Grand Lodge Decisions.*

in the note headed " Right to retain the warrant , " where the notorious Cambrian case is commented upon . We do not propose lo weary our readers with remarks on this case . It is enough that this lodge is still on the roll of our Grand Lodge .

The majesty of the law as * expressed in former Article 219 of the Book of Constitutions has been fully vindicated by * the retention of this lodge on Grand Lodge roll . As for Bro . LAWRENCE ' comments on this matter , they seem to us to be . in accordance

with the facts , but we think he goes too far when he says that " while Grand Lodge will support the * loyal' minority wherever a new Grand Lodge is formed , such ' loyal ' minorities are regarded as a frig htful nuisance , ami Grand Lodge will never put

itself out of the way to prevent such minority from being swallowed up by the local Grand Lodge . It will protect them against oppression , and that is about all . " This strikes us as being tantamount to a slur upon the conduct of Grand

Lodge in dealing with these minorities ; but we fail to see how it can do more than protect them . It has modified its Article 210 , under which they are protected , but the Article is still on the Statute Book , while it

makes it a rule never to acknowledge a newly-formed Grand Lodge except under the condition precedent that any of the lodges in the jurisdiction of the new Grand Lodge which may desire to remain in allegiance to it shall have all their rights

and privileges safeguarded . The three English lodges in Montreal , to which we referred in one of our " Notes" of last week , furnish a case in point of the steadfastness with which our Grand Lodge protects the interests of all such lodges . These were on the roll before the troubles began which led to

the establishment of the Grand Lodge of Canada , ancl it is because the Grand Lodge of Quebec—which was established by separation from Canada several years later—refused to accept

this condition precedent to its recognition by us that there never have been any official relations between that Grand Lodge and ours . What more can be expected of us than the protection which protects those who desire it we are unable to say .

In the second part , which commences on p . 32 , the matters considered relate to " resignations , erasures , and exclusions , " among the most important Decisions dealt with being those which have cropped up lately concerning " Resignations . " We

think it must be tolerably clear to most people now that once a member has announced his resignation of membership of a lodge his connection with it ceases , and if he desires to again become a member , he must be proposed and balloted for in the usual manner . It is recognised that a man is as free to leave

our ranks as he was to join them , ancl that the lodge or lodges affected by his resignation have , no alternative but to accept it . A somewhat curious case is given under the head of "Conditional Resignation Illegal , " in which

a Bro . A is mentioned who was Secretary of Lodge X and aggrieved as lo the action of an Insurance Company which imprinted Masonic emblems on its Prospectuses . This Bro . A visited Lodge Y , of which the Dep . P . G . M . was a

member , and at the proper time sought and obtained permission to inquire if that officer was aware of the alleged practice , and whether anything was going to be done to put a stop to it . The D . P . G . M . answered in the negative , and subsequently

conversation took place in lodge and at dinner , in which Bro . A ' s views were described as illiberal , and the D . P . G . M . is alleged to have said that if Bro . A " wcre so narrow-minded he was better oui of Masonry . " This so preyed upon his mind , that Bro . A wrote

to the W . M . announcing his intention of resigning as soon as the time for which he had been appointed Secretary expired , giving lengthy reasons for the course he proposed to adopt and amongst them the proceedings in Lodge Y . The W . M . remonstrated

with Bro . A , pointing out that his letter contained divers imputations on the conduct of the D . P . G . M ., and when the lodge met prevented Bro . A from reading his letter , at the same time ruling that he could not couple his resignation with any proviso ( hat his

letter should be read in full and entered on the minutes . Bro . A contended that as the letter was not read in full , his resignation fell through , but Grand Lodge decided against him . The date , as given , of this decision is " December , 18 79 , " but it seems to us that this is clearl y one of ( hose cases in which the locus pwiii-

Grand Lodge Decisions.*

tentiw on which thc present Grand Registrar laid such stress in his recommendation of 18 94 , should have been allowed . The case , briefly stated , stands thus . Bro . A , who is Secretary of Lodge X , tells his W . M . that , for certain reasons ,

which he recapitulated in his letter of intentional resignation , he proposes to resign his membership of the lodge as soon as the period has expired for which he was appointed Secretary . But when the lodge meets he is not allowed ,

for what were , no doubt , good and sufficient reasons under the circumstances , to read his letter in full , but only that portion of it containing the " actual words of resignation . " Hereupon Bro . A ., Secretary of Lodge X ., declares that as his resignation

of membership is not an accomplished fact—which it would have been had he said " I resign" without reference to time or circumstances—but "merely an expression of intention , " which , to use G . Registrar PHILBRICK ' S own words , in March , 18 94 ,

