Perpetual Jurisdiction.

ticular case which lias educed from these authorities so strong a declaration . against thc claim of any Grand Lodge to exercise this so-called " Perpetual Jurisdiction . " Wc learn , however , that it is none other than the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania , or rather , its Grand Master , which has thus excited

the anger of thc Indiana authorities . The first in priority of lime to raise his voice against the doctrine was Bro . EDWARD O'RoURKE , M . W . G . Master , who , in his address at the beforementioned annual meeting , is reported b y our contemporary to have " severely censured the Grand Master of Masons

in Pennsylvania for rigidly adhering to thc dogma of perpetual jurisdiction , and inflexibly enforcing it , " pointing out that if any Indiana brother should chance to be within thc jurisdiction of thc Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania , and while there should express a desire to visit

one of its lodges , it would avail him nothing ( hat he was " a Mason in good standing" in the jurisdiction of his own Grand Lodge , and could " prove himself such b y the testimony that as in the faithful breast of every bri g ht Mason , " if at any period of his life he had had the misfortune to have had " his life

poisoned b y the virus of rejection of a Pennsylvania lodge . " We are then told that the Grand Master was sustained by his Grand Lodge "in censuring the Grand Master of Masons in Pennsylvania for issuing an edict against a Craftsman who was lawfully made a Mason in Indiana , but who had petitioned a lodge

in Pennsylvania , and becn rejected . This censure was expressed in the following terms : " That any Grand Lodge can acquire extva-jurisdictional authority is a princip le that cannot be sustained by any system of equity or b y any code of Masonic law . Tlie doctrine of perpetual jurisdiction over rejected

candidates is held only by a minority of the Grand Lodges of the United States and b y no Grand Lodge outside of the United States . It is un-Masonic , uncharitable , unconstitutional , wrong in theory , and pernicious in action . " The edict was further denounced " as the act of the Grand Master of Masons in

Pennsylvania , and his act alone , and resolutions having been adopted in accordance with its censure , the Grand Lodge left it to the Grand Master to take such steps as his judgment might dictate . And , b y way of strengthening the language of the Grand Lodge o ( Indiana—wliich was in itself sufficientl y strong—our worth y

contemporary proceeds to ask the following pertinent questions : " How can a lodge that rejects material—casts it out and away —justl y claim to perpetually own and control it ? Can a woman reject a lover and for ever after own and control him ? Can a man forfeit a friendshi p and yet for ever possess it ? Can

a Mason dimit from his lodge and still possess all thc ri g hts and privileges therein ? " and it adds : "The truth is there is neither reason nor logic in claiming perpetual jurisdiction over rejected material , and the Grand Lodge of New York is ri g ht in limiting lhe jurisdiction to 12 months . " As for Bro . WILLIAM

COMMONS , in his report on Correspondence , after recognising " the injustice of the doctrine of perpetual jurisdiction " and pronouncing it to be " un-Masonic and pernicious , " he cites the following case , which mig ht very well happen in anv jurisdiction : ' 'A lodge is denied the rig ht to work material which it deems

worthy—a man who , as boy and man , had lived within its jurisdiction continuously for 40 years—because he had been rejected b y a lodge in another State live years before the lodge which now desires to work him was chartered . " Bro . COMMONS adds

" The rule is unjust and in direct opposition to the spirit of Masonic equity , which should allow every lodge to be thc conservator of Masonry within its own jurisdiction . Thc rule of perpetual jurisdiction is too often one of perpetual disqualification . " _

We fully concur wilh thc Grand Master , Grand Lodge , and Grand Reporter on Foreign Correspondence of Indiana in their unanimous censure of so ridiculous a dogma . Indeed , we have more than once denounced it in unmeasured terms in these columns , and are p leased to find that our denunciations are

equalled , if not surpassed , by the condemnation of ( he Indiana authorities . Why any bod y of sensible men should go out of their way to lay down so monstrous a proposition as that a lod ge which has once rejected a candidate for the mysteries and

privileges of Freemasonry has jurisdiction over him ever afterwards puzzles us amazingly , and wc sincerel y hope that Bro . COMMONS is rig ht when he declares that " it is only a question of time when the dogma of perpetual jurisdiction will be wholl y discarded . " We do not mind how soon that time comes .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Devonshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF DEVONSHIRE .

INSTALLATION OF BRO . SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTE , M . P ., AS PROV . GRAND MASTER . The annual tnceiiig of the above Provincial Grand Lodge , held at Exeter , on Wednesday , the 12 th instant , was marked by the installation of Bro . Sir Stafford Northcote , M . P ., as Prcv . Grand Master . The retiring Prov . Grand Master , Bro . Viscount Ebrington , was accompanied on the dais by the following members of Grand Lodge : Bros . E . Letchworth , G . Sec . ;

Rev . H . G . Morse , P . G . C . ; VV . J . Hughan , P . G . D . ; F . Richardson , P . G D . ; W . G . Rogers , P . G . D . ; E . D . Anderton , P . G . Sec . Cornwall , J . G . D .: R- Else , P . G . D ., D . P . G . M . Somersst ; J . M . McLeod , P . G . S . B ., Sec . R . M . I . B . ; Rev . YV . Whittley , P . G . D . ; G . C . Davie , P . A . G . D . C , D . P . G . M . Devon ; John Lane , P . A . G . D . C ; and J . Elliott , P . G . D . M . Barbadoes .

