Blind Leaders Of The Blind.

schismatic when tins was written and his statement is not authority for regular and well-governed bodies . 3 . That even b y this authority the ' prerogative ' resides in the Grand Lodge and not in the Grand Master . 4 . That it can only be exercised

when ( lie Grand Lodge is duly assembled , which is not understood bv ' making a Mason at si g ht ' in the States , where the prerogative is claimed . " To these observations it adds that ' 0 [ -: R , \ KHT ' Sassertion never became law in England nor in this

counlrv , and there is only one ri g ht way for a man to be made a Mason , and that is , after regular petition , due inquiry , lawful ballot , etc . " It will be noticed that within the few sentences we have just

quoted on Ihe authority of the Voice of Masonry , to which we are indebted for the foregoing particulars , the Masonic Home Journal has managed to compress a mass of error , which is not very creditable to it as an organ of Masonic opinion in the

sphere in which it moves and , wc presume , wc must , add as an authority on Masonic law and custom . Firstly , as regards this ' making Masons at si g ht , ' it is not a matter of vital importance what meaning is attached to tbe expression in "the States "—it

would have been better if our contemporary had said "in some of the Masonic jurisdictions in the States . " For aught we know to the contrary , the prevalent opinion in these jurisdictions may be that this claim put forward by certain Grand Masters is

that of the rig ht to turn non-Masons into Masons by some instantaneous method which it is not in the power of the average Masonic intellect to comprehend . The ex-Mason presents himself before ( he Grand Master , who , b y

some process of which he alone has cognisance , there and then turns him into a full-fledged Mason , much in the same way as a conjuror turns a bat into a bird cage . What we understand b y " making Masons at sight" is something quite different , as

may be gathered from the records of the cases we have already quoted , and we believe the expression is so understood in certain jurisdictions in the States . But the more lamentable errors of our contemporary are to be found in the statements

referring to LAURENCE DERMOTT . In the first p lace , LAURENCE DKUMOTT did not write the passage it quotes until the year 175 6 at the very earliest ; in the next , he was neither a schismatic nor anything else in Masonry in 173 S , seeing that he was not

made' a Mason till some two years later in a "regular and wellgoverned lodge" in Dublin on the roll of the Grand Lodge of Ireland , and did not become a member of the body which is variously known as the " Ancient" or " Athol" Masons

in England until earl y in 1752 , shortl y before he was elected to succeed Bro . MORGAN in the capacity of its Grand Secretary . Again , whether DERMOIT , at the outset of his Masonic career in England , was a schismatic or a clandestine , or anything else

that may wound the susceptibililiesof the Masonic Home Journal , he speedil y made for himself such a power and influence in English Freemasonry , that within little more than 20 years after his death , the "Ancients , " of whom he was so long the presiding

genius , met their " Modern " rivals on a footing of absolute cqualitv , and the two together formed themselves into the present " United Grand Lodge of England . " Lastl y , there is a very good reason win- " DERMOTT ' . S assertion never became law in

England , a prerogative is something that exists of its own inherent ri ght , which is something different from a statute law . We trust our contemporary will show itself amenable to reason

and that the next time it undertakes to lay down the law on a question of this kind , it will inform itself of the facts , and not li » iire as a " blind leader of the blind . "

Supreme Grand Chapter Of England.

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER OF ENGLAND .

The Quarterly Convocation of Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England was held on Wednesday evening at Freemasons' Hal / , Great Oueen-strett , W . C . Comp . W . W . B . Beach , G . J ., took the chair of G . rvf . E . Z . ; Comp . Lieut .-Col . R . Townlcy Caldwell , M . A ., G . Supt ,

Cambiidge , acted as G . H . ; and Comp . the Itarl of Huston , G . SiiDt . Norths and Hunts , as G . J . Comps . K . Lelchworth , G . S . E . ; Thomas Fenn , as G . S . N . ; Peter de Linde Long , as G . F . S . ; Malcolm Morris , as ist A . G . S . ; and Baron de Ferritres , as 2 nd A . G . S ., occupied the seats of those officers .

