,the ,principles of ,masonic ,law3 ,a ,treatise on the ,constitutional ,laws1 ,usages ,and ,landmarks of ,freemasonry1 ,by ,albert ,g4 ,mackey1 ,m4,d41 ,author of ,the ,lexicon of ,freemasonry1 ,the ,mystic ,tie1 ,legends and ,traditions of ,freemasonry1 ,etc41 ,etc41 ,grand ,lecturer and ,grand ,secretary of ,the ,grand ,lodge of ,south ,carolina2 ,secretary ,general of the ,supreme ,council of the ,ancient and ,accepted ,rite for the ,southern ,jurisdiction of the ,united ,states1 ,etc41 ,etc41 ,etc4 ,est enim unum jus1 quo devincta est hominum societas1 quod lex constituit una2 qu lex est recta ratio imperandi atque prohibendi1 quam qui ignorat is est injustus4 ,cicero de ,legibus4 c4 ,,xv4 ,new ,york3 ,jno4 ,w4 ,leonard ,co41 ,masonic ,publishers1 #chc ,broadway4 #ahef4 ,entered1 according to ,act of ,congress1 in the year #ahee1 by ,jno4 ,w4 ,leonard ,co41 ,in the ,clerk's ,office of the ,district ,court of the ,united ,states for the ,southern ,district of ,new ,york4 ,to ,brother ,j4,j4,j4 ,gourgas1 ,sovereign ,grand ,inspector ,general in the ,supreme ,council for the ,northern ,jurisdiction of the ,united ,states1 ,i ,dedicate ,this ,work1 ,as a ,slight ,testimonial of ,my ,friendship and ,esteem for ,him ,as a ,man1 ,and of ,my ,profound ,veneration for ,his ,character ,as a ,mason2 ,whose ,long and ,useful ,life ,has ,been ,well ,spent in the ,laborious ,prosecution of the ,science1 ,and the ,unremitting ,conservation of the ,principles of ,our ,sublime ,institution4 ,table of ,contents ,preface ,introduction ,book ,first4 ,the ,law of ,grand ,lodges4 ,chapter ,i4 ,historical ,sketch4 ,chapter ,,ii4 ,of the ,mode of ,organizing ,grand ,lodges4 ,chapter ,,iii4 ,of the ,members of a ,grand ,lodge4 ,chapter ,,iv4 ,of the ,officers of a ,grand ,lodge4 ,section ,i4 ,of the ,grand ,master4 ,section ,,ii4 ,the ,deputy ,grand ,master4 ,section ,,iii4 ,of the ,grand ,wardens4 ,section ,,iv4 ,of the ,grand ,treasurer4 ,section ,v4 ,of the ,grand ,secretary4 ,section ,,vi4 ,of the ,grand ,chaplain4 ,section ,,vii4 ,of the ,grand ,deacons4 ,section ,,viii4 ,of the ,grand ,marshal4 ,section ,,ix4 ,of the ,grand ,stewards4 ,section ,x4 ,of the ,grand ,sword-,bearer4 ,section ,,xi4 ,of the ,grand ,tiler4 ,chapter ,v4 ,of the ,powers and ,prerogatives of a ,grand ,lodge4 ,section ,i4 ,general ,view4 ,section ,,ii4 ,of the ,legislative ,power of a ,grand ,lodge4 ,section ,,iii4 ,of the ,judicial ,power of a ,grand ,lodge4 ,section ,,iv4 ,of the ,executive ,power of a ,grand ,lodge4 ,book ,second4 ,laws of ,subordinate ,lodges4 ,chapter ,i4 ,of the ,nature and ,organization of ,subordinate ,lodges4 ,chapter ,,ii4 ,of ,lodges under ,dispensation4 ,chapter ,,iii4 ,of ,lodges ,working under a ,warrant of ,constitution4 ,chapter ,,iv4 ,of the ,officers of a ,subordinate ,lodge4 ,section ,i4 ,of the ,officers in ,general4 ,section ,,ii4 ,of the ,worshipful ,master4 ,section ,,iii4 ,of the ,wardens4 ,section ,,iv4 ,of the ,treasurer4 ,section ,v4 ,of the ,secretary4 ,section ,,vi4 ,of the ,deacons4 ,section ,,vii4 ,of the ,stewards4 ,section ,,viii4 ,of the ,tiler4 ,chapter ,v4 ,of ,rules of ,order4 ,section ,i4 ,of the ,order of ,business4 ,section ,,ii4 ,of ,appeals from the ,decision of the ,chair4 ,section ,,iii4 ,of the ,mode of ,taking the ,question4 ,section ,,iv4 ,of ,adjournments4 ,section ,v4 ,of the ,appointment of ,committees4 ,section ,,vi4 ,of the ,mode of ,keeping the ,minutes4 ,book ,third4 ,the ,law of ,individuals4 ,chapter ,i4 ,of the ,qualifications of ,candidates4 ,section ,i4 ,of the ,moral ,qualifications of ,candidates4 ,section ,,ii4 ,of the ,physical ,qualifications of ,candidates4 ,section ,,iii4 ,of the ,intellectual ,qualifications of ,candidates4 ,section ,,iv4 ,of the ,political ,qualifications of ,candidates4 ,section ,v4 ,of the ,petition of ,candidates for ,admission1 and the ,action ,thereon4 ,section ,,vi4 ,of ,balloting for ,candidates4 ,section ,,vii4 ,of the ,reconsideration of the ,ballot4 ,section ,,viii4 ,of the ,renewal of ,applications by ,rejected ,candidates4 ,section ,,ix4 ,of the ,necessary ,probation and ,due ,proficiency of ,candidates before ,advancement ,section ,x4 ,of ,balloting for ,candidates in each ,degree4 ,section ,,xi4 ,of the ,number to be ,initiated at one ,communication4 ,section ,,xii4 ,of ,finishing the ,candidates of one ,lodge in another4 ,section ,,xiii4 ,of the ,initiation of ,non-residents4 ,chapter ,,ii4 ,of the ,rights of ,entered ,apprentices4 ,chapter ,,iii4 ,of the ,rights of ,fellow ,crafts4 ,chapter ,,iv4 ,of the ,rights of ,master ,masons4 ,section ,i4 ,of the ,right of ,membership4 ,section ,,ii4 ,of the ,right of ,visit4 ,section ,,iii4 ,of the ,examination of ,visitors4 ,section ,,iv4 ,of ,vouching for a ,brother4 ,section ,v4 ,of the ,right of ,claiming ,relief4 ,section ,,vi4 ,of the ,right of ,masonic ,burial4 ,chapter ,v4 ,of the ,rights of ,past ,masters4 ,chapter ,,vi4 ,of ,affiliation4 ,chapter ,,vii4 ,of ,demitting4 ,chapter ,,viii4 ,of ,unaffiliated ,masons4 ,book ,fourth4 ,of ,masonic ,crimes and ,punishments4 ,chapter ,i4 ,of ,what ,are ,masonic ,crimes4 ,chapter ,,ii4 ,of ,masonic ,punishments4 ,section ,i4 ,of ,censure4 ,section ,,ii4 ,of ,reprimand4 ,section ,,iii4 ,of ,exclusion from the ,lodge4 ,section ,,iv4 ,of ,definite ,suspension4 ,section ,v4 ,of ,indefinite ,suspension4 ,section ,,vi4 ,of ,expulsion4 ,chapter ,,iii4 ,of ,masonic ,trials4 ,section ,i4 ,of the ,form of ,trial4 ,section ,,ii4 ,of the ,evidence in ,masonic ,trials4 ,chapter ,,iv4 ,of the ,penal ,jurisdiction of a ,lodge4 ,chapter ,v4 ,of ,appeals4 ,chapter ,,vi4 ,of ,restoration4 ,index4 ,footnotes4 ,preface4 ,in presenting to the fraternity a work on the ,principles of ,masonic ,law1 it is due to those for whom it is intended1 that something should be said of the design with which it has been written1 and of the plan on which it has been composed4 ,it is not pretended to present to the craft an encyclopedia of jurisprudence1 in which every question that can possibly arise1 in the transactions of a ,lodge1 is decided with an especial reference to its particular circumstances4 ,were the accomplishment of such an herculean task possible1 except after years of intense and unremitting labor1 the unwieldy size of the book produced1 and the heterogeneous nature of its contents1 so far from inviting1 would rather tend to distract attention1 and the object of communicating a knowledge of the ,principles of ,masonic ,law1 would be lost in the tedious collation of precedents1 arranged without scientific system1 and enunciated without explanation4 ,when ,i first contemplated the composition of a work on this subject1 a distinguished friend and ,brother1 whose opinion ,i much respect1 and with whose advice ,i am always anxious to comply1 unless for the most satisfactory reasons1 suggested the expediency of collecting the decisions of all ,grand ,masters1 ,grand ,lodges1 and other masonic authorities upon every subject of ,masonic ,law1 and of presenting them1 without commentary1 to the fraternity4 ,but a brief examination of this method1 led me to perceive that ,i would be thus constructing simply a digest of decrees1 many of which would probably be the results of inexperience1 of prejudice1 or of erroneous views of the masonic system1 and from which the authors themselves have1 in repeated instances1 subsequently receded--for ,grand ,masters and ,grand ,lodges1 although entitled to great respect1 are not infallible--and ,i could not1 conscientiously1 have consented to assist1 without any qualifying remark1 in the extension and perpetuation of edicts and opinions1 which1 however high the authority from which they emanated1 ,i did not believe to be in accordance with the principles of ,masonic jurisprudence4 ,another inconvenience which would have attended the adoption of such a method is1 that the decisions of different ,grand ,lodges and ,grand ,masters are sometimes entirely contradictory on the same points of ,masonic ,law4 ,the decree of one jurisdiction1 on any particular question1 will often be found at variance with that of another1 while a third will differ from both4 ,the consultor of a work1 embracing within its pages such distracting judgments1 unexplained by commentary1 would be in doubt as to which decision he should adopt1 so that coming to the inspection with the desire of solving a legal question1 he would be constrained to close the volume1 in utter despair of extracting truth or information from so confused a mass of contradictions4 ,this plan ,i therefore at once abandoned4 ,but knowing that the jurisprudence of ,masonry is founded1 like all legal science1 on abstract principles1 which govern and control its entire system1 ,i deemed it to be a better course to present these principles to my readers in an elementary and methodical treatise1 and to develop from them those necessary deductions which reason and common sense would justify4 ,hence it is that ,i have presumed to call this work ,the ,principles of ,masonic ,law4 ,it is not a code of enactments1 nor a collection of statutes1 nor yet a digest of opinions2 but simply an elementary treatise1 intended to enable every one who consults it1 with competent judgment1 and ordinary intelligence1 to trace for himself the bearings of the law upon any question which he seeks to investigate1 and to form1 for himself1 a correct opinion upon the merits of any particular case4 ,blackstone1 whose method of teaching ,i have endeavored1 although ,i confess ab longo inter-vallo1 to pursue1 in speaking of what an academical expounder of the law should do1 says3 ,he should consider his course as a general map of the law1 marking out the shape of the country1 its connections1 and boundaries1 its greater divisions1 and principal cities2 it is not his business to describe minutely the subordinate limits1 or to fix the longitude and latitude of every inconsiderable hamlet4 ,such has been the rule that has governed me in the compilation of this work4 ,but in delineating this general map of the ,masonic ,law1 ,i have sought1 if ,i may continue the metaphor1 so to define boundaries1 and to describe countries1 as to give the inspector no difficulty in locating 7to use an ,americanism7 any subordinate point4 ,i have treated1 it is true1 of principles1 but ,i have not altogether lost sight of cases4 ,there are certain fundamental laws of the ,institution1 concerning which there never has been any dispute1 and which have come down to us with all the sanctions of antiquity1 and universal acceptation4 ,in announcing these1 ,i have not always thought it necessary to defend their justice1 or to assign a reason for their enactment4 ,the weight of unanimous authority has1 in these instances1 been deemed sufficient to entitle them to respect1 and to obedience4 ,but on all other questions1 where authority is divided1 or where doubts of the correctness of my decision might arise1 ,i have endeavored1 by a course of argument as satisfactory as ,i could command1 to assign a reason for my opinions1 and to defend and enforce my views1 by a reference to the general principles of jurisprudence1 and the peculiar character of the masonic system4 ,i ask1 and should receive no deference to my own unsupported theories--as a man1 ,i am1 of course1 fallible--and may often have decided erroneously4 ,but ,i do claim for my arguments all the weight and influence of which they may be deemed worthy1 after an attentive and unprejudiced examination4 ,to those who may at first be ready--because ,i do not agree with all their preconceived opinions--to doubt or deny my conclusions1 ,i would say1 in the language of ,themistocles1 ,strike1 but hear me4 ,whatever may be the verdict passed upon my labors by my ,brethren1 ,i trust that some clemency will be extended to the errors into which ,i may have fallen1 for the sake of the object which ,i have had in view3 that1 namely1 of presenting to the ,craft an elementary work1 that might enable every ,mason to know his rights1 and to learn his duties4 ,the intention was1 undoubtedly1 a good one4 ,how it has been executed1 it is not for me1 but for the masonic public to determine4 ,albert ,g4 ,mackey4 ,charleston1 ,s4,c41 ,january #ast41 #ahef4 ,introduction4 ,the ,authorities for ,masonic ,law4 ,the laws which govern the institution of ,freemasonry are of two kinds1 unwritten and written1 and may in a manner be compared with the lex non scripta1 or common law1 and the lex seripta1 or statute law of ,english and ,american jurists4 ,the lex non scripta1 or unwritten law of ,freemasonry is derived from the traditions1 usages and customs of the fraternity as they have existed from the remotest antiquity1 and as they are universally admitted by the general consent of the members of the ,order4 ,in fact1 we may apply to these unwritten laws of ,masonry the definition given by ,blackstone of the leges non script of the ,english constitution--that their original institution and authority are not set down in writing1 as acts of parliament are1 but they receive their binding power1 and the force of laws1 by long and immemorial usage and by their universal reception throughout the kingdom4 ,when1 in the course of this work1 ,i refer to these unwritten laws as authority upon any point1 ,i shall do so under the appropriate designation of ancient usage4 ,the lex scripta1 or written law of ,masonry1 is derived from a variety of sources1 and was framed at different periods4 ,the following documents ,i deem of sufficient authority to substantiate any principle1 or to determine any disputed question in masonic law4 #a4 ,the ,ancient ,masonic charges1 from a manuscript of the ,lodge of ,antiquity1 and said to have been written in the reign of ,james ,,ii4#a #b4 ,the regulations adopted at the ,general ,assembly held in #affc1 of which the ,earl of ,st4 ,albans was ,grand ,master4#b #c4 ,the interrogatories propounded to the ,master of a lodge at the time of his installation1 and which1 from their universal adoption1 without alteration1 by the whole fraternity1 are undoubtedly to be considered as a part of the fundamental law of ,masonry4 #d4 ,the ,charges of a ,freemason1 extracted from the ,ancient ,records of ,lodges beyond sea1 and of those in ,england1 ,scotland1 and ,ireland1 for the use of the ,lodges in ,london1 printed in the first edition of the ,book of ,constitutions1 and to be found from p4 #di to p4 #ef of that work4#c #e4 ,the thirty-nine ,general ,regulations1 adopted at the annual assembly and feast held at ,stationers' hall on ,st4 ,john the ,baptist's day1 #agba1 and which were published in the first edition of the ,book of ,constitutions1 p4 #eh to p4 #f4 ,the subsequent regulations adopted at various annual communications by the ,grand ,lodge of ,england1 up to the year #agfi1 and published in different editions of the ,book of ,constitutions4 ,these1 although not of such paramount importance and universal acceptation as the ,old ,charges and the ,thirty-nine ,regulations1 are1 nevertheless1 of great value as the means of settling many disputed questions1 by showing what was the law and usage of the fraternity at the times in which they were adopted4 ,soon after the publication of the edition of #agfi of the ,book of ,constitutions1 the ,grand ,lodges of ,america began to separate from their ,english parent and to organize independent jurisdictions4 ,from that period1 the regulations adopted by the ,grand ,lodge of ,england ceased to have any binding efficacy over the craft in this country1 while the laws passed by the ,american ,grand ,lodges lost the character of general regulations1 and were invested only with local authority in their several jurisdictions4 ,before concluding this introductory section1 it may be deemed necessary that something should be said of the ,ancient ,landmarks of the ,order1 to which reference is so often made4 ,various definitions have been given of the landmarks4 ,some suppose them to be constituted of all the rules and regulations which were in existence anterior to the revival of ,masonry in #agag1 and which were confirmed and adopted by the ,grand ,lodge of ,england at that time4 ,others1 more stringent in their definition1 restrict them to the modes of recognition in use among the fraternity4 ,i am disposed to adopt a middle course1 and to define the ,landmarks of ,masonry to be1 all those usages and customs of the craft--whether ritual or legislative--whether they relate to forms and ceremonies1 or to the organization of the society--which have existed from time immemorial1 and the alteration or abolition of which would materially affect the distinctive character of the institution or destroy its identity4 ,thus1 for example1 among the legislative landmarks1 ,i would enumerate the office of ,grand ,master as the presiding officer over the craft1 and among the ritual landmarks1 the legend of the third degree4 ,but the laws1 enacted from time to time by ,grand ,lodges for their local government1 no matter how old they may be1 do not constitute landmarks1 and may1 at any time1 be altered or expunged1 since the #cith regulation declares expressly that every annual ,grand ,lodge has an inherent power and authority to make new regulations or to alter these 7viz41 the thirty-nine articles7 for the real benefit of this ancient fraternity1 provided always that the old landmarks be carefully preserved4 ,book ,first ,the ,law of ,grand ,lodges4 ,it is proposed in this ,book1 first to present the reader with a brief historical sketch of the rise and progress of the system of ,grand ,lodges2 and then to explain1 in the subsequent sections1 the mode in which such bodies are originally organized1 who constitute their officers and members1 and what are their acknowledged prerogatives4 ,chapter ,i4 ,historical ,sketch4 ,grand ,lodges under their present organization1 are1 in respect to the antiquity of the ,order1 of a comparatively modern date4 ,we hear of no such bodies in the earlier ages of the institution4 ,tradition informs us1 that originally it was governed by the despotic authority of a few chiefs4 ,at the building of the temple1 we have reason to believe that ,king ,solomon exercised an unlimited and irresponsible control over the craft1 although a tradition 7not1 however1 of undoubted authority7 says that he was assisted in his government by the counsel of twelve superintendants1 selected from the twelve tribes of ,israel4 ,but we know too little1 from authentic materials1 of the precise system adopted at that remote period1 to enable us to make any historical deductions on the subject4 ,the first historical notice that we have of the formation of a supreme controlling body of the fraternity1 is in the ,gothic ,constitutions#d which assert that1 in the year #bhg1 ,st4 ,alban1 the protomartyr of ,england1 who was a zealous patron of the craft1 obtained from ,carausius1 the ,british ,emperor1 a charter for the ,masons to hold a general council1 and gave it the name of assembly4 ,the record further states1 that ,st4 ,alban attended the meeting and assisted in making ,masons1 giving them good charges and regulations4 ,we know not1 however1 whether this assembly ever met again2 and if it did1 for how many years it continued to exist4 ,the subsequent history of ,freemasonry is entirely silent on the subject4 ,the next general assemblage of the craft1 of which the records of ,freemasonry inform us1 was that convened in #ibf1 at the city of ,york1 in ,england1 by ,prince ,edwin1 the brother of ,king ,athelstane1 and the grandson of ,alfred the ,great4 ,this1 we say1 was the next general assemblage1 because the ,ashmole manuscript1 which was destroyed at the revival of ,freemasonry in #agag1 is said to have stated that1 at that time1 the ,prince obtained from his brother1 the king1 a permission for the craft to hold a yearly communication and a general assembly4 ,the fact that such a power of meeting was then granted1 is conclusive that it did not before exist3 and would seem to prove that the assemblies of the craft1 authorised by the charter of ,carausius1 had long since ceased to be held4 ,this yearly communication did not1 however1 constitute1 at least in the sense we now understand it1 a ,grand ,lodge4 ,the name given to it was that of the ,general ,assembly of ,masons4 ,it was not restricted1 as now1 to the ,masters and ,wardens of the subordinate lodges1 acting in the capacity of delegates or representatives1 but was composed1 as ,preston has observed1 of as many of the fraternity at large as1 being within a convenient distance1 could attend once or twice a year1 under the auspices of one general head1 who was elected and installed at one of these meetings1 and who1 for the time being1 received homage as the governor of the whole body4 ,any ,brethren who were competent to discharge the duty1 were allowed1 by the regulations of the ,order1 to open and hold lodges at their discretion1 at such times and places as were most convenient to them1 and without the necessity of what we now call a ,warrant of ,constitution1 and then and there to initiate members into the ,order4#e ,to the ,general ,assembly1 however1 all the craft1 without distinction1 were permitted to repair2 each ,mason present was entitled to take part in the deliberations1 and the rules and regulations enacted were the result of the votes of the whole body4 ,the ,general ,assembly was1 in fact1 precisely similar to those political congregations which1 in our modern phraseology1 we term mass meetings4 ,these annual mass meetings or ,general ,assemblies continued to be held1 for many centuries after their first establishment1 at the city of ,york1 and were1 during all that period1 the supreme judicatory of the fraternity4 ,there are frequent references to the annual assemblies of ,freemasons in public documents4 ,the preamble to an act passed in #adbe1 during the reign of ,henry ,,vi41 just five centuries after the meeting at ,york1 states that1 by the yearly congregations and confederacies made by the ,masons in their general assemblies1 the good course and effect of the statute of laborers were openly violated and broken4 ,this act which forbade such meetings1 was1 however1 never put in force2 for an old record1 quoted in the ,book of ,constitutions1 speaks of the ,brotherhood having frequented this mutual assembly1 in #adcd1 in the reign of the same king4 ,we have another record of the ,general ,assembly1 which was held in ,york on the #bgth ,december1 #aefa1 when ,queen ,elizabeth1 who was suspicious of their secrecy1 sent an armed force to dissolve the meeting4 ,a copy is still preserved of the regulations which were adopted by a similar assembly held in #affc1 on the festival of ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist2 and in these regulations it is declared that the private lodges shall give an account of all their acceptations made during the year to the ,general ,assembly4 ,another regulation1 however1 adopted at the same time1 still more explicitly acknowledges the existence of a ,general ,assembly as the governing body of the fraternity4 ,it is there provided1 that for the future1 the said fraternity of ,freemasons shall be regulated and governed by one ,grand ,master and as many ,wardens as the said society shall think fit to appoint at every ,annual ,general ,assembly4 ,and thus the interests of the institution continued1 until the beginning of the eighteenth century1 or for nearly eight hundred years1 to be entrusted to those ,general ,assemblies of the fraternity1 who1 without distinction of rank or office1 annually met at ,york to legislate for the government of the craft4 ,but in #agag1 a new organization of the governing head was adopted1 which gave birth to the establishment of a ,grand ,lodge1 in the form in which these bodies now exist4 ,so important a period in the history of ,masonry demands our special attention4 ,after the death1 in #agjb1 of ,king ,william1 who was himself a ,mason1 and a great patron of the craft1 the institution began to languish1 the lodges decreased in number1 and the ,general ,assembly was entirely neglected for many years4 ,a few old lodges continued1 it is true1 to meet regularly1 but they consisted of only a few members4 ,at length1 on the accession of ,george ,i41 the ,masons of ,london and its vicinity determined to revive the annual communications of the society4 ,there were at that time only four lodges in the south of ,england1 and the members of these1 with several old ,brethren1 met in ,february1 #agag1 at the ,apple ,tree ,tavern1 in ,charles street1 ,covent ,garden1 and organized by putting the oldest ,master ,mason1 who was the ,master of a lodge1 in the chair2 they then constituted themselves into what ,anderson calls1 a ,grand ,lodge pro tempore2 resolved to hold the annual assembly and feast1 and then to choose a ,grand ,master4 ,accordingly1 on the #bdth of ,june1 #agag1 the assembly and feast were held2 and the oldest ,master of a lodge being in the chair1 a list of candidates was presented1 out of which ,mr4 ,anthony ,sayer was elected ,grand ,master1 and ,capt4 ,joseph ,elliott and ,mr4 ,jacob ,lamball1 ,grand ,wardens4 ,the ,grand ,master then commanded the ,masters and ,wardens of lodges to meet the ,grand ,officers every quarter1 in communication1 at the place he should appoint in his summons sent by the ,tiler4 ,this was1 then1 undoubtedly1 the commencement of that organization of the ,masters and ,wardens of lodges into a ,grand ,lodge1 which has ever since continued to exist4 ,the fraternity at large1 however1 still continued to claim the right of being present at the annual assembly2 and1 in fact1 at that meeting1 their punctual attendance at the next annual assembly and feast was recommended4 ,at the same meeting1 it was resolved that the privilege of assembling as ,masons1 which had been hitherto unlimited1 should be vested in certain lodges or assemblies of ,masons convened in certain places2 and that every lodge to be hereafter convened1 except the four old lodges at this time existing1 should be legally authorized to act by a warrant from the ,grand ,master for the time being1 granted to certain individuals by petition1 with the consent and approbation of the ,grand ,lodge in communication2 and that1 without such warrant1 no lodge should be hereafter deemed regular or constitutional4 ,in consequence of this regulation1 several new lodges received ,warrants of ,constitution1 and their ,masters and ,wardens were ordered to attend the communications of the ,grand ,lodge4 ,the ,brethren at large vested all their privileges in the four old lodges1 in trust that they would never suffer the old charges and landmarks to be infringed2 and the old lodges1 in return1 agreed that the ,masters and ,wardens of every new lodge that might be constituted1 should be permitted to share with them all the privileges of the ,grand ,lodge1 except precedence of rank4 ,the ,brethren1 says ,preston1 considered their further attendance at the meetings of the society unnecessary after these regulations were adopted2 and therefore trusted implicitly to their ,masters and ,wardens for the government of the craft2 and thenceforward the ,grand ,lodge has been composed of all the ,masters and ,wardens of the subordinate lodges which constitute the jurisdiction4 ,the ancient right of the craft1 however1 to take a part in the proceedings of the ,grand ,lodge or ,annual ,assembly1 was fully acknowledged by a new regulation1 adopted about the same time1 in which it is declared that all alterations of the ,constitutions must be proposed and agreed to1 at the third quarterly communication preceding the annual feast1 and be offered also to the perusal of all the ,brethren before dinner1 even of the youngest ,entered ,apprentice#f ,this regulation has1 however1 7,i know not by what right17 become obsolete1 and the ,annual ,assembly of ,masons has long ceased to be held2 the ,grand ,lodges having1 since the beginning of the eighteenth century1 assumed the form and organization which they still preserve1 as strictly representative bodies4 ,chapter ,,ii4 ,of the ,mode of ,organizing ,grand ,lodges4 ,the topic to be discussed in this section is1 the answer to the question1 ,how shall a ,grand ,lodge be established in any state or country where such a body has not previously existed1 but where there are subordinate lodges working under ,warrants derived from ,grand ,lodges in other states8 ,in answering this question1 it seems proper that ,i should advert to the course pursued by the original ,grand ,lodge of ,england1 at its establishment in #agag1 as from that body nearly all the ,grand ,lodges of the ,york rite now in existence derive their authority1 either directly or indirectly1 and the mode of its organization has1 therefore1 universally been admitted to have been regular and legitimate4 ,in the first place1 it is essentially requisite that the active existence of subordinate lodges in a state should precede the formation of a ,grand ,lodge2 for the former are the only legitimate sources of the latter4 ,a mass meeting of ,masons cannot assemble and organize a ,grand ,lodge4 ,a certain number of lodges1 holding legal warrants from a ,grand ,lodge or from different ,grand ,lodges1 must meet by their representatives and proceed to the formation of a ,grand ,lodge4 ,when that process has been accomplished1 the subordinate lodges return the warrants1 under which they had theretofore worked1 to the ,grand ,lodges from which they had originally received them1 and take new ones from the body which they have formed4 ,that a mass meeting of the fraternity of any state is incompetent to organize a ,grand ,lodge has been definitively settled--not only by general usage1 but by the express action of the ,grand ,lodges of the ,united ,states which refused to recognize1 in #ahdb1 the ,grand ,lodge of ,michigan which had been thus irregularly established in the preceding year4 ,that unrecognized body was then dissolved by the ,brethren of ,michigan1 who proceeded to establish four subordinate lodges under ,warrants granted by the ,grand ,lodge of ,new ,york4 ,these four lodges subsequently met in convention and organized the present ,grand ,lodge of ,michigan in a regular manner4 ,it seems1 however1 to have been settled in the case of ,vermont1 that where a ,grand ,lodge has been dormant for many years1 and all of its subordinates extinct1 yet if any of the ,grand ,officers1 last elected1 survive and are present1 they may revive the ,grand ,lodge and proceed constitutionally to the exercise of its prerogatives4 ,the next inquiry is1 as to the number of lodges required to organize a new ,grand ,lodge4 ,dalcho says that five lodges are necessary2 and in this opinion he is supported by the ,ahiman ,rezon of ,pennsylvania1 published in #aghc by ,william ,smith1 ,d4,d41 at that time the ,grand ,secretary of that jurisdiction1 and also by some other authorities4 ,but no such regulation is to be found in the ,book of ,constitutions1 which is now admitted to contain the fundamental law of the institution4 ,indeed1 its adoption would have been a condemnation of the legality of the ,mother ,grand ,lodge of ,england1 which was formed in #agag by the union of only four lodges4 ,the rule1 however1 is to be found in the ,ahiman ,rezon of ,laurence ,dermott1 which was adopted by the ,grand ,lodge of ,ancient ,freemasons1 that seceded from the lawful ,grand ,lodge in #agch4 ,but as that body was undoubtedly1 under our present views of masonic law1 schismatic and illegal1 its regulations have never been considered by masonic writers as being possessed of any authority4 ,in the absence of any written law upon the subject1 we are compelled to look to precedent for authority2 and1 although the ,grand ,lodges in the ,united ,states have seldom been established with a representation of less than four lodges1 the fact that that of ,texas was organized in #ahcg by the representatives of only three lodges1 and that the ,grand ,lodge thus instituted was at once recognized as legal and regular by all its sister ,grand ,lodges1 seems to settle the question that three subordinates are sufficient to institute a ,grand ,lodge4 ,three lodges1 therefore1 in any territory where a ,grand ,lodge does not already exist1 may unite in convention and organize a ,grand ,lodge4 ,it will then be necessary1 that these lodges should surrender the warrants under which they had been previously working1 and take out new warrants from the ,grand ,lodge which they have constituted2 and1 from that time forth1 all masonic authority is vested in the ,grand ,lodge thus formed4 ,the ,grand ,lodge having been thus constituted1 the next inquiries that suggest themselves are as to its members and its officers1 each of which questions will occupy a distinct discussion4 ,chapter ,,iii4 ,of the ,members of a ,grand ,lodge4 ,it is an indisputable fact that the ,general ,assembly which met at ,york in #ibf was composed of all the members of the fraternity who chose to repair to it2 and it is equally certain that1 at the first ,grand ,lodge1 held in #agag1 after the revival of ,masonry1 all the craft who were present exercised the right of membership in voting for ,grand ,officers1#g and must1 therefore1 have been considered members of the ,grand ,lodge4 ,the right does not1 however1 appear to have been afterwards claimed4 ,at this very assembly1 the ,grand ,master who had been elected1 summoned only the ,master and ,wardens of the lodges to meet him in the quarterly communications2 and ,preston distinctly states1 that soon after1 the ,brethren of the four old lodges1 which had constituted the ,grand ,lodge1 considered their attendance on the future communications of the society unnecessary1 and therefore concurred with the lodges which had been subsequently warranted in delegating the power of representation to their ,masters and ,wardens1 resting satisfied that no measure of importance would be adopted without their approbation4 ,any doubts upon the subject were1 however1 soon put at rest by the enactment of a positive law4 ,in #agba1 thirty-nine articles for the future government of the craft were approved and confirmed1 the twelfth of which was in the following words3 ,the ,grand ,lodge consists of1 and is formed by1 the ,masters and ,wardens of all the regular particular lodges upon record1 with the ,grand ,master at their head1 and his ,deputy on his left hand1 and the ,grand ,wardens in their proper places4 ,from time to time1 the number of these constituents of a ,grand ,lodge were increased by the extension of the qualifications for membership4 ,thus1 in #agbd1 ,past ,grand ,masters1 and in #agbe1 ,past ,deputy ,grand ,masters1 were admitted as members of the ,grand ,lodge4 ,finally it was decreed that the ,grand ,lodge should consist of the four present and all past grand officers2 the ,grand ,treasurer1 ,secretary1 and ,sword-,bearer2 the ,master1 ,wardens1 and nine assistants of the ,grand ,stewards' lodge1 and the ,masters and ,wardens of all the regular lodges4 ,past ,masters were not at first admitted as members of the ,grand ,lodge4 ,there is no recognition of them in the old ,constitutions4 ,walworth thinks it must have been after #aggb that they were introduced4#h ,i have extended my researches to some years beyond that period1 without any success in finding their recognition as members under the ,constitution of ,england4 ,it is true that1 in #aggb1 ,dermott prefixed a note to his edition of the ,ahiman ,rezon1 in which he asserts that ,past ,masters of warranted lodges on record are allowed this privilege 7of membership7 whilst they continue to be members of any regular lodge4 ,and it is1 doubtless1 on this imperfect authority1 that the ,grand ,lodges of ,america began at so early a period to admit their ,past ,masters to seats in the ,grand ,lodge4 ,in the authorized ,book of ,constitutions1 we find no such provision4 ,indeed1 ,preston records that in #ahjh1 at the laying of the foundation-stone of the ,covent ,garden ,theatre1 by the ,prince of ,wales1 as ,grand ,master1 the ,grand ,lodge was opened by ,charles ,marsh1 ,esq41 attended by the ,masters and ,wardens of all the regular lodges2 and1 throughout the description of the ceremonies1 no notice is taken of ,past ,masters as forming any part of the ,grand ,lodge4 ,the first notice that we have been enabled to obtain of ,past ,masters1 as forming any part of the ,grand ,lodge of ,england1 is in the ,articles of ,union between the two ,grand ,lodges of ,england1 adopted in #ahac1 which declare that the ,grand ,lodge shall consist of the ,grand and ,past ,grand ,officers1 of the actual ,masters and ,wardens of all the warranted lodges1 and of the ,past ,masters of ,lodges who have regularly served and passed the chair before the day of ,union1 and who continued1 without secession1 regular contributing members of a warranted lodge4 ,but it is provided1 that after the decease of all these ancient ,past ,masters1 the representation of every lodge shall consist of its ,master and ,wardens1 and one ,past ,master only4 ,there is1 ,i presume1 no doubt that1 from #aggb1 ,past ,masters had held a seat in the ,athol ,grand ,lodge of ,ancient ,masons1 and that they did not in the original ,grand ,lodge1 is1 ,i believe1 a fact equally indisputable4 ,by the present constitutions of the ,united ,grand ,lodge of ,england1 ,past ,masters are members of the ,grand ,lodge1 while they continue subscribing members of a private lodge4 ,in some of the ,grand ,lodges of the ,united ,states1 ,past ,masters have been permitted to retain their membership1 while in others1 they have been disfranchised4 ,on the whole1 the result of this inquiry seems to be1 that ,past ,masters have no inherent right1 derived from the ancient landmarks1 to a seat in the ,grand ,lodge2 but as every ,grand ,lodge has the power1 within certain limits1 to make regulations for its own government1 it may or may not admit them to membership1 according to its own notion of expediency4 ,some of the ,grand ,lodges have not only disfranchised ,past ,masters but ,wardens also1 and restricted membership only to acting ,masters4 ,this innovation has arisen from the fact that the payment of mileage and expenses to three representative would entail a heavy burden on the revenue of the ,grand ,lodge4 ,the reason may have been imperative2 but in the practice1 pecuniary expediency has been made to override an ancient usage4 ,in determining1 then1 who are the constitutional members of a ,grand ,lodge1 deriving their membership from inherent right1 ,i should say that they are the ,masters and ,wardens of all regular lodges in the jurisdiction1 with the ,grand ,officers chosen by them4 ,all others1 who by local regulations are made members1 are so only by courtesy1 and not by prescription or ancient law4 ,chapter ,,iv4 ,of the ,officers of a ,grand ,lodge4 ,the officers of a ,grand ,lodge may be divided into two classes1 essential and accidental1 or1 as they are more usually called1 ,grand and ,subordinate4 ,the former of these classes are1 as the name imports1 essential to the composition of a ,grand ,lodge1 and are to be found in every jurisdiction1 having existed from the earliest times4 ,they are the ,grand and ,deputy ,grand ,masters1 the ,grand ,wardens1 ,grand ,treasurer1 and ,grand ,secretary4 ,the ,grand ,chaplain is also enumerated among the ,grand ,officers1 but the office is of comparatively modern date4 ,the subordinate officers of a ,grand ,lodge consist of the ,deacons1 ,marshal1 ,pursuivant1 or ,sword-,bearer1 ,stewards1 and others1 whose titles and duties vary in different jurisdictions4 ,i shall devote a separate section to the consideration of the duties of each and prerogatives of these officers4 ,section ,i4 ,of the ,grand ,master4 ,the office of ,grand ,master of ,masons has existed from the very origin of the institution2 for it has always been necessary that the fraternity should have a presiding head4 ,there have been periods in the history of the institution when neither ,deputies nor ,grand ,wardens are mentioned1 but there is no time in its existence when it was without a ,grand ,master2 and hence ,preston1 while speaking of that remote era in which the fraternity was governed by a ,general ,assembly1 says that this ,general ,assembly or ,grand ,lodge was not then restricted1 as it is now understood to be1 to the ,masters and ,wardens of private lodges1 with the ,grand ,master and his ,wardens at their head2 it consisted of as many of the ,fraternity at large as1 being within a convenient distance1 could attend1 once or twice in a year1 under the auspices of one general head1 who was elected and installed at one of these meetings2 and who for the time being received homage as the sole governor of the whole body4#i ,the office is one of great honour as well as power1 and has generally been conferred upon some individual distinguished by an influential position in society2 so that his rank and character might reflect credit upon the craft4#aj ,the ,grand ,mastership is an elective office1 the election being annual and accompanied with impressive ceremonies of proclamation and homage made to him by the whole craft4 ,uniform usage1 as well as the explicit declaration of the ,general ,regulations1#aa seems to require that he should be installed by the last ,grand ,master4 ,but in his absence the ,deputy or some ,past ,grand ,master may exercise the functions of installation or investiture4 ,in the organization of a new ,grand ,lodge1 ancient precedent and the necessity of the thing will authorize the performance of the installation by the ,master of the oldest lodge present1 who1 however1 exercises1 pro hac vice1 the prerogatives and assumes the place of a ,grand ,master4 ,the ,grand ,master possesses a great variety of prerogatives1 some of which are derived from the lex non scripta1 or ancient usage2 and others from the written or statute law of ,masonry4#ab ,i4 ,he has the right to convene the ,grand ,lodge whenever he pleases1 and to preside over its deliberation4 ,in the decision of all questions by the ,grand ,lodge he is entitled to two votes4 ,this is a privilege secured to him by ,article ,,xii4 of the ,general ,regulations4 ,it seems now to be settled1 by ancient usage as well as the expressed opinion of the generality of ,grand ,lodges and of masonic writers1 that there is no appeal from his decision4 ,in ,june1 #ahdi1 the ,grand ,master of ,new ,york1 ,bro4 ,williard1 declared an appeal to be out of order and refused to submit it to the ,grand ,lodge4 ,the proceedings on that eventful occasion have been freely discussed by the ,grand ,lodges of the ,united ,states1 and none of them have condemned the act of the ,grand ,master1 while several have sustained it in express terms4 ,an appeal1 say the ,committee of ,correspondence of ,maryland1 from the decision of the ,grand ,master is an anomaly at war with every principle of ,freemasonry1 and as such1 not for a moment to be tolerated or countenanced4#ac ,this opinion is also sustained by the ,committee of the ,grand ,lodge of ,florida in the year #ahea1 and at various times by other ,grand ,lodges4 ,on the other hand1 several ,grand ,lodges have made decisions adverse to this prerogative1 and the present regulations of the ,grand ,lodge of ,england seem1 by a fair interpretation of their phraseology1 to admit of an appeal from the ,grand ,master4 ,still the general opinion of the craft in this country appears to sustain the doctrine1 that no appeal can be made from the decision of that officer4 ,and this doctrine has derived much support in the way of analogy from the report adopted by the ,general ,grand ,chapter of the ,united ,states1 declaring that no appeal could lie from the decision of the presiding officer of any ,royal ,arch body4 ,since we have enunciated this doctrine as masonic law1 the question next arises1 in what manner shall the ,grand ,master be punished1 should he abuse his great prerogative8 ,the answer to this question admits of no doubt4 ,it is to be found in a regulation1 adopted in #agba1 by the ,grand ,lodge of ,england1 and is in these words3--,if the ,grand ,master should abuse his great power1 and render himself unworthy of the obedience and submission of the ,lodges1 he shall be treated in a way and manner to be agreed upon in a new regulation4 ,but the same series of regulations very explicitly prescribe1 how this new regulation is to be made2 namely1 it is to be proposed and agreed to at the third quarterly communication preceding the annual ,grand ,feast1 and offered to the perusal of all the ,brethren before dinner1 in writing1 even of the youngest entered apprentice2 the approbation and consent of the majority of all the ,brethren present being absolutely necessary1 to make the same binding and obligatory4#ad ,this mode of making a new regulation is explicitly and positively prescribed--it can be done in no other way--and those who accept the old regulations as the law of ,masonry1 must accept this provision with them4 ,this will1 in the present organization of many ,grand ,lodges1 render it almost impracticable to make such a new regulation1 in which case the ,grand ,master must remain exempt from other punishment for his misdeeds1 than that which arises from his own conscience1 and the loss of his ,brethren's regard and esteem4 ,,ii4 ,the power of granting dispensations is one of the most important prerogatives of the ,grand ,master4 ,a dispensation may be defined to be an exemption from the observance of some law or the performance of some duty4 ,in ,masonry1 no one has the authority to grant this exemption1 except the ,grand ,master2 and1 although the exercise of it is limited within the observance of the ancient landmarks1 the operation of the prerogative is still very extensive4 ,the dispensing power may be exercised under the following circumstances3 #a4 ,the fourth old ,regulation prescribes that no lodge shall make more than five new ,brothers at one and the same time without an urgent necessity4#ae ,but of this necessity the ,grand ,master may judge1 and1 on good and sufficient reason being shown1 he may grant a dispensation enabling any lodge to suspend this regulation and make more than five new ,brothers4 #b4 ,the next regulation prescribes that no one can be accepted a member of a particular lodge without previous notice1 one month before given to the lodge1 in order to make due inquiry into the reputation and capacity of the candidate4 ,but here1 also1 it is held that1 in a suitable case of emergency1 the ,grand ,master may exercise his prerogative and dispense with this probation of one month1 permitting the candidate to be made on the night of his application4 #c4 ,if a lodge should have omitted for any causes to elect its officers or any of them on the constitutional night of election1 or if any officer so elected shall have died1 been deposed or removed from the jurisdiction subsequent to his election1 the ,grand ,master may issue a dispensation empowering the lodge to proceed to an election or to fill the vacancy at any other specified communication2 but he cannot grant a dispensation to elect a new master in consequence of the death or removal of the old one1 while the two ,wardens or either of them remain--because the ,wardens succeed by inherent right and in order of seniority to the vacant mastership4 ,and1 indeed1 it is held that while one of the three officers remains1 no election can be held1 even by dispensation1 to fill the other two places1 though vacancies in them may have occurred by death or removal4 #d4 ,the ,grand ,master may grant a dispensation empowering a lodge to elect a ,master from among the members on the floor2 but this must be done only when every ,past ,master1 ,warden1 and ,past ,warden of the lodge has refused to serve1#af because ordinarily a requisite qualification for the ,mastership is1 that the candidate shall1 previously1 have served in the office of ,warden4 #e4 ,in the year #agbc a regulation was adopted1 prescribing that no ,brother should belong to more than one lodge within the bills of mortality4 ,interpreting the last expression to mean three miles--which is now supposed to be the geographical limit of a lodge's jurisdiction1 this regulation may still be considered as a part of the law of ,masonry2 but in some ,grand ,lodges1 as that of ,south ,carolina1 for instance1 the ,grand ,master will sometimes exercise his prerogative1 and1 dispensing with this regulation1 permit a ,brother to belong to two lodges1 although they may be within three miles of each other4 #f4 ,but the most important power of the ,grand ,master connected with his dispensing prerogative is1 that of constituting new lodges4 ,it has already been remarked that1 anciently1 a warrant was not required for the formation of a lodge1 but that a sufficient number of ,masons1 met together within a certain limit1 were empowered1 with the consent of the sheriff or chief magistrate of the place1 to make ,masons and practice the rites of ,masonry1 without such warrant of ,constitution4 ,but1 in the year #agag1 it was adopted as a regulation1 that every lodge1 to be thereafter convened1 should be authorised to act by a warrant from the ,grand ,master for the time being1 granted to certain persons by petition1 with the consent and approbation of the ,grand ,lodge in communication4 ,ever since that time1 no lodge has been considered as legally established1 unless it has been constituted by the authority of the ,grand ,master4 ,in the ,english ,constitutions1 the instrument thus empowering a lodge to meet1 is called1 when granted by the ,grand ,master1 a ,warrant of ,constitution4 ,it is granted by the ,grand ,master and not by the ,grand ,lodge4 ,it appears to be a final instrument1 notwithstanding the provision enacted in #agag1 requiring the consent and approbation of the ,grand ,lodge2 for in the ,constitution of the ,united ,grand ,lodge of ,england1 there is no allusion whatever to this consent and approbation4 ,but in this country1 the process is somewhat different1 and the ,grand ,master is deprived of a portion of his prerogative4 ,here1 the instrument granted by the ,grand ,master is called a ,dispensation4 ,the lodge receiving it is not admitted into the register of lodges1 nor is it considered as possessing any of the rights and privileges of a lodge1 except that of making ,masons1 until a ,warrant of ,constitution is granted by the ,grand ,lodge4 ,the ancient prerogative of the ,grand ,master is1 however1 preserved in the fact1 that after a lodge has been thus warranted by the ,grand ,lodge1 the ceremony of constituting it1 which embraces its consecration and the installation of its officers1 can only be performed by the ,grand ,master in person1 or by his special ,deputy appointed for that purpose4#ag ,,iii4 ,the third prerogative of the ,grand ,master is that of visitation4 ,he has a right to visit any lodge within his jurisdiction at such times as he pleases1 and when there to preside2 and it is the duty of the ,master to offer him the chair and his gavel1 which the ,grand ,master may decline or accept at his pleasure4 ,this prerogative admits of no question1 as it is distinctly declared in the first of the ,thirty-nine ,regulations1 adopted in #agba1 in the following words3-- ,the ,grand ,master or ,deputy has full authority and right1 not only to be present1 but to preside in every lodge1 with the ,master of the lodge on his left hand1 and to order his ,grand ,wardens to attend him1 who are not to act as ,wardens of particular lodges1 but in his presence and at his command2 for the ,grand ,master1 while in a particular lodge1 may command the ,wardens of that lodge1 or any other ,master ,masons1 to act as his ,wardens1 pro tempore4 ,but in a subsequent regulation it was provided1 that as the ,grand ,master cannot deprive the ,grand ,wardens of that office without the consent of the ,grand ,lodge1 he should appoint no other persons to act as ,wardens in his visitation to a private lodge1 unless the ,grand ,wardens were absent4 ,this whole regulation is still in existence4 ,the question has been lately mooted1 whether1 if the ,grand ,master declines to preside1 he does not thereby place himself in the position of a private ,brother1 and become subject1 as all the others present1 to the control of the ,worshipful ,master4 ,i answer1 that of course he becomes subject to and must of necessity respect those rules of order and decorum which are obligatory on all good men and ,masons2 but that he cannot1 by the exercise of an act of courtesy in declining to preside1 divest himself of his prerogative1 which1 moreover1 he may at any time during the evening assume1 and