The Prov . Grand Officers were Bros YV . J . Hughan , P . G . D ., as Prov . S . G . W . ; Commander Quinn , P . J . G . W . ; Rev . Preb . Smith and Rev . E . C . Atherton , P . G . Chaps . ; W . F . Quicke , P . G . Treas . ; W . A . Roberts , P . G . Reg . ; J . Brewer , P . G . SccT ; G . Hawken , P . S . G . D . ; E . W . Locke , P . S . G . D . ; J . Orchard , P . J G . D . ; H . R . Grover , P . J . G . D . ; G . Hooper , P . G . S . of YV . ; J . R . Lord , P . G . D . C ; J . Cole , P . D . G . D . C

T . W . Atherton , P . A . G . D . C . ; G . Pollard , P . A . G . D . C . ; H . J . Barter , P . A . G . D . C . ; R . Carter , P . G S . B . ; F . Orchard and YV . Edwards , P . G . Std . Brs . ; J . T . Gardner , P . G . Org . ; R . Harper , P . A . G . Sec . ; H . W , Pengelly , P . G . P . ; Ellis , P . A . G . P .: A . YV . Spinney , H . Roberts , T . Kerslake , E . Chappie , W . Laver ? , and J . Taylor , P . G . Stewards ; and H . Shooter , P . G . Tyler . The first business was the installation cf Bro . Sir Stafford Northcote , C . B .,

M . P ., as Prov . Grand Master . The P . G . D . C , B .-o . J . R . L ^ RD , presented the patent of appointment of Sir Stafford by lhe M . W . G . M ., H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , and the Installing Master , having examined the patent , directed a deputation consisting of the YVor . -hiplul Masters ol the seven senior lodges of the province to rttire with the P . G . D . C , and introduce the Piov . Grand Master designate .

The patent of the appointment was then read by the PROV . GRAND REGISTRAR , and the ceremony of installation was proceeded with in ancient form . The Prov . Grand Master having been proclaimed , an address , signed by the Worshipful Masters of the lodges in the province to the new Prov . Grand Master was then presented by the D . P . G . M ., Bro . G . C Davie .

Bro . DAVIE said lhey all offered Sir Stafford Northcote a hearty welcome among them . ( Applause . ) His name was a household word in Devonshire . In the ruling of that province he ( Bro . Davie ) felt sure the new P . G M . would follow in the tradilionsof his predecessors , and that the position that province had always taken in Masonry would be retained . ( Applause . ) For the last I 70 r 18 yearstheprovincehadbeen ruled by one who , he was sure ,

had obtained the respect and love of all Masons in that province . ( Applause . ) Although in Masonry , as in other spheres , they were apt to worship the rising sun , he ventured to say they would never forget their outgoing Prov . Grand Master , and wire most happy to see him o . cupying once more the place which he had worthily filled for so miny years . ( Applause . ) In conclusion , Bro . Davie read the address .

The newly-installed PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER , in reply , said it was with feelings cf the deepest heartiness that he rose to thank them fjr that striking proof of the kindly feelings they were goodenough to entertain towards him . He assured them the address just read would be valued by himself throughout the rest of his life , and would be a cherished memento of a day of which he had such good reason to be proud . He felt that in

taking up that position his only hope of being able to discharge its duties to the satisfaction < f thebrethren lay in the expectation that the brethren throughout the province would extend towards him a feeling of indulgence and co-operation . It gave him great pleasure to hear the words in which Bro . Davie referred to their old friend , the out-going Provincial Grand Master . ( Applause ) He felt particularly diffident in attempting to fill

the place of one who had so long and so ably discharged the duties of the office . His predecessor had many advantages he ( Sir Stafford ) did not possess . One was that Lord Ebrington was habitually resident in that province . That , unfortunately , he ( Sir Stafford ) was not . However , he lived in close proximity to the head-quarters of Masonry in England , and he thought that possibly for that reason he might bethe betterable in some respects

to promote the welfare of the Craft , and he should at all times be at the disposal of the interests of Freemasonry in Devonshire . ( Applause . ) The PROV . GRAND MASTER next proceeded to instal and invest his Deputy , observing that he was very pleased that B .-o . G . C Davie had consented again to fill lhat office .

An address from the lodges of Exeter was then presented to the Deputy Prov . Grand Master , thanking him for his oration at the recent opening of new premises at Exeter and for his services to Freemasonry . The address was presented and read by the W . M . of St . John the Baptist Lodge , No . 39 . The reporls were then presented .

The PROV . G . SECRETARY reported the total number of members in the province as 3318 . Bro . Q UICKE , Prov . G . Treas ., presented a balance-sheet , which showed that the balance in hand at the beginning of the year was £ 261 and at the end of the > ear , £ 282 .

' I he report ot the Fortescue Annuity Fund was to the effect that the number of annuitants had increased fiom nine to n . Bro . GOVER presented the report of the Commit'ee of Petitions . The DEI ' PROV . GRAND MASTER then made a presentation to Bro . the Rev . W . Whittley , u ' n recognition of his services as representative of the Committee of Pel ! ions in London . Bro . Davie said it was not toa

much to say that the high position which the province had held now for some years in connection with the Charities was entirely due to the care , and energy , and judgment ol Bro . Whittley . His labour had placed them in the position they then held , and the brethren belonging to the Committee of Petitions thought that his giving over the hard work of that office to Bro Westlake was a suitable opportunity for making a presentation to Bro