Ears Of Wheat From A Cornucopia.

In the second of Bro . Hughan s interestingarticles on the History of Freemasonry in Cornwall , we observe " Pass " Master mentioned under date 1752 . . Was the brother so designated a bona fide Past Master , or Avas he the Initiator ?

In 1839 , the Grand Lodge of Scotland declared that , according to her Laws and Constitutions , and to the strict usages of Masonry , " the Past Master of a lodge is the senior office-bearer next the Master , and as such is entitled to precedence on all occasions . "

Freemasonry In The United States.

FREEMASONRY IN THE UNITED STATES .

( Continued from page 24-6 . )

MICHIGAN . The address of the Grand Master of Michigan occupies about 32 pages of the printed proceedings , and is a very able paper . It contains many important decisions . They are as follows : —

"As this Grand Lodge , many years since , adopted the Barney-Avork and lectures , as they were then termed , and meaning the Baltimore national work ; and again , at its last session , after mature deliberation , re-adopted it ; and by a

resolution , made it the duty of the Grand Master , Grand Secretary , and Grand Visitor and jjuuLui ' ci- , no prooui-ts , aua pittuu ui ± me in me archives of the Grand Lodge , a correct copy of said Avork and lectures for future references , etc .

The question naturally arose , What Avas that work , and those lectures ? This question Avas of more difficult solution , for the reason that a great number of brethren , both in this and other jurisdictions , are in possession of keys made by

Barney himself ; no two of which , that I have been able to find ( and I have examined many of them ) , are exactly alike ; and many of them are Avidely different .

Our late venerable Bro . Philip 0 . Tucker , for many years Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Vermont , in his address in 1859 , fully admits the fact , and explains the reasons why there was a difference in Barney ' s keys . And in a recent

conference with the like venerable and talented C . W . Moore , Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts , he corroborates the statements made b y Bro . Tucker . "I , therefore , before complying with said

resolution , deemed it of great importance to ascertain , as far as possible , Avhat that true Avork was , so that- Avhen once established , no

alteration would be hereafter submitted to , by any one , from the youngest E . A . to the Grand Master , inclusive . And my own observation , for a feAY years past , has demonstrated the fact that there is a material difference between the work as

recently taught and practised in some of the lodges in this jurisdiction , and that of three , five , and ten years since . Some gross innovations have been introduced , which I am confident have no jorecedent- ontside of this jurisdiction , since the

first building Avas erected in the city of Baltimore , and consequently could not be rightfully termed " Baltimore work . " Among which Avere the following : . . . . These , and a feAV others of minor importance , I instructed our G . V . and L .

to correct . In order , therefore , to enable me to assist in preparing a correct and permanent standard of

rituals for our future use , I have visited and witnessed an exemplification of the work , on the three several degrees ; and heard all the lectures rehearsed , by some of the best ritualists in the States of Massachusetts , New Hampshire ,

Vermont , Illinois , and Wisconsin . And among those of whom I sought for light , Avere Bros . Cooledge , P . G . M . ; C . W . Moore , G . Sec . ; and E . D . Bancroft . Grand Lecturer of the Grand Lodge of 2 > I . u , acM \ Jb . uoachbo } CCIL . 1 I of wKorn . are . as hi ghly

polished , brilliant ashlars as can be found in the United States . Bro . Moore , it will be recollected , was on the committee at Baltimore , and reported the lectures and work , Avhich Barney was authorised to teach ,

and ought to be considered as good authority for correcting any material discrepancy in the Barney Avork .

Iu all the States I have visited , they claim to work the Baltimore Avork ; and claim that that is the Webb-work , differing only in a feAV nonessentials ( which I can readily explain to you , if desired ) .

" And from all my researches , Avhile I am of the opinion thai a few corrections in onr former work ought to be made ( and would not require scarce ten minutes to perfect ) , still , as a whole , I believe the lectures and Avork as taught and

practised in this jurisdiction six or eight years since , and in many of our subordinate lodges at the present clay , to be as correct and free from errors as can be found Avithin any jurisdiction in the United States . Near the close of our last session , a select com-