Correspondence.

Masons , afc Cowes , in the Isle of Wight , aforesaid , under the title or denomination of—THE MEDINA LODGE , At such times as to the brethren thereof may appear necessary , and then and there ivhen duly congregated to make , pass , and raise Free Masons according to the Ancient Custom of the Craft in all

ages and nations , throughout the known ivorld , and further at the ¦ petition of the said brethren ive do appoint the saicl Thomas Osborn to be the Master , the said Charles Miller to be the Senior Warden , and . the saicl Richard Kendall to be the Junior Warden for opening and holding' the saicl Loclge , and until such time as another Master shall be regularly elected and installed , strictly charging thafc every Master who shall be elected to preside over the said Loclge , shall he installed in ancient formand according to the Laws of the Grand

, Lodge , that he may thereby be fully invested ivith the dignities and powers of his Office ; the said Lodge to be upon the General Register of our Grand Lodge No . 48 . And we clo require you , the said Thomas Osborn , and your successors to special care that all and every the saicl Brethren are , or have been regularly made Masons , and that you- and they , and all other the Members of the saicl Lodge , do observe , perform , and keep the Laws , Rules , and Orders , contained in tho Book of Constitutions , ancl all others which

may from time to time be made by our Grand Lodge , or transmitted by us fco our successors , Grand Master , or by our Deputy Grand Master , for the time being , and we clo enjoin you to make such Bylaws for the government of your Lodge , as shall to the majority of the members appear proper and necessary , the same | notbeingcontrary to or inconsistent with the General Laws ancl Regulations of tho Craffc , and a copy whereof you are to transmit to ns , and we do require you to cause all such By-laws and Regulations , and also ancl

to account of the proceedings in your Loclge , to be entered in a hook be . kepfcforthafc purpose , and you are in nowise to omit to send to us , or onrsuccessors , Griind Master , or to General Sir JohnDoyle . Bart . G . C . B our Deputy Grand Master , or to the Deputy Grand Master for the time being , at least once in every year , a List of the Members of your Lodge , and the names and descriptions of all Masons initiated therein , and brethren who shall have joined the same , together with the fees ancl monies payable thereonit being our will and

, intention that this our Warrant of Confirmation shall be in force so long only as you shall conform to the Laws and Regulations of onr said Grand Lodge . Ancl you , the said Thomas Oshorne , are further required , as soon as conveniently may be , to send an account in writing- of what may be clone by virtue of these presents .

Given under our I-Iimd and the Seal of the Grand Loclge this 21-th April , 182-i , A . L . 5821 , by command of the M . W . Grand Master , J . DOXEE , D . G . M . William Ii . White , " > r < e Edward Harper , ) *

Masonic Ritual.

MASONIC RITUAL .

TO THE liDIIO ; : OF THE l- 'JIEEMASOJTS . VAGAZIXE AJ'D 3 IAS 0 XIC ailEEOE . Snt AND BKOTIIEK , —Perusing your MAGAZINE of December 1 st , 1800 , 1 notice a letter , signed " W . A . H . " referring to ifasouic ritual ; and as portions of such letter are calculated to cast some reflection upon myself , I claim your kindness in requesting you to allow me to ocenpj * a small space iu your columns .

"W . A . II . " states , that "Tho ritual noiv in use is the one practised by the first lodge established here , viz ., fche Lodgo of Ericndship ( No . 613 ) , about twenty-four years ago . The same ritual has continued ever since . " If "W . A . _ H . should bo a Colonial-made Mason of a feiv years , standing , I could , to a certain extent , excuse him , because he may have been so informed ; bufc I beg to state

thafc I havo the authority of Past Masters of long residence here for . stating , thafc the mode of working at the present time is not as used in the earl y days of the colony , when English Masons were hero , and worked it from its commencement , and which variation they account for . As the AV . Ms . retired in favour of their Wardens , or otherwise , fche old . system gradually diminished , and they sought information from fche

same source named by your correspondent , to whom " W . A . H . " rotors , and ivhich I bog distinctly to state is practised here ¦ verbatim . Moreover , some P . Ms ., havo dared ( and in my presence ) to uphold it . ^ In the concluding few lines of " W . A . IL , " ho says : — " One or tivo interested persons arc questioning ifc ; haA'ing quarrelled elsewhere , they are seeking to sow the seeds of

