Misuse Of The Ballot.

the lodge , the candidate elect being in waiting in readiness to have the First Degree of Masonry conferred , thc member alluded to above arises and states he objects to the initiation of thc candidate , and asks for a

newballot . " Thereupon , we are told , "the Master calls the lodge from labour to refreshment , and going to the objecting brother asks him if there is any Masonic reason why the candidate should not become a member of thc lodge , and receives as a

reply : ' I don ' t know why I am compelled to give any reason for my action , and therefore decline to give my reason . '" We are left to infer that as " the right to demand a new ballot must be respected and granted , " the demand was granted , and thc

candidate was blackballed . Our own opinion—in expressing which , however , we labour under thc very serious disadvantage of being ignorant of thc laws of thc Grand Lodge and thc byelaws of thc private lodge—is that the successful ballot at the

preceding regular lodge should have been allowed to stand , as it was an accomplished fact , and that the brother ' s objection should have been taken to the confirmation—not verification—of the minutes of its proceedings , and if they—or thc portion of them

relating to the ballot—were non-confirmed , then and then only would the election be void and a fresh ballot become necessary . But whether wc are right or wrong in this respect , thc case

we have quoted is a further and very flagrant instance of the Misuse of the Ballot , and an additional proof of thc wisdom of our rulers in impressing upon lodges the necessity for caution in accepting candidates .

Masonic Jurisprudence.

MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE .

[ COMMUNICATED . ] THE ROYAL ARCH . SUBORDINATE OFFICERS The subordinate officers in a Royal Arch chapter , are the two Scribes , the Principal and two Assistant Sojourners , and the Janitor . There are , oi course , other ollicers , Directors of Ceremonies and Stewards , whose functions assimilate to those of corresponding officers in the Craft , and need not be referred to in detail in the present place .

The two Scribes bear the names of Ezra and Nchemiah . These two names have an importance in Jewish history not adequately represented by the somewhat scanty references in the Canonical Books of the Bible . Ezra was concerned with ( he building of the second temple , Nchemiah rebuilt and repaired

thc walls of Jerusalem , or , as one might say , E . was concerned with tin ; spiritualities , and N . with the temporalities of the Jews , return from exile . E . was of priestly race , but devoted himself to literary work chiefly , and hence is known as the Scribe . Nchcrniah is better known to us from the short memoir in the nvn ^ iiiiiu' *¦•¦» v » ... w » ,... u ..-. - ~ ,.. _ .... _ .- > . _ ... — . w " . v .,., wii 111

iiivbook known by his name . When he preferred his request to the king to be allowed to go to Jerusalem , it is expressly mentioned that the queen was sitting by , whence * it is inferred that N . was a eunuch , and Psalm 127 is said to have been directed against him .

. Scribe E . usually performs the duties of chapter Secretary , and it is to be regretted that his secretarial functions appear to be more insisted upon than his actual position in R . A . Masonry

as the representative of E . At the same lime he is in that capacity , the companion to whom may be most fitly entrusted ' the preservation of tin : chapter records and the writing of its history .

Inasmuch as there is no regular chapter officer whose : functions correspond with those of Inner Guard , those duties devolve to a certain extent upon . Scribe N . Tradition ( ells us

that Nchemiah worked with the trowel in one hand and sword in the oilier , and , therefore , ( lie association is not altogether inapt . At the same time , the office of X . is one ol " dignify and ornament rather than of utility like his companion Scribe .

The duties of a lodge . Secretary have been so full y described in the Freemason ( September yth , 1899 ) that there is the less necessity to recapitulate them . Scribe E . is practicall y responsible for the regularity of the candidate ' s papers , and the procedure differs somewhal from that found in Craft lodges .

The proposition of a candidate may be made and seconded cither at a regular chapter meeting or b y notice in writing transmitted by the proposer to Scribe E ., 14 days at least before ihe meeting at which the ballot shall take place . Jn

addition to the particulars required oi a candidate for initiation , the name and number of the lodge of which he is , or was , a member mil . 'I be sent in , but a statement of his age is not obligatory . Whilst the Principal Sojourner conducts tin : pre-

Masonic Jurisprudence.

liminary examination of the candidate ' s Craft qualifications , it is nevertheless hi g hl y desirable that his Grand Lodge certificate should have been seen by thc Scribe as well as his clearance

certificate . It is not expressl y stated in thc Regulations , but may very allowabl y be inferred from thc Constitutions , that every candidate must be of good Masonic standing , and possess a satisfactory certificate from his lod < rc .

