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' ' ¦ " : ¦» f-s . - '¦ '" '' ¦!¦ - " ;' .-c NOTICE . The Subscription to T HE FREEMASON is noiv \ os . per annum , post-free , payable in advance . Vol . I ., bound in cloth 4 s - 6 d . Vol . II ., ditto 7 S . 6 d . Vol . s III ., IV ., V . and VI each 15 s . od . Reading Cases to hold 5 t numbers ... 25 . 6 d . Ditto ditto 4 do . ... is . 6 d . United States of America . THE F REEMASON is delivered free in any part of the United States for 12 s . per annum , payable in advance . The Freemason is published on Saturday Mornings in time for the early fains . The price of the Freemason is Twopence per week ; annual subscription , Jos . ( payable in advance . ) All communications , letters , & c ., to be addressed to the Editor , 198 , Fleet-street , E . C . The Editorwill pay careful attention to allMSS . entrusted to him , butcannnt undertake to return them unless accompanied by postage stamps .

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gusto to © orospitknts . The following stand over : — Reports of Lodges 35 , 73 , 88 , 5 07 , 297 , 180 , 177 , ' 7 . 1-Letters from M . M ., S . S . G ., W . L . G .

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NOTICE . All Communications , Advertisements , tSfc , intended for insertion in the Number of the following Saturday , must reach the Of / ice not later than 6 o ' clock on Wednesday evening .

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Now Beady . THE NEW MARK TRACING BOARD , 36 m . by 23 m . Price 42 s . To be had at Bro . Kenning ' s Masonic Depots , Little Britain and Fleet-street , London .

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Price 3 / - , post-free }/ i . THE RED CROSS SONG , Words by Bro . R . W . Little . Afusic by Bro . IT . Parker . CVflCE : —108 , FLEET-STREET .

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Second Edition , Now Ready , j / 6 . A MASONIC MUSICAL SERVICE . In the key of C . for A ., T ., T ., 13 . Opening and Closing Odes . Craft Ceremonies . Royal Arch Ceremony . Consecration Ceremony . Grace before and after Meat . COMPOSED » Y DR . . | . C . BAKER , NO . 241 . LONDON . —Geo . Kenning , 19 . 8 , Fleet-street ; and 2 , 3 , and 4 , Little Britain . „ II . Spencer , 26 , Great Queen-street . LiviiiiPooL . —Geo . Kenning , 2 , Monument-place . MANCHESTER . —E , Henry & Co ., 59 , Deansgate . Dum . iN . —C . Hedgelong , 26 , Grafton-strcet . GLASGOW . —Geo . Kenning , 145 , Argyle-street . i

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—an—¦—«¦—« B ^— . —iw . ^^—— . ^—MADAME TUSSAUD'S EXHIBITION BAKER STREET . N w added , PORTRAIT MODELS of the SIIAII of PERSIA , Marshal MacMahon , M . Thiers , and the late Charles Dickens . The original autograph and testimonial , written and presented by the Shall to Messrs . Tussaucl , July 3 , 1873 , is exhibited . Admission is . Children under ten , Oil . Extra Rooms , 6 d . Open from ten a . m . till ten p . m ..

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The Freemason , SATURDAY , J ANUARY 17 , 1874 .

The Rights Of Visiting Brethren.

THE RIGHTS OF VISITING BRETHREN .

Since the question affecting Bro , Bigg ' s complaint , in re the Middlesex Lod ge , has been under consideration , we have looked carefully into the Book of Constitutions , and think , that

now we see the whole matter clearly and completely , and can place it before our readers in a satisfactory and convincing manner . First of nil , what are the authoritative data and constitutional regulations on the subject ?

The Rights Of Visiting Brethren.

Many of our readers will remember , that , by virtue of the " summary" of the " antient charges , " read to every "Master-elect , " as printed in the Book of . [ Constitutions , the W . M .

for the time being is bound to see , that , " no visitor shall be received" into his "lodge without due examination , and producing proper vouchers of his having been initiated in a regular lodge . "

Such is the undoubted duty of the W . M ., on the one hand , and the undoubted antient and universal law of the Craft , on the other . If there be some little ambiguity in the use of

the word "vouchers , " which may be interpreted to mean both printed and parole , and to include alike the Grand Lodge certificates , and the personal voucher of some member of the Lodge ,

yet , as a fact , we believe that the general rule of the order has been to require—due examination of a stranger , and the production of a Grand Lodge certificate .

