Grand Chapter.

The only business of the slightest interest , beyond granting two or three charters , which might be equally well done by the Grand Principals—or the Grand Z . alone—would be more analogous to the practice of Craft Masonry , Avas the reading of communications from the Grand Chapter of Scotland , and

the companions who have formed themselves into a new Grand Chapter relative , to their recent schism . These communications being read they were speedily disposed of , by being referred back to the General Committee to consider the relations

which exist between the Grand Chapters of England and Scotland , of which the majority of the companions appeared to be in blissful ignorance . We would suggest that the power of granting charters for new Chapters should be transferred to

the Grand Principals , or each in turn , if they would prefer such an arrangement ; and that Grand Chapter should meet once a year for the investment of Grand Officers , and when it would be perfectly unnecessary for any one to attend excepting those going out of

office and those coining in ; or a more simple plan would be to advertise the names of the companions appoined to office , and thus save the expense of lighting the room . In fact , Grand Chapter ought to be abolished , and the business , such as it is , transacted by a Committee of Grand Lodge , being Arch Masons .

Indelibility Of Freemasonry.

INDELIBILITY OF FREEMASONRY .

Amongst churchmen it is a well-known and constant axiom "Once a priest a priest for ever , " so AA-ith Ereemasoms , the fact of a man's having been once initiated , or made , makes him a Preemason to the end of his days . No repudiation , no neglect , no amount of non-subscription can , under any

circumstances , free a Mason from his Masonic vows , or ever again let him rank himself as one of the profane . Such a one has been admitted to see the light and taken upon himself , by a purely voluntary act of his own , certain indelible duties and VOAVS which nothing

but death can erase . He is , to all intents and purposes , a Ereemason for life , and no known process of action can'reinstate him as one of the outer world , nor denude him of that brotherhood he has embraced . It is impossible to form any approximate estimate

of the number of the brethren who have retired from the active life of the Graft ; but the average continuance of Freemasons , as subscribing members , is , by a high authority , placed at a duration of seven years , and it is with reference to this very large body of

inactive brethren that we are considering the indelibility of their Masonic character . By retiring from Ereeinasonry , as we have before atated , they do not sever themselves from the Craft ,

but only discontinue any benefit that might accrue to them , by adopting that course , whilst their relation to the order , and every brother Mason remains unchanged , and it is a question how far it is politic , in our rulers , not to allow retiring members , from their lodge , to keep their names on the books of the Grand

Lodge by paying their quarterly contributions to the general funds of the Craft through the nearest lodge to their habitations . Of course we regret that there are non-subscribing brethren , but we cannot quietly ignore the fact that

there are many thousands such—some , necessarily , from the demands of business , some from ill-health , some from a change in their Avorldly prospects , and others from sheer indifference , yet , from whatever cause this defection arises , they are one and all

Ereemasons bound bj r the same universal laws , and possessed of the same rights as brethren , in all parts of the globe , as those AA'ho are tbe constant attendants on their lodge duties . Though non-subscribing members to lodges , they

have yet the paramount duties of brotherly-love , relief , and truth , to carry out in their fullest extent , and it is to be deplored that there is no proper organisation , so that they could be easily reached , and enable many who would , doubtless , only be too willing and happy to subscribe to our excellent charities but which they cannot do , with facility , owing to the

appeals of those Institutions never coming under their notice . As Ereeinasonry is as amenable to the changes of the times , as any other human institution , an exemplar of which we have in the present movement to lessen the influence of Tavern associations , so we may be

led to hope that one of the questions really needing consideration and a wise provision , will be that of the relative position of retired Ereemasons to their brethren at large . In one , or more , of the higher grades of

Ereeinasonry special provision is made for retaining all their disciples , for when installed the presiding officer tells every neophyte that he creates him " now and for ever " a member of those degrees , thus impressing on the mind of the recipient the indebility of that

portion of the Ereeinasonry of the world . Indeed , so strong do these words appear to us that is is really a grave doubt , on our minds , if any subsequent censurable act , performed by one of those brethren , could be visited with any heavier punishment than exclusion

from the meetings of that degree . The doctrine of the Indelibility of Ereemasonry is one which is more easily recognised abroad than it is with us because Ave are , as it were , isolated from all the other Masonic jurisdictions iu the world by our book of constitutions , and are prevented visiting a lodge more than a specified number of times while