BRO. MOORE :

Hickory Grove, Crawford co., Ga., July 19, 1848.

I will only add that the cause is prospering, and at no anterior period has the Institution of Masonry occupied so elevated a position in this State as at the present time. As much can be said of its practical effects in the moral improvements of its members, as of its increasing popularity. One only evil threatens us, and that is, in too many instances the door of initiation is too wide. Yet a radical improvement in this particular is manifest in most of the subordinate Lodges in the State.

Yours, fraternally,

BR. C. W. MOORE,-Dear Sir—*

P. L. J. M.

Pontotoc, Mich., Sept. 9, 1848.

Our Lodge is in a most thriving condition, and our members are composed of the most valuable and respectable of our citizens. We commenced with just a sufficiency to constitute a Lodge, and we now number nearly forty, if not more; and I do not know that I ever saw a place where the true spirit of Freemasonry was so visibly displayed as among us. Our new building is nearly completed, and as soon as it is, we will have a Chapter among us. I have now for a twelvemonth or more, been a constant reader of your Magazine, and permit me to return you my thanks for the great pleasure and the information derived therefrom. With many wishes for the continued success and prosperity of your valuable work, I reSincerely and fraternally, yours, G. R. FREEMAN.

main

MASONIC INTELLIGENCE.

ΜΑΙΝΕ.

THE Grand Lodge of Maine held its annual communication at Portland, in May last. The session was opened by an interesting address by the Grand Master, from which we make the following extracts:

PROSPEROUS STATE OF THE INSTITUTION.

How full, even to overflowing, should be our grateful hearts, when we contrast our present prosperous and happy state as a Fraternity, with what it was when, only five years since, less than a score of us met within these walls to mourn over our almost deserted altars, during the dark reign of Anti-Masonic calumny and persecution, and, if possible, devise some means of leaving in competent hands the treasure confided to our care. Some of you, my Brethren, must well remember the occasion with the most lively emotions, for it was the organizing, as it were, of the "forlorn hope." Clouded, indeed, was our "canopy;" thick darkness covered all our skies, from the zenith to the horizon. All was dark, save the faint glimmer from the altars of three only of our fiftyeight Lodges..

Yet though all was disheartening, though in a less sacred cause the stoutest heart would have quailed, I must bear you testimony that your faith failed not. Though but three glimmering tapers remained, the mystic number was unbroken. You resolved to trim your lamps and let light shine; your banner was unfurled, your sails loosened to the breeze, and the ark confided to the care of Him who doeth all things well. Behold your ample reward! More than forty of our old Lodges have revived, and new ones have been instituted, from whose altars the illuminating ray shoots forth. Well may we rejoice, my Brethren, that the

"winter of our discontent" is made "glorious summer" by the Son of Righteousness in whom we trust.

We rejoice as Masons in the prosperity and extension of our sacred rite, whose effect is to make most men better and no man worse. We rejoice as citizens, that, with the revival of Masonry, vice, which had so run riot over our land during the suspension of Masonic labor, has evidently received a check, and the cardinal virtues, so impressively taught in our ritual, are no longer in danger of being submerged in the torrent of intemperance and ruin that had so deluged our beloved land. We rejoice to see our Brethren engaged, and in the front ranks of every good work calculated to ameliorate the condition of man, as well as in their readiness to attend at the well known sound of the Gavel, and assist in bringing to the true Masonic light "good men and true," to whom we may with safety commit the keeping of our Masonic Tabernacle on earth, when we shall be called to put off this tabernacle of clay, as we humbly hope, to that spiritual tabernacle-" that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."

GENERAL GRAND LODGE.

In addition to the usual amount of local and peculiar business in our sister Grand Lodges, many matters of interest to the Fraternity at large have received considerable attention. I have neither the time nor ability to examine into and lay before you a digest of these matters in such manner as I could wish; but trusting that our Committee on Foreign Correspondence will make up for my deficiency, I will glance at some points which I deem most important.

First in order, perhaps, is the project of forming a Grand Lodge of the United States. We have heretofore held this Grand Lodge aloof from this important matter; but, as a Convention has been held, a Constitution reported, and forwarded to the several Grand Lodges, the subject seems now, if never before, to require calm and deliberate action. Differences of opinion exist as to the usefulness of such a general Grand Body. These should be examined with great care or evil instead of good may come of the agitation of the question. For myself I regard the formation of such a Body as proper and advantageous to the cause, provided all will come into the arrangement harmoniously, but not otherwse.

INITIATION OF SOJOURNERS.

I perceive that controversies have arisen between some of our sister Grand Lodges, in consequence of conferring the Degrees in a subordinate Lodge upon those who were mere sojourners at the time and place when and where accepted. That this, in some cases, may have been done inadvertantly, may readily be supposed; and I take this occasion to put my Brethren of our subordinate Lodges on their guard against a practice so manifestly wrong.

EXPULSIONS FROM CHAPTERS AND ENCAMPMENTS.

