Official Zeal Without Discretion.

OFFICIAL ZEAL WITHOUT DISCRETION .

ZEAL in tho discharge of the duties of his official position in Masonry is a quality we much admire in ono who holds the exalted position of G . Master of Masons . The almost unlimited power conferred upon him makes his position one of great importance , for upon a proper

exercise of thafc power largely depends the prosperity of Masonry within tho jurisdiction over which his authority extends . He can do much good , or an equal amount of harm , according to his ability to judge between right and

wrong , and to what limit his authority may extend to enforce the one or suppress the othew His zeal , in either case , should bo controlled by that discretion which will keep his action within the line of official duty . The Grand

Master who goes outside that line , and mixes in personal difficulties between Brethren , generally has more zeal than discretion . A vory forcible illustration of a case of this kind appears in the Proceedings of the last Annual Meeting

of the Grand Lodge of Washington . It appears that a member of a Lodge in that jurisdiction , in a business transaction , had been guilty of conduct which the Grand Master deemed unmasonic , and he caused charges to be

preferred against him in his Lodge . Upon trial the accused brother was acquitted by the Lodge . The case was taken to the Grand Lodge and remanded for another trial , which agaiu resulted in his acquittal , whereupon tho

Grand Master arrested the Charter of the Lodge , and sent the case to the nearest Lodge for another trial . Here ao-ain the accused brother was found not guilty , and the S . W . and Secretary of that Lodge were suspended from office

by the Grand Master . A " High Commission of Inquiry " was then created by the Grand Master , consisting of five distinguished Masons , to investigate the action of these

two Lodges in the premises . This Commission submitted a long report to the Grand Lodge . The case altogether covers twenty-two pages in the printed Proceedings , and the final result of the whole matter was a vote of censure

against some half-dozen brethren . Judging by the final verdict of the Grand Lodge in the case , there does not seem to have been enough to warrant the action of the Grand Master in ordering charges to be preferred in the

firsfc place , nor his great zeal in prosecuting the case afterward . Matters of business between Masons should not be brought into the Lodge , unless there is a wilful attempt to defraud a brother . A Lodge is in no sense a collection agency . —Masonic Advocate .

Masonry Is Eternal.

MASONRY IS ETERNAL .

Change cometh not . Tbe lessons tanghfc Each earnest searcher for Truth's light Are those they sought who wisely wrought To make the Temple strong and bright .

Truth aye survives . Time ne er deprives The burdened ages of their gain . He wins who strives . In stedfast lives The Temple . builder lives again .

Men go their way . Neath brows grown gray Dim eyes forget to look reply ; Lips silent say to us , alway , Those legends old which cannot die ;

Yet wherefore grieve that we must leave The labours of our ardent youth ? Our own receive what we perceive Is part of God's eternal truth .

When with earth through , we but go to A land of pleasure and repose—Where those we know , the tried and true , Have opened Lodge that ne'er shall close . —Yoice of Masonry .

POWER or A KIND VOICE . —There is no power of love so hard to get and keep as a kind voice . A kind hand is deaf and dumb . It may be rough in flesh and blood , yet do the work of a soft heart and do ifc with a soft touch . Bufc there is no one thing that love so much needs as a sweet voice to tell what ifc means and feels ; and it

IB hard fco get and keep it in the right tone . One must start in youth and be on the watch night and day , at work and play , to get and keep a voice that shall speak at all times fche thoughts of a kind heart . It is often in youth that one gets a voice or a tone that is

sharp , and sticks to him through life , and stirs np ill will and grief , and falls like a drop of gall on the sweet joys of home . Watch ifc day by day as a pearl of great price , for it will be worth more to you in days to come than the best pearl hid in the sea . A kind voice is to the heart what light is to tbe eye . It is a light that sings as well m shiaesi—Milm Bwritt .

The Old Masonians.

THE OLD MASONIANS .

'I IHE above Association held a mosfc enjoyable social evening on J - Friday , the 2 nd inst ., at their headquarters—Anderton ' s Hotel . Mr . 0 . Douglas Barrett-, who took the chair , had provided a capital programme . There were present nearly forty members of the Association and a fair sprinkling of visitors . Mr . W . H . Kirkham opened

the proceedings with an overture on the pianoforte , and accompanied fche songs throughout tho evening iu a highly efficient manner . Mr . F . Gore sang with great expression , " Whou all was young , " and " Sally in our alley , " a 3 did Mr . A . S . Stevenson , "Trusty as steel . " Mr . C . Howard TJwins received a well-merifced oncoro for his

