Resolved, That we offer our heart-felt sympathies, in this dispensation of Divine Providence, to the friends and relatives of our deceased Brother. Resolved, That the foregoing preamble and resolutions be entered upon the records of this Lodge, and published in the county and Milwaukee papers, also in The Ashlar, and Voice of Masonry. W. W. WHITNEY, Sec'y. EXPELLED. CONSTANTINE, ST. JOSEPH Co., MICH. November 20th, 1859. DEAR SIR AND BRO.-At a regular communication of Siloam Lodge of F. and A. Masons, held in the village of Constantine, on the 11th of the present month, Brother DAVID FEESE was expelled from all the rights and benefits of Masonry. By order of the W. M. LEXINGTON LODGE NO. 61, OF F. AND A. M. DEAR SIR AND BRO.—At an adjourned Communication of this Lodge held the 30th of November last, ORLOW MAYBEE, a member of this Lodge, was duly expelled from all the rights and benefits of Masonry, for unmasonic conduct, and his name ordered to be published in THE ASHLAR. Fraternally yours, JOHN D. LATUYCHE, Sec. LEXINGTON LODGE No. 61, OF F. AND A. M. DEAR SIR AND BRO.-At a regular Communication of this Lodge held the 4th inst., GIDEON D. BULLEN, a member of this Lodge, was duly expelled from this Lodge, and from all the rights and benefits of Masonry, for unmasonic conduct, in counterfeiting and passing the coin of these United States; and his name ordered to be published in THE ASHLAR. Fraternally yours, JOHN D. LATUYCHE, Sec. OFFICE OF THE GRAND SECRETARY, DEAR SIR AND BRO.-Official information has been received at this office, that at a meeting of St. Albans Lodge No. 6, Bristol, held on the 16th inst, HENRY F. SIMMONS was expelled from Freemasonry, for gross unmasonic conduct. Yours, Fraternally, THOS. A. DOYLE, Grand Sec. EDITOR'S TABLE. THE NEW YORK CENTRAL RAILROAD.-This is one of the great links in the chain of thoroughfares which connect the East and West. There are now running over it five daily trains from Suspension Bridge and Buffalo to Albany. Among the advantages presented by the road the following are enumerated : "Double tracks the whole distance, straight lines, no high embankments, and an argus-eyed supervision of every point of safety and comfort, are what the travelling community have long ago 'made note of.' The route in common with the Hudson River Railroad, threads on the through line, the most charming and most populous places and natural wonders of the Empire State" We learn that this company has recently established a General Ticket Office in the American Express Office, corner of Lake and Dearborn streets, opposite the Tremont House, Chicago. The company have also made arrangements for California and European passage tickets. H. E. Sawyer, Esq., represents their interests in Chicago. The New York Central Railroad is under the management of one of the most efficient and competent Superintendents in the country, who constantly maintains that degree of order and system so essentially necessary to the running of trains punctually. WANT OF COURTESEY. - Bro. Brennan, of the American Freemason, recently attacked Bro. Lawrence, of the Signet and Journal, for his remarks respecting J. Theo. Holly, which we published in our November No. Bro. B. accuses Bro. L. of "meretricious ignorance," to which the latter replies in the following courteous manner: But We cheerfully give Bro. Brennan the benefit of his explanation, and have no comments to make on it but this: That we would not have made use of the term "meretricious ignorance" in speaking of Bro. Brennan. Ignorance alone is sometimes excusable; meretricious ignorance, paradoxical as it is, never. we have no fault to find with Bro. Brennan for the expression. One's diction is a matter of taste, usually derivable from one's early associations, and therefore, in some degree pardonable. Such epithets were not taught him in the Lodge, we know. The Editor of the New York Courier thinks the offensive remarks reflect on us, We know not what reply will be made by our esteemed friend and Brother Weston, of THE ASHLAR, but we trust he will touch him off aisey. Editors of Masonic Journals should never forget that they are expected to be gentlemen. We will only say that Bro. Brennan is so touchy that he needs no touching off. We have charity to believe his principles are better than his manners, and that his expressions are not true indices of his heart. THE Communication given below, is from the pen of a highly intelligent and long-tried Mason, who has given many years of labor to the promotion of the interests of Masonry in Michigan. We shall, at some future time, express our views on the action of the late Grand Master of Michigan, and that of the Grand Lodge. EDITOR OF THE ASHLAR: Dear Sir and Bro. :-Permit me, through the columns of THE ASHLAR, to return my thanks to the Grand Secretary for a printed copy of the proceedings of the Grand Lodge of the State of Michigan, held at Detroit, January, 1860. In looking over its pages, I was somewhat surprised to find action taken upon the report of a special committee, to whom was referred a certain portion of the Grand Master's address, relative to the "Divine authenticity of the Holy Bible." The Grand Master, feeling, no doubt, that he had been rather severely handled by THE ASHLAR for the official expression of his opinion through his public addresses, saw fit to bring the subject before the Grand Lodge at its annual meeting, by saying: "Upon several occasions during the past year, it has been my fortune to be honored with invitations to participate with the Fraternity in different sections of the State in various social and public celebrations. Three