Another doctrine of the day, which I am happy to believe prevails but to a limited extent, is, that expulsion from a Chapter or Encampment is an expulsion from all the privileges of Masonry. I trust that our Brethren, before adopting any such sentiment, will look well to their By-Laws, which guarantee to every member of a Lodge a fair and impartial trial by his Lodge before he can be deprived of any one privilege which he became entitled to when he became a member of it. And while I cherish a most ardent attachment to what are called the higher Degrees and Orders of Masonry, far be it from me to suppose that Master Masons are so incompetent to the management of their Lodges and members as to require it to be done for them by proxy.

PUBLICATION OF REJECTIONS.

I perceive that many of our Grand Lodges adopt the practice of publishing the names of candidates who have been rejected. With much respect for their opinions, and without assuming any right to dictate, I must take this occasion to say

that I think such a practice decidedly wrong. I believe it to be a well settled rule among Masons, not to do any man harm if we cannot do him any good. And it would indeed be a work of supererrogation to arrogate to ourselves so much perfection as to say that we always judge rightly, and never reject a worthy candidate.

BUSINESS OF MASTERS' LODGES.

The question has arisen in some of our Lodges, whether business should be transacted in any other way than in a Master Masons' Lodge. It seems to me, for reasons which, upon reflection, will be obvious, to every Master Mason, that all business, other than the work and Lectures appertaining to the two preceding Degrees, should be done in a Masters' Lodge; and this practice I am happy to believe has generally obtained in our State, and is perfectly in accordance with our By-Laws, which admit none but Master Masons to membership in a subordinate Lodge.

From the proceedings of the Grand Lodge, we extract as follows:

PHYSICAL QUALIFICATIONS OF CANDIDATES.

R. W. Bro. Humphreys submitted to the Grand Lodge the question "whether a man deprived of his right hand, can properly be initiated into Masonry ?" Referred to Bros. Thompson, Williams and Winslow, who subsequently reported, in the language of a Conimittee of the Grand Lodge appointed last year to consider a similar question :

"That when the deformity of the candidate is not, in the opinion of the Lodge, such as to prevent him from being instructed in the arts or mysteries of Freemasonry, or does not amount to an inability honestly to acquire the means of subsistence, the admission will not be an infringement upon the Ancient Landmarks, but will be perfectly consistent with the spirit of our Institution." The report was read and accepted.

GENERAL GRAND LODGE.

The Committee regret to find that the unhappy controversy, in regard to jurisdiction, between the sister Grand Lodges of Louisiana and Mississippi is not yet terminated. Whatever may be the merits of the argument on either side of this controversy, there are manifested by each party some of those excrescences of buman frailty and passion which suggest the necessity of a more free use of the Gavel, and a more liberal exercise of Faith, Hope and Charity. The existence of such a protracted controversy between the Grand Lodges of two adjacent States, as well as other valid reasons, is fitted to urge upon the attention of the several Grand Lodges of the United States a full and immediate consideration of the expediency of the establishment of a GENERAL GRAND LODGE. This subject has already engaged the attention of several Grand Lodges, and been partially discussed and passed upon by some of them, and has already been commended to your notice by our M. W. Grand Master in his annual communication, and your Committee would express their conviction that this subject deserves to be carefully examined at this session of the Grand Lodge.

The subject is one of vital and commanding importance to the welfare of the Order now, and will be increasingly so in view of the multiplication of Lodges and the rapid increase of members. Such a confederation of the Grand Lodges of the States of our American Union, would have a happy influence in extending the fraternal intercourse of good men in all sections, and contributing to the harmony and stability not only of Freemasonry, but of all the social, civil, and religious Institutions of our common country. Such an organization would put the Lodges of this country on a similar basis with that of the Chapters and Encampments; and afford the most direct and practicable mode of correspondence with the Ancient and Honorable Masonic Bodies in other countries, thus bringing into actual and early communication all the branches of the Masonic Fraternity throughout the world. Would not such an intercourse, endeared by the cement of fraternal affection, be a delightful spectacle in an age like this? And is not

the way preparing for it, in the providence of God, even in the convulsions and revolutions which now shake the Eastern Hemisphere? Such an affiliation and intercourse of the Masonic bodies throughout the world might contribute largely to the progress of humanity, the diffusion of Light and Love, the peace of the world, and the reign of universal Benevolence. It would tend to these results by its influence in settling disputed questions of jurisdiction, harmonizing discrepancies in the symbols, languages and usages of the Order, and removing the remaining rubbish around our temple walls, accumulated during years of inaction and neglect, or by which Vandal hands have sought to hedge up the way of access to our doors, and make them inaccessible to "poor, blind candidates," or cause to stumble those of our Craft who should presume to pass and repass without the necessary due-guards and appropriate qualifications.

The limited time afforded the Committee, and the length of this report, prevent a particular notice of several questions and usages of some importance which have been discussed in some of the Grand Lodges, and which the judicious action of a Supreme Grand Lodge might happily remove or diminish. Such questions may properly claim the attention of those who shall hereafter be entrusted with the correspondence of the Lodge.