rendering of " The Diver , " and later in fche evening sang " Will o' fche Wisp . " The elocutionary part of the programme waa well sustained by Mr . Harold Williams , who gave with great expression " Mark Antony ' s Oration ; " Mr . T . L . Scurr , who gave an amusing account of the " Adventures of Tnrpin ; " and Mr . Clark , who showed great ability

in his rendering of the " Quack Doctor . " Mr . J . W . Hutfcon received an encore for his banjo solo , " Home Sweet Home . " The comic element was well represented by Mr . Elgar , who was funny in his songs , " Later on " and " Oh ! " Mr . A . B . Whiteley sang " Just in

time , " and Mr . W . Lyle Smith received well-merited applause for his Irish song , " Old Ireland so Green . " After the usual vote of thanks to fche Chairman , the singing of the National Anthem brought the proceedings to a close .

KNIGHTS TEMPLAR . rpHE Rev . Thomas W . Lemon , M . A ., of Loyal Brunswick Encamp . -I- ment , Stonehouse , attended on Friday , tho 9 th instant , at the City Terminus Hotel , E . G ., in his character of Provincial Prior of Devonshire Knight Templars , to do homage to the National Great Priory on his recent appointment . The Rev . Sir Knight , it will be remembered , was installed in his high office on 4 th August last , at

a Provincial Priory holdeu at East Stonehouse , by Colonel Adair , and as the National Great Priory had nofc since met homage had nofc heretofore been paid . The meeting was numerously attended , and the Great Priory presented a very animated appearance . Colonel Shadwell H . Gierke , Grand Sub-Prior , presided , and was supported

by somo of the mosfc influential Freemasons of the high degrees . The new Provincial Prior having been announced as waiting outside the priory to do his homage , he was admitted , accompanied by Sir Knight Keats his Sword Bearer , Sir Knighfc Coffin Banner Bearer , Sir

Knight W . G . Lemon Graud Aide-de-Camp , and others . Ho was mosfc cordially welcomed , and received a hearty salute by the members of the Great Priory . Homage was duly rendered . The remaining business was merely formal .

AGAINST INCORPORATION . — Masonry is a law unto itself , and abundantly competent to insure a proper " correction among ourselves , " therefore let us be content and not lay ourselves open to the interference of other laws or powers . We do not approve of the tendency of modern times and still more modern Masons , who are con

stantly endeavouring to invoke the secular laws , or law of the land , wherewith to regulate the affairs of our G . Lodges and their subordinates . If this state of things is permitted to go on it will not be long before strenuous efforts will be made to have the laws of our common - wealth define the relations existing between the two , and to invoke

that secular law to interfere iu the proper exercise of the sovereign powers of the Graud Lodge over her subordinates . We for one are ready to lift both hands and exclaim , " Mr . Law of the Land , please

keep your hands off . We are abundantly able and willing to take care of ourselves and our business , and those that are constantly asking your interposition know not whereof they speak and what they desire . "

LIKE BALM . —It is a pleasure fco see an industrious man anywhere , but to see an industrious Grand Master in a jurisdiction that stands in need of disciplinary attention seems liko a balm on a painful

wound . Anything as an excuse for the non-performance of duty seems to be the law with some of the Craft , and they lie , cheat , wrong , and defraud , as if justice could never overtake them .

A Canadian Masonio excursion to Europe is proposed for next summer . How would it do for the Quebec Craftsmen to visit England ? How would they feel on finding all Masonio doors closed against them by their own act ? Sordid selfishness is the motive with which some men seek membership in Freemasonry , the church , and other organisations .

Charity in its true sense is an individual matter and never works well in organised form . At least we have not aa yet seen it a success . We know our brethren of Kentucky are quite sensitive on the question and are doing all in their power to make it a success .

We hope they may , bufc we cannot help noticing that whilst the Home flourishes and thrives Lodges languish and decay . Then ifc follows that if organised charity must be maintained even at the risk and hazard of Lodges , we pay too great a price for its maintenance .

Referring to the new cathedral uptown , one of the Scottish Rite magnates recently said to a reporter of one of our dailies : — " The dedicatory ceremonies were very elaborate . All the ceremonies of the Scottish Rite aro such , and its initiatory ordeal is the most rigid in Masonry . Not long ago , a candidate who underwent a four hours '

initiation was made sick from iright , and was confined to his bed for several weeks . One of the features of the installation is for the candidate , who has been conducted round the hall by four masked attendants bearing flash , torches , to be placed on a raised platform ,

whence , as a proof of his courage and fortitude , he is commanded to jump barefooted upon a narrow board dotted with iron spikes . There is always a great deal of hesitation . When the candidate jumps , the iron spiked board is removed , and another covered with india-rubber is substituted . "