To Our Readers.

TO OUR READERS .

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TO ADVERTISERS .

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Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

Bro . \ arker's letters received . We do not think it worth while logo on with the controveisary about Burt . ERIIATA . —In the report of the Union Waterloo Lotlge in our last , we find that the date of the Warrant should be 1785 , instead of 182 C , as stated ; and instead of the W . M . having been initiated by P . M . Applebee two years ago , it should have been TEN years ago .

The following reports stand over : — St . Peter ' s Lodge , Newcastle-on-Tyne . Nelson Lodge , No . 700 , Woolwich . Pattison Chapter , No . 913 , Plumstead . Duke of Connaught Lodge of Instruction .

BOOKS , & c , RECEIVED . " Brief , " " Hebrew Leader , " " Hull Packet , " " The Skin and its Troubles , " " New York Dispatch , " " Broad Arrow , " "Alliance News , " "Sunday Review , " "Royal Cornwall Gazette , " " Hebrew Leader , " " Liberal

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Births, Marriages, And Deaths.

Births , Marriages , and Deaths .

[ The charge is 2 s . Cd . for announcements not exceeding Four Lines under this heading . ]

BIRTHS . BAKNES . —On the 20 th inst ., at Cheltenham , the wife of Richard Barnes , the Superintendent of the Colonial Bank , West Indies , of a son . MARTIN . —On the 20 th inst ,, at Green Hill , Worcester , the wife of Major Robert C . Martin , Recruiting Staff , late 19 th Regiment , of a son .

MARRIAGE . JACKSON—STEIB . —On the 22 nd inst ., at St . Mary ' s Church , Stoke Newington , by the Rev . T . E . Hewlett , Edward Darwin , son of Bro . John Jackson , of Adtlington-road , Bow , to Alice Mce , eldest daughter of Wm . Stcib , of Nevill-road , Stoke Newington , and niece of the late Bro . H . Steib , of Preston .

DEATHS . ii'wiAAN .- —On the 17 th inst ., at 18 , Warwick-crescent , Bro . L . M . Aurhaan , upwards of thirty years Treasurer of Joppa Lodge , No . 188 . Much respectetl . Ditoitv . —On the 19 th inst ., at Meirelbeke , Ghent , George William Drory , Esq ., in the 77 th > car of his age .

Ar00604

THEFREEMASON. SATURDAY , JUL - ? 2 , 6 , 1879 .

The French Ancient And Accepted Scottish Rite.

THE FRENCH ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE .

We are favoured by Bro . Clement with a long letter , from which we publish the following " extracts , which may interest our readers . Much of the letter relates to our wrongful appreciation of the Masonic position in France , which differs from that of Bro . Clement ; but as we entirely

dissent from Bro . Clement in this respect , we do not see that any good can ensue from reproducing merely controversial statements and personal understandings or misunderstandings , as the case may be . Bro . Clement seems to think that we mix up the two systems of the Grand Orient of France and the " Grand Lodge Centrale " of

the Rite Eccossias ; but that is not so . Having a strong view , and on good data , as to the real cause of most regrettable tendencies in French Freemasonry , the "fons et origo mali " of much deplorable agitation , we thought it well to sound a note of warning , lest our brethren of the " Kite Eccossais " should be inclined to follow suit in the most mistaken lead of the Grand Orient

of France . Bro . Clement , however , denies that there is any tendency or wish to make organic charges . All he contends for isa reform of the system of administration and representations ; we , therefore , are glad to set before our readers the salient points of his complaints and

statements , though many of them will come we venture to think with great surprise as well upon the Craft readers of the Freemason , as upon many worthy members of the English Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite . In the first place , Bro . Clement tells us that there are 4000

" active ' members under the authority of the " Rite Eccossais Ancien et Acceptc " in France . Of these , if we understand Bro . Clement ' s words correctly , ( there seems to be no possible doubt on the subject ) , seventy-five members make up the Thirtieth , Thirty-firsf , Thirty-second , and

Thirty-third Degrees ; 370 members represent fifteen chapters from the Fourth to the Thirtieth Degrees ; and 365 , 5 members represent the seventy-five symbolical lodges . Now we confess that this is a statement of statistics very different from what we have been lead to

understand represented the real facts of the case , and is , per se , in our opinion , a very startling and striking allegation . The French is so plain that we cannot have made a mistake , " 75 lodges se composent de 3 6 55 Macons . " It seems , from Bro . Clement ' s statement , that the