The other Grand and Past Grand Officers who attended were—Comps . Sir G . D . Harris , President Com . Gen . Purps . ; Alderman W . Vaughan Merman , G . Treas . ; Richard Clinton Smith , Q . C , Dep . G . Reg . ; W . Russell ,

Supreme Grand Chapter Of England.

G . S . B . ; G . C . Kent , Arthur Stubbs , Major G . H . Newington Bridges , Walter J . Ebbetts , and Pierrepoint Harris , G . Std . Brs . ; Frank : Richardson , G . D . C ; T . A . Bullock , D . G . D . C . : Walter Martin , A . G . D . C ; George Smith , G . Org . ; Robert Grey , Alfred Spencer , Sir Bruce M . Seton , ( James Stephens , Major C . W . Carrell , Henry J . P . Dumas , Alf . C . Spaull , John Strachan , Q . C , George J . Tilling , H . A . Tobias , W . J . Crump , T . Jones , ] . A . Farnfield , J . W . Martin , Capt .

N . G . Philips , Mibill Slaughter , J . Heelis , J . Edmeston , H . H . Room , J . Boulton , S . V . Abraham , W . H . Spaull , C . F . Matier , T . L . Wilkinson , Major John W . Woodall , William Vincent , William P . Brown , W . Campbell , E . P . Valerian ! , Frederick Mead , John Williams , Charles Belton , Major T . C . Walls , J . Leach Barrett , W . M . Byivater , W , M . Stiles , J . E . Le Feuvre , Henry Lovegrove , Herbert J . Adam , Dr . Geor ; e Mickley , George Cowell , W . B . Coltman , Charles E . Keyser , James Lewis Thomas , George Graveley , Frederick West , Henry Sutherland , J . R .

Clipperton , Dr . Hugh Mackintosh , S . Vallentine , Edmund A . Butcher , Henry W . Smallwood , Henry R . Rose , Perceval A . Nairne , J . J . Thomas , R . Clay Sudlow , J . M . McLeod , P . G . S . B ., Sec . R . M . I , for Boys ; Rev . A . W . Oxford , Charles J . Ridgeway , Richard Clowes , L . G . Gordon Robbins , K . Gordon Brown , A . J . R . Trendell , W . W . Naylor , E . M . Money , G . H . Hopkinson , W . A . Scurrah , Harry Tipper , Thos . Hy . Gardiner , Reginald St . A . Roumieu , and Henry Sidler , G . Janitor .

Tl . e other companions who attended were—Comps . J . Austin , J . 115 S ; George Corbie , P . Z . 453 ; John Glass , P . Z . 453 ; Rev . C . E . L . Wright , Prov . G . J . North and East Yorks ; Harris Hills , 2154 ; J . Sparrow , J . 1489 ; James Speller , J . 2108 ; James Watts , J . 179 ; W . R . Barr , 1275 and 1556 ; Orlton Cooper , J . 403 ; H . Noakes , M . E . Z . 749 ; J . H . Cureton , P . Z . 2182 ; George Pidduck , P . Z . 933 ; R . F . Potter , P . Z . 1326 ; M . Spiegel ,

P . Z . 8 . 14 and 1556 ; E . Walker , P . Z . 72 ; S . R . Baskett , P . Z . 707 ; J . Harrison , P . Z . 1556 ; Thos . Roe , M . E . Z . 1329 ; Alfred L . Swan , 24158 ; W . Johnson Songhurst , M . E Z . 720 ; E . G . Feild , M . E . Z . 1362 ; W . N . Harper , M . E . Z . 2182 ; G . W . Hogg , P . Z . 488 ; A . C . Chapin , H . 137 ; H . Massey , P . Z . 619 and 1928 ; J . Irvine , P . Z . 862 ; Edwin S . Lardner , P . Z . 101 : J . Hardwicke Marsh , M . E . Z . 317 and 1730 ; J . Pickett , M . D ., H . 2410 . ; William Dodd , P . Z . 1194 , P . G . D . C . Middx . ; and J . If . Wheeler , 11 . 1125 .

After 1 he minutes of the August convocation had been read and confirmed , the report of the Committee of General Purposes , as published in the Freemason last week , was taken as read , and ordered to be received and entered on the minutes .

