MASONIC CHIT CHAT.

A correspondent writing from Jackson, Miss., says "In no city in the Union is Masonry in a more flourishing condition than in this. With a population of about three thousand, (black and white,) we have an Encampment, Council, Chapter and two Lodges. And we have recently finished a splendid hall, with an express view to the accommodation of the Grand Lodge, which now holds its sessions at Natchez."

The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts was opened at 9 o'clock on the morning of the 27th ult., for instruction in the lectures and work; and in the evening, for the installation of its officers. large, and the work and off to general acceptance. for particulars this month.

The attendance was ceremonies passed We have not room

The inquiries of our correspondent at Jackson, Miss., shall receive attention in our next. Also, those of our correspondents at Mansfield, Ohio, and Cayuga, Miss., and several others on hand.

We have a large amount of matter on hand, some of which has been long prom

IMPORTANT.-The Grand Lodge of Eng. Jand, at its quarterly communication in September last, authorized the substitution of the words "free man" for "free born," wherever the former expression occurs in its ritual. This change has been made mainly with a view to meet the wishes and necessi-ised, that shall receive attention as fast as ties of the Lodges in Antigua, Jamaica, and other British colonies. The fact is important, and we may hereafter refer to it again.

Brethren visiting London, will find excellent accominodations at the new Masonic Hotel, recently opened by Br. Bacon, in Great Queen street, Lincoln's Inn Fields. It is connected with the "Freemasons' Tavern," where the meetings of the Grand Lodge are held.

The Grand Lodge of England has authorized the purchase of certain freehold houses and premises, adjoining their present property on Great Queen street, London, at a cost of eight thousand pounds sterling.

The Lodge at Harrisonville, Van Buren county, Mo., have offered a reward of one hundred dollars, for the apprehension of the murderer of John Hubble, formerly a resident of that county, and a member of Prairie Lodge.

The M. W. Br. Ralls, G. M. of Missouri, now Colonel in the volunteer service, has organized a Lodge at Santa Fe.

The publication of the interesting obituary notice, by our correspondent at Pepperell, is necessarily deferred till next month.

we can find room for it. The intelligence furnished by our valued Irish correspondent, is among the matter reluctantly excluded from this number.

We have been waiting for an opportunity to make a few notes on our late excursion to the West, but have not yet been able to find one, from a press of other matter. Our acknowledgments are due to several Brethren on the route, and particularly at Toronto, in Canada. We hope soon to be able to attend to this matter.

Thomas R. A. Chapter has recently been revived, and removed from Princeton to Fitchburg, in this State. Its officers were elected and installed on the 14th ult. Hon. David Wilder, late State Treasurer, was installed as H. P. The prospects of the Chapter are encouraging, and its allairs are in safe and competent hands.

THE LANDMARKS.- Brethren to whom we have furnished the first vol. of the "Landmarks," by Br. Oliver, can have the second vol., by sending their orders forthwith.

FOR SALE-A complete set of this Magazine, six vols., in good condition. Price, $16, unbound; or $20, bound.

Brs. C. H. Foster, of Mouroeville, and Rufus C. Torrey, of Claiborne, Ala., are authorized agents for the Magazine and Trestle Board.

Br. Elward M. Gantt is our authorized agent for the Magazine at Selma, Ala.

Jackson, Miss., Dec. 6, 1847. BRO. C. W. MOORE,-Circumstances which have recently transpired in this vicinity, have produced a good deal of discussion in regard to Masonic interments. Various questions have been mooted on which your opinion is desired. It is laid down in the Maryland Ahiman Rezon, that no one can be Masonically interred but such as make a request to that effect to the Master of the Lodge of which they are members. To this rule (it is stated) there is no exception, unless in the case of foreigners or sojourners.