" Grande Loge Centrale " is thus composed . Each sytnpolical lodge ( atelier ) nominates a deputy to represent it , and these deputies form the , " premiere section" called "symbolique . " From the Fourth to the Ei ghteenth Degree each body , also called '' atelier , " we note , has also a

deputy , and these deputies form the " seconde section , " called " chapitrale . " From the Nineteenth to the Thirty-third Degree each chapter names a deputy , and these deputies form a " troisieme section , " called " des Hauls Grades . " There appears to us to be some error here in the

statistics of Bro . Clement , which we have reproduced carefully and literall y from the French , for if such be the case , the symbolic lodges have clearly no cause of complaint , and are treated most considerately , inasmuch as though the " Rite Eccossais " is not a " Craft Body " in our sense of a "Craft Body , " in the Centrale Grande

Loge , the symbolic lodges have a decisive majority over the higher chapters . This says a good deal for the toleralion and liberality of the High Grades in the French Rite Eccossais , and seems at once to take away from Bro . Clement any real cause of complaint or even dissatisfaction . But here comes in Bro . Clement ' s

peculiar grievance , and which he considers urgently calls for reform . Side by side , as he says , with the central body , is the" Commission Administrative . " This Administrative Commission is composed of fifteen members , of which number four are so " ex officio , " the Eminent Grand Commander , the Lieutenant Grand

The French Ancient And Accepted Scottish Rite.

Commander , the Grand Chancellor , and the Grand Treasurer , and eleven are elective . Four for instance , are nominated by the members of the Thirtieth , Thirty-first , Thirty-second , and Thirty-third Degrees , two by the members of the Degrees from the Fourth to the Twenty-ninth

and two by the symbolical chapters . Bro . Clement complains that whereas the High Grades according to him , consisting only of 445 members from the Fourth to the Thirty-third Degrees , nominate four members of the Commission , the members of the symbolical lod ges

numbering 365 $ members , only nominate two members of the Commission . This he considers a " crying injustice ; " this is the burden which oppresses just now the members of the French Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite , and for which he invokes in moving words , though

all too long and too hi ghly seasoned for our pages , the justice and sympathy of English Masons , and finds fault with a recent leader of ours , which he states has been reprinted b y authority , and dispersed with " prodigality . " Now some questions occur to our mind , and some

considerations , which wc will deal with seriatim . 1 . Is Bro . Clement quite correct in his figures ? and if correct , must not such a disparity of representation exist from the very constitution of the Ancient and Acce pted Scottish Rite ? According to his statement' the symbolical

lodges have already a decisive and controlling majority in the Grande Loge Centrale , but why are they to have ifc at all even there , much less in the administrative commission , we fail to see . Bro . Clement is clearly seeking , if his argument be sound , to make of the Ancient

and Accepted Scottish Rite in France a second Grand Orient , a pure system of Craft representation , whether officially or by delegation , and it is here , though not ourselves members of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite , that we differ from him . The symbolical lodges are only

at the best the abnormal characteristic of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite , which is simply High Grade Masonry , from the Fourth to the Thirty-third Degree . And as by the very constitution of the Thirty-third Degree it is a supreme and sovereign body , it is impossible but

that if its supreme and sovereign attributes are to be recognized and preserved , it must havo a distinct preponderance in any "administrative commission . " We venture to think that the present arrangement in the Grande Loge Centrale is very liberal ,

and in the administrative commission very fair , and it is certainly one of which the symbolical lodges have no right to complain , but rather every reason to be contented with . Nothing that Bro . Clement or those who agree with him can do can make of the Grande Loge Centrale a Craft

Grand Lodge , and , above all , they cannot expect that as members of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite , the symbolical lodges are to control the High Grade Chapters . In England , as properly , no symbolical lodges exist under the Ancient and Accepted Rite , nor could they be

recognized as Craft lodges by the Grand Lodge , for the Ancient and Accepted Rite is alike in its organization , nomenclature , and leaching , simply and solely not a Craft body but a Hig h Grade body . We repeat , therefore , that we do not see what real grievance our worthy Bro . Clement has

to complain of , and we sincerely trust that this unwise agitation may cease , and that French Freemasonry , whether directed by the Grand Lodge Centrale or the Grand Orienf , may now be left to itself , and enjoy a season of rest , and harmony , and peace . These constant agitations

are very hard on the French Freemasons . We have no doubt that the majority of the Rite Eccossais in France will loyally support its " administrative authority , " which seems to us to have every claim on the sympathies and approval of honest men and true Masons .

Our English Constitutions.

OUR ENGLISH CONSTITUTIONS .

By a communication which appeared in our last , from Bro . Broadley , from Tunis , the Lodge No . 1717 , at Tunis , had determined to print in French , as well as in Italian , the bye-laws of the lodge , and certain extracts from our excellent " English Constitutions . " We ventured to ob-