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of its own transcendent maxims of virtue , justice , charity and brotherly love . The same itching for pestiferous litigations , which never perplexed our Masonic ancestors , incite ^ haste and

irritation in discussion , and insures in organised bodies recklessness of procedure such as should be left to the turmoil of political assemblies : and the deplorable results are forced

upon the attention of the public , as well as of the Craft , by the clamour and confusion which always follow ill-advised action .

The true and admirable laws of our Institution have always been and now are amply sufficient in every emergency , for they aro not concerned with the ingenious subtleties of ungenerous dispute , but assume that the only

serious question among the brethren m any unforeseen conjuncture of affairs will be , which is the most fraternal , honourable and just way to proceed ? and that the " noble

emulation , who can beat work aud best agree , " will leave no place for oppression or circumvention of each other , in concerns of the Craft .

One of the cases of dispute referred to above is , in all respects , as to reason and justice , substantially the same as the following supposed case : Bro . A . B ., a worthy and skilful Mason of good report , lives at a distance of twelve

miles from his Lodge , one of the oldest in the State . After dwelling there many years , a new Lodge is established within seven miles of him . He is glad of its prosperity , and continues his usual works of benevolence towards all

Masons and others , and fears no evil—he trusts that the new organisation is for Masonic purposes . When the new Lodge , erected to God , has set up its lights and jewels , and celebrated its dedication to universal benevolence , the

members , anxious that their Institution shall appear to advantage , both as to character and numbers , call upon him to unite with them . But for some reason , perhaps because his father and grandfather had been members of

the old Lodge , and he has a son also a member , " or because he cannot feel willing to part with the old time brothers who have walked with him so many times the same chequered floor , or in the same funeral train ; or for some

other cause , sufficient for him , and not to be inquired into by others ; he declines changing his affiliation , as he lawfully may ; for he has served his apprenticeship there , and

wrought as a Craftsman and become a master in the work there , and is free ; and what is Freemasonry , if the status it confers is to be made subject to the orders of others ?

But they having for the first time looked about for a little law adapted to their purpose , and finding in some Masonic compilation that a Lodge is endowed with exclusive jurisdiction within its own territory ( except when it is not ) ,

and learning further , that a number of Lodges in any country where there is no Grand Lodge , may unite in forming a Grand Lodge of their own , which , when established , would have , according to the opinion held by

American Grand Lodges , such exclusive jurisdiction that no other Grand Lodge can be formed in the same territory , nor can any other Grand Lodge grant charters for new Lodges therein ; and learning , still further , from some

source , that by virtue of a thrifty outgrowth from the " American idea " such Grand Lodge would also be at once empowered to do what the Portuguese did in India , and the Spaniards in Mexico and Peru •, demand of all Lodges

found lawfully working within the territory , unconditional surrender to its own sovereignty ; under pain of destruction , and seeing clearly that what is good law for a new Grand Lodge must be good for a particular Lodge under

the same circumstances—and not finding the distinction between rules of convenience and amenity and those concerning forfeitures and penalties , nor the old principle that " Masonry taketh not from any man anything which he

had before ; " nor the law that " no man or body of men can make any change in the body of Masonry "—and not recollecting the obligations by which they claim to be Master Masons—and not trying to find what is the Masonic

idea—they proceed at once to place Bro . A . B . under the ban , with as little concern as to right or wrong as a Pope of the dark ages ordering in Jews for baptism , under penalty of confiscation and death . Then they notify the Craft that

A . B ., a " recusant found in their territory , is to be denied Masonic shelter , " water and fire / ' and be numbered among cowans , and spurned from the threshold of the very

Lodge to which he belongs , and , in short , that they have left him a Masonic corpse without right of burial except at the cross roads with a stake driven through his body , to show that he is a Masonic suicide—giving him the same

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comfort in death which the inquisitors bestowed on their victims ; that he perishes by his own fault in not heedinotheir ghostly authority .

It is true , whether they omit examination of Masonic constitutions , charges and obligations or not , they can find on their side many pertinent cases of royal authority in no wise connected with the Inquisition . Among these is that

of King Ahab and Queen Jezabol of Samaria , in coercinojurisdiction over the vineyard of tho " recusant " Naboth who claimed the right to hold on to his former possession which lie had not received from the King , bnt from his own

ancestors . This authority " runs on all fours " with the ease of the Grand Lodgo , whose proceedings the new Lodge had copied , but is weakened somewhat by another authority , which , in a candid attempt to show both sides

should be given for what it is worth . It is the decision of one of the most illustrious of the Grand Caliphs of Bagdad , in a matter in which he was both a party and judge ; without looking for any law whatever in his own behalf ,

Having built a great palace , corresponding in splendour with the magnificence of the wide empire in which he was then absolute Grand Master , he found it necessary in order to surround it with suitable grounds , to include therein

the lot of a very poor man ; who , like A . B . and Naomi , could say , "I dwell among mine own people ; " and who occupied a hovel on his piece of ground in front of the grand palace ; so the Caliph sent his officer ( Grand Senior

Deacon ) to purchase the ground . But the latter returned , very indignant , with a report that the sturdy pauper refused to give up his possession at any price , because it was his heritage , and he would dwell where his fathers

Iwelt before him . The officer begged to be sent to drive u ' m out of his hut and demolish the same , and he and all lie courtiers and eunuchs , and whoever loved the Asiatic dea , insisted that it wonld be great dishonour to the

Caliph that a mere beggar should be allowed to set up his personal rights against the wish of a sovereign ; and that the vile cabin must not be permitted for a moment to

disgrace the grand palace of the realm . But the Caliph said , " Nay : he also shall have his right . Let the hovel remain ; and the palace shall stand to witness that I was great , and the hut beside it will show that I was just . "

Both Ahab and the Caliph have been judged , and there is no hope that the judgment can be changed . The Grand Body which has jurisdiction of their acts is the civilized world . It will also judge their imitators ; even those who are under no Masonic obligations .

There is much . aid just now concerning law in cases the same in principle as that above supposed between the new Lodge and A . B ., that is , between a Grand Lodge newly

established , and several symbolic Lodges which hold charters within the territory claimed by the new G . Lodge , and which elect to retain their old charters aud hold their

Masonic allegiance to the old Grand Lodge which created them , as many Lodges have clone before , for reasons of their own . As no one has any right to inquire into the latter , they need not be discussed here or anywhere else .

The new Grand Lodge claiming to act on the strength of what is called by some the " American Idea ; " or rather , that extended by the addition of an apt Canadian Idea ; has issued a paper or manifesto of non-intercourse against

these Lodges ; and several Grand Lodges have found it expedient from some cause to do the same . This has created the existing demand for law on the subject , which is being furnished as rapidly and of as desirable a quality

as could have been expected under the stringency of the circumstances . When last heard from , the innovators seemed hopeful of getting the upper hand , bnt were calling loudly for recruits .

Well , what does any Master Mason , who works by the square and practises charity , want of any law , one way or the other in such a case ? If he be a worthy Mason he certainly cannot desire to avail himself of any law to

oppress another ; and if there be any law found against so doing it can add nothing to that which he has often helped to enact and re-enact in the Lodge , by uniting with all

present in administering the obligations and charges of Masonry . Why spend time in searching to know whether or not such a law exists ? Suppose , on the other hand , that he finds a law , whether ancient or modern , that

justifies , in well coined phrases , Doing unto others as you would not have them do unto you . " What has he found ? Anything which he can use in Masonry ? One great object , if not the chief one , of Masonry is , to render it impossible that any such law should exist . Masonry is