as they had two years in which to perfect the arrangement. He had appointed a committee to prepare a Ritual, and had appointed three lecturers to disseminate it.

"So the Select Degrees of the Council are being altered, and conferred upon an indiscriminate crowd.

"The Grand Secretary was directed to furnish to the Grand Recorder the names of those who had received the Cryptic Degrees during the year. The Constitution was so amended as to include the Royal and Select Degrees, and to make the permanent members of the Grand Councils honorary members of the Grand Chapter. The tabular statement shows a decrease of one hundred and forty-six in the membership of the Grand Chapter, which is to lead the Cryptic Degrees to never-ceasing prosperity!

"In the appendix we find the Grand Council doing all its ordinary business. It assembled in Chicago, Oct. 23, 2878, with Companion JONATHAN J. FRENCH, G.'. M..

"He made an address, and pats himself on the back at the great success of his plan to cut the throat of the Grand Council. And yet he had gone on and appointed a Grand Representative in England, and had endowed a Companion with powers to introduce Cryptic Masonry in Scotland. "An election was held for Grand Officers, and the next Assembly was appointed for October 29, 2879."

Under Iowa for 1878, he says:

"Here another guest we bring;
Seraphs of celestial wing,

To our funeral altar come,

Waft our friend and brother home.'

"We found the Grand Council of the State of Iowa buried due east and west, but with no sprig of accacia blooming at the head of the grave to arouse a hope of any future resurrection Poor Iowa has listened to the voice of the Capitular charmer, and, fascinated, has gone and 'embosomed' herself a la Mississippi. With too little back bone to stand or fall alone, she has ignobly given up, and now sleeps unhonored and unsung. The closing scene makes us think of the actor who solemnly expired on the stage to the sound of a dirge on a flageolet played by himself.

66

We will now proceed to give an account of the final illness, last hours, parting words, laying out, and funeral ceremonies of the defunct.

"This tragic occurrence took place in Marshalltown, October 15, 2878. DANIEL B. SHELLY, M.. P.. G.-. M.. (Mighty Poor Grand Mourner, we presume.)

"Six Councils were represented. The Grand Mourner, after many tears, sobbed out:

"There seems to be no way open to us but to consolidate with the Chapter.' (Tears) This course has been rendered necessary for the preservation and perpetuation of the degrees,' (Brine) 'because it has been found to be impossible to keep alive an interest in them as a separate grade, notwithstanding their acknowledged beauty and excellence.' (Uncontrolable grief.)

"And all the mourners groaned assent, with many down dropping tears, and extensive application of snowy white handkerchiefs, with broad, black borders, wherewith they blew many sonorous, heraldic blasts.

"The extreme poverty of the dear departed was shown by the fact that the year's receipts had amounted to only $773.95, and the balance on hand was the miserable pittance of $527.05.

"The honorable, the Committees from the Grand Council and the Grand Chapter, read the last will and testament, disposing of the effects of the victim, which is very similar to the arrangements proposed in the other

jurisdictions, and need not be repeated here. The vote was then taken, and six Councils and fifteen permanent members longed for the Capitular bosom, and two Councils didn't want any on their plate, making the vote stand 33 to 6. The surplus funds were directed to be turned over to the Grand Chapter Charity Fund. It was announced that the Grand Chapter concurred, received and adopted the proposition, whereupon the sword was raised, and the hari kari was complete, the G.. M.. declaring the Grand Council closed without day. And at that time there were 13 subordinates and 470 members, as near as we can ascertain."

Under Kentucky for 1878, he says:

"The Address of the G.. M.. was a 'lamentation' over the 'want of interest in our beloved Order,' and a confession indirectly upon his part that he had done nothing for the good of the Craft during the past year, and had helped to drag it down to its present deplorable condition. He recommended the surrender of the degrees to Capitular Masonry.

"We will not quote the various resolutions, reports and arrangements made, as they differ in no particular from those which we have previously given. The Grand Council of Kentucky has ceased to exist-not because the workmen in the Secret Vault had lost their zeal, for fifteen Subordinate Councils were faithful to the trust reposed in them, and sent their Representatives to the Annual Assembly to represent their interests and labor for the good of Cryptic Masonry, and paid their money for the support of the Grand Council-but, because of lukewarmness, inefficiency and bad management upon the part of its Grand Officers. On them alone rests the responsibility."