The Committee, to whom was referred the Grand Master's Address, made a report on so much thereof as relates to the establishment of a Supreme Grand Lodge of the United States, and recommended that the Grand Lodge approve the

measure.

Which report was read and accepted.

Whereupon, after due deliberation, it was

Resolved, That this Grand Lodge ratifies and approves the Constitution for a Supreme Grand Lodge, reported by the Convention, holden at Baltimore, (Md.,) on the 23d day of September, 1847.

CONNECTICUT.

We have received a copy of a part of the proceedings had at a special session of the Grand Lodge of Connecticut, held at New Haven, on the 12th Oct. 1847. The business of importance transacted, was the adoption of a system of work and lectures for the Lodges in the State.

The Grand Encampment held its " annual assembly" in May. We notice nothing in the proceedings of general interest. Sir Eliphalet G. Storer, of New Haven, was elected Grand Master. There are three Encampments in the State.

The Grand Chapter also held its "annual convocation" in May. The committee on foreign correspondence, in reference to the papers committed to them, hold the following language:

"These proceedings are full of interest, and show conclusively that Royal Arch Masonry throughout the whole extent of our country, is in a very flourishing and healthy condition. New Chapters are being created, dormant Chapters are reviving and brushing up their implements, annulled Chapters are asking for a renewal of their charters, and the work of re-building the waste places and making darkness light, and crooked things straight, appears to have engaged the attention and enlisted the energies of our Companions in every direction. Michigan has sent us her first annual greeting in the Royal Arch degree, and we would reciprocate the token, and welcome her into the circle of Grand Chapters, who are indissolubly bound together by "the mystic tie" of companionship-"a cord not easily broken." Your committee, in behalf of the Grand Chapter, most highly appreciate the courtesy of the several Grand Chapters and other bodies who have favored us with such valuable and encouraging information as to the condition and standing of this ancient and honorable Order."

This branch of the Order seems to be in a flourishing condition in the State. Returns were received from fifteen Chapters. Our excellent Comp., Wm. E Sanford, was elected G. H. Priest.

The Grand Council held its "annual assembly" on the same day. The meeting was well attended, and returns were received from six Councils. Comp. David Clark was elected Th. Ill. G. M.

MICHIGAN.

We have received a copy of the proceedings had by the Grand Lodge of Michigan, at its last annual communication, and give below such portions as we have room for. The following is from the Grand Master's Address:

PROSPECTS OF THE ORDER.

A retrospect of the transactions in the Masonic world, for the past year, both at home and abroad, cannot but fill to overflowing the heart of the philanthropist, while he beholds the progress of the Masonic Institution, in dispelling the moral darkness which has brooded over society, and introducing in its stead the lifegiving light of brotherly love, relief and truth. Where are the enemies of our Masonic Peace? Where are those misguided and deluded men, who, in years gone by, obtruded themselves into our Halls, desecrated our sacred altars, and destroyed the fair proportions of our Masonic Edifice? They are gone-all gone, and sunk into oblivion. Many of them have gone to their graves unhonored, and the memory of the survivors will perish and be forgotten, as Freemasonry advances in her triumphant march. Only let the members of our Fraternity be true to themselves-let them cultivate assiduously the noble tenets of our profession-let them invariably practice, out of the Lodge, those duties which are inculcated in it-let community at large see that we are, in truth, what we claim to be; and the day is not distant, when a Freemason will be hailed as the benefactor of our race, and our Institution admitted second to none of human organization. May our Supreme Grand Master above hasten a consummation so devoutly to be wished!

I have not, during the past year, been an uninterested spectator of what has been doing in our sister Grand Lodges. I have witnessed, with the liveliest emotions of joy, the onward march of our Order every where-more particularly, the untiring efforts which are making to elevate the intellectual, as well as moral condition of the children of our Brethren, by establishing schools and seminaries of learning under Masonic patronage and government. But as these matters more appropriately belong to the committee on Foreign Correspondence, and will be brought to your notice by the able chairman of that cominittee, I shall confine myself, in my remarks and in the suggestions I have to make to you, to a report of my official acts, and to recommendations peculiarly applicable to our own jurisdiction.

In a review of domestic transactions, there is much, very much, to gladden and rejoice the heart. On every side, our older Lodges are prospering almost beyond a parallel; and new Lodges are springing up, diffusing light, and dispensing the benefits of our time-honored institution far and wide.

NEW LODGES.

I have, since our last communication, granted the following dispensations to form new Lodges, to continue until our present communication, viz: To Brother Paul B. Ring and his associates, to form a Lodge at Jackson; to Brother John T. Haynes and his associates, to form a Lodge at Coldwater, Branch county; to Brother John Barber and his associates, to form a Lodge at Adrian, Lenawee county; to Brother H. N. Baldwin and his associates, to form a Lodge at Janesville, Hillsdale county; to Brother Joseph Sibley and his associates, to form a Lodge at Marshall, Calhoun county; to Brother Charles M. Eldredge and his