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CONTENTS . PAGE LEADER—•Initiation of Candidates ... ... ... ... ... 6 77 Masonic Jurisprudence ... ... ... ... ... ... G 77 Consecration of the Seymour Lodge , No . 2 S 04 ... ... ... 67 S Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 6 79 M ASONIC NOTESMasonic Jurisprudence ... ... ... ... ** ... 6 S 3

: Death of Bro . Sir Arthur Sullivan , P . G . Orpr . ... ... ... 6 S 3 Province of Cumberland and Westmoreland ... ... ... 6 S 3 Grand Masonic Function at Berlin ... ... ... ... 6 S 3 Death of Bro . G . Reynolds , P . M . 1614 ... ... ... ... 6 S 3 Correspondence ... ... .. ' . ... ... ... 6 S 4 Mark Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 6 S 4 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 6 S 4 Instruction ... ... ... ... ... ... ... GS 6 Board of Benevolence ... ... ... ... ... ... 6 S 7

SCOTLANDThe Preceptory of the Temple in Glasgow ... ... ... 6 S 7 Obituary ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6 S 7 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... GSS Frederick the Great as a Freemason ... ... ... ... 6 SS Science , Art , and the Drama ... ... ... ... ... Cyo

Initiation Of Candidates.

INITIATION OF CANDIDATES .

It seems to be to very little purpose that consecrating officers and other brethren of hig . li standing in the Craft should be continually dinning into the ears of members of our lodges

the necessity for exercising the most extreme caution in accepting persons who offer themselves as candidates for the mysteries and privileges of Freemasonry , when the

facilities for admission are such as are described in a letter we publish in another column . Our correspondent , who signs himself " Indignant , " states , without qualification or reservation of any kind , that " certain London lodges are initiating men

from the country without first making inquiry as to their character in the town in which they reside , ancl whether they would be considered fit and proper persons to be admitted to a lodge in their own town . " Hc tells us further that " this is

causing great uneasiness , and members are refusing to meet these so-called 'back door' Masons (?) in open lodge . " His letter concludes with the appeal—which is quite natural under the circumstances— " please lend your assistance . " The

assistance we are able to render may not be much , but in the hope that it may be of service , it is cheerfully rendered . In the first place , as regards the laws relating to candidates

for initiation , Article 18 3 of the Book of Constitutions is to the following effect * . "Great discredit and injury having been hrought upon our antient and honourable Fraternity from admitting members and receiving candidates without due

notice being given or enquiry made into their characters and qualifications it is declared to be specially in-< •umbent on all members of lodges to see that particular attention be paid to these several points . " Article 184 provides

that " no person shall be made a Mason without having been proposed and seconded at one regular lodge , and ballotted for at the next regular lodge , which ballot shall not take place

"" less his name , age , profession , or occupation , and place of abode , with the names of his proposer and seconder , have been S (^ "t in the summons to all the members of the lodee . " Article

' ^ 6 provides , among other things , that every candidate must "ot onl y be of the full age of 21 years—except in certain speci-¦ « 1 cases—but also " a free man . and at the time of initiation

Initiation Of Candidates.

in reputable circumstances . " Thus , so far as our Laws , go , every reasonable precaution it taken to safeguard our lodges against the admission into Masonry of unworthy persons and persons who are not known to be " in reputable circumstances . " Hence , it is

not the Law which is at fault but those who act in ignorance or disregard of its provisions , and of these we take itin the practice referred to in our Correspondent ' s letterthe proposer and seconder of the intended candidate

are primarily to blame , and finally the Master , who allows the proposition to come before the lodge without ensuring first of all that due enquiry into the character and qualifications of the candidate havebeen made and with a result which is in every

way satisfactory . But if the strict observance of these provisions is deemed imperative under the laws of Freemasonry in the case of the ordinary candidate who applies to be admitted into our " antient and honourable Fraternity" in a lodge in the town in

which he resides or , at ail events , within easy distance of his residence , tl fortiori must it be imperative in the case of a candidate who resides a long way from the lodge in which he is proposed to be made a Mason . In a country town a person ' s

character ancl qualifications are likely to be known among his neighbours p- but it does not follow that they are equally well known among thc members of a London lodge ; and , vice versa , a man residing in London is not likely to be much known

by those residing in a country town more or less remote . In any case , if inquiry into the character and qualifications of every candidate for initiation is held to be necessary and is provided for in the Laws or Constitutions of Freemasonry , it must be

absolutely necessary in the case of one who is a stranger to the members of the lodge . It will be argued that the proposer and seconder are sponsors for thc candidate ' s reputability , and to a limited extent they are ; but the very fact of a man applying

for admission into Freemasonry , not to a lodge within easy reach of his home , but 50 or too miles away , is alone calculated to arouse suspicion , and renders thc inquiry provided for in

Article 1 S 3 more imperative than ever , and to secure that this is made , ancl made properly ancl satisfactorily , is thc duty of thc VV . M .

Masonic Jurisprudence.

MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE .

[ COMMUNICATED . I LODGES OF INSTRUCTION .

Every lodge should be one of instruction . But a lodge of instruction pre-supposes an instructor , and it also pre-supposes time and opportunity for instruction to be given , and very often these conditions are not present in the ordinary lodge . Were

the Worshipful Master elect thoroughly examined by a competent Board before his installation , not only as regards his aptness in the ritual , but his knowledge of history , law , and Constitutions , then there might be no necessity for the lodge of instruction-. As things are , however , the more the better .

It must be understood that a lodge of instruction , and the weekly rehearsal which obtains largely in the provinces , are two distinct things . The latter is quite ' unknown to the Constitutions , and is not officially recognised . As a matter ol" fact , it is

an irregular unlicensed lodge of instruction , meeting by mutual agreement . The chief objection to it is that it usurps the place of the real thing . The instruction given is entirely ad hoc , or with special reference to the proper conduct of a forthcoming ceremony , ancl is practically so much drill . Articles 158 to 16 r describe the procedure necessary to form a lodge of instruction , or , at all events , they refer to it , and they

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The Freemasons' Calendar & Pocket Book for 1901 , Price 2 / -, Ready Early in December ,