Masonic Notes And Queries.

THE VERNAL EQUINOX . Why are Mark lodges obliged to hold a meeting near the Vernal Equinox , and when does that mean ? —A . N . EEEEMASONRY IN THE SANDWICH ISLANDS . Freemasonry is said to flourish in the Sandwich

Islands . We all know the late king was a Freemason , his father-in-law one , and the Bishop of Honolulu one . The latter was made on purpose to go out . How does it come to be defined there so strongly ? Was Captain Cook a Mason , and did he establish sr lodge before the natives killed him ?—W . W .

LADIES' TOASTS . Is there any rule to exclude toasts in honour of ladies from lodge banquets ?—P . M . —[ No . The Old Freemasons included in their collections of Toasts" To each charming fair , and faithful she Who loves the Craft of Masonry . "

Another was : — " To all the female friends of Freemasons . " One , not very complimentary to those who objected to Freemasonry , ought to be included , because it was addressed to females , and is" May she who'd Masonry revile

, Ne ' er meet a Mason ' s gracious smile , On earth be a neglected belle , And when from this—lead apes in hell . " Iu strong contrast , we add one in honour of the Hon . Mrs . Aldworth , the female Freemoson : — "To the memory of our Sister Allworth , who is worthy

of us all . " And the last , perhaps the warmest , runs" To Masons and to Masons' bairns , And women with both wit and charms , That love to lie in Masons' arms . " KIT NOETH—PEOIESSOE WILSON .

Iu what lodge was Christopher North—commonly called Kit North—or more properly speaking the late Professor Wilson , initiated ?—A . N . EAIN AND SECEEST . What has raiu to do with secresy , and how can an intimation of wet weather be applied as tending to caution ?—S . S .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

™ he Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents . EOYAL AECH . 'TO IDE EDITOB 0 E THE FEEEJIASOXS' - . UGAZISB AND JIASOJfIC MIHEOH . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I enclose a copy of one of the blaws of the Oriental Chapt ( No 687 )

y- er . of E . A . Masons established in this city , for your perusal . " No . 9 . , "No resident brother shall be proposed for exaltation , unless he be at the time of proposition a subscribing member of the Oriental Lod ( No 687 )"

ge . . May I ask if the above is a specimen of the brotherhood supposed to prevail amongst Masons -eligible for this degree ? For the peculiar hardships of this by-law on brethren residing so far from England

Correspondence.

or Malta , where other chapters exist , I must give an approximate idea of the number of Masons in this place , members of lodges , besides the ninety or thereabouts subscribing members to the Oriental . The Deutscher Bund ( No . 819 ) . has 30 members . The Bulwer ( No . 891 ) . . . . „ 26 „

The E .-. L . * . Italia ,, 120 „ The L'Union d'Orient .... „ 70 „ The Germania „ 25 „ The three latter are foreign lodges . Thus , there are no less than 271 Masons , with the exception of a few who happen to subscribe also to

the Oriental , who are precluded from taking the E . A . degree . Will you , dear sir and brother , give me . your opinion of this law ? and for a history of the foundation of this chapter I can refer you to your MAGAZINE of the 6 th August last .

I remain , dear Sir and Brother , Yours truly and fraternally , A M . M . Constantinople , Sept . 27 th , 1864 . [ The rule is opposed to all the principles of Freemasonry . ]

Neath Church.

NEATH CHURCH .

TO THE EDITOtt OS THE raEESTASOHS' MAOAZI 1 TE AUD MASONIC 1 IIKEOI . DEAR , SIB AND BROTHER , —Allow me to state that the apparently well-intentioned correction in your last of my truthful report of the proceedings at the above ceremony could have been nothing less than an attempt to " mislead" you ; the first and only instance of the kind I have observed in your numerous

communications from this province . To refer to my former letter , I did not deny that the Deputy Provincial Grand Master and other Masons took some part in the ceremony , but affirmed that the public announcements advertised that the foundation-stone would be laid by a lady—that the stone was laid by a lady , assisted by Masons , and that it was so reported in all the local newspapers , two of

those reports being published ( within my own knowledge ) by Freemasons . I did not think it requisite to multiply proof ' s of my assertion , not supposing there was a brother in the province hardy enough to deny it ; but if any further confirmation were necessary it was contained in the inscription upon the very trowel with which the ceremony was performedthe presenV

, tation of which , my " would-be corrector" pretends was the only incident of an un-Masonic nature . That inscription Avas as follows : — " This trowel was presented to Mrs . on the occasion of HEB laying the foundation-stone of St . David ' s Church , " & c . PlainlythenI must convict my disingenuous critic

, , , notwithstanding his avowedly better opportunities of observation , of attempting to mystify you , or the silver trowel , formally presented to the lady upon so solemn an occasion , bore upon its face a palpable falsehood .

In addition to this , the advertisements put out must have been meant to gull the public , and to throw dust in the eyes of the lady , and the reports supplied to the newspapers by parties present , and , in some cases , by Freemasons , must have contained accounts of the proceedings equally erroneous with the version given by Yours truly and fraternally , A HATEE 01 ? TOM-EOOLEBT .