Bro.Yarker And The Supreme Council.

¦ " 7 . 'he Supreme Council of the 83 ° of the Ancient and Scioiitive Kite of 33 ° , " and which he states is acknowledged by the Grand Orient of France . We iose no time in communicating this fact to you , feeing satisfied that it will meet with prompt attention from Assuring of the fraternal good wishes

you . you ¦ < is . d high consideration of this Supreme Council , I have the honour to be , Yours faithfully aud fraternally , J . M . P . MONTAGU . 33 , Golden Square , 30 th August , 1 S 71 .

A / . L . - . G . \ D . - . G . - . A . - . D . \ L'UNIY . - . Au . J . - . 111 .- . P . - . J . - . M . - . P .- . Montagu , Secretaire General du Sup . . Couseil d'An gleterre . Tres III . . Frere—Nous aurions dasire repondre dlus promptement h , votre fraterueile communication d « . ler de ee mois , nous en avons etc empeche par suite

des Travaux de la session annuelle de 1 'Assemblee . Legislative du Grand Orient de France , composee des R epute ' s de tous les Ateliers de notre Obedience . Le Grand Orient n ' a aucune connaissance du norame John Yarker ; c ' est meusongerement qu'il se dit recouuu par le Grand Orientqui n ' a jamais autorise

, personne aconiorer des grades magonniques dans les pays etrangers . L'Art . 43 de notre Constitution defend expressement au Grand Orient de constituer des Loges dans les pays etrangers , oil il existe des pouvoirs magonniques reguliers . —Soyez persuade que le Grand Orient do France atrop le respect de la loi

, pour nejamais renfreindrc . Vous pouvez done et vous devez eonside ' rer John Yarker , lorsqu'il se dit reoonnu ou autorise par le Grand Orient de France ¦ comme uu iinposteur . En vous remercianfc du zele et del'inlerut que vous -noutrez pour la defense des droits et de la diguito de

i ' ordre maoonnique . Nous vous prions d ' agreer l ' assuranee de nos sentiments les plus fratcrnds . Le Secretaire General du Grand Orient , ( Signe ) THEVEXOT . Grand Orient de France , 0 . ' . de Paris , le 23 September , 1871 . ( E . - . Y .-. )

To tho Very Illustrious Brother J- M . P . Montagu , 'Secretary General of the Supreme Council of England . Very Illustrious Brother—We would have wished ¦ ' : o reply more promptly to your fraternal communication of the 1 st of this monthbut we have been

pre-, vented from so doing in consequence of the business of the annual session of the Legislative Assembly of the Grand Orient of France , composed of deputies i ' l-oiu all the lodges under our Constitution . The Grand Orient has no kuowledge whatever of ike person called John Yarker ; and it is untruthfully

¦ that he represents himself as recognised by the Grand ¦ Orient , which has never authorised any person to confer Masonic Degrees in foreign countries . The ¦ t-3 rd Article of your Constitution expressly forbids ¦ ike Grand Orient to constitute lodges in foreign countries where regular Masonic authorities exist . —

, Bs assured that the Grand Orient of France has too . m-tich respect for this law ever to enfringe it . You , vi / ei-efbre , may and ought to consider John Yarker ,

Bro.Yarker And The Supreme Council.

as an impostor , when he represents himself as recognised or authorised by the Grand Orient of France . Thanking you for the zeal aud interest which you show for the defence of the rights and dignities of the Masonic Order . We beg you to accept the assurance of our most fraternal sentiments .

The Secretary General of the Grand Orient , ( Signed ) THEVENOT . East of Paris , 23 rd September , 1871 .

Masonic Jottings, No. 88.

MASONIC JOTTINGS , No . 88 .

BY A PAST PBOYIKCIAL GBAND MASTER . OUR PRESENT SPECULATIVE MASONRY SYSTEM " , Our present Speculative Masonry System consists of Organisation and Doctrines . The Organisation was invented A . D . 1717 . The Doctrines existed long before .

THE 1717 THEORY . A member of Grand Lodge inquires where he can find a full and intelli gible statement of this theory ? The only full statement with which I am

acquainted he will find in Freemasons' Magazine , " vol . 22 , page 90 . lb is of a kind until recently unknown in grave literary controversy . An intelli g ible statement , my brother will , I believe , find nowhere .

MEDIAEVAL TIMES . The 1717 Theory affirms the existence , but denies the cultivation of English Speculative Masonry in Mediasval times . BEFORE THE REFORMATION " . A London Correspondent writes that before the

Reformation there existed Charges , or Fundamental Laws , concerning God and Religion . THE CHRISTIAN—THE NATURAL TIIEIST . The Mason who is a Christian , and the Mason who is a Natural Theist , alike say it is in God , the Glorious Architect of heaven and earth , that we move , that we live , and that we have our being .

THE SOUL'S HARMONY . Brother , the great Poet , telling of the Singing of the Stars , * in continuation tells of the Soul's Harmony" Such Harmony is in immortal Souls , But whilst this muddy vesture of decay ,

Doth grossly close it in , we cannot hear it . " THE HIGH DEGREES . "" While ascribing due honour to the promoters of Universality in the Craft , we cannot forget that