe present year is IOCS , whereas at the beginning of 1 S-1 S the hi
ghest ivas only 80-1 ; thus apparently Freemasonry has become much more nourishing and extended in the course of the last eleven years , inasmuch as the number of Lodges has increased by nearly a third . From this , however , a considerable deduction must he made , for , during this period , sixty-three Lodges which were in existence at the commencement of 1848 , have been erased . From this statement several useful considerations naturallarise
y . First : —As about six Lodges have on an average been broken up in each year , ifc is worth while for the Masonic authorities to institute an inquiry as to the cause , and especially why in one year ( 1852 ) the number was so large as twenty-eight , whereas in ISIS , 18-1-9 , aud 1855 , not a single case of this kind occurred .
Again it will be observed that in some cases warrants are granted for the establishment of Lodges , which continue for a short time and then sink , yet , after the lapse of a few years application is again made , and another warrant is granted . Take Stafford as an example . Lodge No . 1-27 was established in 1814 and broken up in 1850 . Lodge No . G 26 was founded in 183 ( 3 and erased in 1852 . Then an interim occurred without a Lodge in that town , till 1857 , when 1028 institutedSuch this
a new one , No . ,, was . a case as ought to form a subject of especial inquiry as to the cause of these variations , which are most undesirable and indicate a great want of unity and firmness of purpose . Nor is this an isolated case , for Norwich affords another instance , though not quite so glaring . In that town two Lodges were abandoned in 1852 and 1853 , but no other HCAV ones have been since
opened ; one of those-two was instituted only in 1831 . Another question should also he entertained , namely , whether in all the instances of Lodges being broken up , the warrants have been returned to the Grand Secretary , as I apprehend they ought to be ivhen Lodges are erased from the calendar . If they have not , immediate search ought to be set on foot , and these important documents should be recovered and safeldeposited the
y among archives of Grand Loelge . A little consideration will show that this is a serious matter , since , under such warrants , diverted from their original purpose and localities , and in the hands of desi gning persons , all sorts of improprieties may be perpetrated , and " pseudo masonry" be introduced , such as that respecting ivhich you gave a caution to the brethren in your last number . On this point I do not speak at random and without authorityAbout and
. a year a half ago , happening to pay a visit to a small toivn in which there is no Lodge , I found several resident brethren who ivere affiliated in neighbouring towns , and who were anxious to commence arrangements for opening one in their OAVII locality . Inquiries were set on foot , to Avhich I cheerfully gave some little assistance , in the course of Avhich I ascertained that many years ago a LocVc had existed there ; and I discovered a brother wlio had belonged to
it , and who , if I remember rightly , had still some of the furniture in his possession . In reply to a question as to the warrant , he informed me that it had been conveyed ( I think ) to Brazil , and that a Lodge is working under it there—very probably without the knoAA'ledge of the Grand Lodge of England . Under proper arrangements , strictly carried out as they ought to be b y our officials
, such a proceeding as this should be simply impossible . If an English charter had been in like manner carried off to Smyrna , anel the Lodge there had commenced working under it , such an order as that which has recently issued from Grand Lodge relative to brethren initiated in it would be justifiable only on the ground that the transfer of the warrant had not been duly authorized .
I haA'e been informed that iu South America it is dangerous for a stranger from Europe to visit Masonic Lodges , on account of their political tendencies , anel the consequent suspicion in which the members are held by government ; this may well be the case , if instances of irresponsibilit }' , such as I suspect to exist , arc really to be met with , and of which the case I have quoted probably forms an instance .
From a table ivhich I have prepared , it appears that forty of the Canadian Lodges have been struck out of the list in the calendar , but there are forty-one Canadian Lodges still on the register . Now that there is a distinct Grand Lodge for Canada , apart from the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of England , the whole of these ought to disappear from our OAVII published records . Of the 10 G 3 numbers , there are 1-12 in addition to the
above Avhich have IIOAV no Lodges assigned to them ; that is to say , in the course of time they have become defunct , ancl have been erased . The total of the above numbers is 223 , which , being nearly one fifth ofthe whole 1003 , is sufficiently large , one would suppose , to induce Grand Lodge to revise ancl change the numbers of all the existing Lodges under the Grand Lodge of England , for which the recent separation ofthe Canadian district
affords a good opportunity . I would therefore respectfully recommend that the attention of the authorities should be called to the subject . It would be well , if by means of the constant communication at head quarters ivith all the Lodges under English supervision , some means could be taken to recover the certificates of deceased brethrenand return them to the Grand Secretary . LatterlI
, y have not been so situated as to have opportunity of witnessing the constant attempts which are made by persons who almost adopt it as a part of the trade or profession of a beggar , to obtain pecuniary aid without a shadow of claim to it by means of such documents . Several years ago I saiv quite enough to convince me that this kind of fraud is systematically practised with impunity . There is no doubt that chemical agency is used to take out the
original signatures , and that those of the bearers are substituted . It would be Avell if , on every certificate a direction were conspicuously printed , that on the death of the owner it should at once be sent to Grand Lodge u'hence it emanated . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours faithfully and fraternally , Jersey , Nov . St / i , 1859 . H . H . ' [ Our correspondent appears to forget that it is necessary to prove the brother applying for relief . Imposture is no doubt frequently practised with success from the absence of this very obvious precaution . —E » . l
SPURIOUS MASONIC LODGES . TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Allow me to say a few words in favour ancl extenuation of the so called " spurious Lodges" mentioned with so much indignation in your valuable paper , and
certainly formed in some instances under warrants from the Grand Lodge of France , and in all cases recognized as brother Masons by the various Parisian Lodges . I can aver from my OAVII experience that nothing of a political tendency has any part in the duties of these Lodges , and that the formula is in all material respects the same as in all Masonic Lodges . To deny these brothers admission into societis simplan
your y y act unworthy of the great precepts of Masonry ; and considering in IIOAV fciv instances the admission would be asked , for obvious reasons , perfectly unnecessary . Besides , these brothers , being really unable to pay the heavy fees necessary to admission into an English body of Masons , should , on the contrary , he rather encouraged to form Lodges of their own ; and certainly no liberal man and true Mason would deny them the privilege of meeting for