of my addresses, upon these occasions, have been published in pamphlet form, and quite generally distributed. It happens that sentiments advanced, in one instance at least, have been animadverted 19-VOL. V. NO. VII. upon with some degree of asperity, by a Masonic journal which has some* circulation in this State. However fully convinced in my own mind that the positions therein assumed are impregnable, nevertheless, that my temporary position may not compromise the Grand Lodge, I ask leave to submit herewith, copies of the addresses referred to, so that if errors or' heresy' in Masonic doctrine therein appear, they may be fully exposed and duly reprehended." This portion of the Grand Master's address was referred to a committee of three, appointed by the Grand Master. In the selection of that committee, it is reasonable to suppose that, inasmuch as the Grand Master's peculiar views upon this question had been severely censured and ably criticised, not only in THE ASHLAR, but in other Masonic journals, that he would select such a committee as would without doubt coincide with him in the point at issue; and I see by the printed proceedings, that the Grand Master was not mistaken in the opinion he had formed of his committee (the chairman of which was a member of his own Lodge, I believe), for I find that they say: "In the judgment of your committee, the Divine authenticity of the Holy Bible is the great grand basis of Masonic belief. It is the life and soul of Masonry in all Christian countries; and at every step in the onward progress of the Masonic journey, his mind and thoughts are directed to the Holy Bible, as containing not only the elements of his faith, but the very essence of his Masonic existence. If the Divine authenticity of the Bible be ignored, then of what use can it be in the Lodge-room within this jurisdiction, more than the Koran, or any other book? Your committee find no heresy in the address alluded to, and most cordially endorse and approve of the sentiments therein expressed." (Who will say that the Grand Master has not left his footprints in this report?) I find this report was accepted and adopted. I was myself a member of the Grand Lodge, and in attendance upon its session, and I was very much surprised to read in its proceedings the approval and adoption of the report above alluded to, and I can only account for it from the fact that it must have been submitted and carried through when but few of the members were present, and those taking no interest and paying no attention to the business before them;† for, most assuredly, * I congratulate the late Grand Master upon his having discovered the fact that THE ASHLAR has" some" circulation in Michigan. † I have since been informed that such was the fact; that immediately upon the commencement of the afternoon session, the first business done was the submitting of this report and action upon it, before many of the members returned from dinner. a question of such moment, tending to disfranchise a host of good and true Masons-particularly our Brethren of the Jewish faith-would have met with discussion and argument, and would have been the question of the session; and I have reason to believe that the Grand Lodge of the State of Michigan would have hesitated long before they would have "cordially endorsed and approved" those peculiar views of the Grand Master, as expressed in his published address, delivered at Allegan, Feb. 24, 1859, upon this particular subject. This question, like many others of doubtful expediency, recommended by the Grand Master, must have been submitted and acted upon without remark by the Grand Lodge, in the absence of those who generally take an interest in the proceedings of that body, and are supposed to know what is, and what is not, a departure from, and in violation of, the ancient landmarks of the Institution. And here permit me to say, that the system of legislation of Masonic bodies, particularly within our own jurisdiction, has become, of late, extremely loose and highly censurable. Resolutions are adopted and edicts passed, under the system inaugurated, which do not express the opinion of the Grand Lodge, and for which it ought not to be held responsible. The system is one of growing evil, and, with all due deference for the opinion of our late Grand Master, and also for the profundity of his Masonic wisdom, so soon and so rapidly acquired, it is to be hoped that for the future the Grand Master will leave to the Grand Lodge its legislative prerogatives, and not attempt, by a cunningly devised plan in the submission of a thousand-and-one decisions of his own, to procure from the Grand Lodge, by resolution, the approval, in gross, of his own peculiar views and decisions, in order that they may go out as edicts of the Grand Lodge. Such a system of legislation is highly censurable, and injurious to the body of Masonry. In looking over the proceedings, I find that the Grand Master, in his annual address, has called to the notice of the Grand Lodge no less than fifty-nine propositions on Masonic Jurisprudence, in all of which the Grand Master has given his decision, and asks the Grand Lodge by its action to give them sanction and force as edicts. Had the Grand Master, in his wisdom, seen fit to recommend the adoption of Bro. Mackey's work on Masonic Jurisprudence, and that the opinions therein enumerated should become edicts in this jurisdiction, I should have been better pleased with the proposition, for I have greater faith in the opinions of one who has grown old in Masonry, and devoted his time and learning in the study of the traditions and laws |