Correspondence.

thereon , and , wishing him good speed , I expect to have great p leasure in the perusal of them all . . Tours fraternally , PICTUS ,

ST . PETE 1 - . TO THE SLAUGHTER . 10 THE EDITOR OP Tnii pnEEirASOICs' JIAGAZIXE AXD HASO ^ IC MII-. KOR . Dear Sir and Brother , —The thunderbolts of the Vatican being rather exploded , on account of Yulcan having a confirmed fit of the gout , the Pope intends at the great general Council of I 860 , to employ all

the Titans , Gorgons , Sylphs , Gnomes , and Sprites to forge new ones to annihilate that pest to Popery and civilization , the Freemasons . The whole Corso is in a tremble , and there is much destruction of sheepskin and parchment . Nothing less will serve the Pope than that our lodges be converted into chapels ,

our charities into monasteries and convents , our scarves and collars into stoles , and our funds put at the disposal ancl for the furtherance of the schemes of the HolyEoman Catholic Church . I write this in haste , having just received the news , so that the brethren may be prepared to abandon their bad habits ,

and hand over all their goods , chattels , and persons to the Pope , and I hope he may get them . Tours in consternation , AN EjrGHSlMAS- IS" SOME . Palazzo Borghesi , G March , I 860 .

TEMPLAR UNIFORMITT OF RITUAL . ' THE EDITOIt OF THE FKEEirASOXS' 3 IAGAZI >* E AXD ^ lASO ^ IC 'rlKIlOil . Dear Sir and Brother , —Now that our ancient aud noble Order of the Templars of St . John are about to amalgamate throughout Britain—the desirability of which I was the first to impress upon our

brothersthere is an excellent opportunity , such as will never again occur , of accomplishing uniformity of ritual , by getting rid of the false ancl spurious Grand Offices from the the list , together with 'the still more absurd ritual of 1 S 51 . I am persuaded that none but a Grand Master in his dotage would ever have allowed

such an abortion to be brought before Grand Conclave ; nor . had the compiler been possessed of the slightest knowledge of Ancient Chivalry ancl its ceremonies , would such a list and such a ritual ever have been proposed . Though I would b y no means recommend either the Scotch or Irish rituals in their entirety , yet either are better ancl more ancient than

ours , and the former have a very excellent ritual which they have accomplished b y adhering to the ancient side of the English ritual of 16 S 6 ancl 1791 , and our own Grand Conclave would do well to follow the example set them north , if they wish the educated portion of our Order to stand by them . Uniformity must now come , ancl it would " be suicidal for us to

attempt to cram our own foll y down the throats of the Scotch ancl Irish . The mistakes we have made arise through our constant habit of pushing men into the hi g hest offices , who , beyond parrot-like repetition of Masonic ceremonies—which is tho very worst qualification in a Chivalric Order—are

utterlyincapable , from want of knowledge , to fill the lowest offices iu the Order . There are one or two able men amongst the present ritualistic commissioners , and it is to be hoped that they will not allow any io-uorant clamour to stand in the way of their reforming it altogether . Tours fraternally , A

ZETLAND COMMEMOBATION FUND . The following circular containing the M . W . Grand Master ' s decision as to the application of this fund has been issued : — " FJJEEMASOXS' H ALL , LOXDON , W . C . " 16 March , 1 S 69 .

"Dear Sir and Brother , " Many inquiries having been made as to the destination of this fund , we have the pleasure to inform you that the M . W . thc Grand Master ( having consulted the General Committee ) has been pleased to state that he is willing to accept thc fund for thc following purpose , viz .,

—"To invest it in the names of trustees , ancl devote the interest to the relief of distinguished brethren who may become distressed , their widows or relations depending upon them . The fund to be called the " Zetland Fund . " The disposal of it to rest with Lord Zetland for his life , and after him with tbe Grand Master for the timo being . The Grand Master will fix hereafter such regulations as

he may think proper for the administration of the fund . " We have good reason to hope that this will meet with general approbation . "We request that you will communicate it to the members of your lodge or chapter , and if their subscriptions have not been already sent iu , wo shall be glad if you will r emit them without delay . " Wo remain ,

" Dear Sir and brother , " Yours fraternally , " K . J . Smi'so . * , ' Joux M'CLABOX , "Hon . Sees . ' ¦ ' JAS . TERRY , " Secretary

MASONIC AND GENERAL FIRE AND LIFE ASSURANCE . We are happy to announce that our Masonic Insurance Company , in New Bridge-street , is making steady progress , although up to the present time only a small portion of England has been under the cultivation of au

agency inspector . ' The directors have now decided on the division of England into three districts , and they have been fortunate in securing for tho southern division Bro . Dr . Miiir , M . A-, ¦ F . B . A . S ., who has been for some years connected with the Eoyal Insurance Company , and who was lately manager and actuary of the trades department of tho

Albert . Bro . Muir , after rejecting a very tempting offer from another company , allies himself to the Masonic , in the conviction that tho yyeai cause which it represents must ensure ultimate success , and reflect honour on those who have persistently advocated its claims to

support-PROGRESS Sr . ow , BUT Sum-:. —When I sit upon some lofty mountain brow , and see the miirhty train winding , like a lingo fiery serpent , through the vnlU-y below , I love to look back in a revery on tho various modes of travelling that from time to time have prevailed in the land of my fathers . ' In my mind ' s eye , Horatio , " I can see the uni-ient Hrignnte ' s ( many of whose grave-bills I have assisted to open for antiquarian researches ) , not wholly without some rude roads , as it is too ranch tbe fashion

to represent them , but learning- much from their indomitable conquerors , fhe Ibnnans—who were not mere oppressors , but in some measure the civilize ! - ! - of all lands where they planted tho standard of " the , eternal city . " Between tbe making- of the Roman roads in Britain , and the laying down of the first passenger railway , how tardy was the progress of tbe means of transit . "When I think on it , I take fresh hopes for the cause of progress , and feel certain that the amelioration of human suffering will gradually come . — George Marklia : n Tweddell , F . S . A . Scot , and Neicc .