The Grand Stewards' Lodge.

Room , or some large room capable of comfortably accommodating from three hundred to four hundred be obtained , and appropriately furnished , and an entrance fee of one shilling charged to all , and the whole affair would soon be an accomplished fact . That the brethren would neglect the assembling of themselves together in such an extraordinary as well as important occasion , I do not for one moment believe ; and I think , Sir and Brother , as W . M .

of the Grand Stewards' Lodge , you would have the honour and the inexpressible happiness of presiding over the largest , and possibly the most influential provincial gathering which ever took place . But this feeling would be nothing when compared with that which would ever animate you , on knowing the vast impetus your Lodge had given to Masonry in general , and that of the locality in particular .

I have but to add that the patronage of the three excellent provincial Grand Masters , whose happiness it is to rule around that district—Lord Leigh , II . C . Vernon , Esq ., and Col . G . Vernon , should be first obtained , and their presence invited . Their names , as having graced so trul y Masonic an assembly , would furnish the crown to the whole . I have thus defended , and farther explained my suggestion , because know

I that it met with the warm approval of soine then present , and I was invited by one to lay the train for its adoption , by enlisting the support of a certain talented and influential brother . " Fiat Lux , " however , has prevented this private consultation b y giving me the opportunity of laying it before the whole Masonic body , whose opinion on this question would be valuable to you , as well as to , Dear Sir and Brother , yours most fraternally , W , WTGOTXTOK , S . W ., 810 ; and Prov . G . A . D . C ., Worcestershire .

Freemasonry And Parchment.

FREEMASONRY AND PARCHMENT .

TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR , SIR AXB BROTHER , —On the 22 nd of March , 1 S 0 O , I was at Plymouth , and on being informed that a Lodge would meet that evening at the Lord Hood Hotel , Devonport I concluded to be present , and accordingly proceeded to their room with that . view . I arrived there before the Lodge was opened , put on my clothing and entered the room , where I found several brethren conversing .

On expressing a desire to witness the proceedings of the Lodge , I was asked by a brother for my certificate . I " replied that- the Grand . Lodge under whose jurisdiction I lived does not issue certificates , nor was I aware of but one or two Grand Lodges in the United States that do . I was then informed that they ' could not admit a strange brother unvouched for unless he produced his certificate . It happened that I had half a dozen certificates with

me , one of which was a Grand Lodge certificate presented me b y Lodge No . 3 f ) 8 of Ireland . The others were honorary testimonials presented me by private Lodges since my arrival in this country . These I had not shown to any of the brethren , because 1 wished to test the question and . ascertain what would be the result should a foreign brother land on your shores without his certificate . I inquired by what authority they refused to admit a brother who could not produce a certificate , but otherwise prepared to prove himself a Mason . I was told it was a law of the Grand Lodge of England ; I denied , and challenged them to show

me any such law . Ihe Grand Lodge Constitutions were produced , but no such law could be found . At this point some brother remarked that it made no difference whether it was a Grand Lodge law or not , that it was one of their by-laws . This I denied also , and holding a copy of their by-laws in my hand , asked the brother to show me the clause , which he could not do . Having twice failed , a third attempt was made ( with

a determination to be right for which I give them much credit ) but unfortunately their efforts were directed in the wrong course . I was informed that they had recently received a letter from the Grand Secretary , forbidding- the admission of unknown brethren without a Grand Lodge certificate . This I denied also ( well knowing the letter alluded to , having rend it in the M . ar / azine ) and asked them to show me such a letter . My request caused a

search among the Secretary ' s papers , but no such letter could be found—it , as they said , having been misplaced , they could not put their hands ' upon it ; thus placing their Secretary in the awkward position of receiving from the Grand Secretary an important communication and allowing it to be misplaced , without , copying it into the minute book . ' . Che W . M ., somewhat puzzled , asked me to retire until the Lodge was opened , and he would put the qnestiou to the brethren , which was done . After some discussion the Lodge decided not to admit me , and a PAL was delegated to communicate to me said decision . Being informed of