" Can be withdrawn at any time , he withdraws , not the resignation , which once communicated to the lodge , is irrevocable , but the intention to resign . In other words , while resignation of membership takes effect from the moment of its announcement

in open lodge , tliere is this to be said in respect of the announcement of a mere intention to perform the act of resignation at the expiration of a certain period of time ; ( 1 ) that under no circumstances can the intention be transformed into an act until

the stated period of time has expired ; ( 2 ) that though it may be impossible for a man to undo an act of resignation when it has come into effect , there is no law which forbids him altering his intention to resign at some future time ; ancl ( 3 ) if he announces

that he has so altered his intention before the period of his notice has expired , he retains his status of membership . There is always what Bro . PHILBRICK calls the locuspmnitentite , so long as the mere intention to resign has not been converted into an act of resignation .

The remaining head or chapter contains a great variety of decisions with which we consider it desirable that members of lodges should make themselves acquainted . Some curious cases will be found amongst them , as in that described under the head

of "Limits of jurisdiction , but we must leave the reader to judge for himself of each case as it is described . We , therefore , bring this notice to a conclusion with a repetition of the remark we made at the outset—that Bro . LAWRENCE has done good

service by publishing his compilation . We have not seen our way to accepting all the conclusions at which he has arrived , while there are a few statements to which , as our readers will have seen , we have been under the necessity of objecting ; but the

merits of the pamphlet far outweigh the blemishes we have noticed . His work might have been more perfect , . but it is a good work , notwithstanding , and , we feel sure , will be appreciated by those who study his book carefully .

Supreme Grand Chapter Of England.

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER OF ENGLAND .

The Quarterly Convocation of Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons was held on Wednesday at Freemasons' Hall . Comp . W . W . Beach , M . P ., occupied the chair as G . T .. ; Comp . Ashworth ths chair of G . H . ; and Comp . Richard Horton Smith , Q . C , the chair of G . J . There were also present—Comp ? . E . Letchworth , G . S . E . ; Thomas Kenn , G . S . N . ; Sir George Harris ,

President of the Committee of General Purposes ; Malcolm Morris , Cowper , Geo . C Kent , Walter Ebbetts , G . H . N . Bridges , Frank Richardson , G . D . C . ; and G . Smith , Grand Organist . The Past Grand Oflicers present included— . Comps . Jas . Boulton , W . Russel ! , Jas . Edmeston , Alfred Spencer , V . Abrahams , Walter Martin , Frederick Lawrance , J . Lewis Thomas , R . J . Emmerson , George

Read , C . F . Hogard , Chas . Belton , Thomas Minstrell , Rowland Plumbe , J . J . Thomas , E . J . Brown , J . Clayton , E . C . Mulvey , W . Vincent , William Cowper , H . Lovegrove , W . M . Bywater , H . Tipper , J . A . Farnfield , P . A . Nairne , J . M . McLeod ( Sec . R . M . I . B . ) , R . Clowes , L . Browne , C . F . Matier , L . C . Gordon Robbing Peter de Lande Long , T . H . Gardiner , J . D . Langton , H . Sutherland , and others .

Among the other companions present were—Comps . J . J . Simcox , 1501 ; John Strachan , Prov . G . J . Northumberland ; James Heelis , Prov . G . J . East Lancashire ; C . Coupland , P . P . G . J . Kent ; Chas . H . Wood , Prov . G . S . E . Leicestershire ; Geo . W . Barnard , P . P . G . S . B . Norfolk ; Thos . H . Hobbs , M . E . Z . ; ' Henry A . Tobias , P . P . G . D . C . West Lancashire ; W .

R . Barr ; A . E . Friedlander , P . P . G . S . B . Warwick ; J . Harrison ; N . Tiacy , P . G . S . E . Suffolk ; O . Philippe , P . Z . 1900 ; R . C . Campbell , M . E . Z . 1489 ; J . H . Salter , 1024 , Prov . G . H . Essex ; E . W . Lewcock , P . Z . 2416 ; Chas . Bullock , H . 404 ; Edward S . Norris , P . Z . 32 ; John Mason , P . Z . 1395 ; . A . V . Chaplin , H . 137 ; A . J . Bewry , P . Z . 1524 ; J . Frye , P . Z . 16 94 ; W . Dodd , P . Z . 1194 ; Harry Price , P . Z . 177 ; A . H . Salter , H . 157 ; John Clayton , P . Z . 8 9 ;