entertaining it, but Bro. Hibbard himself was anxious to take the sense of the Grand Lodge, and waived his prerogative for the time being.

"In 1858, the Committee on Foreign Correspondence, of which Bro. Grand Secretary was chairman, certainly did give countenance to the idea that an appeal from the decision of a Grand Master was proper, although there was no express language to that effect.

"What your committee now desire is, that the law be ascertained, and that we abide by the law, whether it suit our own notions of the rights and duties of presiding officers or not.

"No. IV, of the Old Charges, as published in 1722, in setting forth who may be Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master, closes as follows:

These rulers and governors, supreme and subordinate, of the ancient Lodge, are to be obeyed in their respective stations by all the brethren, according to the old charges and regulations, with all humility, reverence, love and alacrity.

"Preston says that before Grand Lodges were formed, that as many of the Fraternity within a convenient distance, as could, did assemble once or twice a year, at large, under the auspices of one general head, who was elected and installed at one of these meetings; and who for the time being received homage as the sole governor of the whole body.'

"Bro. Mackey in his Principles of Masonic Law,' discourses thus in regard to the prerogatives of Grand Masters:

It seems now to be settled, by ancient usage, as well as the expressed opinions of the generality of Grand Lodges and of Masonic writers, that there is no appeal from his decision.

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The query at once suggests itself, what shall be done with the Grand Master, in case he abuses his great power?

"Art. XIX, of the Old Regulations of 1721, reads thus:

If the Grand Master should abuse his great power, and render himself unworthy of the obedience and submission of the Lodge, he shall be treated in a way and manner to be agreed upon in a new regulation.

"Your committee have now shown that this Grand Lodge has never really endorsed or sanctioned in direct terms, the right of appeal from the decision of the Grand Master, and are free to confess that the authorities and usage are against such a doctrine.

66 MAKING MASONS AT SIGHT.

"Bro. Prescott, of the Minnesota Committee, is somewhat facetious in the matter of making Masons at sight in New Jersey.

"The Committee of New Jersey reply as follows:

We would state for the information of our Brother, that we have never turned from the beaten track marked out by that able and talented Brother who was our first Grand Master-we allude to M. W. David Brearly, then Chief Justice of this State, and who was justly admired for his talents, both Masonic and professional. Seventy-two years have now elapsed since that prerogative has been used in this State, and we now deem it an 'ancient landmark' that our fathers have set, to be entrusted to a prudent officer.

"Bro. Mackey thus defines the matter of making Masons at sight:

The power to make Masons at sight,' is a technical term, which may be defined to be the power to initiate, pass and raise candidates by the Grand Master in a Lodge of Emergency, or, as it is called in the Book of Constitutions, an occasional Lodge,' especially convened by him, and consisting of such Master Masons as he may call together for that purpose only--the Lodge ceasing to exist as soon as the initiation, passing or raising has been accomplished and the brethren have been dismissed by the Grand Master.

"Your committee think that Bro. Mackey carries this doctrine farther than the Constitutions or old usages will justify. True it is, that many assume that a Grand Master may of himself and by himself, make a Mason, without regard to time, place or circumstances. Others hold that he must have a sufficient number of brethren with him to constitute a Lodge of the degree to be conferred, and that the Lodge must be duly opened, and the ballot spread. This would seem to be in conformity with the doctrine laid down by Bro. Mackey. Others again hold, that degrees may be conferred at sight, only in a regularly constituted Lodge.

"The question arises, is the Grand Master bound by any rule, law or regulation? Every Master Mason knows that the Grand Master is bound to maintain the constitution, laws and edicts of his Grand Lodge. The particular constitution of a Grand Lodge is that instrument which has been specially enacted for the government of the Craft, suited to present wants and necessities by the Grand Lodge itself. But the Constitutions embrace all the old charges, which are unchangeable, all the old regulations and constitutions, as published by our Grand Lodge, usually denominated 'Anderson's Constitutions.' Every Master Mason, including the Grand Master, is as much bound to support these, as they are the particular constitution enacted for the government of the Craft.

"The following is an extract from one of the early books of Constitutions :

It is nevertheless still the prerogative of the Grand Lodge, and the R. W. Grand Master has full power and authority, (when the Grand Lodge is duly assembled,) to make, or cause to be made, in his Worship's presence, free and accepted Masons, at sight, and such making is good. But they cannot be made out of his Worship's presence, without his written dispensation for that purpose.

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"Bro. C. W. Moore, of the Freemason's Magazine, who has no superior as a Masonic jurist, says: this regulation was thus declared to be in force many years subsequently to the period when the power to confer the three degrees was delegated to the Lodges. It reserves the right to the Grand Lodge and to the Grand Master' when the Grand Lodge is duly assembled,' to make Masons at sight; but it does not anthorize the Grand Master of himself, nor by virtue of the presence of any given number of brethren, to make Masons, at all. He can only do it when the Grand Lodge is duly assembled.''

