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form them of date and place of meeting with all subsequent convenient speed . I have the honour to be , Yours truly and fraternally , JAMES STEVENS , P . M . and P . Z ., S . W . 1216 . Clapham Common , Jan . 10 , 1 S 70 .

JURISDICTION OF GRAND LODGES . ( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Please say to "] . Fletcher Brennan '* ' that I did remember that t wo Grand Lodges existed in England , and I also remembered that there was a continual controversy

bctween them , which was terminated only by merging them info one . I do not desire a better illustration of the necessity of exclusive Gr . ind Lodge jurisdiction over the same Rite in the same territory . So far as he represents mc as holding that

different Riles should be under thc same govcrn-. ment , he docs not find any warrant for so doing . So far as he thinks no Masonic government is necessary , the history of thc institution is against him . Men , as Masons , require government as well as they require ir as citizens . One necessity has

produced civil government ; thc other , Masonic government . Two civil governments in thc same territory would produce civil dissensions , resulting in civil war ; two Masonic governments of the same Rile and grade , equally produce dissensions and strife

among Masons . Two civil governments , one under the House of York and the other under thc House of Lancaster , could have peacefully governed thc people of England , as well as thc two Grand Lodges thc Masons of England . 1 do say that but one church government of the same church can have

place in the same territory , and so say common sense and history . Thc government of a church of one sect is of no consequence to that of another sect . But let an attempt be made to establish a government of tlie same sect in territory already occupied by that sect , and witness the result !

Thc diflercnt sects are analogous to the different Riles / one sect knows nothing of another sect—one rite knows nothing of another rite . Would thc " established Church of England " recognize and fraternize with an independent church , though professing the same tenets ? The

government of that church is exclusive in England , in the same sense that Grand Lodge jurisdiction is exclusive .. I thank "J . Fletcher Brennan" for this illustration , also . The Grand Lodge of Louisiana has declared as effectively as ifit were a part of her constitution , that

" men oi * every race and color may be candidates for Masonry within its lodges ; "' but il also concedes thc right of a member of a lodge to use the black ballot without question , and if it should practically result that any particular class of men are excluded , no other organization in- Louisiana will for that

reason be recognised as Masonic by the lraternity , "J . Fletcher Brennan , "' el rei oinne genus , to the contrary notwithstanding . He errs in saying that lhe Grand Orient of France " endorsed anew its recognition " of Chassaignac ' s Supreme Council in June last . It reasserted in the

strongest terms the doctrine that no man should be excluded from Masonry on account of race , colour , or religion ; but at the same time , one Grand Master stated thai the protest of the Grand Lodge of New York was receiving the most careful

consideration ; and 1 venture the prediction that the Grand Orient of France , while asserting the doctrine above slated to its fullest extent , will withdraw its recognition of that spurious council , on the ground of exclusive ( irand Lodge jurisdiction . DELTA .

THE CASE OF BROTHER WILLIAMS . ( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) 1 ) EAK SIU AXII BROTHER . — -On reading in your columns to-day an account ofthe monthly meeting of the members of ' * Lodge cf Temperance in the East , No . 80 S , '' I confess to being considerably

surprised at what has * ' elicited * ' Irom ' * lhe black visiting brother ( Williams ) , hailing from Lodge No . 217 , " who ** shipped for a voyage immediately after his initiation and payment of his private and Grand Lodge dues ; upon his return to England , during the summer recess of his lodge , being

desirous lo receive his second and third degrees in Ihis country , tlie W . M . of the ' Lodge Temperance in tlie East , 8 <; S , ' most kindly needed lo the applicant ' s request , and he became a Master Mason . But the strange part of the business is , that his

Mother Lodge repudiates and disowns him' ) . ; while ( irand Lodgo books show three months' quarterage and initiation fees registered for him ; when he tendered his back dues , they were rejected . " As a Mason , holding the welfare of the Craft near al heart and jealous of am thing which might lend

