bers attending his funeral. The Sir Knights of Magnolia Commandery did themselves and their deceased Frater honor by going to Jackson on a special train, that they might accompany his remains to their place of sepulture. Sir Knight Nelson had passed his sixty-sixth year. We shall miss him in our Conclaves, for he was always ready and always competent to do any duty assigned him. May he rest in peace!

And of the latter he says:

Sir Henry was one of the most accomplished physicians in this State-a gentleman by birth and education - a good and true Templar and citizen. He filled the station of Grand Commander in 1873, and was also a Past Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge. His bereaved children, and the community in which he lived and labored, have sustained a loss which time may soothe, but never fully heal.

Good Sir Knight John L. Power, in his annual report to the Grand Commandery, says:

You require the chairman of your Committee on Foreign Correspondence to prepare a report. If it should happen to be lengthy there is no money to print it, and hence our transactions would be shorn of a feature for which they have heretofore been quite valuable.

As to the amount due your Grand Recorder, it is for services that have cost him no great amount of time or labor, and by way of cancelling same, I beg leave to propose that if the Sir Knights present, or their Commanderies, will raise $100.00 of the amount, the same will be donated to the Protestant Orphan Asylum at Natchez, and the balance remitted and account balanced.

This proposition was accepted and the Grand Commandery relieved from debt.

That veteran Sir Knight and excellent writer, E. George DeLap, presents the report on Correspondence, ably reviewing the transactions of twenty-five sister Grand Commanderies.

See how he begins his task:

The undersigned Committee on Foreign Correspondence, beg leave to submit the following as the result of their labors in this behalf:

As we are limited in the length of our report by your action at Columbus, in 1879, to forty pages, we respectfully suggest that you will not expect the same amount of information, or Templar lore, logic and news that you would have the right to anticipate, and as would be our pleasure to furnish in this report, were we

not so restricted. In view of the fact that a former report of ours, by its voluminosity and the free expression of our personal views in regard to certain individuals and the Grand Encampment of the United States, excited a feeling in the hearts of some of our Fraters, of terror, lest these utterances of ours should excite the wrath of the latter, and result in our being remanded to a state of reconstruction, and be otherwise roughly handled by that Body, we desire in the beginning, at the very threshold of this document, to assume the entire and sole responsibility for all and singular, its utterances, language and views, wholly relieving the Grand Commandery of Mississippi from any suspicion of its paternity and from any responsibility therefor. Being a married man, war has no terrors for us, and certainly not one waged by such a Body as the Grand Encampment of the United States. We beg our timid friends to keep cool and remain quiet. Nobody will be hurt, nor will the G. E. pitch into anybody except they decline to pay the regular annual assessment- which is not probable.

Listen to his "little back talk" in his review of Illinois. It is just B****; we almost said what the boys do:

Sir Gurney, while opposed to the G. E. as now conducted, that is as a Triennial Show and blow-out, is yet in favor of a Supreme Body for the good of the Order, with a disposition to not only enact laws, but to define and enforce them. But unfortunately, with a large majority of the members of the G. E., the enactment of wise and judicious rules for the good of the Order, is apparently the last thing thought of on those occasions.

If some centralizer can imagine any new method of interfering with or curtailing in any manner the few remaining rights and prerogatives of the subordinate Commanderies, he finds no difficulty in securing sufficient support to attain his end. We know that some of our purest and best men are members of and are usually present at the Triennial Conclave, but thus far in the history of that Body have been unable to do anything of real and substantial benefit to the Order. This result is no fault of theirs, but is of others who are likewise members and whose prime and only use for the G. E. is in so far as it enables them, or their friends, to obtain places of honor and dignity as its officers. A secondary consideration with these is the opportunity afforded them to make and assist in making a big display on the streets and around the social jug. In order to make the G. E. a useful appendage to the Order, it will be necessary to divest it of all its present pomp and parade and let it be understood among its members that it meets for business, not pleasure; to legislate for the good of the Order and not for the purpose of giving the Templars of the country a chance to raise h-1, and disgrace themselves and the institution. When this plan shall be adopted, then, and not before, will the G. E. have an opportunity to demonstrate its necessity and the beneficial results to the

Order from its existence. Whether it will ever arrive at this point we cannot say certainly, but doubt it.

Michigan is brought to the front as follows:

Quite a chapter of special dispensations authorizing our Fraters of Michigan to show off their good clothes on very questionable Templar occasions. We move to amend the G. C.'s preamble by striking out the word "good," and inserting "indifferent." There can be found no good reason for this practice. Not all the inhabitants of Michigan could make us believe for a moment that a pure patriotism or a holy veneration of and respect for the memory of the nation's dead had in this instance, ever had in any instance, or ever will have anything whatever to do with the desire to appear in public on these occasions, in the uniform of Templars. It is too transparent to fool anybody. The best evidence of appreciation that could be given to soldiers of the late war, both living and dead, would be, as regards the former, by letting them understand that the nation and people composing it consider themselves as indebted to them for the part they acted in that war, and to endeavor as much as might be to make the remaining years of their lives free from the cares and annoyances incident to limited means and straitened circumstances; and as regards the latter, by a kind attention to the loved ones left behind without means and dependent upon a thousand contingencies, and among them, sometimes, the cold charities of the world for their daily bread. Gush, sentiment and bombast cost nothing, and as the recipients are dead, so far as they are concerned answer the purpose as well as more substantial evidences of appreciation would; at all events they will not complain. The fact that in the late unpleasantness we carried a U. S. musket and wore Uncle Sam's clothes, entitles us to speak our mind freely on these subjects, and we propose to do it.

