Masonic Duties.

Lodge B ; he is recommended and the Lodge of A are convinced ( let us call the supposed person Mr . 0 . D . ) that Mr . C . D . has been improperly rejected by the Lodge of B , as he is a person of " sound judgment , good morals , & c . " The questionthenis this ( it is a stronger case than is

, , likely to happen)— "is such an individual to be rejected by the Lodge of A ? " I will give you my opinion of the most correct manner of proceeding in such a case . The W . M . of the Lodge of A should write to the W . M . of the Loclge of B , informmo-him that Mr . CD . has been " Avell and

Avorthily recommended to their lodge as a fit and proper person to be initiated into Freemasonry ;" but understanding that he had been rejectee ! by the Lodge of B , certainly unadvisedly and ignorantly , he Avished to know if the said lodge , upon the receipt of his communication , Avould object to

his initiation in the Lodge of A . Should the Lodge of B object , I then think it Avould be the duty of the Lodge of A to apply to the ProA-incial Grand Lodge for guidance and instructions IIOAV to proceed ; because it Avould be injurious to the character of the institution that any "just ancl

upright man " should be improperly stopped from becoming a member of the Order . What I complain of is simply this , that persons have been initiated into the Order by one lodge Avith the full knoAvledge of their having been rejected by anotherAvithout the smallest communication

, having been made to the aggrieved lodge . 3 . I have also heard that it is customaiy for some lodges to grant certificates to brethren for the purpose of allowing them to itinerate from

lodge to loclge . NOAV , this is in manifold opposition to the laAvs of the Society as contained i . i the "Book of Constitutions , " pages 64 and 97 . If a brother be brought to distress "through unavoidable misfortune , " there are many better Avays of relieving him than by granting him a

certificate—by the means of an application to the Grand Lodge , Avhich never yet rejected the application of the unfortunate , or by a subscription among the more fortunate of the fraternity , who AA'ill not , I am persuaded , forget the peculiar pen ' od of their own initiation into Freemasonry ,

and refuse to assist their poor aud . unhappy brother , because , if they did so , they would be unworthy of the name of a Mason . Bat , to encourage itinerating , is not only against the constitutions of the Order , as well as prejudicial to tho interests of the fraternitybut is also an

en-, couragement to the idle , the dissolute , and the immoral to try ancl obtain initiation into Freemasonry , for the purpose of encouraging their vicious propensities and habits , and of making a gain of it .

-A . I have heard ifc also mentioned ( although some time since ) that sometimes , at Masonic funerals , the solemnity and decency which should be regarded at so aAvful a season , when the body of a brother is about to be consigned to its

kindred earth , is not alivays observed . NOAV , how any one can make , or wish to make , an idle pageantry of the solemn ceremonies , as practised by the Order at that trying moment , or utter with levity the solemn Avords used in many of our sublime mysteries , is to me most astonishing * .

I trust , hoAvever , that this is bufc of very rare occurrence , and I shall notice it no further , otherwise than by remarking that solemn music , and not light and merry airs , should accompany the body of a brother "to the house appointed for all living , " and that , after the solemnities of the

interment , it would be more respectful to the memory of our deceased friend to retire to our several homes , rather than to spend the remainder of the day , perhaps of the night , in intemperance . 5 . I Avish to draAV your attention , in the next

place , to the subject of " by-kvws" of lodges . Tou will easily remember that , more than twelve months since , a memorandum was inserted in the

customary quarterly communication from the Grand Lodge , ordering every loclge to seud forth-Avith a copy of their by-laAVS to the Grand Lodge ,, and stating that , until they were approved of by it , they could not be valid . This Avas nothingmore than a repetition of a section of the " Book

of Constitutions . " I hope that every lodge in this division of the country has obeyed the order . If any have not , I trust they Avill immediately correct their negligence . The necessity of by-la \ vs is most essential to the sociability and regularity of a lodge ; for instancewhat authority has any lodge

, to charge more than £ 3 13 s . 6 d . ( the least sum fixed by the "Book of Constitutions" ) for the initiatory fee of a candidate into the Order Avithout a by-law sanctioning it ? and then , as I have just observed , it is of no force unless it have received the approval of the Grand Lodge . The same

thingmay be said of lodge seals . They are of no use AA-hatever . It is irregular to use them until the impressions have been sent to , and they have received the approval of , the GJ-rand Lodge .

6 . Another observation I have to make . It is this , —Tou all knoAV that the profound Avisdom of the Order has directed that all religious and political discussion shall be excluded from onr meetings , though , at the same time , Freemasonry inculcates the strictest ; obedience to the laws of

any country in which Ave may reside . NOAV , ifc is against the laAvs of our OAVII which , I think , some lodges offend , Avhen they hold their meetings on Sunday . Our meetings are usually held at inns . NOAV , you knoAV that most of such places are ordered to be closed at a particular hour of the

night on Sunday , as well as on certain hours during the day-time . Do Ave not , then , offend against the laAvs of our country Avhen we hold our meeting's on the Sunday ? And , granted that our meetings be conducted Avith sobriety and temperance , yet , by holding them on the abovementioned day , do Ave not give reason to those