MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE-QUERIES AND REPLIES.

BRO. WESTON-Dear Sir: If a Brother is suspended for non-payment of dues, must he be balloted for the same as though he had been expelled, in order to be reinstated? After paying his dues, does not that rescind the suspension, and entitle him to be reinstated without a ballot? Our by-laws require a ballot in both cases.

ANS. If a member is suspended under a by-law for non-payment of dues, by an ordinary vote of the Lodge, without charges being preferred against him, he is restored as soon as he pays the dues. Such is the rule unless altered by some local regulation, and we can think of no such regulation but what would be unjust and oppressive.

BRO. WESTON ·Dear Sir: After a candidate has received the first degree, how long a time may elapse before he must take the other degrees?

ANS. There is no specified time in which the candidate must advance, unless it be a local regulation.

In the absence of the Master, can the S. W. appoint a P. M. to open the Lodge, and go on with the work, or must he do these things in person?

Bro. Morris answers this question appropriately as follows: "He may request a P. M. to do them, provided he remains in the Lodge with him, and sees that the requisitions of the by-laws are regarded. But the S. W. will be held responsible for the work as though he did it himself."

BRO. WESTON-Can the by-laws be suspended by a vote of the Lodge ?

ANS. Whenever the by-laws provide, as they generally do, the manner in which they may be amended, etc., no action can be taken except in accordance with their provisions. If there be no clause specifying the manner in which they may be altered, amended, etc., no change should be made either by suspension or alteration without the consent of the Grand Lodge or the Grand Master. This rule, however, seems to have been in a great measure set aside in some jurisdictions by general usage, and in such instances, a suspension of the bylaws, when the act does not contravene any of their clauses, might be considered proper. We regard it, however, as inexpedient.

MASONIC ITEMS.

OFFICERS OF THE GRAND CHAPTER OF ILLINOIS-Elected-Nelson D. Elwood, Joliet, G. H. P.; Wm. W. Mitchell, Chicago, D. G. H. P.; Asa W. Blakesley, Quincy, G. K.; James Steele, Paris, G. S.; Wm. McMurtry, Henderson, G. Treas.; H. G. Reynolds, Springfield, G. Sec.; Levi Lusk, Sylva, G. Chap. ; H. W. Hubbard, Joliet, G. Capt. H.

Appointed-Robert Keith, Keithsburg, G. P. S.; W. M. Egan, Chicago, R. A. Capt.; T. J. Buford, Rock Island, G. M. 3rd V.; S. C. Toler, Jonesboro', G. M. 2nd V.; W. A. McLean, Kankakee City, G. M. 1st V.; P. A. Dorwin, Springfield, G. Stew.; A. R. Robinson, Springfield, G. Tyler; H. G. Reynolds, Springfield, Librarian.

A Masonic Historical Society has recently been organized in Ohio, with Bro. W. B. Thrall, President, and Cornelius Moore, of Cincinnati, Secretary.

Bro. Parvin has made a Masonic map of Iowa. A good idea, and should be imitated in other States.

Bro. Parvin is now the Editor of the Western Freemason. The right man in the right place.

Bro. Pearl, of Maine, is about to publish a new paper, called the Crystal. Success to him.

We had the pleasure of being present at the ball given by the Brethren of the A. and A. Rite, at the Academy of Music, on Tuesday evening last, and consider it, under all the circumstances, a decided success. It is true we have seen more crowded assemblies, but we do not recollect ever to have witnessed one where the company was more select, or the arrangements in better taste. The music, which was furnished by Noll's band, was most excellent, and the march which was played when the procession composed of the members of the Grand Lodge of Perfection, G. Council of Princes of Jerusalem, Chapter of Rose Croix, and the Consistory, entirely appropriate. And here we would say that the marching and counter-marching of the Brethren, especially when paying the honors to Ill. Bro. A. Cassard, S. G. I. G. 33rd, and his staff, composed of Ill. Bros. C. T. McClenachan, J H. H. Ward, Robt. Macoy and Ed. Eddy, all of the 32nd,

was executed with military precision. The decorations, especially those of the East, were not only tasteful but beautiful; and many a surmise was formed and expressed as to the meaning of the mysterious characters, illuminated in the great circle, at the back of the stage. Take it all in all, it was the most elegant affair of the season.-New York Courier.

The following, published in the Masonic Journal, are gathered from the records of Anti-Masonic times:

"A few seceders of the Masonic institution in some of the western towns of this State, are getting their tavern and other signs re-painted, and supplying the place of the old Masonic emblems with other devices of their feeble imagination. Not long since two gentlemen rode up to the door of a public house in one of our western towns, and after alighting, one of them (and a Mason, too,) casting his eye up to the sign, (which was a key-stone, with a mallet and chisel, etc.) observed to his companion, I don't know as it will do for us to call here, for this appears to be a Mason's tavern.' 'O,' said the landlady, who then stood in the door, that is Mr. D's old sign. We ain't Masons here; nor don't like them no better than anybody else does.' A fact."