demand the gavel4 ,the ,grand ,master of ,masons can1 under no circumstances1 become subject to the decrees and orders of the ,master of a particular lodge4 ,,iv4 ,another prerogative of the ,grand ,master is that of appointment2 which1 however1 in this country1 has been much diminished4 ,according to the old regulations1 and the custom is still continued in the ,constitutions of the ,grand ,lodge of ,england1 the ,grand ,master has the right of appointing his ,deputy and ,wardens4 ,in the ,united ,states1 the office has been shorn of this high prerogative1 and these ,officers are elected by the ,grand ,lodge4 ,the ,deputy1 however1 is still appointed by the ,grand ,master1 in some of the ,states1 as ,massachusetts1 ,north ,carolina1 ,wisconsin1 and ,texas4 ,the appointment of the principal subordinate officers1 is also given to the ,grand ,master by the ,american ,grand ,lodges4 ,v4 ,the last and most extraordinary power of the ,grand ,master1 is that of making ,masons at sight4 ,the power to make ,masons at sight is a technical term1 which may be defined to be the power to initiate1 pass1 and raise candidates by the ,grand ,master1 in a lodge of emergency1 or as it is called in the ,book of ,constitutions1 an occasional lodge1 especially convened by him1 and consisting of such ,master ,masons as he may call together for that purpose only--the lodge ceasing to exist as soon as the initiation1 passing1 or raising1 has been accomplished and the ,brethren have been dismissed by the ,grand ,master4 ,whether such a power is vested in the ,grand ,master1 is a question that1 within the last few years1 has been agitated with much warmth1 by some of the ,grand ,lodges of this country2 but ,i am not aware that1 until very lately1 the prerogative was ever disputed4#ah ,in the ,book of ,constitutions1 however1 several instances are furnished of the exercise of this right by various ,grand ,masters4 ,in #agca1 ,lord ,lovel being ,grand ,master1 he formed an occasional lodge at ,houghton ,hall1 ,sir ,robert ,walpole's ,house in ,norfolk1 and there made the ,duke of ,lorraine1 afterwards ,emperor of ,germany1 and the ,duke of ,newcastle1 ,master ,masons4#ai ,i do not quote the case of the initiation1 passing1 and raising of ,frederick1 ,prince of ,wales1 in #agcg1 which was done in an occasional lodge1 over which ,dr4 ,desaguliers presided1#bj because as ,desaguliers was not the ,grand ,master1 nor even1 as has been incorrectly stated by the ,new ,york ,committee of ,correspondence1 ,deputy ,grand ,master1 but only a ,past ,grand ,master1 it cannot be called a making at sight4 ,he most probably acted under the dispensation of the ,grand ,master1 who at that time was the ,earl of ,darnley4 ,but in #agff1 ,lord ,blaney1 who was then ,grand ,master1 convened an occasional lodge and initiated1 passed1 and raised the ,duke of ,gloucester4#ba ,again in #agfg1 ,john ,salter1 the ,deputy1 then acting as ,grand ,master1 convened an occasional lodge1 and conferred the three degrees on the ,duke of ,cumberland4#bb ,in #aghg1 the ,prince of ,wales was made a ,mason at an occasional lodge1 convened1 says ,preston1 for the purpose1 at the ,star and ,garter1 ,pall ,mall1 over which the ,duke of ,cumberland1 7,grand ,master7 presided in person4#bc ,but it is unnecessary to multiply instances of the right1 exercised by former ,grand ,masters1 of congregating occasional lodges1 and making ,masons at sight4 ,it has been said1 however1 by the oppugners of this prerogative1 that these occasional lodges were only special communications of the ,grand ,lodge1 and the makings are thus supposed to have taken place under the authority of that body1 and not of the ,grand ,master4 ,the facts1 however1 do not sustain this position4 ,throughout the ,book of ,constitutions1 other meetings1 whether regular or special1 are distinctly recorded as meetings of the ,grand ,lodge1 while these occasional lodges appear only to have been convened by the ,grand ,master1 for the purpose of making ,masons4 ,besides1 in many instances1 the lodge was held at a different place from that of the ,grand ,lodge1 and the officers were not1 with the exception of the ,grand ,master1 the officers of the ,grand ,lodge4 ,thus the occasional lodge1 which initiated the ,duke of ,lorraine1 was held at the residence of ,sir ,robert ,walpole1 in ,norfolk1 while the ,grand ,lodge always met in ,london4 ,in #agff1 the ,grand ,lodge held its communications at the ,crown and ,anchor2 but the occasional lodge1 which1 in the same year1 conferred the degrees on the ,duke of ,gloucester1 was convened at the ,horn ,tavern4 ,in the following year1 the lodge which initiated the ,duke of ,cumberland was convened at the ,thatched ,house ,tavern1 the ,grand ,lodge continuing to meet at the ,crown and ,anchor4 ,this may be considered very conclusive evidence of the existence of the prerogative of the ,grand ,master1 which we are now discussing1 but the argument fortiori1 drawn from his dispensing power1 will tend to confirm the doctrine4 ,no one doubts or denies the power of the ,grand ,master to constitute new lodges by dispensation4 ,in #agda1 the ,grand ,lodge of ,england forgot it for a moment1 and adopted a new regulation1 that no new lodge should be constituted until the consent of the ,grand ,lodge had been first obtained1 ,but this order1 afterwards appearing1 says the ,book of ,constitutions1#bd to be an infringement on the prerogative of the ,grand ,master1 and to be attended with many inconveniences and with damage to the craft1 was repealed4 ,it is1 then1 an undoubted prerogative of the ,grand ,master to constitute lodges by dispensation1 and in these lodges1 so constituted1 ,masons may be legally entered1 passed1 and raised4 ,this is done every day4 ,seven ,master ,masons1 applying to the ,grand ,master1 he grants them a dispensation1 under authority of which they proceed to open and hold a lodge1 and to make ,masons4 ,this lodge is1 however1 admitted to be the mere creature of the ,grand ,master1 for it is in his power1 at any time1 to revoke the dispensation he had granted1 and thus to dissolve the lodge4 ,but1 if the ,grand ,master has the power thus to enable others to confer the degrees and make ,masons by his individual authority out of his presence1 are we not permitted to argue fortiori that he has also the right of congregating seven ,brethren and causing a ,mason1 to be made in his sight8 ,can he delegate a power to others which he does not himself possess8 ,and is his calling together an occasional lodge1 and making1 with the assistance of the ,brethren thus assembled1 a ,mason at sight1 that is to say1 in his presence1 anything more or less than the exercise of his dispensing power1 for the establishment of a lodge under dispensation1 for a temporary period1 and for a special purpose4 ,the purpose having been effected1 and the ,mason having been made1 he revokes his dispensation1 and the lodge is dismissed4 ,if we assumed any other ground than this1 we should be compelled to say1 that though the ,grand ,master might authorise others to make ,masons1 when he was absent1 as in the usual case of lodges under dispensation yet the instant that he attempted to convey the same powers to be exercised in his presence1 and under his personal supervision1 his authority would cease4 ,this course of reasoning would necessarily lead to a contradiction in terms1 if not to an actual absurdity4 ,it is proper to state1 in conclusion1 that the views here set forth are not entertained by the very able ,committee of ,foreign ,correspondence of the ,grand ,lodge of ,florida1 who only admit the power of the ,grand ,master to make ,masons in the ,grand ,lodge4 ,on the other hand1 the ,grand ,lodge of ,wisconsin1 at its last communication1 adopted a report1 asserting that the ,grand ,master has the right to make ,masons at sight1 in cases which he may deem proper--and the ,committee of ,correspondence of ,new ,york declares1 that since the time when the memory of man runneth not to the contrary1 ,grand ,masters have enjoyed the privilege of making ,masons at sight1 without any preliminaries1 and at any suitable time or place4 ,the opinions of the two last quoted ,grand ,lodges embody the general sentiment of the ,craft on this subject4#be ,but although the prerogative is thus almost universally ceded to ,grand ,masters1 there are many very reasonable doubts as to the expediency of its exercise1 except under extraordinary circumstances of emergency4 ,in ,england1 the practice has generally been confined to the making of ,princes of the ,royal ,family1 who1 for reasons of state1 were unwilling to reduce themselves to the level of ordinary candidates and receive their initiation publicly in a subordinate lodge4 ,but in the exercise of this prerogative1 the ,grand ,master cannot dispense with any of the requisite forms of initiation1 prescribed by the oral laws of the ,order4 ,he cannot communicate the degrees1 but must adhere to all the established ceremonies--the conferring of degrees by communication being a form unknown to the ,york rite4 ,he must be assisted by the number of ,brethren necessary to open and hold a lodge4 ,due inquiry must be made into the candidate's character1 7though the ,grand ,master may1 as in a case of emergency1 dispense with the usual probation of a month74 ,he cannot interfere with the business of a regular lodge1 by making one whom it had rejected1 nor finishing one which it had commenced4 ,nor can he confer the three degrees1 at one and the same communication4 ,in short1 he must1 in making ,masons at sight1 conform to the ancient usages and landmarks of the ,order4 ,section ,,ii4 ,the ,deputy ,grand ,master4 ,the office of ,deputy ,grand ,master is one of great dignity1 but not of much practical importance1 except in case of the absence of the ,grand ,master1 when he assumes all the prerogatives of that officer4 ,neither is the office1 comparatively speaking1 of a very ancient date4 ,at the first reorganization of the ,grand ,lodge in #agag1 and for two or three years afterwards1 no ,deputy was appointed1 and it was not until #agba that the ,duke of ,montagu conferred the dignity on ,dr4 ,beal4 ,originally the ,deputy was intended to relieve the ,grand ,master of all the burden and pressure of business1 and the #cfth of the ,regulations1 adopted in #agba1 states that a ,deputy is said to have been always needful when the ,grand ,master was nobly born1 because it was considered as a derogation from the dignity of a nobleman to enter upon the ordinary business of the craft4 ,hence we find1 among the ,general ,regulations1 one which sets forth this principle in the following words3 ,the ,grand ,master should not receive any private intimations of business1 concerning ,masons and ,masonry1 but from his ,deputy first1 except in such cases as his worship can easily judge of2 and if the application to the ,grand ,master be irregular1 his worship can order the ,grand ,wardens1 or any other so applying1 to wait upon the ,deputy1 who is immediately to prepare the business1 and to lay it orderly before his worship4 ,the ,deputy ,grand ,master exercises1 in the absence of the ,grand ,master1 all the prerogatives and performs all the duties of that officer4 ,but he does so1 not by virtue of any new office that he has acquired by such absence1 but simply in the name of and as the representative of the ,grand ,master1 from whom alone he derives all his authority4 ,such is the doctrine sustained in all the precedents recorded in the ,book of ,constitutions4 ,in the presence of the ,grand ,master1 the office of ,deputy is merely one of honour1 without the necessity of performing any duties1 and without the power of exercising any prerogatives4 ,there cannot be more than one ,deputy ,grand ,master in a jurisdiction2 so that the appointment of a greater number1 as is the case in some of the ,states1 is a manifest innovation on the ancient usages4 ,district ,deputy ,grand ,masters1 which officers are also a modern invention of this country1 seem to take the place in some degree of the ,provincial ,grand ,masters of ,england1 but they are not invested with the same prerogatives4 ,the office is one of local origin1 and its powers and duties are prescribed by the local regulations of the ,grand ,lodge which may have established it4 ,section ,,iii4 ,of the ,grand ,wardens4 ,the ,senior and ,junior ,grand ,wardens were originally appointed1 like the ,deputy1 by the ,grand ,master1 and are still so appointed in ,england2 but in this country they are universally elected by the ,grand ,lodge4 ,their duties do not materially differ from those performed by the corresponding officers in a subordinate lodge4 ,they accompany the ,grand ,master in his visitations1 and assume the stations of the ,wardens of the lodge visited4 ,according to the regulations of #agba1 the ,master of the oldest lodge present was directed to take the chair of the ,grand ,lodge in the absence of both the ,grand ,master and ,deputy2 but this was found to be an interference with the rights of the ,grand ,wardens1 and it was therefore subsequently declared that1 in the absence of the ,grand ,master and ,deputy1 the last former ,grand ,master or ,deputy should preside4 ,but if no ,past ,grand or ,past ,deputy ,grand ,master should be present1 then the ,senior ,grand ,warden was to fill the chair1 and1 in his absence1 the ,junior ,grand ,warden1 and lastly1 in absence of both these1 then the oldest ,freemason#bf who is the present ,master of a lodge4 ,in this country1 however1 most of the ,grand ,lodges have altered this regulation1 and the ,wardens succeed according to seniority to the chair of the absent ,grand ,master and ,deputy1 in preference to any ,past ,grand ,officer4 ,section ,,iv4 ,of the ,grand ,treasurer4 ,the office of ,grand ,treasurer was first established in #agbd1 in consequence of a report of the ,committee of ,charity of the ,grand ,lodge of ,england4 ,but no one was found to hold the trust until the #bdth of ,june1 #agbg1 when1 at the request of the ,grand ,master1 the appointment was accepted by ,nathaniel ,blackerby1 ,deputy ,grand ,master4 ,the duties of the office do not at all differ from those of a corresponding one in every other society2 but as the trust is an important one in a pecuniary view1 it has generally been deemed prudent that it should only be committed to a brother of good worldly substance1 whose ample means would place him beyond the chances of temptation4 ,the office of ,grand ,treasurer has this peculiarity1 that while all the other officers below the ,grand ,master were originally1 and still are in ,england1 appointed1 that alone was always elective4 ,section ,v4 ,of the ,grand ,secretary4 ,this is one of the most important offices in the ,grand ,lodge1 and should always be occupied by a ,brother of intelligence and education1 whose abilities may reflect honor on the institution of which he is the accredited public organ4 ,the office was established in the year #agbc1 during the ,grand ,mastership of the ,duke of ,wharton1 previous to which time the duties appear to have been discharged by the ,grand ,wardens4 ,the ,grand ,secretary not only records the proceedings of the ,grand ,lodge1 but conducts its correspondence1 and is the medium through whom all applications on masonic subjects are to be made to the ,grand ,master1 or the ,grand ,lodge4 ,according to the regulations of the ,grand ,lodges of ,england1 ,new ,york and ,south ,carolina1 the ,grand ,secretary may appoint an assistant1 who is not1 however1 by virtue of such appointment1 a member of the ,grand ,lodge4 ,the same privilege is also extended in ,south ,carolina to the ,grand ,treasurer4 ,section ,,vi4 ,of the ,grand ,chaplain4 ,this is the last of the ,grand ,offices that was established1 having been instituted on the #ast of ,may1 in the year #agge4 ,the duties are confined to the reading of prayers1 and other sacred portions of the ritual1 in consecrations1 dedications1 funeral services1 etc4 ,the office confers no masonic authority at all1 except that of a seat and a vote in the ,grand ,lodge4 ,section ,,vii4 ,of the ,grand ,deacons4 ,but little need be said of the ,grand ,deacons4 ,their duties correspond to those of the same officers in subordinate lodges4 ,the office of the ,deacons1 even in a subordinate lodge1 is of comparatively modern institution4 ,dr4 ,oliver remarks that they are not mentioned in any of the early ,constitutions of ,masonry1 nor even so late as #agig1 when ,stephen ,jones wrote his ,masonic ,miscellanies1 and he thinks it satisfactorily proved that ,deacons were not considered necessary1 in working the business of a lodge1 before the very latter end of the eighteenth century4#bg ,but although the ,deacons are not mentioned in the various works published previous to that period1 which are quoted by ,dr4 ,oliver1 it is nevertheless certain that the office existed at a time much earlier than that which he supposes4 ,in a work in my possession1 and which is now lying before me1 entitled ,every ,young ,man's ,companion1 etc41 by ,w4 ,gordon1 ,teacher of the ,mathematics1 sixth edition printed at ,london1 in #aggg1 there is a section1 extending from page #dac to page #dbf1 which is dedicated to the subject of ,freemasonry and to a description of the working of a subordinate lodge4 ,here the ,senior and ,junior ,deacons are enumerated among the officers1 their exact positions described and their duties detailed1 differing in no respect from the explanations of our own ritual at the present day4 ,the positive testimony of this book must of course outweigh the negative testimony of the authorities quoted by ,oliver1 and shows the existence in ,england of ,deacons in the year #aggg at least4 ,it is also certain that the office of ,deacon claims an earlier origin in ,america than the very latter end of the eighteenth century2 and1 as an evidence of this1 it may be stated that1 in the ,ahiman ,rezon of ,pennsylvania1 published in #aghc1 the ,grand ,deacons are named among the officers of the ,grand ,lodge1 as particular assistants to the ,grand ,master and ,senior ,warden1 in conducting the business of the ,lodge4 ,they are to be found in all ,grand ,lodges of the ,york ,rite1 and are usually appointed1 the ,senior by the ,grand ,master1 and the ,junior by the ,senior ,grand ,warden4 ,section ,,viii4 ,of the ,grand ,marshal4 ,the ,grand ,marshal1 as an officer of convenience1 existed from an early period4 ,we find him mentioned in the procession of the ,grand ,lodge1 made in #agca1 where he is described as carrying a truncheon1 blue1 tipped with gold1 insignia which he still retains4 ,he takes no part in the usual work of the ,lodge2 but his duties are confined to the proclamation of the ,grand ,officers at their installation1 and to the arrangement and superintendence of public processions4 ,the ,grand ,marshal is usually appointed by the ,grand ,master4 ,section ,,ix4 ,of the ,grand ,stewards4 ,the first mention that is made of ,stewards is in the ,old ,regulations1 adopted in #agba4 ,previous to that time1 the arrangements of the ,grand ,feast were placed in the hands of the ,grand ,wardens2 and it was to relieve them of this labor that the regulation was adopted1 authorizing the ,grand ,master1 or his ,deputy1 to appoint a certain number of ,stewards1 who were to act in concert with the ,grand ,wardens4 ,in #agbh1 it was ordered that the number of ,stewards to be appointed should be twelve4 ,in #agca1 a regulation was adopted1 permitting the ,grand ,stewards to appoint their successors4 ,and1 in #agce1 the ,grand ,lodge ordered1 that1 in consideration of their past service and future usefulness1 they should be constituted a ,lodge of ,masters1 to be called the ,stewards' ,lodge1 which should have a registry in the ,grand ,lodge list1 and exercise the privilege of sending twelve representatives4 ,this was the origin of that body now known in the ,constitutions of the ,grand ,lodges of ,england and ,new ,york1#bh as the ,grand ,stewards' ,lodge1 although it has been very extensively modified in its organization4 ,in ,new ,york1 it is now no more than a ,standing ,committee of the ,grand ,lodge2 and in ,england1 although it is regularly constituted1 as a ,lodge of ,master ,masons1 it is by a special regulation deprived of all power of entering1 passing1 or raising ,masons4 ,in other jurisdictions1 the office of ,grand ,stewards is still preserved1 but their functions are confined to their original purpose of preparing and superintending the ,grand ,feast4 ,the appointment of the ,grand ,stewards should be most appropriately vested in the ,junior ,grand ,warden4 ,section ,x4 ,of the ,grand ,sword-,bearer4 ,grand ,sword-,bearer4--,it was an ancient feudal custom1 that all great dignitaries should have a sword of state borne before them1 as the insignia of their dignity4 ,this usage has to this day been preserved in the ,masonic ,institution1 and the ,grand ,master's sword of state is still borne in all public processions by an officer specially appointed for that purpose4 ,some years after the reorganization of the ,grand ,lodge of ,england1 the sword was borne by the ,master of the ,lodge to which it belonged2 but1 in #agcj1 the ,duke of ,norfolk1 being then ,grand ,master1 presented to the ,grand ,lodge the sword of ,gustavus ,adolphus1 ,king of ,sweden1 which had afterwards been used in war by ,bernard1 ,duke of ,saxe ,weimar1 and which the ,grand ,master directed should thereafter be adopted as his sword of state4 ,in consequence of this donation1 the office of ,grand ,sword-,bearer was instituted in the following year4 ,the office is still retained2 but some ,grand ,lodges have changed the name to that of ,grand ,pursuivant4 ,section ,,xi4 ,of the ,grand ,tiler4 ,it is evident from the ,constitutions of ,masonry1 as well as from the peculiar character of the institution1 that the office of ,grand ,tiler must have existed from the very first organization of a ,grand ,lodge4 ,as1 from the nature of the duties that he has to perform1 the ,grand ,tiler is necessarily excluded from partaking of the discussions1 or witnessing the proceedings of the ,grand ,lodge1 it has very generally been determined1 from a principle of expediency1 that he shall not be a member of the ,grand ,lodge during the term of his office4 ,the ,grand ,tiler is sometimes elected by the ,grand ,lodge1 and sometimes appointed by the ,grand ,master4 ,chapter ,v4 ,of the ,powers and ,prerogatives of a ,grand ,lodge4 ,section ,i4 ,general ,view4 ,the necessary and usual officers of a ,grand ,lodge having been described1 the rights1 powers1 and prerogatives of such a body is the next subject of our inquiry4 ,the foundation-stone1 upon which the whole superstructure of masonic authority in the ,grand ,lodge is built1 is to be found in that conditional clause annexed to the thirty-eight articles1 adopted in #agba by the ,masons of ,england1 and which is in these words3 ,every annual ,grand ,lodge has an inherent power and authority to make new regulations1 or to alter these for the real benefit of this ancient fraternity2 ,,provided ,,always ,,that ,,the ,,old ,,landmarks ,,be ,,carefully ,,preserved2 and that such alterations and new regulations be proposed and agreed to at the third quarterly communication preceding the annual ,grand ,feast2 and that they be offered also to the perusal of all the ,brethren before dinner1 in writing1 even of the youngest ,entered ,apprentice3 the approbation and consent of the majority of all the ,brethren present being absolutely necessary1 to make the same binding and obligatory4 ,the expression which is put in capitals--provided always that the old landmarks be carefully preserved--is the limiting clause which must be steadily borne in mind1 whenever we attempt to enumerate the powers of a ,grand ,lodge4 ,it must never be forgotten 7in the words of another regulation1 adopted in #agbc1 and incorporated in the ritual of installation71 that it is not in the power of any man1 or body of men1 to make any alteration or innovation in the body of ,masonry4 ,with these views to limit us1 the powers of a ,grand ,lodge may be enumerated in the language which has been adopted in the modern constitutions of ,england1 and which seem to us1 after a careful comparison1 to be as comprehensive and correct as any that we have been able to examine4 ,this enumeration is in the following language3 ,in the ,grand ,lodge1 alone1 resides the power of enacting laws and regulations for the permanent government of the craft1 and of altering1 repealing1 and abrogating them1 always taking care that the ancient landmarks of the order are preserved4 ,the ,grand ,lodge has also the inherent power of investigating1 regulating1 and deciding all matters relative to the craft1 or to particular lodges1 or to individual ,brothers1 which it may exercise either of itself1 or by such delegated authority1 as in its wisdom and discretion it may appoint2 but in the ,grand ,lodge alone resides the power of erasing lodges1 and expelling ,brethren from the craft1 a power which it ought not to delegate to any subordinate authority in ,england4 ,in this enumeration we discover the existence of three distinct classes of powers3--#a1 a legislative power2 #b1 a judicial power2 and #c1 an executive power4 ,each of these will occupy a separate section4 ,section ,,ii4 ,of the ,legislative ,power of a ,grand ,lodge4 ,in the passage already quoted from the ,constitutions of the ,grand ,lodge of ,england it is said1 in the ,grand ,lodge1 alone1 resides the power of enacting laws and regulations for the government of the craft1 and of altering1 repealing1 and abrogating them4 ,general regulations for the government of the whole craft throughout the world can no longer be enacted by a ,grand ,lodge4 ,the multiplication of these bodies1 since the year #agag1 has so divided the supremacy that no regulation now enacted can have the force and authority of those adopted by the ,grand ,lodge of ,england in #agba1 and which now constitute a part of the fundamental law of ,masonry1 and as such are unchangeable by any modern ,grand ,lodge4 ,any ,grand ,lodge may1 however1 enact local laws for the direction of its own special affairs1 and has also the prerogative of enacting the regulations which are to govern all its subordinates and the craft generally in its own jurisdiction4 ,from this legislative power1 which belongs exclusively to the ,grand ,lodge1 it follows that no subordinate lodge can make any new bye-laws1 nor alter its old ones1 without the approval and confirmation of the ,grand ,lodge4 ,hence1 the rules and regulations of every lodge are inoperative until they are submitted to and approved by the ,grand ,lodge4 ,the confirmation of that body is the enacting clause2 and1 therefore1 strictly speaking1 it may be said that the subordinates only propose the bye-laws1 and the ,grand ,lodge enacts them4 ,section ,,iii4 ,of the ,judicial ,power of a ,grand ,lodge4 ,the passage already quoted from the ,english ,constitutions continues to say1 that the ,grand ,lodge has the inherent power of investigating1 regulating and deciding all matters relative to the craft1 or to particular lodges1 or to individual ,brothers1 which it may exercise1 either of itself1 or by such delegated authority as in its wisdom and discretion it may appoint4 ,under the first clause of this section1 the ,grand ,lodge is constituted as the ,supreme ,masonic ,tribunal of its jurisdiction4 ,but as it would be impossible for that body to investigate every masonic offense that occurs within its territorial limits1 with that full and considerate attention that the principles of justice require1 it has1 under the latter clause of the section1 delegated this duty1 in general1 to the subordinate lodges1 who are to act as its committees1 and to report the results of their inquiry for its final disposition4 ,from this course of action has risen the erroneous opinion of some persons1 that the jurisdiction of the ,grand ,lodge is only appellate in its character4 ,such is not the case4 ,the ,grand ,lodge possesses an original jurisdiction over all causes occurring within its limits4 ,it is only for expediency that it remits the examination of the merits of any case to a subordinate lodge as a quasi committee4 ,it may1 if it thinks proper1 commence the investigation of any matter concerning either a lodge1 or an individual brother within its own bosom1 and whenever an appeal from the decision of a lodge is made1 which1 in reality1 is only a dissent from the report of the lodge1 the ,grand ,lodge does actually recommence the investigation de novo1 and1 taking the matter out of the lodge1 to whom by its general usage it had been primarily referred1 it places it in the hands of another committee of its own body for a new report4 ,the course of action is1 it is true1 similar to that in law1 of an appeal from an inferior to a superior tribunal4 ,but the principle is different4 ,the ,grand ,lodge simply confirms or rejects the report that has been made to it1 and it may do that without any appeal having been entered4 ,it may1 in fact1 dispense with the necessity of an investigation by and report from a subordinate lodge altogether1 and undertake the trial itself from the very inception4 ,but this1 though a constitutional1 is an unusual course4 ,the subordinate lodge is the instrument which the ,grand ,lodge employs in considering the investigation4 ,it may or it may not make use of the instrument1 as it pleases4 ,section ,,iv4 ,of the ,executive ,power of a ,grand ,lodge4 ,the ,english ,constitutions conclude1 in the passage that has formed the basis of our previous remarks1 by asserting that in the ,grand ,lodge1 alone1 resides the power of erasing lodges and expelling ,brethren from the craft1 a power which it ought not to delegate to any subordinate authority4 ,the power of the ,grand ,lodge to erase lodges is accompanied with a coincident power of constituting new lodges4 ,this power it originally shared with the ,grand ,master1 and still does in ,england2 but in this country the power of the ,grand ,lodge is paramount to that of the ,grand ,master4 ,the latter can only constitute lodges temporarily1 by dispensation1 and his act must be confirmed1 or may be annulled by the ,grand ,lodge4 ,it is not until a lodge has received its ,warrant of ,constitution from the ,grand ,lodge1 that it can assume the rank and exercise the prerogatives of a regular and legal lodge4 ,the expelling power is one that is very properly intrusted to the ,grand ,lodge1 which is the only tribunal that should impose a penalty affecting the relations of the punished party with the whole fraternity4 ,some of the lodges in this country have claimed the right to expel independently of the action of the ,grand ,lodge4 ,but the claim is founded on an erroneous assumption of powers that have never existed1 and which are not recognized by the ancient constitutions1 nor the general usages of the fraternity4 ,a subordinate lodge tries its delinquent member1 under the provisions which have already been stated1 and1 according to the general usage of lodges in the ,united ,states1 declares him expelled4 ,but the sentence is of no force nor effect until it has been confirmed by the ,grand ,lodge1 which may1 or may not1 give the required confirmation1 and which1 indeed1 often refuses to do so1 but actually reverses the sentence4 ,it is apparent1 from the views already expressed on the judicial powers of the ,grand ,lodge1 that the sentence of expulsion uttered by the subordinate is to be taken in the sense of a recommendatory report1 and that it is the confirmation and adoption of that report by the ,grand ,lodge that alone gives it vitality and effect4 ,the expelling power presumes1 of course1 coincidently1 the reinstating power4 ,as the ,grand ,lodge alone can expel1 it also alone can reinstate4 ,these constitute the general powers and prerogatives of a ,grand ,lodge4 ,of course there are other local powers1 assumed by various ,grand ,lodges1 and differing in the several jurisdictions1 but they are all derived from some one of the three classes that we have enumerated4 ,from these views1 it will appear that a ,grand ,lodge is the supreme legislative1 judicial1 and executive authority of the ,masonic jurisdiction in which it is situated4 ,it is1 to use a feudal term1 the lord paramount in ,masonry4 ,it is a representative body1 in which1 however1 it constituents have delegated everything and reserved no rights to themselves4 ,its authority is almost unlimited1 for it is restrained by but a single check3--,it cannot alter or remove the ancient landmarks4 ,book ,second ,laws of ,subordinate ,lodges4 ,having thus succinctly treated of the law in relation to ,grand ,lodges1 ,i come next in order to consider the law as it respects the organization1 rights1 powers1 and privileges of subordinate ,lodges2 and the first question that will engage our attention will be1 as to the proper method of organizing a ,lodge4 ,chapter ,i4 ,of the ,nature and ,organization of ,subordinate ,lodges4 ,the old charges define a ,lodge to be a place where ,masons assemble and work2 and also that assembly1 or duly organized society of ,masons4 ,the lecture on the first degree gives a still more precise definition4 ,it says that a lodge is an assemblage of ,masons1 duly congregated1 having the ,holy ,bible1 square1 and compasses1 and a charter1 or warrant of constitution1 empowering them to work4 ,every lodge of ,masons requires for its proper organization1 that it should have been congregated by the permission of some superior authority1 which may be either a ,grand ,master or a ,grand ,lodge4 ,when a lodge is organized by the authority of a ,grand ,master1 it is said to work under a ,dispensation1 and when by the authority of a ,grand ,lodge1 it is said to work under a warrant of constitution4 ,in the history of a lodge1 the former authority generally precedes the latter1 the lodge usually working for some time under the dispensation of the ,grand ,master1 before it is regularly warranted by the ,grand ,lodge4 ,but this is not necessarily the case4 ,a ,grand ,lodge will sometimes grant a warrant of constitution at once1 without the previous exercise1 on the part of the ,grand ,master1 of his dispensing power4 ,as it is1 however1 more usually the practice for the dispensation to precede the warrant of constitution1 ,i shall explain the formation of a lodge according to that method4 ,any number of ,master ,masons1 not under seven1 being desirous of uniting themselves into a lodge1 apply by petition to the ,grand ,master for the necessary authority4 ,this petition must set forth that they now are1 or have been1 members of a regularly constituted lodge1 and must assign1 as a reason for their application1 that they desire to form the lodge for the conveniency of their respective dwellings1 or some other sufficient reason4 ,the petition must also name the brethren whom they desire to act as their ,master and ,wardens1 and the place where they intend to meet2 and it must be recommended by the nearest lodge4 ,dalcho says that not less than three ,master ,masons should sign the petition2 but in this he differs from all the other authorities1 which require not less than seven4 ,this rule1 too1 seems to be founded in reason2 for1 as it requires seven ,masons to constitute a quorum for opening and holding a lodge of ,entered ,apprentices1 it would be absurd to authorize a smaller number to organize a lodge which1 after its organization1 could not be opened1 nor make ,masons in that degree4 ,preston says that the petition must be recommended by the ,masters of three regular lodges adjacent to the place where the new lodge is to be held4 ,dalcho says it must be recommended by three other known and approved ,master ,masons1 but does not make any allusion to any adjacent lodge4 ,the laws and regulations of the ,grand ,lodge of ,scotland require the recommendation to be signed by the ,masters and officers of two of the nearest lodges4 ,the ,constitutions of the ,grand ,lodge of ,england require that it must be recommended by the officers of some regular lodge4 ,the recommendation of a neighboring lodge is the general usage of the craft1 and is intended to certify to the superior authority1 on the very best evidence that can be obtained1 that1 namely1 of an adjacent lodge1 that the new lodge will be productive of no injury to the ,order4 ,if this petition be granted1 the ,grand ,secretary prepares a document called a dispensation1 which authorizes the officers named in the petition to open and hold a lodge1 and to enter1 pass1 and raise ,freemasons4 ,the duration of this dispensasation is generally expressed on its face to be1 until it shall be revoked by the ,grand ,master or the ,grand ,lodge1 or until a warrant of constitution is granted by the ,grand ,lodge4 ,preston says1 that the ,brethren named in it are authorized to assemble as ,masons for forty days1 and until such time as a warrant of constitution can be obtained by command of the ,grand ,lodge1 or that authority be recalled4 ,but generally1 usage continues the dispensation only until the next meeting of the ,grand ,lodge1 when it is either revoked1 or a warrant of constitution granted4 ,if the dispensation be revoked by either the ,grand ,master or the ,grand ,lodge 7for either has the power to do so71 the lodge of course at once ceases to exist4 ,whatever funds or property it has accumulated revert1 as in the case of all extinct lodges1 to the ,grand ,lodge1 which may be called the natural heir of its subordinates2 but all the work done in the lodge1 under the dispensation1 is regular and legal1 and all the ,masons made by it are1 in every sense of the term1 true and lawful ,brethren4 ,let it be supposed1 however1 that the dispensation is confirmed or approved by the ,grand ,lodge1 and we thus arrive at another step in the history of the new lodge4 ,at the next sitting of the ,grand ,lodge1 after the dispensation has been issued by the ,grand ,master1 he states that fact to the ,grand ,lodge1 when1 either at his request1 or on motion of some ,brother1 the vote is taken on the question of constituting the new lodge1 and1 if a majority are in favor of it1 the ,grand ,secretary is ordered to grant a warrant of constitution4 ,this instrument differs from a dispensation in many important particulars4 ,it is signed by all the ,grand ,officers1 and emanates from the ,grand ,lodge1 while the dispensation emanates from the office of the ,grand ,master1 and is signed by him alone4 ,the authority of the dispensation is temporary1 that of the warrant permanent2 the one can be revoked at pleasure by the ,grand ,master1 who granted it2 the other only for cause shown1 and by the ,grand ,lodge2 the one bestows only a name1 the other both a name and a number2 the one confers only the power of holding a lodge and making ,masons1 the other not only confers these powers1 but also those of installation and of succession in office4 ,from these differences in the characters of the two documents1 arise important differences in the powers and privileges of a lodge under dispensation and of one that has been regularly constituted4 ,these differences shall hereafter be considered4 ,the warrant having been granted1 there still remain certain forms and ceremonies to be observed1 before the lodge can take its place among the legal and registered lodges of the jurisdiction in which it is situated4 ,these are its consecration1 its dedication1 its constitution1 and the installation of its officers4 ,we shall not fully enter into a description of these various ceremonies1 because they are laid down at length in all the ,monitors1 and are readily accessible to our readers4 ,it will be sufficient if we barely allude to their character4 ,the ceremony of constitution is so called1 because by it the lodge becomes constituted or established4 ,orthoepists define the verb to constitute1 as signifying to give a formal existence to anything4 ,hence1 to constitute a lodge is to give it existence1 character1 and standing as such2 and the instrument that warrants the person so constituting or establishing it1 in this act1 is very properly called the warrant of constitution4 ,the consecration1 dedication1 and constitution of a lodge must be performed by the ,grand ,master in person2 or1 if he cannot conveniently attend1 by some ,past ,master appointed by him as his special proxy or representative for that purpose4 ,on the appointed evening1 the ,grand ,master1 accompanied by his ,grand ,officers1 repairs to the place where the new lodge is to hold its meetings1 the lodge#bi having been placed in the centre of the room and decently covered with a piece of white linen or satin4 ,having taken the chair1 he examines the records of the lodge and the warrant of constitution2 the officers who have been chosen are presented before him1 when he inquires of the ,brethren if they continue satisfied with the choice they have made4 ,the ceremony of consecration is then performed4 ,the ,lodge is uncovered2 and corn1 wine1 and oil--the masonic elements of consecration--are poured upon it1 accompanied by appropriate prayers and invocations1 and the lodge is finally declared to be consecrated to the honor and glory of ,god4 ,this ceremony of consecration has been handed down from the remotest antiquity4 ,a consecrating--a separating from profane things1 and making holy or devoting to sacred purposes--was practiced by both the ,jews and the ,pagans in relation to their temples1 their altars1 and all their sacred utensils4 ,the tabernacle1 as soon as it was completed1 was consecrated to ,god by the unction of oil4 ,among the ,pagan nations1 the consecration of their temples was often performed with the most sumptuous offerings and ceremonies2 but oil was1 on all occasions1 made use of as an element of the consecration4 ,the lodge is1 therefore1 consecrated to denote that henceforth it is to be set apart as an asylum sacred to the cultivation of the great masonic principles of ,friendship1 ,morality1 and ,brotherly ,love4 ,thenceforth it becomes to the conscientious ,mason a place worthy of his reverence2 and he is tempted1 as he passes over its threshold1 to repeat the command given to ,moses3 ,put off thy shoes from off thy feet1 for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground4 ,the corn1 wine1 and oil are appropriately adopted as the ,masonic elements of consecration1 because of the symbolic signification which they present to the mind of the ,mason4 ,they are enumerated by ,david as among the greatest blessings which we receive from the bounty of ,divine ,providence4 ,they were annually offered by the ancients as the first fruits1 in a thank-offering for the gifts of the earth2 and as representatives of the corn of nourishment1 the wine of refreshment1 and the oil of joy1 they symbolically instruct the ,mason that to the ,grand ,master of the ,universe he is indebted for the health1 peace1 and plenty that he enjoys4 ,after the consecration of the lodge1 follows its dedication4 ,this is a simple ceremony1 and principally consists in the pronunciation of a formula of words by which the lodge is declared to be dedicated to the holy ,saints ,john1 followed by an invocation that every ,brother may revere their character and imitate their virtues4 ,masonic tradition tells us that our ancient ,brethren dedicated their lodges to ,king ,solomon1 because he was their first ,most ,excellent ,grand ,master2 but that modern ,masons dedicate theirs to ,st4 ,john the ,baptist and ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist1 because they were two eminent patrons of ,masonry4 ,a more appropriate selection of patrons to whom to dedicate the lodge1 could not easily have been made2 since ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 by announcing the approach of ,christ1 and by the mystical ablution to which he subjected his proselytes1 and which was afterwards adopted in the ceremony of initiation into ,christianity1 might well be considered as the ,grand ,hierophant of the ,church2 while the mysterious and emblematic nature of the ,apocalypse assimilated the mode of teaching adopted by ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist to that practiced by the fraternity4 ,our ,jewish ,brethren usually dedicate their lodges to ,king ,solomon1 thus retaining their ancient patron1 although they thereby lose the benefit of that portion of the ,lectures which refers to the lines parallel4 ,the ,grand ,lodge of ,england1 at the union in #ahac1 agreed to dedicate to ,solomon and ,moses1 applying the parallels to the framer of the tabernacle and the builder of the temple2 but they have no warranty for this in ancient usage1 and it is unfortunately not the only innovation on the ancient landmarks that that ,grand ,lodge has lately permitted4 ,the ceremony of dedication1 like that of consecration1 finds its archetype in the remotest antiquity4 ,the ,hebrews made no use of any new thing until they had first solemnly dedicated it4 ,this ceremony was performed in relation even to private houses1 as we may learn from the book of ,deuteronomy4#cj ,the #cjth ,psalm is a song said to have been made by ,david on the dedication of the altar which he erected on the threshing-floor of ,ornan the ,jebusite1 after the grievous plague which had nearly devastated the kingdom4 ,solomon1 it will be recollected1 dedicated the temple with solemn ceremonies1 prayers1 and thank-offerings4 ,the ceremony of dedication is1 indeed1 alluded to in various portions of the ,scriptures4 ,selden#ca says that among the ,jews sacred things were both dedicated and consecrated2 but that profane things1 such as private houses1 etc41 were simply dedicated1 without consecration4 ,the same writer informs us that the ,pagans borrowed the custom of consecrating and dedicating their sacred edifices1 altars1 and images1 from the ,hebrews4 ,the ,lodge having been thus consecrated to the solemn objects of ,freemasonry1 and dedicated to the patrons of the institution1 it is at length prepared to be constituted4 ,the ceremony of constitution is then performed by the ,grand ,master1 who1 rising from his seat1 pronounces the following formulary of constitution3 ,in the name of the most ,worshipful ,grand ,lodge1 ,i now constitute and form you1 my beloved ,brethren1 into a regular lodge of ,free and ,accepted ,masons4 ,from this time forth1 ,i empower you to meet as a regular lodge1 constituted in conformity to the rites of our ,order1 and the charges of our ancient and honorable fraternity2--and may the ,supreme ,architect of the ,universe prosper1 direct1 and counsel you1 in all your doings4 ,this ceremony places the lodge among the registered lodges of the jurisdiction in which it is situated1 and gives it a rank and standing and permanent existence that it did not have before4 ,in one word1 it has1 by the consecration1 dedication1 and constitution1 become what we technically term a just and legally constituted lodge1 and1 as such1 is entitled to certain rights and privileges1 of which we shall hereafter speak4 ,still1 however1 although the lodge has been thus fully and completely organized1 its officers have as yet no legal existence4 ,to give them this1 it is necessary that they be inducted into their respective offices1 and each officer solemnly bound to the faithful performance of the duties he has undertaken to discharge4 ,this constitutes the ceremony of installation4 ,the ,worshipful ,master of the new lodge is required publicly to submit to the ancient charges2 and then all1 except ,past ,masters1 having retired1 he is invested with the ,past ,master's degree1 and inducted into the oriental chair of ,king ,solomon4 ,the ,brethren are then introduced1 and due homage is paid to their new ,master1 after which the other officers are obligated to the faithful discharge of their respective trusts1 invested with their insignia of office1 and receive the appropriate charge4 ,this ceremony must be repeated at every annual election and change of officers4 ,the ancient rule was1 that when the ,grand ,master and his officers attended to constitute a new lodge1 the ,deputy ,grand ,master invested the new ,master1 the ,grand ,wardens invested the new ,wardens1 and the ,grand ,treasurer and ,grand ,secretary invested the ,treasurer and ,secretary4 ,but this regulation has become obsolete1 and the whole installation and investiture are now performed by the ,grand ,master4 ,on the occasion of subsequent installations1 the retiring ,master installs his successor2 and the latter installs his subordinate officers4 ,the ceremony of installation is derived from the ancient custom of inauguration1 of which we find repeated instances in the sacred as well as profane writings4 ,aaron was inaugurated1 or installed1 by the unction of oil1 and placing on him the vestments of the ,high ,priest2 and every succeeding ,high ,priest was in like manner installed1 before he was considered competent to discharge the duties of his office4 ,among the ,romans1 augurs1 priests1 kings1 and1 in the times of the republic1 consuls were always inaugurated or installed4 ,and hence1 ,cicero1 who was an augur1 speaking of ,hortensius1 says1 it was he who installed me as a member of the college of augurs1 so that ,i was bound by the constitution of the order to respect and honour him as a parent4#cb ,the object and intention of the ancient inauguration and the ,masonic installation are precisely the same1 namely1 that of setting apart and consecrating a person to the duties of a certain office4 ,the ceremonies1 thus briefly described1 were not always necessary to legalize a congregation of ,masons4 ,until the year #agag1 the custom of confining the privileges of ,masonry1 by a warrant of constitution1 to certain individuals1 was wholly unknown4 ,previous to that time1 a requisite number of ,master ,masons were authorized by the ancient charges to congregate together1 temporarily1 at their own discretion1 and as best suited their convenience1 and then and there to open and hold lodges and make ,masons2 making1 however1 their return1 and paying their tribute to the ,general ,assembly1 to which all the fraternity annually repaired1 and by whose awards the craft were governed4 ,preston1 speaking of this ancient privilege1 says3 ,a sufficient number of ,masons met together within a certain district1 with the consent of the sheriff or chief magistrate of the place1 were empowered at this time to make ,masons and practice the rights of ,masonry1 without a warrant of constitution4 ,this privilege1 ,preston says1 was inherent in them as individuals1 and continued to be enjoyed by the old lodges1 which formed the ,grand ,lodge in #agag1 as long as they were in existence4 ,but on the #bdth ,june1 #agag1 the ,grand ,lodge of ,england adopted the following regulation3 ,that the privilege of assembling as ,masons1 which had hitherto been unlimited1 should be vested in certain lodges or assemblies of ,masons1 convened in certain places2 and that every lodge to be hereafter convened1 except the four old lodges at this time existing1 should be legally authorized to act by a warrant from the ,grand ,master for the time being1 granted to certain individuals by petition1 with the consent and approbation of the ,grand ,lodge in communication2 and that1 without such warrant1 no lodge should be hereafter deemed regular or constitutional4 ,this regulation has ever since continued in force1 and it is the original law under which warrants of constitution are now granted by ,grand ,lodges for the organization of their subordinates4 ,chapter ,,ii4 ,of ,lodges under ,dispensation4 ,it is evident1 from what has already been said1 that there are two kinds of lodges1 each regular in itself1 but each peculiar and distinct in its character4 ,there are lodges working under a dispensation1 and lodges working under a warrant of constitution4 ,each of these will require a separate consideration4 ,the former will be the subject of the present chapter4 ,a lodge working under a dispensation is a merely temporary body1 originated for a special purpose1 and is therefore possessed of very circumscribed powers4 ,the dispensation1 or authority under which it acts1 expressly specifies that the persons to whom it is given are allowed to congregate that they may admit1 enter1 pass1 and raise ,freemasons2 no other powers are conferred either by words or implication1 and1 indeed1 sometimes the dispensation states1 that that congregation is to be with the sole intent and view1 that the ,brethren so congregated1 admitted1 entered1 and made1 when they become a sufficient number1 