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Article COEEESPOOENCE ← Page 2 of 5 →
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Coeeespooence
den , " -In my absence you are to govern this Lodge . " In Smith ' s Ahiman Rezon , published by order of the Grrand Lodge of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , 1783 , p . 54 , sect , vi ., are these words : — " The Senior Warden succeeds to all the duties of the Master , and fills the chair when he is absent . " Dr . Dalcho , who was looked upon as the best authority of his day , on this subject says : — " The Senior Warden succeeds to all the duties of the Master , and fills the chair when he is absent . If the Master leaves the stall , dies , or is deposed or expelled , the Senior Warden , or , in his absence ' , the Junior Warden , shall fill his place until the next stated time of election . It is usual for the Wardens to waive this
privilege in honour of any Past Master that may be present , whom they call upon to take the chair , upon the presumption of his experience and skill in conducting ' the business of the Lodge ' ¦;; nevertheless' tldsoffer is perfectly optional with the Wardens , for such Past Master still derives his authority under the Wardens , and cannot act until they congregate the Lodge . " *
In Cole ' s Freemason ' s Library , Baltimore , 1817 , pp . 73 and 74 , I find the foregoing from Smith and Dalcho , with the following addition ;—^ And although formerly it was held that in such cases the Master ' s authority ought to revert to the last Past Master who is present ; yet i ^ zs ^ ota fAe 56 ^ Ze ^ r ^ Ze that the authority of the Master devolves upon the Senior Warden , and in his absence upon the Junior Warden , even although a former Master he preseTit ^ ' * tha
In all the Monitors , Ahimmi Fezons , ^& Cfccw ^ ges t have been published since the dates above quoted , the foregoing duties and authorities of Wardens have been embodied ; so that its being < f a settled rule" is now scarcely doubted ; But Canadian " refers to the practice in the United States in regard to the membership of entered apprentices . And as the United States writers on Masonic Jurisprudence are the best authority on that important but , in this country , too much neglected department of Freemasonry , let us see what they say on it .
Dr . Mackey , who is beyond dispute the highest authority on such matters , in his Principles of Masonic Law , p . 126 , says : — " During the temporary absence of the Master the Senior Warden has the right of presiding , though he may , and often does by courtesy , invite a Past Master to assume the chair . " The same author , in his Lexicon of Freemasonry , 3 rd edition , p . 515 , says : — " In case of the death of the Master the Senior Warden presides over the Lodge for the remainder of his term of office . "
But the following clincher from the next highest living authority on Masonic Law , Bro . Robert Morris , editor of the American Freemason , settles the matter 'beyond a doubt . I quote from the American Freemason for November 1 st , 1854 , p . " lS Q : — uery 1 . —Has the Worshipful Master a right to delegate a Brother Past Master to the chair on leaving the Lodge for a series of meetings' ? Or , in other words , is not the Senior Warden Master , in fact , in the Worshipful Master ' s absence ?
" 2 . —Are the acts of the delegated Master above mentioned valid , the Senior Warden being present in the West , and neither objecting nor consenting to his presiding ? " 3 . —Is the delegated Master answerable for his acts , as Master pro tempore , to the Grand Lodge ? " 4 . —Can a Senior Warden , in the absence of the Master , confer the Master ' s degree ; or must he call a Past Master to his aid V
" Answer 1 . —The Master has no such right , neither the shadow of one . He rules only by virtue of his presence and the possession of his Charter ( Warrant ) ; and in his absence the Charter goes into the possession of the highest Warden present , who , taking his place in the East , and having the Charter within reach , is as much the Master of the Lodge for the time being as though he had been elected such . " 2 . —As the Senior Warden was present and onade no objection , it is to be presumed he gave his consent . What kind of an idea he had of the dignity of his position , or the duties of his office , is quite { mother question .
* Dalcho ' s Ahiman llezon , Charleston , 1807 , p . 44
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Coeeespooence
den , " -In my absence you are to govern this Lodge . " In Smith ' s Ahiman Rezon , published by order of the Grrand Lodge of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , 1783 , p . 54 , sect , vi ., are these words : — " The Senior Warden succeeds to all the duties of the Master , and fills the chair when he is absent . " Dr . Dalcho , who was looked upon as the best authority of his day , on this subject says : — " The Senior Warden succeeds to all the duties of the Master , and fills the chair when he is absent . If the Master leaves the stall , dies , or is deposed or expelled , the Senior Warden , or , in his absence ' , the Junior Warden , shall fill his place until the next stated time of election . It is usual for the Wardens to waive this
privilege in honour of any Past Master that may be present , whom they call upon to take the chair , upon the presumption of his experience and skill in conducting ' the business of the Lodge ' ¦;; nevertheless' tldsoffer is perfectly optional with the Wardens , for such Past Master still derives his authority under the Wardens , and cannot act until they congregate the Lodge . " *
In Cole ' s Freemason ' s Library , Baltimore , 1817 , pp . 73 and 74 , I find the foregoing from Smith and Dalcho , with the following addition ;—^ And although formerly it was held that in such cases the Master ' s authority ought to revert to the last Past Master who is present ; yet i ^ zs ^ ota fAe 56 ^ Ze ^ r ^ Ze that the authority of the Master devolves upon the Senior Warden , and in his absence upon the Junior Warden , even although a former Master he preseTit ^ ' * tha
In all the Monitors , Ahimmi Fezons , ^& Cfccw ^ ges t have been published since the dates above quoted , the foregoing duties and authorities of Wardens have been embodied ; so that its being < f a settled rule" is now scarcely doubted ; But Canadian " refers to the practice in the United States in regard to the membership of entered apprentices . And as the United States writers on Masonic Jurisprudence are the best authority on that important but , in this country , too much neglected department of Freemasonry , let us see what they say on it .
Dr . Mackey , who is beyond dispute the highest authority on such matters , in his Principles of Masonic Law , p . 126 , says : — " During the temporary absence of the Master the Senior Warden has the right of presiding , though he may , and often does by courtesy , invite a Past Master to assume the chair . " The same author , in his Lexicon of Freemasonry , 3 rd edition , p . 515 , says : — " In case of the death of the Master the Senior Warden presides over the Lodge for the remainder of his term of office . "
But the following clincher from the next highest living authority on Masonic Law , Bro . Robert Morris , editor of the American Freemason , settles the matter 'beyond a doubt . I quote from the American Freemason for November 1 st , 1854 , p . " lS Q : — uery 1 . —Has the Worshipful Master a right to delegate a Brother Past Master to the chair on leaving the Lodge for a series of meetings' ? Or , in other words , is not the Senior Warden Master , in fact , in the Worshipful Master ' s absence ?
" 2 . —Are the acts of the delegated Master above mentioned valid , the Senior Warden being present in the West , and neither objecting nor consenting to his presiding ? " 3 . —Is the delegated Master answerable for his acts , as Master pro tempore , to the Grand Lodge ? " 4 . —Can a Senior Warden , in the absence of the Master , confer the Master ' s degree ; or must he call a Past Master to his aid V
" Answer 1 . —The Master has no such right , neither the shadow of one . He rules only by virtue of his presence and the possession of his Charter ( Warrant ) ; and in his absence the Charter goes into the possession of the highest Warden present , who , taking his place in the East , and having the Charter within reach , is as much the Master of the Lodge for the time being as though he had been elected such . " 2 . —As the Senior Warden was present and onade no objection , it is to be presumed he gave his consent . What kind of an idea he had of the dignity of his position , or the duties of his office , is quite { mother question .
* Dalcho ' s Ahiman llezon , Charleston , 1807 , p . 44