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to throw a spot upon the escutcheon of its deservedly world-wide fame , I should very much like to know why " his back dues " were " rejected , " and why Bro . Williams should be " repudiated and disowned" by his "Mother Lodge ? " and would such proceedings meet with the approbation of

Grand Lodge ? I very much doubt it , but shall be grateful to any brother who will set me right on the subject ; and I think you will agree with me that this matter , affecting'as it does every' person who , whilst following thc sea as a profession still may desire to become a Mason , is in this water-girt

and great shipping country of ours , a somewhat important one . I can hardly believe that any Masonic Lodge can tolerate such arbitrary bye-laws as to warrant the commission of such an apparently unkind and unbrothcrly act ; and if even such bye-laws are in

force in Lodge No . 217 , I think in our black Bro . William ' s case , thc members of said lodge might without any very great taxation of their brotherly love and charity , have made an exception in an exceptional , case . If , as you hint , the color of his skin is the

"present objection" or cause of his Mother Lodge " repudiating and disowning him , " then thc color of his money ought to have been a primary "objection " also , and Bro . Williams , might have found a lodge more eager to welcome a brother amongst them ( although black ) than to accept his

" yellow sovereigns . " ' Whilst trusting to your editorial impartiality to insert this letter ( in thc event of no more able pen being wielded in defence of the great principle of Masonic equality ) , I sincerely hope in thc interest of our noble order that some explanation will be

forthcoming which may give a satisfactory elucidation of what now appears simply a very unjust , and as I before said , unbrothcrly act . Although a perfect stranger to Lodge No . SgS , I cannot conclude without congratulating the members on the kindliness of their feelings as

shown by their treatment of their West Indian brother , as well as by the individual courtesy of the W . M . in " acceding" to Bro . Williams' request . 1 beg to enclose my name and address , & c , but with your kind permission will subscribe myself Yours fraternally , A WHITE-SKINNED BROTHER .

A " RE-ECHO . " ( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —The want of manliness displayed in thc letter of " Re-Echo , " at page 20 , is very conspicuous . He has neither lhe courage nor ability to attack my statements , or else he has

tried before and been foiled , and now as a last resort he attacks myself . Poor fellow ! he seems not to be aware of what is so transparent to others , viz ., that personal attacks arc only a sign of weakness on thc part of the individual making them . It is perfectly true , as " Re-echo" states , that in a

contest for the chair of my lodge in December , 1868 , I was defeated by my opponent ; but ' * Re-Echo " is wrong in insinuating , as he most un-Masonically does , that since the said defeat I had taken " a spite at everything Masonic , " for it so happens that six months before , viz .. in Mav 1868 , 1 hnd

shown up certain things that were untrue and the promulgation of which was an imposition upon the Craft at large , as under the circumstances I considered myself bound as an honest man to do , and possibly " Re-Echo" may have been amongst the number of those who had their " revenge " so far by voting against me .

But I take this opportunity of returning my most sincere thanks to my opponents upon that occasion ; they may have meant it for evil , but it has turned out for gooil to me , at least , it left my hands free to follow up my Masonic researches and enabled me to get posted up in many things which had it been otherwise I could hardly have been able to manage ; more , the truth will tell best in the end .

Apologising for the space taken up by thc foregoing remarks , and trusting thai ihis paltry schoolboy practice of making personal attacks upon writers , instead of attacking their writings , will be discontinued . I remain vours fraternally . ' LEO .

P . S . It may also be imagined that " Leo " showed bad feeling by refraining from attending the lodge after the election in December , 1868 , but such was not the case , as not only has he attended almost every meeting , bul also taken part in the working ofthe ceremonies , most ofthe candidates receiving either one or more of the degrees at his hands ; in

fact the practice for some lime back has been that when more than one degree was lo be given , the S . W . gave the one , and " Leo" gave the other , or others , just as was necessary . In short '' Leo " loves and respects his lodge , and we hope the lodge respects him , even although he does find it necessary to tell them that some of their ideas are mistakes . LEO .

