The Royal Arch.

THE ROYAL ARCH .

TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . SIR , —Allow me to say a few words in opposition to the decision of Grand Chapter in relation to Sunday meetings in your valuable paper . I had no idea what bigotry there could be shown by a few companions in aud about London that Grand Chapter should use such dictatorial means to coerce companions of private chapters when

to meet ; on the contrary , I have always understood thab to choose the day of meeting belonged exclusively to the companions themselves . With all due deference to Grand Chapter , there is another little discrepancy which I do not see how Grand Chapter is to get out of . What are they going to do with the warrants granted to meet on Sundays ? As for the success of

working the warrants on Sundays , I can speak favourably , for I have known many chapters that owe their success to Sunday meetings alone . I know others that have changed their day of meeting from Sunday that have only met two or three times , and then the attendance has fallen off till they have not been able to meet oftener than once a year .

As anobher reason for Sunday meetings , the strongest argument with companions in the country for taking private rooms , or building Masonic Halls , is that the companions could meet without annoyance from either landlord or any other party ; but here Grand Chapter steps in to do police business , the members of country chapbers being afraid , I suppose , bhat they are not obeying the laws

of the country iu which they live . I should have under sbood Comp . Warren if he had said " the laws of the country m which I do , or may , reside ; " but not having promised anything of the sort when I was exalted , excuse me for not seeing the inference . In conclusion , allow me to say that London is nob England , with all its bright notions . I am , yours fraternally , ONE OE THE PRINCIPALS OJ A CHAHEE IN THE NORTH OE ENGLAND .

Can A Warden Initiate ?

CAN A WARDEN INITIATE ?

" Who shall decide , when doctors disagree . TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . "Bro . Blackburn , " evidently , sticks to the guild degree . Now , the Scottish lodges are the only ones , I believe , that can prove a regular descent ; and , if he will examine into their history , he will find that the Senior Warden was the Deputy of the Deacon or Master , and

the Junior lately appointed as the Deputy of the Senior , there being no secret ceremony of installation of W . M . I therefore hold , rightly or wrongly , that anything the Master could do , devolved upon the Wardens , in his absence . No doubt the same rule applies to Speculative Masonry , which I believe to be of great antiquity , though it is

probable the three were considered one . A speech delivered ab York , in 1726 , by a Junior Warden , states , " I am not- only particularly obliged to take care that , during my administration , neither the revenue nor the arcana of the lodge be either embezzled or exposed to vulgar eyes ; " and further on says , " I would not , in this , be thought to derogate from the dignity of my

office , which , as the learned Verstegan observes , is a title of trust and power , warden and guardian being synonymous terms . " I remain , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , A-

Ar00803

A rich man one day asked a man of wit what sort of a thing opulence was . " It is a thing , " replied the philosopher , " which can give a rascal the advantage over an honest man . "

The Masonic Mirror.

THE MASONIC MIRROR .

MASONIC MEMS . His Grace the Duke of St . Albans , Prov . G . M . for Lincoln ,, has kindly undertaken to preside at the Anniversary Festival of the Royal Benevolent Institution for Aged Masons and theu Widows on the 27 th January next . The number of brethren who have kindly handed iu their names as Stewards is

fiftyfive . At the meeting of the Lodge of Benevolence on Wednesday , 18 th inst ., Bro . Capt . Creaton , P . G . D ., in the chair , twenty-onepetitioners were relieved , the sums granted amounting to-£ 212 2 s . ; and one petition was deferred .

GRAND LODGE . The following is the official agenda of the business to be transacted in Grand Loelge , on Wednesday , 2 nd December , 1863 : — 1 . The minutes of the Quarterly Communication of the 2

nd-September , to be read and put for confirmation . 2 . Nomination of a Grand Master for the year ensuing . Business not disposed of in September last , viz . : — 3 . Appeal of Bro . the Rev . A . Wallace , of Newport , Isle of Wight , against the decision of the Provincial Grant ! Master of the Isle of Wight , in the matter of a complaint laid before hinton the 10 th February , 1863 .

4 . Election of twelve Past Masters to serve on the Board of Benevolence . 5 . The report of the Board of Benevolence for the last quarter , in which are recommendations for the following , grants , viz .: — Bro . John Snowof the Domatic Lod ( No

, ge 177 ) , London £ 50 0 0 „ Thomas Gunter , of the Lodge of Prudence ( No . 388 ) , Halesworth 30 0 0 „ James Davidson , of the Vitruvlan Loelge ( No . 87 ) , London 50 0 0

G . REPORT OP THE BOARD OP GENERAL PURPOSES . To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons .. The Board of General Purposes beg to report as follows : — 1 . A complaint was preferred by Bro . Richard J . Duck , of the Merchant Navy Lodge ( No . 781 , late No . 1082 ) , Poplar ,

against his lodge , for having improperly excluded him from membership . The W . M . attended the hoard pursuant to summons , anel produced the warrant and books of the lodge , but as it appeared , on investigation , that the formalities required hy the "Book of Constitutions , " page 65 , Articles 20 and 21 , in reference to proceeding to exclude a brother , had not been

complied with , the board , without going further into the case , or expressing any opinion on the merits , resolved " That the exclusion of Bro . Duck was " irregular , and that he was consequently still a member of the Merchant Navy Loelge . " 2 . A complaint was preferred by the Board of Benevolence against the Lodge of Friendship ( No . 206 , late 21-8 ) , London ,

for neglecting , on three successive monthly meetings of the Board of Benevolence , to attend and support the petition of the widow of a brother whose petition for relief the lodge had recommended as deserving . The W . M . attended the board ,, pursuant to summons , with the warrant and books of the lodge ,