Constitutions Of Freemasonry.

In our next notice of the Constitutions we shall touch upon the duties and privileges of the various Grand Officers . We conclude this notice with an extract from a letter wliich we have received from a Grand Officer of Scotland ,

by which it appears the Mark degree is now acknowledged by the Grand Lodge of Scotland , and the jewels of the higher degrees allowed to be worn in the Craft Lodges—an alteration having been made in the law eight years since , a circumstance of which we were not cognisant . However , as our Scotch brother has promised

to give us the means of correcting our Booh of Constitutions , we shall not be betrayed into further errors regarding their laws .

"Eeferring to THE _ F __ tEEJL _ . so . srs MAGAZINE of Saturday last , I find you have quoted one of the laws of Grand Lodge of Scotland relative to the jewels of the higher degrees being worn in Craft lodges . The law in question was altered at the quarterly convocation on the 7 th Nov ., 1853 , on the motion of the Depute Grand Master . If you will delete from said law tbe four words , " Jewels and other

decorations , " and change " those" and " are , " into " that " and "is , " to make it grammatical , it will then read correctly . We do not permit in Scotland the wearing- in lodges of any clothing but that of St . John ' s Masonry . ' As to jewels , any number are permitted . The Mark , the Arch and its side degrees , the Temple and its side degrees , Eoyal Order , and those of the Eite Ecossaiscorresponding with the degree

, obtained . Since this alteration has taken place , the progress of the higher degrees has been most marked . Your correspondent was quite right in saying that he had seen the jewels of the higher degree worn in . Scotland . I l-emeiiiber when in London in 1856 , I was about to adorn myself in those when I was told that I could not wear any but the Arch and Craft ones .

" I hope we shall never see the ' Adoptive Masonry' introduced into this country ( England , Scotland , and Ireland ) . It may do for the volatile Erench , or the independent , free (?) and liberal Yankees , but our she-males would not tolerate it While on this subject , I may explain another alteration which has been made in the laws of the Grand Lodge .- the introduction of the Mark Degrees . In the law in question

the Grand Lodge is said to recognise no degrees but those of E . A . P ., E . G ., and M . M . They would not even acknowledge the Arch , which the Grand Lodge of England do . Now , however , the Mark Degree is acknowledged as the fourth degree , and forms the connecting link between Grand Chapter and Grand Lodge , the ritual in both being the same , and those admitted under the warrant of either body are allowed to converse Masonically with each other .

" We are a good deal bothered here with spurious Masonry introduced from Ireland , called the " Early Grand . " In this body not only are the Arch and Temple conferred , but a whole host of other degrees , to no less a number than ten , viz ., Knights ofthe Blue , 2 s . 6 d . ; Burial Step , 2 s . 6 d . ; Knights of the Ark , 2 s . Cd . ; Mediterranean Pass , 2 s . ( 3 d . ; Knights of Malta , 3 s . ; Suspending Cross of Babylon ,

2 s . 6 d . ; Eed Cross , or Princely Order , 7 s . fid . ; Royal Mariner . 2 s . 6 d . ; Wrestle , 2 s . 6 d . ; Black Cross , 2 s . 6 d . ; White Cross , 2 s . 6 d . " The person who confers these degrees pockets all the fees in name of expenses . He has no settled place , but goes about the country wherever he can find victims ; sometimes as many as a dozen or twenty are made in one night . In

addition to the above charges , the fees are , for the Arch , 7 s ., and for the Temple , 10 s . 6 d ., and with the view of preventing any of these poor fellows ever afterwards legalising them selves , he has inserted a clause into the obligation to the effect "That they will not be present at the exaltation of any one to the Eoyal Arch Degree , where the fee is more than 7 s ,, and to the Temple more than 10 s . 6 d . " This , he tells them , he was obliged to do to prevent the

Constitutions Of Freemasonry.

poor man from joining the higher degrees elsewhere granted by the exorbitancy of the charge made . To counteract this , as well as the adoptive Masonry , we are organising the means of carrying a new law in the Grand Lodge of Scotland , namely , to obtain the recognition of the Grand Lodge of certain Masonic heads—1 st . Grand Chapter . 2 nd . Grand Priory ( or Conclave as termed in England ) . 3 rd . Eoyal

Order . 4 th . Eite Eccossais . Sth . Eite de Mizraim , in all , including Grand Lodge , six governing heads , each and all , however , separate and distinct . After this is accomplished , to prevent spurious Masonry being carried on under the cloak of being genuine , "we shall have it declared that any M . M . practising any degrees other than those granted by warrant of the above-named bodies , will be rendered liable to expulsion . If these are carried out , I think it will prove a salutary guard against the introduction of spurious Masonry . "

Architecture And Archæology .

ARCHITECTURE AND ARCH ? OLOGY .

THE CHAPTER-HOUSE , WESTMINSTER ABBEY . Suggestions have been revived for restoring the Chapterhouse of Westminster Abbey , which it appears is in danger of being converted to secular purposes , as it has been in times gone by . The Chapter-house was made over by the Convent of Westminster for the use of the House of

Commons early hi the reign of Edward III ., with the express condition that the Crown should keep ifc in repair . In the time of Edward VI ., the Commons having removed to St . Stephen's Chapel , the Chapter-house came into the hands of the Government . It has since been employed as a record office , and it is by adapting it to this purpose that it has been reduced to its present unsihtlstateIt is an

gy . octagon of 18 ft . diameter , and had a vaulted roof , which was supported by a clustered shaft of Piu-beck marble . The windows were of great beauty , and the walls beneath were occupied by arcaded stalls , the backs of which were filled with paintings . Groups of statuary adorned the doorways , and the flooring was of encastic tiles of rich and varied

design . The building suffered only from neglect until the beginning of the eighteenth century , but it was then wantonly reduced to its present state in order to fit it for a record repository . The vaulted roof , being considered dangerous , was destroyed , and cheaply replaced by a flat ceiling ; the walls , rich in most tasteful statuary and paintings , were concealed by presses and a gallery ; the pavement was

boarded over , and luckily so preserved , and the windows were blocked up partly with brick , and partly with their own tracery . Nothing , in fact , was left visible of its orignal beauty except the central shaft , and even that ivas partially concealed by a rough bulkhead round its base . In consequence of the erection of the new general repository for records the Chapter-honse was cleared . Ennds alone are

wanting to secure the work of restoration . In the opinion of Mr . G . G . Scott the Chapter-house at Westminster , which was built by King Henry III . about the year 1250 , surpasses in beauty that of Salisbury . It has suffered so much from more than five centuries of neglect that ifc has been reduced to a mere wreck . The main features have , however , been diligently traced by Mr . Scott . There is plenty of opening , ivithout doubt , for the work of the " restorer . "—Building News .

GENERAL ARCHITECTURAL INTELLIGENCE . St . Thomas ' s , tho sixth of the ten churches wich it is proposed to build in Bradford , Yorkshire , has just been commenced . The style is Gothic , of the Geometrical Decorated period , and the building will consist of a nave , chancel , north and south aisles , organ chapel , vestry under tower , and south porch . The estimated cost ofthe building , which will contain 700 sittings , together with the endowment , is £ 5000 .