The New Constitutions Of Grand Lodge Of Ireland.

the Grand Lodge of England ; it has been found to work well in Ireland for many years , and it is also a Regulation in several Provincial Grand Lodges under the English

Constitution : — " A lodge shall not ballot for nor initiate into Freemasonry any person who is not a resident in the town , village , or neighbourhood in which the lodge into which he seeks to be admitted holds its

meetings , until due enquiry shall have been made of such lodge or lodges as may exist in the ^ neighbourhood of his residence , respecting the character of the applicant for admission , and a satisfactory reply shall

have been received and read in open lodge . " The Provincial Grand Lodges have to meet four times in each year for the dispatch of business . If the Prov . G . M . dies , the authority of the Deputy Prov . G . M . is

continued for six months after that period , or until a successor be appointed . The following is the agreement made by the Grand Lodge with the " other Masonic " bodies : "Any brother expelled , suspended ,

Oi restored by the Grand Royal Arch Chapter , the Grand Encampment of High Knights Templar , the Grand Chapter of Prince Masons of Ireland , or the Supreme Council of the 33 rd Degree for Ireland ,

shall , on the case being officially communicated to the Grand Lodge of Ireland , be expelled , suspended , or restored , as the case

may be , without any further enquiry or investigation . " If the members of the Grand Lodge carry this law in its entirety , they will deserve the evil effects that must follow eventually . ' W . J . HUGH AX .

Committees Of Taste.

COMMITTEES OF TASTE .

The engraving of "the jewel of the Grand Patron ofthe Order in Ireland , " as published by a contemporary , is one of those remarkable and primitive efforts that carry the imagination back far anterior to the most

ancient schools of design . Whether the designer ' s fancy was running on a pair of ornamental scissors resting with open shears on a fine cushion , or on the gastronomic beauties of a tartlet , and grape-scissors with

a plumed handle , it is impossible to say . Again , the general contour reminds one of those convenient little flasks of brandy which one meets with in railway travelling , but where beauty has such a diversity of

types , it is by no means easy to determine to which it belongs , The engraving in question has led me to consider , whether a committee of taste , composed entirely of disinterested artists

should not bc convened to consider the present deplorable state of Masonic jewellery . With forms of beauty open to all , and a mass of symbolic characters adaptable to almost any design , it is nevertheless

remarkable that we Masons , instead of initiating the delicate proportions and finish of knightly badges and decorations which , at any rate , have an artistic effect at a levee or drawing-room , persist in quarrying huge

and tasteless lumps of silver , and decorating them with cumbrous and ineffective ornaments in the most vicious style of art—if , indeed , art is a word that can be applied to

such rude designs . But even where Alasonic jewellery is small , it still preserves the same humiliating poverty of invention , as though only in the Craft itself no true son of Tubal Cain were to be found !

To return , however , to the strange subject of the engraving . There is absolutely no excuse for a clumsy and ponderous design , when we consider that the artist had at his command gold , silver , blue enamel , diamonds ,

Committees Of Taste.

aud rubies for his materials ; and for his design , the plastic shamrock , the graceful plume and ducal coronet , and a square and compass that , with the least eye to art ,

might have been relieved of their excessive formality , standing out as they do from a flat and incongruous blue platter . Moreover , the crozvn in this design is not correctly represented—it is not the Prince ' s .

I do not mean to hurt the artist ' s feelings , and as an artist there is little chance of my doing so , but as a liberal-minded Mason , I wish to see our gifts equal to those of other

institutions , and not more costly . Why should our jewellery be so absurdly primitive and rude ? S I'OXSOR-FOR-APEX .

N . B . —The writer has a collection of his own designs ( not executed for sale , but for the love of Art and Masonry ) , and if published , lie would rely for judgment on their

merits on any art-educated Mason . These designs would be presented to any Grand Lodge that would cast off the present wretched style of Masonic design .

Aberdeen Records.—No Iii.

ABERDEEN RECORDS . —No III .

Bv BRO . W . P . BUCHAN , lion . Cor . Mem . German Mosonic Union . { Continued from page 501 . J Fii'TH STATUTE . To those who are to be Entered Prentieses .

