The Power And Privileges Of A Master.

THE POWER AND PRIVILEGES OF A MASTER .

AS will be seen in our report of the Proceedings , the meeting of Grand Lodge on Wednesday evening passed off most satisfactorily . Lord Carnarvon presided , and moved the adoption of the recommendation made at the Especial Communication held on the 3 rd January . Lord

Skelmersdale seconded the motion , and it was passed unanimously and with acclamation . But there is one matter which was brought under notice and demands more than a passing remark . Bro . Edmund Waller , M . D . appealed against the decision of the D . P . G . M . of Northamptonshire

and Hunts on a point involving the power and privileges of the Master of a Lodge . Bro . Dr . Waller at the time of the occurrence , which led to the complaint being laid before the G . L . of his province , was W . M . of St . Peters ' s Lodge , No . 442 , Peterborough . At one of the meetings of his Lod ge ,

it seems , our W . Brother invoked the aid of a brother in ¦ working the ceremony of the third degree . The I . P . M ., however , expostulated and claimed the right to fulfil this important duty . The Master denied there was any such right attached to the I . P . M .-ship , but vacated the

chair under protest , and the remonstrant P . M . took his placo and performed the ceremony . Somewhat serious differences resulted . The harmony of the Lodge was disturbed , and , in the end , this and the subsequent disputes were referred to the Dep . Provincial Grand Master for adjudication . Bro .

Butler Wilkins in time gave his decision , censuring Bro . Dr . Waller W . M ., and it was from this judgment that Bro . Waller appealed to Grand Lodge itself , in the firm belief that he had acted in strict accordance with his powers , as defined by the Constitutions of the Craft . The result we

state elsewhere . Ihe decision was affirmed , but Bro . Waller is proved to have exercised his just power and privileges in inviting a brother , other than the I . P . M . or any other of the P . M . s of his Lodge , to perform for him one of the functions of the Master . We fully and unhesitatingly endorse this

judgment . Our readers will doubtless call to mind a correspondence which took place in these columns , in the months of May and June of last year , on this very subject , and nearl y every one who took part in the correspondence agreed that , as a matter of strict legal right , it was in the power of the

Master of a Lodge to invite any qualified brother to assist him in , or perform for him any of , his duties . The Constitutions are very clear upon the point . In the absence of the Master , the I . P . M ., or in his absence the S . P . M . present , shall take the chair . In the case we are

considering the Master was not absent . He merely wished to have the assistance of a certain brother in working the ceremony of the third degree . Ifc will be obvious , therefore , to our readers , that the claim of the I . P . M . to occupy the chair and fulfil the duty rested on no foundation of right . The

W . M ., as we understand the merits of the case , had not the slightest intention of vacating the chair even for a single moment , and so virtually absenting himself . He simply desired that , for sufficient reasons of

his own , another brother should speak the words he would himself have spoken , had he felt that his ability was equal to the full discharge of his duty . A case occurs to us at the moment of writing which , if not perfect in all the points of its parallelism , will , at all events ,

serve to illustrate our meaning . The Queen opened Parliament in person about a month since . She presided in person at the ceremony , but her speech was delivered for her by the Lord Chancellor . The speech had exactly the

The Power And Privileges Of A Master.

same virtue as though it had issued from Her Majesty ' s own lips . Only in her absence would it have been necessary to provide a representative to enact this particular duty of Her Majesty . The Queen ' s address , calling her Parliament together to deliberate for the good of the State ,

was spoken per alium , the act was done directly per se . No one would pretend to affirm that , because Her Majesty did not deliver the speech , she should have vacated the throne in favour ( say ) of the Lord Chancellor , in order that it should have due validity . Purvis comvonere

magna solemus . In the case of the St . Peter ' s Lodge , the act of raising the candidate would have been the act of the W . M . Bro . Waller , though the words necessary to be

spoken in performing this act would have been spoken per alium . This we take it , so far as relates to this portion of the case , is the sum and substance of the Grand Registrar ' s ruling on Wednesdav .

But a question arises , Avhom may a W . M . invite to assist him in his duties ? The Grand Registrar says , aa we understand him , any . brother , which we naturally take to mean , any brother who is qualified to enact the duty . But what constitutes qualification ? Many there are who

argue that only Installed Masters are able to perform the ceremonies of initiation , passing , and raising . We admit this is the case , or rather would be in the absence , virtual

or actual , of the Master . In St . Peter ' s Lodge , bad the Worshi pful Master remained in the chair , the work of raising would have been his work , though the words had been spoken by another .

We are glad to have had a decision from so authoritative a quarter on a question which has caused not a little vexa . tion of mind to many worthy brethren . Henceforth the power and privileges of a Master will be clearly defined , or at least in this important particular , that he may invite

wnom be chooses to do his work for him so long as he occupies the chair . We think however , it will be equally clear that if the Master vacate the chair , his place can only be occupied by an Installed Master . But while we think the law

is sufficiently explicit , we consider it would be only an act of courtesy on the part of the Master to consult the feelings and wishes of his Immediate and other Past Masters , before inviting any one else to fulfil a portion of his duties .

The Province Of Norfolk

THE PROVINCE OF NORFOLK

WE note with much pleasure that at the meeting of the Grand Lodge of this Province held at Yarmouth on the 27 th ult ., under the presidency of the Provincial Grand Master , it was unanimously resolved to establish a Masonic Charities' Committee for Norfolk . This

county enjoys the honour of including the Prince of Wales among its magnates . It was highly favoured in November last , when His Royal Highness installed Lord Suffield Grand Master of the Province , as successor to the late Bro .

the Hon . F . Walpole , M . P . This was the first meeting of P . Grand Lodge since that auspicious event , and we congratulate Lord Suffield on the circumstance that at his first official presidency over our Norfolk Province , a resolution

so important should have claimed and received the first attention of P . G . L . But this is far from being the full measure of praise and congratulation which it is our dut y to mete out to this particular Province . This is not the first , norin all probability , will it be tho last occasion , on which it will fall to our lot , to notice the efforts that are being made from time to time in order to strengthen and promote tho