Under Indiana for 1878, he quotes a decision of the Grand Master "that no Council could admit as a visitor, or as a member, any Companion who had not received the degrees of Royal and Select Master in a just and lawfully constituted Council of Royal and Select Masters;" and also the following "on the subject of costume and badge:"

"Take it as we may, your committee cannot get away from the fact that the only true badge of a Mason is, in the language of the old rituals, a lamb-skin or white leather apron,' which for the Council Degrees should be of the same size and form as that for the Royal Arch, and trimmed with purple in the same manner as the Royal Arch apron is trimmed with scarlet. The historical legends, upon which the Council Degrees are founded, occurring prior to the death of our lamented Grand Master, they are therefore intermediate between the Master's Degree and the Royal Arch Degrees, hence their appropriate color is purple. * * *

*

"The appropriate jewel to be worn by each officer and member of a Council, while at work is a triangle, which must have suspended therein: "For the Illustrious Master, a square.

"For the Deputy Illustrious Master, a level.

"For the Principal Conductor of the Work, a plumb.

"For the Treasurer, cross-keys.

"For the Recorder, cross-pens.

"For the Steward and Sentinel, cross-swords.

"For each member actually employed in the work, a trowel.

"These should all be of gold or yellow metal, and suspended in the

usual manner by a purple ribbon or collar.'

Under Maryland for 1878, Companion HUDSON acknowledges the receipt of a circular issued by this Grand Council for that year and adds, "ever since we welcomed this Grand Council upon her organization a few years ago, we have had difficulty in getting her proceedings. Some years we have been obliged to omit her altogether, and in others have copied from some brother correspondent more fortunate than we were." Referring to Companion DRUMMOND'S (of Maine) reply to a similar complaint, we would add that on our first reading of Companion HUDSON'S "rap over the knuckles," our impulse was to "jaw back," but reflecting that perhaps we might have the "short end of the stick," we soon concluded to express our regrets to Brother CHARLEY and at the same time say to him, that the proceedings of this Grand Council have always been regularly forwarded to all Grand Recorders under the impression that they would see to it that the Committee on Correspondence were placed in possession of them, and that failure in their reception will be cheerfully corrected on receipt of a postal intimation to that effect.

In his "conclusion" Companion HUDSON, says:

"There have been a great many discouraging things which have met our gaze in the past, which betokened no good to the Secret Vault. But, this year, from a careful review and consideration of all the Proceedings which have come to our hands, we are disposed to take a more cheerful view of the future. We have, indeed, endeavored to utter encouraging words, and we have never despaired about the ultimate result, but this year we find a better state of feeling and a more hopeful condition of mind among the influential Companions of the Craft. We come to the deliberate and sincere conclusion that Cryptic Masonry is doing just as well as any reasonable person could expect, considering the hard times through which the country has passed, which have of course affected everything in it. Our Rite is doing just as well in proportion as any other branch of the Fraternity, and doing well enough. There is no reason why anyone should doubt, or despair, or wish to surrender. We are never destined to be a colossus, nor is there any use, propriety or advantage in a frog's trying to swell to the size of an ox.

"But our belief is not based on figures merely, or the number of new members or new Councils. One symptom which has especially pleased us, is the tone of the various Reports on Correspondence, and more especially the Addresses of the Grand Masters. There has been a general improvement in the tone of these Addresses. We find better words. There is not so much talk about apathy, which in the past has formed the burden of so many lubrications from the East. There is hardly a word of lamentation over 'our beautiful degrees.' There are no prophesies of everlasting death and unutterable woe. The Grand Masters do not flourish their handkerchiefs over lacrymose eyes, or blow sonorous blasts. There has not been any suggestion of pet theories, or suggestions of change and unlimited tinkering. We would we had some power to stamp out forever the brood of tinkers.

"The Grand Officers appear to have been men of earnestness and enthusiasm. They have done something, written letters, made visitations, asked questions, and ascertained the condition of the jurisdictions under

their charge. They have encouraged, they have traveled, they have worked, they have shown themselves men worthy to bear the honor bestowed upon

them. And all this had its effect.

"Another thing we like is, that so many such men have been continued in office. It is a bad, and oftentimes runious, policy to change heads every year. When you get a good man, keep him. It is, indeed, an honorable thing to sit in the East, but it should never be conferred upon a man who seeks it or works for it. Let the office seek the man, and not the man the office. An efficient Grand Master should be retained as long as he can be induced to carry its burdens.

