Mark Masonry And The Grand Mark Lodge Officials.

MARK MASONRY AND THE GRAND MARK LODGE OFFICIALS .

TO THE 33 DITOB OE THE EBEEMASOJJS' MAGAZINE AND MASOIfIC MIBBOB . Dear Sir and Brother , —Under the above heading a correspondent in your last number , signing himself " "W . M ., " thinks proper to state , " as a fact , " that no one need expect an answer to any communication addressed to this office . Nowassertion is not proof .

, I repeat the statement contained in a former letter to your paper on this subject , that there is not one letter unanswered in this office . I receive complaints occasionally of neglect , but never fail to vindicate myself , and have only recently proved , by official testimony from the Post Office , that two letters with

remittances—for the non-acknowledgement of which I had been censured—never reached me . Such is the case , doubtless , with regard to the letters alluded to by " W . W . " For my own errors I am content to be responsible , but I cannot allow myself to be held accountable for postal laches , of which not only I , but

many others , have but too much reason to complain . Further , I demur to the fairness of anyone holding up another to public reprobation without inquiry or affording opportunity for explanation . Yours fraternally , FREDERICK BINCKES , G . SEC . Office , 2 , Eed Lion-square , W . C . 19 th July , 1869 .

Bro. Melville's Discoveries.

BRO . MELVILLE'S DISCOVERIES .

TO TUB EDITOR OF THE EBEEMAS 02 TS' MAGAZINE AJfD MASOKIC MIBBOB . Dear Sir and Brother , —As Bro . Buchan , in reply to my last letter , has lost sight of the spirit of it , and quarrels with it in a personal way , I would explain to him that my wish was not to annoy him , or any other brother who had condemned these so-called discoveries , without searching into them or accepting

the offered key for understanding them , but to point out how the Craft might probably lose some li g ht or knowledge if such policy was persevered in . It is probable Bro . Melville looks upon his discoveries as greater than we may all find them to be when examined , yet this does not warrant anyone of us in treating with rudeness and insult the apparent earnestness of a brother who seems to have devoted

years of his life with the object alone of benefiting his brethren . I must confess I cannot see the application of Bro . Buchan ' s remarks about a lunatic asylum and Julius Caesar , and the figure of a coalcellar and farthing candle is equally elegant and clear . I will not further allude to the words " nasty look of imposture and money-getting" than to say they

, do not look well in print . Bro . Buchan alludes to my deficiency in geography . I have many and great deficiencies , but I have a practical knowledge of the distance between Glasgow and London , and must still call it " a few miles ;" had the travelling required for the journey been at the

time of the old stage coaches , or had the destination been Australia , Bro . B . ' s remark might have have had some little weight . I fear Bro . Buchan ' s cable tow is a short one when the " saxpences " are required , though he very modestly tells us that the money he has spent in postage-stamps alone on Masonic matters during the last twelve months is more than many Masons have expended on Masonic literature during their whole lives . Of course Bro . B . knows .

Bro. Melville's Discoveries.

What I wish is , that any truth or information there may be in these discoveries may be secured for the benefit of the Craft ; or , if the whole is found to be but the result of an over-enthusiastic temperament , let this also be shown clearly and temperately , and the matter will of itself pass into oblivion , without being trampled down with hard words . This is a work

which may be done without any personality or undignified language , and Bro . Buchan can , if he will , render good service in the cause . Yours fraternally , EXCELSIOR . [ The correspondence respecting Bro . Melville and his discoveries must now cease . It has far exceeded the length usually allotted in the Freemasons' Magazine to

any particular subject , however interesting ; and , as we see no useful purpose will be served by further protracting it , we cannot insert any more letters on the subject—En . F . M . ]

Position As A Craftsman.

POSITION AS A CRAFTSMAN .

TO THE EDITOB OE THE EBEEMASOXS' MAGAZINE A 2 fD MASONIC MIBBOB . Dear Sir and Brother , —At page 19 of the Magazine we read of the " honourable position as a Craftsman " of the R . W . M . of No . 3 bis . May I ask , what does that mean ? Because , while we know that he was " elected to fill the chair" weas yethave

, , , heard nothing of his having since then discharged the duties of a master . The mere election to office—as is well known—does not necessarily infer performance of its duties ; therefore , does the R . W . M . of No . 3 bis "fill the chair " by merely sitting in it while another brother does

his work ; or , does he work his lodge himself?—thereby proving that he is a true workman that needeth not to be ashamed of his work . A Master who is ashamed to work his lodge himself , or who considers it beneath him to do so , throws a slur upon

the Craft , and he should , therefore , be ashamed to occupy the position ; besides , he is sometimes apt to receive the anything but honourable , although significant title of " duffer ; " which title I have heard applied to brethren who enjoyed the pomposity of " filling the chair" without seeming to have any ability to do anything when in it . ( In such a case

" pomposity of filling the chair" is a proper expression , and gives the true idea ; but to the real Master we say he has the honour of filling the chair . " In a lodge , as we understand , composed in a great measure of tradesmen connected with building , an architect is only too liable to be elected for other

reasons than Masonic ones ; however , any lodge that makes such high claims to antiquity and position as No . 3 bis , ought to set a wholesome example in its working ; therefore , we shall be very happy to hear that its chief officer holds a good " position as a Craftsman ' ' in that respect . Yours fraternally , ENQTJTBEE .

IMPOETAKT GEOIOG-ICAL DISCOVEBT . —Tiie prizes tbat were offered by Mr . Barkas , of Newcastle , to pit lads , in Durham aud Northumberland , to induce them to search for fossil remains , have been attended by the most unexpected results . Not only have the laels picked up from the refuse shale heads large numbers of fish remains , and some remains of large reptiles , but what is really extraordinary , and will astonish palaeontologists , one of the laels has found the lower jaw of a true mammal . The effect of this discovery will be to reduce the comparative ages of all hitherto known mammalia , and carry back the mammalian life of the world for millions of years .