may be duly warranted and constituted for being and holding a regular lodge4#cc ,a lodge under dispensation is simply the creature of the ,grand ,master4 ,to him it is indebted for its existence1 and on his will depends the duration of that existence4 ,he may at any time revoke the dispensation1 and the dissolution of the lodge would be the instant result4 ,hence a lodge working under a dispensation can scarcely1 with strict technical propriety1 be called a lodge2 it is1 more properly speaking1 a congregation of ,masons1 acting as the proxy of the ,grand ,master4 ,with these views of the origin and character of lodges under dispensation1 we will be better prepared to understand the nature and extent of the powers which they possess4 ,a lodge under dispensation can make no bye-laws4 ,it is governed1 during its temporary existence1 by the general ,constitutions of the ,order and the rules and regulations of the ,grand ,lodge in whose jurisdiction it is situated4 ,in fact1 as the bye-laws of no lodge are operative until they are confirmed by the ,grand ,lodge1 and as a lodge working under a dispensation ceases to exist as such as soon as the ,grand ,lodge meets1 it is evident that it would be absurd to frame a code of laws which would have no efficacy1 for want of proper confirmation1 and which1 when the time and opportunity for confirmation had arrived1 would be needless1 as the society for which they were framed would then have no legal existence--a new body 7the warranted lodge7 having taken its place4 ,a lodge under dispensation cannot elect officers4 ,the ,master and ,wardens are nominated by the ,brethren1 and1 if this nomination is approved1 they are appointed by the ,grand ,master4 ,in giving them permission to meet and make ,masons1 he gave them no power to do anything else4 ,a dispensation is itself a setting aside of the law1 and an exception to a general principle2 it must1 therefore1 be construed literally4 ,what is not granted in express terms1 is not granted at all4 ,and1 therefore1 as nothing is said of the election of officers1 no such election can be held4 ,the ,master may1 however1 and always does for convenience1 appoint a competent ,brother to keep a record of the proceedings2 but this is a temporary appointment1 at the pleasure of the ,master1 whose deputy or assistant he is2 for the ,grand ,lodge looks only to the ,master for the records1 and the office is not legally recognized4 ,in like manner1 he may depute a trusty ,brother to take charge of the funds1 and must1 of course1 from time to time1 appoint the deacons and tiler for the necessary working of the lodge4 ,as there can be no election1 neither can there be any installation1 which1 of course1 always presumes a previous election for a determinate period4 ,besides1 the installation of officers is a part of the ceremony of constitution1 and therefore not even the ,master and ,wardens of a lodge under dispensation are entitled to be thus solemnly inducted into office4 ,a lodge under dispensation can elect no members4 ,the ,master and ,wardens1 who are named in the dispensation1 are1 in point of fact1 the only persons recognized as constituting the lodge4 ,to them is granted the privilege1 as proxies of the ,grand ,master1 of making ,masons2 and for this purpose they are authorized to congregate a sufficient number of ,brethren to assist them in the ceremonies4 ,but neither the ,master and ,wardens1 nor the ,brethren1 thus congregated have received any power of electing members4 ,nor are the persons made in a lodge under dispensation1 to be considered as members of the lodge2 for1 as has already been shown1 they have none of the rights and privileges which attach to membership--they can neither make bye-laws nor elect officers4 ,they1 however1 become members of the lodge as soon as it receives its warrant of constitution4 ,chapter ,,iii4 ,of ,lodges ,working under a ,warrant of ,constitution4 ,section ,i4 ,of the ,powers and ,rights of a ,lodge4 ,in respect to the powers and privileges possessed by a lodge working under a warrant of constitution1 we may say1 as a general principle1 that whatever it does possess is inherent in it--nothing has been delegated by either the ,grand ,master or the ,grand ,lodge--but that all its rights and powers are derived originally from the ancient regulations1 made before the existence of ,grand ,lodges1 and that what it does not possess1 are the powers which were conceded by its predecessors to the ,grand ,lodge4 ,this is evident from the history of warrants of constitution1 the authority under which subordinate lodges act4 ,the practice of applying by petition to the ,grand ,master or the ,grand ,lodge1 for a warrant to meet as a regular lodge1 commenced in the year #agah4 ,previous to that time1 ,freemasons were empowered by inherent privileges1 vested1 from time immemorial1 in the whole fraternity1 to meet as occasion might require1 under the direction of some able architect2 and the proceedings of these meetings1 being approved by a majority of the ,brethren convened at another lodge in the same district1 were deemed constitutional4#cd ,but in #agah1 a year after the formation of the ,grand ,lodge of ,england1 this power of meeting ad libitum was resigned into the hands of that body1 and it was then agreed that no lodges should thereafter meet1 unless authorized so to do by a warrant from the ,grand ,master1 and with the consent of the ,grand ,lodge4 ,but as a memorial that this abandonment of the ancient right was entirely voluntary1 it was at the same time resolved that this inherent privilege should continue to be enjoyed by the four old lodges who formed the ,grand ,lodge4 ,and1 still more effectually to secure the reserved rights of the lodges1 it was also solemnly determined1 that while the ,grand ,lodge possesses the inherent right of making new regulations for the good of the fraternity1 provided that the old landmarks be carefully preserved1 yet that these regulations1 to be of force1 must be proposed and agreed to at the third quarterly communication preceding the annual grand feast1 and submitted to the perusal of all the ,brethren1 in writing1 even of the youngest entered apprentice2 the approbation and consent of the majority of all the ,brethren present being absolutely necessary1 to make the same binding and obligatory4#ce ,the corollary from all this is clear4 ,all the rights1 powers1 and privileges1 not conceded1 by express enactment of the fraternity1 to the ,grand ,lodge1 have been reserved to themselves4 ,subordinate lodges are the assemblies of the craft in their primary capacity1 and the ,grand ,lodge is the ,supreme ,masonic ,tribunal1 only because it consists of and is constituted by a representation of these primary assemblies4 ,and1 therefore1 as every act of the ,grand ,lodge is an act of the whole fraternity thus represented1 each new regulation that may be made is not an assumption of authority on the part of the ,grand ,lodge1 but a new concession on the part of the subordinate lodges4 ,this doctrine of the reserved rights of the lodges is very important1 and should never be forgotten1 because it affords much aid in the decision of many obscure points of masonic jurisprudence4 ,the rule is1 that any doubtful power exists and is inherent in the subordinate lodges1 unless there is an express regulation conferring it on the ,grand ,lodge4 ,with this preliminary view1 we may proceed to investigate the nature and extent of these reserved powers of the subordinate lodges4 ,a lodge has the right of selecting its own members1 with which the ,grand ,lodge cannot interfere4 ,this is a right that the lodges have expressly reserved to themselves1 and the stipulation is inserted in the general regulations in the following words3 ,no man can be entered a ,brother in any particular lodge1 or admitted a member thereof1 without the unanimous consent of all the members of that lodge then present1 when the candidate is proposed1 and when their consent is formally asked by the ,master4 ,they are to give their consent in their own prudent way1 either virtually or in form1 but with unanimity4 ,nor is this inherent privilege subject to a dispensation1 because the members of a particular lodge are the best judges of it2 and because1 if a turbulent member should be imposed upon them1 it might spoil their harmony1 or hinder the freedom of their communication2 or even break and disperse the lodge1 which ought to be avoided by all true and faithful4#cf ,but although a lodge has the inherent right to require unanimity in the election of a candidate1 it is not necessarily restricted to such a degree of rigor4 ,a lodge has the right to elect its own officers4 ,this right is guaranteed to it by the words of the ,warrant of ,constitution4 ,still the right is subject to certain restraining regulations4 ,the election must be held at the proper time1 which1 according to the usage of ,masonry1 in most parts of the world1 is on or immediately before the festival of ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist4 ,the proper qualifications must be regarded4 ,a member cannot be elected as ,master1 unless he has previously served as a ,warden1 except in the instance of a new lodge1 or other case of emergency4 ,where both of the ,wardens refuse promotion1 where the presiding ,master will not permit himself to be reelected1 and where there is no ,past ,master who will consent to take the office1 then1 and then only1 can a member be elected from the floor to preside over the lodge4 ,by the ,constitutions of ,england1 only the ,master and ,treasurer are elected officers4#cg ,the ,wardens and all the other officers are appointed by the ,master1 who has not1 however1 the power of removal after appointment1 except by consent of the lodge2#ch but ,american usage gives the election of all the officers1 except the deacons1 stewards1 and1 in some instances1 the tiler1 to the lodge4 ,as a consequence of the right of election1 every lodge has the power of installing its officers1 subject to the same regulations1 in relation to time and qualifications1 as given in the case of elections4 ,the ,master must be installed by a ,past ,master1#ci but after his own installation he has the power to install the rest of the officers4 ,the ceremony of installation is not a mere vain and idle one1 but is productive of important results4 ,until the ,master and ,wardens of a lodge are installed1 they cannot represent the lodge in the ,grand ,lodge1 nor1 if it be a new lodge1 can it be recorded and recognized on the register of the ,grand ,lodge4 ,no officer can permanently take possession of the office to which he has been elected1 until he has been duly installed4#dj ,the rule of the craft is1 that the old officer holds on until his successor is installed1 and this rule is of universal application to officers of every grade1 from the ,tiler of a subordinate lodge1 to the ,grand ,master of ,masons4 ,every lodge that has been duly constituted1 and its officers installed1 is entitled to be represented in the ,grand ,lodge1 and to form1 indeed1 a constituent part of that body4#da ,the representatives of a lodge are its ,master and two ,wardens4#db ,this character of representation was established in #agah1 when the four old lodges1 which organized the ,grand ,lodge of ,england1 agreed to extend their patronage to every lodge which should hereafter be constituted by the ,grand ,lodge1 according to the new regulations of the society2 and while such lodges acted in conformity to the ancient constitutions of the ,order1 to admit their ,masters and ,wardens to share with them all the privileges of the ,grand ,lodge1 excepting precedence of rank4#dc ,formerly all ,master ,masons were permitted to sit in the ,grand ,lodge1 or1 as it was then called1 the ,general ,assembly1 and represent their lodge2 and therefore this restricting the representation to the three superior officers was1 in fact1 a concession of the craft4 ,this regulation is still generally observed2 but ,i regret to see a few ,grand ,lodges in this country innovating on the usage1 and still further confining the representation to the ,masters alone4 ,the ,master and ,wardens are not merely in name the representatives of the lodge1 but are bound1 on all questions that come before the ,grand ,lodge1 truly to represent their lodge1 and vote according to its instructions4 ,this doctrine is expressly laid down in the ,general ,regulations1 in the following words3 ,the majority of every particular lodge1 when congregated1 not else1 shall have the privilege of giving instructions to their ,master and ,wardens1 before the meeting of the ,grand ,chapter1 or ,quarterly ,communication2 because the said officers are their representatives1 and are supposed to speak the sentiments of their ,brethren at the said ,grand ,lodge4#dd ,every lodge has the power to frame bye-laws for its own government1 provided they are not contrary to1 nor inconsistent with1 the general regulations of the ,grand ,lodge2 nor the landmarks of the order4#de ,but these bye-laws will not be valid1 until they are submitted to and approved by the ,grand ,lodge4 ,and this is the case1 also1 with every subsequent alteration of them1 which must in like manner be submitted to the ,grand ,lodge for its approval4 ,a lodge has the right of suspending or excluding a member from his membership in the lodge2 but it has no power to expel him from the rights and privileges of ,masonry1 except with the consent of the ,grand ,lodge4 ,a subordinate lodge tries its delinquent member1 and1 if guilty1 declares him expelled2 but the sentence is of no force until the ,grand ,lodge1 under whose jurisdiction it is working1 has confirmed it4 ,and it is optional with the ,grand ,lodge to do so1 or1 as is frequently done1 to reverse the decision and reinstate the ,brother4 ,some of the lodges in this country claim the right to expel1 independently of the action of the ,grand ,lodge2 but the claim is not valid4 ,the very fact that an expulsion is a penalty1 affecting the general relations of the punished party with the whole fraternity1 proves that its exercise never could1 with propriety1 be intrusted to a body so circumscribed in its authority as a subordinate lodge4 ,accordingly1 the general practice of the fraternity is opposed to it2 and therefore all expulsions are reported to the ,grand ,lodge1 not merely as matters of information1 but that they may be confirmed by that body4 ,the ,english ,constitutions are explicit on this subject4 ,in the ,grand ,lodge alone1 they declare1 resides the power of erasing lodges and expelling ,brethren from the craft1 a power which it ought not to delegate to any subordinate authority in ,england4 ,they allow1 however1 a subordinate lodge to exclude a member from the lodge2 in which case he is furnished with a certificate of the circumstances of his exclusion1 and then may join any other lodge that will accept him1 after being made acquainted with the fact of his exclusion1 and its cause4 ,this usage has not been adopted in this country4 ,a lodge has a right to levy such annual contribution for membership as the majority of the ,brethren see fit4 ,this is entirely a matter of contract1 with which the ,grand ,lodge1 or the craft in general1 have nothing to do4 ,it is1 indeed1 a modern usage1 unknown to the fraternity of former times1 and was instituted for the convenience and support of the private lodges4 ,a lodge is entitled to select a name for itself1 to be1 however1 approved by the ,grand ,lodge4#df ,but the ,grand ,lodge alone has the power of designating the number by which the lodge shall be distinguished4 ,by its number alone is every lodge recognized in the register of the ,grand ,lodge1 and according to their numbers is the precedence of the lodges regulated4 ,finally1 a lodge has certain rights in relation to its ,warrant of ,constitution4 ,this instrument having been granted by the ,grand ,lodge1 can be revoked by no other authority4 ,the ,grand ,master1 therefore1 has no power1 as he has in the case of a lodge under dispensation1 to withdraw its ,warrant1 except temporarily1 until the next meeting of the ,grand ,lodge4 ,nor is it in the power of even the majority of the lodge1 by any act of their own1 to resign the ,warrant4 ,for it has been laid down as a law1 that if the majority of the lodge should determine to quit the lodge1 or to resign their warrant1 such action would be of no efficacy1 because the ,warrant of ,constitution1 and the power of assembling1 would remain with the rest of the members1 who adhere to their allegiance4#dg ,but if all the members withdraw themselves1 their ,warrant ceases and becomes extinct4 ,if the conduct of a lodge has been such as clearly to forfeit its charter1 the ,grand ,lodge alone can decide that question and pronounce the forfeiture4 ,section ,,ii4 ,of the ,duties of a ,lodge4 ,so far in relation to the rights and privileges of subordinate lodges4 ,but there are certain duties and obligations equally binding upon these bodies1 and certain powers1 in the exercise of which they are restricted4 ,these will next engage our attention4 ,the first great duty1 not only of every lodge1 but of every ,mason1 is to see that the landmarks of the ,order shall never be impaired4 ,the ,general ,regulations of ,masonry--to which every ,master1 at his installation1 is bound to acknowledge his submission--declare that it is not in the power of any man1 or body of men1 to make innovations in the body of ,masonry4 ,and1 hence1 no lodge1 without violating all the implied and express obligations into which it has entered1 can1 in any manner1 alter or amend the work1 lectures1 and ceremonies of the institution4 ,as its members have received the ritual from their predecessors1 so are they bound to transmit it1 unchanged1 in the slightest degree1 to their successors4 ,in the ,grand ,lodge1 alone1 resides the power of enacting new regulations2 but1 even it must be careful that1 in every such regulation1 the landmarks are preserved4 ,when1 therefore1 we hear young and inexperienced ,masters speak of making improvements 7as they arrogantly call them7 upon the old lectures or ceremonies1 we may be sure that such ,masters either know nothing of the duties they owe to the craft1 or are willfully forgetful of the solemn obligation which they have contracted4 ,some may suppose that the ancient ritual of the ,order is imperfect1 and requires amendment4 ,one may think that the ceremonies are too simple1 and wish to increase them2 another1 that they are too complicated1 and desire to simplify them2 one may be displeased with the antiquated language2 another1 with the character of the traditions2 a third1 with something else4 ,but1 the rule is imperative and absolute1 that no change can or must be made to gratify individual taste4 ,as the ,barons of ,england1 once1 with unanimous voice1 exclaimed1 ,nolumus leges ,angli mutare6 so do all good ,masons respond to every attempt at innovation1 ,we are unwilling to alter the customs of ,freemasonry4 ,in relation to the election of officers1 a subordinate lodge is allowed to exercise no discretion4 ,the names and duties of these officers are prescribed1 partly by the landmarks or the ancient constitutions1 and partly by the regulations of various ,grand ,lodges4 ,while the landmarks are preserved1 a ,grand ,lodge may add to the list of officers as it pleases2 and whatever may be its regulation1 the subordinate lodges are bound to obey it2 nor can any such lodge create new offices nor abolish old ones without the consent of the ,grand ,lodge4 ,lodges are also bound to elect their officers at a time which is always determined2 not by the subordinate1 but by the ,grand ,lodge4 ,nor can a lodge anticipate or postpone it unless by a dispensation from the ,grand ,master4 ,no lodge can1 at an extra meeting1 alter or amend the proceedings of a regular meeting4 ,if such were not the rule1 an unworthy ,master might1 by stealth1 convoke an extra meeting of a part of his lodge1 and1 by expunging or altering the proceedings of the previous regular meeting1 or any particular part of them1 annul any measures or resolutions that were not consonant with his peculiar views4 ,no lodge can interfere with the work or business of any other lodge1 without its permission4 ,this is an old regulation1 founded on those principles of comity and brotherly love that should exist among all ,masons4 ,it is declared in the manuscript charges1 written in the reign of ,james ,,ii41 and in the possession of the ,lodge of ,antiquity1 at ,london1 that no ,master or ,fellow shall supplant others of their work2 that is to say1 that1 if he hath taken a work1 or else stand ,master of any work1 that he shall not put him out1 unless he be unable of cunning to make an end of his work4 ,and1 hence1 no lodge can pass or raise a candidate who was initiated1 or initiate one who was rejected1 in another lodge4 ,it would be highly improper1 says the ,ahiman ,rezon1 in any lodge1 to confer a degree on a ,brother who is not of their house-hold2 for1 every lodge ought to be competent to manage their own business1 and are the best judges of the qualifications of their own members4 ,i do not intend1 at the present time1 to investigate the qualifications of candidates--as that subject will1 in itself1 afford ample materials for a future investigation2 but1 it is necessary that ,i should say something of the restrictions under which every lodge labors in respect to the admission of persons applying for degrees4 ,in the first place1 no lodge can initiate a candidate1 without previous notice1 and due examination into his character2 and not unless his petition has been read at one regular meeting and acted on at another4 ,this is in accordance with the ancient regulations2 but1 an exception to it is allowed in the case of an emergency1 when the lodge may read the petition for admission1 and1 if the applicant is well recommended1 may proceed at once to elect and initiate him4 ,in some jurisdictions1 the nature of the emergency must be stated to the ,grand ,master1 who1 if he approves1 will grant a dispensation2 but1 in others1 the ,master1 or ,master and ,wardens1 are permitted to be competent judges1 and may proceed to elect and initiate1 without such dispensation4 ,the ,grand ,lodge of ,south ,carolina adheres to the former custom1 and that of ,england to the latter4 ,another regulation is1 that no lodge can confer more than two degrees1 at one communication1 on the same candidate4 ,the ,grand ,lodge of ,england is still more stringent on this subject1 and declares that no candidate shall be permitted to receive more than one degree1 on the same day2 nor shall a higher degree in ,masonry be conferred on any ,brother at a less interval than four weeks from his receiving a previous degree1 nor until he has passed an examination1 in open lodge1 in that degree4 ,this rule is also in force in ,south ,carolina and several other of the ,american jurisdictions4 ,but1 the law which forbids the whole three degrees of ,ancient ,craft ,masonry to be conferred1 at the same communication1 on one candidate1 is universal in its application1 and1 as such1 may be deemed one of the ancient landmarks of the ,order4 ,there is another rule1 which seems to be of universal extent1 and is1 indeed1 contained in the ,general ,regulations of #agfg1 to the following effect3 ,no lodge shall make more than five new ,brothers at one and the same time1 without an urgent necessity4 ,all lodges are bound to hold their meetings at least once in every calendar month2 and every lodge neglecting so to do for one year1 thereby forfeits its warrant of constitution4 ,the subject of the removal of lodges is the last thing that shall engage our attention4 ,here the ancient regulations of the craft have adopted many guards to prevent the capricious or improper removal of a lodge from its regular place of meeting4 ,in the first place1 no lodge can be removed from the town in which it is situated1 to any other place1 without the consent of the ,grand ,lodge4 ,but1 a lodge may remove from one part of the town to another1 with the consent of the members1 under the following restrictions3 ,the removal cannot be made without the ,master's knowledge2 nor can any motion1 for that purpose1 be presented in his absence4 ,when such a motion is made1 and properly seconded1 the ,master will order summonses to every member1 specifying the business1 and appointing a day for considering and determining the affair4 ,and if then a majority of the lodge1 with the ,master1 or two-thirds1 without him1 consent to the removal1 it shall take place2 but notice thereof must be sent1 at once1 to the ,grand ,lodge4 ,the ,general ,regulations of #agfg further declare1 that such removal must be approved by the ,grand ,master4 ,i suppose that where the removal of the lodge was only a matter of convenience to the members1 the ,grand ,lodge would hardly interfere1 but leave the whole subject to their discretion2 but1 where the removal would be calculated to affect the interests of the lodge1 or of the fraternity--as in the case of a removal to a house of bad reputation1 or to a place of evident insecurity--,i have no doubt that the ,grand ,lodge1 as the conservator of the character and safety of the institution1 would have a right to interpose its authority1 and prevent the improper removal4 ,i have thus treated1 as concisely as the important nature of the subjects would permit1 of the powers1 privileges1 duties1 and obligations of lodges1 and have endeavored to embrace1 within the limits of the discussion1 all those prominent principles of the ,order1 which1 as they affect the character and operations of the craft in their primary assemblies1 may properly be referred to the ,law of ,subordinate ,lodges4 ,chapter ,,iv4 ,of the ,officers of a ,subordinate ,lodge4 ,section ,i4 ,of the ,officers in ,general4 ,four officers1 at least1 the ancient customs of the craft require in every lodge2 and they are consequently found throughout the globe4 ,these are the ,master1 the two ,wardens1 and the ,tiler4 ,almost equally universal are the offices of ,treasurer1 ,secretary1 and two ,deacons4 ,but1 besides these1 there may be additional officers appointed by different ,grand ,lodges4 ,the ,grand ,lodge of ,england1 for instance1 requires the appointment of an officer1 called the ,inner ,guard4 ,the ,grand ,orient of ,france has prescribed a variety of officers1 which are unknown to ,english and ,american ,masonry4 ,the ,grand ,lodges of ,england and ,south ,carolina direct that two ,stewards shall be appointed1 while some other ,grand ,lodges make no such requisition4 ,ancient usage seems to have recognized the following officers of a subordinate lodge3 the ,master1 two ,wardens1 ,treasurer1 ,secretary1 two ,deacons1 two ,stewards1 and ,tiler2 and ,i shall therefore treat of the duties and powers of these officers only1 in the course of the present chapter4 ,the officers of a lodge are elected annually4 ,in this country1 the election takes place on the festival of ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist1 or at the meeting immediately previous2 but1 in this latter case1 the duties of the offices do not commence until ,st4 ,john's day1 which may1 therefore1 be considered as the beginning of the masonic year4 ,dalcho lays down the rule1 that no ,freemason chosen into any office can refuse to serve 7unless he has before filled the same office71 without incurring the penalties established by the bye-laws4 ,undoubtedly a lodge may enact such a regulation1 and affix any reasonable penalty2 but ,i am not aware of any ancient regulation which makes it incumbent on subordinate lodges to do so4 ,if any of the subordinate officers1 except the ,master and ,wardens1 die1 or be removed from office1 during the year1 the lodge may1 under the authority of a dispensation from the ,grand ,master1 enter into an election to supply the vacancy4 ,but in the case of the death or removal of the ,master or either of the ,wardens1 no election can be held to supply the vacancy1 even by dispensation1 for reasons which will appear when ,i come to treat of those offices4 ,no officer can resign his office after he has been installed4 ,every officer is elected for twelve months1 and at his installation solemnly promises to perform the duties of that office until the next regular day of election2 and hence the lodge cannot permit him1 by a resignation1 to violate his obligation of office4 ,another rule is1 that every officer holds on to his office until his successor has been installed4 ,it is the installation1 and not the election1 which puts an officer into possession2 and the faithful management of the affairs of ,masonry requires1 that between the election and installation of his successor1 the predecessor shall not vacate the office1 but continue to discharge its duties4 ,an office can be vacated only by death1 permanent removal from the jurisdiction1 or expulsion4 ,suspension does not vacate1 but only suspends the performance of the duties of the office1 which must then be temporarily discharged by some other person1 to be appointed from time to time2 for1 as soon as the suspended officer is restored1 he resumes the dignities and duties of his office4 ,section ,,ii4 ,of the ,worshipful ,master4 ,this is probably the most important office in the whole system of ,masonry1 as1 upon the intelligence1 skill1 and fidelity of the ,masters of our lodges1 the entire institution is dependent for its prosperity4 ,it is an office which is charged with heavy responsibilities1 and1 as a just consequence1 is accompanied by the investiture of many important powers4 ,a necessary qualification of the ,master of a lodge is1 that he must have previously served in the office of a ,warden4#dh ,this qualification is sometimes dispensed with in the case of new lodges1 or where no member of an old lodge1 who has served as a ,warden1 will accept the office of ,master4 ,but it is not necessary that he should have served as a ,warden in the lodge of which he is proposed to be elected ,master4 ,the discharge of the duties of a ,warden1 by regular election and installation in any other lodge1 and at any former period1 will be a sufficient qualification4 ,one of the most important duties of the ,master of a lodge is1 to see that the edicts and regulations of the ,grand ,lodge are obeyed by his ,brethren1 and that his officers faithfully discharge their duties4 ,the ,master has particularly in charge the warrant of ,constitution1 which must always be present in his lodge1 when opened4 ,the ,master has a right to call a special meeting of his lodge whenever he pleases1 and is the sole judge of any emergency which may require such special communication4 ,he has1 also1 the right of closing his lodge at any hour that he may deem expedient1 notwithstanding the whole business of the evening may not have been transacted4 ,this regulation arises from the unwritten law of ,masonry4 ,as the ,master is responsible to the ,grand ,lodge for the fidelity of the work done in his lodge1 and as the whole of the labor is1 therefore1 performed under his superintendence1 it follows that1 to enable him to discharge this responsibility1 he must be invested with the power of commencing1 of continuing1 or of suspending labor at such time as he may1 in his wisdom1 deem to be the most advantageous to the edifice of ,masonry4 ,it follows from this rule that a question of adjournment cannot be entertained in a lodge4 ,the adoption of a resolution to adjourn1 would involve the necessity of the ,master to obey it4 ,the power1 therefore1 of controlling the work1 would be taken out of his hands and placed in those of the members1 which would be in direct conflict with the duties imposed upon him by the ritual4 ,the doctrine that a lodge cannot adjourn1 but must be closed or called off at the pleasure of the ,master1 appears now to me to be very generally admitted4 ,the ,master and his two ,wardens constitute the representatives of the lodge in the ,grand ,lodge1 and it is his duty to attend the communications of that body on all convenient occasions4#di ,when there1 he is faithfully to represent his lodge1 and on all questions discussed1 to obey its instructions1 voting in every case rather against his own convictions than against the expressed wish of his lodge4 ,the ,master presides not only over the symbolic work of the lodge1 but also over its business deliberations1 and in either case his decisions are reversible only by the ,grand ,lodge4 ,there can be no appeal from his decision1 on any question1 to the lodge4 ,he is supreme in his lodge1 so far as the lodge is concerned1 being amenable for his conduct in the government of it1 not to its members1 but to the ,grrand ,lodge alone4 ,if an appeal were proposed1 it would be his duty1 for the preservation of discipline1 to refuse to put the question4 ,if a member is aggrieved by the conduct or decisions of the ,master1 he has his redress by an appeal to the ,grrand ,lodge1 which will1 of course1 see that the ,master does not rule his lodge in an unjust or arbitrary manner4 ,but such a thing as an appeal from the ,master of the lodge to its members is unknown in ,masonry4 ,this may1 at first sight1 appear to be giving too despotic power to the ,master4 ,but a slight reflection will convince any one that there can be but little danger of oppression from one so guarded and controlled as a ,master is1 by the sacred obligations of his office1 and the supervision of the ,grand ,lodge1 while the placing in the hands of the craft so powerful1 and at times1 and with bad spirits1 so annoying a privilege as that of immediate appeal1 would necessarily tend to impair the energies and lessen the dignity of the ,master1 while it would be subversive of that spirit of discipline which pervades every part of the institution1 and to which it is mainly indebted for its prosperity and perpetuity4 ,the ancient charges rehearsed at the installation of a ,master1 prescribe the various moral qualifications which are required in the aspirant for that elevated and responsible office4 ,he is to be a good man1 and peaceable citizen or subject1 a respecter of the laws1 and a lover of his ,brethren--cultivating the social virtues and promoting the general good of society as well as of his own ,order4 ,within the last few years1 the standard of intellectual qualifications has been greatly elevated4 ,and it is now admitted that the ,master of a lodge1 to do justice to the exalted office which he holds1 to the craft over whom he presides1 and to the candidates whom he is to instruct1 should be not only a man of irreproachable moral character1 but also of expanded intellect and liberal education4 ,still1 as there is no express law upon this subject1 the selection of a ,master and the determination of his qualifications must be left to the judgment and good sense of the members4 ,section ,,iii4 ,of the ,wardens4 ,the ,senior and ,junior ,warden are the assistants of the ,master in the government of the lodge4 ,they are selected from among the members on the floor1 the possession of a previous office not being1 as in the case of the ,master1 a necessary qualification for election4 ,in ,england they are appointed by the ,master1 but in this country they are universally elected by the lodge4 ,during the temporary absence of the ,master the ,senior ,warden has the right of presiding1 though he may1 and often does by courtesy1 invite a ,past ,master to assume the chair4 ,in like manner1 in the absence of both ,master and ,senior ,warden1 the ,junior ,warden will preside1 and competent ,brethren will by him be appointed to fill the vacant seats of the ,wardens4 ,but if the ,master and ,junior ,warden be present1 and the ,senior ,warden be absent1 the ,junior ,warden does not occupy the ,west1 but retains his own station1 the ,master appointing some ,brother to occupy the station of the ,senior ,warden4 ,for the ,junior ,warden succeeds by law only to the office of ,master1 and1 unless that office be vacant1 he is bound to fulfill the duties of the office to which he has been obligated4 ,in case of the death1 removal from the jurisdiction1 or expulsion of the ,master1 by the ,grand ,lodge1 no election can be held until the constitutional period4 ,the ,senior ,warden will take the ,master's place and preside over the lodge1 while his seat will be temporarily filled from time to time by appointment4 ,the ,senior ,warden being in fact still in existence1 and only discharging one of the highest duties of his office1 that of presiding in the absence of the ,master1 his office cannot be declared vacant and there can be no election for it4 ,in such case1 the ,junior ,warden1 for the reason already assigned1 will continue at his own station in the ,south4 ,in case of the death1 removal1 or expulsion of both ,master and ,senior ,warden1 the ,junior ,warden will discharge the duties of the ,mastership and make temporary appointments of both ,wardens4 ,it must always be remembered that the ,wardens succeed according to seniority to the office of ,master when vacant1 but that neither can legally discharge the duties of the other4 ,it must also be remembered that when a ,warden succeeds to the government of the lodge1 he does not become the ,master2 he is still only a ,warden discharging the functions of a higher vacated station1 as one of the expressed duties of his own office4 ,a recollection of these distinctions will enable us to avoid much embarrassment in the consideration of all the questions incident to this subject4 ,if the ,master be present1 the ,wardens assist him in the government of the lodge4 ,the ,senior ,warden presides over the craft while at labor1 and the ,junior when they are in refreshment4 ,formerly the examination of visitors was intrusted to the ,junior ,warden1 but this duty is now more appropriately performed by the ,stewards or a special committee appointed for that purpose4 ,the ,senior ,warden has the appointment of the ,senior ,deacon1 and the ,junior ,warden that of the ,stewards4 ,section ,,iv4 ,of the ,treasurer4 ,of so much importance is this office deemed1 that in ,english ,lodges1 while all the other officers are appointed by the ,master1 the ,treasurer alone is elected by the lodge4 ,it is1 however1 singular1 that in the ritual of installation1 ,preston furnishes no address to the ,treasurer on his investiture4 ,webb1 however1 has supplied the omission1 and the charge given in his work to this officer1 on the night of his installation1 having been universally acknowledged and adopted by the craft in this country1 will furnish us with the most important points of the law in relation to his duties4 ,it is1 then1 in the first place1 the duty of the ,treasurer to receive all moneys from the hands of the ,secretary4 ,the ,treasurer is only the banker of the lodge4 ,all fees for initiation1 arrearages of members1 and all other dues to the lodge1 should be first received by the ,secretary1 and paid immediately over to the ,treasurer for safe keeping4 ,the keeping of just and regular accounts is another duty presented to the ,treasurer4 ,as soon as he has received an amount of money from the ,secretary1 he should transfer the account of it to his books4 ,by this means1 the ,secretary and ,treasurer become mutual checks upon each other1 and the safety of the funds of the lodge is secured4 ,the ,treasurer is not only the banker1 but also the disbursing officer of the lodge2 but he is directed to pay no money except with the consent of the lodge and on the order of the ,worshipful ,master4 ,it seems to me1 therefore1 that every warrant drawn on him should be signed by the ,master1 and the action of the lodge attested by the counter-signature of the ,secretary4 ,it is usual1 in consequence of the great responsibility of the ,treasurer1 to select some ,brother of worldly substance for the office2 and still further to insure the safety of the funds1 by exacting from him a bond1 with sufficient security4 ,he sometimes receives a per centage1 or a fixed salary1 for his services4 ,section ,v4 ,of the ,secretary4 ,it is the duty of the ,secretary to record all the proceedings of the lodge1 which may be committed to paper2 to conduct the correspondence of the lodge1 and to receive all moneys due the lodge from any source whatsoever4 ,he is1 therefore1 the recording1 corresponding1 and receiving officer of the lodge4 ,by receiving the moneys due to the lodge in the first place1 and then paying them over to the ,treasurer1 he becomes1 as ,i have already observed1 a check upon that officer4 ,in view of the many laborious duties which devolve upon him1 the ,secretary1 in many lodges1 receives a compensation for his services4 ,should the ,treasurer or ,secretary die or be expelled1 there is no doubt that an election for a successor1 to fill the unexpired term1 may be held by dispensation from the ,grand ,master4 ,but the incompetency of either of these officers to perform his duties1 by reason of the infirmity of sickness or removal from the seat of the lodge1 will not1 ,i think1 authorize such an election4 ,because the original officer may recover from his infirmity1 or return to his residence1 and1 in either case1 having been elected and installed for one year1 he must remain the ,secretary or ,treasurer until the expiration of the period for which he had been so elected and installed1 and1 therefore1 on his recovery or his return1 is entitled to resume all the prerogatives and functions of his office4 ,the case of death1 or of expulsion1 which is1 in fact1 masonic death1 is different1 because all the rights possessed during life cease ex necessitate rei1 and forever lapse at the time of the said physical or masonic death2 and in the latter case1 a restoration to all the rights and privileges of ,masonry would not restore the party to any office which he had held at the time of his expulsion4 ,section ,,vi4 ,of the ,deacons4 ,in every lodge there are two of these officers--a ,senior and a ,junior ,deacon4 ,they are not elected1 but appointed2 the former by the ,master1 and the latter by the ,senior ,warden4 ,the duties of these officers are many and important2 but they are so well defined in the ritual as to require no further consideration in this place4 ,the only question that here invites our examination is1 whether the ,deacons1 as appointed officers1 are removable at the pleasure of the officers who appointed them2 or1 whether they retain their offices1 like the ,master and ,wardens1 until the expiration of the year4 ,masonic authorities are silent on this subject2 but1 basing my judgment upon analogy1 ,i am inclined to think that they are not removable3 all the officers of a lodge are chosen to serve for one year1 or1 from one festival of ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist to the succeeding one4 ,this has been the invariable usage in all lodges1 and neither in the monitorial ceremonies of installation1 nor in any rules or regulations which ,i have seen1 is any exception to this usage made in respect to ,deacons4 ,the written as well as the oral law of ,masonry being silent on this subject1 we are bound to give them the benefit of this silence1 and place them in the same favorable position as that occupied by the superior officers1 who1 we know1 by express law are entitled to occupy their stations for one year4 ,moreover1 the power of removal is too important to be exercised except under the sanction of an expressed law1 and is contrary to the whole spirit of ,masonry1 which1 while it invests a presiding officer with the largest extent of prerogative1 is equally careful of the rights of the youngest member of the fraternity4 ,from these reasons ,i am compelled to believe that the ,deacons1 although originally appointed by the ,master and ,senior ,warden1 are not removable by either1 but retain their offices until the expiration of the year4 ,section ,,vii4 ,of the ,stewards4 ,the ,stewards1 who are two in number1 are appointed by the ,junior ,warden1 and sit on the right and left of him in the lodge4 ,their original duties were1 to assist in the collection of dues and subscriptions2 to keep an account of the lodge expenses2 to see that the tables are properly furnished at refreshment1 and that every ,brother is suitably provided for4 ,they are also considered as the assistants of the ,deacons in the discharge of their duties1 and1 lately1 some lodges are beginning to confide to them the important trusts of a standing committee for the examination of visitors and the preparation of candidates4 ,what has been said in relation to the removal of the ,deacons in the preceding section1 is equally applicable to the ,stewards4 ,section ,,viii4 ,of the ,tiler4 ,this is an office of great importance1 and must1 from the peculiar nature of our institution1 have existed from its very beginning4 ,no lodge could ever have been opened until a ,tiler was appointed1 and stationed to guard its portals from the approach of cowans and eavesdroppers4 ,the qualifications requisite for the office of a ,tiler are1 that he must be a worthy ,master ,mason4 ,an ,entered ,apprentice1 or a ,fellow ,craft1 cannot tile a lodge1 even though it be opened in his own degree4 ,to none but ,master ,masons can this important duty of guardianship be intrusted4 ,the ,tiler is not necessarily a member of the lodge which he tiles4 ,there is no regulation requiring this qualification4 ,in fact1 in large cities1 one ,brother often acts as the ,tiler of several lodges4 ,if1 however1 he is a member of the lodge1 his office does not deprive him of the rights of membership1 and in ballotings for candidates1 election of officers1 or other important questions1 he is entitled to exercise his privilege of voting1 in which case the ,junior ,deacon will temporarily occupy his station1 while he enters the lodge to deposit his ballot4 ,this appears to be the general usage of the craft in this country4 ,the ,tiler is sometimes elected by the lodge1 and sometimes appointed by the ,master4 ,it seems generally to be admitted that he may be removed from office for misconduct or neglect of duty1 by the lodge1 if he has been elected1 and by the ,master1 if he has been appointed4 ,chapter ,v4 ,of ,rules of ,order4 ,the safety of the minority1 the preservation of harmony1 and the dispatch of business1 all require that there should be1 in every well-regulated society1 some rules and forms for the government of their proceedings1 and1 as has been justly observed by an able writer on parliamentary law1 whether these forms be in all cases the most rational or not1 is really not of so great importance2 for it is much more material that there should be a rule to go by1 than what that rule is4#ej ,by common consent1 the rules established for the government of ,parliament in ,england1 and of ,congress in the ,united ,states1 and which are known collectively under the name of ,parliamentary ,law1 have been adopted for the regulation of all deliberative bodies1 whether of a public or private nature4 ,but lodges of ,freemasons differ so much in their organization and character from other societies1 that this law will1 in very few cases1 be found applicable2 and1 indeed1 in many positively inapplicable to them4 ,the rules1 therefore1 for the government of masonic lodges are in general to be deduced from the usages of the ,order1 from traditional or written authority1 and where both of them are silent1 from analogy to the character of the institution4 ,to each of these sources1 therefore1 ,i shall apply1 in the course of the present chapter1 and in some few instances1 where the parliamentary law coincides with our own1 reference will be made to the authority of the best writers on that science4 ,section ,i4 ,of the ,order of ,business4 ,when the ,brethren have been congregated1 or called together by the presiding officer1 the first thing to be attended to is the ceremony of opening the lodge4 ,the consideration of this subject1 as it is sufficiently detailed in our ritual1 will form no part of the present work4 ,the lodge having been opened1 the next thing to be attended to is the reading of the minutes of the last communication4 ,the minutes having been read1 the presiding officer will put the question on their confirmation1 having first inquired of the ,senior and ,junior ,wardens1 and lastly of the ,brethren around the lodge1 whether they have any alterations to propose4 ,it must be borne in mind1 that the question of confirmation is simply a question whether the ,secretary has faithfully and correctly recorded the transactions of the lodge4 ,if1 therefore1 it can be satisfactorily shown by any one that there is a mis-entry1 or the omission of an entry1 this is the time to correct it2 and where the matter is of sufficient importance1 and the recording officer1 or any member disputes the charge of error1 the vote of the lodge will be taken on the subject1 and the journal will be amended or remain as written1 according to the opinion so expressed by the majority of the members4 ,as this is1 however1 a mere question of memory1 it must be apparent that those members only who were present at the previous communication1 the records of which are under examination1 are qualified to express a fair opinion4 ,all others should ask and be permitted to be excused from voting4 ,as no special communication can alter or amend the proceedings of a regular one1 it is not deemed necessary to present the records of the latter to the inspection of the former4 ,this preliminary reading of the minutes is1 therefore1 always omitted at special communications4 ,after the reading of the minutes1 unfinished business1 such as motions previously submitted and reports of committees previously appointed1 will take the preference of all other matters4 ,special communications being called for the consideration of some special subject1 that subject must of course claim the priority of consideration over all others4 ,in like manner1 where any business has been specially and specifically postponed to another communication1 it constitutes at that communication what is called1 in parliamentary law1 the order of the day1 and may at any time in the course of the evening be called up1 to the exclusion of all other business4 ,the lodge may1 however1 at its discretion1 refuse to take up the consideration of such order2 for the same body which determined at one time to consider a question1 may at another time refuse to do so4 ,this is one of those instances in which parliamentary usage is applicable to the government of a lodge4 ,jefferson says3 ,where an order is made1 that any particular matter be taken up on any particular day1 there a question is to be put1 when it is called for1 ,whether the house will now proceed to that matter8 ,in a lodge1 however1 it is not the usage to propose such a question1 but the matter being called up1 is discussed and acted on1 unless some ,brother moves its postponement1 when the question of postponement is put4 ,but with these exceptions1 the unfinished business must first be disposed of1 to avoid its accumulation and its possible subsequent neglect4#ea ,new business will then be taken up in such order as the local bye-laws prescribe1 or the wisdom of the ,worshipful ,master may suggest4 ,in a discussion1 when any member wishes to speak1 he must stand up in his place1 and address himself not to the lodge1 nor to any particular ,brother1 but to the presiding officer1 styling him ,worshipful4 ,when two or more members rise nearly together1 the presiding officer determines who is entitled to speak1 and calls him by his name1 whereupon he proceeds1 unless he voluntarily sits down1 and gives way to the other4 ,the ordinary rules of courtesy1 which should govern a masonic body above all other societies1 as well as the general usage of deliberative bodies1 require that the one first up should be entitled to the floor4 ,but the decision of this fact is left entirely to the ,master1 or presiding officer4 ,whether a member be entitled to speak once or twice to the same question1 is left to the regulation of the local bye-laws of every lodge4 ,but1 under all circumstances1 it seems to be conceded1 that a member may rise at any time with the permission of the presiding officer1 or for the purpose of explanation4 ,a member may be called to order by any other while speaking1 for the use of any indecorous remark1 personal allusion1 or irrelevant matter2 but this must be done in a courteous and conciliatory manner1 and the question of order will at once be decided by the presiding officer4 ,no ,brother is to be interrupted while speaking1 except for the purpose of calling him to