"Every Grand Master and every Master of a Lodge is solemnly bound to admit no visitor into his Lodge, without due examination, nor without producing proper vouchers of his having been initiated in a REGULAR Lodge.

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'An Occasional Lodge, or Lodge of Emergency, is not a regular Lodge. A regular Lodge, as your committee understand it, is one created by dispensation to work for the time being, under and by the authority of the Grand Lodge, or one established by charter issued by authority of the Grand Lodge, and duly constituted by authority of the Grand Master. Undoubtedly the Grand Lodge is ALSO to be classed as a regular Lodge, for without it, subordinate Lodges would cease to exist.

"Your committee are, therefore, of the opinion that the Grand Master may make Masons at sight, in Grand Lodge, for the purpose of illustrating, and securing uniformity of work, and that he cannot legally exercise that prerogative elsewhere.

66 TRIALS OF MASTERS AND GRAND MASTERS.

"The Grand Lodge of Indiana has a regulation providing for the trial of Grand Masters, and Masters of Lodges, by the Lodges to which they respectively belong.

"This principle is sustained by the Grand Lodge of Kentucky, so far as it relates to Masters of Lodges, and was declared to be a sound principle by the Committee on Foreign Correspondence in Missouri, in 1858.

"The Grand Lodges of New York, California, Iowa, Ohio, Vermont,

Tennessee and Alabama, express themselves in very decided terms against it, as being an innovation. The Grand Lodge of Maryland characterizes it as an anomaly.

"The doctrine of the common law, that a man shall be tried by his peers, when accused of any offense, pervades the ancient constitutions, which provide that if the Grand Master abuse his power, he shall be subjected to some new regulation to be dictated by the occasion.

"In analyzing this article, Bro. C. W. Moore submits the following propositions:

1. The Grand Master may abuse his power.

2. He may render himself unworthy the obedience of the Lodges. 3. If guilty of either of these offenses, he may be held accountable to the Grand Lodge.

4. He shall be tried by some new regulation.

5. The Grand Lodge may dictate such new regulation for the occasion.

"In 1850, the Grand Lodge of Alabama tried its Grand Master by a regulation adopted for the occasion, and expelled him for violating the civil law of that State. It is the only instance on record in this country.

"Your committee are decidedly of the opinion that it is not worth while to anticipate too much evil, and in this matter that it is better to adhere to the scriptural axiom, 'Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.'

"Bro. Mackey lays down the law in the matter of trying Masters, as follows:

No Lodge can exercise penal jurisdiction over it own Master, for he alone is responsible for his conduct to the Grand Lodge. But it may act as his accuser before that body, and impeach him for any offense that he may have committed.

"All the Grand Lodges, except Indiana and Missouri, acquiesce in this rule."

"" POWERS OF PAST MASTERS.

"The second article of the "Old Regulations," approved and confirmed on St. John Baptist's day, 1721, reads as follows:

ARTICLE II. The Master of a particular Lodge has the right and authority of congregating the members of his Lodge into a Chapter upon any emergency or occurrence, as well as to appoint the time and place of their usual forming. And in case of death or sickness or

necessary absence of the Master, the Senior Warden shall act as Master pro tempore, if no Brother is present who has been Master of that Lodge before, for the absent Master's authority reverts to the last Master present, though he cannot act until the Senior Warden has congregated the Lodge.

"Two years afterwards this regulation was so amended that if the Master of a particular Lodge should demit or be deposed, that the Senior Warden should forthwith fill the Master's chair until the next choosing; and ever since, in the Master's absence, he fills the chair, even though a former Master be present.'

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materially changed since that fathers have set.'

"This old regulation has not been time, and is an old landmark which the "Yet there is a widely prevailing opinion that Past Masters may open a Lodge in the absence of the Master and Wardens, while some dissent from the opinion that the Wardens have the exclusive right to confer degrees in the presence of a former Master. By a careful reading of the regulation quoted above, it will be seen that if no Warden. is present to congregate the Lodge, in case of the absence or disability of the Master, that it cannot be opened; and it is equally clear that a Warden has a right not only to open the Lodge, but to preside and confer degrees in the presence of a former Master.

"In Kentucky the Grand Master correctly decided that where a Past Master proceeded to open a Lodge and transact business in the absence of the Master and Wardens, that his acts were illegal and void, and that where the Junior Warden proceeded to confer degrees in the presence of former Masters, without inviting them to confer the degrees, that he also acted legally.

"Both of these positions taken by the Grand Lodge of Kentucky, are strongly supported by Bro. Mackey, and probably by nearly all the Grand Lodges in the United States.

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Our own Grand Lodge has unwisely fallen into one of these errors. Section 54 of the by-laws of this Grand Lodge, distinctly asserts the right of a Past Master to open a Lodge, and does not even set forth the universally admitted right of either of the Wardens to open a Lodge in preference to a Past Master.

66 COMPETENCY OF OFFICERS.

"The Grand Master of Kentucky, at the session in October last, made the following sensible remarks in regard to competent Lodge

officers :

I am convinced there is not that interest taken in the selection of