The Prayers Of The Craft.

of Faith , Hope , and Charity ; and when-Thou shalt be pleased to call them hence , and the earthly house of this tabernacle shall be dissolved , give them a building of God , a house not made with hands , eternal in the heavens .

" Response by the brethren—So mote it be . In a note to the appendix it is stated that " the preceding ceremonials may beabridged or extended at pleasure , provided nothing be introduced that can give offence to any brother either in religion or

politics ; the material points however are on no account to be omitted . " " It is perhaps unnecessary to add that the presiding brother ought to commit the whole to memory , it being quite contrary to the spirit of Scottish Masonry to read any

portion , except the charge and regulations . " These prayers do not occur in either editions of the constitutions published A . D . 1804 , to 1848 . At laying a foundation stone by the M . W . G . Master Mason of Scotland after the elements have

been scattered , the Grand Master delivers the following prayer , and . then the Masons' Anthem concludes .

" Praise be to the Lord immortal and eternal , Avho formed the heavens , laid the foundations of the earth , and extended the waters beyond it , who supports the pillars of Nations , and maintains in order and harmony surrounding worlds . We

implore Thy aid , and may the continued blessings of an all bounteous providence be the lot of these our native shores ; aud may the Almighty ruler of events deign to direct the hand of our gracious sovereign , so that she may pour down

blessings upon her people ; and may that people , living under safe laws , in a free government , ever feel grateful for the blessings they enjoy . " ( To be continued . )

American Correspondence.

AMERICAN CORRESPONDENCE .

BY BRO . MOKEIS , LL . D . Ave your readers posted in the new imbroglio in tlie ancient and accepted , rite , in Louisiana ? If not let me explain it . New Orleans has a large French population , many of whose political and

social leaders have not yet entirely acquiesced in the sale of the territory by France so many years ago . They publish their laws in French , maintain French journals and books , & c , just as the same class of people do in Quebec that is under your jurisdiction . I believe there are yet successors to the old French families in both those

cities , who live in hopes of seeing the French flag wave over them before they die ! Well , these Louisiana Masons are very Gallic in all things . In the Scotch rite they prefer to derive their authority directly from France ,

although it is well-known , I believe , that all of that system which the French in France have at the present day , comes from the United States . ( If I am not right , some of your 33 ° correspondents will correct me ) . So the New Orleans Scotch Rite

Masons are " always kicking up a frightful roiv" as the street music in London , had it when I was there in July last ! tbey break off occasionally in a new schism . The last one would have been of no importance only the Grand Orient of France for

some private reason not yet exoteric , has recognised one Foulhouze with a score or tivo of confederates , in the very face and eyes of the fact that they have a gar ante de comite in the person of A . G . Mackey , duly accredited to the Supreme

Council of the southern jurisdiction which embraces Louisiana ; and the Grand Orient of France has long since acknowledged the laiv of

jurisdiction which forbids a foreign power from establishing subordinates there , and denies the right of any subordinate bodies ( existing within the jurisdiction ) to set up governing bodies for themselves . The Louisiana people , it is easily

seen , have done this thing for the same reason that actuated them in their numerous previous schisms and which lies at the basis of all the Masonic schisms in the world ; that is , the greed for office . It is unfortunate that in the polity of

the ancient and accepted rite , neither long ex--perience , Masonic knowledge or distinguished reputation , controls the distribution of the hi ghest honour : the degree of "thirty-third" or Grand

Inspector General which is the heaven of a Scottish Mason's aspirations cannot be had , save through the suffrages of the little band already possessing it—a band that in this country at least is far from representing the learning , talent , and

Masonic experience of the institution here . Now the Louisiana Masons are accustomed to the following easy process of obtaining the thirty-third degree viz . ; they make a schism to embrace one or more men already in possession of that celestial prize ;

then communicate the grade to a score or two of others ; the schism becomes in a few years one of great magnitude ( for all Masons crave that honour and how does the m ass know , or what does the mass care for the question of jurisdiction involved );