Colonial.

bility , practicability , and utility , of allowing the Brethren in these colonies the privilege of governing themselves ; and as the voices of our colonial Brethren grow eloquent with the theme upon which they are dilating , while they place before the council of tried and trusty warriors a true statement of facts , at the same time asking for sucli concessions as will eventually benefit the whole Fraternity , the elder chiefs will see not only the utility but the real necessity of granting the requests of their younger Brethren . They will not ask

for any lengthened parley , but will immediately grant the desires of their colonial Brethren ; the hatchet of battle will then be buried never again to be uplifted , the calumet of peace will be smoked , and each one shall grasp the other's hand in one silent embrace , and depart . Think not Brethren , while we have been indulging our thoughts for a brief space , that we are running on in an idle strain . " We speak that which we do know , and testify that which we have seen ; " and although some portions of our language be " clothed

may in imagery , " we have endeavored to illustrate our position by "symbols . " When the day arrives in which we shall be enabled to raise our heads among the nations of the earth ( Masonically ) , then will be felt the importance of our position . It requires no prophetic vision to foreshadow this happy consummation ; and as " coming events cast their shadows before , " we suppose that it will not be considered amiss in us to foreshadow a future for Masonry in the Lower Provinces . — Freemasons' Monthly Monitor , Keu ) Brunswick .

SIR ALLAN M'NAB — The retirement of the veteran statesman , Sir Allan M'Nab , from public life , which has been for some time expected , is now definitely announced . The universal regret with which it has been received , and the manner in which all political animosities have been at once laid aside , is highly creditable to the public , spirit of all parties in Canada , and no less honourable to Sir Allan M'Nab , who now , in the fulness of years and of honours , has

retired into private life , with the intention of spending his latter days in the land of his forefathers . Prominent for thirty years in the history of his country—governing and lighting , now in office and now out of it , sometimes heading a triumphant party , sometimes conducting a vigorous opposition , but ever an efficient servant of the state , he has been always loyal and zealous for the well-being and well-doing of Canada , which in him loses a valuable man . Broken health is the cause assigned ; but we trust that relief from his incessant duties , and change of climate , may enable the gallant baronet long to enjoy in private life the well-earned honours and distinctions of his active and not inglorious career . —Canadian News .

Correspondence.

Correspondence .

To the Editor . Sir and Brother , —Having remarked that you have devoted some pages of your periodical to the subject of Mark Masonry , of which I profess to be an ardent admirer , I have taken up my pen to offer some observations on the subject I cannot but lament the schism which at present exists among Masons on account of the Mark Degree , and I have but little doubt that many excellent Brethren lament the circumstances as much as I do ; and I fear , from the tenacity of both parties to the schism ,

that there will be some difficulty in establishing such a union as would be desirable . I wish to respect the views and convictions of both parties , because I expect my own views and . convictions to be respected . I purpose to examine the question , taking care to be guided by justice and reason ; to avoid dogmatic assertions , and to view the case through the medium of common sense . I am , Sir , fully acquainted with all the discussion , as it appeared from time to time , in the Freemasons' Magazine , and in the Masonic Mirror , before its union with the Freemasons' Magazine ; it will not

avail my being told that the Bon-Accord Warrants was illegally granted—that might or might not be . I suppose it will . not be disputed that the Brethren who founded the Bon-Accord Lodge of Mark Masters legally received the degree ; if so , what is there to hinder them from proceeding as they have done ? There is no authority in England to prevent them , the Grand Lodge of England ( I cannot help saying ) unhappily having rejected Mark Masonry altogether . Some years since I took the Mark Degree , as a Member of the

Craft Lodge , to which I belonged , which Degree I afterwards discovered had been conferred on me " without any warrant from a superior body . " * I , of course could have no certificate ; such has * Masonic Observer , June , p . 3 .