order1 or to make a necessary explanation2 nor are any separate conversations1 or1 as they are called in our ancient charges1 private committees1 to be allowed4 ,every member of the ,order is1 in the course of the debate as well as at all other times in the lodge1 to be addressed by the title of ,brother1 and no secular or worldly titles are ever to be used4 ,in accordance with the principles of justice1 the parliamentary usage is adopted1 which permits the mover of a resolution to make the concluding speech1 that he may reply to all those who have spoken against it1 and sum up the arguments in its favor4 ,and it would be a breach of order as well as of courtesy for any of his opponents to respond to this final argument of the mover4 ,it is within the discretion of the ,master1 at any time in the course of the evening1 to suspend the business of the lodge for the purpose of proceeding to the ceremony of initiation1 for the work of ,masonry1 as it is technically called1 takes precedence of all other business4 ,when all business1 both old and new1 and the initiation of candidates1 if there be any1 has been disposed of1 the presiding officer inquires of the officers and members if there be anything more to be proposed before closing4 ,custom has prescribed a formulary for making this inquiry1 which is in the following words4 ,the ,worshipful ,master1 addressing the ,senior and ,junior ,wardens and then the ,brethren1 successively1 says3 ,brother ,senior1 have you anything to offer in the ,west for the good of ,masonry in general or of this lodge in particular8 ,anything in the ,south1 ,brother ,junior8 ,around the lodge1 ,brethren8 ,the answers to these inquiries being in the negative on the part of the ,wardens1 and silence on that of the craft1 the ,master proceeds to close the lodge in the manner prescribed in the ritual4 ,the reading of the minutes of the evening1 not for confirmation1 but for suggestion1 lest anything may have been omitted1 should always precede the closing ceremonies1 unless1 from the lateness of the hour1 it be dispensed with by the members4 ,section ,,ii4 ,of ,appeals from the ,decision of the ,chair4 ,freemasonry differs from all other institutions1 in permitting no appeal to the lodge from the decision of the presiding officer4 ,the ,master is supreme in his lodge1 so far as the lodge is concerned4 ,he is amenable for his conduct1 in the government of the lodge1 not to its members1 but to the ,grand ,lodge alone4 ,in deciding points of order as well as graver matters1 no appeal can be taken from that decision to the lodge4 ,if an appeal were proposed1 it would be his duty1 for the preservation of discipline1 to refuse to put the question4 ,it is1 in fact1 wrong that the ,master should even by courtesy permit such an appeal to be taken2 because1 as the ,committee of ,correspondence of the ,grand ,lodge of ,tennessee have wisely remarked1 by the admission of such appeals by courtesy1 is established ultimately a precedent from which will be claimed the right to take appeals4#eb ,if a member is aggrieved with the conduct or the decisions of the ,master1 he has his redress by an appeal to the ,grand ,lodge1 which will of course see that the ,master does not rule his lodge in an unjust or arbitrary manner4 ,but such a thing as an appeal from the ,master to the lodge is unknown in ,masonry4 ,this1 at first view1 may appear to be giving too despotic a power to the ,master4 ,but a little reflection will convince any one that there can be but slight danger of oppression from one so guarded and controlled as the ,master is by the obligations of his office and the superintendence of the ,grand ,lodge1 while the placing in the hands of the craft so powerful1 and1 with bad spirits1 so annoying a privilege as that of immediate appeal1 would necessarily tend to impair the energies and lessen the dignity of the ,master1 at the same time that it would be totally subversive of that spirit of strict discipline which pervades every part of the institution1 and to which it is mainly indebted for its prosperity and perpetuity4 ,in every case where a member supposes himself to be aggrieved by the decision of the ,master1 he should make his appeal to the ,grand ,lodge4 ,it is scarcely necessary to add1 that a ,warden or ,past ,master1 presiding in the absence of the ,master1 assumes for the time all the rights and prerogatives of the ,master4 ,section ,,iii4 ,of the ,mode of ,taking the ,question4 ,the question in ,masonry is not taken viva voce or by aye and nay4 ,this should always be done by a show of hands4 ,the regulation on this subject was adopted not later than the year #aged1 at which time the ,book of ,constitutions was revised1 and the necessary alterations and additions made1 consistent with the laws and rules of ,masonry1 and accordingly1 in the edition published in the following year1 the regulation is laid down in these words--,the opinions or votes of the members are always to be signified by each holding up one of his hands3 which uplifted hands the ,grand ,wardens are to count2 unless the number of hands be so unequal as to render the counting useless4 ,nor should any other kind of division be ever admitted among ,masons4#ec ,calling for the yeas and nays has been almost universally condemned as an unmasonic practice1 nor should any ,master allow it to be resorted to in his lodge4 ,moving the previous question1 a parliamentary invention for stopping all discussion1 is still more at variance with the liberal and harmonious spirit which should distinguish masonic debates1 and is1 therefore1 never to be permitted in a lodge4 ,section ,,iv4 ,of ,adjournments4 ,adjournment is a term not recognized in ,masonry4 ,there are but two ways in which the communication of a lodge can be terminated2 and these are either by closing the lodge1 or by calling from labor to refreshment4 ,in the former case the business of the communication is finally disposed of until the next communication2 in the latter the lodge is still supposed to be open and may resume its labors at any time indicated by the ,master4 ,but both the time of closing the lodge and of calling it from labor to refreshment is to be determined by the absolute will and the free judgment of the ,worshipful ,master1 to whom alone is intrusted the care of setting the craft to work1 and giving them wholesome instruction for labor4 ,he alone is responsible to the ,grand ,master and the ,grand ,lodge1 that his lodge shall be opened1 continued1 and closed in harmony2 and as it is by his will and pleasure only that it is opened1 so is it by his will and pleasure only that it can be closed4 ,any attempt1 therefore1 on the part of the lodge to entertain a motion for adjournment would be an infringement of this prerogative of the ,master4 ,such a motion is1 therefore1 always out of order1 and cannot be2 and cannot be acted on4 ,the rule that a lodge cannot adjourn1 but remain in session until closed by the ,master1 derives an authoritative sanction also from the following clause in the fifth of the ,old ,charges4 ,all ,masons employed shall meekly receive their wages without murmuring or mutiny1 and not desert the ,master till the work is finished4 ,section ,v4 ,of the ,appointment of ,committees4 ,it is the prerogative of the ,master to appoint all ,committees1 unless by a special resolution provision has been made that a committee shall otherwise be appointed4 ,the ,master is also1 ex officio1 chairman of every committee which he chooses to attend1 although he may not originally have been named a member of such committee4 ,but he may1 if he chooses1 waive this privilege2 yet he may1 at any time during the session of the committee1 reassume his inherent prerogative of governing the craft at all times when in his presence1 and therefore take the chair4 ,section ,,vi4 ,of the ,mode of ,keeping the ,minutes4 ,masonry is preeminently an institution of forms1 and hence1 as was to be expected1 there is a particular form provided for recording the proceedings of a lodge4 ,perhaps the best method of communicating this form to the reader will be1 to record the proceedings of a supposititious meeting or communication4 ,the following form1 therefore1 embraces the most important transactions that usually occur during the session of a lodge1 and it may serve as an exemplar1 for the use of secretaries4 ,a regular communication of ---- ,lodge1 ,,no4 ----1 was holden at ----2 on ----1 the ---- day of ----,a43 ,l43 #eh--4 ,present4 ,bro43 ,a4 ,b----1 ,w43 ,master4 ,b4 ,c----1 ,s43 ,warden4 ,c4 ,d----1 ,j43 ,warden4 ,d4 ,e----1 ,treasurer4 ,e4 ,f----1 ,secretary4 ,f4 ,g----1 ,s43 ,deacon4 ,g4 ,h----1 ,j43 ,deacon4 ,h4 ,i----1 ,stewards4 ,i4 ,k----1 ,k4 ,l----1 ,tiler4 ,members4 ,bro43 ,l4 ,m---- ,m4 ,n---- ,n4 ,o---- ,o4 ,p---- ,visitors4 ,p4 ,q---- ,q4 ,r---- ,r4 ,s---- ,s4 ,t---- ,the ,lodge was opened in due form on the third degree of ,masonry4 ,the minutes of the regular communication of ---- were read and confirmed4#ed ,the committee on the petition of ,mr4 ,c4 ,b41 a candidate for initiation1 reported favorably1 whereupon he was balloted for and duly elected4 ,the committee on the application of ,mr4 ,d4 ,c41 a candidate for initiation1 reported favorably1 whereupon he was balloted for1 and the box appearing foul he was rejected4 ,the committee on the application of ,mr4 ,e4 ,d41 a candidate for initiation1 having reported unfavorably1 he was declared rejected without a ballot4 ,the petition of ,mr4 ,f4 ,e41 a candidate for initiation1 having been withdrawn by his friends1 he was declared rejected without a ballot4 ,a petition for initiation from ,mr4 ,g4,f41 inclosing the usual amount and recommended by ,bros4 ,c4 ,d4---- and ,h4 ,i4----1 was referred to a committee of investigation consisting of ,bros4 ,g4 ,h4----1 ,l4 ,m4----1 and ,o4 ,p4----4 ,bro4 ,s4,r41 an ,entered ,apprentice1 having applied for advancement1 was duly elected to take the second degree2 and ,bro4 ,w4,y41 a ,fellow ,craft1 was1 on his application for advancement1 duly elected to take the third degree4 ,a letter was read from ,mrs4 ,t4 ,v4----1 the widow of a ,master ,mason1 when the sum of twenty dollars was voted for her relief4 ,the amendment to article #aj1 section #e of the bye-laws1 proposed by ,bro4 ,m4 ,n4 ---- at the communication of ----1 was read a third time1 adopted by a constitutional majority and ordered to be sent to the ,grand ,lodge for approval and confirmation4 ,the ,lodge of ,master ,masons was then closed1 and a lodge of ,entered ,apprentices opened in due form4 ,mr4 ,c4 ,b41 a candidate for initiation1 being in waiting1 was duly prepared1 brought forward and initiated as an ,entered ,apprentice1 he paying the usual fee4 ,the ,lodge of ,entered ,apprentices was then closed1 and a ,lodge of ,fellow ,crafts opened in due form4 ,bro4 ,s4 ,r41 an ,entered ,apprentice1 being in waiting1 was duly prepared1 brought forward and passed to the degree of a ,fellow ,craft1 he paying the usual fee4 ,the ,lodge of ,fellow ,crafts was then closed1 and a lodge of ,master ,masons opened in due form4 ,bro4 ,w4 ,y41 a ,fellow ,craft1 being in waiting1 was duly prepared1 brought forward and raised to the sublime degree of a ,master ,mason1 he paying the usual fee4 ,amount received this evening1 as follows3 ,petition of ,mr4 ,g4 ,f41 #e ,fee of ,bro4 ,c4 ,b41 #e do4 of ,bro4 ,s4 ,r41 #e do4 of ,bro4 ,w4 ,y41 #e--,total1 #bj all of which was paid over to the ,treasurer4 ,there being no further business1 the lodge was closed in due form and harmony4 ,e4 ,f----1 ,secretary4 ,such is the form which has been adopted as the most convenient mode of recording the transactions of a lodge4 ,these minutes must be read1 at the close of the meeting1 that the ,brethren may suggest any necessary alterations or additions1 and then at the beginning of the next regular meeting1 that they may be confirmed1 after which they should be transcribed from the rough ,minute ,book in which they were first entered into the permanent ,record ,book of the lodge4 ,book ,third4 ,the ,law ,of ,individuals4 ,passing from the consideration of the law1 which refers to ,masons in their congregated masses1 as the constituents of ,grand and ,subordinate ,lodges1 ,i next approach the discussion of the law which governs1 them in their individual capacity1 whether in the inception of their masonic life1 as candidates for initiation1 or in their gradual progress through each of the three degrees1 for it will be found that a ,mason1 as he assumes new and additional obligations1 and is presented with increased light1 contracts new duties1 and is invested with new prerogatives and privileges4 ,chapter ,i4 ,of the ,qualifications of ,candidates4 ,the qualifications of a candidate for initiation into the mysteries of ,freemasonry1 are four-fold in their character--moral1 physical1 intellectual and political4 ,the moral character is intended to secure the respectability of the ,order1 because1 by the worthiness of its candidates1 their virtuous deportment1 and good reputation1 will the character of the institution be judged1 while the admission of irreligious libertines and contemners of the moral law would necessarily impair its dignity and honor4 ,the physical qualifications of a candidate contribute to the utility of the ,order1 because he who is deficient in any of his limbs or members1 and who is not in the possession of all his natural senses and endowments1 is unable to perform1 with pleasure to himself or credit to the fraternity1 those peculiar labors in which all should take an equal part4 ,he thus becomes a drone in the hive1 and so far impairs the usefulness of the lodge1 as a place where ,freemasons assemble to work1 and to instruct and improve themselves in the mysteries of their ancient science4 ,the intellectual qualifications refer to the security of the ,order2 because they require that its mysteries shall be confided only to those whose mental developments are such as to enable them properly to appreciate1 and faithfully to preserve from imposition1 the secrets thus entrusted to them4 ,it is evident1 for instance1 that an idiot could neither understand the hidden doctrines that might be communicated to him1 nor could he so secure such portions as he might remember1 in the depositary of his heart1 as to prevent the designing knave from worming them out of him2 for1 as the wise ,solomon has said1 a fool's mouth is his destruction1 and his lips are the snare of his soul4 ,the political qualifications are intended to maintain the independence of the ,order2 because its obligations and privileges are thus confided only to those who1 from their position in society1 are capable of obeying the one1 and of exercising the other without the danger of let or hindrance from superior authority4 ,of the moral1 physical and political qualifications of a candidate there can be no doubt1 as they are distinctly laid down in the ancient charges and constitutions4 ,the intellectual are not so readily decided4 ,these four-fold qualifications may be briefly summed up in the following axioms4 ,morally1 the candidate must be a man of irreproachable conduct1 a believer in the existence of ,god1 and living under the tongue of good report4 ,physically1 he must be a man of at least twenty-one years of age1 upright in body1 with the senses of a man1 not deformed or dismembered1 but with hale and entire limbs as a man ought to be4 ,intellectually1 he must be a man in the full possession of his intellects1 not so young that his mind shall not have been formed1 nor so old that it shall have fallen into dotage2 neither a fool1 an idiot1 nor a madman2 and with so much education as to enable him to avail himself of the teachings of ,masonry1 and to cultivate at his leisure a knowledge of the principles and doctrines of our royal art4 ,politically1 he must be in the unrestrained enjoyment of his civil and personal liberty1 and this1 too1 by the birthright of inheritance1 and not by its subsequent acquisition1 in consequence of his release from hereditary bondage4 ,the lodge which strictly demands these qualifications of its candidates may have fewer members than one less strict1 but it will undoubtedly have better ones4 ,but the importance of the subject demands for each class of the qualifications a separate section1 and a more extended consideration4 ,section ,i4 ,of the ,moral ,qualifications of ,candidates4 ,the old charges state1 that a ,mason is obliged by his tenure to obey the moral law4 ,it is scarcely necessary to say1 that the phrase1 moral law1 is a technical expression of theology1 and refers to the ,ten ,commandments1 which are so called1 because they define the regulations necessary for the government of the morals and manners of men4 ,the habitual violation of any one of these commands would seem1 according to the spirit of the ,ancient ,constitutions1 to disqualify a candidate for ,masonry4 ,the same charges go on to say1 in relation to the religious character of a ,mason1 that he should not be a stupid atheist1 nor an irreligious libertine4 ,a denier of the existence of a ,supreme ,architect of the ,universe cannot1 of course1 be obligated as a ,mason1 and1 accordingly1 there is no landmark more certain than that which excludes every atheist from the ,order4 ,the word libertine has1 at this day1 a meaning very different from what it bore when the old charges were compiled4 ,it then signified what we now call a free-thinker1 or disbeliever in the divine revelation of the ,scriptures4 ,this rule would therefore greatly abridge the universality and tolerance of the ,institution1 were it not for the following qualifying clause in the same instrument3-- ,though in ancient times ,masons were charged in every country to be of the religion of that country or nation1 whatever it was1 yet it is now thought more expedient only to oblige them to that religion in which all men agree1 leaving their particular opinions to themselves2 that is1 to be good men and true1 or men of honor and honesty1 by whatever denominations or persuasions they may be distinguished4 ,the construction now given universally to the religious qualification of a candidate1 is simply that he shall have a belief in the existence and superintending control of a ,supreme ,being4 ,these old charges from which we derive the whole of our doctrine as to the moral qualifications of a candidate1 further prescribe as to the political relations of a ,mason1 that he is to be a peaceable subject to the civil powers1 wherever he resides or works1 and is never to be concerned in plots and conspiracies against the peace and welfare of the nation1 nor to behave himself undutifully to inferior magistrates4 ,he is cheerfully to conform to every lawful authority2 to uphold on every occasion the interest of the community1 and zealously promote the prosperity of his own country4 ,such being the characteristics of a true ,mason1 the candidate who desires to obtain that title1 must show his claim to the possession of these virtues2 and hence the same charges declare1 in reference to these moral qualifications1 that ,the persons made ,masons1 or admitted members of a lodge1 must be good and true men--no immoral or scandalous men1 but of good report4 ,section ,,ii4 ,of the ,physical ,qualifications of ,candidates4 ,the physical qualifications of a candidate refer to his sex1 his age1 and the condition of his limbs4 ,the first and most important requisite of a candidate is1 that he shall be a man4 ,no woman can be made a ,mason4 ,this landmark is so indisputable1 that it would be wholly superfluous to adduce any arguments or authority in its support4 ,as to age1 the old charges prescribe the rule1 that the candidate must be of mature and discreet age4 ,but what is the precise period when one is supposed to have arrived at this maturity and discretion1 cannot be inferred from any uniform practice of the craft in different countries4 ,the provisions of the civil law1 which make twenty-one the age of maturity1 have1 however1 been generally followed4 ,in this country the regulation is general1 that the candidate must be twenty-one years of age4 ,such1 too1 was the regulation adopted by the ,general ,assembly1 which met on the #bgth ,dec41 #affc1 and which prescribed that no person shall be accepted unless he be twenty-one years old or more4#ee ,in ,prussia1 the candidate is required to be twenty-five2 in ,england1 twenty-one1#ef unless by dispensation from the ,grand ,master1 or ,provincial ,grand ,master2 in ,ireland1 twenty-one1 except by dispensation from the ,grand ,master1 or the ,grand ,lodge2 in ,france1 twenty-one1 unless the candidate be the son of a ,mason who has rendered important service to the craft1 with the consent of his parent or guardian1 or a young man who has served six months with his corps in the army--such persons may be initiated at eighteen2 in ,switzerland1 the age of qualification is fixed at twenty-one1 and in ,frankfort-on-,mayn1 at twenty4 ,in this country1 as ,i have already observed1 the regulation of #affc is rigidly enforced1 and no candidate1 who has not arrived at the age of twenty-one1 can be initiated4 ,our ritual excludes an old man in his dotage equally with a young man under age4 ,but as dotage signifies imbecility of mind1 this subject will be more properly considered under the head of intellectual qualifications4 ,the physical qualifications1 which refer to the condition of the candidate's body and limbs1 have given rise1 within a few years past1 to a great amount of discussion and much variety of opinion4 ,the regulation contained in the old charges of #agba1 which requires the candidate to be a perfect youth1 has in some jurisdictions been rigidly enforced to the very letter of the law1 while in others it has been so completely explained away as to mean anything or nothing4 ,thus1 in ,south ,carolina1 where the rule is rigid1 the candidate is required to be neither deformed nor dismembered1 but of hale and entire limbs1 as a man ought to be1 while in ,maine1 a deformed person may be admitted1 provided the deformity is not such as to prevent him from being instructed in the arts and mysteries of ,freemasonry4 ,the first written law which we find on this subject is that which was enacted by the ,general ,assembly held in #affc1 under the ,grand ,mastership of the ,earl of ,st4 ,albans1 and which declares that no person shall hereafter be accepted a ,freemason but such as are of able body4#eg ,twenty years after1 in the reign of ,james ,,ii41 or about the year #afhc1 it seems to have been found necessary1 more exactly to define the meaning of this expression1 of able body1 and accordingly we find1 among the charges ordered to be read to a ,master on his installation1 the following regulation3 ,thirdly1 that he that be made be able in all degrees2 that is1 free-born1 of a good kindred1 true1 and no bondsman1 and that he have his right limbs as a man ought to have4#eh ,the old charges1 published in the original ,book of ,constitutions in #agbc1 contain the following regulation3 ,no ,master should take an ,apprentice1 unless he be a perfect youth having no maim or defect that may render him uncapable of learning the art4 ,notwithstanding the positive demand for perfection1 and the positive and explicit declaration that he must have no maim or defect1 the remainder of the sentence has1 within a few years past1 by some ,grand ,lodges1 been considered as a qualifying clause1 which would permit the admission of candidates whose physical defects did not exceed a particular point4 ,but1 in perfection1 there can be no degrees of comparison1 and he who is required to be perfect1 is required to be so without modification or diminution4 ,that which is perfect is complete in all its parts1 and1 by a deficiency in any portion of its constituent materials1 it becomes not less perfect1 7which expression would be a solecism in grammar17 but at once by the deficiency ceases to be perfect at all--it then becomes imperfect4 ,in the interpretation of a law1 words1 says ,blackstone1 are generally to be understood in their usual and most known signification1 and then perfect would mean1 complete1 entire1 neither defective nor redundant4 ,but another source of interpretation is1 the comparison of a law with other laws1 that are made by the same legislator1 that have some affinity with the subject1 or that expressly relate to the same point4#ei ,applying this law of the jurists1 we shall have no difficulty in arriving at the true signification of the word perfect1 if we refer to the regulation of #afhc1 of which the clause in question appears to have been an exposition4 ,now1 the regulation of #afhc says1 in explicit terms1 that the candidate must have his right limbs as a man ought to have4 ,comparing the one law with the other1 there can be no doubt that the requisition of ,masonry is and always has been1 that admission could only be granted to him who was neither deformed nor dismembered1 but of hale and entire limbs as a man should be4 ,but another1 and1 as ,blackstone terms it1 the most universal and effectual way of discovering the true meaning of a law is1 to consider the reason and spirit of it1 or the cause which moved the legislator to enact it4 ,now1 we must look for the origin of the law requiring physical perfection1 not to the formerly operative character of the institution1 7for there never was a time when it was not speculative as well as operative17 but to its symbolic nature4 ,in the ancient temple1 every stone was required to be perfect1 for a perfect stone was the symbol of truth4 ,in our mystic association1 every ,mason represents a stone in that spiritual temple1 that house not made with hands1 eternal in the heavens1 of which the temple of ,solomon was the type4 ,hence it is required that he should present himself1 like the perfect stone in the material temple1 a perfect man in the spiritual building4 ,the symbolic relation of each member of the ,order to its mystic temple1 forbids the idea1 says ,bro4 ,w4,s4 ,rockwell1 of ,georgia1#fj that its constituent portions1 its living stones1 should be less perfect or less a type of their great original1 than the immaculate material which formed the earthly dwelling place of the ,god of their adoration4 ,if1 then1 as ,i presume it will be readily conceded1 by all except those who erroneously suppose the institution to have been once wholly operative and afterwards wholly speculative1 perfection is required in a candidate1 not for the physical reason that he may be enabled to give the necessary signs of recognition1 but because the defect would destroy the symbolism of that perfect stone which every ,mason is supposed to represent in the spiritual temple1 we thus arrive at a knowledge of the causes which moved the legislators of ,masonry to enact the law1 and we see at once1 and without doubt1 that the words perfect youth are to be taken in an unqualified sense1 as signifying one who has his right limbs as a man ought to have4#fa ,it is1 however1 but fair to state that the remaining clause of the old charge1 which asserts that the candidate must have no maim or defect that may render him incapable of learning the art1 has been supposed to intend a modification of the word perfect1 and to permit the admission of one whose maim or defect was not of such a nature as to prevent his learning the art of ,masonry4 ,but ,i would respectfully suggest that a criticism of this kind is based upon a mistaken view of the import of the words4 ,the sentence is not that the candidate must have no such maim or defect as might1 by possibility1 prevent him from learning the art2 though this is the interpretation given by those who are in favor of admitting slightly maimed candidates4 ,it is1 on the contrary1 so worded as to give a consequential meaning to the word that4 ,he must have no maim or defect that may render him incapable2 that is1 because1 by having such maim or defect1 he would be rendered incapable of acquiring our art4 ,in the ,ahiman ,rezon published by ,laurence ,dermott in #agfd1 and adopted for the government of the ,grand ,lodge of ,ancient ,york ,masons in ,england1 and many of the ,provincial ,grand and subordinate lodges of ,america1 the regulation is laid down that candidates must be men of good report1 free-born1 of mature age1 not deformed nor dismembered at the time of their making1 and no woman or eunuch4 ,it is true that at the present day this book possesses no legal authority among the craft2 but ,i quote it1 to show what was the interpretation given to the ancient law by a large portion1 perhaps a majority1 of the ,english and ,american ,masons in the middle of the eighteenth century4 ,a similar interpretation seems at all times to have been given by the ,grand ,lodges of the ,united ,states1 with the exception of some1 who1 within a few years past1 have begun to adopt a more latitudinarian construction4 ,in ,pennsylvania it was declared1 in #aghc1 that candidates are not to be deformed or dismembered at the time of their making4 ,in ,south ,carolina the book of ,constitutions1 first published in #ahjg1 requires that every person desiring admission must be upright in body1 not deformed or dismembered at the time of making1 but of hale and entire limbs1 as a man ought to be4 ,in the ,ahiman ,rezon and ,masonic ,ritual1 published by order of the ,grand ,lodge of ,north ,carolina and ,tennessee1 in the year #ahje1 candidates are required to be hale and sound1 not deformed or dismembered at the time of their making4#fb ,maryland1 in #ahbf1 sanctioned the ,ahiman ,rezon of ,cole1 which declares the law in precisely the words of ,south ,carolina1 already quoted4 ,in #ahbc1 the ,grand ,lodge of ,missouri unanimously adopted a report1 which declared that all were to be refused admission who were not sound in mind and all their members1 and she adopted a resolution asserting that the ,grand ,lodge cannot grant a letter or dispensation to a subordinate lodge working under its jurisdiction1 to initiate any person maimed1 disabled1 or wanting the qualifications establishing by ancient usage4#fc ,but it is unnecessary to multiply instances4 ,there never seems to have been any deviation from the principle that required absolute physical perfection1 until1 within a few years1 the spirit of expediency#fd has induced some ,grand ,lodges to propose a modified construction of the law1 and to admit those whose maims or deformities were not such as to prevent them from complying with the ceremonial of initiation4 ,still1 a large number of the ,grand ,lodges have stood fast by the ancient landmark1 and it is yet to be hoped that all will return to their first allegiance4 ,the subject is an important one1 and1 therefore1 a few of the more recent authorities1 in behalf of the old law may with advantage be cited4 ,we have examined carefully the arguments 'pro and con1' that have accompanied the proceedings of the several ,grand ,lodges1 submitted to us1 and the conviction has been forced upon our minds1 even against our wills1 that we depart from the ancient landmarks and usages of ,masonry1 whenever we admit an individual wanting in one of the human senses1 or who is in any particular maimed or deformed4--,committee of ,correspondence ,g4 ,lodge of ,georgia1 #ahdh1 page #cf4 ,the rationale of the law1 excluding persons physically imperfect and deformed1 lies deeper and is more ancient than the source ascribed to it4#fe ,it is grounded on a principle recognized in the earliest ages of the world2 and will be found identical with that which obtained among the ancient ,jews4 ,in this respect the ,levitical law was the same as the masonic1 which would not allow any 'to go in unto the vail' who had a blemish--a blind man1 or a lame1 or a man that was broken-footed1 or broken-handed1 or a dwarf1 c4444 ,the learned and studious ,freemasonic antiquary can satisfactorily explain the metaphysics of this requisition in our ,book of ,constitutions4 ,for the true and faithful ,brother it sufficeth to know that such a requisition exists4 ,he will prize it the more because of its antiquity4444 ,no man can in perfection be 'made a ,brother1' no man can truly 'learn our mysteries1' and practice them1 or 'do the work of a ,freemason1' if he is not a man with body free from maim1 defect and deformity4--,report of a ,special ,committee of the ,grand ,lodge of ,new ,york1 in #ahdh4ff ,the records of this ,grand ,lodge may be confidently appealed to1 for proofs of her repeated refusal to permit maimed persons to be initiated1 and not simply on the ground that ancient usage forbids it1 but because the fundamental constitution of the ,order--the ancient charges--forbid it4--,committee of ,correspondence of ,new ,york1 for #ahdh1 p4 #gj4 ,the lodges subordinate to this ,grand ,lodge are hereby required1 in the initiation of applicants for ,masonry1 to adhere to the ancient law 7as laid down in our printed books71 which says he shall be of entire limbs--,resolution of the ,g4,l4 of ,maryland1 ,november1 #ahdh4 ,i received from the lodge at ,ashley a petition to initiate into our ,order a gentleman of high respectability1 who1 unfortunately1 has been maimed4 ,i refused my assent4444 ,i have also refused a similar request from the lodge of which ,i am a member4 ,the fact that the most distinguished masonic body on earth has recently removed one of the landmarks1 should teach us to be careful how we touch those ancient boundaries4--,address of the ,grand ,master of ,new ,jersey in #ahdi4 ,the ,grand ,lodge of ,florida adopted such a provision in her constitution1 the qualifying clause permitting the initiation of a maimed person1 if his deformity was not such as to prevent his instruction1 but more mature reflection1 and more light reflected from our sister ,grand ,lodges1 caused it to be stricken from our constitution4--,address of ,gov4 ,tho4 ,brown1 ,grand ,master of ,florida in #ahdi4 ,as to the physical qualifications1 the ,ahiman ,rezon leaves no doubt on the subject1 but expressly declares1 that every applicant for initiation must be a man1 free-born1 of lawful age1 in the perfect enjoyment of his senses1 hale1 and sound1 and not deformed or dismembered2 this is one of the ancient landmarks of the ,order1 which it is in the power of no body of men to change4 ,a man having but one arm1 or one leg1 or who is in anyway deprived of his due proportion of limbs and members1 is as incapable of initiation as a woman4--,encyclical ,letter of the ,grand ,lodge of ,south ,carolina to its subordinates in #ahdi4 ,impressed1 then1 by the weight of these authorities1 which it would be easy1 but is unnecessary1 to multiply--guided by a reference to the symbolic and speculative 7not operative7 reason of the law--and governed by the express words of the regulation of #afhc--;,i am constrained to believe that the spirit as well as the letter of our ancient landmarks require that a candidate for admission should be perfect in all his parts1 that is1 neither redundant nor deficient1 neither deformed nor dismembered1 but of hale and entire limbs1 as a man ought to be4 ,section ,,iii4 ,of the ,intellectual ,qualifications of ,candidates4 ,the ,old ,charges and ,ancient ,constitutions are not as explicit in relation to the intellectual as to the moral and physical qualifications of candidates1 and1 therefore1 in coming to a decision on this subject1 we are compelled to draw our conclusions from analogy1 from common sense1 and from the peculiar character of the institution4 ,the question that here suggests itself on this subject is1 what particular amount of human learning is required as a constitutional qualification for initiation8 ,during a careful examination of every ancient document to which ,i have had access1 ,i have met with no positive enactment forbidding the admission of uneducated persons1 even of those who can neither read nor write4 ,the unwritten1 as well as the written laws of the ,order1 require that the candidate shall be neither a fool nor an idiot1 but that he shall possess a discreet judgment1 and be in the enjoyment of all the senses of a man4 ,but one who is unable to subscribe his name1 or to read it when written1 might still very easily prove himself to be within the requirements of this regulation4 ,the ,constitutions of ,england1 formed since the union of the two ,grand ,lodges in #ahac1 are certainly explicit enough on this subject4 ,they require even more than a bare knowledge of reading and writing1 for1 in describing the qualifications of a candidate1 they say3 ,he should be a lover of the liberal arts and sciences1 and have made some progress in one or other of them2 and he must1 previous to his initiation1 subscribe his name at full length1 to a declaration of the following import1 etc4 ,and in a note to this regulation1 it is said1 ,any individual who cannot write is1 consequently1 ineligible to be admitted into the ,order4 ,if this authority were universal in its character1 there would be no necessity for a further discussion of the subject4 ,but the modern constitutions of the ,grand ,lodge of ,england are only of force within its own jurisdiction1 and we are therefore again compelled to resort to a mode of reasoning for the proper deduction of our conclusions on this subject4 ,it is undoubtedly true that in the early period of the world1 when ,freemasonry took its origin1 the arts of reading and writing were not so generally disseminated among all classes of the community as they now are1 when the blessings of a common education can be readily and cheaply obtained4 ,and it may1 therefore1 be supposed that among our ancient ,brethren there were many who could neither read nor write4 ,but after all1 this is a mere assumption1 which1 although it may be based on probability1 has no direct evidence for its support4 ,and1 on the other hand1 we see throughout all our ancient regulations1 that a marked distinction was made by our rulers between the ,freemason and the ,mason who was not free2 as1 for instance1 in the conclusion of the fifth chapter of the ,ancient ,charges1 where it is said3 ,no laborer shall be employed in the common work of ,masonry1 nor shall ,freemasons work with those who are not free1 without an urgent necessity4 ,and this would seem to indicate a higher estimation by the fraternity of their own character1 which might be derived from their greater attainments in knowledge4 ,that in those days the ordinary operative masons could neither read nor write1 is a fact established by history4 ,but it does not follow that the ,freemasons1 who were a separate society of craftsmen1 were in the same unhappy category2 it is even probable1 that the fact that they were not so1 but that they were1 in comparison with the unaccepted masons1 educated men1 may have been the reason of the distinction made between these two classes of workmen4 ,but further1 all the teachings of ,freemasonry are delivered on the assumption that the recipients are men of some education1 with the means of improving their minds and increasing their knowledge4 ,even the ,entered ,apprentice is reminded1 by the rough and perfect ashlars1 of the importance and necessity of a virtuous education1 in fitting him for the discharge of his duties4 ,to the ,fellow ,craft1 the study of the liberal arts and sciences is earnestly recommended2 and indeed1 that sacred hieroglyphic1 the knowledge of whose occult signification constitutes the most solemn part of his instruction1 presupposes an acquaintance at least with the art of reading4 ,and the ,master ,mason is expressly told in the explanation of the forty-seventh problem of ,euclid1 as one of the symbols of the third degree1 that it was introduced into ,masonry to teach the ,brethren the value of the arts and sciences1 and that the ,mason1 like the discoverer of the problem1 our ancient ,brother ,pythagoras1 should be a diligent cultivator of learning4 ,our lectures1 too1 abound in allusions which none but a person of some cultivation of mind could understand or appreciate1 and to address them1 or any portion of our charges which refer to the improvement of the intellect and the augmentation of knowledge1 to persons who can neither read nor write1 would be1 it seems to us1 a mockery unworthy of the sacred character of our institution4 ,from these facts and this method of reasoning1 ,i deduce the conclusion that the framers of ,masonry1 in its present organization as a speculative institution1 must have intended to admit none into its fraternity whose minds had not received some preliminary cultivation1 and ,i am1 therefore1 clearly of opinion1 that a person who cannot read and write is not legally qualified for admission4 ,as to the inexpediency of receiving such candidates1 there can be no question or doubt4 ,if ,masonry be1 as its disciples claim for it1 a scientific institution1 whose great object is to improve the understanding and to enlarge and adorn the mind1 whose character cannot be appreciated1 and whose lessons of symbolic wisdom cannot be acquired1 without much studious application1 how preposterous would it be to place1 among its disciples1 one who had lived to adult years1 without having known the necessity or felt the ambition for a knowledge of the alphabet of his mother tongue8 ,such a man could make no advancement in the art of ,masonry2 and while he would confer no substantial advantage on the institution1 he would1 by his manifest incapacity and ignorance1 detract1 in the eyes of strangers1 from its honor and dignity as an intellectual society4 ,idiots and madmen are excluded from admission into the ,order1 for the evident reason that the former from an absence1 and the latter from a perversion of the intellectual faculties1 are incapable of comprehending the objects1 or of assuming the responsibilities and obligations of the institution4 ,a question here suggests itself whether a person of present sound mind1 but who had formerly been deranged1 can legally be initiated4 ,the answer to this question turns on the fact of his having perfectly recovered4 ,if the present sanity of the applicant is merely a lucid interval1 which physicians know to be sometimes vouched to lunatics1 with the absolute certainty1 or at best1 the strong probability1 of an eventual return to a state of mental derangement1 he is not1 of course1 qualified for initiation4 ,but if there has been a real and durable recovery 7of which a physician will be a competent judge71 then there can be no possible objection to his admission1 if otherwise eligible4 ,we are not to look to what the candidate once was1 but to what he now is4 ,dotage1 or the mental imbecility produced by excessive old age1 is also a disqualification for admission4 ,distinguished as it is by puerile desires and pursuits1 by a failure of the memory1 a deficiency of the judgment1 and a general obliteration of the mental powers1 its external signs are easily appreciated1 and furnish at once abundant reason why1 like idiots and madmen1 the superannuated dotard is unfit to be the recipient of our mystic instructions4 ,section ,,iv4 ,of the ,political ,qualifications of ,candidates4 ,the ,constitutions of ,masonry require1 as the only qualification referring to the political condition of the candidate1 or his position in society1 that he shall be free-born4 ,the slave1 or even the man born in servitude--though he may1 subsequently1 have obtained his liberty--is excluded by the ancient regulations from initiation4 ,the non-admission of a slave seems to have been founded upon the best of reasons2 because1 as ,freemasonry involves a solemn contract1 no one can legally bind himself to its performance who is not a free agent and the master of his own actions4 ,that the restriction is extended to those who were originally in a servile condition1 but who may have since acquired their liberty1 seems to depend on the principle that birth1 in a servile condition1 is accompanied by a degradation of mind and abasement of spirit1 which no subsequent disenthralment can so completely efface as to render the party qualified to perform his duties1 as a ,mason1 with that freedom1 fervency1 and zeal1 which are said to have distinguished our ancient ,brethren4 ,children1 says ,oliver1 cannot inherit a free and noble spirit except they be born of a free woman4 ,the same usage existed in the spurious ,freemasonry or the ,mysteries of the ancient world4 ,there1 no slave1 or men born in slavery1 could be initiated2 because1 the prerequisites imperatively demanded that the candidate should not only be a man of irreproachable manners1 but also a free-born denizen of the country in which the mysteries were celebrated4 ,some masonic writers have thought that1 in this regulation in relation to free birth1 some allusion is intended1 both in the ,mysteries and in ,freemasonry1 to the relative conditions and characters of ,isaac and ,ishmael4 ,the former--the accepted one1 to whom the promise was given--was the son of a free woman1 and the latter1 who was cast forth to have his hand against every man1 and every man's hand against him1 was the child of a slave4 ,wherefore1 we read that ,sarah demanded of ,abraham1 ,cast out this bondwoman and her son2 for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with my son4 ,dr4 ,oliver1 in speaking of the grand festival with which ,abraham celebrated the weaning of ,isaac1 says1 that he had not paid the same compliment at the weaning of ,ishmael1 because he was the son of a bondwoman1 and1 consequently1 could not be admitted to participate in the ,freemasonry of his father1 which could only be conferred on free men born of free women4 ,the ancient ,greeks were of the same opinion2 for they used the word or1 slave manners1 to designate any very great impropriety of manners4 ,the ,grand ,lodge of ,england extends this doctrine1 that ,masons should be free in all their thoughts and actions1 so far1 that it will not permit the initiation of a candidate who is only temporarily deprived of his liberty1 or even in a place of confinement4 ,in the year #aghb1 the ,master of the ,royal ,military ,lodge1 at ,woolwich1 being confined1 most probably for debt1 in the ,king's ,bench prison1 at ,london1 the lodge1 which was itinerant in its character1 and allowed to move from place to place with its regiment1 adjourned1 with its warrant of constitution1 to the ,master in prison1 where several ,masons were made4 ,the ,grand ,lodge1 being informed of the circumstances1 immediately summoned the ,master and ,wardens of the lodge to answer for their conduct in making ,masons in the ,king's ,bench prison1 and1 at the same time1 adopted a resolution1 affirming that it is inconsistent with the principles of ,freemasonry for any ,freemason's lodge to be held1 for the purposes of making1 passing1 or raising ,masons1 in any prison or place of confinement4 ,section ,v4 ,of the ,petition of ,candidates for ,admission1 and the ,action thereon4 ,the application of a candidate to a lodge1 for initiation1 is called a petition4 ,this petition should always be in writing1 and generally contains a statement of the petitioner's age1 occupation1 and place of residence1 and a declaration of the motives which have prompted the application1 which ought to be a favorable opinion conceived of the institution and a desire of knowledge4#fg ,this petition must be recommended by at least two members of the lodge4 ,the petition must be read at a stated or regular communication of the lodge1 and referred to a committee of three members for an investigation of the qualifications and character of the candidate4 ,the committee having made the necessary inquiries1 will report the result at the next regular communication and not sooner4 ,the authority for this deliberate mode of proceeding is to be found in the fifth of the #ci ,general ,regulations1 which is in these words3 ,no man can be made or admitted a member of a particular lodge1 without previous notice one month before given to the said lodge1 in order to make due inquiry into the reputation and capacity of the candidate2 unless by dispensation aforesaid4 ,the last clause in this article provides for the only way in which this probation of a month can be avoided1 and that is when the ,grand ,master1 for reasons satisfactory to himself1 being such as will constitute what is called 7sometimes improperly7 a case of emergency1 shall issue a dispensation permitting the lodge to proceed forthwith to the election4 ,but where this dispensation has not been issued1 the committee should proceed diligently and faithfully to the discharge of their responsible duty4 ,they must inquire into the moral1 physical1 intellectual and political qualifications of the candidate1 and make their report in accordance with the result of their investigations4 ,the report cannot be made at a special communication1 but must always be presented at a regular one4 ,the necessity of such a rule is obvious4 ,as the ,master can at any time within his discretion convene a special meeting of his lodge1 it is evident that a presiding officer1 if actuated by an improper desire to intrude an unworthy and unpopular applicant upon the craft1 might easily avail himself for that purpose of an occasion when the lodge being called for some other purpose1 the attendance of the members was small1 and causing a ballot to be taken1 succeed in electing a candidate1 who would1 at a regular meeting1 have been blackballed by some of those who were absent from the special communication4 ,this regulation is promulgated by the ,grand ,lodge of ,england1 in the following words3 ,no person shall be made a ,mason without a regular proposition at one lodge and a ballot at the next regular stated lodge2 it appears to have been almost universally adopted in similar language by the ,grand ,lodges of this country2 and1 if the exact words of the law are wanting in any of the ,constitutions1 the general usage of the craft has furnished an equivalent authority for the regulation4 ,if the report of the committee is unfavorable1 the candidate should be considered as rejected1 without any reference to a ballot4 ,this rule is also founded in reason4 ,if the committee1 after a due inquiry into the character of the applicant1 find the result so disadvantageous to him as to induce them to make an unfavorable report on his application1 it is to be presumed that on a ballot they would vote against his admission1 and as their votes alone would be sufficient to reject him1 it is held unnecessary to resort in such a case to the supererogatory ordeal of the ballot4 ,it would1 indeed1 be an anomalous proceeding1 and one which would reflect great discredit on the motives and conduct of a committee of inquiry1 were its members first to report against the reception of a candidate1 and then1 immediately afterwards1 to vote in favor of his petition4 ,the lodges will not suppose1 for the honor of their committees1 that such a proceeding will take place1 and accordingly the unfavorable report of the committee is always to be considered as a rejection4 ,another reason for this regulation seems to be this4 ,the fifth ,general ,regulation declares that no ,lodge should ever make a ,mason without due inquiry into his character1 and as the duty of making this inquiry is entrusted to a competent committee1 when that committee has reported that the applicant is unworthy to be made a ,mason1 it would certainly appear to militate against the spirit1 if not the letter1 of the regulation1 for the lodge1 notwithstanding this report1 to enter into a ballot on the petition4 ,but should the committee of investigation report favorably1 the lodge will then proceed to a ballot for the candidate2 but1 as this forms a separate and important step in the process of making ,masons1 ,i shall make it the subject of a distinct section4 ,section ,,vi4 ,of ,balloting for ,candidates4 ,the ,thirty-nine ,regulations do not explicitly prescribe the ballot-box as the proper mode of testing the opinion of the lodge on the merits of a petition for initiation4 ,the sixth regulation simply says that the consent of the members is to be formally asked by the ,master2 and they are to signify their assent or dissent in their own prudent way either virtually or in form1 but with unanimity4 ,almost universal usage has1 however1 sanctioned the ballot box and the use of black and white balls as the proper mode of obtaining the opinion of the members4 ,from the responsibility of expressing this opinion1 and of admitting a candidate into the fraternity or of repulsing him from it1 no ,mason is permitted to shrink4 ,in balloting on a petition1 therefore1 every member of the ,lodge is expected to vote2 nor can he be excused from the discharge of this important duty1 except