"Again, the Grand Councils seem to begin to be realizing that numbers and many candidates are not necessarily prosperity, but often the reverse. "If these things continue, there is as bright a future before Cryptic Masonry in its sphere as there is for Craft, Capitular or Chivalric Masonry."

NORTH CAROLINA.

A communication received from the Grand Recorder states that no Assembly of the Grand Council was held this year.

At the Annual Assembly held June 4th, 1879, resolutions were passed approving of the efforts made in the General Grand Chapter to consolidate the degrees, and appointing a committee to take into consideration the propriety of dissolving the Grand Council, and report their views at the next Annual Assembly.

As "the efforts" did not succeed in the General Grand Chapter we trust we shall find North Carolina all right when next heard from.

OHIO, 1880.

The Semi-Centennial Assembly of this Grand Council was held at Chillicothe, October 14th. Companion ORESTES A. B. SENTER, M.. I... Grand Master; forty-six Councils represented, and six additional Councils paid dues but no representatives present.

The proceedings are adorned with an elegant portrait of the veteran Companion JOHN D. CALDWELL, now thirty years Grand Recorder of the Grand Council.

The Grand Master, in his address, referred to this being the Fiftieth Assembly of the Grand Council, and states that two new Councils had been constituted during the year.

In reply to a query as to "what vote is required on the application for dimit from Council when objections are raised," he decided that no vote is required, and accompanied his decision with the following explanatory statement:

"The customary manner of granting a dimit immediately after the application is made is for the T.. I.. M.. to say, If there be no objections a dimit will be granted.' There being none, he then orders the Recorder to enter upon the record the fact of the Companion having been granted a dimit, and to issue to him a certificate to that effect. If objections are made

it must be from two causes: either the Companion is in arrears for dues, or he is subject to charges for unmasonic conduct. If the former case, all the Companion has to do is to pay his dues; if the latter, it is the duty of the Companion or Companions making the objection to prefer the charges against the Companion. After trial, if found guilty, he then suffers such punishment as the Council may inflict upon him. If not guilty, the T.. I.. M.. orders the Recorder to make record and issue certificate, as before mentioned."

He reports the exchange of Grand Representatives with the Grand Council of Maryland, Companion EDWIN L. PARKER, Jr., having been appointed their Representative near this Grand Council.

The Grand Recorder submitted a historical report on the formation of the Grand Council, in which he says:

"In 1827 the Masonic family west of the Ohio River, then a small band in numbers and influence, were on the alert for the reception of Masonic light. In 1816, through the influence of THOMAS SMITH WEBB and associates, there had been formed in Ohio the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Ohio, and the Craft received new inspiration from the earnest and active spirits who came to Ohio lecturing and laboring in the Masonic work. Honor to the worthy veterans of other days-WEBB, SNOW, BARKER, BARNEY and others!

"The Royal and Select Master degrees had been conferred in connection with the Ancient and Accepted Rite degrees that had been worked in Albany, New York, and in Charleston, South Carolina, before the breaking out of the Revolutionary War, and had been actively worked in Maryland and Virginia, under the authority of Inspector-generals of that branch of the Order that is now known as the Scotch Rite Masonry."

Up to 1829 five Councils had been formed, which in 1830 met in Convention at Worthington and formed the present Grand Council.

He also refers to the decease during the year of Companion JOHN W. MILLIGAN, one of the organizers of the Grand Council, and Grand Master from 1843 to 1845, also of Companion JOHN M. BARRERE, Grand Master from 1852 to 1856.

The Grand Council ratified the Provisional Constitution of the General Grand Council, to take effect when the requisite number (nine) shall have taken similar action.

Companion JOHN D. CALDWELL, Grand Recorder, also presented a most valuable paper on the general history of the Cryptic Rite, from which we quote the following:

"Whence came we? What is the origin of Cryptic Masonry in America? When answered properly there will be no occasion to carp at carpet-baggers. Active-brained and persevering peripatetics have brought to our doors as a continent, as a south, as an east, and a west, the fragrant, juicy fruit that we now relish, although we have improved it by grafting.

"What England had in 1717 of Scriptural incident of Masonic ritual went to France, and France and Germany built on the story, and back came to England the ineffable and sublime degrees, Royal Arch, Knights Templar, and Royal and Select degrees.