been the practice in other Lodges I have no doubt ; and now comes the question , Where is the superior body ? We are told by some , the Grand Chapter of Scotland : and I may infer , I think , from the following quotation , that the Grand Lodge of Ireland is a superior body ; the quotation is from the Freemasons' Magazine , October , 1857 , p . 833— " That the R . W . M . should postpone any further discussion , til ! it had been authoritatively ascertained from the Grand Lodge of Ireland , whether the Master of the Craft Lodge was ex officio Master of the Mark Lodge connected with it . " Here there is

a difference ; in one Masonic kingdom , if I may be allowed the expression , the Grand Chapter is the superior body ; in the other Masonic kingdom , the superior body is the Grand Lodge . Now , Sir , I can understand very well the Grand Lodge of Ireland being a superior body , as Mark Masonry is essentially of a Craft character and a part of Craft Masonry ; but by what authority , or how , the Grand Chapter of Scotland , or any other Grand Chapter , can claim to be a superior body , I cannot understand ; I therefore ask for some explanation on this point ; I do so from a sincere desire

for information , as it appears to me to be somewhat anomalous for a Grand Chapter to possess the power to grant warrants for the establishment of Lodges , in which a degree was to be conferred that is essentially a Craft degree . It appears also that no Mark warrant can be obtained from the Grand Lodge of Ireland , " without a warrant for a Craft Lodge as a basis , " * "that , " as Bro . Sharman observes , "is out of the question . " To what superior body then are Mark Masters desirous to form a

Lodge in England to apply ? Bro . Warren would say , to the Grand Chapter of Scotland ; this I would not consent to do , until the anomaly of a Grand Chapter assuming the power to interfere with a Craft degree be satisfactorily explained . Much has been written , and doubtless much has been said that has not . been written , concerning the formation of a Grand Lodge of Mark Masters in London , by Brethren belonging to the Bon-Accord Lodge . This Grand Lodge has been termed " upstart "

, " sham , " " spurious" " usurpation ; "f are these Masonic terms ? do they savour of charity and brotherly love ? Bro . Sharman is milder in his expressions , he uses the term " ill-advised , " as reported at p . 835 of the Freemasons' Magazine for October last : but in the same number of the Freemasons' Maqazine , " One of the Committee , "

formed on the 30 th of May last , by the Meeting of Mark Masters , convened by Lord Leigh , condescends to be personal , by stating , that he believes "that the only object of the so called English Grand Lodge is to minister to the vanity of the Noble Lord and a few Brethren , by usurping titles to which they have no claim ; " and then goes on to inform us , " that the certificates of the Leigh Grand Lodge are not acknowledged , either in Ireland , Scotland , or the United States . " I , Sir , can find no trace of Masonic feeling in such ( may I say )

vituperative language , let those Brethren who use or approve it have what opinions they may ; I consider they only injure Masonry in general , by indulging in language inconsistent with the benignant spirit of our ancient and honorable Institution . In the Masonic Observer for June last , page 3 , we read— " If Mark Masters find themselves unable to work in a Craft Lodge , owing to the veto of the Grand Lodge of England , they are at perfect liberty to work separately , and to form Lodges wherever a sufficient number of Mark Masters can be assembled to do so . Or , they may , if

they please , do as the four London Lodges did in 1717—meet together and constitute a united body under the name of a Grand Lodge . " There being then no superior body in England , is it a crime , an offence , an impropriety , a usurpation , for the Members of the Bon-Accord to have formed among themselves a Grand Lodge of Mark Masters ? Their rank in life , their position in society , are not incompatible with such a proceeding . Are we not called upon by Masonic principles to give them credit for far better motives than

those of " ministemig to the vanity of the Noble Lord , and to that of a few Brethren ? " But , to our subject . Why should we not have a superior body in England ? The Grand Lodge of England has declared its negation of Mark Masonry . Can we suppose that those English Mark Masons , who have sworn allegiance to the Grand Chapter of Scotland , think they may ultimately prevail on the Grand Lodge of England to acknowledge Mark Masonry ? And if Grand Lodge did so acknowledge it , as to sanction it—although I do not know Lord Leighhaving never even seen him—yet I doubt not

, , under such circumstances , " the vanity his Lordship is charged with would not prevent him from abandoning his so-called usurped Grand Mastership as promptly and as speedily as the Grand Chapter * Freemasons' Magazine , October , 1 S 57 , p . 835 . t Freemasons' Magazine , July , 1850 , p . 502 .