by the unanimous consent of his ,brethren4 ,all the members must1 therefore1 come up to the performance of this trust with firmness1 candor1 and a full determination to do what is right--to allow no personal timidity to forbid the deposit of a black ball1 if the applicant is unworthy1 and no illiberal prejudices to prevent the deposition of a white one1 if the character and qualifications of the candidate are unobjectionable4 ,and in all cases where a member himself has no personal or acquired knowledge of these qualifications1 he should rely upon and be governed by the recommendation of his ,brethren of the ,committee of ,investigation1 who he has no right to suppose would make a favorable report on the petition of an unworthy applicant4#fh ,the great object of the ballot is1 to secure the independence of the voter2 and1 for this purpose1 its secrecy should be inviolate4 ,and this secrecy of the ballot gives rise to a particular rule which necessarily flows out of it4 ,no ,mason can be called to an account for the vote which he has deposited4 ,the very secrecy of the ballot is intended to secure the independence and irresponsibility to the lodge of the voter4 ,and1 although it is undoubtedly a crime for a member to vote against the petition of an applicant on account of private pique or personal prejudice1 still the lodge has no right to judge that such motives alone actuated him4 ,the motives of men1 unless divulged by themselves1 can be known only to ,god2 and if1 as ,wayland says1 from any circumstances we are led to entertain any doubts of the motives of men1 we are bound to retain these doubts within our own bosoms4 ,hence1 no judicial notice can be or ought to be taken by a lodge of a vote cast by a member1 on the ground of his having been influenced by improper motives1 because it is impossible for the lodge legally to arrive at the knowledge2 in the first place1 of the vote that he has given1 and secondly1 of the motives by which he has been controlled4 ,and even if a member voluntarily should divulge the nature of his vote and of his motives1 it is still exceedingly questionable whether the lodge should take any notice of the act1 because by so doing the independence of the ballot might be impaired4 ,it is through a similar mode of reasoning that the ,constitution of the ,united ,states provides1 that the members of ,congress shall not be questioned1 in any other place1 for any speech or debate in either ,house4 ,as in this way the freedom of debate is preserved in legislative bodies1 so in like manner should the freedom of the ballot be insured in lodges4 ,the sixth ,general ,regulation requires unanimity in the ballot4 ,its language is3 but no man can be entered a ,brother in any particular lodge1 or admitted to be a member thereof1 without the unanimous consent of all the members of that lodge then present when the candidate is proposed4 ,this regulation1 it will be remembered1 was adopted in #agba4 ,but in the ,new ,regulations1 adopted in #aged1 and which are declared to have been enacted only for amending or explaining the ,old ,regulations for the good of ,masonry1 without breaking in upon the ancient rules of the fraternity1 still preserving the old landmarks1 it is said3 but it was found inconvenient to insist upon unanimity in several cases2 and1 therefore1 the ,grand ,masters have allowed the lodges to admit a member1 if not above three black balls are against him2 though some lodges desire no such allowance4#fi ,the ,grand ,lodge of ,england still acts under this new regulation1 and extends the number of black balls which will reject to three1 though it permits its subordinates1 if they desire it1 to require unanimity4 ,but nearly all the ,grand ,lodges of this country have adhered to the old regulation1 which is undoubtedly the better one1 and by special enactment have made the unanimous consent of all the ,brethren present necessary to the election of a candidate4 ,another question here suggests itself4 ,can a member1 who by the bye-laws of his lodge is disqualified from the exercise of his other franchises as a member1 in consequence of being in arrears beyond a certain amount1 be prevented from depositing his ballot on the application of a candidate8 ,that by such a bye-law he may be disfranchised of his vote in electing officers1 or of the right to hold office1 will be freely admitted4 ,but the words of the old regulation seem expressly1 and without equivocation1 to require that every member present shall vote4 ,the candidate shall only be admitted by the unanimous consent of all the members of that lodge then present when the candidate is proposed4 ,this right of the members to elect or reject their candidates is subsequently called an inherent privilege1 which is not subject to a dispensation4 ,the words are explicit1 and the right appears to be one guaranteed to every member so long as he continues a member1 and of which no bye-law can divest him as long as the paramount authority of the ,thirty-nine ,general ,regulations is admitted4 ,i should say1 then1 that every member of a lodge present at balloting for a candidate has a right to deposit his vote2 and not only a right1 but a duty which he is to be compelled to perform2 since1 without the unanimous consent of all present1 there can be no election4 ,our written laws are altogether silent as to the peculiar ceremonies which are to accompany the act of balloting1 which has therefore been generally directed by the local usage of different jurisdictions4 ,uniformity1 however1 in this1 as in all other ritual observances1 is to be commended1 and ,i shall accordingly here describe the method which ,i have myself preferred and practised in balloting for candidates1 and which is the custom adopted in the jurisdiction of ,south ,carolina4#gj ,the committee of investigation having reported favorably1 the ,master of the lodge directs the ,senior ,deacon to prepare the ballot box4 ,the mode in which this is accomplished is as follows3--,the ,senior ,deacon takes the ballot box1 and1 opening it1 places all the white and black balls indiscriminately in one compartment1 leaving the other entirely empty4 ,he then proceeds with the box to the ,junior and ,senior ,wardens1 who satisfy themselves by an inspection that no ball has been left in the compartment in which the votes are to be deposited4 ,i remark here1 in passing1 that the box1 in this and the other instance to be referred to hereafter1 is presented to the inferior officer first1 and then to his superior1 that the examination and decision of the former may be substantiated and confirmed by the higher authority of the latter4 ,let it1 indeed1 be remembered1 that in all such cases the usage of masonic circumambulation is to be observed1 and that1 therefore1 we must first pass the ,junior's station before we can get to that of the ,senior ,warden4 ,these officers having thus satisfied themselves that the box is in a proper condition for the reception of the ballots1 it is then placed upon the altar by the ,senior ,deacon1 who retires to his seat4 ,the ,master then directs the ,secretary to call the roll1 which is done by commencing with the ,worshipful ,master1 and proceeding through all the officers down to the youngest member4 ,as a matter of convenience1 the ,secretary generally votes the last of those in the room1 and then1 if the ,tiler is a member of the lodge1 he is called in1 while the ,junior ,deacon tiles for him1 and the name of the applicant having been told him1 he is directed to deposit his ballot1 which he does1 and then retires4 ,as the name of each officer and member is called he approaches the altar1 and having made the proper masonic salutation to the ,chair1 he deposits his ballot and retires to his seat4 ,the roll should be called slowly1 so that at no time should there be more than one person present at the box2 for1 the great object of the ballot being secrecy1 no ,brother should be permitted so near the member voting as to distinguish the color of the ball he deposits4 ,the box is placed on the altar1 and the ballot is deposited with the solemnity of a masonic salutation1 that the voters may be duly impressed with the sacred and responsible nature of the duty they are called on to discharge4 ,the system of voting thus described1 is1 therefore1 far better on this account than the one sometimes adopted in lodges1 of handing round the box for the members to deposit their ballots from their seats ,the ,master having inquired of the ,wardens if all have voted1 then orders the ,senior ,deacon to take charge of the ballot box4 ,that officer accordingly repairs to the altar1 and taking possession of the box1 carries it1 as before1 to the ,junior ,warden1 who examines the ballot1 and reports1 if all the balls are white1 that the box is clear in the ,south1 or1 if there is one or more black balls1 that the box is foul in the ,south4 ,the ,deacon then carries it to the ,senior ,warden1 and afterwards to the ,master1 who1 of course1 make the same report1 according to the circumstances1 with the necessary verbal variation of ,west and ,east4 ,if the box is clear--that is1 if all the ballots are white--the ,master then announces that the applicant has been duly elected1 and the ,secretary makes a record of the fact4 ,but if the box is declared to be foul1 the ,master inspects the number of black balls2 if he finds two1 he declares the candidate to be rejected2 if only one1 he so states the fact to the lodge1 and orders the ,senior ,deacon again to prepare the ballot box1 and a second ballot is taken in the same way4 ,this is done lest a black ball might have been inadvertently voted on the first ballot4 ,if1 on the second scrutiny1 one black ball is again found1 the fact is announced by the ,master1 who orders the election to lie over until the next stated meeting1 and requests the ,brother who deposited the black ball to call upon him and state his reasons4 ,at the next stated meeting the ,master announces these reasons to the lodge1 if any have been made known to him1 concealing1 of course1 the name of the objecting ,brother4 ,at this time the validity or truth of the objections may be discussed1 and the friends of the applicant will have an opportunity of offering any defense or explanation4 ,the ballot is then taken a third time1 and the result1 whatever it may be1 is final4 ,as ,i have already observed1 in most of the lodges of this country1 a reappearance of the one black ball will amount to a rejection4 ,in those lodges which do not require unanimity1 it will1 of course1 be necessary that the requisite number of black balls must be deposited on this third ballot to insure a rejection4 ,but if1 on inspection1 the box is found to be clear1 or without a black ball1 the candidate is1 of course1 declared to be elected4 ,in any case1 the result of the third ballot is final1 nor can it be set aside or reversed by the action of the ,grand ,master or ,grand ,lodge2 because1 by the sixth ,general ,regulation1 already so frequently cited1 the members of every particular lodge are the best judges of the qualifications of their candidates2 and1 to use the language of the ,regulation1 if a fractious member should be imposed on them1 it might spoil their harmony1 or hinder their freedom1 or even break and disperse the lodge4 ,section ,,vii4 ,of the ,reconsideration of the ,ballot4 ,there are1 unfortunately1 some men in our ,order1 governed1 not by essentially bad motives1 but by frail judgments and by total ignorance of the true object and design of ,freemasonry1 who never1 under any circumstances1 have recourse to the black ball1 that great bulwark of ,masonry1 and are always more or less incensed when any more judicious ,brother exercises his privilege of excluding those whom he thinks unworthy of participation in our mysteries4 ,i have said1 that these men are not governed by motives essentially bad4 ,this is the fact4 ,they honestly desire the prosperity of the institution1 and they would not willfully do one act which would impede that prosperity4 ,but their judgments are weak1 and their zeal is without knowledge4 ,they do not at all understand in what the true prosperity of the ,order consists1 but really and conscientiously believing that its actual strength will be promoted by the increase of the number of its disciples2 they look rather to the quantity than to the quality of the applicants who knock at the doors of our lodges4 ,now a great difference in respect to the mode in which the ballot is conducted1 will be found in those lodges which are free from the presence of such injudicious brethren1 and others into which they have gained admittance4 ,in a lodge in which every member has a correct notion of the proper moral qualifications of the candidates for ,masonry1 and where there is a general disposition to work well with a few1 rather than to work badly with many1 when a ballot is ordered1 each ,brother1 having deposited his vote1 quietly and calmly waits to hear the decision of the ballot box announced by the ,chair4 ,if it is clear1 all are pleased that another citizen has been found worthy to receive a portion of the illuminating rays of ,masonry4 ,if it is foul1 each one is satisfied with the adjudication1 and rejoices that1 although knowing nothing himself against the candidate1 some one has been present whom a more intimate acquaintance with the character of the applicant has enabled to interpose his veto1 and prevent the purity of the ,order from being sullied by the admission of an unworthy candidate4 ,here the matter ends1 and the lodge proceeds to other business4 ,but in a lodge where one of these injudicious and over-zealous ,brethren is present1 how different is the scene4 ,if the candidate is elected1 he1 too1 rejoices2 but his joy is1 that the lodge has gained one more member whose annual dues and whose initiation fee will augment the amount of its revenues4 ,if he is rejected1 he is indignant that the lodge has been deprived of this pecuniary accession1 and forthwith he sets to work to reverse1 if possible1 the decision of the ballot box1 and by a volunteer defense of the rejected candidate1 and violent denunciations of those who opposed him1 he seeks to alarm the timid and disgust the intelligent1 so that1 on a reconsideration1 they may be induced to withdraw their opposition4 ,the motion for reconsideration is1 then1 the means generally adopted1 by such seekers after quantity1 to insure the success of their efforts to bring all into our fold who seek admission1 irrespective of worth or qualification4 ,in other words1 we may say1 that the motion for reconsideration is the great antagonist of the purity and security of the ballot box4 ,the importance1 then1 of the position which it thus assumes1 demands a brief discussion of the time and mode in which a ballot may be reconsidered4 ,in the beginning of the discussion1 it may be asserted1 that it is competent for any brother to move a reconsideration of a ballot1 or for a lodge to vote on such a motion4 ,the ballot is a part of the work of initiating a candidate4 ,it is the preparatory step1 and is just as necessary to his legal making as the obligation or the investiture4 ,as such1 then1 it is clearly entirely under the control of the ,master4 ,the ,constitutions of ,masonry and the ,rules and ,regulations of every ,grand and ,subordinate lodge prescribe the mode in which the ballot shall be conducted1 so that the sense of the members may be taken4 ,the ,grand ,lodge also requires that the ,master of the lodge shall see that that exact mode of ballot shall be pursued and no other1 and it will hold him responsible that there shall be no violation of the rule4 ,if1 then1 the ,master is satisfied that the ballot has been regularly and correctly conducted1 and that no possible good1 but some probable evil1 would arise from its reconsideration1 it is not only competent for him1 but it is his solemn duty to refuse to permit any such reconsideration4 ,a motion to that effect1 it may be observed1 will always be out of order1 although any ,brother may respectfully request the ,worshipful ,master to order such a reconsideration1 or suggest to him its propriety or expediency4 ,if1 however1 the ,master is not satisfied that the ballot is a true indication of the sense of the lodge1 he may1 in his own discretion1 order a reconsideration4 ,thus there may be but one black ball2--now a single black ball may sometimes be inadvertently cast--the member voting it may have been favorably disposed towards the candidate1 and yet1 from the hurry and confusion of voting1 or from the dimness of the light or the infirmity of his own eyes1 or from some other equally natural cause1 he may have selected a black ball1 when he intended to have taken a white one4 ,it is1 therefore1 a matter of prudence and necessary caution1 that1 when only one black ball appears1 the ,master should order a new ballot4 ,on this second ballot1 it is to be presumed that more care and vigilance will be used1 and the reappearance of the black ball will then show that it was deposited designedly4 ,but where two or three or more black balls appear on the first ballot1 such a course of reasoning is not authorized1 and the ,master will then be right to refuse a reconsideration4 ,the ballot has then been regularly taken--the lodge has emphatically decided for a rejection1 and any order to renew the ballot would only be an insult to those who opposed the admission of the applicant1 and an indirect attempt to thrust an unwelcome intruder upon the lodge4 ,but although it is in the power of the ,master1 under the circumstances which we have described1 to order a reconsideration1 yet this prerogative is accompanied with certain restrictions1 which it may be well to notice4 ,in the first place1 the ,master cannot order a reconsideration on any other night than that on which the original ballot was taken4#ga ,after the lodge is closed1 the decision of the ballot is final1 and there is no human authority that can reverse it4 ,the reason of this rule is evident4 ,if it were otherwise1 an unworthy ,master 7for1 unfortunately1 all ,masters are not worthy7 might on any subsequent evening avail himself of the absence of those who had voted black balls1 to order a reconsideration1 and thus succeed in introducing an unfit and rejected candidate into the lodge1 contrary to the wishes of a portion of its members4 ,neither can he order a reconsideration on the same night1 if any of the ,brethren who voted have retired4 ,all who expressed their opinion on the first ballot1 must be present to express it on the second4 ,the reasons for this restriction are as evident as for the former1 and are of the same character4 ,it must be understood1 that ,i do not here refer to those reconsiderations of the ballot which are necessary to a full understanding of the opinion of the lodge1 and which have been detailed in the ceremonial of the mode of balloting1 as it was described in the preceding ,section4 ,it may be asked whether the ,grand ,master cannot1 by his dispensations1 permit a reconsideration4 ,i answer emphatically1 ,,no4 ,the ,grand ,master possesses no such prerogative4 ,there is no law in the whole jurisprudence of the institution clearer than this--that neither the ,grand ,lodge nor the ,grand ,master can interfere with the decision of the ballot box4 ,in ,anderson's ,constitutions1 the law is laid down1 under the head of ,duty of ,members 7edition of #agee1 p4 #cab71 that in the election of candidates the ,brethren are to give their consent in their own prudent way1 either virtually or in form1 but with unanimity4 ,and the regulation goes on to say3 ,nor is this inherent privilege subject to a dispensation1 because the members of a lodge are the best judges of it2 and because1 if a turbulent member should be imposed upon them1 it might spoil their harmony1 or hinder the freedom of their communications1 or even break and disperse the lodge4 ,this settles the question4 ,a dispensation to reconsider a ballot would be an interference with the right of the members to give their consent in their own prudent way2 it would be an infringement of an inherent privilege1 and neither the ,grand ,lodge nor the ,grand ,master can issue a dispensation for such a purpose4 ,every lodge must be left to manage its own elections of candidates in its own prudent way4 ,i conclude this section by a summary of the principles which have been discussed1 and which ,i have endeavored to enforce by a process of reasoning which ,i trust may be deemed sufficiently convincing4 ,they are briefly these3 #a4 ,it is never in order for a member to move for the reconsideration of a ballot on the petition of a candidate for initiation1 nor for a lodge to entertain such a motion4 #b4 ,the ,master alone can1 for reasons satisfactory to himself1 order such a reconsideration4 #c4 ,the ,master cannot order a reconsideration on any subsequent night1 nor on the same night1 after any member1 who was present and voted1 has departed4 #d4 ,the ,grand ,master cannot grant a dispensation for a reconsideration1 nor in any other way interfere with the ballot4 ,the same restriction applies to the ,grand ,lodge4 ,section ,,viii4 ,of the ,renewal of ,applications by ,rejected ,candidates4 ,as it is apparent from the last section that there can be no reconsideration by a lodge of a rejected petition1 the question will naturally arise1 how an error committed by a lodge1 in the rejection of a worthy applicant1 is to be corrected1 or how such a candidate1 when once rejected1 is ever to make a second trial1 for it is1 of course1 admitted1 that circumstances may occur in which a candidate who had been once blackballed might1 on a renewal of his petition1 be found worthy of admission4 ,he may have since reformed and abandoned the vicious habits which caused his first rejection1 or it may have been since discovered that that rejection was unjust4 ,how1 then1 is such a candidate to make a new application8 ,it is a rule of universal application in ,masonry1 that no candidate1 having been once rejected1 can apply to any other lodge for admission1 except to the one which rejected him4 ,under this regulation the course of a second application is as follows3 ,some ,grand ,lodges have prescribed that1 when a candidate has been rejected1 it shall not be competent for him to apply within a year1 six months1 or some other definite period4 ,this is altogether a local regulation--there is no such law in the ,ancient ,constitutions--and therefore1 where the regulations of the ,grand ,lodge of the jurisdiction are silent upon the subject1 general principles direct the following as the proper course for a rejected candidate to pursue on a second application4 ,he must send in a new letter1 recommended and vouched for as before1 either by the same or other ,brethren--it must be again referred to a committee--lie over for a month--and the ballot be then taken as is usual in other cases4 ,it must be treated in all respects as an entirely new petition1 altogether irrespective of the fact that the same person had ever before made an application4 ,in this way due notice will be given to the ,brethren1 and all possibility of an unfair election will be avoided4 ,if the local regulations are silent upon the subject1 the second application may be made at any time after the rejection of the first1 all that is necessary being1 that the second application should pass through the same ordeal and be governed by the same rules that prevail in relation to an original application4 ,section ,,ix4 ,of the necessary ,probation and due ,proficiency of ,candidates before ,advancement4 ,there is1 perhaps1 no part of the jurisprudence of ,masonry which it is more necessary strictly to observe than that which relates to the advancement of candidates through the several degrees4 ,the method which is adopted in passing ,apprentices and raising ,fellow ,crafts--the probation which they are required to serve in each degree before advancing to a higher--and the instructions which they receive in their progress1 often materially affect the estimation which is entertained of the institution by its initiates4 ,the candidate who long remains at the porch of the temple1 and lingers in the middle chamber1 noting everything worthy of observation in his passage to the holy of holies1 while he better understands the nature of the profession upon which he has entered1 will have a more exalted opinion of its beauties and excellencies than he who has advanced1 with all the rapidity that dispensations can furnish1 from the lowest to the highest grades of the ,order4 ,in the former case1 the design1 the symbolism1 the history1 and the moral and philosophical bearing of each degree will be indelibly impressed upon the mind1 and the appositeness of what has gone before to what is to succeed will be readily appreciated2 but1 in the latter1 the lessons of one hour will be obliterated by those of the succeeding one2 that which has been learned in one degree1 will be forgotten in the next2 and when all is completed1 and the last instructions have been imparted1 the dissatisfied neophyte will find his mind1 in all that relates to ,masonry1 in a state of chaotic confusion4 ,like ,cassio1 he will remember a mass of things1 but nothing distinctly4 ,an hundred years ago it was said that ,masonry was a progressive science1 and not to be attained in any degree of perfection1 but by time1 patience1 and a considerable degree of application and industry4#gb ,and it is because that due proportion of time1 patience and application1 has not been observed1 that we so often see ,masons indifferent to the claims of the institution1 and totally unable to discern its true character4 ,the arcana of the craft1 as ,dr4 ,harris remarks1 should be gradually imparted to its members1 according to their improvement4 ,there is no regulation of our ,order more frequently repeated in our constitutions1 nor one which should be more rigidly observed1 than that which requires of every candidate a suitable proficiency in one degree1 before he is permitted to pass to another4 ,but as this regulation is too often neglected1 to the manifest injury of the whole ,order1 as well as of the particular lodge which violates it1 by the introduction of ignorant and unskillful workmen into the temple1 it may be worth the labor we shall spend upon the subject1 to investigate some of the authorities which support us in the declaration1 that no candidate should be promoted1 until1 by a due probation1 he has made suitable proficiency in the preceding degree4 ,in one of the earliest series of regulations that have been preserved--made in the reign of ,edward ,,iii41 it was ordained1 that such as were to be admitted ,master ,masons1 or ,masters of work1 should be examined whether they be able of cunning to serve their respective ,lords1 as well the lowest as the highest1 to the honor and worship of the aforesaid art1 and to the profit of their ,lords4 ,here1 then1 we may see the origin of that usage1 which is still practiced in every well governed lodge1 not only of demanding a proper degree of proficiency in the candidate1 but also of testing that proficiency by an examination4 ,this cautious and honest fear of the fraternity1 lest any ,brother should assume the duties of a position which he could not faithfully discharge1 and which is1 in our time1 tantamount to a candidate's advancing to a degree for which he is not prepared1 is again exhibited in the charges enacted in the reign of ,james ,,ii41 the manuscript of which was preserved in the archives of the ,lodge of ,antiquity in ,london4 ,in these charges it is required1 that no ,mason take on no lord's worke1 nor any other man's1 unless he know himselfe well able to perform the worke1 so that the craft have no slander4 ,in the same charges1 it is prescribed that no master1 or fellow1 shall take no apprentice for less than seven years4 ,in another series of charges1 whose exact date is not ascertained1 but whose language and orthography indicate their antiquity1 it is said3 ,ye shall ordain the wisest to be ,master of the work2 and neither for love nor lineage1 riches nor favor1 set one over the work#gc who hath but little knowledge1 whereby the ,master would be evil served1 and ye ashamed4 ,these charges clearly show the great stress that was placed by our ancient ,brethren upon the necessity of skill and proficiency1 and they have furnished the precedents upon which are based all the similar regulations that have been subsequently applied to ,speculative ,masonry4 ,in the year #agbb1 the ,grand ,lodge of ,england ordered the ,old ,charges of the ,free and ,accepted ,masons to be collected from the ancient records1 and1 having approved of them1 they became a part of the ,constitutions of ,speculative ,freemasonry4 ,in these ,charges1 it is ordained that a younger ,brother shall be instructed in working1 to prevent spoiling the materials for want of judgment1 and for increasing and continuing of brotherly love4 ,subsequently1 in #agfg1 it was declared by the ,grand ,lodge1 that no lodge shall be permitted to make and raise the same ,brother1 at one and the same meeting1 without a dispensation from the ,grand ,master1 or his ,deputy2 and1 lest too frequent advantage should be taken of this power of dispensation1 to hurry candidates through the degrees1 it is added that the dispensation1 on very particular occasions only1 may be requested4 ,the ,grand ,lodge of ,england afterwards found it necessary to be more explicit on this subject1 and the regulation of that body is now contained in the following language3 ,no candidate shall be permitted to receive more than one degree on the same day1 nor shall a higher degree in ,masonry be conferred on any ,brother at a less interval than four weeks from his receiving a previous degree1 nor until he has passed an examination in open lodge in that degree4#gd ,this seems to be the recognized principle on which the fraternity are1 at this day1 acting in this country4 ,the rule is1 perhaps1 sometimes1 and in some places1 in abeyance4 ,a few lodges1 from an impolitic desire to increase their numerical strength1 or rapidly to advance men of worldly wealth or influence to high stations in the ,order1 may infringe it1 and neglect to demand of their candidates that suitable proficiency which ought to be1 in ,masonry1 an essential recommendation to promotion2 but the great doctrine that each degree should be well studied1 and the candidate prove his proficiency in it by an examination1 has been uniformly set forth by the ,grand ,lodge of the ,united ,states1 whenever they have expressed an opinion on the subject4 ,thus1 for instance1 in #ahde1 the late ,bro4 ,a4,a4 ,robertson1 ,grand ,master of ,new ,york1 gave utterance to the following opinion1 in his annual address to the intelligent body over which he presided3 ,the practice of examining candidates in the prior degrees1 before admission to the higher1 in order to ascertain their proficiency1 is gaining the favorable notice of ,masters of lodges1 and cannot be too highly valued1 nor too strongly recommended to all lodges in this jurisdiction4 ,it necessarily requires the novitiate to reflect upon the bearing of all that has been so far taught him1 and consequently to impress upon his mind the beauty and utility of those sublime truths1 which have been illustrated in the course of the ceremonies he has witnessed in his progress in the mystic art4 ,in a word1 it will be the means of making competent overseers of the work--and no candidate should be advanced1 until he has satisfied the lodge1 by such examination1 that he has made the necessary proficiency in the lower degrees4#ge ,in #ahde1 the ,grand ,lodge of ,iowa issued a circular to her subordinates1 in which she gave the following admonition3 ,to guard against hasty and improper work1 she prohibits a candidate from being advanced till he has made satisfactory proficiency in the preceding degrees1 by informing himself of the lectures pertaining thereto2 and to suffer a candidate to proceed who is ignorant in this essential particular1 is calculated in a high degree to injure the institution and retard its usefulness4 ,the ,grand ,lodge of ,illinois has practically declared its adhesion to the ancient regulation2 for1 in the year #ahdc1 the dispensation of ,nauvoo ,lodge1 one of its subordinates1 was revoked principally on the ground that she was guilty of pushing the candidate through the second and third degrees1 before he could possibly be skilled in the preceding degree4 ,and the committee who recommended the revocation1 very justly remarked that they were not sure that any length of probation would in all cases insure skill1 but they were certain that the ancient landmarks of the ,order required that the lodge should know that the candidate is well skilled in one degree before being admitted to another4 ,the ,grand ,lodges of ,massachusetts and ,south ,carolina have adopted1 almost in the precise words1 the regulation of the ,grand ,lodge of ,england1 already cited1 which requires an interval of one month to elapse between the conferring of degrees4 ,the ,grand ,lodge of ,new ,hampshire requires a greater probation for its candidates2 its constitution prescribes the following regulation3 ,all ,entered ,apprentices must work five months as such1 before they can be admitted to the degree of ,fellow ,craft4 ,all ,fellow ,crafts must work in a lodge of ,fellow ,crafts three months1 before they can be raised to the sublime degree of ,master ,mason4 ,provided1 nevertheless1 that if any ,entered ,apprentice1 or ,fellow ,craft1 shall make himself thoroughly acquainted with all the information belonging to his degree1 he may be advanced at an earlier period1 at the discretion of the lodge4 ,but1 perhaps1 the most stringent rule upon this subject1 is that which exists in the ,constitution of the ,grand ,lodge of ,hanover1 which is in the following words3 ,no ,brother can be elected an officer of a lodge until he has been three years a ,master ,mason4 ,a ,fellow ,craft must work at least one year in that degree1 before he can be admitted to the third degree4 ,an ,entered ,apprentice must remain at least two years in that degree4 ,it seems unnecessary to extend these citations4 ,the existence of the regulation1 which requires a necessary probation in candidates1 until due proficiency is obtained1 is universally admitted4 ,the ancient constitutions repeatedly assert it1 and it has received the subsequent sanction of innumerable ,masonic authorities4 ,but1 unfortunately1 the practice is not always in accordance with the rule4 ,and1 hence1 the object of this article is not so much to demonstrate the existence of the law1 as to urge upon our readers the necessity of a strict adherence to it4 ,there is no greater injury which can be inflicted on the ,masonic ,order 7the admission of immoral persons excepted71 than that of hurrying candidates through the several degrees4 ,injustice is done to the institution1 whose peculiar principles and excellencies are never properly presented--and irreparable injury to the candidate1 who1 acquiring no fair appreciation of the ceremonies through which he rapidly passes1 or of the instructions which he scarcely hears1 is filled either with an indifference that never afterwards can be warmed into zeal1 or with a disgust that can never be changed into esteem4 ,masonry is betrayed in such an instance by its friends1 and often loses the influence of an intelligent member1 who1 if he had been properly instructed1 might have become one of its warmest and most steadfast advocates4 ,this subject is so important1 that ,i will not hesitate to add to the influence of these opinions the great sanction of ,preston's authority4 ,many persons1 says that able philosopher of ,masonry1 are deluded by the vague supposition that our mysteries are merely nominal2 that the practices established among us are frivolous1 and that our ceremonies may be adopted1 or waived at pleasure4 ,on this false foundation1 we find them hurrying through all the degrees of the ,order1 without adverting to the propriety of one step they pursue1 or possessing a single qualification requisite for advancement4 ,passing through the usual formalities1 they consider themselves entitled to rank as masters of the art1 solicit and accept offices1 and assume the government of the lodge1 equally unacquainted with the rules of the institution they pretend to support1 or the nature of the trust they engage to perform4 ,the consequence is obvious2 anarchy and confusion ensue1 and the substance is lost in the shadow4 ,hence men eminent for ability1 rank1 and fortune1 are often led to view the honors of ,masonry with such indifference1 that when their patronage is solicited1 they either accept offices with reluctance1 or reject them with disdain4#gf ,let1 then1 no lodge which values its own usefulness1 or the character of our institution1 admit any candidate to a higher degree1 until he has made suitable proficiency in the preceding one1 to be always tested by a strict examination in open lodge4 ,nor can it do so1 without a palpable violation of the laws of ,masonry4 ,section ,x4 ,of ,balloting for ,candidates in each ,degree4 ,although there is no law1 in the ,ancient ,constitutions1 which in express words requires a ballot for candidates in each degree1 yet the whole tenor and spirit of these constitutions seem to indicate that there should be recourse to such a ballot4 ,the constant reference1 in the numerous passages which were cited in the preceding ,section1 to the necessity of an examination into the proficiency of those who sought advancement1 would necessarily appear to imply that a vote of the lodge must be taken on the question of this proficiency4 ,accordingly1 modern ,grand ,lodges have generally1 by special enactment1 required a ballot to be taken on the application of an ,apprentice or ,fellow ,craft for advancement1 and where no such regulation has been explicitly laid down1 the almost constant usage of the craft has been in favor of such ballot4 ,the ,ancient ,constitutions having been silent on the subject of the letter of the law1 local usage or regulations must necessarily supply the specific rule4 ,where not otherwise provided by the ,constitutions of a ,grand ,lodge or the bye-laws of a subordinate lodge1 analogy would instruct us that the ballot1 on the application of ,apprentices or ,fellow ,crafts for advancement1 should be governed by the same principles that regulate the ballot on petitions for initiation4 ,of course1 then1 the vote should be unanimous3 for ,i see no reason why a lodge of ,fellow ,crafts should be less guarded in its admission of ,apprentices1 than a lodge of ,apprentices is in its admission of profanes4 ,again1 the ballot should take place at a stated meeting1 so that every member may have due and timely notice1 and be prepared to exercise his inherent privilege of granting or withholding his consent2 for it must be remembered that the man who was worthy or supposed to be so1 when initiated as an ,entered ,apprentice1 may prove to be unworthy when he applies to pass as a ,fellow ,graft1 and every member should1 therefore1 have the means and opportunity of passing his judgment on that worthiness or unworthiness4 ,if the candidate for advancement has been rejected once1 he may again apply1 if there is no local regulation to the contrary4 ,but1 in such a case1 due notice should be given to all the members1 which is best done by making the application at one regular meeting1 and voting for it on the next4 ,this1 however1 ,i suppose to be only necessary in the case of a renewed application after a rejection4 ,an ,entered ,apprentice or a ,fellow ,craft is entitled after due probation to make his application for advancement2 and his first application may be balloted for on the same evening1 provided it be a regular meeting of the lodge4 ,the members are supposed to know what work is before them to do1 and should be there to do it4 ,but the case is otherwise whenever a candidate for advancement has been rejected4 ,he has now been set aside by the lodge1 and no time is laid down in the regulations or usages of the craft for his making a second application4 ,he may never do so1 or he may in three months1 in a year1 or in five years4 ,the members are1 therefore1 no more prepared to expect this renewed application at any particular meeting of the lodge1 than they are to anticipate any entirely new petition of a profane4 ,if1 therefore1 the second application is not made at one regular meeting and laid over to the next1 the possibility is that the lodge may be taken by surprise1 and in the words of the old ,regulation1 a turbulent member may be imposed on it4 ,the inexpediency of any other course may be readily seen1 from a suppositions case4 ,we will assume that in a certain lodge1 ,a1 who is a ,fellow ,craft1 applies regularly for advancement to the third degree4 ,on this occasion1 for good and sufficient reasons1 two of the members1 ,b and ,c1 express their dissent by depositing black balls4 ,his application to be raised is consequently rejected1 and he remains a ,fellow ,graft4 ,two or three meetings of the lodge pass over1 and at each1 ,b and ,c are present2 but1 at the fourth meeting1 circumstances compel their absence1 and the friends of ,a1 taking advantage of that occurrence1 again propose him for advancement2 the ballot is forthwith taken1 and he is elected and raised on the same evening4 ,the injustice of this course to ,b and ,c1 and the evil to the lodge and the whole fraternity1 in this imposition of one who is probably an unworthy person1 will be apparent to every intelligent and right-minded ,mason4 ,i do not1 however1 believe that a candidate should be rejected1 on his application for advancement1 in consequence of objections to his moral worth and character4 ,in such a case1 the proper course would be to prefer charges1 to try him as an ,apprentice or ,fellow ,craft2 and1 if found guilty1 to suspend1 expel1 or otherwise appropriately punish him4 ,the applicant as well as the ,order is1 in such a case1 entitled to a fair trial4 ,want of proficiency1 or a mental or physical disqualification acquired since the reception of the preceding degree1 is alone a legitimate cause for an estoppal of advancement by the ballot4 ,but this subject will be treated of further in the chapter on the rights of ,entered ,apprentices4 ,section ,,xi4 ,of the ,number to be ,initiated at one ,communication4 ,the fourth ,general ,regulation decrees that no ,lodge shall make more than five new ,brothers at one time4 ,this regulation has been universally interpreted 7and with great propriety7 to mean that not more than five degrees can be conferred at the same communication4 ,this regulation is1 however1 subject to dispensation by the ,grand ,master1 or ,presiding ,grand ,officer1 in which case the number to be initiated1 passed1 or raised1 will be restricted only by the words of the dispensation4 ,the following1 or fifth ,general ,regulation1 says that no man can be made or admitted a member of a particular lodge1 without previous notice1 one month before1 given to the same lodge4 ,now1 as a profane cannot be admitted an ,entered ,apprentice1 or in other words1 a member of an ,entered ,apprentices' lodge1 unless after one month's notice1 so it follows that an ,apprentice cannot be admitted a member of a ,fellow ,crafts' lodge1 nor a ,fellow ,craft of a ,masters'1 without the like probation4 ,for the words of the regulation which apply to one1 will equally apply to the others4 ,and hence we derive the law1 that a month at least must always intervene between the reception of one degree and the advancement to another4 ,but this rule is also subject to a dispensation4 ,section ,,xii4 ,of ,finishing the ,candidates of one ,lodge in another4 ,it is an ancient and universal regulation1 that no lodge shall interfere with the work of another by initiating its candidates1 or passing or raising its ,apprentices and ,fellow ,crafts4 ,every lodge is supposed to be competent to manage its own business1 and ought to be the best judge of the qualifications of its own members1 and hence it would be highly improper in any lodge to confer a degree on a ,brother who is not of its household4 ,this regulation is derived from a provision in the ,ancient ,charges1 which have very properly been supposed to contain the fundamental law of ,masonry1 and which prescribes the principle of the rule in the following symbolical language3 ,none shall discover envy at the prosperity of a ,brother1 nor supplant him or put him out of his work1 if he be capable to finish the same2 for no man can finish another's work1 so much to the ,lord's profit1 unless he be thoroughly acquainted with the designs and draughts of him that began it4 ,there is1 however1 a case in which one lodge may1 by consent1 legally finish the work of another4 ,let us suppose that a candidate has been initiated in a lodge at ,a----1 and1 before he receives his second degree1 removes to ,b----1 and that being1 by the urgency of his business1 unable either to postpone his departure from ,a----1 until he has been passed and raised1 or to return for the purpose of his receiving his second and third degrees1 then it is competent for the lodge at ,a---- to grant permission to the lodge at ,b---- to confer them on the candidate4 ,but how shall this permission be given--by a unanimous vote1 or merely by a vote of the majority of the members at ,a----8 ,here it seems to me that1 so far as regards the lodge at ,a----1 the reasons for unanimity no longer exist4 ,there is here no danger that a fractious member will be imposed on them1 as the candidate1 when finished1 will become a member of the lodge at ,b----4 ,the question of consent is simply in the nature of a resolution1 and may be determined by the assenting votes of a majority of the members at ,a---4 ,it is1 however1 to be understood1 that if any ,brother believes that the candidate is unworthy1 from character1 of further advancement1 he may suspend the question of consent1 by preferring charges against him4 ,if this is not done1 and the consent of the lodge is obtained1 that the candidate may apply to the lodge at ,b---1 then when his petition is read in that lodge1 it must1 of course1 pass through the usual ordeal of a month's probation1 and a unanimous vote2 for here the old reasons for unanimity once more prevail4 ,i know of no ancient written law upon this subject1 but it seems to me that the course ,i have described is the only one that could be suggested by analogy and common sense4 ,section ,,xiii4 ,of the ,initiation of ,non-residents4 ,the subject of this section is naturally divided into two branches3--,first1 as to the initiation by a lodge of a candidate1 who1 residing in the same ,state or ,grand ,lodge jurisdiction1 is still not an inhabitant of the town in which the lodge to which he applies is situated1 but resides nearer to some other lodge2 and1 secondly1 as to the initiation of a stranger1 whose residence is in another ,state1 or under the jurisdiction of another ,grand ,lodge4 #a4 ,the first of these divisions presents a question which is easily answered4 ,although ,i can find no ancient regulation on this subject1 still1 by the concurrent authority of all ,grand ,lodges in this country1 at least1 7for the ,grand ,lodge of ,england has no such provision in its ,constitution17 every lodge is forbidden to initiate any person whose residence is nearer to any other lodge4 ,if1 however1 such an initiation should take place1 although the lodge would be censurable for its violation of the regulations of its superior1 yet there has never been any doubt that the initiation would be good and the candidate so admitted regularly made4 ,the punishment must fall upon the lodge and not upon the newly-made ,brother4 #b4 ,the second division presents a more embarrassing inquiry1 on account of the diversity of opinions which have been entertained on the subject4 ,can a lodge in one ,state1 or ,grand ,lodge jurisdiction1 initiate the resident of another ,state1 and would such initiation be lawful1 and the person so initiated a regular ,mason1 or1 to use the technical language of the ,order1 a ,mason made in due form1 and entitled to all the rights and privileges of the ,order8 ,the question is one of considerable difficulty2 it has given occasion to much controversy1 and has been warmly discussed within the last few years by several of the ,grand ,lodges of the ,united ,states4 ,in #ahdg1 the ,grand ,lodge of ,alabama adopted the following regulation1 which had been previously enacted by the ,grand ,lodge of ,tennessee3 ,any person residing within the jurisdiction of this ,grand ,lodge1 who has already1 or shall hereafter1 travel into any foreign jurisdiction1 and there receive the degrees of ,masonry1 such person shall not be entitled to the rights1 benefits1 and privileges of ,masonry within this jurisdiction1 until he shall have been regularly admitted a member of the subordinate lodge under this ,grand ,lodge1 nearest which he at the time resides1 in the manner provided by the ,constitution of this ,grand ,lodge for the admission of members4 ,the rule adopted by the ,grand ,lodge of ,maryland is still more stringent4 ,it declares1 that if any individual1 from selfish motives1 from distrust of his acceptance1 or other causes originating in himself1 knowingly and willfully travel into another jurisdiction1 and there receive the masonic degrees1 he shall be considered and held as a clandestine made ,mason4 ,the ,grand ,lodge of ,new ,york1 especially1 has opposed these regulations1 inflicting a penalty on the initiate1 and assigns its reasons for the opposition in the following language3 ,before a man becomes a ,mason1 he is subject to no law which any ,grand ,lodge can enact4 ,no ,grand ,lodge has a right to make a law to compel any citizen1 who desires1 to be initiated in a particular lodge1 or in the town or ,state of his residence2 neither can any ,grand ,lodge forbid a citizen to go where he pleases to seek acceptance into fellowship with the craft2 and where there is no right to compel or to forbid1 there can be no right to punish2 but it will be observed1 that the laws referred to were enacted to punish the citizens of ,maryland and ,alabama1 as ,masons and ,brethren1 for doing something before they were ,masons and ,brethren1 which they had a perfect right to do as citizens and freemen2 and it must certainly be regarded as an act of deception and treachery by a young ,mason1 on returning home1 to be told1 that he is 'a clandestine ,mason1' that he 'ought to be expelled1' or1 that he cannot be recognized as a ,brother till he 'joins a lodge where his residence is1' because he was initiated in ,new ,york1 in ,england1 or in ,france1 after having heard all his life of the universality and oneness of the institution4#gg ,it seems to us that the ,grand ,lodge of ,new ,york has taken the proper view of the subject2 although we confess that we are not satisfied with the whole course of reasoning by which it has arrived at the conclusion4 ,whatever we may be inclined to think of the inexpediency of making transient persons 7and we certainly do believe that it would be better that the character and qualifications of every candidate should be submitted to the inspection of his neighbors rather than to that of strangers71 however much we may condemn the carelessness and facility of a lodge which is thus willing to initiate a stranger1 without that due examination of his character1 which1 of course1 in the case of non-residents1 can seldom be obtained1 we are obliged to admit that such makings are legal--the person thus made cannot be called a clandestine ,mason1 because he has been made in a legally constituted lodge--and as he is a regular ,mason1 we know of no principle by which he can be refused admission as a visitor into any lodge to which he applies4 ,masonry is universal in its character1 and knows no distinction of nation or of religion4 ,although each state or kingdom has its distinct ,grand ,lodge1 this is simply for purposes of convenience in carrying out the principles of uniformity and subordination1 which should prevail throughout the masonic system4 ,the jurisdiction of these bodies is entirely of a masonic character1 and is exercised only over the members of the ,order who have voluntarily contracted their allegiance4 ,it cannot affect the profane1 who are1 of course1 beyond its pale4 ,it is true1 that as soon as a candidate applies to a lodge for initiation1 he begins to come within the scope of masonic law4 ,he has to submit to a prescribed formula