There are three regulations , in the Book of Constitutions , bearing specifically on the subject of" Visitors , " but we need only concern ourselves with No . i . That runs as follows : " No visitor shall bs

admitted into a Lodge , unless he be personally known , recommended , or well vouched for , after the examination by one of the present brethren , and during his continuance in the

lodge , he must be subject to the bye-laws of the Lodge . The Master of the Lodge is bound to enforce these regulations . " It would almost seem , that , in the recent

discussion this stringent constitutional regulation of our Craft has been somewhat overlooked , and we ourselves must even plead guilty to the " softimpeachment . " For this is a clear direct

enactment , by which the W . M . of every lodge is bound to see , not only that che visiting brother is duly " examined by one of the present brethren , " but lYperfectly known , recommended ,

or " well vouched for " by one of those present . Hence , then , it necessarily follows , that , the W . M . of the Middlesex Lodge was really

" dans son droit ' in all that he did , and that , after all , the usage of the Middlesex Lodge is in accordance with the Book of Constitutions .

The Only mistake the W . M . seems to have made , and that may be more in appearance than reality , is , that , he rested his advice to Bro . Bigg on the bye-laws of the lodge , and

not on the Book of Constitutions . But having said this , we feel bound to observe , that , the general rule of our lodges has certainly been to relax somewhat the stringency of the

regulation . Having often been present when visiting brethren have applied for admittance , the course pursued has been this , the custom , we make bold to say , of 99 out of every hundred

lodges in the Order . If the visitor has come with his Grand Lodge certificate , and can satisfy the examining Bro . or brethren , he is straightway admitted , even

though he be not personall y known to any brother present ; and while on the one hand , we feel , that after all , practically , the W . M . of the Middlesex Lodge was right , if he did not know

lira . Bigg , we yet feel compelled to say , that the lex inscripta of the Order , which admits all duly registered Masons after due examination , has hithsrtu worked so well , we would fain hope , except in very peculiar cases , our lodges will

The Rights Of Visiting Brethren.

not fall back on the very stringent regulation of the Book of Constitutions on this " vexata quaestio . "

Honorary Members.

HONORARY MEMBERS .

A good deal of correspondence has recently taken place in our columns relative to honorary members , their actual position and rights , their privileges , and voting powers , in our lodges .

Of honorary members our Book of Constitutions knows nothing , and makes no mention 5 consequently , there is , and can be , no authoritative law on the subject . There is undoubtedly

a custom in the Craft in many lodges , though not in all , to admit honorary members , a custom somewhat questionable , and a right somewhat dubious , perhaps , according to the regulations of

the Book of Constitutions which relate to the " admission of members . " But still the custom exists , and has existed for some time , and no

doubt , in some cases , the difficulty may arise as to what are the exact rights of honorary members .

Now it is clear to us , taking all the constituent regulations and prevalent system of our Order into account , that , the rights of honorary members represent what mathematicians call an "

unknown quantity . " They are in fact , to use another familiar expression , "Vox et prceterea nihil . "

Honorary members are honorary members , — and nothing more and clearl y have no right to vote on any question—affecting the lodge , to which they are not subscribing members .

All their privileges consist in attending the lodge , sharing in its festivities , and paying their own cost of expenditure whenever they join the banquet .

But as subscription to the lodges is the basis of all Masonic ! membership , and the guarantee of all individual privileges in the lodges , it is quite clear , that paying no subscription ,

honorary members stand on an entirely different footing to the paying members of the lodge . It has been said , that , they can vote on all . questions , except those on which money

isinvolved . But this proposition is erroneous , and involves a great fallacy . It is quite clear , that , if they can vote at all ,.

they can vote on all subjects , but if they catinott vote on money questions , they cannot vote on any matter at all . Take for instance the election of W . M .

Supposing , that , the numbers are nearly equal , does the brother who propounds the last-mentioned theory mean to contend , that the election could be decided by non-paying members ?

Is it not p atent to all , that , such a result must be reversed , on appeal to the Board of General Purposes ? Hence vpc fear , that , we must come to the

conclusion , t ; hat as regards our lodges , honorary members have no ri ghts at all , except such as arc secured to thern by the lodge bye-laws , and that , as regards the Craft at large , as governed

by the wise provisions of our excellent Book of Constitutions , however excellent really in themselves , they are practically " nondescripts . " But a lodge ,, with the full consent of its members , can confer any rights upon them , which do