The Revised Book Of Constitutions.

and thoroughly , while the proposed law is silent as to the most material object wbich justifies visiting . There is a mode of working established in accordance with ancient usages and customs , but the said mode of working is no more one and the same thins : with the said usages and

customs than a superstructure is one and the same with the foundation on whieh it rests . We arc told that " every deviation " from the established mode of working " is highly improper , and cannot be justified or ¦ . •outitoranced . " The proposed law takes no notice of there being au

established mode of working , and says nothing as to deviations from it being improper aud unjustifiable . It may be that certain recent motions and counter motions iu Grand Lodge have made the word " uniformity , " and the idea it conveys distasteful to the Revision Committee , but

that cannot be accepted as a justification for ignoring the necessity for a uniform mode of working . In one other respect we think the existing law preferable . It may be

better that visits should be paid by the Masters ancl Wardens of a lodge , they are its rulers and official representatives ; but we seo no reason why the Past Masters and other members should bo excluded from the

operation of the rule . No . 148 affects the " Admission of visitors" and corresponds with Article 1 , p 89 .

EEVISED EDITION . " 148 . No visitor shall be admitted into a lodge unless he be personally known to , or recommended , or well vouched for by one of tho brethren present , ov

until he has produced the certificate of the Grand Lodge to which he claims to belong , and has given satisfactory proof that he is the brother named in the

certificate , or other proper vouchers of his having been initiated in a regular lodge . Every visitor during his continuance in the lodgo is subject to the by-laws of the lodge . "

EXISTING EDITION . 1 ( p 89 ) . " No visitor shall be admitted into a lodge nnless he be personally known , recommended , or well vouched for , after duo examination by oue of the

present brethren j and during his continuance in the lodge he must be subject to the by-laws of the lodge . The master of the lodge is bound to enforce these regulations . "

The proposed Rule is fuller and more satisfactory than that in existence , bnt in places it is awkwardly worded , as in the clause beginning " or until he has " to the end of the sentence . Without committing ourselves absolutely to the words , -we would suggest " or until he has produced bis

Grand Lodge certificate "—which is , of course , the certificate of , or issued by , the Grand Lodge to which he claims to belong— " and given satisfactory proof he is the brother named therein , or has furnished evidence of his initiation in a regular Lodge . " We would also suggest the last sentence

should read , " Every visitor during his stay [ or presence ] in the Lodge is subject to its by-laws . " No . 149 , " Refusal of Admission" is Art . 2 , p 89 , extended , so as to justify the Master ' s refusal of admission in the case of a visitor " whose presence he has reason to

believe will disturb the harmony of the lodge , " as well as of a " visitor of known bad character . " No . 150 , like Art . 3 , p 89 , disqualifies a non-subscribing Mason from visiting a Lodge " more than once until he again become a subscribing member of some lodge ; '' but the manner in

which the proposed Rule is worded , " to visit any one lodge , " is an •improvement on the existing * Rule , which forbids him " to visit any lodge in the town or place where he resides more than once during his secession from the

Craft . ' Under * he existing law there is nothing to prevent a brother who has seceded from visiting other Lodges than those " in the town or place where he resides " as often as they meet .

Nos . 151 and 152 respectively define what are " London Lodges" and what "Provincial or district Lodges . " Lodges ISos . 153 , 154 , and 155 concern Military Lodges , and call for certain remarks . We say nothing as to tbe omission from tbe proposed Rules of the introductory

article at p 74 on the subject " of Military Lodges . " It is to the effect that , " It being essential to the interest of the craft , that all military lodges should be strictly confined to the purposes for which their warrants were originall y obtained ; and very great abuses having arisen from the

improper initiation of masons by such Lodges , every warrant , therefore , wbich is held by a military lodge shall be forfeited unless the following laws be complied with , in addition to those specified under the head of ' Private Lodges . ' " There is no objection to such a statement , but , on tbe other hand , it is unnecessary . There is , however .

