American Freemasonry.

AMERICAN FREEMASONRY .

TO TUT . l-. l . ITOK OF THE rnEElTASOXSMAGAZIXE AXD MASOXIC SlIRBOr .. DEAH . BiioTiiEii , —Your number of August 25 th contains some well deserved strictures on American Ereemasonry , for which many a brother will feel grateful to you . Perhaps there are feiv English Masons , ivho have had better opportunities of discovering all that is to be known about Morgan and his disappearance than myself . To your query ,

then , "AVhat did become of Morgan ? " I believe it may be safely replied that no one knows . I am well acquainted with one Mason , ivho knows all the circumstances connected will his abduction , and from the narration of this brother . I have arrived at the conclusion that he was not destroyed by Masons . Various stories are told of him and his travels , subsequent to his supposed death by drowning , at Port Niagara , but as none of them are reliable , I shall not further allude to them .

After more than sixteen years' experience of American Freemasonry , I can bear unqualified testimony to the truth of your remarks . I send you by book post a brochure , * entitled " An inquiry into the nature and tendency of speculative Freemasonry , " jirinted at Utica , in the State of New York , in 1827 , a perusal of which will confirm your statements , ftis written hy a Baptist Minister , who , you will perceive ,

glories in his shame and parades his perjury in print . In the Northern States of thc Union , hardly a lodge was free from such traitors , and in a great many , they formed the majority . Craft ' s edition of the book ivhieh Morgan is said to have written , can be bought at every City ancl Town in the Union , as well as in Canada for 25 cents ; worse than this , it is thc text look in most lodges , even in Canada . I have never yet visited a Craft Lodge in the United States , wherein all the ceremonies were aught else than Morgan , ' pure and pimple .

Your remarks have touched upon the two blotches which much disfigure American Freemasonry : —1 . Thc universal Morgan ritual . 2 . The trade , which is everywhere made out of it , which you point at , in your reference to the "Almi ghty dollar . " To this trading Masonry it is that ive owe the infinity of degrees which arc given on this side of the Atlantic .

Wishing to become acquainted ivith all thc workings of thc Craft in America , I have taken I know not how many degrees . They are all in Morgan . I have even gone into the Lye-degrees , or side degrees , as they are called , and I am now a " Daughter of Jerusalem" and a " Sister of Mary ! " I was initiated into the two latter degrees (?) in company ivith five young ladies and two men .

Thus is our time-honoured Craft brought into disrepute . Tlic sale of Masonic toggery and Masonic books and newspapers is carried on here with a zeal that is quite Kin-prising . And thus do designing men make a thriving trade out of our ceremonies . I know many English Royal Arch Masons living in Canada who will have nothing to do with Canadian Arch-Masonry , from thc fact of its ' being almost universally worked a , kt Morgan . Yours fraternally , America , 12 /// Sept ., I 860 . J . C . D .

The Masonic Mirror.

THE MASONIC MIRROR .

JMA . S 0 _ . IC MEMS . Another new Mark Lodge is to he opened at Basingstoke on Monday next . The Provincial Grand Lodge of Cheshire is to be held on the 11 th of October , under the presidency of the E-. AV . Prov . G . Master Eield Marshal Viscount Coiiibermere .

METROPOLITAN . CAMDEN LODGE ( JNO . 1006 ) . —The usual monthly meeting of this flourishing lodge took place last Tuesday , Bro . Best , AV . M . in the chair . The business before the lodge was that of conferring the third degree on Bros . AA ^ ilkinson ancl AVilson . Lodge was then resumed in tho lirst degree and Mr . Samuel Freshwater introduced for

initiation . The ceremony proceeded in the usual manner as tin- as the address to the candidate in the N . E . when it being found he was not properly prepared , in accordance with our laws , the AV . M ., did his duty ancl commenced cle . woo . The initiation over , the AV . M . brought forward his motion to raise the Initiation fee from four to six guineas , and the joining fee from one to two guineas , both of which were unanimously carried . Amotion for a committee to revise the by-laws was carried nem . con . ancl the committee appointed . A distressed brother was also relieved . —The lodge ivas closed , and about twenty-five brethren passed a very pleasant evening .

NEW COXCOED LODGE ( JNO . 1115 ) . —The first regular meeting this lodge ( since the recess ) took place at the liosemary Branch Tavern , Hoxton , on the 21 st inst . Bro . Emmens , the AV . M ., summoned the lodge for four o ' clock , at which time a large number ol the members were in attendance . The lodge having been opened , a ballot took place for eleven gentlemen to be initiated , all of whom were unanimously approved of . The AV . M . then raised to the M . M . 's degree , Bros . Pethick , Liddimar , Medcalf , Sclmltz , and

Clayton . This interesting ceremony being ended , the lodge was resumed to the first degree , when Mr . G . Gray , Mr . G . AA . Heath , Mr . John Hart , Mr . A . Bond , and Mr . G . Gocldard were severally initiated into the Order ; all these ceremonies being performed by the AV . M . in his usual masterly manner . This large amount of business being concluded , several propositions were received , and also a notice of motion for increasing the joiningfee . The lodge was then adjourned until the Emergency

Meeting " on the 28 th instant , ivhieh is summoned for the purpose of initiating five more gentlemen as members of the very prosperous New Concord . The brethren , numbering between forty and fifty , next adjourned to the banquet , provided by the worthy host ( liro . Stannard ) , in a splendid new banqueting-rooni , built by him during the recess , and in every maimer adapted for such a purpose .

All the usual Masonic toasts were duly proposed by the AV . JI ., after which The Initiates and A isitors were given ami responded to . The Rev . Bro . LAt'CiiLiS" , Chaplain , proposed the Health of the AV . M . ; and , in doing so , spoke of Bro . Emmens in very eulogistical terms , and reminded the brethren of their AV . 51 . being P . M ., Secretary , and the Senior Member of a lodge ranking second to none in thc Craft , viz ., The Old Concord . It wasthereforeno wonder to find this New Concord so

, , prosperous . Bro . EMMENS , after thanking Bro . Laughlin and the brethren for the very flattering maimer his health hacl been received , said that he could not but feel great pride and satisfaction at the prosperity of this lodge . Indeed , he thought their success was unprecedented , when it was borne in mind the consecration took place only last March ; and , consequently , they had been in existence but six months . They had initiated , in that short

period , twenty-two gentlemen , ivho , with the five to be initiated ou the following Friday , would make twenty-seven initiations in that short space of time , ancl raise their lodge to sixty in number . He ( Bro . Emmens ) thought these facts sufficient to speak for themselves , and it gave him great satisfaction , in being the first Master of so prosperous and highly respectable a lodge . Several other toasts followed , and the brethren adjourned , after spending a very happy and harmonious meeting .

PROVINCIAL . CUMBERLAND AND AVKSTMOKELAND . l'lIOVINCI . ll CBAXD I . ODCE . This Provincial Grand Lodge under the presidency of Br . Greaves , the D . Prov . G . MJ , assembled on Thursday , the 20 th ., at the hour of high twelve , in the lodge-room of the Eden Valley lodge No . 1114 . at the King ' s Head , Appleby—to celebrate the ' obtaining