Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-09-21
HAsONIC JURIsPRUDENCE.


Grand LOdde.-A decision Of the last
session: Constituted Lodges must con.
strue and administer their own bylaws
snd questions can only be passed upon
! by the Grand Lodge on appeal from the
| decision Of the constituent lodge, or in
some way known to the constitution and
laws of the G. l..
The Grand Master, at its last meeting,
utters the following just criticisms:
Much trouble and some confusion has
arisen in our jurisdiction the past year,
in consequence Of declaration Of the
| Grand Lodge, at its last communication,
| to be found on page 50 of the printed
proceedings, in the following language
"The ancient charges and long es tab
| lisbed Masonic usages require a brother
| TO have been elected and installed and
| serve as Warden Of q legally constituted
| Lodge, before being eligible to election
as WOrshipful Master" Though this
declaration did not assume exactly the
! features Of law, and was introducing 8
novel feature into our jurisdiction, yet
! / did not feel at liberty to disregard its
meaning, inferring that it was the inten-
| tion of the Grand Lodge that it should
| have the force and efficiency Of law;
| have, therefore, in every case coming
under my observation, enforced its OBJ
servanee.
/ do not doubt the power Of Grand
Lodges TO make any law that may seem
% them right and proper, provided the
ancient landmarks are not violated, and
then cnfOrce obedience to their enact
ments. They might, perhaps, declare a
thing TO be so that really had no exist
eDce but we should ever keep in mind
that mower snd right are not always con-
vertible terms. We may have the power
to declare that no brother shall act a.
Master of a Lodge till be has been elect
ed, installed and served in every other
Office known in 8 Lodge Of Mssons but
the right or expediency of such a deeiar-
alton none will maintain. We have the
right and power to say that nOne shall
act as Master of Lodge till he has been
elected, installed and served as Warden;
but we have no right to say that the an
cient charges require it, for the simplest
and plainest reason in the world, and
that is, that it is not true.
I am not prepared to say at what time
Masters and Wardens first became elect
i've, but evidently not. till long after the
origin Of these "ancient charges" al
though their nativity IL not settled-a
strong evidence of their great antiquity.
After 1722 they were published in book
with this imposing title: "The Charges
of q Freemason, extracted from the An
Client Records OF Lodges beyond the sea,
and of those in England, Scotland and
Ireland, for the use of Lodges in London (;
to be read at the making of new breth-
ren, or when the Master shall order ii. {"
Now how ancient these "recOrds were
is unknown. Previous to l7l7, suffi-
cient number of MasOns could meet,
omen a Lodge and make Masons with
the consent Of the sheriff or chief msgis-
trate Of the place, and when they had
done the business for which they had as
senbled,. they dissolVed-the brethren
departiDg TO meet again according to the
necessity Of circumstances. Certainly
no election and installation Of Masters
and WaFdens then; but in lzl7 regu-
Iation was adopted, limiting the assem-
bling of Masons TO Lodges convened in
certain places and legally authorized by
the warrant OF the Grand Master and
the consent Of the Grand Lodge, and it
was long after this that we began to bear
of the election and installation Of Mas
ters and WRrdens.
The ancient charge so often referred
to, when speaking OF the Legal qualifica-
tions Of Masters, is tine fourth in number,
and is in the following words: "All pre-
ferment among MssOns is grounded upon
real worth and personal merit only; that
so the lords may be well served, the
brethren not put to shame, nor the Royal
Craft despised; therefore, no Master or
Warden is chosen by seniority, but for
his merit. 1t is impossible to describe
these things in writing, and every bro
ther must attend in his place and learn
them in a way peculiar to this frater-
nifty only candidates may know that no
Master should take an Apprentice unless
be had sufficient employment for him,
and unless he be perfect youth, having
no MAIN or defect in his body that NAV
render him incapable of learning the art
Of serving his Masters lord, and OF be-
Ing made brother and then a Fellow
] Graft in due time, even after be has
served such term Of years IS the cus-
| tom of the country directs; and that he
should be descended OF honest parents.
that so, when otherwise qualified. he
may arrive to the honor OF being the
Warden and then the Master Of the
1 Lodge, the Grand Warden, and a.
length the Grand Master of ali the
Lodges, according to his merit.
No Brother can be a Warden until
be has passed the part Of Fellow. Graf.
nor Master until ne has acted as War.
den, nor Grand Warden until he has
been Master Of Lodge, nor Grand Mas
/ ter unless he has been EellOw.CF be-
! fore his election, who is also 10 be nobly
| born. or s gentleman OF the best fashion,
or some eminent scholar, or some curious
architect OF other artist, descended oi
/ honest pareRts, and who is of singular
J great merit in the opinion Of the Lodges