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TOASTING THE PRINCE OF WALES . ( * To the Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . —In reply to a letter from a " Provincial Brother , " in your paper of the 1 st inst ., I beg to state that H . R . H . the Prince of Wales having been elected a Past Grand Master

of England , is , I think , entitled to be toasted as a Mason , and placed second on the list . In fact , irrespective of Masonry this is the place which has been usually assigned to His Royal Highness by the English , Irish , and Scotch lodges previous to the above honour being conferred by the " Grand

Lodge . " And as loyalty is one of the characteristics j of our noble order , I think it would be unwise to depart from thc universal practice . I should be very glad , indeed , to have your opinion on the subject . 1 am , yours fraternally , W . M ., 642 .

BROTHER STEWART S PROPOSITION . ( To the Editor of The Freemason . )

DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I see an advertisement of the Governors , & c , of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , that it is intended to propose that no child shall be eligible unless his father shall be , or have been , a Life Governor or Subscribing

Member , to the extent of 5 guineas . Now , sir , I should think that Bro . Stewart would withdraw such a motion , as it is entirely making what I hope it never will be , a paying benefit . How can poor brothers pay j guineas ? and I believe that the institution was

entirely erected for thc orphans of poor and distressed brothers , not they they should be forced to pay . I hope some abler pen than mine will cry out against this motion . Yours fraternally , JUSTICE . THE POWERS OF A GRAND MASTER .

( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) SIR AND BROTHER , —THE FREEMASON of Jan . 1 st contains a letter from " Cipes , " respecting certain arbitrary acts , & c , ofthe Grand Master and Grand Lodge of Scotland . Is the Grand Master and Grand Lodge free from a similar charge ? The

Masons ofthe Isle of Wight think they are not . I would wish to lay before your readers the manner in which the Provincial Grand Lodge ofthe Isle of Wight has been treated by the Grand Master . I would first premise that three of the lodges in the Isle of Wight were established in the last century ,

and that at the Union of Lodges in 1813 , the Isle of Wight had its own Prov . Grand Lodge . Last year , without consulting thc wishes either of the Masons in the Isle of Wight , or of those in Hampshire , thc Grand Master amalgamated thc two provinces . This measure is most distasteful , both to

the Masons ofthe island and to those of Hampshire . It is known that strong remonstrances were made privately on the subject , but without avail , and thc matter was done quietly , a patent being issued to a Grand Master to preside over the amalgamated provinces without any one knowing such a thing had been done . A petition was sent up signed by

all the Masons in the island , which was not listened to . Another petition , signed by all the Masters and Wardens of thc island was then sent up to Grand Lodge , most respectfully addressed , but urging that the Grand Master had no legal right to abolish a Grand Lodge . At the same time distinctly acknoledging his prerogative to appoint a Prov . Grand Master .

The Board of General Purposes declined to bring the petition before Grand Lodge , on thc pica that il was interfering with the prerogative of Grand Master—thc very thing that the petitioners had

guarded themselves against ! It was considered , in fact , that though the Grand Master had a right to appoint whom he pleased as P . G . M ., yet he had no right to sweep away a P . G . L ., any more than he had a right to erase a private lodge .

Thc result is that great discontent is felt in Hampshire , and the island Masons are in a state of rebellion ; all with lhe exception of a very few , refusing to attend the P . G . Lodge of Hampshire , and those that went going as visitors . I would submit that this is a very unsatisfactory

state of things . Prov . G . Lodge , is , I suppose , or is not , part of the ancient landmarks ; if it is part , has the Grand Master power to erase a P . G . L . ? The constitutions say he has not , ( vide Grand Lodge , paragraph 16 , ) as we are informed that this must be taken to mean all lodges . It is very important that

the Constitutions do not lay down clearer laws on the subject of P . G . Lodges , for not a word is said as to their erasure , & c . It will thus be seen that an important petition addressed lo Grand Lodge has been quietly shelved

by the Board of General Purposes . Now it is said that thc Board of General Purposes does not give satisfaction to the general body of Masons ; that it is all cliqueism , not to say todvism , to the Grand Master . I cannol say