Freemasonry And Parchment.

the conclusion of the Lodge , I protested in the name of Freemason ;; . ' universal , and on behalf of the Masons in the jurisdiction of Kentucky , U . S ., against their procedure , on the ground that i had come ' to them prepared to prove myself by the tests used ! y our ancient brethren before there were printers or print ? :. ' ; ' ink , and they had refused me admission because I had not a niece of parchment . I then produced my several papers ,

also [ . ' letter of introduction , and showed them to the courteous and gentlemanly P . M . who was deputed to wait- upon me , and bade him farewell . I offer this humble communication to your columns , because I have written a similar one for the Voice of Ufasonry , and because the subject will ere long be brought so prominently before the Craft as to cause some direct legislation on matters of a like

character that Lodges may perfectly understand what they are to . do , and visiting brethren be relieved from the embarrassing position in which at present , it is very probable , they may be placed . With much respect . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , Aprd 16 . 1860 . ' ' ELISHA "D . COOKV .. is . eiituckv , U . S .

Anonymous Attacks.

ANONYMOUS ATTACKS .

TO THE EDITOR OP THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIHItOR . DEAR Sut AXB BKOTHEV , , —In my last letter I deprecated an anonymous attack oii a Mason absent from this country , and pointed out the tribunal before which any honest charge could bebrought against him . I am content that "An Old Wellsian " should consider such a princip le a Masonic platitude . As to the brother attacked 1 have no private acquaintance with

, him . To the best of my belief , I never saw him ; neither has anything directly or indirectly ever occurred to me in connection with his name to make the mention of it " a sore subject" as suggested , or to prevent my having what your correspondent terms " an easy conscience in regard to it . " On the contrary , it appears imputed to me as an offence that , not knowing the brother ' s character . I refuse to learn it from anonymous

correspondents . Allow me now to draw your attention to your correspondent ' s attack upon myself , us showing—first , the ready impartiality with which he accepts on the moment any object for his malice ; and secondl y , the danger of your Magazine being made the vehicle oi unscrupulous attacks , instead of a journal of Masonry . The whole tenor of the letter would lead your readers-to suppose that I hold a responsible executive office , such as that of Grand Secretary ofthe Mark ; but it is not so—lam simply Grand Registrar , and a member ofthe General Board , and I am ignorant as to what " functions of his office" arc alluded to in the

insinuations of your correspondent . It would appear , however , that he views mc as even more responsible than an executive officer , for he states that , in promoting Wells to an office of trust , I . have " manifested gross neglect of roy duties and committed a grievous outrage on the whole Masonic bodv . "

In reply I say that I have not promoted Bro . TV ells , that . 1 have no power to promote him , that I have not been an advocate or partisan to obtain such promotion , and that 1 " have never directly or indirectly expressed an opinion on the subject . It hits come to my knowledge that influential persons in South Australia have expressed a desire that he should be " promoted to an office of trust . " This desire may have become known to

your correspondent , as it has tome , and with a shrewd calculation ( in one case ) as to the chance of prosecution for libel as weighed against the gratification of malice , he has risked this indirect attack upon We'lls . Thus much is due to your readers in the Craft , most of whom are little interested as ' to - whether " a parting word with Bro . Ridgway" is the result simply of mistaken identity , or that

effervescence likely to result to the acid solution of " An Old Wellsian " by contact with the alkali of my previous letter : to me personally , however , in my Masonic as well as my other relations in life , the case is different , and I am bound courteously to ask you not only to insert this letter , but also to publish or otherwise make unacquainted with the ' name and address of the correspondent in question . I am , dear Sir and . Ijrothcr , yours fraternally , : H . Filzroi / Sq ' nare . Am-::- ; . RmnwAV . AI h April , 1 « 6 U

[ We have received tnc above communication with regret , am ! as Bro . Ridgway considers himself personally attacked , we have no option but to insert Ins letter ; we may add that " An Old Wellsian , " has authorized ns to hand his real name and address