Tramps.

the applicant stated he is or was a member , asking the lodge to refund the amount given by him to one of its members . 11 it do so , well ; if it did not , not give any satisfactory reason why it declined , then let the name and number of the lodge so neglecting be sent through the provinces . My letter to thee is already too lengthy . In

conelusion , I feel certain that if these plans were tried the " worthy" would be more generously dealt with , and the " unworthy" would cease , and that thy society would be a great gainer . I remain , thy sincere friend , A QUAKED .

Lodge Of Glasgow St. John.

LODGE OF GLASGOW ST . JOHN .

TO THE EDITOB OP THE EBEEHASOXS' _ tACAZI _ fE A .. D -JASOXIC HIREOB , Dear Sir and Brother , —In your last number I read with pleasure the very graphic report , by your representative , of the yearly Festival of the Lodge of G-lasgow St . John No . 3 lis . But I perceive by his prefatory remarks that he is rather sceptical of our ability to prove it to be the SlOfch anniversary of our

lodge , so with your kind permission I would desire to make a few remarks thereanent . On reading the History of England , about A . D . 1222 , the following passage occurs : — "It is related that when the Royal Commissioners presented themselves to Earl Warenne , and required to see the titles

of his estates , the earl unsheathed his sword , and stretched it out before them . ' This , ' said he , ' is the instrument by which I hold my lands , and by it ; I mean to defend them . ' " So in like manner would the Brethren of St . John ' s do—r ever on tly folding out our musty old parchmentthat grand old charter

, , which is worthy to be framed in gold . This , say we , is our title to be ranked as the first lodge in Scotland , and by it we mean to support it . Too long has the anomalous position of No . 3 his been held by our lodge , and although our brethren of the east by their

might have thus punished our lodge for holding back from the Grand Lodge of Scotland at its formation , yet we trust that ri ght will ultimately carry the day , and the Lodge of G-lasgow St . John be placed on the roll in its Adamite position as the father of all . Our charter , granted by Malcolm III ., A . D . 1057 , was sustained in the Court of Sessionsome time ago

, , as a genuine charter , in a question of privilege , ancl the case decided in favour of the incorporation , principally on the evidence it afforded . The fact , also , of our number being 3 i- shows that there is something extraordinary about our lodge . We are neither 8 nor -1 but 3 hisa position which

, , no other lodge that I know of holds but itself , that being , however , the best that could be got for it from those in power , when it joined the Grand Lodge . For as the then Grand Clerk , Bro . J . Linning Woodman , said , in 1850 , " Whatever may be done by the old lodge hereafter , I would not recommend farther

agitation at present . " So the then brethren of St . John ' s accepted of No . 3 his . Your representative is rather satirical about " the lodge of free and accepted or speculative masons announcing that in the year 1 S 67 she held her 810 th anniversary . " Now we assert no such thing , what we assert being that we are the descendants of the Glasgow St .

Lodge Of Glasgow St. John.

John ' s Lodge of Practical Freemasons ( or , as the charter styles it , the St . John ' s Lodge of Free Incorporate Masons ) , which was chartered in 1057 , and which , to suit the age , became disjoined from the Glasgow Incorporation of Masons , and lately joined the Grand Lodge of Scotland . The St . John ' s Lodge isto be now and from henceforth a lodge of free and

accepted or speculative Masons , under the government of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , while the Incorporation of Masons still exists as a separate body , its use now , I believe , being to act as a charitable institution in behoof of decayed members , & c . The Lodge of Glasgow St . . John No . 3 his still numbers

, however , amongst its members brethren who are also members of the Incorporation . In 1851 the office of R . W . M . was held by Bro . David Mauwell , who was also at the same time Deacon of the Incorporation ; and I am happy to add that while our cathedral was the occasion of the founding of St . John ' swhen

, Glasgow ivas " unco sma ' , " we still'have in our lodge the same good practical masonry , for the aforesaid Bro . Mauwell is the builder of the last great work whicli marks the progress of our city , viz ., our new Harbour Dock . He was also one of the contractors

for the Lock ____ atrine Waterworks , and so with many others ; and I believe that it has been on account of St . John's being until lately so strictly practical in its membership ancl working that it has shone so dimly in the speculative Masonic world . And I believe that Bro . Captain Speirs , our Prov . G . M . had good ground to stand on when he

stated-, that he considered that the Lodge of Glasgow St . John had about a hundred years to come and go upon with any other lodge . I also consider that it does all the more honour to Bro . Captain Speirs that althoug h , he is a member of both the St . Mary ' s Chapel No . 1 aud of the Mother Kilwinning No . 0

, , he yet , when the evidence of our age aud priority is placed before him , boldly asserts that from that evidence he must acknowledge that the Lodge of Glasgow St . John is entitled to be ranked as the first in Scotland next to the Grand Lodge . I should like to know upon what good grounds

the Mother Kilwinning is supposed to have existed about A . D . 92 G . I take that to be a strong flight of imagination , as at the best I do not believe that it can show anything to cany it further back than the 12 th century , when it ¦ may have been formed by a colony of foreign Masons ; then , hut not before . But if anything can be produced to show that the Mother

Kilwinning existed before the 12 th century , let us have it . I must now now conclude at present , ancl would respectfully ask you to insert , for the information of all interested in our old lodges , the translation of our charter as given on pages 6 and 7 of the history of

our lodge by Bro . James Cruickshank , P . M .. and thereafter , with your kind permission , we might he able to say something further on a future occasion . Yours fraternally , W . P . BUCHAN , P . S . W . 3 his .

Glasgow , Jan . 13 , 1 S 6 S . The following is a copy of the original charter : " Malcolm the III ., by the Grace of God , King of Scots , wishes health and safety to the Bishops , Princes , Earls , Barons , Ministers , and Administrators