Masonic Ritual.

dissension here also , "—which parfc I take upon myself to be one of the persons attacked by your anonymous correspondent . I do so , because J have questioned the correctness of their working , As an English-made Mason , when I returned to this colony from England , in 1859 , 1 was desirous of joining a lodge , ivhich I did , aud at my first visit I announced to some few brethren that the working was

different to what I had seen in England . I have stated this fact in open lodge , aud have strenuously endeavoured to render them the necessary information to make the recpiisitc alteration , and by many old and influential Masons have been complimented for the course , I had taken . I , ' therefore consider that remark jjerfectly apjilicable to me ; bufc that I have quarrelled elseivhere , and am seeking to sow the

seeds of dissension here , I most distinctly deny the correctness of , nofc having , to my knowledge , a brother out of South Australia with whom I have ever had a contra opinion on Masonry ; and if my efforts have been to sow the seeds of dissension here , I should nofc hai * e been paid fche high compliment of being unanimously elected W . M . of the liarent lodge of the colony in November last , having also

previously told its members that , if elected , my Avorking would be as' knoii'ii in England , and , in many instances , at variance AA'ith the system generally pursued here . During my ruling , the lodge has been visited by old members of the Craffc , from Avhom I have received many hearty congratulations and complimentary remarks , ivhich probably may not prove quite satisfactory to " W . A . H ., "

who , no doubt , still clings to that ritual so properly designated by your Editor as the "most worthless" of all published rituals . I am , Sir aud Brother , yours fraternally , B . J . PUICE , W . M . S . A . Lodge of Friendship ( No . 613 ) . Adelaide , S . A ., Eeb . 21 , 1861 .

Returns To The Clerk Of The Peace.

RETURNS TO THE CLERK OF THE PEACE .

TO THE EDITOB Or THE FEEEMASONS MAGAZI 21 H A 3 fl > MASOXIC MIBBOB . DEAB . SIK AND BKOTIIEK , — -Much uncertainty exists in the opinions of well meaning brethren as to the necessity and even propriety of making such returns . It appears that , by the 39 th Geo . III . c . 79 , au Act passed to suppress all seditious and treasonable meetings , Ereemasons' Lodges were specially protected from its operation

, that is to say , " Nothing in this Act shall extend to the meetings of any such society or lodgo , which shall , before the passing of this Act , have been usually holden under the said denomination , and in conformity to the rules prevailing among the said societies of Ereemasons . " And in the Act it was provided that fche exemption should nofc extend to any such society , unless a certificate by tivo members of such

lodge , made as therein described , " that such society or lodge has , before tlie passing of this Act , been usually held under the denomination of a Lodgo of Ereemasons , " & c , cle arlyshoiving that the operation of the Act affected only tlwse lodges which had usually met before the passing of the said Act . Ifc had only a retrospective operation so far as regards Lodges of Ereemasons . This subject has partly

been ventilated in your pages , but only partly ; and every lodge being , by communication from Grand Lodge , required to make such return to the Clerk of the Peace , whether it existed prior to the passing of tho said Act , or has been called into existence since that period , Grand Lodge supplying the forms requisite for such return . But ifc will be readily perceived thafc this Acfc has no operation on

lodges holding under warrants granted since the 12 th July , 1798 . If this be not so , it would render a service to a goodl y number of brethren , not "learned in the law , " if the G . Eeg ., or some other learned brother , ivould through your pages enlighten them hereon . Yours truly , E . E . X .

[ Our Correspondent appears to have overlooked the 57 fch George III ., cap . 19 , eighteen years Lfcer than the Act he quotes . —En . ]