We find nothing further in the address with which to find fault, but much to praise. Much space is devoted to tributes of respect to the valiant and magnanimous dead. May they rest in peace until the morning of the resurrection, and afterwards be received into the land of rest. Proceedings local. Finances healthy.

Order prosperous.

The report on Foreign Correspondence is again the production of the pen and scissors of Sir W. P. Innes the scissors doing much the largest share of the work. In a former report we protested against Sir Innes holding his light under a hogshead, to which he responds by saying that he hasn't even a "tallow dip," in comparison to the locomotive head-light of the others, which is all bosh. From the little of "Innes" that gets into his report, we are fully satisfied that he could furnish the M. A. Society with an electric light of at least twenty thousand tallowdip capacity. We beg to invite Sir Innes' attention to the parable of our Lord in reference to the use of talents. We know he often in his reviews comes across

doings and utterances which his better judgment condems, and it is his duty, as we conceive it to be ours, under like circumstances, to speak out in meeting. Approve the right-condemn the wrong. We can imagine the characteristics of Sir Innes, and would judge him to be one of the most amiable of men. So kindly considerate of the feelings of others as to prevent the expression of his own views in opposition to theirs - in fact, a man without enemies, because without guile - a character in this latter regard more like that of the Master than we often see.

For the nice tidbits about us we would say something, but modesty prevents. Come again, Sir DeLap.

Sir DeLap goes through the entire list in just that courteous way, and concludes his report as follows:

Several of the

This closes our review of such pamphlets as we have received. States not having put in an appearance, are of course omitted. In our journey through this mass of Templar literature we have noted the fact that in a large majority of the Grand Jurisdictions the Order is in a healthy and prosperous condition, both numerically and financially. We regret that the indications of an advance in the direction of a higher morality and a more zealous interest in the propagation of the purer and better principles of the Order, is not apparent. The passion for public display and the enjoyment of the social features of the institution, seem to swollow up and engulf all other considerations.

Our association with our Fraters of the Mutual Order have been most pleasant, and we desire here to express our satisfaction with, and our personal regard for each one of them. Our efforts to get up a good report have been retarded in no small degree, if not utterly defeated by the baneful effects of the 40-page law.

What Templary has lost in this instance by the operation of said law, it would be difficult to compute from our standpoint, but very easy from that of a discriminating public. Our Brother Mutuals will readily understand how depressing an effect it naturally has upon one to be compelled to incorporate the information usually found in Webster's dictionary within the compass of a dime novel, and will be able to appreciate our condition in this matter.

However, our work is done and we submit it for your inspection. Treat it leniently and excuse its defects; it is the best we could give you under the circumstan

ces.

Before closing our review of this Grand Commandery, we pause to offer our sincere condolence and heart-felt sympathy to Sir J. L. Power in this, his hour of affliction, the loss of his son, his very life and joy. Oh, how hard when the mandate does come, and we see snatched from us those

whom we dearly love and cherish! Truly, it takes every lesson taught us as Masons and Templars to bow to the will of the Great I AM. Truly does the writer join with you, Sir Power, and fervently pray the Supreme Ruler of the Universe to give you and yours strength to bear up under your great sorrow.

"Wait patiently the while; the one now gone,

Will be, perchance, close by thy side,

When thou shalt pass the stream of death;

Will be the first to take thy hand,

When thou shalt enter Paradise."

Sir William French of Vicksburg, was elected R. E. Grand Commander.

Sir John L. Power of Jackson, was re-elected E. Grand Recorder.

MISSOURI.

The Twentieth Annual Conclave was held in Freemasons' Hall, in the city of St. Louis, commencing on Tuesday, May 3, A.D. 1881, A.O. 763.

Sir Sol. E. Waggoner, R. E. Grand Commander.
Sir William H. Mayo, E. Grand Recorder.

The Grand Commander, in opening his address, says:

Let us, therefore, Sir Knights, pause for a moment and enquire whether our efforts have added anything to the stock of our Masonic knowledge. Have we, as individual Sir Knights and officers, assisted in placing Templar Masonry in the light and position before the public that she justly demands? Our Order is judged by the public on the individual actions of its members; on the basis of morality, intelligence and refinement; and it greatly behooves every Templar to see to it that his walks through life be such that no disgrace or bane can be placed upon this noble Order.

We commend what the Grand Commander says on that foolish, unknightly habit of swearing. We regret to say