'Vhe three Sojourners are not heard of outside Masonic legendary history . According to that history , they were three pious Jews , who remained longer at Bab ylon than their

compatriots , and only arrived at Jerusalem when the excavations were being made for the temple foundations . Mackey alludes to a tradition that thc Sojourners were the three holy children who were cast into the furnace of Nebuchadnezzar .

Now this occurrence took place B . C . 5 80 , and thc temple was in process of building about B . C . 520 , and Shadrach , Mcshach , and Abcdnego could , therefore , not be less than a hundred years of age at that date , since they are first heard of in Daniel I ., as boys , 607 B . C .

This makes thc legend improbable , and , moreover , it has not the justification that other Masonic anachronisms possess . The duties of the Principal Sojourner arc both interesting and important . Those of his assistants would be purely nominal , but for the fact that it is customary to delegate to them many of thc functions assigned to U 12 Dcacons-in the lodge .

J he first duty of the P . S . is the examination and preparation ot the candidate . Thc writer would take this opportunity of impressing upon companions who occupy the important post , that such examination ought to be thorough , and by no means a mere formality . It may be said with perfect truth that the

Principal Sojourner is responsible for the Masonic capacit y of every person who becomes a Royal Arch Mason . The ceremony cannot be proceeded with , cannot even begin , till he has made his report , and it is far better that an inefficient candidate should be sent back and given an additional period in which to

increase his Masonic knowledge , than that the chapter should be filled with incompetent Masons . The Royal Arch chapter should be regarded—and kept—as the cream of Masonry . In the Craft , candidates have to be taken in on trust , and disappointments cannot be helped .

There should be no room for disappointment in the Royal Arch however . Thc candidate ' s capacity as a Mason is known . Previous to 18 93 , incompetent candidates were rare , but since the reduction of thc qualifying period from 12 months to one thc

danger to be guarded against is a real one . The P . S . is the officer upon whom the chapter relics to admit only such brethren as arc competent Masons , and his duty should be performed without fear or favour .

' 1 he origin of thc term Sojourner has been speculated upon , but it probabl y has no other origin than the statement made by the P . S . in thc course of his opening request . The legend recited by the Principal Sojourner is one of the most interesting in Freemasonry . What actual historical truth

underlies it , the writer is not prepared to say . It may not be considered irreverent or profane to look at it somewhat closely . The proclamation of Cyrus is the first historical event alluded

to . Tins was uttered 53 6 n . C . In Ezra lit ., 10 , wc are told the builders laid the foundation of the House of the Lord ( in the same year ) . Owing to the opposition of those " menial tribes who were left behind to till the land , " and who had thus obtained

squatters titles , and keenly resented the return of thc Jews at all , no further work of importance was done on the temple for 17 years . In 519 B . C . Artaxerxas made a new proclamation ( Ezra vii ., 12 ) , under the influence of Ezra , who is mentioned for the first time , and the temple was rapidly completed .

It must not be supposed that the building thus hastily put together was that of which llaggai had prophetic foresight . The Temple destroyed by Titus was indeed thc Temple of Zeruhhabel , but beautified and enlarged and enriched in thc

time of Herod , under whom it became almost one of the wonders of the world . " Forty years was this temple in building , " said the Jews in referring to it . That was the period occupied by the restoration and beautifying .

The very precise , inquiry made by Z . into the ancestry of the Sojourners , and their equally precise reply , illustrates thc extreme and jealous care with which the Jews , even to-day , maintain their racial purity . The genealogical Tables found in Ezra and Nchemiah are evidence of the pains taken

to exclude , even from the performance of the most casual and menial functions , any not of unblemished birth . Those who are so scornfully alluded lo in the lecture , and who afterwards confederated under the name of Samaritans , were

what may not improperly be described as the " scum" of the surrounding nations . They were the most hy brid race imaginable , without law , religion , or morals , and owning only nominal allegiance to the Persians . The promises of God and his pro-