Masters, Wardens, And Past Masters.

MASTERS , WARDENS , AND PAST MASTERS .

LONDON , SATURDAY , OCTOBFR 12 , 1861 .

We do not profess to be infallible , nor are we ashamed to acknowledge that Ave Lave been in error AvLen we are proved to be so ; at tbe same time , we are not in tbe Labit of g iving positive opinions as to the laws of Ereemasonry without making such inquiry , - wLen we are in

doubt , as may fortify us in the opinions we promulgate . An old and valued correspondent Las , Lowever , taken us to task for a late answer to another

correspondentand not , we think , in the most courteous terms—when he talks of the complete absurdity of our opinions . Our correspondent informs us that he an old Past Master , and a Member of the Board of General Purposes—but we would remind him that the being a Past Master is no proof of his being learned in the laws ; neither are

we inclined to take the opinion of an individual Member of the Board of General Purposes as an authority against that of so distinguished a Mason as the late respected Grand Secretary , Bro . "Wm . H . White , a brother who has spent nearly the average life of man in Ereemasonry , and certainly made Limself well acquainted AvitL the laws and customs of tLe Order . But before

we proceed further we will let our correspondent speak for himself : — TO THE EDITOR OP THE FHEEMASOXS iIAGA 2 I 2 TE A 2 fD 3 TAS 0 XIC MIBEOE . DEAR Sm AND BROTHER . —On reading your Answers to Correspondents in your last week ' s number , I find the followingviz : — " A Master of alodge being unable to perform

, the ceremonies , or wishing for assistance , may request a P . M . or Warden to act for him . It is the custom in many lodges for tbe Master to leave the chair and resign , it to a P . M . during the performance of those duties , but it is not correct . The W . M . should , so long as he remains in the lodge , retain the chair , and the P . M . or Warden officiating should occupy a seat immediately to his left . In Grand

Lodge the D . G . M . always sits to the right of the G . M ., but he has no duties to perform in the G . M . ' s presence . " Now with respect to the P . M . ; if the W . M , is unable to perform the ceremonies , or wishes his assistance , he must resign his seat to the P . M ., as no ceremony can be properly and legally done but from the chair . With respect to the Wardenhe cannoton pretence -whatever a seat

, , any , occupy immediately on the left of the AV . M ., nor has he a right to perform any of the ceremonies alluded to , nor can the W . M . empower him to do so—it is an absolute absurdity to imagine that such could he the case . The D . G . M . is no parallel . I am an old P . M ., and a member of the Board of General Purposes , ancl feel quite sure that if you ivilltake the trouble to reflect on the ceremony of installation and of the opening

and closing of a lodge , you will then be convinced that your statement is wrong ancl at variance with any reasonable conclusion . Tours , October 2 , 1861 . VERITAS , & e . & c .

In the first place "Veritas" informs us that if the "W . M . is unable to perform the ceremonies , or wishes his ( the P . M . 's assistance ) he must resign his seat to the P . M ., as no ceremony can be properly and legally done but from the chair . " And he refers us to the ceremony of installation to prove the A-iew he has taken . Now

what do we find in the installation but that the Master solemnly takes upon himself to rule and govern his lod ge for the next twelve months , and until a successor

shall be dul y appointed and installed in his stead . That duty he cannot , whilst present , delegate to any brother , and as the light on the Master's pedestal should never be put out or shaded Avhilst the lodge is open , neither should the Master , on any pretence , resign his seat to

any one , be he P . M . or not , excepting , of course , to the Grand Master , Deputy Grand Master , Prov . Grand Master , or D . Prov . Grand Master , as provided for in the Book of Constitutions . And what says our learned Bro . Dr . Oliver , on this point in his Masonic

-Jurisprudenee , a work in which he is reported to have had the assistance of Bro . Stephen Barton Wilson , through whose hands Ave have reason to believe every sheet passed prior to its going to press : — " If the legitimate Master be present lie is totally without excuse if he suffers any other hrotlier io occupy his place ; but should lie feel any embarrassment in working the ceremonies , lie may call on any brother present , be his rank what- it may , to

assist him , provided lie retains the chair and continues io rule the lodge ; " and Dr . Mackey , in his text book of Masonic Jurisprudence , a more elaborate work in many respects than that of Dr . Oliver , and in which he discusses both the English and American constitutions , says" The first and most important prerogative of the

, Master is ' to preside over his lodge , " and of this prerogative , he goes to prove that , no one can deprive him excepting Grand Lodge , or the Grand Master , as laid doivn in the Book of Constitutions ; and "from the principle ( says Dr . Mackey ) that the Master , when

present , must always preside over his lodge , arises the rule that a Masonic lodge can never , under any circumstances , be resolved into a committee of the whole . " And Anderson distinctly lays it doAvn that " whenever Masons congregate together on Masonic business , the Master is

entitled to govern them and direct their labours ; " and this he clearly could not do if he allowed any other person to fill his chair .

Having , as we believe , clearly shown that Ave had good grounds for the first part of the opinion given by us , and questioned by " Veritas , " Ave will now proceed to show that we had even stronger grounds for the second portion . " Veritas " says , " With respect to the

Warden , he cannot , on any pretence whatever , occupy a seat immediately on the left of the W . M ., nor has he the right to perform any of the ceremonies alluded to , nor can the W . M . empower him io do so . It is an absolute absurdity to imagine that such could be the case "—and

here again we are referred to the ceremonies . Are not . the Wardens informed in the installation that in the absence of the Master they will succeed to hi gher duties ? and , if they are so informed , we should like to know what higher duties they can be called to , excepting it be :

to those of the Master ? Is ow , Avith regard to the question whether a Warden can perform the ceremonies ? Dr . Oliver shows that there has been a great divergence of opinion—but in the Old Constitutions , published by Anderson , it is clearly laid down in Art . I ., on the Masters and Wardens of particular lod ges . — " If