The Sloane Ms., 3,329., Art. 29.

As the true age of the MS . is now simply a matter of history and archieology , and should only be treated as such , I have written to a person well qualified to express an opinion on the subject , and shall hope next week to send you a further communication on the Art . 293329 MS . Sloane

, I am , dear Sir and Brother , Fraternally yours , A : F . A . WOODFORD , P . G . C . Swillington Kectory , Leeds , August 30 th , 1871 .

The Initiation Fee.

THE INITIATION FEE .

ISO THE EDITOR OP THE FREEMASONS * MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . Dear Sir and Brother ,- —I have no doubt the letter of "A AVestern AA ' arden , " in your issue of the 26 th inst ., will cause many to exclaim " Can such thiugs really be ? " And yet , perhaps , after all , it need not be much wondered at , seeing tho facility with which , now-a-days , a warrant is obtained for a new lodge . Your correspondent suggests , as a remedy , an increase in the initiation feethinking therebto prevent those joining

, y our Ancient Order who are only led to do so by the indirect ( if not at times direct ) solicitation of friends , or from some mercenary motives alone . But I doubt the efficacy of that remedy for so serious a complaint . It might possibly , for a few months only , postpone the initiation of the needy ; but I believe it would , at the same time , have a tendency to deter those from joining , who were desirous of so doing from honourable motives . The remedI would suggest is this : ' Let the authorities be

y more strict , aye , very , very much more strict , in granting warrants—let them refuse all applications for holding new lodges in public-houses , making it a stipulation ( without any exception ) that for the future no warrant shall be granted for lioldicg a lodgo except at a bond fide private room ; and that from the present time no lodge shall tiereafter lie removed to a public-house , coffee-house , or by whatever similar name the place is known "

Have you , sir , never heard of a publican getting a few brethren together , and , after talking about the matter , in goes a petition for a lodge to be held at his , house , the authorities seeming only too willing to grant the application ? Or of a brother who , for the sake , perhaps , of the profits on the paraphernalia , has gone and done ditto ? Or of two or three very ambitious ( and sometimes very young ) brethren , not getting on so fast in rank as they are desirous , doing ditto ? Well , sir , what is the consequence of

this ? These brethren have spent a certain amount of money , aud have incurred certain liabilities , which have to be met . Therefore , the natural consequence is , they must have candidates to assist them ; and if they cannot obtain quality , of course they must have the reverse . On reading the accounts of lodge meetings inserted in a certain London weekly , one might almost imagine that Masonic lodges were included in the inventory of public-houses . I

would allow no brethren a warrant till they had proved they had a filling house for it . AA'heu I have met in lodges I have several times been , shall I say disgusted , to find the lodge called from labour to refreshment for ten minutes or so , after , perhaps , sitting an hour , and doing half the work . And for what was the business adjourned ? Simply to have—a smoke and a glass . Yes , actually our solemn ceremony stayed for "gin and tobacco" —from the sublime to the contemptible . The very

holding of a lodge at a public-house has , I consider , a tendency to bring in candidates who will not reflect the greatest credit on our Order . I dare sayplenty havo heard the jokes and scoffing remarks of a bar company when a candidate has been sitting there waiting his turn to be " made a Mason . " And so long as Masonic lodges continue to bo permitted to hold their meetings at public-houses , and so long as warrants continue to bo so easily obtainedso long may we expect to hear of similar

trans-, actions to those so forcibly described by "A Western Warden . " I remain , Yours fraternally , COBlNxniAir . Islington , August 28 th . 1871 .

Masonic Sayings And Doings Abroad.

MASONIC SAYINGS AND DOINGS ABROAD .

The Grand Lodge of Indiana recently held its session , and the press congratulate the brethren upou the *¦ quick work , " the session having occupied two days . What must our America brethren think when they read that the business of the Quarterly Communication of the Grand Lodge of England is transacted in about as many hours .

M . E . Comp . Harrington , of the Grand Chapter of Canada , says : I submit also a most serious matter for the due consideration of the Grand Chapter , in our proposed authorised Eitual . The committee have attended very carefully and anxiously - , a report

is prepared , the vcork is in readiness for exemplification , and the result will be submitted to your wisdom and for your determination . And while on this topic , I have to suggest to Grand Chapter to consider the necessity and propriety of working the degrees of Eoyal and Select Masters , as practised in

the "United States of America , and known as Cryptic Masonry . These degrees would seem to be proper appendages to Grand Chapter and Eoyal Arch Masonry , and are interesting , if not necessary . He also proposes that the Grand Chapter should at once assume the government , and grant warrants for sub ordinate Councils , as a nucleus for the Grand Council .

The new Masonic Temple at Kew Orleans , to be erected on St . Charles Street , opposite Tivoli Circus it is claimed will , when finished , be equal in style and beauty to any edifice in the country . The plans have been prepared by Mr . S . B . Haggert , architect

of that city : The building is to have a frontage of one hundred and fifty feet , by eighty in depth . It i « to be three stories high , the front to he built of Missouri stone , of yelloiv colour , the balance of brick . The estimated cost of the superstructure is 250 , 000 dollars .

The General Grand Eoyal Arch Chapter of the United States of America ivill be held in the city of Baltimore , Maryland , on the 19 fch inst . A someAvhat remarkable lodge gathering was held in Birmingham , Conn ., July 1 st . The lodge was

held for the purpose of giving the aged brethren of that and the adjoining toAvns an opportunity to witness the work . Some thirty of the old brethren assembled , many of whom had passed their eightieth year , and had not Avitnessed Avork in a lodge for twenty or thirty years . These venerable Masons must have presented a noble appearance .