The Revised Book Of Constitutions.

it seems to us , fair ground for objecting to the omission of Art . 1 , p 75 , which lays it down that " No warrant shall be granted for the establishment of a military lodge without the consent of the commanding officer of the regiment battalion , or company to which it is to be attached . " There

is , in fact , every reason why this law should not be excised . We may take it for granted that such a Lod ge could not be established in connection with any military body without the consent of tho commanding officer •and that sneli consent is notified in tho petition and repeated iu the

wari * ant . But this is a different thing from assuming that every body of petitioners for a military warrant has obtained tho consent of the proper authority , or that no snch body of petitioners will ever apply for such a warrant without baving first of all obtained such authority . In .

deed , the omission of this law might lead to the commission of the irregularity it is designed to prevent . Brethren are expected to know what is in the Book of Constitutions but they cannot be expected to know what is not in it .

Therefore , say we , let Art . 1 , p 75 , have its place in the Revised Book . As to the proposed laws , No . 153 corresponds , in all essential particulars , indeed , almost word for word , with Art . 3 , p 75 ; No . 154 with Art . 2 , p 75 ; and No . 155 with Art . 4 , p 76 .

Nos . J 50 , 157 , 158 , ancl 159 relate to Lodges of Instrnction , and correspond respectively with Art . 1 , p 88 , first part ; Art . 1 , p 88 , second part ; Art . 2 , p 88 ; and Art . 3 , p 88 . But few comments are needed . No . 157 is to the effect that " Notice of the times and places of meeting of lodges

of instruction shall be given within the London district to the grand secretary , and in provinces and districts to the provincial or district grand secretaries respectively "—query , Why not " provincial and district ?"—while the present law takes no notice of Lodges of Instruction in Provinces and

Districts . As a consequence , No . 158 , which like Art . 2 , p 88 , enacts that minutes shall be kept ; requires further that " such minutes shall be produced when called for b y the grand master , the provincial or district grand master , the board of general purposes , " & c . We would remark ,

with a view to strengthen and make more obvious our remarks on proposed new Rule No . 147 , by which visiting is enjoined , that according to Rule No . 156 , as according to tho existing rule , " The lodge giving its sanction , and the brethren to whom such licence is granted , sball be

answerable for the proceedings , and responsible that the mode of working adopted has received the sanction of the grand lodge . " It seems , therefore , that , after all , there is some importance attaching to the " mode of working " which has " received the sanction of the grand lodge . "

Consequently , there can be no reason why a desire to study this mode of working , so as to avoid all improper and unjustifiable deviations from it , should not be as conspicuous among the reasons for visiting lodges under the proposed law ( No . 147 ) as under the existing law ( Art . 19 , P 67 ) .

Nos . 160 and 161 deal with the by-laws of a Lodge , and together constitute Art . 5 , p 63 , from wbich thoy do not widely differ , as will be seen from the following compa ,

nson : — " 160 . Every lodge has the power of framing by-laws for its government , provided they are not inconsistent with the

regulations of the grand lodge . The by-laws must be submitted to the srand master , and when approved , a printed copy must be sent to the grand secretary , and in the case

of a provincial or district lodge , also to tho provincial or district grand master ; and when any alteration shall be made , such alteration must , in like manner ,

be submitted . No law or alteration will be valid until so submitted and approved . The bylaws of the lodge shall be printed , and a copy shall be delivered to

the master on his installation , who by his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to solemnly pledge himself to observe and enforce them . " " 101 . Every brother shall be supplied with a printed copy of the by-laws of the lodge when he

becomes a member , and his acceptance thereof shall be deemed to be a declaration of his submission to them . "

5 ( p 63 ) . " Every lodge has the power of framing by-laws for its government , provided they aro not inconsistent with the

regulations of the grand lodge . The by-laws must be submitted to the grand master , or the provincial grand master , and when approved , a fair copy must be sent

to the grand secretary , and , in the case of a country lodge , also to the provincial grand master ; and , when any material alteration shall be made , such alteration

must , in like manner , be submitted . No law or alteration will be valid until so submitted and approved . Tho by-laws of the lodge shall be fairly written in a

book , which shall be delivered to the master on his installation , when he shall solemnly p ledge himself to observe and enforce them . Every brother shall sign them when he becomes a member of tbe lodge , as a declaration of his submission to them , and shall

at all reasonable times have access to them , and be allowed to take copies . "