Masonic Notes And Queries.

against its acts and proceedings . Thus ended the unfortunate Paris commission ; but the secretary and some of his associates contumaciously set the authority of the Order at defiance , declared themselves a permanent chapter , and among other things , it is said , executed the instruments above referred to . The commission had no power regarding England , and

against the proceedings of this society the protest of the Vice-Chancellor and Secretary of the Order , now exercising its functions at Rome , is directed . They protest against the Kuights so nominated by the said society in England being considered as having , either iu reference to the origin of the Order or at any later period , being connected with its personal composition or its actionand

, maintain that the Langues of Italy and Germany are the only ones which retain a legitimate existence according to the statutes , with a reservation in respect to the Grand Bailliewick of Brandenburgh . The alleged revival of the Order by any proceedings taken by Sir Robert'Peat , as an individual , in 1834 , before

the Chief Justice , must be a mistake . Sir Robert Peat , moreover , was not elected by competent authority . The property acquired by the Hospital under this charter was seized by Queen Elizabeth in 1559 , and the body corporate extinguished . Nothing but a re-grant from the Crown could restore vitality to the corporation . The assumption of the power of creating or electing

Knights of St . John by the society in London , called " The Sovereign Order of St . John of Jerusalem Angliss , " seems to be without authority . On reference to a copy of the Treaty of Amiens , March 25 , 1802 , especial reference will be found to tho subject , under Article X ., No . 2 , by which it seems declared that there should no longer be recognised either a French

or an English Langue , viz .: — "The Government of the French Bepuhlie and of Great Britain , desirous to place the Order ancl island of Malta in a state of entire independence with respect to themselves , agree that there shall not he in future either a French or an English Langue , ancl that no individual belonging to either the one or the other of these powers shall he admitted into tho Order . " —J . R .

[ I can inform " Historicus , " on the authority of a letter from the late Sir Richard Broun , " Grand Secretary to the Langue of England , " that the principal agent ( "The Agent General employed by the French authorities , " be styles him ) of the soi-disant French Commission of 1826-7 in the work of re-establishing the said "Langue , " was an army tailor , named Currie , who kept a shop in

Waterloo-place , where he dealt in tartans , and such like Scottish gear , I have every reason to believe that the same Mr . Currie was the " Envoy Extraordinary representing the Continental authorities , " mentioned in the Synoptical Sketch , who ossisted at a chapter of the " English Kni ghts , " held on January 29 th , 1831 ( vide "N . and Q ., " 3 S . iii .

271 ) . Indeed , Mr . Currie told mo himself that he had acted officially as the agent of the Order in France ( i . e . „ the soi-disant Capitular Commission ) in other aflair : and Sir Richard Broun , in his letter , says , that neither he ( Sir R . B . ) nor the "English Langues" had ever any personal knowledof of the French Knights

ge any . "Historicus" also inquires what and who was the Mandataire General , the Baron Nottred deSt . Lys ? and whether he was the same individual who figured , in 1858 , before the Correctional Police in Paris for trafficking in titles and decorations ? Perhaps the following extract from Sir R . Broun ' s letter may enlighten him on that point : —

" Our papers of late have contained paragraphs velatiii" - to tho discoveries made in Paris as to the traffic in titles , decorations , & e . ; and I regret to see among the names of persons implicated that of the Baron Notret ( sic ) de St . Lys , with whom , some years back , we had correspondence as a Mandataire General for the Langues in France , & c . Judging merely from the style of these letters ( for we have never seen any of the French Knights

Masonic Notes And Queries.

here *) , I ivould have supposed him to be a respectable character , more so than the Marquis de M . f I now begin to suspect that that ! N and N" % , & c , have been imposed upon by the latter , for their diplomas came through his hands , & e . " I am afraid these disclosure s will go far to make your readers conclude that , notwithstanding the grandiloquous flourish about the "French , Spanish , and Portuguese Authorities of the Order " ( whose agent Mr . Currie was ) ,

and the " Executive Government of the Order concentrated in the Paris Commission " ( N . and Q . " hi ., 270 ) , and the " Executive Sovereignty of the Order , which may be said to have been exercised exclusively by the six languages , & c . " ( " N . and Q . " iii ., 289 ) , all which assertions are magnified into extraordinary importance by the writer of the Synoptical Sketch ( Sir R . Broun ) , the much

vaunted re-establishment of tho " Venerable Language of England" has been mainly brought about through and by the instrumentality of a Tailor , and a Chevalier dTndus trie . —IN VESTIGATOK . ]

THE M . W . G . 'M . SOT A W . 1 I . When was the law made that the M . W . G . M . could not bold the office of W . M . of a subordinate lodge ?—H . — [ Where does our correspondent find any such law ?] MISSING " DIALOGUES l'OUR . LES EKAJICKACONS . " A few words from my common place book , whence originally derived I do not know , suffice to describe this work , of one of Germany ' s most celebrated writers .

" Lessing cherche a etablirque la Francmaconnerrie n ' est autre chose que le desir et les efforts de tons les gens de bien pour faire disparaitre les obstacles qui s ' opposent a l ' union et a la bonne intelligence entre tousleshornm . es . " —ClIAKLES PlIBTOif COOPER .

loriGim os ST . JOHS AND THE IKEEHASONS . The various articles which have appeared lately in " N . and Q . " on the above Order have naturally led to an inquiry which I hope some correspondent will answer . It is tolerably well known that the Order of St . John of Jerusalem has long been kept up in a certain way by the Freemasons . It forms one of the Orders of what they

term Masonic Knighthood . It is not to be supposed that the real authorities of the Order have ever acknowledged this incorporation with Freemasonry ; but it would be interesting to know when , and upon what occasion , it took place ; and what can be the object of continuing what at best must be regarded as an assumption , if not something even less dignified . —F . C . II .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is nob responsible / or the opinions expressed hy Correspondent s THE PRINCE OF WALES . TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . ~ DEAR SIR ASD BROTHER ,- —It has been a matter of surprise to many brethren of my acquaintance that no notice has been taken by the Masons of England of the

marriage of the Prince of lYales . Surely , from tbe great interest which their Royal Highnesses , the late Dukes of Sussex and Kent , the last Prince of Wales , aud other members of the Royal Family took in Masonry , something should be done to testify the esteem in which they were held , either by an address to the Queen or to the Prince himself . I am

informed the Irish Grand Lodge has clone so . Let us hope that General Red Tape is not tho gentleman who stops the way . Can you enlighten us on the subject , and oblige , Yours fraternally , May 20 th , 1863 . ' A PAST MASTER .