Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

MA . RK MASONEY . To the Editor of the Masonic Mirror . Edinhuryh , June 2 \ st , 1855 . SIR ,. —I beg- to send you a copy of the deliverance of the Supreme Chapter , regarding the spurious Mark Lodge in London , and am , Sir , your most obedient servant ,

WM . GAYLOR . Grand Scribe N . for Scotland . [ Copy referred to . ] June 20 th , 1855 . THE Grand Scribe N . brought under the notice of the Supreme Chapter the allegation that the Bon Accord Chapter of Aberdeen ( No . 70 ) had granted a warrant to some Masons in London , to practise Mark Masonry ; as also a letter to the Grand

Scribe N ., from Companion Rettie , Principal Z . of that Chapter , referring to a letter from himself , which he had published in the "Freemasons' Magazine" for the present month , wherein he had acknowledged the Chapter had done so , and given the reasons for its'so doing . And this letter in the " Freemasons' Magazine " having been read and considered , the Supreme Chapter is unanimously of opinion that Companion Rettie , while quoting correctly from the Laws of the Supreme Chapter , has applied to them a meaning they are quite incapable of sustaining . The Supreme Chapter further declares , that a Supreme Chapter of Royal Arch Masons alone has power , in this country , to grant legal warrants for the Mark , Past , Excellent , and Royal Arch degrees , or such of

these degrees as are acknowledged by it : That on 21 st December , 1842 , the Supreme Chapter of Scotland resolved to grant separate warrants for practising the two degrees of Mark and Past Master , and no others , reserving , however , to R . A . Chapters their privilege to confer these also , as formerly : That this law continued only in operation for a few years , after which the right to confer ( or initiate in ) these two degrees was restricted to those only who took cut R . A . Charters : That the Aberdeen Bon Accord Chapter can only confer these degrees under the Charter

granted to it on 18 th December , 1850 , and which was after the repeal of the Law of 1842 , and cannot grant warrants to any other body of Masons to confer the said degrees , or depute its own powers in any way whatever : That the Chapter of Bon Accord , Aberdeen , has thus assumed to itself powers which can be exercised by the Supreme Chapter alone , and are not conferred on any Daughter Chapter , either by its Charter , or by the Laws of the Supreme Chapter . The Supreme Chapter , therefore , directs that intimation be made to Companion Rettie to withdraw the warrant immediately , and to report at next Quarterly Communication that the same has been So done , in order to avoid the necessity of ulterior measures .

We reprint the following , in order that the whole of the correspondence may be laid before our readers : — To the Editor of the Freemasons' Monthly Magazine . SIR AND BROTHER . —Observing amongst the Notices to Correspondents in your last number that you have had a correspondence with " W . Gaylor , " I presume G . S . N , of the Sup . Chapter of Scotland , in reference to the "London Bon-accord Mark Lodge , " as first Principal of Chapter No . 70 , I would beg shortly to state the facts

connected with the origin and history of that Lodge . Upon the 11 th September , 1851 , a petition from six members ( all residing in London ) , of the Bon-accord M . M . Lodge , holding of the Chapter No . 70 , was presented to that Chapter , praying for a warrant to enable them to establish a Mark M . Lodge in London , under the title of the " London Bon-accoid Mark Master Lodge ;" as they were anxious " to promote and diffuse the genuine principle of Mark Masonry . " The Chapter granted a Warrant to those Brethren , in consequence of the Sup . G . R . A . Chapter of Scotland having , on March 12 th , 1848 , denuded themselves of the right of grantiug Mark Lodge Warrants , and as the resolution bears , " that