Freemasonry In Portugal.

FREEMASONRY IN PORTUGAL .

By DNALXO . 2 . —THE LODGES . Having reviewed the present position of the Grand Orient of Lusitana , we will now briefly consider the organisation of the subordinate lodges

under its jurisdiction , first remarking in proof of its great energy that the Grand Orient is in active correspondence with the Grand Lodges and Orients of Ireland , Prussia , France , Italy , Egypt , the Argentine Republic , Uruguay , Venezuela ,

Saxony , Luxembourg , New Grenada , Brazil , Charleston , Hamburgh , Netherlands , Belgium , Cuba , Massachusetts , Boston , Virginia , Nova Scotia , Canada , Mexico , North Carolina , New York , Louisiana , Chili , Peru , and California .

The officers of the Portuguese lodges are named as follows : — Venerable—Master . Primiero Vigilante—Senior Warden . Secondo Vigilante—Junior Warden . Orador—Orator .

Secretano—Secretary . Theseureiro—Treasurer . Archivisto Ohancelleiro — Registrar and Chancellor . Mestre de Cerimonias—Master of Ceremonies .

Primiero Experto—Senior Deacon . Secondo Experto—Junior Deacon . Architecto decoratore—Superintendent of Works . Guarda interior—Inner Guard . Guarda externo—Tyler .

To these officers may be added , if requisite , an Assistant Orator , Secretary , and Master of Ceremonies , also a Mestre de Banquete—Master of the Banquet ,

Hospitaleiro—Almoner , Porfcador d'Estandart—Banner Bearer , tut no lodge is justified in making these appointments , unless it has a large number of members . The duties of the officers of the lodge are fully

• explained by their titles ; the remarks we made in reference to the Grand Orator equally applying to ihe Orators of the subordinate lodges . Every office of the lodge is elective , being held for one year , the elections taking place on the

first day of the month of Adar ( 21 st February ) . With the exception of the Venerable and Delegates to the Grand Orient—who must possess at least one year ' s seniority as Master Masons—al brethren are eligible for election to office .

The lodges are represented in the Grand Orient by their Venerable and Delegates , each lodge being entitled to send one delegate for every twenty members . In case of the sickness or unavoidable absence of the Venerable , his place in

the Grand Orient may be filled by one of the Wardens , provided he has attained the grade of Cavaleiro Rosa Cruz .

If the Venerable and Delegates have not attained the degree of Rose Croix prior to their election , they must be exalted to that grade previous to taking their seats in the Grand Orient , as all the Grand Lodsce business is- conducted in

that degree . The affairs of each lodge are administered by two Boards or Committees , the members of which are elected annually . The Committee of Finance consists of four members , their duties being to

supervise the income and expenditure of the lodge , to countersign all bills paid by the Treasurer , to audit his accounts , to submit a balance sheet to the lodge at certain periods . The Venerable is ex-officio president of this committee . The Board

of Justice is composed of six members , who are charged with the administration of all matters in connection with the discipline of the lodge . They also perform the functions of a grand jury ; all breaches of Masonic discipline are investigated by them , and they submit an opinion of the case , together with minutes of their proceedings , to the

lodge for its final decision , in the event of the offence being of such a grave nature as to require such a mode of procedure . Should the affair be only of a trivial nature , they award the offender the penalty laid down by the by-laws , without

referring the matter to the lodge . The Venerable and Orator are ex-o ~§ ido members of this Board , the former being its president . Immediately before a lodge is closed the Master

of Ceremonies makes a tour to collect the propositions & c . of the brethren , these he delivers to the Orator whose duty it is to open and inspect them , before they are submitted to the Venerable . All propositions esc . must be made in writing ;

those of candidates for initiation containing the name , age , profession , place of birth , and residence of the candidate , signed by the proposer . Upon the receipt of a proposition for initiation the Venerable privately requests three brethren , to make enquiries as to the morality & c . of the candidate . At the next meeting they each report