Correspondence.

governed over by the Graud Lodge of England . " This I take to mean that the Grand Master and officers of the Grand Lodge , who , perhaps , have never gone beyond the third degree , shall have supreme jurisdiction over not only the Religions and Military Order of the Temple , but over the 33 rd or last degree

of the Ancient and Accepted Rite . This must manifestl y be considered as contrary to common sense . We all of us acknowledge the Craft or blue degrees as the foundation of Masonry , and some brethren go so far as to say ( teste "Fiat Lux" ) that the degree of Master Mason is the summwn gradum and

fulfilment of Freemasonry . Be this as it may , we are all aware that " tot homines , quot sententias . " As a member of the hautes grades I must declare my belief in the beauty of their ritual and the true Christian interpretation of their symbols ; but I would that a certain feeling could be effaced from my mind—that is , that these degrees are not always conferred as the reward of merit and industry , but

occasionally from a motive of pecuniary interest . The only possible remedy I see for the present anomaly is that the Grand Lodge shall declare that no one who owes her allegiance shall take any higher degree without the consent of a committee appointed for the purpose of passing applicants ; that the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge shall beecc officiothe

, , head of every Order of Masonry in England , and shall in each degree have his own Council or Chapter peculiar to that degree , and that no degree shall be permitted to be worked without the sanction of the Grand Master , without which it shall be declared illegal . The degrees would then take rank as

follows : — 1 . Master Mason , or Craft . 2 . Royal Arch . 3 . Rose Croix . 4 . Knight Templar . 5 . K . H . or 30 ° . (\ 31 °

7 . 32 ° . S . 33 ° . The degree of Master Mason to include the Mark Masters as a side degree , and the Knight Templars to include the Red Cross of Rome , in the same category ^ Thisof courseis with the understanding that this

, , latter Order shall recant their absurd and extraordinary pretensions to a purely chivalric orig in , into which time and space will not now permit me to enter . Tours fraternally , ELU DE K . \ H . \

Masonic Sayings And Doings Abroad.

MASONIC SAYINGS AND DOINGS ABROAD .

The Grand Lodge of Canada had under its jurisdiction , as reported at the Fourteenth Annual Communication , 205 lodges on the register , together with 10 lodges working under dispensation . At the above Communication the Grand Master , Bro . A . A . Stevenson made the folloAving appropriate remarks : — " From various parts of our jurisdiction I

have learned with great regret that the ambition of some of our brethren , iu regard to obtaining lodge offices , seems to have outrun their discretion . In , several instances this has been carried so far as to result in the formation of two or more parties in a lodge , and under the eagerness and excitement which such a

state of things invariably produces , open canvassing for office has been actually resorted to . Brethren , this is an evil of great magnitude , fraught with most disastrous consequences , and it ought not to be tolerated either , in private lodges or in Grand Lodge . To

be elected to a prominent position in the Craft is , doubtless , an honour to which all deserving and duly qualified brethren may aspire ; yet it ought always to be remembered that merit and ability alone are the true grounds of preferment among MasoDs , and it is most unseemly that anything like electioneering for

office should ever be attempted . It is to be hoped that iu future every brother will denounce and discountenance such proceedings by every means in his power . The most effectual mode of securing the complete abolishment of this evil practice will be for every brother , when approached in that way , to cast his vote against , instead of for , the party who resorts to such improper methods for the purpose of obtaining office . "

The following clearly exemplifies the utility of the system pursued by our American and Canadian brethren of granting probationary dispensations before issuing warrants for new lodges . The Deputy District Grand Master , Hamilton district , Canada , in his report to the Grand Master , says : — " I also received

au application from several members of the daft residing in Georgetown , praying for a dispensation to form a lodge at that place . Before recommending the same , I wished , in accordance with the requirements of Grand Lodge , to be satisfied as to the ability of the W . M . named in the petition to work the three

degrees of symbolic Masonry , and also of his capabilities of ruling aud governing a lodge . Being unable to examine him personally , I appointed W . Bro . Watson , of St . Clair Lodge , No . 135 , to do so , and report to mo at his earliest conuenience . On receipt of W . Bro . Watson's report , I found tho brother

selected as the first W . M . of the new lodge to bo quite unskilled in the work of the first degree . With respectto the second aud third degrees , he refused to be examined in them , alleging 'that he did not think he could work them . ' Such being the ease , I did not feel justified in recommending the petition . "

Again , Bro . W . McCabo , District Deputy G . M , Ontario district , in his report says : — "I again recommend that a general regulation bo adopted by Grand Lodge that no Master be installed hereafter until he obtains a certificate from the G . M ., or some qualified Grand Lodge officerto be named by the

, G . M ,, that he is familiar with the Avork and lectures adopted by this Grand Lodge , aud that he is competent to practise and impart the same , as is now required from the W . M . nominated in the petition for a new lodge .