1st. One question is--Has any member of a Lodge making the request, and not under sentence of suspension or expulsion, (however he may deserve to be,) a right to Masonic interment-or is it a compliment, which a Lodge may pay or withhold, as they may deem the deceased worthy or unworthy of it, and that, consequently, the interests of the Order may be prejudiced or benefited? The ancient ceremonial does seem to me clearly to indicate that this honor (as I esteem it,) was paid only to the memory of worthy Masons.

2d. Does a Lodge act unmasonically, in interring one who is neither a sojourner, a foreigner, nor a member of such or any other Lodge?

3d. If any other, what evidence of the deceased's Masonic character and grade, is sufficient to authorize his Masonic interment ?

4th. Is any Mason bound to participate in a Masonic funeral, the object of which he believes to be unworthy?

5th. If the members of the particular Lodge engaged in the ceremony are bound to take part by the order of the W. M., are the members of other Lodges, or no Lodge, who may chance to be present as visitors, bound to obey the order of the W. M. to take part in the ceremony?

I should like to have your opinion on all these questions, either with or without your reasons.

Yours, fraternally,

DUDLEY S. JENNINGS.

1. On page three hundred and fifty three, of the fifth volume of this Magazine, our correspondent will find an article on "The Right to Masonic Burial," and to that we respectfully refer him.

The rule referred to by our correspondent, is found in all the Masonic books that contain the funeral service. It is the only rule on the subject. It is not, however, a constitutional regulation; nor do the original Consti

tutions of Masonry, in any way recognise Masonic funerals. The laws by which they are governed, depend upon, and originate in, the usage of the Fraternity where they are practised. This usage is not uniform. Even in England, public Masonic funerals are of rare occurrence, and in France, the ceremony, as a general rule, is performed in private, and in the Lodge room. Never, but on extraordinary occasions, is it performed in public. We are not, therefore, to receive the rule as given in the Ahiman Rezon and other text-books, as an universal and unchangeable law. It is not regarded as obligatory even by our English Brethren, with whom it originated; for the present Constitutions of the Grand Lodge of England do not make the exception in favor of "foreigners and sojourners." They require that the deceased, in order to render him eligible to Masonic burial, must have been a contributing member of a subordinate Lodge at the time of his decease. This condition being fulfilled, he is at liberty to make the request of the "Master of the Lodge of which he died a member;" and the Lodge is then at liberty to grant his request or otherwise, as may be expedient and proper. This is the rule in England. A Brother may not demand the ceremony as a right, though, if he be worthy, it will never be refused to him as a token of respect and affection, except for reasons of great weight and pressing consideration.

The same rule, in this respect, has obtained, and is generally recognised in this country. The Lodges here, as in England, have ever, and always should, reserve to themselves the right of judging of the propriety of the request when made, and of acting in accordance with its own convictions of duty, both to the deceased and the Fraternity. In language used by us on a previous occasion, "requests of this character are frequently made by worthy, but not always wisely discriminating Brethren, when a compliance would not only be attended with unpleasant consequences, but would often result prejudicially to the interests of the Institution. This is especially true in large and populous cities, where the Fraternity, under a more stringent regulation, might be liable to be called daily into the public streets; and not always under auspicious circumstances. It has, therefore, been wisely left with the Lodges to determine the propriety of granting such requests when made."

2. The construction given to the rule; or perhaps we should say, the practice as generally established in this country; does not restrict the privilege of Masonic burial to members of Lodges, foreigners and sojour ners; but permits of its being extended to all Brethren who have rendered themselves worthy of it, by their virtues and fidelity to the Institution, or who have distinguished themselves for courage and patriotism in the service of their country. Nor is it always deemed essential that the deceased should have made the request to be buried by his Brethren. This is often

And in neither case,

done at the desire of his family and friends. judgment, "does the Lodge act unmasonically."

