Essex Lodge has ever maintained a high position among the Fraternity, and has numbered among its members many of the best and truest of the Order. It has for me a peculiar, heartfelt interest, for when I had the honor to preside over the Institution of this State, my very first appointment was the selection of your present Deputy Grand Master. The first among his equals in deeds of charity and pure benevolence. You all know him; all of you have felt the influence of his generous hospitality. But it is not this Lodge, this city, or any circumscribed limits which bound his good deeds. His heart and hand are wherever heart and hand are needed, and the widow and the orphan, the poor and suffering rise up and call him blessed. The "Man ot Ross." God bless him. Amen.

You, my Brother, have left your impress on the character and respectability of this Lodge. Your zeal and excellence as its presiding officer for so long a period, have manifested your interest as a Mason; and your Brethren, by their repeated re-elections, have evinced their appreciation of your worth, and confidence in your Masonic skill and sagacity. They have crowned you with chaplets of houors, and now you have laid them down, untarnished. Therefore in behalf of Freemasonry, in behalf of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, in behalf of all your Brethren of Essex Lodge, I most earnestly and sincerely thank you for all you have done, and so well done.

Your fellow-citizens have this day donated to you tangible evidences of their regard towards you as a soldier, and a loved friend. Those gifts are to arm the combatant for the strite and struggle of battle, for the din of war, and the honors of an unnatural combat, but now we present you with a testimonial which breathes of peace and good will to all; the badge of a Mason, and of one who has won its honors, its highest deserts. Its teachings, while in a Lodge, you well know and have ever exemplified. But these teachings will go with you abroad, in the spirit-moving, in the awful commingling of man with man. It will tend to temper justice with mercy, to remember that having subdued your enemy to your power, he is no longer such to the death, but to extend to him that most God-like attribute, mercy.

You may find in your fallen enemy a Brother. Pity and forgive him. Shield him with the aegis of fraternal ties. I have not lost my confidence either in Freemasonry or its benign influences to quell the disturbed passions. I feel still that in the metropolis of the secessional government, ay, in Richmond itself, that many a Brother's heart beats responsive to its Masonic obligations, and sorrows for the dismemberment of their fraternal connexions. May you conquer their bodies by the physical force of manly power, and be the greater conqueror of their hearts by mercy "thrice blest, blessing him who gives, and him who receives."

May God have you in his Holy keeping; preserve you in safety and return you to the hearts of the loved, and to the enjoyments of that friendly communion which has so long been vouchsafed you. But if otherwise ordered, it is cheering to feel, that if you fall in a just and virtuous cause, that the memory of the good patriot is forever blessed. Our united aspirations are-God be with you.

GRAND LODGE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.

THE above M. W. Grand Lodge held its Annual Communication at Concord, on the 11th day of June last. The session was well attended by the Grand Officers, Permanent Members, and Representatives of Lodges, there being fortythree of the latter in attendance-fifty one constituting the whole number in the

State.

The address of the M. W. Grand Master, Brother AARON P. HUGHES, is an able and interesting paper, equally commendable for its general good sense and high conservative tone. It discusses some questions of a practical character, and though the discussion may not present any new points, it will be useful to the Lodges for whose benefit it is more especially designed. We extract as follows:

(( WHO CAN PRESIDE?"

Is a question that has been very considerably discussed in this jurisdiction, and the conclusions have been somewhat conflicting. The Senior Warden, in the absence of the Master, is to preside; and in the absence of both, it is the right and duty of the Junior Warden to preside. A Past Master cannot open and preside in a Lodge in the absence of the Master, neither can a Past Master congregate a Lodge in the absence of the Wardens. This right is to be exercised by the Wardens, and in the absence of the Master and Wardens, in this jurisdiction, it is to be done by the three oldest Master Masons of the Lodge ;* otherwise by the Grand Master or his Deputy. If, in the absence of the Master, the Senior Warden declines, from any cause, it is the duty of the Junior Warden to take the gavel and preside as Master of the Lodge. A Warden in this jurisdiction cannot confer the degrees unless a Past Master is present.† A Past Master, for this purpose, must have been regularly elected a Master of a Subordinate Lodge, have been duly installed, and passed through his term of office. The custom now, in a majority of the States, is that a Warden " may congregate a Lodge, preside and confer the degrees, and do all things pertaining to the office of Master,"-in which I concur.‡

WHILE UNDER CHARGES.