Wee the Maister Meassones . and Entered Prenteises of the Honourable Lodge of Aberdeine , Ordaine that no Entering prenteise shall be reciaved in this our Honourable Lodge , but shall pay , four Rex dollars of composition , ane linen

aprone , ane pair of good gloves to everie person concerned in the forsaid Lodge , or if the Entering Prentiese have not whereupon to furnish aprones and gloves , he must pay two Rex dollares for them which makes up six in all with ane

dinner , ane speacking pynt and his controllution to the Box as wee have payed befov him , with ane merk peice for his meassone merk , * ane merk peice to our Officer for calling a Lodge , this is the least wee take for Entered Printieses ,

and when he gets his fellowship he is to pay a dinner , ane pynt of wine , or what the will of the company pleases , but if he be a stranger and hath be ' ein entered in another Lodge , and is desvrous to be made a master measson in our

Lodge , he is to pay two dollars , ane speaking pynt with his controlmtion to our Box . allwayes referred to the will of the company—this much for a gentleman measson . Eor handle craftes prentieses that is to be entered they are to pay

for theirrentrieonly fiftie merks and all dewes as is forsaid , allwayes refered to the will of the company , and it they have not money they are to serve ther maister for it three yeires without any fie or wages , and ther Maister is to satislie the

Honourable Lodge fur ther entrie , and at the three yeires end ihey are to receave the fellowship but not sooner , and according to ther good behaviour , and if ther maister thinks them qualified for it . they allwayes paying their

eontrobutiones lo the Box at ther entrie , and ther fellowship to be refered to the will of the company . And all the money that is to be gotten for entered prentieses , and fellow crafts , is to be employed , the one halfe of all to the Box , the

other halfe is to be spent as the will of the company think fit , and what they shall leave of that halfe unspent is to be cast into the Box , according as they shall think fit . Wee ordaine lykwayes that our eldestsoncswho are the authoires

of this Book , and all our after comers shall have the benefit of the Measson Word , free of till dewes . Only ane speaking pynt , ane dinner , and a pynt of wyne , with ther controbutions to the Box , and ane merk peice for ther merk , and lykwayes those who shall marrie our eldest

Aberdeen Records.—No Iii.

daughters shall have the lyke benefit granted them if they he found qualified for it , * only paying two dolla ' res of controbution . ane speaking pynt , ane dinner , with ane merk piece for thev merk , and for calling of tlie lodge , but to pay

neyther aprones nor gloves , allwayes refered to the will of the company . Wee ordaine lykwayes that all entering prentieses be entered in our antient outfield Lodge , in the mearnes in the Parish of Negg , at the stonnies at the poynt of the Ness .

SIXTH STATUTE . For the Box-maister . Wee Maister Meassones and Entered Printises of the Honourable Lodge of Aberdeine ,

ordaines , that no Box-maister shall receave any of our money in his own custodie to keep , but all to be cast into the Box with the oversight of the three maisters of the keys , and so to be locked up till it be given out upon userie .

SEVENTH STATUTE . Saint Jaime ' s Day . Wee ordaine lykwayes that everie entered printise , and fellow Craft within this our Lodge , and all our suecessores , inthc measson craft , that

they shall pay in everie yeir at Saint Johns day twelve shillings Scots , to the Maister measson or his Warden , or to any they please to appoynt for collecting of it , and those who will not pay wee ordaine , his work loonies to be povnded ,

and to be laid in pledge for the forsaid sowme , imtill he redeeme them , and all this money is to be spent and disposed upon as the company shall think fit for the honour of that day , and ordaines all our successores in the measson trade ,

to observe and keep that clay ai a day of rejoysing and feasting with one another , only those who are meassones , and if any of our number be absent that day from our public meeting place .

he is to be fyned , as the will of the company thinks tit , and ordaines these our Uivves to be read at the entering of everie entered printise that none declare ignorance .

Intruder . Wee ordaine lykwayes that none of ourl . odge , teach or instruct ane entered printise untill such tyme as he be perfyted be his intender underthe faylzie of being fyned , as the company thinks

fit , but when his intender and his mate gives him over as being taught , then any person hath lihertie to teach him anything he forgetes , but if the entered printise when he is interrogat , at our public meetings forgate anything that has been

taught him 111 that ease he must pay for it as the company thinks fit ,+ except he can prove that he was never taught such a thing and then his intender most pay for him . Wee ordaine lykwavesthat none of our number presume to taunt

or mock ane another at our meetings especiallie , under the faylzie of amerciment , but everie one to love ane another as brothers born , and allwayes to have a good report behynd his neyghboures back as his oath tyes him . Wee ordaine

lykwayes that all our number shall keep holy the sabbath as due is and if any of the measson trade , be found to be willfull contemners of the Lordes day by unnecessarie walks or visits , wee ordaine the Law of the Lodge to be inflicted

upon them by and attour a great fyne , all eustomarie swearers , all unclean persons , and drunkards , to be severly punished by us , by and attour . the punishment of the common Judge of the land .

EIGHT STATUTE . For Hit ' s Hook . Wee : Maister Meassones and Entered printises of the Honourable Lodge of Aberdeine ordaines this Book of Lawes , to be keeped , in our Box fast locked , except at such tymes it is to