Ineligibility Of Candidates For Freemasonry.

INELIGIBILITY OF CANDIDATES FOR FREEMASONRY .

COKEESPONDENCE .

The Editor is not responsible for tlie opinions expressed o _ y Correspondentt

TO THE EDITOR OP THE FREEMASONS MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . Dear Sir and Brother , —I perceive Bro . "W . L . " has returned to the charge again at page 171 , but his remarks want pith ; it seems to me his hand has got softened against my hard head , for the effect he produces is nil . However , I admire his candour ; his

quotation at page 171 , second column , eighteenth line from top , viz ., "Any mental defect , " & c , being all in my favour . Then , as to his O . B ., it must be different from mine ; I exclude an old man in dotage , a young man in nonage , a drunken man , an insane person , and a woman under any pretence whatever ;

I do not interpolate anything about a lame man , & c . The pretended " ancient landmarks " which " W . L . " is so terribly solicitous about , are , so far as speculative Freemasonry is concerned , simply imaginary moonshine , being twin-brothers to the following " ancient landmark" I lately heard , viz ., —Wh y . does "

your lodge stand east and west ? Liter alia , " Because the Eiver Euphrates runs so ! " Now , the Euphrates falls into the Persian Gulf , and for hundreds of miles runs in a southerly direction , ergo , said "landmark , " is * * * * As to the " ancient landmarks " manufactured since last century began , their

name is legion . I append copy of letter upon this subject , which I have just received from our Secretary , Bro . Bamber , and for which I thank him . I hi ghly respect its contents , it is from the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Scotland . Tours fraternally , W . P . BUCHAN .

" 12 th March , 1869 . "Dear Sir and Brother , —In reply to your favour of llth current , I beg to state that other things being in order , the candidate being acceptable to your lodge , his want of an arm should be no barrier to his initiation . " I remain , vours fraternally , "W . A . LAURIE , G . S . "

MASONIC DISCIPLINE . TO THE EDITOR 01 ? THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND MASONIC MIRROR . Dear Sir and Brother , —Pray allow me space for a few running comments on correspondence which appeared in your last number . 1 st . Crux ( p . 164 ) opens a subject on which there

is much looseness and variety , namely , the selection of an officer to prepare candidates for receiving the several degrees . In some lodges it is the Tyler , in others one of tbe' Deacons , or the brethren by whom they were proposed , or one specially requested by the W . M . at the time to perform the duty . Doubtless ,

as Crux says , " there ought to be some officer or member of the lodge appointed by the '• Constitutions ' to see to so important and serious a part of our ceremonial . " Incidentally , Crux states that there is nothing to prevent the same person filling -both offices of Secretary and Treasurer . " On perusal of this remark , it occurred to me that a brother in

this position had been required to give up one of these offices in a lodge , and on inquiry from him today as to the circumstances , I find that , corresponding with the late Grand Secretary , sometimes under the one and sometimes under the other appellation , according to the subject on which he wrote , he was

taken to task by the late Bro . W . Gray Clarke , and told that he could not hold both offices at the same time , the result of which was that he resigned one of them . 2 ndly . I agree with O . O . ( p . 169 ) that when a warrant has been issued which contains the names

of the chief officers of a new lodge , there appears no reason why the W . M . designate should not , under dispensation , call an emergency meeting of those named in the warrant , at which persons may be proposed for initiation on the day of installation and of the " constitution " of the lodge , though Bro . Hughan

says that now no ceremonies can be performed at that time , to prevent irregularities which have taken place , and if made a general rule on that ground , I concur in it . In my own case , mentioned in your number of August 21 st , I felt no difficulty on the point , being at the time a P . M . of another lodge . In that instance the ballot was taken on the day of "constitution , " after that ceremony .

Srdly . I believe with Bro . C . A . G . ( p . 169 ) that there are many men who " want the rank of P . M . " without doing the work . I know several instances in my own district where it has not only been wanted but obtained . As before remarked , I always set my face against the appointment of any one to fill the

first chair of a lodge , unless he be able at the time of his installation to declare his ability to perform his duties . In the lodge of which I am now a member by joining , I have seen three W . M . 's in office , only one of whom can do more than open and close the lodge , and of the older P . M . ' s who have served as

such in it and are still members , there is not one who can perform the ceremonies of the three degrees . It is true that the fault lies with the brethren who vote for them , but what can be done when there are some who hold that a W . M . may properly rule a lodge depending on his predecessors for the ceremonial part of his work ?

4 thly Bro . Gorham ( p . 173 ) doubts the propriety of making a difference in the manner of saluting between one who enters the lodge for the first time and one who has been in before on the same evening . My instructor was the late Bro . Honey , sent for the purpose about 20 years ago to a midland province by the Instruction Lodge of Emulation . I was taught

by him to make that difference , and have always enforced it in my own teaching , i . e ., on entering the lodge for the first time at any meeting " saluting in the lower degrees as well as that in which the lodge is at work , " and , in conformity with the rule laid down by Crux , requiring " a brother leaving the lodge

and returning , only to salute in the degree in which the lodge is open on his return . " I prefer to follow my instructor in this respect , for it must be remembered that the brethren present in the loclge from the commencement of the proceedings have given the signs of the lower degrees , and so has one who has been present during the several openings iu them , but has been called out for a few minutes . It is reasonable therefore , and promotive of uniformity , to