A Brother under charges is not necessarily deprived of his Masonic rights or priv. ileges, and may exercise them and vote upon all questions, except upon his own guilt or innocence. But he cannot be demitted during the pendency of the charges, nor can he, if he takes an appeal, be demitted while that is pending. But he may file counter charges or other charges against his accuser or any other Brother. If he should move out of the Jurisdiction of the Lodge while charges are pending, that does not abate the charges or affect the jurisdiction of the Lodge over his case. A diploma cannot be given a Brother while charges are pending against him, nor after he has been found guilty. A Brother should not be allowed to resign his membership while under charges.

*There is no warrant in Masonic law or usage for a provision of this kind.

†This was, in the early days of the Order in this country, held to be essential, but there was never any law for it, and it is now almost universally given up.

There is no authority for this. The rule is correctly stated in the first sentence of the paragraph.

I understand very well the inclination to press forward, and to arrive at a higher eminence in the Order by taking ag reat number of degrees. I have known Masons to take the first three degrees in Masonry, and then eagerly press their claims for higher degrees, without stopping to consider those they had already taken, apparently regarding them nearly if not entirely worthless. No greater mistake could possibly be made. One might as well undertake to get an education without learn. ing the alphabet, as to be a good, bright Mason, without familiarizing himself with the work and lectures of the first three degrees. If one is attracted more by outside show than by the intrinsic value of a thing, then he may make himself conspicuous in the upper degrees, and neglect the first three. But, to stand well in the upper degrees, one should be a good "Blue Mason." I do not mean to say a word against those degrees, or reflect in the least upon them; for there are many good and beautiful things in them, and they, as well as the symbolic degrees, teach many valuable and useful lessons. There is a germ in Masonry; it is found only in the symbolic degrees. The first three only are symbolized, and, for a long time, were the only degrees. The others are of comparatively modern date. I speak from experience on this subject; and if there is a Brother present who desires to be a bright and shining light in the Order, let him perfect himself in the work and lectures in the first three degrees, and he will always find himself a welcome visi. tor wherever he may go, and friends that will stand by him in time of need.

แ ADOPTIVE MASONRY!"

One of the patent humbugs of the day. It does not take well in our soil. Perhaps we have too much granite in our composition, for it does not flourish well here. We have every reason to rejoice that it has been received as it has. It is "Frenchy." It originated and grew in troublesome times. It is a relic of the "French Revolution," when anarchy and infidelity were rampant. It is to be classed with the trash that "itinerant Masons" have to vend. The bare idea of making Masons of women is enough to condemn it with every one who believes in genuine Masonry. No woman of good repute will have anything to do with it unless she is deceived.

THE COUNTRY.

It would be useless for me to suggest that these are trying times, and that the country is paasing through an ordeal that was little expected, a few months ago, by the great mass of the people. A revolution is no new thing. We look back through the history of the world, and find that it has fallen to the lot of other nations to be tried by this fearful ordeal. But we look in vain into the history of nations to find a parallel. A government instituted by the people, and in the hands of the people, its rulers accountable to the great body of the people, and not to the few; a nation enjoying more freedom than any now, or that has ever existed; more education and intelligence; wealth more equal; more enterprise; more industry; more com. fort and happiness, with entire religious freedom; possessing a greater variety of soil and climate; more rivers; more lakes; and better facilities for doing business than any other nation upon the face of the globe.

*We notice as present, when this was read in the Grand Lodge, the name of one of those "itinerant" traders in woman degrees, printed rituals and other "humbugs," to whom it must have been particularly interesting.

The question now is, shall this government, with all its attendant blessings, be destroyed? I cannot doubt that there is any difference among all true men. I know there is but one sentiment among Masons, and that is, the "Constitution as it is, and the Union as it was," must and shall be preserved, cost what it may.

THE TRESTLE-BOARD.

I am very glad to learn that the "Trestle-Board" is very generally used in the Subordinate Lodges; and so long as it is directed to be used by this Grand Body, it must be complied with. And any Subordinate Lodge that neglects to comply with the Order of this Grand Lodge, makes itself liable to be dealt with. It is necessary that it should be done, in order to have uniformity of the work and lectures.

We notice nothing in the proceedings of particular interest. The Reports of the District Deputy Grand Masters are interesting and valuable, in a local point of view, but possess very little interest for the general reader.

