Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

§ rhe Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed hy Correspondents . LIFE GOYEENOESHIPS . TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MlSaOS . Dear Sir and Brother , —I beg to hand you an

abstract of the receipts and payments of the South-Eastern Masonic Association , established in February , 1866 . The object of its' members was to obtain Life Governorships of our excellent institutions by the contribution of one shilling per week ; which object I think you will say has been worthily obtained . EECEIPTS , 1866 AND 1867 . Receipts £ 263 14 0

PAYMENTS , 1867 AND 1868 . Nine Life Governorships , aged £ 90 0 0 Seven and a Half Life Governorships , Girls 78 15 0 Pive and a Half Life Governorships , Boys 57 15 0

Expenses 3 15 0 Balance in Hand 38 9 G £ 263 14 6 "With the balance ancl the receipts on Priday the members were enabled to ballot for five additional

Life Governorships . Yours fraternally , ~ W . WINGEIEED , President . 12 , Hambly-place , Lower-road , Deptford , S . E ., Peb . 24 , 1868 .

Priority Of Lodges.

PRIORITY OF LODGES .

TO IDE EDITOR OF TEE FREEMASONS MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . Dear Sir and Brother , —My friend , Bro . Buchan , shows more zeal than discretion in his answer to Bro . Lyon ancl myself . In the first place , I do not hold my friend , Bro . Findel , to be an authority on the antiquity of Scots lodges—by this I mean the operative —ancl on several other points I decidedly disagree

with him ; while , on Germany , I hold his information to be perfect . In the second place , Bro . Buchan evidently misunderstands Mordo ' s inscription . Mordo does not pretend to be the builder , but the " keeper " of the different cathedrals named , and Bre . Buchan conveniently ignores " Sanctandroys , " the church of

the Primate of Scotland . I knew . "Wade , the author of " Melrose , " and I know Currie , the sculptor at Darnick , who gave "Wade all the information necessary to compile his book . The word " Grand Master , " or " Magnus Magister , " was unknown to the operative masonstill many years after Mordo

, lived . Bro . Buchan is fully answered by Bro . Lyon as to the connection between the Mother and the Canongate ^ Kilwinning . Supposing 3 proves her antiquity , it will only be as a body of workmen hired by a corporation to do certain worknot as an independent

, lodge , possessing a charter of so much importance as that of Malcolm . It is on this ground , that I deny the antiquity of Mary ' s Chapel as an independent lodge .

Priority Of Lodges.

I must decline showing Bro . Buchan the cards I intend to play . The first lead off came off from Glasgow , and I want to know Glasgow ' s case . Por this purpose would Bro . Buchan kindly give us ( 1 ) An exact copy , word for word , so far as possible , with all the contractionsof the charter ; ( 2 ) tell us when

, did the charter first become known and to the public ; and ( 3 ) what proof has 3 that it is the Lodge of Glasgow referred to in the charter . These questions narrow the subject .- but I have no objections , if the charter can be seen , to go through to Glasgow and see it with an expert .

I thank E . Y . for his hint as to the Anglo Saxon ,. , which has not fallen on arid ground . Let him look at Mabillon ' s "De Be Dip lomatic . ! . " Yours fraternally , ANTHONY ONEAL HAYS ,, P . L ., C . K . L .

Father Suffield And Freemasonry.

FATHER SUFFIELD AND FREEMASONRY .

TO SHE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS * MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIEROE , Dear Sir and Brother , —A great deal too much fuss has been made about Father Suffield . Why should not Eather Suffield have his fling against Preemasonry , ns well as other institutions of his native land ? A word furtherwhy should uot Father Suffield have

, some justification for what he says about Preemasonry ? Bro . Ezra Holmes , although a member of the 30 th degree in England , may not know everything about Masonry everywhere else , aud he is rather hasty in his protestations . Pro . Holmes is able to

attest as to English Masons and Masonry in these islands , and every Mason here can bear testimony to the truthfulness of his words . It is quite sufficient for us to bear testimony to the integrity of jlasonry in this its mother and orthodox country . If Father SuJSelcl knows anything different about Masonry in

those Eomau Catholic countries where his brethren have the direction of education and the sway of consciences , ' by all means let him have the full benefit of it ; we have nothing to do with that , and do not hold

ourselves responsible for it , any more than he would acknowledge himself accountable to a Mussulman or Jewish doctor in controversy for the vagaries of his brother Christians , the Mormonites , the Taepings , the Hau-haus , and the Peculiar Brethren . All these are fellow Christians with Father Suffield just ns much as Eobison ' s and Suffield ' s alleged Masons are

brother Masons with the Masons in England . Professor Eobison published his revelations as to the Masonry of the French Encyclopaedists and Jacobins . At that time the Iving of England , who had great power ancl a great horror of Jacobinism , was no other than George III . ; nevertheless he

and his Parliament passed judgment on the loyalty and morality of English Masons by enacting the 39 th Geo . III ., granting the protection of tha anv to the accused society , which he had already chartered . Even Father Suffield does not believe that the Kin g and Queen Charlotte were guillotined by the

Freemasons in consequence . If Father Suffield at this crisis wishes to bring the loyalty of Soman Catholic priests into doubt by coupling Freemasonry and Fenianism , because they begin with F , let him do so as much and as often , i :.