of application and entrance1 long before he becomes a member of the ,order4 ,but as this formula is universal in its operation1 affecting candidates who are to receive it and lodges which are to enforce it in all places1 it must have been derived from some universal authority4 ,the manner1 therefore1 in which a candidate is to be admitted1 and the preliminary qualifications which are requisite1 are prescribed by the landmarks1 the general usage1 and the ancient constitutions of the ,order4 ,and as they have directed the mode how1 they might also have prescribed the place where1 a man should be made a ,mason4 ,but they have done no such thing4 ,we cannot1 after the most diligent search1 find any constitutional regulation of the craft1 which refers to the initiation of non-residents4 ,the subject has been left untouched2 and as the ancient and universally acknowledged authorities of ,masonry have neglected to legislate on the subject1 it is now too late for any modern and local authority1 like that of a ,grand ,lodge1 to do so4 ,a ,grand ,lodge may1 it is true1 forbid--as ,missouri1 ,south ,carolina1 ,georgia1 and several other ,grand ,lodges have done--the initiation of non-residents1 within its own jurisdiction1 because this is a local law enacted by a local authority2 but it cannot travel beyond its own territory1 and prescribe the same rule to another ,grand ,lodge1 which may not1 in fact1 be willing to adopt it4 ,the conclusions1 then1 at which we arrive no this subject are these3 ,the ancient constitutions have prescribed no regulation on the subject of the initiation of non-residents2 it is1 therefore1 optional with every ,grand ,lodge1 whether it will or will not suffer such candidates to be made within its own jurisdiction2 the making1 where it is permitted1 is legal1 and the candidate so made becomes a regular ,mason1 and is entitled to the right of visitation4 ,what1 then1 is the remedy1 where a person of bad character1 and having1 in the language of the ,grand ,lodge of ,maryland1 a distrust of his acceptance at home1 goes abroad and receives the degrees of ,masonry8 ,no one will deny that such a state of things is productive of great evil to the craft4 ,fortunately1 the remedy is simple and easily applied4 ,let the lodge1 into whose jurisdiction he has returned1 exercise its power of discipline1 and if his character and conduct deserve the punishment1 let him be expelled from the ,order4 ,if he is unworthy of remaining in the ,order1 he should be removed from it at once2 but if he is worthy of continuing in it1 there certainly can be no objection to his making use of his right to visit4 ,chapter ,,ii4 ,of the ,rights of ,entered ,apprentices4 ,in an inquiry into the rights of ,entered ,apprentices1 we shall not be much assisted by the ,ancient ,constitutions1 which1 leaving the subject in the position in which usage had established it1 are silent in relation to what is the rule4 ,in all such cases1 we must1 as ,i have frequently remarked before1 in settling the law1 have recourse to analogy1 to the general principles of equity1 and the dictates of common sense1 and1 with these three as our guides1 we shall find but little difficulty in coming to a right conclusion4 ,at present1 an ,entered ,apprentice is not considered a member of the ,lodge1 which privilege is only extended to ,master ,masons4 ,this was not formerly the case4 ,then the ,master's degree was not as indiscriminately conferred as it is now4 ,a longer probation and greater mental or moral qualifications were required to entitle a candidate to this sublime dignity4 ,none were called ,master ,masons but such as had presided over their ,lodges1 and the office of ,wardens was filled by ,fellow ,crafts4 ,entered ,apprentices1 as well as ,fellow ,crafts1 were permitted to attend the communications of the ,grand ,lodge1 and express their opinions2 and1 in #agah1 it was enacted that every new regulation1 proposed in the ,grand ,lodge1 should be submitted to the consideration of even the youngest ,entered ,apprentice4 ,brethren of this degree composed1 in fact1 at that time1 the great body of the craft4 ,but1 all these things have1 since1 by the gradual improvement of our organization1 undergone many alterations2 and ,entered ,apprentices seem now1 by universal consent1 to be restricted to a very few rights4 ,they have the right of sitting in all lodges of their degree1 of receiving all the instructions which appertain to it1 but not of speaking or voting1 and1 lastly1 of offering themselves as candidates for advancement1 without the preparatory necessity of a formal written petition4 ,these being admitted to be the rights of an ,entered ,apprentice1 few and unimportant as they may be1 they are as dear to him as those of a ,master ,mason are to one who has been advanced to that degree2 and he is1 and ought to be1 as firmly secured in their possession4 ,therefore1 as no ,mason can be deprived of his rights and privileges1 except after a fair and impartial trial1 and the verdict of his peers1 it is clear that the ,entered ,apprentice cannot be divested of these rights without just such a trial and verdict4 ,but1 in the next place1 we are to inquire whether the privilege of being passed as a ,fellow ,craft is to be enumerated among these rights8 ,and1 we clearly answer1 ,no4 ,the ,entered ,apprentice has the right of making the application4 ,herein he differs from a profane1 who has no such right of application until he has qualified himself for making it1 by becoming an ,entered ,apprentice4 ,but1 if the application is granted1 it is ex gratia1 or1 by the favour of the lodge1 which may withhold it1 if it pleases4 ,if such were not the case1 the lodge would possess no free will on the subject of advancing candidates2 and the rule requiring a probation and an examination1 before passing1 would be useless and absurd--because1 the neglect of improvement or the want of competency would be attended with no penalty4 ,it seems to me1 then1 that1 when an ,apprentice applies for his second degree1 the lodge may1 if it thinks proper1 refuse to grant it2 and that it may express that refusal by a ballot4 ,no trial is necessary1 because no rights of the candidate are affected4 ,he is1 by a rejection of his request1 left in the same position that he formerly occupied4 ,he is still an ,entered ,apprentice1 in good standing2 and the lodge may1 at any time it thinks proper1 reverse its decision and proceed to pass him4 ,if1 however1 he is specifically charged with any offense against the laws of ,masonry1 it would then be necessary to give him a trial4 ,witnesses should be heard1 both for and against him1 and he should be permitted to make his defense4 ,the opinion of the lodge should be taken1 as in all other cases of trial1 and1 according to the verdict1 he should be suspended1 expelled1 or otherwise punished4 ,the effect of these two methods of proceeding is very different4 ,when1 by a ballot1 the lodge refuses to advance an ,entered ,apprentice1 there is not1 necessarily1 any stigma on his moral character4 ,it may be1 that the refusal is based on the ground that he has not made sufficient proficiency to entitle him to pass4 ,consequently1 his standing as an ,entered ,apprentice is not at all affected4 ,his rights remain the same4 ,he may still sit in the lodge when it is opened in his degree2 he may still receive instructions in that degree2 converse with ,masons on masonic subjects which are not beyond his standing2 and again apply to the lodge for permission to pass as a ,fellow ,craft4 ,but1 if he be tried on a specific charge1 and be suspended or expelled1 his moral character is affected4 ,his masonic rights are forfeited2 and he can no longer be considered as an ,entered ,apprentice in good standing4 ,he will not be permitted to sit in his lodge1 to receive masonic instruction1 or to converse with ,masons on masonic subjects2 nor can he again apply for advancement until the suspension or expulsion is removed by the spontaneous action of the lodge4 ,these two proceedings work differently in another respect4 ,the ,grand ,lodge will not interfere with a subordinate lodge in compelling it to pass an ,entered ,apprentice2 because every lodge is supposed to be competent to finish1 in its own time1 and its own way1 the work that it has begun4 ,but1 as the old regulations1 as well as the general consent of the craft1 admit that the ,grand ,lodge alone can expel from the rights and privileges of ,masonry1 and that an expulsion by a subordinate lodge is inoperative until it is confirmed by the ,grand ,lodge1 it follows that the expulsion of the ,apprentice must be confirmed by that body2 and that1 therefore1 he has a right to appeal to it for a reversal of the sentence1 if it was unjustly pronounced4 ,let it not be said that this would be placing an ,apprentice on too great an equality with ,master ,masons4 ,his rights are dear to him2 he has paid for them4 ,no man would become an ,apprentice unless he expected1 in time1 to be made a ,fellow ,craft1 and then a ,master4 ,he is1 therefore1 morally and legally wronged when he is deprived1 without sufficient cause1 of the capacity of fulfilling that expectation4 ,it is the duty of the ,grand ,lodge to see that not even the humblest member of the craft shall have his rights unjustly invaded2 and it is therefore bound1 as the conservator of the rights of all1 to inquire into the truth1 and administer equity4 ,whenever1 therefore1 even an ,entered ,apprentice complains that he has met with injustice and oppression1 his complaint should be investigated and justice administered4 ,the question next occurs--,what number of black balls should prevent an ,apprentice from passing to the second degree8 ,i answer1 the same number that would reject the application of a profane for initiation into the ,order4 ,and why should this not be so8 ,are the qualifications which would be required of one applying1 for the first time1 for admission to the degree of an ,apprentice more than would subsequently be required of the same person on his applying for a greater favor and a higher honor--that of being advanced to the second degree8 ,or do the requisitions1 which exist in the earlier stages of ,masonry1 become less and less with every step of the aspirant's progress8 ,viewing the question in this light--and1 indeed1 ,i know of no other in which to view it--it seems to me to be perfectly evident that the peculiar constitution and principles of our ,order will require unanimity in the election of a profane for initiation1 of an ,apprentice for a ,fellow ,craft1 and of a ,fellow ,craft for a ,master ,mason2 and that1 while no ,entered ,apprentice can be expelled from the ,order1 except by due course of trial1 it is competent for the lodge1 at any time1 on a ballot1 to refuse to advance him to the second degree4 ,but1 let it be remembered that the lodge which refuses to pass an ,apprentice1 on account of any objections to his moral character1 or doubts of his worthiness1 is bound to give him the advantage of a trial1 and at once to expel him1 if guilty1 or1 if innocent1 to advance him when otherwise qualified4 ,chapter ,,iii4 ,of the ,rights of ,fellow ,crafts4 ,in ancient times there were undoubtedly many rights attached to the second degree which have now become obsolete or been repealed2 for formerly the great body of the fraternity were ,fellow ,crafts1 and according to the old charges1 even the ,grand ,master might be elected from among them4 ,the ,master and ,wardens of ,subordinate ,lodges always were4 ,thus we are told that no ,brother can be ,grand ,master1 unless he has been a ,fellow ,craft before his election1 and in the ancient manner of constituting a lodge1 contained in the ,book of ,constitutions1#gh it is said that the candidates1 or the new ,master and ,wardens1 being yet among the ,fellow ,crafts1 the ,grand ,master shall ask his ,deputy if he has examined them1 etc4 ,but now that the great body of the ,fraternity consists of ,master ,masons1 the prerogatives of ,fellow ,crafts are circumscribed within limits nearly as narrow as those of ,entered ,apprentices4 ,while1 however1 ,apprentices are not permitted to speak or vote1 in ancient times1 and up1 indeed1 to a very late date4 ,fellow ,crafts were entitled to take a part in any discussion in which the lodge1 while open in the first or second degree1 might engage1 but not to vote4 ,this privilege is expressly stated by ,preston1 as appertaining to a ,fellow ,craft1 in his charge to a candidate1 receiving that degree4 ,as a ,craftsman1 in our private assemblies you may offer your sentiments and opinions on such subjects as are regularly introduced in the ,lecture1 under the superintendence of an experienced ,master1 who will guard the landmark against encroachment4#gi ,this privilege is not now1 however1 granted in this country to ,fellow ,crafts4 ,all1 therefore1 that has been said in the preceding chapter1 of the rights of ,entered ,apprentices1 will equally apply1 mutatis mutandis1 to the rights of ,fellow ,crafts4 ,chapter ,,iv4 ,of the ,rights of ,master ,masons4 ,when a ,mason has reached the third degree1 he becomes entitled to all the rights and privileges of ,ancient ,craft ,masonry4 ,these rights are extensive and complicated2 and1 like his duties1 which are equally as extensive1 require a careful examination1 thoroughly to comprehend them4 ,four of them1 at least1 are of so much importance as to demand a distinct consideration4 ,these are the rights of membership1 of visitation1 of relief1 and of burial4 ,to each ,i shall devote a separate section4 ,section ,i4 ,of the ,right of ,membership4 ,the whole spirit and tenor of the ,general ,regulations1 as well as the uniform usage of the craft1 sustain the doctrine1 that when a ,mason is initiated in a lodge1 he has the right1 by signing the bye-laws1 to become a member without the necessity of submitting to another ballot4 ,in the ,constitutions of the ,grand ,lodge of ,new ,york1 this principle is asserted to be one of the ancient landmarks1 and is announced in the following words3 ,initiation makes a man a ,mason2 but he must receive the ,master's degree1 and sign the bye-laws before he becomes a member of the lodge4#hj ,if the doctrine be not exactly a landmark 7which ,i confess ,i am not quite prepared to admit71 it comes to us almost clothed with the authority of one1 from the sanction of universal and uninterrupted usage4 ,how long before he loses this right by a non-user1 or neglect to avail himself of it1 is1 ,i presume1 a question to be settled by local authority4 ,a lodge1 or a ,grand ,lodge1 may affix the period according to its discretion2 but the general custom is1 to require a signature of the bye-laws1 and a consequent enrollment in the lodge1 within three months after receiving the third degree4 ,should a ,mason neglect to avail himself of his privilege1 he forfeits it 7unless1 upon sufficient cause1 he is excused by the lodge71 and must submit to a ballot4 ,the reason for such a law is evident4 ,if a ,mason does not at once unite himself with the lodge in which he was raised1 but permits an extended period of time to elapse1 there is no certainty that his character or habits may not have changed1 and that he may not have become1 since his initiation1 unworthy of affiliation4 ,under the general law1 it is1 therefore1 necessary that he should in such case submit to the usual probation of one month1 and an investigation of his qualifications by a committee1 as well as a ballot by the members4 ,but there are other privileges also connected with this right of membership4 ,a profane is required to apply for initiation to the lodge nearest his place of residence1 and1 if there rejected1 can never in future apply to any other lodge4 ,but the rule is different with respect to the application of a ,master ,mason for membership4 ,a ,master ,mason is not restricted in his privilege of application for membership within any geographical limits4 ,all that is required of him is1 that he should be an affiliated ,mason2 that is1 that he should be a contributing member of a lodge1 without any reference to its peculiar locality1 whether near to or distant from his place of residence4 ,the ,old ,charges simply prescribe1 that every ,mason ought to belong to a lodge4 ,a ,mason1 therefore1 strictly complies with this regulation1 when he unites himself with any lodge1 thus contributing to the support of the institution1 and is then entitled to all the privileges of an affiliated ,mason4 ,a rejection of the application of a ,master ,mason for membership by a lodge does not deprive him of the right of applying to another4 ,a ,mason is in good standing until deprived of that character by the action of some competent masonic authority2 and that action can only be by suspension or expulsion4 ,rejection does not1 therefore1 affect the good standing of the applicant2 for in a rejection there is no legal form of trial1 and consequently the rejected ,brother remains in the same position after as before his rejection4 ,he possesses the same rights as before1 unimpaired and undiminished2 and among these rights is that of applying for membership to any lodge that he may select4 ,if1 then1 a ,mason may be a member of a lodge distant from his place of residence1 and1 perhaps1 even situated in a different jurisdiction1 the question then arises whether the lodge within whose precincts he resides1 but of which he is not a member1 can exercise its discipline over him should he commit any offense requiring masonic punishment4 ,on this subject there is1 among masonic writers1 a difference of opinion4 ,i1 however1 agree with ,brother ,pike1 the able ,chairman of the ,committee of ,correspondence of ,arkansas1 that the lodge can exercise such discipline4 ,i contend that a ,mason is amenable for his conduct not only to the lodge of which he may be a member1 but also to any one within whose jurisdiction he permanently resides4 ,a lodge is the conservator of the purity and the protector of the integrity of the ,order within its precincts4 ,the unworthy conduct of a ,mason1 living as it were immediately under its government1 is calculated most injuriously to affect that purity and integrity4 ,a lodge1 therefore1 should not be deprived of the power of coercing such unworthy ,mason1 and1 by salutary punishment1 of vindicating the character of the institution4 ,let us suppose1 by way of example1 that a ,mason living in ,san ,francisco1 ,california1 but retaining his membership in ,new ,york1 behaves in such an immoral and indecorous manner as to bring the greatest discredit upon the ,order1 and to materially injure it in the estimation of the uninitiated community4 ,will it be1 for a moment1 contended that a lodge in ,san ,francisco cannot arrest the evil by bringing the unworthy ,mason under discipline1 and even ejecting him from the fraternity1 if severity like that is necessary for the protection of the institution8 ,or will it be contended that redress can only be sought through the delay and uncertainty of an appeal to his lodge in ,new ,york8 ,even if the words of the ancient laws are silent on this subject1 reason and justice would seem to maintain the propriety and expediency of the doctrine that the lodge at ,san ,francisco is amply competent to extend its jurisdiction and exercise its discipline over the culprit4 ,in respect to the number of votes necessary to admit a ,master ,mason applying by petition for membership in a lodge1 there can be no doubt that he must submit to precisely the same conditions as those prescribed to a profane on his petition for initiation4 ,there is no room for argument here1 for the ,general ,regulations are express on this subject4 ,no man can be made or admitted a member of a particular lodge1 says the fifth regulation1 without previous notice one month before given to the said lodge4 ,and the sixth regulation adds1 that no man can be entered a ,brother in any particular lodge1 or admitted to be a member thereof1 without the unanimous consent of all the members of that lodge then present4 ,so that it may be considered as settled law1 so far as the ,general ,regulations can settle a law of ,masonry1 that a ,master ,mason can only be admitted a member of a lodge when applying by petition1 after a month's probation1 after due inquiry into his character1 and after a unanimous ballot in his favor4 ,but there are other rights of ,master ,masons consequent upon membership1 which remain to be considered4 ,in uniting with a lodge1 a ,master ,mason becomes a participant of all its interests1 and is entitled to speak and vote upon all subjects that come before the lodge for investigation4 ,he is also entitled1 if duly elected by his fellows1 to hold any office in the lodge1 except that of ,master1 for which he must be qualified by previously having occupied the post of a ,warden4 ,a ,master has the right in all cases of an appeal from the decision of the ,master or of the lodge4 ,a ,master ,mason1 in good standing1 has a right at any time to demand from his lodge a certificate to that effect4 ,whatever other rights may appertain to ,master ,masons will be the subjects of separate sections4 ,section ,,ii4 ,of the ,right of ,visit4 ,every ,master ,mason1 who is an affiliated member of a lodge1 has the right to visit any other lodge as often as he may desire to do so4 ,this right is secured to him by the ancient regulations1 and is1 therefore1 irreversible4 ,in the ,ancient ,charges at the ,constitution of a ,lodge1 formerly contained in a ,,ms4 of the ,lodge of ,antiquity in ,london1 and whose date is not later than #afhh1ha;it is directed that every ,mason receive and cherish strange fellows when they come over the country1 and set them on work1 if they will work as the manner is2 that is to say1 if the ,mason have any mould stone in his place1 he shall give him a mould stone1 and set him on work2 and if he have none1 the ,mason shall refresh him with money unto the next lodge4 ,this regulation is explicit4 ,it not only infers the right of visit1 but it declares that the strange ,brother shall be welcomed1 received1 and cherished1 and set on work1 that is1 permitted to participate in the work of your lodge4 ,its provisions are equally applicable to ,brethren residing in the place where the lodge is situated as to transient ,brethren1 provided that they are affiliated ,masons4 ,in the year #ahai1 the law was in ,england authoritatively settled by a decree of the ,grand ,lodge4 ,a complaint had been preferred against a lodge in ,london1 for having refused admission to some ,brethren who were well known to them1 alleging that as the lodge was about to initiate a candidate1 no visitor could be admitted until that ceremony was concluded4 ,it was then declared1 that it is the undoubted right of every ,mason who is well known1 or properly vouched1 to visit any lodge during the time it is opened for general masonic business1 observing the proper forms to be attended to on such occasions1 and so that the ,master may not be interrupted in the performance of his duty4#hb ,a lodge1 when not opened for general masonic business1 but when engaged in the consideration of matters which interest the lodge alone1 and which it would be inexpedient or indelicate to make public1 may refuse to admit a visitor4 ,lodges engaged in this way1 in private business1 from which visitors are excluded1 are said by the ,french ,masons to be opened en famille4 ,to entitle him to this right of visit1 a ,mason must be affiliated1 that is1 he must be a contributing member of some lodge4 ,this doctrine is thus laid down in the ,constitutions of the ,grand ,lodge of ,england3 ,a ,brother who is not a subscribing member to some lodge1 shall not be permitted to visit any one lodge in the town or place in which he resides1 more than once during his secession from the craft4 ,a non-subscribing or unaffiliated ,mason is permitted to visit each lodge once1 and once only1 because it is supposed that this visit is made for the purpose of enabling him to make a selection of the one with which he may prefer permanently to unite4 ,but1 afterwards1 he loses this right of visit1 to discountenance those ,brethren who wish to continue members of the ,order1 and to partake of its pleasures and advantages1 without contributing to its support4 ,a ,master ,mason is not entitled to visit a lodge1 unless he previously submits to an examination1 or is personally vouched for by a competent ,brother present2 but this is a subject of so much importance as to claim consideration in a distinct section4 ,another regulation is1 that a strange ,brother shall furnish the lodge he intends to visit with a certificate of his good standing in the lodge from which he last hailed4 ,this regulation has1 in late years1 given rise to much discussion4 ,many of the ,grand ,lodges of this country1 and several masonic writers1 strenuously contend for its antiquity and necessity1 while others as positively assert that it is a modern innovation upon ancient usage4 ,there can1 however1 ,i think1 be no doubt of the antiquity of certificates4 ,that the system requiring them was in force nearly two hundred years ago1 at least1 will be evident from the third of the ,regulations made in ,general ,assembly1 ,december #bg1 #affc1 under the ,grand ,mastership of the ,earl of ,st4 ,albans1#hc and which is in the following words3 #c4 ,that no person hereafter who shall be accepted a ,freemason1 shall be admitted into any lodge or assembly1 until he has brought a certificate of the time and place of his acceptation1 from the lodge that accepted him1 unto the ,master of that limit or division where such a lodge is kept4 ,this regulation has been reiterated on several occasions1 by the ,grand ,lodge of ,england in #aggb1 and at subsequent periods by several ,grand ,lodges of this and other countries4 ,it is not1 however1 in force in many of the ,american jurisdictions4 ,another right connected with the right of visitation is1 that of demanding a sight of the ,warrant of ,constitution4 ,this instrument it is1 indeed1 not only the right but the duty of every strange visitor carefully to inspect1 before he enters a lodge1 that he may thus satisfy himself of the legality and regularity of its character and authority4 ,on such a demand being made by a visitor for a sight of its ,warrant1 every lodge is bound to comply with the requisition1 and produce the instrument4 ,the same rule1 of course1 applies to lodges under dispensation1 whose ,warrant of ,dispensation supplies the place of a ,warrant of ,constitution4 ,section ,,iii4 ,of the ,examination of ,visitors4 ,it has already been stated1 in the preceding section1 that a ,master ,mason is not permitted to visit a lodge unless he previously submits to an examination1 or is personally vouched for by some competent ,brother present4 ,the prerogative of vouching for a ,brother is an important one1 and will constitute the subject of the succeeding section4 ,at present let us confine ourselves to the consideration of the mode of examining a visitor4 ,every visitor1 who offers himself to the appointed committee of the lodge for examination1 is expected1 as a preliminary step1 to submit to the ,tiler's ,obligation2 so called1 because it is administered in the ,tiler's room4 ,as this obligation forms no part of the secret ritual of the ,order1 but is administered to every person before any lawful knowledge of his being a ,mason has been received1 there can be nothing objectionable in inserting it here1 and in fact1 it will be advantageous to have the precise words of so important a declaration placed beyond the possibility of change or omission by inexperienced ,brethren4 ,the oath1 then1 which is administered to the visitor1 and which he may1 if he chooses1 require every one present to take with him1 is in the following words ,i1 ,a4 ,b41 do hereby and hereon solemnly and sincerely swear1 that ,i have been regularly initiated1 passed1 and raised1 to the sublime degree of a ,master ,mason1 in a just and legally constituted lodge of such1 that ,i do not now stand suspended or expelled1 and know of no reason why ,i should not hold masonic communication with my ,brethren4 ,this declaration having been given in the most solemn manner1 the examination must then be conducted with the necessary forms4 ,the good old rule of commencing at the beginning should be observed4 ,every question is to be asked and every answer demanded which is necessary to convince the examiner that the party examined is acquainted with what he ought to know1 to entitle him to the appellation of a ,brother4 ,nothing is to be taken for granted--categorical answers must be required to all that it is deemed important to be asked4 ,no forgetfulness is to be excused1 nor is the want of memory to be accepted as a valid excuse for the want of knowledge4 ,the ,mason1 who is so unmindful of his duties as to have forgotten the instructions he has received1 must pay the penalty of his carelessness1 and be deprived of his contemplated visit to that society whose secret modes of recognition he has so little valued as not to have treasured them in his memory4 ,while there are some things which may be safely passed over in the examination of one who confesses himself to be rusty1 or but recently initiated1 because they are details which require much study to acquire1 and constant practice to retain1 there are still other things of great importance which must be rigidly demanded1 and with the knowledge of which the examiner cannot1 under any circumstances1 dispense4 ,should suspicions of imposture arise1 let no expression of these suspicions be made until the final decree for rejection is pronounced4 ,and let that decree be uttered in general terms1 such as3 ,i am not satisfied1 or1 ,i do not recognize you1 and not in more specific terms1 such as1 ,you did not answer this inquiry1 or1 ,you are ignorant on that point4 ,the visitor is only entitled to know1 generally1 that he has not complied with the requisitions of his examiner4 ,to descend to particulars is always improper and often dangerous4 ,above all1 the examiner should never ask what are called leading questions1 or such as include in themselves an indication of what the answer is to be2 nor should he in any manner aid the memory of the party examined by the slightest hint4 ,if he has it in him1 it will come out without assistance1 and if he has it not1 he is clearly entitled to no aid4 ,lastly1 never should an unjustifiable delicacy weaken the rigor of these rules4 ,let it be remembered1 that for the wisest and most evident reasons1 the merciful maxim of the law1 which says1 that it is better that ninety-nine guilty men should escape than that one innocent man should be punished1 is with us reversed1 and that in ,masonry it is better that ninety and nine true men should be turned away from the door of a lodge than that one cowan should be admitted4 ,section ,,iv4 ,of ,vouching for a ,brother4 ,an examination may sometimes be omitted when any competent ,brother present will vouch for the visitor's masonic standing and qualifications4 ,this prerogative of vouching is an important one which every ,master ,mason is entitled1 under certain restrictions1 to exercise2 but it is also one which may so materially affect the well-being of the whole fraternity--since by its injudicious use impostors might be introduced among the faithful--that it should be controlled by the most stringent regulations4 ,to vouch for one1 is to bear witness for him2 and1 in witnessing to truth1 every caution should be observed1 lest falsehood should cunningly assume its garb4 ,the ,brother who vouches should1 therefore1 know to a certainty that the one for whom he vouches is really what he claims to be4 ,he should know this not from a casual conversation1 nor a loose and careless inquiry1 but1 as the unwritten law of the ,order expresses it1 from strict trial1 due examination1 or lawful information4 ,of strict trial and due examination ,i have already treated in the preceding section2 and it only remains to say1 that when the vouching is founded on the knowledge obtained in this way1 it is absolutely necessary that the ,brother so vouching shall be competent to conduct such an examination1 and that his general intelligence and shrewdness and his knowledge of ,masonry shall be such as to place him above the probability of being imposed upon4 ,the important and indispensable qualification of a voucher is1 therefore1 that he shall be competent4 ,the ,master of a lodge has no right to accept1 without further inquiry1 the avouchment of a young and inexperienced1 or even of an old1 if ignorant1 ,mason4 ,lawful information1 which is the remaining ground for an avouchment1 may be derived either from the declaration of another ,brother1 or from having met the party vouched for in a lodge on some previous occasion4 ,if the information is derived from another ,brother1 who states that he has examined the party1 then all that has already been said of the competency of the one giving the information is equally applicable4 ,the ,brother1 giving the original information1 must be competent to make a rigid examination4 ,again1 the person giving the information1 the one receiving it1 and the one of whom it is given1 should be all present at the time2 for otherwise there would be no certainty of identity4 ,information1 therefore1 given by letter or through a third party1 is highly irregular4 ,the information must also be positive1 not founded on belief or opinion1 but derived from a legitimate source4 ,and1 lastly1 it must not have been received casually1 but for the very purpose of being used for masonic purposes4 ,for one to say to another in the course of a desultory conversation3 ,a4,b4 is a ,mason1 is not sufficient4 ,he may not be speaking with due caution1 under the expectation that his words will be considered of weight4 ,he must say something to this effect3 ,i know this man to be a ,master ,mason1 for such or such reasons1 and you may safely recognize him as such4 ,this alone will insure the necessary care and proper observance of prudence4 ,if the information given is on the ground that the person1 vouched has been seen sitting in a lodge by the voucher1 care must be taken to inquire if it was a ,lodge of ,master ,masons4 ,a person may forget1 from the lapse of time1 and vouch for a stranger as a ,master ,mason1 when the lodge in which he saw him was only opened in the first or second degree4 ,section ,v4 ,of the ,right of ,claiming ,relief4 ,one of the great objects of our institution is1 to afford relief to a worthy1 distressed ,brother4 ,in his want and destitution1 the claim of a ,mason upon his ,brethren is much greater than that of a profane4 ,this is a ,christian as well as a masonic doctrine4 ,as we have therefore opportunity1 says ,st4 ,paul1 let us do good unto all men1 especially unto them who are of the household of faith4 ,this claim for relief he may present either to a lodge or to a ,brother ,mason4 ,the rule1 as well as the principles by which it is to be regulated1 is laid down in that fundamental law of ,masonry1 the ,old ,charges1 in the following explicit words1 under the head of ,behavior towards a strange ,brother3 ,you are cautiously to examine him1 in such a method as prudence shall direct you1 that you may not be imposed upon by an ignorant1 false pretender1 whom you are to reject with contempt and derision1 and beware of giving him any hints of knowledge4 ,but if you discover him to be a true and genuine ,brother1 you are to respect him accordingly2 and if he is in want1 you must relieve him if you can1 or else direct him how he may be relieved4 ,you must employ him some days1 or else recommend him to be employed4 ,but you are not charged to do beyond your ability1 only to prefer a poor ,brother1 that is a good man and true1 before any other people in the same circumstances4 ,this law thus laid down1 includes1 it will be perceived1 as two important prerequisites1 on which to found a claim for relief1 that the person applying shall be in distress1 and that he shall be worthy of assistance4 ,he must be in distress4 ,ours is not an insurance company1 a joint stock association1 in which1 for a certain premium paid1 an equivalent may be demanded4 ,no ,mason1 or no lodge1 is bound to give pecuniary or other aid to a ,brother1 unless he really needs4 ,the word benefit1 as usually used in the modern friendly societies1 has no place in the vocabulary of ,freemasonry4 ,if a wealthy ,brother is afflicted with sorrow or sickness1 we are to strive to comfort him with our sympathy1 our kindness1 and our attention1 but we are to bestow our eleemosynary aid only on the indigent or the destitute4 ,he must also be worthy4 ,there is no obligation on a ,mason to relieve the distresses1 however real they may be1 of an unworthy ,brother4 ,the claimant must be1 in the language of the ,charge1 true and genuine4 ,true here is used in its good old ,saxon meaning1 of faithful or trusty4 ,a true ,mason is one who is mindful of his obligations1 and who faithfully observes and practices all his duties4 ,such a man1 alone1 can rightfully claim the assistance of his ,brethren4 ,but a third provision is made in the fundamental law2 namely1 that the assistance is not to be beyond the ability of the giver4 ,one of the most important landmarks1 contained in our unwritten law1 more definitely announces this provision1 by the words1 that the aid and assistance shall be without injury to oneself or his family4 ,masonry does not require that we shall sacrifice our own welfare to that of a ,brother2 but that with prudent liberality1 and a just regard to our own worldly means1 we shall give of the means with which ,providence may have blessed us for the relief of our distressed ,brethren4 ,it is hardly necessary to say1 that the claim for relief of a worthy distressed ,mason extends also to his immediate family4 ,section ,,vi4 ,of the ,right of ,masonic ,burial4 ,after a very careful examination1 ,i can find nothing in the old charges or ,general ,regulations1 nor in any other part of the fundamental law1 in relation to masonic burial of deceased ,brethren4 ,it is probable that1 at an early period1 when the great body of the craft consisted of ,entered ,apprentices1 the usage permitted the burial of members1 of the first or second degree1 with the honors of ,masonry4 ,as far back as #aged1 processions for the purpose of burying ,masons seemed to have been conducted by some of the lodges with either too much frequency1 or some other irregularity2 for1 in ,november of that year1 the ,grand ,lodge adopted a regulation1 forbidding them1 under a heavy penalty1 unless by permission of the ,grand ,master1 or his ,deputy4#hd ,as there were1 comparatively speaking1 few ,master ,masons at that period1 it seems a natural inference that most of the funeral processions were for the burial of ,apprentices1 or1 at least1 of ,fellow ,crafts4 ,but the usage since then1 has been greatly changed2 and by universal consent1 the law1 as first committed to writing1 by ,preston1 who was the author of our present funeral service1 is now adopted4 ,the ,regulation1 as laid down by ,preston1 is so explicit1 that ,i prefer giving it in his own words4#he ,no ,mason can be interred with the formalities of the ,order1 unless it be at his own special request1 communicated to the ,master of the ,lodge of which he died a member--foreigners and sojourners excepted2 nor unless he has been advanced to the third degree of ,masonry1 from which restriction there can be no exception4 ,fellow ,crafts or ,apprentices are not entitled to the funeral obsequies4 ,this rule has been embodied in the modern ,constitutions of the ,grand ,lodge of ,england2 and1 as ,i have already observed1 appears by universal consent to have been adopted as the general usage4 ,the necessity for a dispensation1 which is also required by the modern ,english ,constitutions1 does not seem to have met with the same general approval1 and in this country1 dispensations for funeral processions are not usually1 if at all1 required4 ,indeed1 ,preston himself1 in explaining the law1 says that it was not intended to restrict the privileges of the regular lodges1 but that1 by the universal practice of ,masons1 every regular lodge is authorized by the ,constitution to act on such occasions when limited to its own members4#hf ,it is only when members of other lodges1 not under the control of the ,master1 are convened1 that a dispensation is required4 ,but in ,america1 ,grand ,lodges or ,grand ,masters have not generally interfered with the rights of the lodges to bury the dead2 the ,master being of course amenable to the constituted authorities for any indecorum or impropriety4 ,chapter ,v4 ,of the ,rights of ,past ,masters4 ,i have already discussed the right of ,past ,masters to become members of a ,grand ,lodge1 in a preceding part of this work1#hg and have there arrived at the conclusion that no such inherent right exists1 and that a ,grand ,lodge may or may not admit them to membership1 according to its own notion of expediency4 ,still the fact1 that they are competent by their masonic rank of accepting such a courtesy when extended1 in itself constitutes a prerogative2 for none but ,masters1 ,wardens1 or ,past ,masters1 can under any circumstances become members of a ,grand ,lodge4 ,past ,masters possess a few other positive rights4 ,in the first place they have a right to install their successors1 and at all times subsequent to their installation to be present at the ceremony of installing ,masters of lodges4 ,i should scarcely have deemed it necessary to dwell upon so self-evident a proposition1 were it not that it involves the discussion of a question which has of late years been warmly mooted in some jurisdictions1 namely1 whether this right of being present at an installation should1 or should not1 be extended to ,past ,masters1 made in ,royal ,arch ,chapters4 ,in view of the fact1 that there are two very different kinds of possessors of the same degree1 the ,grand ,lodge of ,england has long since distinguished them as virtual and as actual ,past ,masters4 ,the terms are sufficiently explicit1 and have the advantage of enabling us to avoid circumlocution1 and ,i shall1 therefore1 adopt them4 ,an actual ,past ,master is one who has been regularly installed to preside over a symbolic lodge under the jurisdiction of a ,grand ,lodge4 ,a virtual ,past ,master is one who has received the degree in a chapter1 for the purpose of qualifying him for exaltation to the ,royal ,arch4 ,now the question to be considered is this4 ,can a virtual ,past ,master be permitted to be present at the installation of an actual ,past ,master8 ,the ,committee of ,correspondence of ,new ,york1 in #ahea1 announced the doctrine1 that a ,chapter1 or virtual ,past ,master1 cannot legally install the ,master of a ,symbolic ,lodge2 but that there is no rule forbidding his being present at the ceremony4 ,this doctrine has been accepted by several ,grand ,lodges1 while others again refuse to admit the presence of a virtual ,past ,master at the installation-service4 ,in ,south ,carolina1 for instance1 by uninterrupted usage1 virtual ,past ,masters are excluded from the ceremony of installation4 ,in ,louisiana1 under the high authority of the late ,brother ,gedge1 it is asserted1 that it is the bounden duty of all ,grand ,lodges to prevent the possessors of the 7chapter7 degree from the exercise of any function appertaining to the office and attributes of an installed ,master of a lodge of ,symbolic ,masonry1 and refuse to recognize them as belonging to the order of ,past ,masters4#hh ,brother ,albert ,pike1 whose opinion on masonic jurisprudence is entitled to the most respectful consideration1 has announced a similar doctrine in one of his elaborate reports to the ,grand ,chapter of ,arkansas4 ,he does not consider that the ,past ,master's degree1 conferred in a chapter1 invests the recipient with any rank or authority1 except within the chapter itself2 that it no ways qualifies or authorizes him to preside in the chair of a lodge3 that a lodge has no legal means of knowing that he has received the degree in a chapter3 for it is not supposed to know anything that takes place there any more than it knows what takes place in a ,lodge of ,perfection1 or a ,chapter of ,knights of the ,rose ,croix2 and1 of course1 if the ,past ,masters of a lodge have no such legal means of recognition of ,chapter ,masters1 they cannot permit them to be present at an installation4 ,this is1 in fact1 no new doctrine4 ,preston1 in his description of the installation ceremony1 says3 ,the new ,master is then conducted to an adjacent room1 where he is regularly installed1 and bound to his trust in ancient form1 in the presence of at least three installed ,masters#hi ,and ,dr4 ,oliver1 in commenting on this passage1 says1 this part of the ceremony can only be orally communicated1 nor can any but installed ,masters be present4#ij ,and this rule appears to be founded on the principles of reason4 ,there can be no doubt1 if we carefully examine the history of ,masonry in this country and in ,england1 that the degree of ,past ,master was originally conferred by ,symbolic ,lodges as an honorarium or reward bestowed upon those ,brethren who had been found worthy to occupy the ,oriental ,chair4 ,in so far it was only a degree of office1 and could be obtained only from the ,lodge in which the office had been conferred4 ,at a later period it was deemed an essential prerequisite to exaltation in the degree of ,royal ,arch1 and was1 for that purpose1 conferred on candidates for that position1 while the ,royal ,arch degree was under the control of the symbolic ,lodges1 but still only conferred by the ,past ,masters of the ,lodge4 ,but subsequently1 when the system of ,royal ,arch ,masonry was greatly enlarged and extended in this country1 and chapters were organized independent of the ,grand and symbolic ,lodges1 these ,chapters took with them the ,past ,master's degree1 and assumed the right of conferring it on their candidates4 ,hence arose the anomaly which now exists in ,american ,masonry1 of two degrees bearing the same name1 and said to be almost identical in character1 conferred by two different bodies under entirely different qualifications and for totally different purposes4 ,as was to be expected1 when time had in some degree obliterated the details of history1 each party began to claim for itself the sovereign virtue of legitimacy4 ,the ,past ,masters of the ,chapters denied the right of the ,symbolic ,lodges to confer the degree1 and the latter1 in their turn1 asserted that the degree1 as conferred in the ,chapter1 was an innovation4 ,the prevalence of the former doctrine would1 of course1 tend to deprive the ,symbolic ,lodges of a vested right held by them from the most ancient times--that1 namely1 of conferring an honorarium on their ,masters elect4 ,on the whole1 then1 from this view of the surreptitious character of the ,chapter ,degree1 and supported by the high authority whom ,i have cited1 as well as by the best usage1 ,i am constrained to believe that the true rule is1 to deny the ,chapter1 or ,virtual ,past ,masters1 the right to install1 or to be present at the installation of the ,master of a ,symbolic ,lodge4 ,a ,past ,master may preside over a lodge in the absence of the ,master1 provided he is invited to do so by the ,senior ,warden present4 ,the ,second ,general ,regulation gave the power of presiding1 during the absence of the ,master1 to the last ,past ,master present1 after the lodge had been congregated by the ,senior ,warden2 but two years afterwards1 the rule was repealed1 and the power of presiding in such cases was vested in the ,senior ,warden4 ,and accordingly1 in this country1 it has always been held1 that in the absence of the ,master1 his authority descends to the ,senior ,warden1 who may1 however1 by courtesy1 offer the chair to a ,past ,master present1 after the lodge has been congregated4 ,some jurisdictions have permitted a ,past ,master to preside in the absence of the ,master and both ,wardens1 provided he was a member of that lodge4 ,but ,i confess that ,i can find no warrant for this rule in any portion of our fundamental laws4 ,the power of congregating the lodge in the absence of the ,master has always been confined to the ,wardens2 and it therefore seems to me1 that when both the ,master and ,wardens are absent1 although a ,past ,master may be present1 the lodge cannot be opened4 ,a ,past ,master is eligible for election to the chair1 without again passing through the office of a ,warden4 ,he is also entitled to a seat in the ,east1 and to wear a jewel and collar peculiar to his dignity4 ,by an ancient regulation1 contained in the ,old ,charges1 ,past ,masters alone were eligible to the office of ,grand ,warden4 ,the ,deputy ,grand ,master was also to be selected from among the ,masters1 or ,past ,masters of ,lodges4 ,no such regulation was in existence as to the office of ,grand ,master1 who might be selected from the mass of the fraternity4 ,at the present time1 in this country1 it is usual to select the ,grand officers from among the ,past ,masters of the jurisdiction1 though ,i know of no ancient law making such a regulation obligatory1 except in respect to the affairs of ,grand ,wardens and ,deputy ,grand ,master4 ,chapter ,,vi4 ,of ,affiliation4 ,affiliation is defined to be the act by which a lodge receives a ,mason among its members4 ,a profane is said to be initiated1 but a ,mason is affiliated4#ia ,now the mode in which a ,mason becomes affiliated with a lodge1 in some respects differs from1 and in others resembles1 the mode in which a profane is initiated4 ,a ,mason1 desiring to be affiliated with a lodge1 must apply by petition2 this petition must be referred to a committee for investigation of character1 he must remain in a state of probation for one month1 and must then submit to a ballot1 in which unanimity will be required for his admission4 ,in all these respects1 there is no difference in the modes of regulating applications for initiation and affiliation4 ,the ,fifth and ,sixth ,general ,regulations1 upon which these usages are founded1 draw no distinction between the act of making a ,mason and admitting a member4 ,the two processes are disjunctively connected in the language of both regulations4 ,no man can be made1 or admitted a member 99 99 99 99 without previous notice one month before2 are the words of the ,fifth ,regulation4 ,and in a similar spirit the ,sixth adds3 ,but no man can be entered a ,brother in any particular lodge1 or admitted to be a member thereof1 without the unanimous consent of all the members of that lodge4 ,none but ,master ,masons are permitted to apply for affiliation2 and every ,brother so applying must bring to the lodge to which he applies a certificate of his regular dismission from the lodge of which he was last a member4 ,this document is now usually styled a demit1 and should specify the good standing of the bearer at the time of his resignation or demission4 ,under the regulations of the various ,grand ,lodges of this country1 a profane cannot1 as has been already observed1 apply for initiation in any other lodge than the one nearest to his residence4 ,no such regulation1 however1 exists in relation to the application of a ,mason for affiliation4 ,having once been admitted into the ,order1 he has a right to select the lodge with which he may desire to unite himself4 ,he is not even bound to affiliate with the lodge in which he was initiated1 but after being raised1 may leave it1 without signing the bye-laws1 and attach himself to another4 ,a profane1 having been rejected by a lodge1 can never apply to any other for initiation4 ,but a ,mason1 having been rejected1 on his application for affiliation1 by a lodge1 is not thereby debarred from subsequently making a similar application to any other4 ,in some few jurisdictions a local regulation has of late years been enacted1 that no ,mason shall belong to more than one lodge4 ,it is1 ,i presume1 competent for a ,grand ,lodge to enact such a regulation2 but where such enactment has not taken place1 we must be governed by the ancient and general principle4 ,the ,general ,regulations1 adopted in #agba1 contain no reference to this case2 but in a new regulation1 adopted on the #aith ,february1 #agbc1 it was declared that no ,brother shall belong to more than one lodge within the bills of mortality4 ,this rule was1 therefore1 confined to the lodges in the city of ,london1 and did not affect the country lodges4 ,still1 restricted as it was in its operation1 ,anderson remarks1 this