The Revised Book Of Constitutions.

THE REVISED BOOK OF CONSTITUTIONS .

( Continued from page 356 . ) RULE No . 170 concerns the "Annual return of members , " and is in agreement with the first portion of Art . 26 , p 69 , and Rule No . 171— " Remittance of Fees , & c " —corresponds with the latter section of Art . 1 , p 90 , and a clause of Art . 26 , p 69 . They compare as follows , the new Rule being dearly much more precise : —

EEVISED EDITION . " 171 . Every lodge when it makes the return of its contributing members , and of the brethren whom it has initiated or admitted , shall make a remittance for the registration fees , joining fees , fees for certificates , and quarterly contributions from each of its contributing members to the Fund of Benevolence ( 307 , 308 ) . "

EXISTING EDITION . 26 ( 69 ) . . . . " and at the same time remit all moneys due to the grand lodge . " .... 1 ( 89 ) .... "Each lodge , therefore , when it makes a return of tbe masons whom it has initiated , or admitted to join from lodges nnder other constitutions , shall , in addition to the register fees , make a remittance for the certificates , which may either be taken out of tbe initiation or joining fee , or charged separately to the brothers for whom the certificates are obtained at the discretion of the lodge . "

The existing Rule has the demerit of vagueness in the latter part , while , as regards the expression " or admitted to join from lodges under other constitutions , " it is manifestly faulty , as it leaves unnoticed altogether brethren who may be admitted into the lodge from other lodges under the same constitution .

No . 172 is a new ancl wise regulation , to the effect that " No lodge shall pay the quarterly contribution for a member -who is in arrear , but his name shall nevertheless be returned with the words ' in arrear ' written against it . " Such a rule as this is not uncalled for , and is calculated to

have the effect of arousing Lodges to a more regular collection of the moneys due from members . We have seen some Lodge accounts in which the annual subscri ptions were terribly in arrear , while it is within the experience of almost every-one that when arrears are allowed to accumu - late , they become in time hopelessly irrecoverable . No . 173 provides for the " Return by provincial " ( and district ) " lodges " to the Provincial or District Grand Master of the particulars enumerated in No . 170 , and the

transmission of all moneys payable to the Provincial or District Grand Lodge . It agrees with Art . 2 , p 73 . Rule No . 174 , as to the " Treasurer ' s accounts , " is the same with Art . 15 , p 66 , but in a very reduced form .

EEVISED EDITION . '' 17-. All money received or Paid for or on acconnt of a lodge shall be from time to time regularl y entered in proper books , which shall be the property of tne lod ge . Tbe accounts of the ¦ od ge shall be audited , at least Mice in every year , by a committee appointed by the lodge . "

EXISTING EDITION . 15 ( p 66 ) . All moneys received or paid on account of the lodge shall be entered in proper books . The fees or dues received on account of , and payable to , the grand lodge , and provincial grand lodge , shall be kept separate and distinct from the moneys belong , ing to the lodge , and shall be de-

The Revised Book Of Constitutions.

posited in the hands of the master instead of the treasure ) - of the lodge , and shall be transmitted to the grand lodge , and provin . cial grand lodge at such time as the laws require . The acconnts of the lodge shall be andited , at least onco in every year , by a committee to be appointed by the lodge . "

The sentence in italics is very properly omitted . There is , in the first place , no reason why the Treasurer should not have the charge of all the Lodge moneys , -whatever their ultimate destination may be , while , in the next , as regards the transmission of moneys clue to Grand Lodge and Provincial or District Grand Lodge , it has already been provided for under Rnles Nos . 171 and 173 . No . 175— " Rights of initiated brethren not prejudiced by neglect to make returns "—is substantially the same as

the second paragraph of Art . 14 , p 66 . The introductory paragraph of the latter— " Every lodge must be particularly careful in registering the names of the brethren initiated therein , and in making the returns of its members , as no person is regularly entitled to partake of the general charity unless his name be duly registered " - -is omitted , nor do we see any reason for its retention . As to the second paragraph , with which , as we have said , the new Rule corresponds , the neglect indicated consists not only " in not registering their names , " but also in not " paying their grand lodge dues . " No . 176— " Annual return of masters , past masters and

wardens " —embodies Art . 25 , p 69 , and Art . 5 , p 19 . It differs from the existing Law in fixing the time for the annual return to be made , namely , " immediately after the installation of the master . " So far as this will have the effect of distributing over the year the work to be done in

the Grand Secretary s office in connection with these returns , the introduction of this provision is a wise one . There is also this additional requirement at the end of the proposed Rule : — " This return shall also contain the full name and address of the secretary of the lodge . "

Rule No . 177 concerns the " Penalty for neglect of returns , " and embodies what of Art . 4 , p 19 , Art . 26 , pp 69 , 70 , and Art . 4 , p 90 , relates to the subject . Much repetition is saved by this embodiment of the existing laws in one law , and we shall only quote the latter , leaving it to our readers to compare it with the former . It reads thus :

" If any lodge shall during the space of twelve months neglect to make its return and payments to the grand lodge according to these regulations , it shall be liable to erasure , and the master , past masters , and wardens , shall not be permitted to attend the grand lodge , or sit upon any board or committee , by virtue of any qualification derived from such lodge . This disqualification shall cease when

the returns and payments shall be made . In the existing laws there is a certain degree of inconsistency . Art . 4 , p 19 , mentions " the master , wardens , ancl past masters " as not being , in these circumstances , permitted to attend grand lodge . Art . 26 , pp 69 , 70 , confines the penalty to " the master , immediate past master , and wardens , " so that , if this law stood alone , the other past masters would not be deprived of the privilege of attending Grand Lod ge . It

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