The Constitution Of New Lodges And New Members.

THE CONSTITUTION OF NEW LODGES AND NEW MEMBERS .

We cannot complain that Ave have been inundated Avith letters relating to the important question so ably set forth by Bro . WHYTEHEAD in the letter he addressed to us some weeks since on the indiscriminate acceptance of candidates and the touting which is openly practised by some lodges in order to obtain new

members . The question is a vital one as regards the future Avell-being of Freemasonry , but as public opinion is slow to manifest itself amongst Masons , Ave must congratulate ourselves on having wrung from an unwilling public two long and well-written communications on the subject , but more

especially on the fact that the Grand Master of one of our largest and most influential Provinces has pointedly drawn the attention of the lodges and brethren under his immediate control to the correspondence thus initiated by Bro . WHYTEHEAD . It may be perhaps that the remarks of Bro . TEAV and his worthy

Deputy may induce others to bestir themselves in opposition to the malpractices so vehemently and so righteously denounced by our correspondents , but in the meantime one or two other questions of a cognate character have been raised which appear to call for some observations . Thus " Latomus" in his letter

Avhich appeared in our last Aveek's issue , after expressing his abhorrence of the evils Avhich have been enumerated by previous correspondents , lays stress on the importance of having a proper and frequent supervision of lodges . With regard to lodges which are grouped together in Provinces , he thinks they " should

atthe least once in every year be visited by the Provincial Grand Master , Deputy Provincial Grand Master , or the Provincial Grand Secretary , Avho he considers are " especially suited to the duties by virtue of their position . " He does not contemplate—indeed he speaks with the utmost contempt of

introducing anything like a " system of espionage into the government of these groups of lodges . What he advocates is a " fraternal interest in the welfare of the Craft " under his care by the Provincial Grand Master , his Deputy , and his Secretary , but he has grave doubts as to Avhether the men who

are usually appointed to these offices are quite the kind of men " to exercise this oversight . " As regards Provincial Grand Masters he says , and says truly , that they " are very generally peers , heirs to peerages , baronets , or members of Parliament , men who are non-residents in their respective Provinces during

the greater part of the year , and when they are residing in their provinces their time is more than fully occupied by the public duties of their station . " So also as regards the Deputies and

Secretaries , they are " frequently men who in the capacity of country gentlemen or professional men have their hands far too full to exercise any personal supervision at all . " The inference Ave draw from these observations is that our

correspondent Avould have the Avork of supervision entrusted to other and perhaps to specially-appointed officers ; or , that he would have other than men of position appointed Prov . G . Masters , Deputy P . G . Masters , and Prov . G . Secretaries . To this AA'e reply , in the first place , that it is your busy

man , who always has his hands full of every variety of work , who invariabl y finds time to perform some extra duty- in the second place , that , as far as our experience goes , our Prov . Grand Masters already exercise this supervision , and to every good purpose , either personally or by deputy ; and ,

lastly , that if this Avork of supervision is to be exercised at all , Avith manifest advantage to the lodges supervised , and in such a manner that the supervision shall be void of the slightest suspicion of anything like espionage , it must be done by men of good social standing , whom none will dare to suspect of

objectionable motives in the discharge of their duty ; in other words , by the very class of men who now fill these officesof P . G . M ., L ) . P . G . M , and P . G . Sec . We further submit this question to the consideration of our correspondent , who we trust will kindly favour us Avith his views in reply at his early convenience . In what manner does he expect that the supervision he proposes

The Constitution Of New Lodges And New Members.

will prevent the malpractices of which Bro WHYTEHEAD and others so justly complain ? Neither the lodges which now openly tout for candidates , nor those members of lodges who , having no sense of the responsibility which attaches to them for thpiracts ,

are ready at all times to propose men as candidates of whose character and antecedents they know nothing or next to nothing , Avill be prevented from seeking or proposing whom they please by the exercise of this proposed visitation .

Thus far we have confined our remarks to the question of constituting new members ; but on reference to our report last week of the recent meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Sussex , it will be found that the Duke of CONNAUGHT , P . G . M ., in his address to the brethren assembled ,

mentioned that "applications had been made at different times for three new lodges in the Province , but as , upon due consideration , the Deputy Provincial Grand Master could not recommend the petitions to the favourable consideration of the M . W . Grand Master , they were not forwarded to . the

Grand Lodge . The only remarkable thing about this statement is the fact of its having been made openly in Provincial Grand Lodge , and for this Ave consider the Provincial Grand Master deserves well of the Craft generally . It makes it clear , at all events , that the Provincial authorities of Sussex ,

though they are naturally anxious to see the Craft in their charge increasing in numbers as well as in efficiency , are determined not to encourage mere numerical increase for its own sake and without reference to the true interests of Freemasonry . If in the exercise of their undoubted right of judgment they consider the ,

neAV lodges for AA'hich petitions are submitted to them are needed and will be likely to establish themselves on a firm basis , they Avill recommend and forward them to the Grand Master ; but . if they think them unnecessary or unlikely to succeed prominently , or

if in their discretion they consider their establishment undesirable , then they will not recommend such petitions to the Grand Masterand will notforward them to Grand Lodge . Wedonotknow , or profess to know , the reasons bywhich Bro . SirW . T . MARRIOTT ,

D . P . G . M ., was actuated when he declined , to recommend the

particular petitions referred to by the Duke of CONNAUGHT in his address on this occasion . VVe are content to assume that he had good reasons for the course he pursued , and until our whole system of Masonic authority , as it is at present constituted , is destroyed , we shall consider it incumbent on . us to

support those entrusted with such authority in the perform-, ance of their duties . As for the absurd and even mischievous doctrine Ave have seen propounded , that a Prov . Grand Master must consider " the effects of the feeling" he creates in the minds of those Avhose petitions he considers it his duty to reject , we

remark that a Prov . Grand Master who prefers the personal feelings of some 30 or 40 brethren to what he considers the welfare of the whole body entrusted to his charge is unworthy of the office he has been appointed to fill . Some day no doubt the question will again crop up as to the desirability of constituting new

lodges in Sussex , either in the localities chosen for the particular three which have not been recommended or elsewhere ; and to us it is a comfort to rest assured that when it does crop up , the interests of all Sussex Freemasonry will not be lost sight of out of consideration for the personal feelings of a few of its members .

Old Masonic Charges.

OLD MASONIC CHARGES .

I have much pleasure in announcing that two more MSS . have been traced—one of value , which should be called the , "Dumfries Kilwinning MS ., " owned by one of the oldest lodges on the Scottish register . The roll is composed of seven strips of vellum joined together ,

running to the extraordinary length of 14 feet 8 inches , the width varying from sli ghtly over 5 inches to 6 inches , and is the property of the "Dumfries Kilwinning Lodge , " No . 53 , Scotland , which , though not chartered prior to the year 1750 , was at work long before , the preserved records dating from 168 7 .