The Royal Arch.

THE ROYAL ARCH .

LONDON , SATURDAY , MAY 19 , 18 G 0 .

Itf another part of our impression will he found a letter from Bro . Kelly , tho D . Prov . Grand Master for Leicestershire , relative to the recent decision of Grand Chapter not to reduce the fee for exaltation , as proposed by the committee appointed to revise the regulations of the Royal Arch degree , in which , to our thinking , ho convincingly shows that it is the amount of tho fees that deters so many of the

brethren , advancing in the Order , and leaves them contented ¦ with , the Craft degrees ; but which was so strenuously denied by Comp . Savage and other Companions who opposed the proposed reduction . Wo have always been of opinion that the whole system of government of the Royal Arch is an error—that the Grand

Chapter is a mere farce—that there should be hut one governing body alike for the Craft and the Arch ; we being taught that there are but three degrees in Masonry , including the Royal Arch , which is merely the completion of the Master ' s degree ; and that every facility should be given for tho brethren to enter it by making the fees as light as

possible—it being as much an error to charge an obstructive fee for the Royal Arch , as it would be for the Fellow Craft ' s degree . We are aware that there are great difficulties in the way of bringing about , at least for the present , a fusion of Grand Lodge and Grand Chapterbut the more we popularize the

; Royal Arch degree , the greater the number of the members of the Craft that are exalted , the less will these difficulties prevail—and that one argument alone would have been sufficient to induce us to support the motion for the reduction of the' fee permissweiy to one guinea instead of three ; but there is another and a stronger reason , viz ., that at present

not more than one brother out of every five or six are exalted , whilst ivith a lower fee , we are convinced their number would be increased at least threefold , and thus alloAv us to reduce the fee paid to Grand Chapter without injury to the income , and thereby do away with the argument that there Avould be nothing left out " of the lower fee for the expenses of the private Chapters ; the annual fees being

altogether left out of si ght . Bro . Kelly says that had the question been decided by tho country instead of the London Companions , he believes tho result would have been different ; but how stands the fact % The motion was wholly supported by London Companions , and amongst the speakers in opposition Avere three from the

country—the Rev . J . Huyshe , Prov . G . Supt . Devonshire ; Comp . Nelson , Prov . G . Scribe E . for AVest Yorkshire ; and Comp . Cousins , of Dorchester—and upon tho most inconsistent of grounds . The M . E . Comp . Hiiyslie opposed tlie motion because he objected to any increase in the number of Chapters , inasmuch as in the country all manner of

irregularities take place , and degrees are introduced having nothing in common with the Royal Arch . Now this is a charge against the Masons of Devonshire which we shall leave them to answer ; though wc hold that if these irregularities do exist , it is the duty of the Grand Superintendent to control and suppress them ; and when Comp . Huyshe alludes to the

extent of his province , we would remind him that the Prov . G . H . and the Prov . G . J ., which lie lias the power and ought to appoint , are his deputies , and that it ivouhl be no great matter for three of them to find time to visit thirteen Chapters—even if they are all at work , which Ave much question'mce at least in each year .

Comp . Nolsons opposition was founded upon a still more untenable ground , namely , that some Chapters aro in del it , and without they mulcted tho incoming members of laive fees they would be unable to pay their way ; but that they cannot pay their debts under the present system was shown by Comp , Nelson ' s statement , that in the province of which ho is G , E , there are soveuloen . Chapters in many of which there

has not been an exaltation for years , ergo , there can have been no fees to pay off the debts ; and , furthermore , Comp . ' Nelson tells us this is because the fees are too high , aud he would therefore vote against the proposition for one guinea , aud support one for two guineas—forgetting that the amount named Avas only permissive , and that there was nothing to

prevent the . West Yorkshire Companions charging two , five , ten , or twenty guineas , if they saAv fit . Comp . Cousins opposed the motion , because he had never heard any complaints of the fees heing too high in that portion of the country with which he was acquainted . Tliese being the opinions of the country Core ^ anions Avho

spoke , and many of the London Companions being also opj ) osed to the alteration , and a whip having taken place in opposition to the motion , whilst no exertions had been made to secure any attendance in its support , there is no wonder that the motion was lost , at least for the present ; audit shall be no fault of ours if the question is not again brought before

Grand Chapter at no distant date . To show how utterly the brethren of some districts must be cut off from Arch Masonry , and how inadequately ¦ others are supplied , ive publish tlie folkuvmg table , compiled from this year ' s Calendar : — Lodges . Chapters ,

London 145 -30 Bedfordshire 2 - 0 Berkshire - 5 - 1 Bristol 6-3 Bucks --- - 1-0 Cambridgeshire --,. 3 . 2

Cheshire .... 25 -14 Cornwall 13-2 Cumberland - 6-3 Derbyshire 10-2 Devonshire .... 25 -13 Dorsetshire - - - -10 - 4 :

Durham ----- 15-7 Essex 10-5 Gloucestershire ... 7-2 Hampshire 14-7 Herefordshire - 3-1 Hertfordshire - - - - 5 - 1 Huntingdonshire - 1-0

Isle of Wight -.-- 5 - 2 Kent 17 - C Lancashire , East - - - 45 35 Lancashire , West - - - . 28 17 Leicestershire 4 . 2 Lincolnshire - - - - 9-3 Middlesex 2-1 Monmouthshire

... 3-1 Norfolk - -- --8-2 Northamptonshire - 7-1 Northumberland- - - - 10 - 4 Nottinghamshire ... 3-1 Oxfordshire - - - - 4 - 1 Shropshire - 5-2

Somersetshire - - - - 11 .. 8 Staffordshire - 17 - G Suffolk ----- 12 - 4 Surrey 6-3 Sussex - _„_ .. 9 „ 5 Warwickshire - 16-5 Westmorland - - - - 1 « 1

Wiltshire ... - 7-1 Worcestershire 8 - 3 Yorkshire , North and East - 15 ' i 7 Yorkshire , West- - - - 32 - 19 Wales , North - - - - 4-1 Wales , South East division - - G - 3 Wales , South AVest division - 7-2 Channel Islands - - - 10 - 6

These are as tlicy stand upon . tlie register , without reference to the Colonies , where the proportion will be found in many instances much loss , tho brethren being driven into Scotch , and Irish Chapters . We shall , in a future number return to tho subject—hoping that in the meantime some of our correspondents will favour us Ayifch tho particulars of the