Provincial Grand Lodge Of Sussex.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF SUSSEX .

TO THE EDITOR 01 ? THE FREEMASONS MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Being personally alluded to in the letter signed "Observer" which appeared in to-day's MAGAZINE , I think it right to give a flat contradiction to the many mis-statements it contains . In the first place , I believe that a thoroughly good aud truly Masonic feeling prevails throughout this province . _ I unless it be in

am not aware of any other feeling existing , the disordered mind of an " Observer , " whose observations are strangely inaccurate . The Y-W . Deputy Prov . G . M . this year , unfortunately , has been prevented by an illness of many months ( which compelled him for a time to reside abroad ) , from paying his usual visits to the lodges in this province ; it is , therefore ,

to say the least of it , ungenerous to reproach him for not having been more frequently amongst his brethren , and for availing himself of the returns annually made by the lodges , and of the information supplied by the the Provincial Grand Secretary . For myself , I am no stranger to the lodges in this provincebeing at the present time W . M . of " So . 1153

, , honorary member of No . 1034 , and subscribing member of Nos . 64 , 426 , 338 , and 390 , being also P . M . of 338 and 390 . During the last few months I havo had the pleasure of installing the 'W . Ms , of 45 , 64 , 390 , and . 1113 . I am a regular attendant at the monthly meetings of my mother lodge , and I have not deserted the Brighton Lodge of Masonic Instruction , of which I am still a member ; this lodge ,

however , is no longer " a bantling ;'' it numbers amongst its members many brethren who are well qualified to promote it success and maintain its usefulness . Lastly , I believe that the appointments to be made on Tuesday next will give great and general satisfaction ; they are to be conferred upon brethren who are all energetic and worthy Masons , who are respected btheir brethren in the provinceand deserving

y , of the honour to be conferred upon them by the Deputy Provincial Grand Master . Believe me dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , GAVIN ELLIOT POCOCK , P . G . S . B . Provincial Grand Secretary . 42 , Cannon Place , Brighton , August 24 th , 1861 .

Knights Templar.

KNIGHTS TEMPLAR .

TO THE EDITOR OI THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . —I have no un-Masonic feeling or . prejudice against our gallant French brethren , and should be very pleased to see the genuineness of their Order of the Temple proved by unquestionable historical evidence . But if , as I believe that the French Order is our legitimate head , the children have great reason to complain of their

parent , for our 111 . Bro . W . Littaur , of the Grand Orient of Paris , whom I had the pleasure of meeting some months back at the Invicta Chapter at Woolwich , told me the French Order refused to recognise the English Knights Templar . I remain , dear Sir and Brother , yours most fraternally , M . H . SHUITLEIVORTTI .

The Watson Testimonial Fund.

THE WATSON TESTIMONIAL FUND .

TO THE EDITOR OP THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AITO MASONIC MIRROR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Do you know what is being done by the Committee of the Watson Testimonial Fund ? Week after week your pages contain an advertisement stating meetings are to be held at certain times , bub I am credibly informed they do not take place . When Grand Lodge voted the £ 200 it was hoped by many that the scheme

was in a fair way to be realized , but it appears to have died a natural death , although it is said that several of the Committee have received good round sums which they decline to pay in to the bankers . "AYhile the grass grows the steed starves , " is a threadbare proverb , but it seems very applicable to this case , and , if the brethren have received such sums as I hear spoken of , I cannot think they are- acting rightly in retaining them , for certainly they are not aiding , but , on the contrary , impeding the object in view . You have ever advocated and done good service to our

The Watson Testimonial Fund.

various Masonic Charities , and it is to you we all look for a fearless exposure when wrong is being done . In consequence of which I would respectfully urge the taking of this matter under your consideration , and beg you to tell us who are the defaulters , and when it is likely an end may be put to the matter . With all the talk there was about its necessity at the time ,

a feeling of total indifference seems to be , now , actuating the Committee , and it would have been better that it had never been taken in hand than to tantalise a worthy brother , who name has been bandied about right and leftj and who yet appears as far from benefitting by the plan as he did six months ago . Seeing your own name on the Coinmittee , I hope you will

point out the value of the old saying , that " he who gives speedily gives twice , " and remind those who retain moneys , entrusted to them for a special purpose , that they are creating distrust by their course of proceeding , and seriously in-, juring the cause they have professed to support . Tours very faithfully , PROMPTITUDE .

P . S . —Perhaps the better way would be to publish the amounts paid in against the respective names , and then the Craft would see who they were that kept subscript , tions back . [ We believe the Committee talk about closing their accounts in November . When the name of our Editor was placed on the list of the Committee , he distinctly informed the promoters of the subscription that he would be unable to take part hi the proceedings at the Meetings . ]

Masonry In America.

MASONRY IN AMERICA .

TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER ,- —Many of your readers must , like myself , have read ivith very much surprise the startling statement made by H . N . at page 147 of to-day ' s MAGAZINE , that " Masonry in America is , at the present time , virtually defunct" This strange assertion appears to me so utterly opposed to the great Masonic virtue , truth , and so

outrageous a libel on our American brethren , that I charitably hope the writer , if he be a Freemason , has not expressed what he meant to have done . That Masonry is nob "defunct" nor even languishing in Canada , under the new Grand Lodge , is apparent to all close observers ; nor is it " defunct" in South America . And I envy not the feelings of the man , initiated or uninitiated , who dares to brand the

two hundred thousand "brothers of the mystic tie" in the Great Republic of the United States as men who have basely perjured their souls , as they must have done if " Masonry be defunct" amongst them . If the novel assertion of H . N . have any truth in it , we must altogether alter our Masonic teaching , especially the answer to the tenth test question o the E . A . degree ; and we must admit that there is one great division of the globe over which the banner of Freemasonry

does not float . There is something ungenerous in the conduct of a portion of the British press choosing the period of the most trying times through which our cousins across the Atlantic have had to pass , for ridiculing a people , who , with all their errors , will occupy no low position in history ; but I had hoped that every brother Mason in the United Kingdom and . her colonies would have sympathized with

their brethren in the United States in their present trials ; for these are indeed , for them , " times that try men's souls . " That they havo like ourselves , many amongst them who have gone through our ceremonies without ever truly seeing the heavenly light of Masonry , I know , and the true brethren in America will doubtless regret it as much as H . N . or myself can possibly do ; but if H . N . has never heard of

noble Masonic deeds done by our brethren in every portion of the great American continent ( or , as we now ought to write , island ) , he is not " posted up" on American Masonry . We had bettor set our own houses in order before we attempt to meddle with those of our neighbours . But having been " raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason , " I feel bound to defend the characters of absent brethren . Yours very fraternally , GEORGE MARKKAS TIVEDDELL . Stokesley , Yorkshire , August 24 th , 1861 .