The Report of the Committee on Foreign Correspondence is by the G. Secretary, R. W. Brother Horace Chase, and presents a short general summary of the principal points in the proceedings the past year of some twenty Grand Lodges. We notice nothing very striking or original in the report, and have only to express the hope that our Brother has examined the proceedings of other Grand Lodges with more care than he seems to have bestowed on those of Canada and Massachusetts, for when he says, "the proceedings of the Grand Lodges of Canada and Massachusetts do not show the evidence of either Grand Master or Grand Secretary," he furnishes the evidence of his great carelessness in the performance of an official duty. Had he turned to page 22 of the proceedings of the latter, he would have found the name and residence of the Grand Master, and of all the other principal officers of the Grand Lodge in full; and had he then turned to page 54, he would have found the following entry-" G. Secretary's Address: Chas. W. Moore, Freemasons' Hall, Tremont street, Boston, Mass." That would seem to be plain and full enough for ordinary comprehension. It is not our business to answer for the Grand Lodge of Canada, but on the first page of the printed proceedings of that body for 1861 and also for 1862, we find the following-"T. Douglas Harrington, Quebec, Grand Master.-Thomas Bird Harris, Hamilton, Grand Secretary." If we did not know our Brother's great experience, we might be led to infer that there is a "screw loose" somewhere in his method of "taking notes." We took occasion a year ago to notice an error in his record, not from any disposition to find fault, but because it placed our own Grand Lodge in a false position. We cannot suppose, however, that that circumstance had any thing to do with the present unfortunate criticism. The former was doubtless the result of false information, and the latter an oversight.

We like, on the whole, the conservative tone of the Report, and most cordially agree with our Brother in saying of candidates for the degrees-"Let every man bide his time. We firmly believe it would be better for the Order aud vastly better for the candidate to require good proficiency in one degree before suffered to advance to another. We could wish the term emergency were never introduced into the Masonic vocabulary."

Our Brother is not particularly well pleased with the "Conservators," if we may judge from the following:

We would not boast of our Masonic ability or progress as a Grand Lodge, nor would we claim any especial credit for our attachment and strict conformity to what we deem the ancient Landmarks of the Order, but we do claim that no Grand Lodge has been more successful in producing a uniformity of work, or more strongly and successfully resisted all attempts at innovation. Yet we are sorry to be compelled to say that we have seen, and recently too, a very great departure from this principal, and what is still more remarkable, in a Lodge, which, but a few years since might be called almost a model Lodge for its strict conformity to the established forms. And of this Lodge and its officers it is but justice to say, that great departure from the work, as established by this Grand Lodge, was by the Master alone. He had picked up from some foreign organization, and committed, parrot-like, a rigmarole of big, high-sounding words and rhetorical flourishes, which he let off with the force of a steam engine, and pomposity and consequence of a French dancing mas ter, which in truth had nothing to do with Masonry, and was just about as appro priate to the occasion as a jewel would be to a hog's snout. This, by some, may be thought severe criticism. To such we could wish, for once only, they might enjoy the mortification we then suffered.

BOSTON ENCAMPMENT.

A MOST interesting and pleasant visitation took place at this Encampment on their regular communication, 15th October last, on the occasion of conferring the Order of the Red Cross. Sir Knights ROBERT LASH and JOHN B. HAMMATT again honored the Encampment with their presence; more than eight years having elapsed since they were present together on the occasion of commemorating their semi-centennial admission to this Order. This occasion was doubly interesting to those who participated in the welcome which was extended to them at that time, in the eloquent address of Sir Knight Winslow Lewis and the M. E. G. C. Daniel Harwood. It was a most beautiful sight to see these two Past Commanders of the Boston Encampment, now respectively 83 and 84 years of age, apparently as hale and hearty as when eight years ago they received the congratulation of the Sir Knights on the occasion above alluded to, at the Old Masonic Temple.

M. E. Grand Com. John K. Hall introduced them to the Sir Knights, and alJuded to the meeting at the Old Temple, and the number that had been added to their ranks since that memorable occasion, of which they had heard but had not seen, he therefore thought he could not confer a greater favor upon the Sir Knights of the Boston Encampment than to present before them these two beloved and worthy Past Grand Commanders of "Auld Lang Syne."

Sir Knights Kent, Ball and F. A. Hall, then sung, in their usual pleasing and spirited manner, "Auld Lang Syne," and the Commander turning to Sir Knights Lash and Hammatt presented them with two beautiful bouquets in the following lines:

"In Eastern lands they talk in Flowers,

And tell in a garland their loves and cares ;"
Accept, dear friends, in these gifts of ours

The Knightly regard which each heart here bears.