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Contents . PAGE . The Election of Masters and Officers for the Ensuing Year—By C . H 261 New Masonic Toast— "Bro . the Prince of Wales . " 262 The Haughfoot Lodge and Speculative Masonry—By R . S . .,-... 263 Masonic Government—By Crescent 265 Chiof Foreign Ashlar—BJAH 266

ps y . . Bibles and other Early Printed Books—By Bro . "W . P . Buchan 267 Burgh Records—By Bro . W . P . Buchan 269 Masonic Notes and Queries 270 Correspondence 273 Masonic Mems 274 CBAET LODGE MEETINGS : — Metropolitan 275 Middlesex 275

Provincial 275 South Africa 276 KoyalArch 277 Mark Masonry 277 Laying tho Foundation-stone of the Dumfries aud Galloway Infirmary 277 Masonic Funeral in Spain 278 Masonic Funeral in Hartlepool 279

Literature , Science , Music , Drama , and the Fine Arts 279 Masonic Lifeboat Fund 279 List of Lodge , & c ., Meetings for ensuing week 280 To Correspondents 280

The Election Of Master And Officers For The Ensuing Year.

THE ELECTION OF MASTER AND OFFICERS FOR THE ENSUING YEAR .

ZONDON , SATVJIDAY , OCTOBER 2 , 1869 .

By C . H .

Before many more numbers of this MAGAZINE have left the press by far the largest number of lodges under the English Constitution will have assembled , and exercised the all-important franchise belonging to ancient Freemasonry , i . e ., the

election of W . M . and officers for the ensuingtwelve months . "All preferment among Masons should be grounded uponreal worth and personal merit , therefore no brother shall be elected Master of a lodge , or appointed to any office therein , merely on account of seniority or rank . "—Constitutions p . 6 .

Such being the facts , the Grand Lodge of England confers a great boon on the fraternity by leaving every lodge free to elect its own Master , Treasurer , and Tyler . The Master has the prerogative of appointing the S . W ., J . W ., S . D ., J . D .,

I . G-., and Secretary . The power , therefore , invested in the W . M . demonstrates the care and caution the brethren should observe in the-selection of Master . To qualify a brother for the high position of Master it is necessary " the candidate

should be true and trusty , of good repute , held in hi gh estimation by the fraternity , well skilled in Masonic knowledge , and , above all , steady and firm in principle . " Unless the members conscientiously believe the brother has these qualifications ,

they should pause ere they elect the brother to assume , or morally usurp , the dignity of Master , but rather let the brother tarry that he may profit by the example of another's knowledge , and amend in himself what he has perceived defective in his

brother . The W . M . is called upon to attend the monthly Eoards of Benevolence , that the wants of the deserving brethren may be attended to . He is also called upon to attend the quarterly communication of Grand Lodge , and by a careful and

impartial observance of all questions before Grand Lodge he may be enabled to record his votes that the best interests of our sacred and noble institution may be protected . Let him remember that he has bound himself to observe the ancient

charges , in which the foregoing conditions form some of its clauses . It must be remembered that upon the activity or supineness of the Master the Order will . be supported or degraded . How many are there that promise a faithful observance

of their duties , and how soon do they forget their obligation . Let the Master therefore not seek to excuse his own negligence by quoting that of others , but rather let his actions prove to his lodge that

while he occupies the exalted position of Master he does not withhold the practice it enjoins . Another important duty of the Master is the selection of his officers . He should be careful

to avoid appointing to the office of b . W . a brother who would be disqualified , mentally or otherwise , from holding the distinguished office of Master , so that when the time arrives for the brethren to exercise their prerogative in the

election of Master they may not either wound the feelings of the brother by passing him over , or stultify themselves by electing him to an office he is incompetent to sustain . This may be obviated by the timely discretion of the actual Master for

the time being . The members may exercise their franchise in the election of Master , with a view to gratify and please a brother , but the Master should ever have in view his obligation .

The appointment of the Tyler of the lodge is also vested in the members , who may also remove the said Tyler at any time for a sufficient cause at a regular meeting of the lodge . The attention of the brethren , more especially

those who are anticipating their election to the Masonic chairs , is earnestly called to the duties they are about to undertake , and we entruat such as may now be contemplating such a mark of