Chips Of Foreign Ashlar.

CHIPS OF FOREIGN ASHLAR .

LONDON , SATURDAY , NOVEMBER 28 , 1863 .

No 6 . —PBEEMASONET IN THE EEPITBLIC OF HAHBTJKGH . Preemasomy in Hamburg Avas originally established by tlie Grand Lodge of England , but in 1811 the brethren constituted themselves into an

independent jurisdiction , and exchanged " protocols " with the heads of the Order in other countries , The first brother we saAv in Hamburgh Avas Bro . Charles Edward Buek , the Deputy Grand Master ,

who may be called an English brother , for he was initiated in the " Pilgrim" Lodge , London , on the 13 th of March , 1816 . The Pilgrim Lodge was then as noAv , we believe , worked in the German language , and it was at that time held

in Cornhill . At the 50 th anniversary of Bro . Buck ' s connection with the Craft a " Jubilee " was held and the "Pilgrims" fraternally sent over their congratulations to their venerable brother . In the Grand Lodge of Hamburgh the three degrees of Craft Masonry only are worked , the Eoyal Arch not being * recognised . The

Hamburgh brethren have an extensive organisation as will be seen by the following list of affiliated lodges : — Place Number of Lodges . Hamburgh City 5

Eostock 2 Brunswick 1 Oldenburg 1 Weimar 1 Warel 1

NOAV B randenburgh 1 Wismar 1 Prankfort-on-the-Maine 1 Bukenfeld , 1 Stuttgardt , 1

Brooklyn , New York 1 Ulin 1 Wolfenbuttel 1 NBAV York 1 Heilbronn 1

Joinville 1 Eisenach 1 Holl 1 Bremerhaven 1 Constantinople 1 Cairo , 1 Total — 27

It will be seen from this list that the Masonic influence of Hamburgh has extended not only into remote parts of Germany , but also to Turkey , Egypt , and the United States . The names of the principal officers in the

Hamburgh lodges are : 1 st "W . M . —Meister von Stuhl . 2 nd Deputy W . M . —Deputirter Meister . 3 rd S . W . —Erster Aufseher . 4 th J . W . —Zweiter Aufseher .

Sth Treasurer—Schatzmeister . Gth Secretary—Secretaire . 7 th S . D . —Erster Schaffner . Sth J . D . —Zweiter Schaffner .

In the Royal York Lodges of Germany the the Senior Deacon and Junior Deacon are respectively denominated " Erster Steward" and " Zweiter Steward . " The Worshipful Masters of the lodges in the

Hamburgh jurisdiction can only be appointed to office for three successive years . At the invitation of Bro . Buek , the Deputy Grand Master , and Bro . Volkers , the Grand Secretary , Ave had the pleasure to attend a meeting *

of the lodge of St . George , at the Masonic Temple , Plamburgh . Fortunately Ave had an opportunity of Avitnessing the initiation of a brother , and Ave were much gratified with the admirable manner in which the proceedings were conducted . When the candidate Avas admitted to the light the brethren formed a chaine d ' union in which the

" newly obligated brother " furnished a link , and thus he was formally received into the brotherhood . The customary oaths Avere administered on the Bible Perhaps ic may not be out of place to mention that certain delicate functions performed by the

Inner Guard in English lodges—Bro . Parker , late I . G . of Doyle ' s Lodge , Guernsey , will knoAv what we mean—were dispensed with . Possibly the I . G . had commenced the age of universal peace by ^ beatiug his SAVord into a ploughshare .

Entered Apprentices serve one year before they become PelloAV Crafts , and Fellow Crafts labour for another year before they are made Master Masons . It is usual in Guernsey for brethren to wear their hats in lodge , but in the Prussian

lodges of the so-called " Swedish " rite they take off their hats Avhenever the name of the Great Architect is mentioned . In the St . George Lodge initiations are conducted in the English , French , Italian , and Spanish languages as well as in Ger-