Concerning Masons Who Are Untrue To Freemasonry.

CONCERNING MASONS WHO ARE UNTRUE TO FREEMASONRY .

HOW the profane press delights to expose the weaknesses and shortcomings of individual Freemasons wh

¦ o chance to " go wrong ! " Is Smith Brown charged with being a defaulter ? It is not announced that this highly esteemed and trusted merchant has been guilty of fraud , but that a " high Mason" has ignored the distinction between meum and tuum . Is the Rev . Brown Johnson

arrested for appropriating his neighbour's wife ? It is not published as the act of a clergyman of the chnrch , so much as a deed of a " high Mason . " Is Robinson Smith , who is an Odd Fellow , a St . George ' s Society man , and a member of many other organisations of a highly respectable

character , charged with a heinous offence , all of his individual and society characteristics are swallowed np in his Masonry , and it is lovingly announced that another " high Mason " has covered himself and the Craft of which he is a member ¦ with dishonour . This is not fair , it is not just . A man ' s

Masonry does not obscure all of his other relations . He is primarily a man , and a member of society ; secondarily a merchant ( or physician , or lawyer , as the case may be ) and probably a church member ; and last of all , he is a Freemason ; and yet when he breaks the laws of man or God , or both , he is held up to obloquy solely as a Mason .

There are some men whom no obligations seem competent to restrain . They are innately depraved , and all the gloss of good they wear is the merest veneering , to be put on for convenience , and cast off at pleasure . Such men cannot be surely known . Even the searching examination made

by a Committee of Inquiry into their character , when they petition to be received and initiated into our Fraternity , often fails to disclose their secret selves . Then again , they may be respected by all their companions for years , and yield to temptation long after they have been honoured

with initiation , as in the case of the traitor General Benedict Arnold . He was made a Mason on 10 th April 1765 , in Hiram Lodge , No . 1 , of New Haven , Conn ., at which time he was an esteemed bookseller and druggist in that

town . It was not until fifteen years later , in 1780 , that he betrayed his country . Was Masonry responsible many degree for that dastardly deed ? Was it the act of a " high Mason ?"

While deprecating this unjust and improper assailing of the Fraternity of Freemasons , through the individual acts of its members , who are at the same time esteemed citizens , business men , and often chnrch members , as well as Freemasons , we do not desire to shield our brethren from the

just punishment due them on account of their breach of the laws of society and of the State . We owe a duty to ourselves in this matter , and it is concerning this that we shall now speak . Having rapped the profane press over the knuckles for its habit of blaming Masonry for all the ills

that flesh is heir to , we shall now rap the knuckles of some of the brethren for their thoughtless and injurious conduct . Here we beg to say ( in the language of Bro . Nisbet ) , we intend no " carping criticism , " but only a fair and fraternal correction of an evil that ought not to be allowed to exist

m any Masonic body . Let us suppose a case . A widelyknown Mason " goes wrong , " very wrong , exceedingly wrong —so wrong that he escapes justice only by flight ; or , standing his ground , is tried and condemned . Such a man is no longer a pillar of beauty , an ornament of Masonry , but he

is a blot upon the fair escutcheon of the Craft . No false considerations of mercy should prevent such a brother from being tried , and if found guilty , suspended or expelled , from Freemasonry . Charity should be extended to worthy brethren , not to false brethren . While Freemasonry is not

a religion , it is " the handmaid of religion , " it is " a beautiful system of morality , " ancl he who openly breaks the laws of God and man , and continues to be acknowledged by his brethren as a Freemason in good standing , is a false beacon-light , whose influence will continually be to lure

others of his brethren to destruction . We cannot afford , we ought not to afford , to carry such " dead wood . " Whoever openly ancl grossly forgets his character for honesty , sobriety and chastity in the community , is no longer entitled to the fellowship of Masonry . " Good men and

true only are knowingly received into the Craft , and " good men and true " only should be knowingly permitted to remain in it . To retain the other class is to repel from us some of the best men among the profane , to lower the esteem in which Freemasonry has over been held , and to

Concerning Masons Who Are Untrue To Freemasonry.

misrepresent the true character of our Fraternity . Unwittingly bad men sometimes will obtain admission to our society ; men good on their admission will sometimes become bad ; and for either of these classes we are not directly responsible—unless we adopt them after their

disreputable character has been exposed , and then we make them doubly our own , once by reception , and now again by adoption . Let no false views of Brotherhood shield such unworthy brethren . Let them bo promptly banished from the Craft , either by suspension or expulsion . —Keystone .

Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

— : o : — PATRIOTIC CHAPTER , No . 51 .

THE annual installation meeting of this Chapter took place on Thursday , 8 th November , when the following were installed as Principals for the ensuing year , the ceremony being mosfc ably and impressively performed by Ex . Comp . James Terry P . Z . 174 , Seo . R . M . B . I . ; Ex . Comps . E . Hennemnyer Z ., J . E . Wiseman H ., W . Sowman J . The Officers of the Chapter were invested as follows :

Comps . Thos . J . Railing I . P . Z . Prov . G . S . E . S . E ., C . D . Mashall S . N ., W . P . Lewis P . Z . Treas ., John J . 0 . Turner P . S ., R . Clowes 1 st Assist . Soj ., H . G . Everard 2 nd Asst . Soj ., S . Munson Janitor . The Exaltation of a candidate followed , the chair of Z . being ably filled by Comp . Terry , and the newly-appoinfced Officers admirably executing their portion of fche work . A cordial vote of thanks was passed

to Comp . Terry for his kindness in attending . The Companions afterwards dined together at the Cups Hotel . Among those present , besides those already mentioned , were Ex . Comps . A . Welch P . Z ., J . Street P . Z ., N . Tracy P . Z . 276 , S . R . Anness H . 376 , H . J , Wright J . 376 , W . S . Ling , R . D . Poppleton , M . L . Sanders , Georgo Harrison , J . T . Bailey , R . Little , J . G . Renshaw , and B . Barber .

Panmure Chapter, No. 720.

PANMURE CHAPTER , No . 720 .

A REGULAR convocation of this Chapter was holden afc the Horns Tavern , Kennington , on Monday evening , the 12 th insfc . Chapter was opened at 6 p . m ., when there were present—Ex . Comps . B . R . Bryant M . E . Z ., J . S . Terry H ., J . W . Watts J ., James Stevens P . Z ., R . N . Field P . Z ., M . S . Larlham P . Z . and Treasurer , T . Poore P . Z . and Scribe E ., H . Baldwin Scribe N ., Charles Holcroffc as P . S .,

H . C . Jeffreys Assfc . Soj ., G . Harrison Janitor , W . H . Beckley and others . Bro . Henry Aubrey Woodwell of the Confidence Lodge , No . 193 , was the only candidate for exaltation on this occasion . Tho work of all the Officers concerned in the rendering of the beautiful ceremony of the Royal Arch was most perfect , and left nothing to be

desired . Especially may be noticed the admirable work of Companion Holcroft as P . S ., in which he was letter perfect , although but three months advanced in the Order . A notice of motion having been made for changing the date of the Summer Convocation from August to

July , the Chapter was closed , and the Companions adjourned to banquet , which was provided and served by the host , Bro . Bnxton , in excellent style . A most enjoyable evening was spent , under the genial presidency of Companion Bryant the M . E . Z ., and the proceedings closed in perfect harmony .

At the Chapter of Improvement , at the Alwyne Castle Tavern , St . Paul ' s Road , Canonbnry , on Thursday , the 15 th inst , Comp . Dean occupied the Chair of Z ., R . Bird

H ., Ferguson J ., Knight S . N ., Hubbard P . S . The various duties were sustained by the respective officers in an admirable manner . This Chapter of Improvements meets under the able Preceptorship of Comp . T . C . Edmonds .

Bro . James Stevens P . M . P . Z . has accepted the invitation of the Highgate Lodge of Instruction , to deliver his interesting Lecture on the " Ritual and Ceremonies of the First Degree , " at the Boston Hotel , Junction Road , Upper Holloway , on Thursday evening , the 29 th inst ., when a large gathering of members and visitors is expected .

The Givil Service Candidate is the title of a new publication , issued weekly by the Civil Service Department of King ' s College , London . As its name implies , it is intended for the use of those who purpose becoming Candidates for appointments in the Civil branches of the public Service , ancl from the character of the information it

contains , which is both ample ancl trustworthy , we have no hesitation in saying that it will meet a long-felt public want , the knowledge heretofore obtainable as to vacant Civil Service appointments , the dates and schemes of examination , and other particulars relating to age , health , character , & c ,

having been of the most meagre character . The issue of the Oivil Service Candidate has changed all this , and those who are desirous of becoming Civil Servants of the Crown have only to consult its pages in order to possess themselves of the requisite information . Tho price of the Circular is one penny weekly .