regulation is neglected for several reasons1 and now obsolete4#ib ,custom now in ,england and in other parts of ,europe1 as well as in some few portions of this country1 is adverse to the regulation2 and where no local law exists in a particular jurisdiction1 ,i know of no principle of masonic jurisprudence which forbids a ,mason to affiliate himself with more than one lodge4 ,the only objection to it is one which must be urged1 not by the ,order1 but by the individual4 ,it is1 that his duties and his responsibilities are thus multiplied1 as well as his expenses4 ,if he is willing to incur all this additional weight in running his race of ,masonry1 it is not for others to resist this exuberance of zeal4 ,the ,mason1 however1 who is affiliated with more than one lodge1 must remember that he is subject to the independent jurisdiction of each2 may for the same offense be tried in each1 and1 although acquitted by all except one1 that1 if convicted by that one1 his conviction will1 if he be suspended or expelled1 work his suspension or expulsion in all the others4 ,chapter ,,vii4 ,of ,demitting4 ,to demit from a lodge is to resign one's membership1 on which occasion a certificate of good standing and a release from all dues is given to the applicant1 which is technically called a demit4 ,the right to demit or resign never has1 until within a few years1 been denied4 ,in #ahec1 the ,grand ,lodge of ,connecticut adopted a regulation that no lodge should grant a demit to any of its members1 except for the purpose of joining some other lodge2 and that no member shall be considered as having withdrawn from one lodge until he has actually become a member of another4 ,similar regulations have been either adopted or proposed by a few other ,grand ,lodges1 but ,i much doubt both their expediency and their legality4 ,this compulsory method of keeping ,masons1 after they have once been made1 seems to me to be as repugnant to the voluntary character of our institution as would be a compulsory mode of making them in the beginning4 ,the expediency of such a regulation is also highly questionable4 ,every candidate is required to come to our doors of his own free will and accord1 and surely we should desire to keep none among us after that free will is no longer felt4 ,we are all familiar with the ,hudibrastic adage1 that ,a man convinced against his will1 ,is of the same opinion still1 and he who is no longer actuated by that ardent esteem for the institution which would generate a wish to continue his membership1 could scarcely have his slumbering zeal awakened1 or his coldness warmed by the bolts and bars of a regulation that should keep him a reluctant prisoner within the walls from which he would gladly escape4 ,masons with such dispositions we can gladly spare from our ranks4 ,the ,ancient ,charges1 while they assert that every ,mason should belong to a lodge1 affix no penalty for disobedience4 ,no man can be compelled to continue his union with a society1 whether it be religious1 political1 or social1 any longer than will suit his own inclinations or sense of duty4 ,to interfere with this inalienable prerogative of a freeman would be an infringement on private rights4 ,a ,mason's initiation was voluntary1 and his continuance in the ,order must be equally so4 ,but no man is entitled to a demit1 unless at the time of demanding it he be in good standing and free from all charges4 ,if under charges for crime1 he must remain and abide his trial1 or if in arrears1 must pay up his dues4 ,there is1 however1 one case of demission for which a special law has been enacted4 ,that is1 when several ,brethren at the same time request demits from a lodge4 ,as this action is sometimes the result of pique or anger1 and as the withdrawal of several members at once might seriously impair the prosperity1 or perhaps even endanger the very existence of the lodge1 it has been expressly forbidden by the ,general ,regulations1 unless the lodge has become too numerous for convenient working2 and not even then is permitted except by a ,dispensation4 ,the words of this law are to be found in the ,eighth ,general ,regulation1 as follows3 ,no set or number of ,brethren shall withdraw or separate themselves from the lodge in which they were made ,brethren1 or were afterwards admitted members1 unless the lodge becomes too numerous2 nor even then1 without a dispensation from the ,grand ,master or his ,deputy2 and when they are thus separated1 they must either immediately join themselves to such other lodge as they shall like best1 with the unanimous consent of that other lodge to which they go1 or else they must obtain the ,grand ,master's warrant to join in forming a new lodge4 ,it seems1 therefore1 that1 although a lodge cannot deny the right of a single member to demit1 when a sort of conspiracy may be supposed to be formed1 and several ,brethren present their petitions for demits at one and the same time1 the lodge may not only refuse1 but is bound to do so1 unless under a dispensation1 which dispensation can only be given in the case of an over-populous lodge4 ,with these restrictions and qualifications1 it cannot be doubted that every ,master ,mason has a right to demit from his lodge at his own pleasure4 ,what will be the result upon himself1 in his future relations to the ,order1 of such demission1 will constitute the subject of the succeeding chapter4 ,chapter ,,viii4 ,of ,unaffiliated ,masons4 ,an unaffiliated ,mason is one who is not connected by membership with any lodge4 ,there can be no doubt that such a position is contrary to the spirit of our institution1 and that affiliation is a duty obligatory on every ,mason4 ,the ,old ,charges1 which have been so often cited as the fundamental law of ,masonry1 say on this subject3 every ,brother ought to belong to a lodge and to be subject to its bye-laws and the ,general ,regulations4 ,explicitly as this doctrine has been announced1 it has been too little observed1 in consequence of no precise penalty having been annexed to its violation4 ,in all times1 unaffiliated ,masons have existed--,masons who have withdrawn from all active participation in the duties and responsibilities of the ,order1 and who1 when in the hour of danger or distress1 have not hesitated to claim its protection or assistance1 while they have refused in the day of their prosperity to add anything to its wealth1 its power1 or its influence4 ,in this country1 the anti-masonic persecutions of #ahbh1 and a few years subsequently1 by causing the cessation of many lodges1 threw a vast number of ,brethren out of all direct connection with the institution2 on the restoration of peace1 and the renewal of labor by the lodges1 too many of these ,brethren neglected to reunite themselves with the craft1 and thus remained unaffiliated4 ,the habit1 thus introduced1 was followed by others1 until the sin of unaffiliation has at length arrived at such a point of excess1 as to have become a serious evil1 and to have attracted the attention and received the condemnation of almost every ,grand ,lodge4 ,a few ,grand ,lodges have denied the right of a ,mason permanently to demit from the ,order4 ,texas1 for instance1 has declared that it does not recognize the right of a ,mason to demit or separate himself from the lodge in which he was made1 or may afterwards be admitted1 except for the purpose of joining another lodge1 or when he may be about to remove without the jurisdiction of the lodge of which he may be a member4#ic ,a few other ,grand ,lodges have adopted a similar regulation2 but the prevailing opinion of the authorities appears to be1 that it is competent to interfere with the right to demit1 certain rights and prerogatives being1 however1 lost by such demission4 ,arkansas1 ,missouri1 ,ohio1 and one or two other ,grand ,lodges1 while not positively denying the right of demission1 have at various times levied a tax or contribution on the demitted or unaffiliated ,masons within their respective jurisdictions4 ,this principle1 however1 has also failed to obtain the general concurrence of other ,grand ,lodges1 and some of them1 as ,maryland1 have openly denounced it4 ,after a careful examination of the authorities1 ,i cannot deny to any man the right of withdrawing1 whensoever he pleases1 from a voluntary association--the laws of the land would not sustain us in the enforcement of such a regulation2 and our own self-respect should prevent us from attempting it4 ,if1 then1 he has a right to withdraw1 it clearly follows that we have no right to tax him1 which is only one mode of inflicting a fine or penalty for an act1 the right to do which we have acceded4 ,in the strong language of the ,committee of ,correspondence of ,maryland3#id ,the object of ,masonry never was to extort1 nolens volens1 money from its votaries4 ,such are not its principles or teaching4 ,the advocating such doctrines cannot advance the interest or reputation of the institution2 but will1 as your committee fear1 do much to destroy its usefulness4 ,compulsive membership deprives it of the title1 ,free and ,accepted4 ,but as it is an undoubted precept of the ,order that every ,mason should belong to a lodge1 and contribute1 so far as his means will allow1 to the support of the institution1 and as1 by his demission1 for other than temporary purposes1 he violates the principles and disobeys the precepts of the ,order1 it naturally follows that his withdrawal must place him in a different position from that which he would occupy as an affiliated ,mason4 ,it is now time for us to inquire what that new position is4 ,we may say1 then1 that1 whenever a ,mason permanently withdraws his membership1 he at once1 and while he continues unaffiliated1 dissevers all connection between himself and the ,lodge organization of the ,order4 ,he1 by this act1 divests himself of all the rights and privileges which belong to him as a member of that organization4 ,among these rights and privileges are those of visitation1 of pecuniary aid1 and of masonic burial4 ,whenever he approaches the door of a lodge1 asking to enter or seeking for assistance1 he is to be met in the light of a profane4 ,he may knock1 but the door must not be opened--he may ask1 but he is not to receive4 ,the work of the lodge is not to be shared by those who have thrown aside their aprons and their implements1 and abandoned the labors of the ,temple--the funds of the lodge are to be distributed only among these who are aiding1 by their individual contributions1 to the formation of similar funds in other lodges4 ,but from the well-known and universally-admitted maxim of once a ,mason1 and always a ,mason1 it follows that a demitted ,brother cannot by such demission divest himself of all his masonic responsibilities to his ,brethren1 nor be deprived of their correlative responsibility to him4 ,an unaffiliated ,mason is still bound by certain obligations1 of which he cannot1 under any circumstances1 divest himself1 and by similar obligations are the fraternity bound to him4 ,these relate to the duties of secrecy and of aid in the imminent hour of peril4 ,of the first of these there can be no doubt2 and as to the last1 the words of the precept directing it leaves us no option2 nor is it a time when the ,g4,h4,s4 of ,d4 is thrown out to inquire into the condition of the party4 ,speaking on this subject1 ,brother ,albert ,pike1 in his report to the ,grand ,lodge of ,arkansas1 says if a person appeals to us as a ,mason in imminent peril1 or such pressing need that we have not time to inquire into his worthiness1 then1 lest we might refuse to relieve and aid a worthy ,brother1 we must not stop to inquire as to anything4 ,but ,i do not think that the learned ,brother has put the case in the strongest light4 ,it is not alone lest we might refuse to relieve and aid a worthy ,brother1 that we are in cases of imminent peril to make no pause for deliberation4 ,but it is because we are bound by our highest obligations at all times1 and to all ,masons1 to give that aid when duly called for4 ,i may1 then1 after this somewhat protracted discussion1 briefly recapitulate the position1 the rights and the responsibilities of an unaffiliated ,mason as follows3 #a4 ,an unaffiliated ,mason is still bound by all his masonic duties and obligations1 excepting those connected with the organization of the lodge4 #b4 ,he has a right to aid in imminent peril when he asks for that aid in the proper and conventional way4 #c4 ,he loses the right to receive pecuniary relief4 #d4 ,he loses the general right to visit#ie lodges1 or to walk in masonic processions4 #e4 ,he loses the right of masonic burial4 #f4 ,he still remains subject to the government of the ,order1 and may be tried and punished for any offense as an affiliated ,mason would be1 by the lodge within whose geographical jurisdiction he resides4 ,book ,fourth4 ,of ,masonic ,crimes and ,punishments4 ,chapter ,i4 ,of ,what ,are ,masonic ,crimes4 ,the division of wrongs1 by the writers on municipal law1 into private and public1 or civil injuries and crimes and misdemeanors1 does not apply to the jurisprudence of ,freemasonry4 ,here all wrongs are crimes1 because they are a violation of the precepts of the institution2 and an offense against an individual is punished1 not so much because it is a breach of his private rights1 as because it affects the well-being of the whole masonic community4 ,in replying to the question1 what are masonic crimes8 by which is meant what crimes are punishable by the constituted authorities1 our safest guide will be that fundamental law which is contained in the ,old ,charges4 ,these give a concise1 but succinct summary of the duties of a ,mason1 and1 of course1 whatever is a violation of any one of these duties will constitute a masonic crime1 and the perpetrator will be amenable to masonic punishment4 ,but before entering on the consideration of these penal offenses1 it will be well that we should relieve the labor of the task1 by inquiring what crimes or offenses are not supposed to come within the purview of masonic jurisprudence4 ,religion and politics are subjects which it is well known are stringently forbidden to be introduced into ,masonry4 ,and hence arises the doctrine1 that ,masonry will not take congnizance of religious or political offenses4 ,heresy1 for instance1 is not a masonic crime4 ,masons are obliged to use the words of the ,old ,charges1 to that religion in which all men agree1 leaving their particular opinions to themselves2 and1 therefore1 as long as a ,mason acknowledges his belief in the existence of one ,god1 a lodge can take no action on his peculiar opinions1 however heterodox they may be4 ,in like manner1 although all the most ancient and universally-received precepts of the institution inculcate obedience to the civil powers1 and strictly forbid any mingling in plots or conspiracies against the peace and welfare of the nation1 yet no offense against the state1 which is simply political in its character1 can be noticed by a lodge4 ,on this important subject1 the ,old ,charges are remarkably explicit4 ,they say1 putting perhaps the strongest case by way of exemplifying the principle1 that if a ,brother should be a rebel against the ,state1 he is not to be countenanced in his rebellion1 however he may be pitied as an unhappy man2 and1 if convicted of no other crime1 though the loyal ,brotherhood must and ought to disown his rebellion1 and give no umbrage or ground of political jealousy to the government for the time being1 they cannot expel him from the lodge1 and his relation to it remains indefeasible ,the lodge can1 therefore1 take no cognizance of religious or political offenses4 ,the first charge says3 a ,mason is obliged by his tenure to obey the moral law4 ,now1 although1 in a theological sense1 the ten commandments are said to embrace and constitute the moral law1 because they are its best exponent1 yet jurists have given to the term a more general latitude1 in defining the moral laws to be the eternal1 immutable laws of good and evil1 to which the ,creator himself1 in all dispensations1 conforms1 and which he has enabled human reason to discover1 so far as they are necessary for the conduct of human actions4#if ,perhaps the well known summary of ,justinian will give the best idea of what this law is1 namely1 that we should live honestly1 7that is to say1 without reproach17#ig should injure nobody1 and render to every one his just due4 ,if such1 then1 be the meaning of the moral law1 and if every ,mason is by his tenure obliged to obey it1 it follows1 that all such crimes as profane swearing or great impiety in any form1 neglect of social and domestic duties1 murder and its concomitant vices of cruelty and hatred1 adultery1 dishonesty in any shape1 perjury or malevolence1 and habitual falsehood1 inordinate covetousness1 and in short1 all those ramifications of these leading vices which injuriously affect the relations of man to ,god1 his neighbor1 and himself1 are proper subjects of lodge jurisdiction4 ,whatever moral defects constitute the bad man1 make also the bad ,mason1 and consequently come under the category of masonic offenses4 ,the principle is so plain and comprehensible as to need no further exemplification4 ,it is sufficient to say that1 whenever an act done by a ,mason is contrary to or subsersive of the three great duties which he owes to ,god1 his neighbor1 and himself1 it becomes at once a subject of masonic investigation1 and of masonic punishment4 ,but besides these offenses against the universal moral law1 there are many others arising from the peculiar nature of our institution4 ,among these we may mention1 and in their order1 those that are enumerated in the several sections of the ,sixth ,chapter of the ,old ,charges4 ,these are1 unseemly and irreverent conduct in the lodge1 all excesses of every kind1 private piques or quarrels brought into the lodge2 imprudent conversation in relation to ,masonry in the presence of uninitiated strangers2 refusal to relieve a worthy distressed ,brother1 if in your power2 and all wrangling1 quarreling1 back-biting1 and slander4 ,the lectures in the various degrees1 and the ,ancient ,charges read on the installation of the ,master of a lodge1 furnish us with other criteria for deciding what are peculiarly masonic offenses4 ,all of them need not be detailed2 but among them may be particularly mentioned the following3 ,all improper revelations1 undue solicitations for candidates1 angry and over-zealous arguments in favor of ,masonry with its enemies1 every act which tends to impair the unsullied purity of the ,order1 want of reverence for and obedience to masonic superiors1 the expression of a contemptuous opinion of the original rulers and patrons of ,masonry1 or of the institution itself2 all countenance of impostors2 and lastly1 holding masonic communion with clandestine ,masons1 or visiting irregular lodges4 ,from this list1 which1 extended as it is1 might easily have been enlarged1 it will be readily seen1 that the sphere of masonic penal jurisdiction is by no means limited4 ,it should1 therefore1 be the object of every ,mason1 to avoid the censure or reproach of his ,brethren1 by strictly confining himself as a point within that circle of duty which1 at his first initiation1 was presented to him as an object worthy of his consideration4 ,chapter ,,ii4 ,of ,masonic ,punishments4 ,having occupied the last chapter in a consideration of what constitute masonic crimes1 it is next in order to inquire how these offenses are to be punished2 and accordingly ,i propose in the following sections to treat of the various modes in which masonic law is vindicated1 commencing with the slightest mode of punishment1 which is censure1 and proceeding to the highest1 or expulsion from all the rights and privileges of the ,order4 ,section ,i4 ,of ,censure4 ,a censure is the mildest form of punishment that can be inflicted by a lodge2 and as it is simply the expression of an opinion by the members of the lodge1 that they do not approve of the conduct of the person implicated1 in a particular point of view1 and as it does not in any degree affect the masonic standing of the one censured1 nor for a moment suspend or abridge his rights and benefits1 ,i have no doubt that it may be done on a mere motion1 without previous notice1 and adopted1 as any other resolution1 by a bare majority of the members present4 ,masonic courtesy would1 however1 dictate that notice should be given to the ,brother1 if absent1 that such a motion of censure is about to be proposed or considered1 to enable him to show cause1 if any he have1 why he should not be censured4 ,but such notice is not1 as ,i have said1 necessary to the legality of the vote of censure4 ,a vote of censure will sometimes1 however1 be the result of a trial1 and in that case its adoption must be governed by the rules of masonic trials1 which are hereafter to be laid down4 ,section ,,ii4 ,of ,reprimand4 ,a reprimand is the next mildest form of masonic punishment4 ,it should never be adopted on a mere motion1 but should always be the result of a regular trial1 in which the party may have the opportunity of defense4 ,a reprimand may be either private or public4 ,if to be given in private1 none should be present but the ,master and the offender2 or1 if given by letter1 no copy of that letter should be preserved4 ,if given in public1 the lodge is the proper place1 and the reprimand should be given by the ,master from his appropriate station4 ,the ,master is always the executive officer of the lodge1 and in carrying out the sentence he must exercise his own prudent discretion as to the mode of delivery and form of words4 ,a reprimand1 whether private or public1 does not affect the masonic standing of the offender4 ,section ,,iii4 ,of ,exclusion from the ,lodge4 ,exclusion from a lodge may be of various degrees4 #a4 ,a member may for indecorous or unmasonic conduct be excluded from a single meeting of the lodge4 ,this may be done by the ,master1 under a provision of the bye-laws giving him the authority1 or on his own responsibility1 in which case he is amenable to the ,grand ,lodge for the correctness of his decision4 ,exclusion in this way does not affect the masonic standing of the person excluded1 and does not require a previous trial4 ,i cannot entertain any doubt that the ,master of a lodge has the right to exclude temporarily any member or ,mason1 when he thinks that either his admission1 if outside1 or his continuance within1 if present1 will impair the peace and harmony of the lodge4 ,it is a prerogative necessary to the faithful performance of his duties1 and inalienable from his great responsibility to the ,grand ,lodge for the proper government of the ,craft intrusted to his care4 ,if1 as it is described in the ancient manner of constituting a lodge1 the ,master is charged to preserve the cement of the ,lodge1 it would be folly to give him such a charge1 unless he were invested with the power to exclude an unruly or disorderly member4 ,but as ,masters are enjoined not to rule their lodges in an unjust or arbitrary manner1 and as every ,mason is clearly entitled to redress for any wrong that has been done to him1 it follows that the ,master is responsible to the ,grand ,lodge for the manner in which he has executed the vast power intrusted to him1 and he may be tried and punished by that body1 for excluding a member1 when the motives of the act and the other circumstances of the exclusion were not such as to warrant the exercise of his prerogative4 #b4 ,a member may be excluded from his lodge for a definite or indefinite period1 on account of the non-payment of arrears4 ,this punishment may be inflicted in different modes1 and under different names4 ,it is sometimes called1 suspension from the lodge1 and sometimes erasure from the roll4 ,both of these punishments1 though differing in their effect1 are pronounced1 not after a trial1 but by a provision of the bye-laws of the lodge4 ,for this reason alone1 if there were no other1 ,i should contend1 that they do not affect the standing of the member suspended1 or erased1 with relation to the craft in general4 ,no ,mason can be deprived of his masonic rights1 except after a trial1 with the opportunity of defense1 and a verdict of his peers4 ,but before coming to a definite conclusion on this subject1 it is necessary that we should view the subject in another point of view1 in which it will be seen that a suspension from the rights and benefits of ,masonry1 for the non-payment of dues1 is entirely at variance with the true principles of the ,order4 ,the system of payment of lodge-dues does not by any means belong to the ancient usages of the fraternity4 ,it is a modern custom1 established for purposes of convenience1 and arising out of other modifications1 in the organization of the ,order4 ,it is not an obligation on the part of a ,mason1 to the institution at large1 but is in reality a special contract1 in which the only parties are a particular lodge and its members1 of which the fraternity1 as a mass1 are to know nothing4 ,it is not presented by any general masonic law1 nor any universal masonic precept4 ,no ,grand ,lodge has ever yet attempted to control or regulate it1 and it is thus tacitly admitted to form no part of the general regulations of the ,order4 ,even in that ,old ,charge in which a lodge is described1 and the necessity of membership in is enforced1 not a word is said of the payment of arrears to it1 or of the duty of contributing to its support4 ,hence the non-payment of arrears is a violation of a special and voluntary contract with a lodge1 and not of any general duty to the craft at large4 ,the corollary from all this is1 evidently1 that the punishment inflicted in such a case should be one affecting the relations of the delinquent with the particular lodge whose bye-laws he has infringed1 and not a general one1 affecting his relations with the whole ,order4 ,after a consideration of all these circumstances1 ,i am constrained to think that suspension from alodge1 for non-payment of arrears1 should only suspend the rights of the member as to his own lodge1 but should not affect his right of visiting other lodges1 nor any of the other privileges inherent in him as a ,mason4 ,such is not1 ,i confess1 the general opinion1 or usage of the craft in this country1 but yet ,i cannot but believe that it is the doctrine most consonant with the true spirit of the institution4 ,it is the practice pursued by the ,grand ,lodge of ,england1 from which most of our ,grand ,lodges derive1 directly or indirectly1 their existence4 ,it is also the regulation of the ,grand ,lodge of ,massachusetts4 ,the ,grand ,lodge of ,south ,carolina expressly forbids suspension from the rights and benefits of ,masonry for non-payment of dues1 and the ,grand ,lodge of ,new ,york has a similar provision in its ,constitution4 ,of the two modes of exclusion from a lodge for non-payment of dues1 namely1 suspension and erasure1 the effects are very different4 ,suspension does not abrogate the connection between the member and his lodge1 and places his rights in abeyance only4 ,upon the payment of the debt1 he is at once restored without other action of the lodge4 ,but erasure from the roll terminates all connection between the delinquent and the lodge1 and he ceases to be a member of it4 ,payment of the dues1 simply1 will not restore him2 for it is necessary that he should again be elected by the ,brethren1 upon formal application4 ,the word exclusion has a meaning in ,england differing from that in which it has been used in the present section4 ,there the prerogative of expulsion is1 as ,i think very rightly1 exercised only by the ,grand ,lodge4 ,the term expelled is therefore used only when a ,brother is removed from the craft1 by the ,grand ,lodge4 ,the removal by a ,district ,grand ,lodge1 or a subordinate lodge1 is called exclusion4 ,the effect1 however1 of the punishment of exclusion1 is similar to that which has been here advocated4 ,section ,,iv4 ,of ,definite ,suspension4 ,suspension is a punishment by which a party is temporarily deprived of his rights and privileges as a ,mason4 ,it does not terminate his connection with the craft1 but only places it in abeyance1 and it may again be resumed in a mode hereafter to be indicated4 ,suspension may be1 in relation to time1 either definite or indefinite4 ,and as the effects produced upon the delinquent1 especially in reference to the manner of his restoration1 are different1 it is proper that each should be separately considered4 ,in a case of definite suspension1 the time for which the delinquent is to be suspended1 whether for one month1 for three1 or six months1 or for a longer or shorter period1 is always mentioned in the sentence4 ,at its termination1 the party suspended is at once restored without further action of the lodge4 ,but as this is a point upon which there has been some difference of opinion1 the argument will be fully discussed in the chapter on the subject of ,restoration4 ,by a definite suspension1 the delinquent is for a time placed beyond the pale of ,masonry4 ,he is deprived of all his rights as a ,master ,mason--is not permitted to visit any lodge1 or hold masonic communication with his ,brethren--is not entitled to masonic relief1 and should he die during his suspension1 is not entitled to masonic burial4 ,in short1 the amount of punishment differs from that of indefinite suspension or expulsion only in the period of time for which it is inflicted4 ,the punishment of definite suspension is the lightest that can be inflicted of those which affect the relations of a ,mason with the fraternity at large4 ,it must always be preceded by a trial1 and the prevalent opinion is1 that it may be inflicted by a two-thirds vote of the lodge4 ,section ,v4 ,of ,indefinite ,suspension4 ,indefinite suspension is a punishment by which the person suspended is deprived of all his rights and privileges as a ,mason1 until such time as the lodge which has suspended him shall see fit1 by a special action1 to restore him4 ,all that has been said of definite suspension in the preceding section1 will equally apply to indefinite suspension1 except that in the former case the suspended person is at once restored by the termination of the period for which he was suspended2 while in the latter1 as no period of termination had been affixed1 a special resolution of the lodge will be necessary to effect a restoration4 ,by suspension the connection of the party with his lodge and with the institution is not severed2 he still remains a member of his lodge1 although his rights as such are placed in abeyance4 ,in this respect it materially differs from expulsion1 and1 as an inferior grade of punishment1 is inflicted for offenses of a lighter character than those for which expulsion is prescribed4 ,the question here arises1 whether the dues of a suspended member to his lodge continue to accrue during his suspension8 ,i think they do not4 ,dues or arrears are payments made to a lodge for certain rights and benefits--the exercise and enjoyment of which are guaranteed to the member1 in consideration of the dues thus paid4 ,but as by suspension1 whether definite or indefinite1 he is for the time deprived of these rights and benefits1 it would seem unjust to require from him a payment for that which he does not enjoy4 ,i hold1 therefore1 that suspension from the rights and benefits of ,masonry1 includes also a suspension from the payment of arrears4 ,no one can be indefinitely suspended1 unless after a due form of trial1 and upon the vote of at least two-thirds of the members present4 ,section ,,vi4 ,of ,expulsion4#ih ,expulsion is the very highest penalty that can be inflicted upon a delinquent ,mason4 ,it deprives the party expelled of all the masonic rights and privileges that he ever enjoyed1 not only as a member of the lodge from which he has been ejected1 but also of all those which were inherent in him as a member of the fraternity at large4 ,he is at once as completely divested of his masonic character as though he had never been admitted into the institution4 ,he can no longer demand the aid of his ,brethren1 nor require from them the performance of any of the duties to which he was formerly entitled1 nor visit any lodge1 nor unite in any of the public or private ceremonies of the ,order4 ,no conversation on masonic subjects can be held with him1 and he is to be considered as being completely without the pale of the institution1 and to be looked upon in the same light as a profane1 in relation to the communication of any masonic information4 ,it is a custom too generally adopted in this country1 for subordinate lodges to inflict this punishment1 and hence it is supposed by many1 that the power of inflicting it is vested in the subordinate lodges4 ,but the fact is1 that the only proper tribunal to impose this heavy penalty is a ,grand ,lodge4 ,a subordinate may1 indeed1 try its delinquent member1 and if guilty declare him expelled4 ,but the sentence is of no force until the ,grand ,lodge1 under whose jurisdiction it is working1 has confirmed it4 ,and it is optional with the ,grand ,lodge to do so1 or1 as is frequently done1 to reverse the decision and reinstate the ,brother4 ,some of the lodges in this country claim the right to expel independently of the action of the ,grand ,lodge1 but the claim is not valid4 ,the very fact that an expulsion is a penalty1 affecting the general relations of the punished party with the whole fraternity1 proves that its exercise never could1 with propriety1 be intrusted to a body so circumscribed in its authority as a subordinate lodge4 ,besides1 the general practice of the fraternity is against it4 ,the ,english ,constitutions vest the power to expel exclusively in the ,grand ,lodge4#ii ,the severity of the punishment will at once indicate the propriety of inflicting it only for the most serious offenses1 such1 for instance1 as immoral conduct1 that would subject a candidate for initiation to rejection4 ,as the punishment is general1 affecting the relation of the one expelled with the whole fraternity1 it should not be lightly imposed1 for the violation of any masonic act not general in its character4 ,the commission of a grossly immoral act is a violation of the contract entered into between each ,mason and his ,order4 ,if sanctioned by silence or impunity1 it would bring discredit on the institution1 and tend to impair its usefulness4 ,a ,mason who is a bad man1 is to the fraternity what a mortified limb is to the body1 and should be treated with the same mode of cure--he should be cut off1 lest his example spread1 and disease be propagated through the constitution4 ,the punishment of expulsion can only be inflicted after a due course of trial1 and upon the votes of at least two-thirds of the members present1 and should always be submitted for approval and confirmation to the ,grand ,lodge4 ,one question here arises1 in respect not only to expulsion but to the other masonic punishments1 of which ,i have treated in the preceding sections3--,does suspension or expulsion from a ,chapter of ,royal ,arch ,masons1 an ,encampment of ,knights ,templar1 or any other of what are called the higher degrees of ,masonry1 affect the relations of the expelled party to ,symbolic or ,ancient ,craft ,masonry8 ,i answer1 unhesitatingly1 that it does not1 and for reasons which1 years ago1 ,i advanced1 in the following language1 and which appear to have met with the approval of the most of my contemporaries3-- ,a chapter of ,royal ,arch ,masons1 for instance1 is not1 and cannot be1 recognized as a masonic body1 by a lodge of ,master ,masons4 ',they hear them so to be1 but they do not know them so to be1' by any of the modes of recognition known to ,masonry4 ,the acts1 therefore1 of a ,chapter cannot be recognized by a ,master ,masons' lodge1 any more than the acts of a literary or charitable society wholly unconnected with the ,order4 ,again3 ,by the present organization of ,freemasonry1 ,grand ,lodges are the supreme masonic tribunals4 ,if1 therefore1 expulsion from a ,chapter of ,royal ,arch ,masons involved expulsion from a ,blue ,lodge1 the right of the ,grand ,lodge to hear and determine causes1 and to regulate the internal concerns of the institution1 would be interfered with by another body beyond its control4 ,but the converse of this proposition does not hold good4 ,expulsion from a ,blue ,lodge involves expulsion from all the higher degrees2 because1 as they are composed of ,blue ,masons1 the members could not of right sit and hold communications on masonic subjects with one who was an expelled ,mason4#ajj ,chapter ,,iii4 ,of ,masonic ,trials4 ,having thus discussed the penalties which are affixed to masonic offenses1 we are next to inquire into the process of trial by which a lodge determines on the guilt or innocence of the accused4 ,this subject will be the most conveniently considered by a division into two sections2 first1 as to the form of trial2 and secondly1 as to the character of the evidence4 ,section ,i4 ,of the ,form of ,trial4 ,although the authority for submitting masonic offenses to trials by lodges is derived from the ,old ,charges1 none of the ancient regulations of the ,order have prescribed the details by which these trials are to be governed4 ,the form of trial must1 therefore1 be obtained from the customs and usages of the craft1 and from the regulations which have been adopted by various ,grand ,lodges4 ,the present section will1 therefore1 furnish a summary of these regulations as they are generally observed in this country4 ,a charge or statement of the offense imputed to the party is always a preliminary step to every trial4 ,this charge must be made in writing1 signed by the accuser1 and delivered to the ,secretary1 who reads it at the next regular communication of the lodge4 ,a time and place are then appointed by the lodge for the trial4 ,the accused is entitled to a copy of the charge1 and must be informed of the time and place that have been appointed for his trial4 ,although it is necessary that the accusation should be preferred at a stated communication1 so that no one may be taken at a disadvantage1 the trial may take place at a special communication4 ,but ample time and opportunity should always be given to the accused to prepare his defense4 ,it is not essential that the accuser should be a ,mason4 ,a charge of immoral conduct can be preferred by a profane2 and if the offense is properly stated1 and if it comes within the jurisdiction of the ,order or the lodge1 it must be investigated4 ,it is not the accuser but the accused that ,is to be put on trial1 and the lodge is to look only to the nature of the accusation1 and not to the individual who prefers it4 ,the motives of the accuser1 but not his character1 may be examined4 ,if the accused is living beyond the jurisdiction of the lodge--that is to say1 if he be a member and have removed to some other place without withdrawing his membership1 not being a member1 or if1 after committing the offense1 he has left the jurisdiction1 the charge must be transmitted to his present place of residence1 by mail or otherwise1 and a reasonable time be allowed for his answer before the lodge proceeds to trial4 ,the lodge should be opened in the highest degree to which the accused has attained2 and the examinations should take place in the presence of the accused and the accuser 7if the latter be a ,mason72 but the final decision should always be made in the third degree4 ,the accused and the accuser have a right to be present at all examinations of witnesses1 whether those examinations are taken in open lodge or in a committee1 and to propose such relevant questions as they desire4 ,when the trial is concluded1 the accused and accuser should retire1 and the ,master or presiding officer must then put the question of guilty or not guilty to the lodge4 ,of course1 if there are several charges or specifications1 the question must be taken on each separately4 ,for the purposes of security and independence in the expression of opinion1 it seems generally conceded1 that this question should be decided by ballot2 and the usage has also obtained1 of requiring two-thirds of the votes given to be black1 to secure a conviction4 ,a white ball1 of course1 is equivalent to acquittal1 and a black one to conviction4 ,every member present is bound to vote1 unless excused by unanimous consent4 ,if1 on a scrutiny1 it is found that the verdict is guilty1 the ,master or presiding officer must then put the question as to the amount and nature of the punishment to be inflicted4 ,he will commence with the highest penalty1 or expulsion1 and1 if necessary1 by that punishment being negatived1 proceed to propose indefinite and then definite suspension1 exclusion1 public or private reprimand1 and censure4 ,for expulsion or either kind of suspension1 two-thirds of the votes present are necessary4 ,for either of the other and lighter penalties1 a bare majority will be sufficient4 ,the votes on the nature of the punishment should be taken by a show of hands4 ,if the residence of the accused is not known1 or if1 upon due summons1 he refuses or neglects to attend1 the lodge may1 nevertheless1 proceed to trial without his presence4 ,in trials conducted by ,grand ,lodges1 it is usual to take the preliminary testimony in a committee2 but the final decision must always be made in the ,grand ,lodge4 ,section ,,ii4 ,of the ,evidence in ,masonic ,trials4 ,in the consideration of the nature of the evidence that is to be given in masonic trials1 it is proper that we should first inquire what classes of persons are to be deemed incompetent as witnesses4 ,the law of the land1 which1 in this instance1 is the same as the law of ,masonry1 has declared the following classes of person to be incompetent to give evidence4 #a4 ,persons who have not the use of reason1 are1 from the infirmity of their nature1 considered to be utterly incapable of giving evidence4#aja ,this class includes idiots1 madmen1 and children too young to be sensible of the obligations of an oath1 and to distinguish between good and evil4 #b4 ,persons who are entirely devoid of any such religious principle or belief as would bind their consciences to speak the truth1 are incompetent as witnesses4 ,hence1 the testimony of an atheist must be rejected2 because1 as it has been well said1 such a person cannot be subject to that sanction which is deemed an indispensable test of truth4 ,but as ,masonry does not demand of its candidates any other religious declaration than that of a belief in ,god1 it cannot require of the witnesses in its trials any profession of a more explicit faith4 ,but even here it seems to concur with the law of the land2 for it has been decided by ,chief ,baron ,willes1 that an infidel who believes in a ,god1 and that ,he will reward and punish him in this world1 but does not believe in a future state1 may be examined upon oath4 #c4 ,persons who have been rendered infamous by their conviction of great crimes1 are deemed incompetent to give evidence4 ,this rule has been adopted1 because the commission of an infamous crime implies1 as ,sir ,william ,scott has observed1 such a dereliction of moral principle on the part of the witness1 as carries with it the conclusion that he would entirely disregard the obligation of an oath4 ,of such a witness it has been said1 by another eminent judge1#ajb that the credit of his oath is over-balanced by the stain of his iniquity4 #d4 ,persons interested in the result of the trial are considered incompetent to give evidence4 ,from the nature of human actions and passions1 and from the fact that all persons1 even the most virtuous1 are unconsciously swayed by motives of interest1 the testimony of such persons is rather to be distrusted than believed4 ,this rule will1 perhaps1 be generally of difficult application in masonic trials1 although in a civil suit at law it is easy to define what is the interest of a party sufficient to render his evidence incompetent4 ,but whenever it is clearly apparent that the interests of a witness would be greatly benefited by either the acquittal or the conviction of the accused1 his testimony must be entirely rejected1 or1 if admitted1 its value must be weighed with the most scrupulous caution4 ,such are the rules that the wisdom of successive generations of men1 learned in the law1 have adopted for the establishment of the competency or incompetency of witnesses4 ,there is nothing in them which conflicts with the principles of justice1 or with the ,constitutions of ,freemasonry2 and hence they may1 very properly1 be considered as a part of our own code4 ,in determining1 therefore1 the rule for the admission of witnesses in masonic trials1 we are to be governed by the simple proposition that has been enunciated by ,mr4 ,justice ,lawrence in the following language3 ,i find no rule less comprehensive than this1 that all persons are admissible witnesses who have the use of their reason1 and such religious belief as to feel the obligation of an oath1 who have not been convicted of any infamous crime1 and who are not influenced by interest4 ,the peculiar1 isolated character of our institution1 here suggests as an important question1 whether it is admissible to take the testimony of a profane1 or person who is not a ,freemason1 in the trial of a ,mason before his lodge4 ,to this question ,i feel compelled to reply1 that such testimony is generally admissible2 but1 as there are special cases in which it is not1 it seems proper to qualify that reply by a brief inquiry into the grounds and reasons of this admissibility1 and the mode and manner in which such testimony is to be taken4 ,the great object of every trial1 in ,masonry1 as elsewhere1 is to elicit truth2 and1 in the spirit of truth1 to administer justice4 ,from whatever source1 therefore1 this truth can be obtained1 it is not only competent there to seek it1 but it is obligatory on us so to do4 ,this is the principle of law as well as of common sense4 ,mr4 ,phillips1 in the beginning of his great ,treatise on the ,law of ,evidence1 says3 ,in inquiries upon this subject1 the great end and object ought always to be1 the ascertaining of the most convenient and surest means for the attainment of truth2 the rules laid down are the means used for the attainment of that end4 ,now1 if ,a1 who is a ,freemason1 shall have committed an offense1 of which ,b and ,c alone were cognizant as witnesses1 shall it be said that ,a must be acquitted for want of proof1 because ,b and ,c are not members of the ,order8 ,we apprehend that in this instance the ends of justice would be defeated1 rather than subserved4 ,if the veracity and honesty of ,b and ,c are unimpeached1 their testimony as to the fact cannot lawfully be rejected on any ground1 except that they may be interested in the result of the trial1 and might be benefited by the conviction or the acquittal of the defendant4 ,but this is an objection that would hold against the evidence of a ,mason1 as well as a profane4 ,any other rule would be often attended with injurious consequences to our institution4 ,we may readily suppose a case by way of illustration4 ,a1 who is a member of a lodge1 is accused of habitual intemperance1 a vice eminently unmasonic in its character1 and one which will always reflect a great portion of the degradation of the offender upon the society which shall sustain and defend him in its perpetration4 ,but it may happen--and this is a very conceivable case--that in consequence of the remoteness of his dwelling1 or from some other supposable cause1 his ,brethren have no opportunity of seeing him1 except at distant intervals4 ,there is1 therefore1 no ,mason1 to testify to the truth of the charge1 while his neighbors and associates1 who are daily and hourly in his company1 are all aware of his habit of intoxication4 ,if1 then1 a dozen or more men1 all of reputation and veracity1 should come1 or be brought before the lodge1 ready and willing to testify to this fact1 by what process of reason or justice1 or under what maxim of masonic jurisprudence1 could their testimony be rejected1 simply because they were not ,masons8 ,and if rejected--if the accused with this weight of evidence against him1 with this infamy clearly and satisfactorily proved by these reputable witnesses1 were to be acquitted1 and sent forth purged of the charge1 upon a mere technical ground1 and thus triumphantly be sustained in the continuation of his vice1 and that in the face of the very community which was cognizant of his degradation of life and manners1 who could estimate the disastrous consequences to the lodge and the ,order which should thus support and uphold him in his guilty course8 ,the world would not1 and could not appreciate the causes that led to the rejection of such clear and unimpeachable testimony1 and it would visit with its just reprobation the institution which could thus extend its fraternal affections to the support of undoubted guilt4 ,but1 moreover1 this is not a question of mere theory2 the principle of accepting the testimony of non-masonic witnesses has been repeatedly acted on4 ,if a ,mason has been tried by the courts of his country on an indictment for larceny1 or any other infamous crime1 and been convicted by the verdict of a jury1 although neither the judge nor the jury1 nor the witnesses were ,masons1 no lodge after such conviction would permit him to retain his membership1 but1 on the contrary1 it would promptly and indignantly expel him from the ,brotherhood4 ,if1 however1 the lodge should refuse to expel him1 on the ground that his conviction before the court was based on the testimony of non-masonic witnesses1 and should grant him a lodge trial for the same offense1 then1 on the principle against which we are contending1 the evidence of these witnesses as profanes would be rejected1 and the party be acquitted for want of proof2 and thus the anomalous and disgraceful spectacle would present itself--of a felon condemned and punished by the laws of his country for an infamous crime1 acquitted and sustained by a lodge of ,freemasons4 ,but we will be impressed with the inexpediency and injustice of this principle1 when we look at its operation from another point of view4 ,it is said to be a bad rule that will not work both ways2 and1 therefore1 if the testimony of non-masonic witnesses against the accused is rejected on the ground of inadmissibility1 it must also be rejected when given in his favor4 ,now1 if we suppose a case1 in which a ,mason was accused before his lodge of having committed an offense1 at a certain time and place1 and1 by the testimony of one or two disinterested persons1 he could establish what the law calls an alibi1 that is1 that at that very time he was at a far-distant place1 and could not1 therefore1 have committed the offense charged against him1 we ask with what show of justice or reason could such testimony be rejected1 simply because the parties giving it were not ,masons8 ,but if the evidence of a profane is admitted in favor of the accused1 rebutting testimony of the same kind cannot with consistency be rejected2 and hence the rule is determined that in the trial of ,masons1 it is competent to receive the evidence of persons who are not ,masons1 but whose competency1 in other respects1 is not denied4 ,it must1 however1 be noted1 that the testimony of persons who are not ,masons is not to be given as that of ,masons is1 within the precincts of the lodge4 ,they are not to be present at the trial2 and whatever testimony they have to adduce1 must be taken by a committee1 to be afterwards accurately reported to the lodge4 ,but in all cases1 the accused has a right to be present1 and to interrogate the witnesses4 ,the only remaining topic to be discussed is the method of taking the testimony1 and this can be easily disposed of4 ,the testimony of ,masons is to be taken either in lodge or in committee1 and under the sanction of their obligations4 ,the testimony of profanes is always to be taken by a committee1 and on oath administered by a competent legal officer--the most convenient way of taking such testimony is by affidavit4 ,chapter ,,iv4 ,of the ,penal ,jurisdiction of a ,lodge4 ,the penal jurisdiction of a lodge is that jurisdiction which it is authorized to exercise for the trial of masonic offenses1 and the infliction of masonic punishment4 ,it may be considered as either geographical or personal4 ,the geographical jurisdiction of a lodge extends in every direction1 half way to the nearest lodge4 ,thus1 if two lodges be situated at the distance of sixteen miles from each other1 then the penal jurisdiction of each will