Masonic Notes And Queries.

a contributor considers that the letter does not afford sufficient evidence , historically and legally , that what our Freemasonry was in 1757 , that it was in the 17 th century . " See "Freemasons' Magazine , vol . xxii ., page 91 . The evidence which contradicts the Deputy Grand Master ' s letter , has not hitherto been produced . —A PAST PB . OVIHCI . _ L GRAND MASTEK .

SPANISH MASONRY . French masonic news is rather stale , as the Bulletin of the Grand Orient was put on short allowance during the seige . The French Lodge at Carthagena in Spain was formed in 1870 , in agreement with the JIasonie jurisdiction then iu progress of formation in Spain , It counts , above CO members , and its chiefs are Miguel Trigo , Emmanuel Rodriguez , and Antonio Garcia . The name is Sons of Hiram .

ROUMANIE . From the same source we learn that the Grand Orient has added to its many lodges iu lloumanie , one at Ploesti—the Concord . MAHE . There is another Lodge at Mahe in the Seychelles

in the African seas . The Venerable is Bro . Pascal de Giovanny . THE JESUITS . Ninety-eight years ago on Thursday , 20 th ult ., Pope Clement Gangangelli abolished the Order of Jesuits . On the same day , the society , with then-General at their head , left Eome to establish themselves in Sicily , principally at Palermo . *

A PAST PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER-ARCHITECTURE . See a communication entitled as above , " Freemasons' Magazine , " vol . 24 page 447 . For the former assertion that a Past Provincial Grand Master was " perpetually praising German

architecture at the expense of English , " a Contributor has now substituted the assertion that a Past Provincial Grand Master lias " stated that the Germans taught the English . " A Past Provincial Grand Master will not permit this violation of the rules of literary controversy , f—A PAST PROVINCIAL GHAND MASTEE .

WASHINGTON'S PRAYERS . May the favour of Heaven be upou this Meeting and as it is happily begun , mny it be conducted iii order and closed with harmony ! Amen . May the blessing of Heaven rest upon us , aud al ! regular Lodges ! may brotherly love prevail , and every moral aud social virtue cement us ! Ainen .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents THE MAEK DEGREE . 10 THE EDITOtt 01 ? IHE - £ ilEEH \ S 01 _' S MAGAZINE iH _> i-ASOlilC 3 . 1511103 .. Dear Sir and Brother—I am sorry to have to

ob-, serve that the evidence brought forward by Bro . Kerr , upon this subject , as recorded at pages 79 and SO of your columns , is , in my opinion , full of mistakes , as has been already shown at pages 461 , —483 of the Magazine for December 11 th and 18 th , 1 SG 9 , and page 102 , February 5 th , 1870 , & c .

The Lodge ot * Glasgow St . John , does not " hold a charter from Malcolm Canmore / ' while the document purporting to be such held by , or in possession of the Glasgow Incorporation of Masons has not only been denounced by the best authority in the kingdom as a recent forgery , but it has also been twice formally

repudiated by the Grand Lodge of Scotland , viz ., in 1850 , and iu 1870 . Neither is it true that "they have another of William the Lion , which , is indisputable , dated 1174 , " for the William the Lion document referred to is not dated " 1174 , " hut was

granted about A . D ., 1190 , not to the Masons , but to the Bishop ( Joceline ) of Glasgow Cathedral . Said document is lost ; there is , however , a copy of ifc extant in the Register of the Bishopric , written in a hand of the thirteenth century . The Lodge of Glasgow St . John , it must be stated , has never as yet been able prove its title to tin ' s documentwhichin

, , the opinion of Professor Cosmo Innes , the word " fraternitatem , " which occurs in it , does not refer to a company of Operative Masons , but to " a body of zealous Churchmen , zealous Glasgow men — not operatives . " And as to their " books , which were brought forward'' theseas may be seen by perusing

, , page 462 , of the Magazine for December , 18 G 9 , only go back to 1824 , not half a century . And in the Incorporation books which go back to 1600 , there is nothing to shew that any Mark Degree , ever existed before the latter half of last century , while Apprentices used marks as well as Fellow Crafts . Marks

were m common use among all classes from their handiness , as people who could not write could affix their mark . In the 1628 ltossyln " Charter , " we fitidj the Masons confessing that they could not write . There was no " Graud Lodge held in Holyrood Palace in 1598 . " The idea or assertion is , in my opiniona piece of childish Scottish pretension

, , founded upon misapprehension aud misrepresentation , and it is anything but creditable to Scotsmen to either bring forward or support such ideas . To return to the William the Lion Charter for a moment , allow me to observe that supposing operative masons , carpenters , & c , are either included or alluded to in it , it

does not follow that said operatives were either the recip ients or custodians of the Charter , aud in fact such was not the case , as the document was given to Bishop Joceline and his confreres . The business of the seventeenth century , operative or friendl y lodges , in contradistinction to the eighteenth and nineteenth century speculative lodges , was work , wages , and