"In one of the counties of Ohio, a man whose surname was Mason, had his son christened by the name of Anti."

"SENTIMENT.-The Anti-Masons of the day-Don Quixotes on mules-galloping down hill, with their feet out of the stirrups, holding on by the mane.'

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A lady being rebuked for marrying a negro, said, that it was not half so bad as her sister had done, for she had married an AntiMason!!!"

"LORENZO DoW.-We observe that some of the leading Anti-Masonic papers have turned their battering-rams against this man of the long beard, and appear resolved that he shall not preach as heretofore, unmolested. We have recently heard a good anecdote of this man, which serves to show that they will find him a hard nut to crack. Last fall, while on his way to the Lodge in this village, he was followed by a herd of Anti-Masonic cattle, who were reviling him, and just before he ascended the steps, he turned around to them, and very quaintly observed Whither I go, ye cannot come!'"

MICHIGAN SOUthern and NorTHERN INDIANA RAILROAD.—It affords us pleasure to bear testimony to the excellent management of this road in the running of its passenger trains. We have had occasion to pass over it recently several times, and have found all its appointments most excellent. The trains run punctually on time, and the employees of the road are old and well tried men-courteous and obliging. The main line track extends from Chicago to Toledo. The "air line" branches off from Elkhart and passes through Goshen, Ligonier, Kendallville, etc., in Indiana. From Adrian a branch extends to Monroe, which intercepts the road from Toledo to Detroit. The traveller can so go by this road from Chicago to Detroit without change of cars, and as quickly as by any other route. There are two other branches -one from White Pigeon to Three Rivers and one from Adrian to Jackson. This road and its branches (some five hundred miles long) continue under the management of Jno. D. Campbell, who has won a high reputation as an efficient, competent and indefatigable Superintendent. His efforts (as far as the management of that portion of the business which has come under our observation is concerned,) have been pre-eminently successful. We consider him the "right man in the right place."

We deeply regret to learn that Bro. J. W. Hunt, of Madison, Wis., died on the 12th of last month. We shall refer to this again in our next.

FEMALE FREEMASON.-The following extract from A General History of the County of Norfolk, (England,) 2 vols. 8 vo. 1829, page 1304, we copy from the London Freemasons' Magazine, for November 19th. From this it will be seen that Miss St. Leger was not the only woman who ever obtained a knowledge of the Masonic mysteries:

Died, in St. John's Maddermarket, Norwich, July, 1802, aged eighty-five, Mrs. Beaton, a native of Wales. She was commonly called the Freemason, from the circumstance of her having contrived to conceal herself one evening in the wainscoting of a Lodge room, where she learned the secret, the knowledge of which thousands of her sex have in vain attempted to arrive at. She was in many respects, a very singular character, of which one proof adduced is, that the secret of the Freemasons died with her."-Journal.

MASONIC ALMANAC.-The ever versatile Morris has issued a Masonic Almanac for 1860. It is a valuable work. Buy it.

THERE are few Masons in the United States who will not at once recognize the name at the head of this article. As we stated in the last number of THE ASHLAR, Bro. Hunt died on the twelfth day of December last. We had known Bro. H. about three years, and among all our Brethren we know but few who equalled him as a man of warm heart, noble and generous tendencies, affable and courteous manners, true and steadfast friendship. In these respects we knew him well. We saw him tested more than once. He was emphatically one of "nature's noblemen." We cannot publish a better tribute to his memory than the following extract from the annual address of Sir Kt. H. L. Palmer, Grand Commander of the Grand Commandery of Wisconsin:

"Nor does the fact that all of you are already aware of what I am about to communicate, relieve me from the duty of announcing to you, officially, the decease of Eminent Sir JOHN WARREN HUNT, late Grand Recorder of this Grand Commandery, and also Eminent Commander of Robert McCoy Commandery No. 3. Our Brother died at his residence in the city of Madison on the 12th day of December last, and on the 14th of the same month his mortal remains were deposited in their final resting place in the Madison Cemetery, followed thither by a large concourse of sad and mourning friends. At the special request of our deceased Brother his remains were consigned to the silent tomb with the most solemn and impressive Burial Service of our Order, under the auspices of Robert McCoy Commandery No. 3, assisted by a detachment from Wisconsin Commandery No. 1, the members of the several Masonic Lodges, and the Royal Arch Chapter at Madison. The Dane 16-VOL. V. NO. VI.