extend for the space of eight miles in the direction of the other4 ,the personal jurisdiction of a lodge is that jurisdiction which a lodge may exercise over certain individuals1 respective or irrespective of geographical jurisdiction4 ,this jurisdiction is more complicated than the other1 and requires a more detailed enumeration of the classes over whom it is to be exercised4 #a4 ,a lodge exercises penal jurisdiction over all its members1 no matter where they may reside4 ,a removal from the geographical jurisdiction will not1 in this case1 release the individual from personal jurisdiction4 ,the allegiance of a member to his lodge is indefeasible4 #b4 ,a lodge exercises penal jurisdiction over all unaffiliated ,masons1 living within its geographical jurisdiction4 ,an unaffiliated ,mason cannot release himself from his responsibilities to the ,order4 ,and if1 by immoral or disgraceful conduct1 he violates the regulations of the ,order1 or tends to injure its reputation in the estimation of the community1 he is amenable to the lodge nearest to his place of residence1 whether this residence be temporary or permanent1 and may be reprimanded1 suspended1 or expelled4 ,this doctrine is founded on the wholesome reason1 that as a lodge is the guardian of the purity and safety of the institution1 within its own jurisdiction1 it must1 to exercise this guardianship with success1 be invested with the power of correcting every evil that occurs within its precincts4 ,and if unaffiliated ,masons were exempted from this control1 the institution might be seriously affected in the eyes of the community1 by their bad conduct4 #c4 ,the personal jurisdiction of a lodge1 for the same good reason1 extends over all ,masons living in its vicinity4 ,a ,master ,mason belonging to a distant lodge1 but residing within the geographical jurisdiction of another lodge1 becomes amenable for his conduct to the latter1 as well as to the former lodge4 ,but if his own lodge is within a reasonable distance1 courtesy requires that the lodge near which he resides should rather make a complaint to his lodge than itself institute proceedings against him4 ,but the reputation of the ,order must not be permitted to be endangered1 and a case might occur1 in which it would be inexpedient to extend this courtesy1 and where the lodge would feel compelled to proceed to the trial and punishment of the offender1 without appealing to his lodge4 ,the geographical jurisdiction will1 in all cases1 legalize the proceedings4 #d4 ,but a lodge situated near the confines of a ,state cannot extend its jurisdiction over ,masons residing in a neighboring ,state1 and not being its members1 however near they may reside to it3 for no lodge can exercise jurisdiction over the members of another ,grand ,lodge jurisdiction4 ,its geographical1 as well as personal jurisdiction1 can extend no further than that of its own ,grand ,lodge4 #e4 ,lastly1 no lodge can exercise penal jurisdiction over its own ,master1 for he is alone responsible for his conduct to the ,grand ,lodge4 ,but it may act as his accuser before that body1 and impeach him for any offense that he may have committed4 ,neither can a lodge exercise penal jurisdiction over the ,grand ,master1 although under other circumstances it might have both geographical and personal jurisdiction over him1 from his residence and membership4 ,chapter ,v4 ,of ,appeals4 ,every ,mason1 who has been tried and convicted by a lodge1 has an inalienable right to appeal from that conviction1 and from the sentence accompanying it1 to the ,grand ,lodge4 ,as an appeal always supposes the necessity of a review of the whole case1 the lodge is bound to furnish the ,grand ,lodge with an attested copy of its proceedings on the trial1 and such other testimony in its possession as the appellant may deem necessary for his defense4 ,the ,grand ,lodge may1 upon investigation1 confirm the verdict of its subordinate4 ,in this case1 the appeal is dismissed1 and the sentence goes into immediate operation without any further proceedings on the part of the lodge4 ,the ,grand ,lodge may1 however1 only approve in part1 and may reduce the penalty inflicted1 as for instance1 from expulsion to suspension4 ,in this case1 the original sentence of the lodge becomes void1 and the milder sentence of the ,grand ,lodge is to be put in force4 ,the same process would take place1 were the ,grand ,lodge to increase instead of diminishing the amount of punishment1 as from suspension to expulsion4 ,for it is competent for the ,grand ,lodge1 on an appeal1 to augment1 reduce or wholly abrogate the penalty inflicted by its subordinate4 ,but the ,grand ,lodge may take no direct action on the penalty inflicted1 but may simply refer the case back to the subordinate for a new trial4 ,in this case1 the proceedings on the trial will be commenced de novo1 if the reference has been made on the ground of any informality or illegality in the previous trial4 ,but if the case is referred back1 not for a new trial1 but for further consideration1 on the ground that the punishment was inadequate--either too severe1 or not sufficiently so--in this case1 it is not necessary to repeat the trial4 ,the discussion on the nature of the penalty to be inflicted should1 however1 be reviewed1 and any new evidence calculated to throw light on the nature of the punishment which is most appropriate1 may be received4 ,lastly1 the ,grand ,lodge may entirely reverse the decision of its subordinate1 and decree a restoration of the appellant to all his rights and privileges1 on the ground of his innocence of the charges which had been preferred against him4 ,but1 as this action is often highly important in its results1 and places the appellant and the lodge in an entirely different relative position1 ,i have deemed its consideration worthy of a distinct chapter4 ,during the pendency of an appeal1 the sentence of the subordinate lodge is held in abeyance1 and cannot2 be enforced4 ,the appellant in this case remains in the position of a ,mason under charges4 ,chapter ,,vi4 ,of ,restoration4 ,the penalties of suspension and expulsion are terminated by restoration1 which may take place either by the action of the lodge which inflicted them1 or by that of the ,grand ,lodge4 ,restoration from definite suspension is terminated without any special action of the lodge1 but simply by the termination of the period for which the party was suspended4 ,he then at once reenters into the possession of all the rights1 benefits1 and functions1 from which he had been temporarily suspended4 ,i have myself no doubt of the correctness of this principle2 but1 as it has been denied by some writers1 although a very large majority of the authorities are in its favor1 it may be well1 briefly1 to discuss its merits4 ,let us suppose that on the #ast of ,january ,a4,b4 had been suspended for three months1 that is1 until the #ast day of ,april4 ,at the end of the three months1 that is to say1 on the first of ,april1 ,a4,b4 would no longer be a suspended member--for the punishment decreed will have been endured2 and as the sentence of the lodge had expressly declared that his suspension was to last until the #ast of ,april1 the said sentence1 if it means anything1 must mean that the suspension was1 on the said #ast of ,april1 to cease and determine4 ,if he were1 therefore1 to wait until the #ast of ,may for the action of the lodge1 declaring his restoration1 he would suffer a punishment of four months' suspension1 which was not decreed by his lodge upon his trial1 and which would1 therefore1 be manifestly unjust and illegal4 ,again3 if the offense which he had committed was1 upon his trial1 found to be so slight as to demand only a dismissal for one night from the lodge1 will it be contended that1 on his leaving the lodge-room pursuant to his sentence1 he leaves not to return to it on the succeeding communication1 unless a vote should permit him8 ,certainly not4 ,his punishment of dismissal for one night had been executed2 and on the succeeding night he reentered into the possession of all his rights4 ,but if he can do so after a dismissal or suspension of one night1 why not after one or three1 six or twelve months8 ,the time is extended1 but the principle remains the same4 ,but the doctrine1 that after the expiration of the term of a definite suspension1 an action by the lodge is still necessary to a complete restoration1 is capable of producing much mischief and oppression4 ,for1 if the lodge not only has a right1 but is under the necessity of taking up the case anew1 and deciding whether the person who had been suspended for three months1 and whose period of suspension has expired1 shall now be restored1 it follows1 that the members of the lodge1 in the course of their inquiry1 are permitted to come to such conclusion as they may think just and fit2 for to say that they1 after all their deliberations1 are1 to vote only in one way1 would be too absurd to require any consideration4 ,they may1 therefore1 decide that ,a4,b41 having undergone the sentence of the lodge1 shall be restored1 and then of course all would be well1 and no more is to be said4 ,but suppose that they decide otherwise1 and say that ,a4,b41 having undergone the sentence of suspension of three months1 shall not be restored1 but must remain suspended until further orders4 ,here1 then1 a party would have been punished a second time for the same offense1 and that1 too1 after having suffered what1 at the time of his conviction1 was supposed to be a competent punishment--and without a trial1 and without the necessary opportunities of defense1 again found guilty1 and his comparatively light punishment of suspension for three months changed into a severer one1 and of an indefinite period4 ,the annals of the most arbitrary government in the world--the history of the most despotic tyrant that ever lived--could not show an instance of more unprincipled violation of law and justice than this4 ,and yet it may naturally be the result of the doctrine1 that in a sentence of definite suspension1 the party can be restored only by a vote of the lodge at the expiration of his term of suspension4 ,if the lodge can restore him1 it can as well refuse to restore him1 and to refuse to restore him would be to inflict a new punishment upon him for an old and atoned-for offense4 ,on the #ast of ,january1 for instance1 ,a4,b41 having been put upon his trial1 witnesses having been examined1 his defense having been heard1 was found guilty by his lodge of some offense1 the enormity of which1 whatever it might be1 seemed to require a suspension from ,masonry for just three months1 neither more nor less4 ,if the lodge had thought the crime still greater1 it would1 of course1 we presume1 have decreed a suspension of six1 nine1 or twelve months4 ,but considering1 after a fair1 impartial1 and competent investigation of the merits of the case 7for all this is to be presumed71 that the offended law would be satisfied with a suspension of three months1 that punishment is decreed4 ,the court is adjourned sine die2 for it has done all that is required--the prisoner undergoes his sentence with becoming contrition1 and the time having expired1 the bond having been paid1 and the debt satisfied1 he is told that he must again undergo the ordeal of another trial1 before another court1 before he can reassume what was only taken from him for a definite period2 and that it is still doubtful1 whether the sentence of the former court may not even now1 after its accomplishment1 be reversed1 and a new and more severe one be inflicted4 ,the analogy of a person who has been sentenced to imprisonment for a certain period1 and who1 on the expiration of that period1 is at once released1 has been referred to1 as apposite to the case of a definite suspension4 ,still more appropriately may we refer to the case of a person transported for a term of years1 and who cannot return until that term expires1 but who is at liberty at once to do so when it has expired4 ,another capital offense against public justice1 says ,blackstone1 is the returning from transportation1 or being seen at large in ,great ,britain before the expiration of the term for which the offender was sentenced to be transported4 ,mark these qualifying words3 before the expiration of the term3 they include1 from the very force of language1 the proposition that it is no offense to return after the expiration of the term4 ,and so changing certain words to meet the change of circumstances1 but leaving the principle unchanged1 we may lay down the law in relation to restorations from definite suspensions1 as follows3 ,it is an offense against the masonic code to claim the privileges of ,masonry1 or to attempt to visit a lodge after having been suspended1 before the expiration of the term for which the offender was suspended4 ,of course1 it is no crime to resume these privileges after the term has expired2 for surely he must have strange notions of the powers of language1 who supposes that suspension for three months1 and no more1 does not mean1 that when the three months are over the suspension ceases4 ,and1 if the suspension ceases1 the person is no longer suspended2 and1 if no longer suspended he is in good standing1 and requires no further action to restore him to good moral and masonic health4 ,but it is said that1 although originally only suspended for three months1 at the expiration of that period1 his conduct might continue to be such as to render his restoration a cause of public reproach4 ,what is to be done in such a case8 ,it seems strange that the question should be asked4 ,the remedy is only too apparent4 ,let new charges be preferred1 and let a new trial take place for his derelictions of duty during the term of his suspension4 ,then1 the lodge may again suspend him for a still longer period1 or altogether expel him1 if it finds him deserving such punishment4 ,but in the name of justice1 law1 and common sense1 do not insiduously and unmanfully continue a sentence for one and a former offense1 as a punishment for another and a later one1 and that1 too1 without the due forms of trial4 ,let us1 in this case1 go again for an analogy to the laws of the land4 ,suppose an offender had been sentenced to an imprisonment of six months for a larceny1 and that while in prison he had committed some new crime4 ,when the six months of his sentence had expired1 would the ,sheriff feel justified1 or even the ,judge who had sentenced him1 in saying3 ,i will not release you2 you have guilty of another offense during your incarceration1 and therefore1 ,i shall keep you confined six months longer8 ,certainly not4 ,the ,sheriff or the ,judge who should do so high-handed a measure1 would soon find himself made responsible for the violation of private rights4 ,but the course to be pursued would be1 to arrest him for the new offense1 give him a fair trial1 and1 if convicted again1 imprison or otherwise punish him1 according to his new sentence1 or1 if acquitted1 discharge him4 ,the same course should be pursued with a ,mason whose conduct during the period of his suspension has been liable to reproach or suspicion4 ,masons have rights as well as citizens--every one is to be considered innocent until he is proved guilty--and no one should suffer punishment1 even of the lightest kind1 except after an impartial trial by his peers4 ,but the case of an indefinite suspension is different4 ,here no particular time has been appointed for the termination of the punishment4 ,it may be continued during life1 unless the court which has pronounced it think proper to give a determinate period to what was before indeterminate1 and to declare that on such a day the suspension shall cease1 and the offender be restored4 ,in a case of this kind1 action on the part of the lodge is necessary to effect a restoration4 ,such a sentence being intended to last indefinitely--that is to say1 during the pleasure of the lodge--may1 ,i conceive1 be reversed at any legal time1 and the individual restored by a mere majority vote the of lodge4 ,some authorities think a vote of two-thirds necessary2 but ,i see no reason why a lodge may not1 in this as in other cases1 reverse its decision by a vote of a simple majority4 ,the ,ancient ,constitutions are completely silent on this and all its kindred points2 and1 therefore1 where a ,grand ,lodge has made no local regulation on the subject1 we must be guided by the principles of reason and analogy1 both of which direct us to the conclusion that a lodge may express its will1 in matters unregulated by the ,constitutions1 through the vote of a majority4 ,but the restoration of an expelled ,mason requires a different action4 ,by expulsion1 as ,i have already said1 all connection with the ,order is completely severed4 ,the individual expelled ceases to be a ,mason1 so far as respects the exercise of any masonic rights or privileges4 ,his restoration to the ,order is1 therefore1 equivalent to the admission of a profane4 ,having ceased on his expulsion to be a member of the lodge which had expelled him1 his restoration would be the admission of a new member4 ,the expelled ,mason and the uninitiated candidate are to be placed on the same footing--both are equally unconnected with the institution--the one having never been in it1 and the other having been completely discharged from it4 ,the rule for the admission of new members1 as laid down in the ,thirty-nine ,regulations1 seems to me1 therefore1 to be applicable in this case2 and hence1 ,i conceive that to reverse a sentence of expulsion and to restore an expelled ,mason will require as unanimous a vote as that which is necessary on a ballot for initiation4 ,every action taken by a lodge for restoration must be done at a stated communication and after due notice1 that if any member should have good and sufficient reasons to urge against the restoration1 he may have an opportunity to present them4 ,in conclusion1 the ,grand ,lodge may restore a suspended or expelled ,mason1 contrary to the wishes of the lodge4 ,in such case1 if the party has been suspended only1 he1 at once1 resumes his place and functions in the lodge1 from which1 indeed1 he had only been temporarily dissevered4 ,but in the case of the restoration of an expelled ,mason to the rights and privileges of ,masonry1 by a ,grand ,lodge1 does such restoration restore him to membership in his lodge8 ,this question is an important one1 and has very generally been decided in the negative by the ,grand ,lodges of this country4 ,but as ,i unfortunately differ from these high authorities1 ,i cannot refrain1 as an apology for this difference of opinion1 from presenting the considerations which have led me to the conclusion which ,i have adopted4 ,i cannot1 it is true1 in the face of the mass of opposing authority1 offer this conclusion as masonic law4 ,but ,i would fain hope that the time is not far distant when it will become so1 by the change on the part of ,grand ,lodges of the contrary decisions which they have made4 ,the general opinion in this country is1 that when a ,mason has been expelled by his lodge1 the ,grand ,lodge may restore him to the rights and privileges1 but cannot restore him to membership in his lodge4 ,my own opinion1 in contradiction to this1 is1 that when a ,grand ,lodge restores an expelled ,mason1 on the ground that the punishment of expulsion from the rights and privileges of ,masonry was too severe and disproportioned to the offense1 it may or may not restore him to membership in his lodge4 ,it might1 for instance1 refuse to restore his membership on the ground that exclusion from his lodge is an appropriate punishment2 but where the decision of the lodge as to the guilt of the individual is reversed1 and the ,grand ,lodge declares him to be innocent1 or that the charge against him has not been proved1 then ,i hold1 that it is compelled by a just regard to the rights of the expelled member to restore him not only to the rights and privileges of ,masonry1 but also to membership in his lodge4 ,i cannot conceive how a ,brother1 whose innocence has been declared by the verdict of his ,grand ,lodge1 can be deprived of his vested rights as the member of a particular lodge1 without a violation of the principles of justice4 ,if guilty1 let his expulsion stand2 but1 if innocent1 let him be placed in the same position in which he was before the passage of the unjust sentence of the lodge which has been reversed4 ,the whole error1 for such ,i conceive it to be1 in relation to this question of restoration to membership1 arises1 ,i suppose1 from a misapprehension of an ancient regulation1 which says that no man can be entered a ,brother in any particular lodge1 or admitted a member thereof1 without the unanimous consent of all the members--which inherent privilege is said not to be subject to dispensation1 lest a turbulent member should thus be imposed upon them1 which might spoil their harmony1 or hinder the freedom of their communication1 or even break and disperse the ,lodge4 ,but it should be remembered that this regulation altogether refers to the admission of new members1 and not to the restoration of old ones--to the granting of a favor which the candidate solicits1 and which the lodge may or may not1 in its own good pleasure1 see fit to confer1 and not to the resumption of a vested and already acquired right1 which1 if it be a right1 no lodge can withhold4 ,the practical working of this system of incomplete restoration1 in a by no means extreme case1 will readily show its absurdity and injustice4 ,a member having appealed from expulsion by his lodge to the ,grand ,lodge1 that body calmly and fairly investigates the case4 ,it finds that the appellant has been falsely accused of an offense which he has never committed2 that he has been unfairly tried1 and unjustly convicted4 ,it declares him innocent--clearly and undoubtedly innocent1 and far freer from any sort of condemnation than the prejudiced jurors who convicted him4 ,under these circumstances1 it becomes obligatory that the ,grand ,lodge should restore him to the place he formerly occupied1 and reinvest him with the rights of which he has been unjustly despoiled4 ,but that it cannot do4 ,it may restore him to the privileges of ,masonry in general2 but1 innocent though he be1 the ,grand ,lodge1 in deference to the prejudices of his ,brethren1 must perpetuate a wrong1 and punish this innocent person by expulsion from his lodge4 ,i cannot1 ,i dare not1 while ,i remember the eternal principles of justice1 subscribe to so monstrous an exercise of wrong--so flagrant an outrage upon private rights4 ,index4 ,a4 ,accused1 to what he is entitled ,act passed in the reign of ,henry ,,vi41 anno #adbe it was never enforced ,actual ,past ,master1 term defined ,adjournment1 a term not recognized in ,masonry motion for1 cannot be entertained ,affiliated ,masons only1 can visit lodges ,affiliation1 what it is mode of requires unanimity ,master ,masons only entitled to it rejected application for1 may be renewed in other lodges may be made with more than one lodge ,age1 qualifications of candidates as to ,appeal from ,grand ,master not permitted not to be entertained in a lodge cannot be taken from the chair doctrine of1 discussed from the ,master1 must be to the ,grand ,lodge every ,mason has a right to one1 to the ,grand ,lodge pending one1 the sentence is in abeyance ,apprentices1 rights of 7see ,entered ,apprentice7 ,arrears1 non-payment of to lodges1 history of their origin do not accrue during suspension ,assembly1 general-one held in #bhg by ,st4 ,alban in #ibf at ,york governed the craft for nearly #hjj years how organized ,atheist cannot be a ,mason ,authorities for masonic law ,b4 ,balloting for candidates every member must take a part in it secrecy of1 inviolable must be unanimous ,mason irresponsible for it to the lodge not disfranchised of it by non-payment of arrears mode of ,balloting in each degree not actually prescribed in the ancient constitutions1 but implied must be unanimous ,ballot1 reconsideration of motion for1 out of order cannot be granted by dispensation ,black ball is the bulwark of ,masonry ,brother1 a title to be always used in lodge ,burial1 masonic1 right of must be requested except for strangers ,master ,masons only entitled to it dispensation for1 not usually required ,business1 order of may be suspended at any time by the ,master ,by-laws must be approved and confirmed by ,grand ,lodge ,c4 ,calling from labor to refreshment ,censure1 a masonic punishment ,certificates1 masonic ,chaplain1 ,grand 7see ,grand ,chaplain7 ,charges of accusation1 how to be made ,closing lodge is at the discretion of the ,master ,committee of investigation on character of candidates ,committees to be appointed by the ,master ,master is chairman of1 when present ,communication of a lodge1 how terminated ,consecration of a lodge how performed meaning of ,constituting a lodge1 ceremony of meaning of ,constitutions1 how to be altered ,gothic1 adopted in #ibf1 ,corn1 wine1 and oil1 masonic elements of consecration1 why elements1 ,crimes1 masonic1 definition of1 enumeration of ,d4 ,deacons1 two in each lodge1 are appointed officers1 not removable by ,master or ,senior ,warden ,grand 7see ,grand ,deacons7 ,dedication of a lodge1 how performed to whom1 and why1 meaning of ,definite suspension restoration from ,degrees1 no candidate can receive more than two at one communication ,demitting right of1 not denied until recently1 regulations concerning of many at one time may be refused ,deputy ,grand ,master1 duties and prerogatives of office of1 not very ancient exercises prerogatives of ,grand ,master in his absence cannot be more than one originally appointed by ,grand ,master ,discussions1 how to be conducted in lodge1 ,dispensation what and where to be granted for a lodge tenure of its duration difference from a ,warrant ,district ,deputy ,grand ,master1 a modern invention ,dotage a disqualification of candidates meaning of the term ,dues to lodges1 a modern usage non-payment of1 does not disqualify from voting for candidates ,e4 ,emergency1 rule upon the subject ,entered ,apprentice1 rights of formerly a member of his lodge formerly permitted to attend the ,grand ,communications may sit in a lodge of his degree cannot speak or vote cannot be deprived of his rights without trial after trial may appeal to the ,grand ,lodge ,erasure from lodge1 a masonic punishment ,evidence in masonic trials ,examination of visitors how to be conducted ,exclusion1 a masonic punishment ,executive powers of a ,grand ,lodge ,expulsion is masonic death ,expulsion1 a masonic punishment should be inflicted by ,grand ,lodge or with its approval from higher degrees1 its effect restoration from ,extinct lodges1 funds of1 revert to the ,grand ,lodge ,f4 ,family distressed1 of a ,mason1 entitled to relief ,fellow ,craft1 rights of they formerly constituted the great body of the ,fraternity formerly permitted to speak1 but not vote ,finishing candidates of one lodge in another ,fool cannot be a ,mason ,free1 a candidate must be1 at the time of making ,free-born1 a ,mason must be reason for the rule ,funds of extinct lodges revert to the ,grand ,lodge ,g4 ,general ,assembly4 7,see ,assembly1 ,general47 ,god1 belief in1 a qualification of a candidate ,gothic constitutions adopted in #ibf ,grand ,chaplain1 office established in #agge duties of ,grand ,deacons office more ancient than ,oliver supposes duties of how appointed ,grand ,lodge held in #agag mode of organizing one three lodges necessary to organize one dormant may be revived if a ,grand ,officer remains1 all the ,craft formerly members of ,masters and ,wardens of lodges are members ,grand ,officers are also members ,past ,masters are not members by inherent right its powers and prerogatives may make new regulations must observe the landmarks ,grand ,lodges1 historical sketch of are comparatively modern institutions ,grand ,marshal appointed by the ,grand ,master duties of ,grand ,master1 duties and prerogatives of office of has existed since the origin of ,masonry an elective officer by whom to be installed prerogatives of1 derived from two sources no appeal from his decision may convene ,grand ,lodge when he chooses entitled to two votes how to be punished may grant dispensations ,grand ,master may make ,masons at sight may constitute new lodges cannot dispense with requisite forms in making ,masons his own lodge cannot exercise jurisdiction over him ,grand ,pursuivant ,grand ,secretary office of established in #agbc duties of ,grand ,secretary1 may appoint an assistant ,grand ,stewards first mentioned in #agba duties of appointed by ,junior ,grand ,warden ,grand ,stewards' ,lodge ,grand ,sword-,bearer duties of office of1 constituted in #agca ,grand ,tiler office of1 must have existed from the earliest times must not be a member of the ,grand ,lodge sometimes appointed1 and sometimes elected ,grand ,treasurer office of1 established in #agbd duties of has always been elected ,grand ,wardens originally appointed by the ,grand ,master succeed the ,grand ,master and ,deputy ,h4 ,heresy not a masonic crime ,higher degrees1 effect of expulsion from ,historical sketch ,i4 ,idiot cannot be made a ,mason ,impostor1 how to be treated in examination ,incompetent witnesses1 who they are ,indefinite suspension restoration from ,innovations cannot be made in the body of ,masonry ,insanity1 if perfectly cured1 no disqualification of a candidate ,installation whence the term derived necessary to legal existence of an officer of a ,master of a lodge of the ,grand ,master ,instruction of representatives1 right of1 is vested in a lodge ,investigation of character must be by a committee ,irreligious libertine cannot be a ,mason definition of the term ,j4 ,judicial powers of a ,grand ,lodge1 ,junior ,grand ,warden ,junior ,warden1 presides in absence of ,master and ,senior ,warden1 does not take the ,west in absence of ,senior ,warden1 presides over the craft during refreshment appoints the stewards ,jurisdiction of a lodge geographical or personal is over all its members unaffiliated ,masons in its vicinity cannot extend beyond ,state lines1 none over its ,master ,k4 ,knowledge of reading and writing necessary to a ,mason ,l4 ,labor1 calling from1 to refreshment ,landmarks1 what they are1 ritual and legislative must be observed by the ,grand ,lodge ,law of ,grand ,lodges subordinate lodges individuals ,lawful information1 what it is ,laws1 how to be interpreted of ,masonry are of two kinds--written and unwritten written1 whence derived unwritten1 whence derived same as ancient usage ,legislative powers of a ,grand ,lodge ,libertine1 irreligious1 cannot be a ,mason meaning of the term ,lodge1 subordinate definition of how organized must have been congregated by some superior authority ,lodge1 under dispensation definition of generally precedes a warranted lodge how formed cannot make by-laws cannot elect officers cannot install officers cannot elect members ,lodge1 warranted its powers and rights must be consecrated must be dedicated must be constituted its officers must be installed ceremony of installation in its powers are inherent in it its reserved rights are secured by the regulations an assembly of the craft in their primary capacity may select its own members elects its own officers what officers of1 are elected in ,england may install its officers ,master of1 must be installed by a past ,master may be represented in the ,grand ,lodge representatives of may instruct its representatives may frame by-laws may suspend or exclude a member may declare a member expelled1 the sentence to be approved by the ,grand ,lodge may levy annual contributions may select its name cannot select its number duties of cannot alter the ritual must elect officers at a particular time ,lodge1 warranted1 cannot interfere with business of another lodge cannot initiate without previous notice cannot confer more than two degrees on the same candidate at one time cannot make more than five new ,brothers at the same time must meet once a month neglecting to meet forfeits its warrant cannot remove from the town1 without the consent of the ,grand ,lodge may remove from one part of the town to another1 under restrictions officers of ,m4 ,madmen cannot be ,masons ,maims1 how far disqualifying candidates reason for the rule relating to ,mass meeting of the craft cannot organize a ,grand ,lodge ,master1 ,grand4 7,see ,grand ,master47 ,master ,mason1 rights of becomes a member by signing the by-laws how this right is forfeited may apply to any lodge for membership to whom subject for discipline may speak and vote on all questions may hold any office to which elected but to serve as ,master must have been a ,warden may appeal to the ,grand ,lodge may visit any lodge1 after examination ,master of a lodge must have previously served as ,warden must see ,grand ,lodge regulations enforced must be installed by a ,past ,master has the warrant in charge may call special meetings of his lodge may close his lodge at any time presides over business as well as labor is supreme in his lodge ,master of a lodge1 no appeal from his decision except to ,grand ,lodge moral qualifications of intellectual qualifications of who is to judge of them is a member of the ,grand ,lodge may exclude a member temporarily ,membership1 right of ,members of ,grand ,lodge are ,masters and ,wardens with the ,grand ,officers ,minutes1 when to be read how to be amended not to be read at special communications formula for keeping ,moral law1 what it is a ,mason must obey it ,motions1 when to be entertained ,n4 ,name of a lodge to be selected by itself ,non-residents1 initiation of ,number of a lodge regulates its precedency of candidates to be initiated at one communication ,o4 ,office1 can be vacated only by death1 removal1 or expulsion not vacated by suspension ,officers of a ,grand ,lodge subordinate lodge warranted lodge must be installed how to be installed time of election determined by ,grand ,lodge elected annually vacancies in1 how to be supplied cannot resign ,order1 rules of whence derived ,p4 ,parliamentary law not applicable to ,masonry ,past ,masters rights of not members of the ,grand ,lodge by inherent right may install their successors of two kinds--actual and virtual may preside in a lodge eligible to election to the chair entitled to a seat in the ,east eligible to be elected ,deputy ,grand ,master1 or ,grand ,warden virtual1 cannot be present at installing a ,master ,penal jurisdiction of a lodge ,perfect youth1 meaning of the term ,perfection1 physical1 why required of a candidate ,petition of candidate must be read at a regular communication referred to a committee of three reported on at next regular communication report on1 cannot be made at a special communication renewal of1 in case of rejection how to be renewed1 if rejected for advancement to a higher degree if rejected1 how to be renewed ,petitioners1 not less than seven to form a lodge what they must set forth must be recommended by nearest lodge ,political offenses not cognizable by a lodge ,political qualifications of candidates ,postponed business1 when to be called up ,precedency of lodges1 regulated by their numbers ,presiding in a lodge1 who has the right of officer1 has the prerogatives of the ,master1 for the time ,previous question1 unknown in ,masonry ,probation of candidates for initiation for advancement ,proceedings of a regular communication cannot be amended at a special one ,profanes1 testimony of1 how to be taken in trials ,proficiency of candidates ,proficiency of candidates1 must be suitable ,punishments1 masonic ,pursuivant1 a title equivalent to ,sword-,bearer ,q4 ,qualifications of a ,master of a lodge of candidates1 moral religious physical intellectual political1 #ahd ,quarterly communications of ,grand ,lodge1 ordered in #agag ,question1 how to be taken on a motion ,r4 ,reading1 a qualification of candidates ,recommendation of nearest lodge1 necessary to form a new one of candidate1 must be by two members ,reconsideration of ballot motion for1 is out of order1 cannot be granted by dispensation ,rejected candidate cannot apply to any other lodge renewed petition of1 when to be made1 ,relief1 right of claiming it unworthy ,masons not entitled to it ,religion of a ,mason1 what it is required to be ,religious offenses not cognizable by a lodge ,removal of a lodge1 rule on the subject of ,representatives of a lodge1 who they are ,reprimand1 a masonic punishment ,restoration from definite suspension indefinite supension expulsion must be at a stated communication may be by ,grand ,lodge requires a unanimous vote to membership discussed ,s4 ,secretary1 ,grand4 7,see ,grand ,secretary47 of a lodge his duty is a recording1 corresponding1 and receiving officer is a check upon the treasurer often receives compensation in case of death1 or expulsion1 a successor may be elected but not in case of removal1 or sickness ,senior ,grand ,warden4 7,see ,grand ,wardens47 ,senior ,warden presides in absence of ,master may invite a ,past ,master to preside presides over the craft during labor appoints the ,junior ,deacon ,sentence in trials1 how to be obtained ---- is in abeyance pending an appeal ,stewards1 ,grand4 7,see ,grand ,stewards47 of a lodge appointed by ,junior ,warden duties of not removable by ,junior ,warden ,stranger1 initiation of ,suspension definite indefinite ,sword ,bearer1 ,grand4 7,see ,grand ,sword ,bearer47 ,t4 ,testimony1 how to be taken on masonic trials ,tiler1 ,grand4 7,see ,grand ,tiler47 of a lodge office existed from beginning of the institution no lodge can be without one must be a worthy ,master ,mason if a member1 the office does not disfranchise him when voting1 ,junior ,deacon takes his place may be removed for misconduct ,tiler's obligation1 form of it ,transient persons1 initiation of ,treasurer1 ,grand4 7,see ,grand ,treasurer47 of a lodge duties of is the only banker of the lodge is a disbursing officer a ,brother of worldly substance usually selected in case of death1 a successor may be elected but not in case of sickness1 or removal ,trials1 masonic form of evidence in ,u4 ,unaffiliated ,masons tax sometimes levied on position1 rights1 and duties of ,unaffiliation1 contrary to the spirit of ,masonry effect of1 on a ,mason ,unanimity in the ballot required by the ancient constitutions ,uneducated candidates not forbidden by positive enactment their admission opposed to the spirit of the institution ,v4 ,virtual ,past ,masters1 who they are ,visit1 right of only affiliated ,mason entitled to it must be preceded by an examination requires a certificate to insure it ,visitors1 examination of1 described must take the ,tiler's obligation ,voting must always be by a show of hands ,voting in trials1 obligatory on all members present ,voucher must be a competent ,mason ,vouching for a visitor ,w4 ,wardens1 ,grand4 7,see ,grand ,wardens47 of a lodge are assistants of the ,master entitled to membership in ,grand ,lodge ,warden1 ,senior4 7,see ,senior ,warden47 ,warden1 ,junior4 7,see ,junior ,warden47 ,warrant of constitution what it is its difference from a dispensation can be revoked only by the ,grand ,lodge confers powers of installation and succession not necessary before #agag cannot be resigned by a majority of the lodge ,warranted lodges4 7,see ,lodges1 ,warranted47 ,witnesses in masonic trials1 qualifications of definition of incompetent ones ,woman cannot be made a ,mason ,writing1 a qualification of candidates ,y4 ,yeas and nays1 calling for1 unmasonic ,young man under age cannot be made a ,mason ,youth1 perfect1 meaning of the term ,footnotes #a ,they will be found in ,oliver's edition of ,preston1 p4 #ga1 note1 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 iii41 p4 #eh71 or in the ,american edition by ,richards1 ,appendix i41 note #e4 #b ,found in ,ol4 ,preston1 n4 #c 7p4 #afb4 ,u4,m4,l41 vol4 iii41 p4 #acd74 #c ,in all references to1 or citations from1 ,anderson's ,constitutions1 ,i have used1 unless otherwise stated1 the first edition printed at ,london in #agbc--;a fac simile of which has recently been published by ,bro4 ,john ,w4 ,leonard1 of ,new ,york4 ,i have1 however1 in my possession the subsequent editions of #agch1 #agee1 and #agfg1 and have sometimes collated them together4 #d ,the ,gothic ,constitutions are that code of laws which was adopted by the ,general ,assembly at ,york1 in the year #ibf4 ,they are no longer extant1 but portions of them have been preserved by ,anderson1 ,preston1 and other writers4 #e ,preston1 book iv41 sec1 #b41 p4 #acb1 n4 7,u4,m4,l41vol4 iii41 p4 #aji74 #f ,general ,regulations1 art4 xxxix4 #g ,chancellor ,walworth1 in his profound argument on the ,new ,york difficulties1 asserted that this fact does not distinctly appear1 although it is1 pretty evident that all voted4--p4 #cc4 ,the language of ,anderson does not1 however1 admit of a shadow of a doubt4 ,the ,brethren1 he says1 by a majority of hands1 elected1 c4 #h ,opinion of ,chancellor ,walworth upon the questions connected with the late masonic difficulties in the ,state of ,new ,york1 p4 #cg4 ,there is much historical learning displayed in this little pamphlet4 #i ,preston1 p4 #aca1 n41 ,oliver's ,edit4 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 iii41p4 #aji74 #aj ,of the thirty-six ,grand ,masters who have presided over the craft in ,england since the revival of ,masonry in #agag1 thirty have been noblemen1 and three princes of the reigning family4 #aa ,article xxxiv4 #ab ,his most important prerogatives are inherent or derived from ancient usage4 #ac ,proceedings ,g4,l4 ,maryland1 #ahdi1 p4 #be4 #ad ,art4 xxxix4 #ae ,the word time has been interpreted to mean communication4 #af ,and this is not because such past officer has an inherent right to the mastership1 but because as long as such an one is present and willing to serve1 there does not exist such an emergency as would authorize a dispensation of the law4 #ag ,what further concerns a lodge under dispensation is referred to a special chapter in a subsequent part of the work4 #ah ,it is well known1 although it cannot be quoted as authority1 that the ,athol ,constitutions expressly acknowledged the existence of this prerogative4 ,see ,dermott's ,ahiman ,rezon4 #ai ,book of ,constitutions1 edit4 #agfg1 p4 #bbb4 #bj ,book of ,const41 p4 #bcc4 #ba ,book of ,const41 p4 #cac4 #bb ,book of ,constitutions1 p4 #cai4 #bc ,preston1 p4 #bcg1 ed4 #ahjb1 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 iii41 p4 #bbc74 #bd ,book of ,constitutions1 p4 #bdg #be ,the existence of this prerogative is denied by the ,grand ,lodges of ,missouri1 ,tennessee1 ,louisiana1 and ,massachusetts1 while it is admitted by those of ,new ,york1 ,kentucky1 ,north ,carolina1 ,south ,carolina1 ,wisconsin1 ,vermont1 ,mississippi1 ,ohio1 ,new ,hampshire1 ,maryland1 ,indiana1 ,texas and ,florida2 in the last two1 however1 subject to limitation4 #bf ,that is1 the one who has longest been a ,freemason4 #bg ,book of the ,lodge1 p4 #aae 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 i41 book #b1 p4 #gh74 #bh ,it was abolished in ,new ,york in #ahed4 #bi ,this is a small chest or coffer1 representing the ark of the covenant1 and containing the three great lights of ,masonry4 #cj ,what man is there that hath a new house and hath not dedicated it8 ,let him go and return to his house1 lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it4 ,deut4 xx4 #e4 #ca ,de ,syned4 ,vet4 ,ebror41 #a4 iii41 c4 xiv41 #a4 #cb ,cicero1 ,brut4 i4 #cc ,see such a form of ,dispensation in ,cole's ,masonic ,library1 p4 #ia4 #cd ,preston1 ,append41 n4 #d 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 iii41 pp4 #aej1 #aea74 #ce ,book of ,constitutions1 orig4 ed1 p41 #gj 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 xv41 book #a1 p4 #gj74 #cf ,general ,regulations of #agbb4 ,a subsequent regulation permitted the election of a candidate1 if there were not more than three black balls against him1 provided the lodge desired such a relaxation of the rule4 ,the lodges of this country1 however1 very generally1 and1 as ,i think1 with propriety1 require unanimity4 ,the subject will be hereafter discussed4 #cg ,every lodge shall annually elect its ,master and ,treasurer by ballot4 ,such ,master having been regularly appointed and having served as ,warden of a warranted lodge for one year4 ,constitutions of the ,ancient ,fraternity of ,free and ,accepted ,masons1 published by authority of the ,united ,grand ,lodge of ,england1 #ahdg1 p4 #eh 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 ix41 book #a74 #ch ,the ,wardens1 or officers1 of a lodge cannot be removed1 unless for a cause which appears to the lodge to be sufficient2 but the ,master1 if he be dissatisfied with the conduct of any of his officers1 may lay the cause of complaint before the lodge2 and1 if it shall appear to the majority of the ,brethren present that the complaint be well founded1 he shall have power to displace such officer1 and to nominate another4 ,english ,constitutions1 as above1 p4 #hj 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 ix41 book #a74 #ci ,it is not necessary that he should be a ,past ,master of the lodge4 #dj ,no master shall assume the ,master's chair1 until he shall have been regularly installed1 though he may in the interim rule the lodge4 ,english ,constitutions 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 ix41 book #a74 #da ,every ,warranted ,lodge is a constituent part of the ,grand ,lodge1 in which assembly all the power of the fraternity resides4 ,english ,constitutions1 p4 #gj 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 ix41 book #a74 #db ,we shall not here discuss the question whether ,past ,masters are members of the ,grand ,lodge1 by inherent right1 as that subject will be more appropriately investigated when we come to speak of the ,law of ,grand ,lodges1 in a future chapter4 ,they are1 however clearly1 not the representatives of their lodge4 #dc ,preston1 p4 #afg 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 iii41 p4 #aea74 #dd ,general ,regulations4 ,of the duty of members1 ,art4 ,x1 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 xv41 book #a1 p4 #fa74 #de ,english ,constitutions1 p4 #ei 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 ix41 book #a74 #df ,in selecting the name1 the modern ,constitutions of ,england make the approbation of the ,grand ,master or ,provincial ,grand ,master necessary4 #dg ,such is the doctrine of the modern ,english ,constitutions4 #dh ,no ,brother can be a ,warden until he has passed the part of a ,fellow ,craft2 nor a ,master until he has acted as a ,warden4--,old ,charges1 ,,iv4 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 xv41 book #a1 p4 #eb74 #di ,regulations on ,installation of a ,master1 ,no4 ,,iii4 ,preston1 p4 #gd 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 iii41 p4 #fa74 #ej ,hats4 quoted in ,jefferson1 p4 #ad4 #ea ,one of the ancient charges1 which ,preston tells us that it was the constant practice of our ,ancient ,brethren to rehearse at the opening and closing of the lodge1 seems to refer to this rule1 when it says1 the ,master1 ,wardens1 and ,brethren are just and faithful1 and carefully finish the work they begin4--,oliver's ,preston1 p4 #bg1 note 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 iii41 p4 #bb74 #eb ,proceedings of ,g4,l4 of ,tennessee1 #ahej4 ,appendix ,a1 p4 #h4 #ec ,book of ,constitutions1 edition of #agee1 p4 #bhb4 #ed ,if it is an extra communication1 this item of the transaction is1 of course1 omitted1 for minutes are only to be confirmed at regular communications4 #ee ,oliver's ,preston1 p4 #afc1 note 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 iii41 p4 #ace74 #ef ,such is the provision in the modern constitutions of ,england1 but the #dth of the #ci ,regulations required the candidate to be at least twenty-five4 #eg ,see these regulations in ,preston1 p4 #afb1 ,oliver's ed4 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 iii41 p4 #ace74 #eh ,oliver's ,preston1 p4 #gb1 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 iii41 p4 #ei74 #ei ,blackstone1 ,com4 ,i41 ,introd41 #b4 #fj ,in an able report on this subject1 in the proceedings of the ,grand ,lodge of ,georgia for #aheb4 ,in accordance with the views there expressed1 ,bro4 ,rockwell decided officially1 as ,district ,deputy ,grand ,master1 in #ahea1 that a man who had lost one eye was not admissible4 #fa ,potter1 #ahd4 #fb ,page #ah4 ,in ,december1 #ahea1 the ,committee of ,correspondence of ,north ,carolina1 unregardful of the rigid rule of their predecessors1 decided that maimed candidates might be initiated1 provided their loss or infirmity will not prevent them from making full proficiency in ,masonry4 #fc ,proceedings of the ,g4,l4 of ,mo4 for #ahbc1 p4 #e4 ,the report and resolution were on the petitions of two candidates to be initiated1 one with only one arm1 and the other much deformed in his legs4 #fd ,when the spirit of expediency once begins1 we know not where it will stop4 ,thus a blind man has been initiated in ,mississippi1 and a one-armed one in ,kentucky2 and in ,france a few years since1 the degrees were conferred by sign-language on a deaf mute6 #fe ,namely1 the incorrectly presumed operative origin of the ,order4 ,the whole of this report1 which is from the venerable ,giles ,f4 ,yates1 contains an able and unanswerable defense of the ancient law in opposition to any qualification4 #ff ,see proceedings of ,new ,york1 #ahdh1 pp4 #cf1 #cg4 #fg ,such is the formula prescribed by the ,constitutions of ,england as well as all the ,monitors in this country4 #fh ,see ,mackey's ,lexicon of ,freemasonry1 #c;d ,edit41 art1 ,ballot4 #fi ,book of ,constitutions4 ,edit4 #agee1 p4 #cab4 #gj ,see ,mackey's ,lexicon of ,freemasonry1 #c;d ,edit41 art4 ,ballot #ga ,except when there is but one black ball1 in which case the matter lies over until the next stated meeting4 ,see preceding ,section4 #gb ,masonry founded on ,scripture1 a ,sermon preached in #ageb1 by the ,rev4 ,w4 ,williams4 #gc ,that is1 advance him1 from the subordinate position of a serving man or ,apprentice1 to that of a ,fellow ,craft or journeyman4 #gd ,this is also the regulation of the ,grand ,lodge of ,south ,carolina4 #ge ,proceedings of ,grand ,lodge of ,new ,york1 for #ahde4 ,he excepts1 of course1 from the operation of the rule1 those made by dispensation2 but this exception does not affect the strength of the principle4 #gf ,preston1 edition of ,oliver1 p4 #ab 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 iii41 p4 #aj74 #gg ,transactions of the ,g4,l4 of ,new ,york1 anno #ahdh1 p4 #gc4 #gh ,edition of #agbc1 page #ga 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 xv41 book #a1 p4 #ga74 #gi ,preston1 p4 #dh 7,u4,m4,l41 vol1 iii41 p4 #dj74 #hj ,const4 ,new ,york1 #ahed1 p4 #ac4 ,the ,constitutions of the ,grand ,lodge of ,england 7p4 #fd7 have a similar provision2 but they require the ,brother to express his wish for membership on the day of his initiation4 #ha ,preston1 ,oliver's ,ed41 p4 #ga1 note 7,u4,l4,m41 vol4 iii41 p4 #fj74 #hb ,see ,oliver1 note in ,preston1 p4 #ge 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 iii1 p4 #fa74 #hc ,oliver's ,preston1 p4 #afb 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 iii41 p4 #ace47 #hd ,see ,anderson's ,const41 #c;d ,edit41 #agee1 page #cjc4 #he ,preston1 ,oliver's ,edit41 p4 #hi 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 iii41 p4 #gb74 #hf ,preston1 ,oliver's ,edit p4 #ij 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 iii41 p4 #gc74 #hg ,book ,i41 chap4 iii4 #hh ,proceedings of ,louisiana1 an4 #aheb4 #hi ,preston1 ,oliver's ,edit41 p4 #gf 7,u4,m4,l41 vol4 iii1 p4 #fb74 #ij ,ibid #ia ,see ,mackey's ,lexicon of ,freemasonry1 in voce4 #ib ,constitutions1 ,second ,edition of #agch1 p4 #aed4 #ic ,proceedings for #ahec4 #id ,proceedings for #ahdg4 #ie ,the right to visit is restricted to once1 by many ,grand ,lodges to enable him to become acquainted with the character of the lodge before he applies for membership4 #if ,blackstone1 ,introd41 i4 #ig ,for so we should interpret the word honeste4 #ih ,i have treated this subject of expulsion so fully in my ,lexicon of ,freemasonry1 and find so little more to say on the subject1 that ,i have not at all varied from the course of argument1 and very little from the phraseology of the article in that work4 #ii ,in ,england1 ejection from a membership by a subordinate lodge is called exclusion1 and it does not deprive the party of his general rights as a member of the fraternity4 #ajj ,lexicon of ,freemasonry4 #aja ,phillips1 on ,evidence1 p4 #c4 #ajb ,chief ,baron ,gilbert4