in our

3. The qualifications which should be regarded as essential to Masonic burial, are an unimpeachable moral character, and a reputable standing among the Brethren and in the community. In this respect, the Lodges cannot exercise too much care and caution. "Worldly wealth and honors" are not to be taken into consideration in settling a question of this kind; but the moral attributes of the deceased, his life and conversation, the estimation in which he is held by his Brethren, friends and neighbors, are all to be carefully considered. And if, upon this consideration, it shall not be clearly manifest, that the performance of the solemn ceremony appointed for the occasion, would not, through the unworthiness or short-comings of the deceased, bring reproach upon the Order in the community, or even among his more intimate friends, it is to be withheld, however pressing may be the circumstances under which it is desired. Neither the character of the Lodge, nor the solemnity of the ceremony, must be put at hazard.

4. A Brother is certainly not "bound to participate in a Masonic funcral, the object of which he believes to be unworthy." No Mason is bound to act the hypocrite; nor are his Brethren at liberty to force him into a situation where he cannot do otherwise.

5. As a general rule, it is the duty of every member to attend the meetings of the Lodge to which he belongs, when not manifestly inconsistent with his business or family engagements. It is particularly his duty, (and he will so generally regard it,) to attend on occasions of so much solemn interest as the burial of a Brother. But unless there is some special provision in the By-laws of the Lodge, making it imperative upon him, we know of no regulation by which his attendance can be coerced; except, indeed, by a special summons, which no Master of a Lodge, we apprehend, would be willing to authorise on occasions of this kind. And if he were, though the attendance of the Brother at the Lodge room might thereby be required, his participation in the public ceremonies would still be at his own option; for, as before intimated, he cannot be compelled to violate his conscience, by participating in solemn religious ceremonies to the honor of one whom he believes to be unworthy of them.

"he may

The Master of the officiating Lodge has not any power to compel the attendance of members of other Lodges; neither has he power to compel the attendance of unaffiliated Brethren. The regulation says invite as many Lodges as he thinks proper, and the members of those Lodges may accompany their officers in form;" and, when assembled, the whole are under his direction. But he has no power to compel them to attend and "take part in the ceremony."

We believe we have answered all the inquiries proposed by our correspondent; not, indeed, so much in detail as we should have been pleased to do, were not our files crowded with matters having a prior claim on our attention and pages.

RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY REBUKED BY A LADY.

A correspondent writing from Tanyard, Pike Co., Missouri, says that quite an excitement has recently been created in that vicinity, growing out of the introduction and discussion of the following question before the Baptist Church :

"Does the United Baptist Church at Ramsay's Creek, approve of its members joining the Freemasons ?"

It seems that the immediate cause of this movement was the circumstance that a member of the Church had been made a Mason in Lodge No. 17. After debate, the question was taken and decided in the affirmative, ten or twelve voting for it, and five or six against it-seven or eight members present did not vote at all. At this meeting, the minister and several members who were known to be opposed to the agitation of the subject in any form, were absent. At a subsequent meeting, a motion was, therefore, made to expunge the former vote; and this motion is now pending.

Our correspondent, in commenting upon the matter, says :-" Our pity and sorrow, and our admiration, have alike been excited by this movement. Our pity and sorrow have been excited by seeing old grey-headed men, whose general good deportment as citizens has commanded our respect, lending their influence to a proceeding so well calculated to disturb the peace of the community and to destroy that harmony which has hitherto prevailed in the Church, and which is essential to its prosperity. But our admiration burst forth like a mountain stream, showing the purity of the source from whence it came, when we beheld among the opponents of the proposition, a lady raising her hand in the church, and her voice amongst her friends, in strong demonstrations of disapprobation.

"For this heroic act, we thought some expression was due from us. We therefore procured an elegant gilt Bible, with a portrait of the Saviour, and this inscription on the covers," Search the Scriptures ;" and on one of the fly-leaves we placed a suitable expression, followed by the names and residences of a number of Masons, who desired to participate in the donation; and sent it to the lady by two of our Brethren. The gift was received with a lady-like kindness, and an expression of thanks