Charters were granted for two new chapters , one to be attached to the Grenville Lodge , No . 1787 , and to meet at the Grenville Lodge Hall , Highstreet , Buckingham , in the county of Buckinghamshire , and the other to be attached to the Papyrus Lodge , No . 2562 , to be called the Papyrus Chapter , a-id to meet at Freemasons' Hall , London .

Permission w . s granted for the removal of the Lewis Chapter , No . 1185 , London , from the King's Arms Hotel , Wood Green , to the Holborn Restaurant , W . C . ; the Studholme Brownrigg Chapter , No . 2421 , from the B iiish Schools to the Station Hotel , Amersham ; the Lome Chapter , No . 1347 , Sutton , fro n the Greyhound Hotel , to the Masonic Hall ; and the Chapter of Felicity , ; No . 5 S , London , from the Ship and Turtle Tavern , Leadenhall-strect , to the Grafton Rooms , Beak-street , VV .

Permission was also given to the Joyce Chapter , No . 942 , Port Chalmers , New Zealand , to chinge the name from the J oyce Chapter to the Port Chalmers Marine Chapter . Comp . J . STRACHAN , Q . C , P . D . G . R ., moved—To add to Regulation 43 the following words : — " And Regulations 26 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , and 32 , are hereby declared not to bo applicable to Provincial and District Grand Chapters . "

He also had on the notice paper the following motion : " That whereas doubts have arisen as to the right to past rank of certain Provincial and District Grand Chapter Officers who hive been appointed to office while not holding corresponding rank in their respective Provincial and District Grand Lodges , it is hereby resolved that his Royal Highness , the Most Excellent First Grand Principal , be respectfully requested to confirm in

the rank respectively attaching to their appointments all such present and past holders of office in Provincial and District Grand Chapters . " He said , in moving the first of these resolutions standing in his name , it might be advisable that he should recall the attention of the companions presen t to the circumstances under which Grand Chapter and other Grand Chapters throughout England had been placed in a somewhat difficult

position . At the May convocation an appeal was dealt with by Grand Chapter from a companion in the District of the Punjab . The District Grand Superintendent had ruled that a District Grand Registrar of the Craft was , by virtue of being District Grand Registrar of the Craft , plus being a Royal Arch Mason , District Grand Registrar of the Arch — in other words , that the appointments

in Provincial or District Grand Chapter were governed by Regulation 43 of the Royal Arch Regulations . That was appealed from , and it was perfectly immaterial whether the companion who appealed from that decision wished by his appeal to be confirmed in a collar or notthe decision appealed from affirmed the principle that Regulation 43 governed the appointment of officers in District or Provincial Grand

Chapters . If the present convocation had been the May convocation and there had been that 'decision of Supreme Grand Chapter in May to come up for the first time , he should certainly have strongly opposed the suggestion that the praclice which had obtained in the Punjab , and he might say in every province and every district , of making separate appointments in the Craft and Hoyal Arch he would have said that it was not a vicious ,

but a perfect , proper principle ; and if the question had come up for the first time to-night he should have been prepared to support such a proposition as that which he saw had been given notice of by Comp . Baskett—that Articles afi , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , and 32 of the Regulations applied only to Grand Chapter itself , and never did apply , and were never meant to apply to Provincial or District Grand Chapters . But , unfortunately—and he used the

term advisedly—Grand Chapters—it might be without having had along discussion on it—it was not for him to say—but Grand Chapter dismissed the appeal — they affirmed the decision appealed against . He did not mean to say that by discouraging the appeal they endorsed everything that officers on the dais had expressed ; it did not affirm opinions , but it did affirm a decision of the District Grand Superintendent and that decision of the District Grand Superintendent if it was

good for the Punjab must be good for every District or Provincial Grand Chapter under the presidency of Supreme Grand Chapter . Supreme Grand Chapter by its vote made those laws applicable ; and , therefore , he had now to deal in the manner in which he should have been prepared to deal on this question at the May convocation . He was now appealing for the decision of that convocation , but he brought forward his motion in order to put before Grand Chapter the best way that appeared to him—the only