The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-08-11
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS

FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS.
By REV. Bro. A. II. BARLEY,
Chairman Committee IN FJreign Correspon-
deaes for the Grand Lodge Of Mississippi.
FLORIDA.
The Fortieth Annual Communication OF
this Grand Lodge was held at the city OF
Jackson, the 18th of January, A.. L.. $50.
Deputy Grand Master, Samuel Pasco,
presiding.
The first business after the opening of the
Grand Lodge and the appointment of a
Committee "of Returns and Credentials,
was the reading of a letter from NJ. W..
samuel Il. Stephens, "stating that recent
death had occurred in his family; that he
would not be in attendance upon the Grand
Communication and that he desired the
death of Past Grand Master, Thomas Y.
Henry, to he fraternally noticed"
In compliance with this request the Com
mittee on Obituaries presented tribute of
respect orthy ofthe man and Mason whose
many noble deeds and Yirtuous life stand as
beacon light to others, to guide their feet
VI in the paths oftruth and justice. A page in
the records of the Grand Lodge is ''inscribed
fOhis perpetual memory"
The Address of M. W.. Bro. Pasco is quite
short. 1t contains nothing of general inter
est TO the craft.
The Committee on ssRevision Of the Stand
ing Rules" presented their report, which
was unanimously adopted. Some of these
regulations need still further improvement,
and few of them ought to be discarded
entirely. Since they are neither good work
nor square work-and are not such as sh oul5
be used in building the Temple.
The following viii serve rs a specimen of
these rough ashlers:
Petitions for membership NAV be acted up-
on instanter, or referred, or postponed at the
m pleasure Of the Lodge"
Our objection lies against the instanter ac-
IA ton. The necessity for such action on the
part of Lodge in receiving memb ers rare
Il ly ever exists. No possible good can re-
suit from it, evil may. No injustice is done
"A IN requiring good Mason to wait the usual
time, whilst untold evil may be done to a
Lodge in hastily receiving one who after
wards proves himself unworthy to be taken
~ the hand as a brother. 1t is the part of
wisdom ito make haste slowly
Heare happy to state that these objection
able rules are but few in number, and form
Rule
From the latter we clip a few by way OF
contrast! as well to show our approval. We
begin with
BALL0rING.-"The ballot is inviolably secret ;
W therefore no brother can be questioned as to
how he voted But the Masonic franchise
should De exercised in good faith and upon
pure Masonic principles; there fore any wrong
ful exercise or abuse thereof win subject the
offender to rigid discipline.
LODGES (U. D.(-"A Lodge Under Dispensa-
ten is a creature of the Grand Master bv yir-
tue Of Constitutional provision. 1t possesses
no power or authority, exeect such as is ex-
pressly granted in the Dispensation. Its ex-
isteuee extends only to the first Annual Grand
Communication of the Grand Lodge to which
Us authority, records and documents, must
be surrendered.u
The Reports on Foreign Correspondence
for 1869 and 1870, both from the pen of our
worthy and excellent Bro. p. Co.. NJ.
Dawkins, are before us, covering together
the small space of 26S pages. A neat little
i volume, if bound up in one book. The first
Of these should have gone to Bro. Murphy to
do up for the public. but the printer failed
to come to time, and .'the lot has fallen upon
JONAH
The reading of these reports has afforded
US great deal of pleasure.
Mississippi has goodly portion assigned
to her in each of these reports. Extracts
made from the Address of Grand Masters,
Perkins and Gathright, and Bro. Murphy s
report cOmplim ented s'aS an able and in
structlve document"
In reviewing the proceedings of Delaware
Bro Dawkins says: ''Fhe Grand Master
decided that n Deacon can dimis, The Grand
Lodge couldn't see it,
I'VE do" says Bro. Dawkins, sand think
that any member for laudable purposes,
may dimit, without reference to his official
position whatever it may be-
here is a right, Dramatically asserted,
and we expected to find the proof appended
thereto, and you may imagine our disap-
pointment, when not syllable could we
discover. Come, my good brother, give us
the proof
lis true that the Permanent Rules and
Regulations both of Florida and Mississippi
provide that "any member ofthe Lodge who
IS not IN arrears, or under charges may d.
wa ~
members as such, without any reference to
tle officers of the Lodge. On his acceptance
Ol the office, and at his installation the
erheer Is brought under special obligation
70 the Lodge. and his Relationship to the
Lodge is altogether different from that of a
private mem Der.
The permanent Regulations of Florida
expressly state that I'the Master and War
uens OF Lodge cannot resign" and their
action Is based upon the Constitution.
The reasoning therefore is perfectly leoiti-
mate, that if the Master and Wardens can
not resign, neither can they dimit.
Inc granting of dimit sewers all con-
heetion with the Lodge-both as member
ana officer. To grant the right To dimit, and
!et withhold the privilege of resigning is t.
Uur mind rather inconsistent, and we can
not believe that either our own Grand Lodge
u u mat Of Florida designed that the regula-
soh 10 reference to dimlts should have any
OF a Lodge.
Bro. Dawkins classes the Committee on
Masonic Law and Jurisprudence in Missis-
aPpl- lowing to the extraordinary powers
winch 1t possesses and the submission BY
me Grand Master of his decisions to it fol
nnspeetion,) with tsthe Board of Genera
purposes. in Canada and other places, ant
Souehes off generally the Grand Lodge
ufand Master and the Committee khasly:
~ Perhaps the Masonic fraternity requires
Ute remodeling; such for. instance as tn
ssssea.olishment Of new and complete system
aasonic judiciary. If so let's have q Gen
80 ~ drand Lodge, and have General Gran,
rsslgn Of it and not start with o 0ne-hors
, aad the notice stopped here each on
~vuia have been left TO draw his own infer
,hce, but the plGsterSng which follows Let
R ~ COMMITTEES out in part, for he says Q
~ ~ Gray, who is Chairman, that 1his re
49, zS are comprehensive and Interesting
vel deserve more particular notice.
nIo. Dawkins in reviewing the proceed
80 Of Texas differs from the views ex
Pressed by the Grand Master that sssom
oIe positive remedy seems requisite THAI
W. now haven to enforce Temp1rnnne Hi
'epiy 70 this Ii sensible and to Che point, an