Freemasonry In China.

ledge the receipt of your valued communication of yesterday and fully concurring with you in the hope that such provisions may be made concerning the working of the lodge , under our respective constitutions , as may conduce to harmony and

good will ; thank you for your timely mention of a point which may , perhaps , hereafter lead to some misunderstanding . The subject of your communication is one which had already presented itself to my mind as requiring some particular

legislation , but it will be a point which it will be difficult entirely to cover , and while endeavouring to place such safeguards as may be possible in the way of any evils arising from it , I trust that should by chance any escape the provisions of our rules they may be recognised by you as unavoidable accidents .

It is true that in many instances applications are withdrawn under objections in our lodges , and this course seems to me quite proper so long as the provision remains in our Constitutions , that all initiates in any lodge shall be received as members

thereof ^ without further ballot . Objections may , in many instances , be brought forward against a candidate from personal motives , from the fact that initiation would constitute membership ; while , perhaps , no objection would be urged , if it were

in the power of a brother to prevent membership after the degrees had been conferred . It has frequently happened that the name of a candidate proposed in one of our lodges and withdrawn , has been immediately proposed in a sister

lodge and the degrees conferred , ancl while the difficulty exists of ascertaining definitively the reasons influencing an objection to a candidate , I think it is but just to any person applying for the degrees to allow his name to be withdrawn on

objection , rather than subject him to the chance of the stigma of a black ball upon merely personal grounds . Again , sometimes no objection is made privately , but upon the ballot a black ball appears ivhich

may still be the effect of peivsonal objection only , so that you can readily see a record in our books either of withdrawal or rejection does not necessarily imply unfitness on the part of a candidate for the degrees .

Your committee could , of course , always ascertain from our secretaries whether any person proposed in your lodge had been already refused admittance in ours , but while our Constitution

remains as it is , I think no ill effects could arise , even if you initiated such a person after ascertaining that we had rejected liim . On the other hand , as you have a coinmittee to inquire into the fitness of a candidate , and make

the ballot for initiations distinct from that for membership , there seems to be less chance for the exercise of personal objection , and an opportunity for us to add a safeguard against the introduction of unfit members by calling upon any candidate to

our lodges to state if he has ever applied elsewhere , ancl if so , to defer his initiation until inquiries have been made concerning the cause of his rejection . Upon inquiry should it be found that in spite of a favourable report by your

committee , a black | ball had still been cast m your lodge , a surmise of personal objection as the reason might still be entertained . A Provincial Grand Lodge will shortly be held , and will afford a very favourable opportunity for

bringing this matter to the attention of the Masters of our lodges ; and I propose to introduce a resolution recommending the lodges under the English Constitution to pass a by-law that in future no candidate shall be initiated until after

he has declared solemnly that he has never applied elsewhere for the degrees in Shanghae , or if it be found that application elsewhere has been made , accompanied by objection until after inquiries have been made concerning the cause of such rejection , and communicated to the brethren .

This would seem to cover the ground , as far as it is possible for us to do so , and while even with this precaution one improper person might be accidentally admitted , there would still remain for both of us the alternative of refusing admission as visitor or member afterwards of an objectionable brother .

I trust you will see in this course the evidence of a desire to promote harmony and goodwill between the brethren of our respective Constitutions , and while thus endeavouring to throw safeguards around some accidental breach , I trust that

no occasion may arise to disturb them , and can only assure you of my readiness to promote any means calculated to make them perpetual . I remain , R . W . dear Sir and -Brother , Yours very truly and fraternally ,

( Signed ) 0 . E . PAEKBB . D . Prov . G . Master of Freemasonry for China , E . C .