Grand Lodge.

tive to tlie Craft or the particular lodg * es , or to individual brothers , within their respective districts ; AA'hich they may exercise either of themselves or by such delegated authority as in their wisdom or discretion they may appoint—their

decisions in all cases to be regulated by the f' Book of Constitutions , " and subject to appeal to Grand Lodge . There being a Colonial Board to Avhich all such questions ought to be referred , it was

appropriately resolved that the matter should be remitted to the Board of General Purposes , from Avhich the Colonial Board was sejjarated some years since . As a bonne bouche , however , the Board of General Purposes is to have the

assistance of the President and Vice-President of the Colonial Board . If these g-entlemen haA r e the slightest appreciation of the position to which they have been elected , they Avill decline to play second fiddle when they ought to be first .

Tlie sum of £ -50 for coals and candles for the Asylum Avas again granted , and , wonderful liberality , it is to be aHoived in future without an annual vote . What shall Ave haA r e to employ our would-be orators if their annual speeches are tluisrtithlessly cut away ?

Masonic Duties.

MASONIC DUTIES .

"The following address was delivered by the R . W . Bro . LE GENDUE NICHOLAS STARKIE , Jlf . P ., Provincial Grand Master of the Western Division of the County of Lancaster , to the Provincial Grand Lodge , at the Bull Inn , Preston , on the -occasion of his installation on Wednesday , the

18 th of November , 1829 . RIGHT WORSHIPFUL AND WORSHIPFUL OFFICERS AND BRETHREN , —It is with unfeigned pleasure that I again meet my Masonic brethren in Provincial Grand Lodge ; and I cannot alloAV the opportunity which it presents to me to pass

Avithout making a few observations to you , Avhich I trust will tend to the general good and prosperity of Freemasonry . Speaking , as I am , to officers of lodges , it is needless for me to state that to you are entrusted much of the interests of Freemasonry , and I should be uiiAvorthy of the dignified

station 1 have the honour to hold in the fraternity , did I not at all times attempt to discharge the duties imposed upon me by that station in the manner I believe to be the most creditable -to myself , as well as the most conducive to the respectability and the Avelfare of the Craft .

Did I address myself to brethren just initiated into the sublime mysteries of the Order , it would , perhaps , be incumbent upon me to give some

instruction m the knowledge of our arfc ; but speakino ' , as I UOAV am , to those Avho fill high and important stations in the fraternity—to Worshipful Masters Past Masters , Senior ancl Junior Wardens of Lodges—this AA * ould be a work of supererogation . We all know that the most pure and genuine piety

and virtue are taught by our emblems and in our mysteries , and knoAving this , it Avill bo Avell if Ave endeavour to act up to our profession . I shall , therefore , draw your attention to a feAV practical observations , AA'hich I think , if yon attend towill be of service to you all .

, 1 . I am afraid that the laws laid down for our guidance and instruction in the " Book of Constitutions" are not always acted up to iu the manner they should be , if they are not even at

times entirely evaded . NOAV , I need not surely remark , that a breach of the laAvs of any society must be very detrimental and injurious to its general prosperity ; but in an institution estab - lished like Freemasonry , more especially , so . You are all aware that at the initiation of eveiy member

of the institution he is charged to peruse the " Book of Constitutions ; " but of what use is this recommendation unless those AVIIO do recommend this to him first set the example . As a means of obtaining this desirable end—the making * every brother acquainted wifcli the rules and regulations

of his Order—I Avould recommend the Worshipful Master oi each lodge , or some brother deputed by him , to read a portion of the " Book of Constitutions " on eveiy lodge-night , and I will answer that the benefit Avhich AA'ill accrue from this re .

ovulation , Aval be soon seen and felt by every lodge . 2 . I haA r e heard that some lodges have been guilty of initiating persons into the Order , after knowing that they had been rejected by other lodges . This is a breach of all discij ) lme , and as far as my influence lies , I shall discountenance such

most uumasonic conduct . We must remember that Freemasonry is universal , and that a person who is unworthy to be initiated in one lodge must , by parity of reasoning , be also unworthy to be admitted in another . The breach of Masonic discipline to Avhich I am alluding has been , I am

afraid , committed wifcli open eyes ; the initiating lodges Avell knowing that the persons alluded to had been previously rejected by other lodges , aucl , therefore , are left without excuse for their irregularity . Here , however , it may be asked , " is , then , a person not to be initiated into the Order by a

loclge AVIIO has been rejected by another , ivhen the members of the former are convinced that those of the latter have rejected him through misinformation as to his character , or Avhatever other reason theremay be , AA hen he has been Avell recommended to them , and Avhen such members are convinced that

he has been incorrectly rejected ? " I answer , " most undoubtedly no ! " except under the following case : I suppose ( for the sake of the argument ) a person wishes to be initiated in the Lodge of A , but who has been previously rejected in the