The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-04-21
M a 8 o N IC-
Grand lodge Deci-ions.


J Committee on Masonic Law and Jurispru
: dence, adopted by your Grand Body las
year. That report was from the facil,
pen OF p. G.. NJ. Gathright: an,
after his quick perceptive powers hac
been bestowed upon the subject, any
modest committee might well have de
sisted from entering ON another investi
CATION. But the r.. W. Grand Sec
rotary was besieged by importuuate in
quiries, and in order to relieve himself.
instead of turning them over TO p. G.. e.
NJ. Gathright's report for aid and COM
fort, he turned them over 10 live com
mittee, as the other was fnctus oficio,
forgetting that ''while they were dead
they yet speak, on p. IL and ~ of CIR.
| l.. Pro. 1874
Your Committee gave an opinion to
/ the r. w. Grand Secretary, which
was promulgated 10y him among the
! Lodges, under the direction Of the M
| w. Grand Master We do not repro
duce it here, but refer to il, and ask the
action of the Grand Lodge upon it,
The forms of notice and action Of the
Lodges thereon, prepared by the Grand
Secretary, is deemed amply sufficient for
the guidance of Lodges in future.
A question which has been heretofore
mooted in this Grand Jurisdiction, has
been again presented for the considera-
ton of your Committee.
There appears to be some diversity of
opinion among the craft on the subject,
and while your Committee believe that it
there is any one principle in our system
established beyond all cavil il is this one,
vet It's respect tor the opinions of their
more enlightened brethren cause us to
pause, reflect, and almost doubt our
senses The question is
Question %. What do Master Masons
vote upon in applications for advance
ment to the f. c. or NJ. Degrees? DO
they vote on proficiency alone, or charac-
ter, fitness, etc, or what?
1t is the opinion of your Committee
that the members of the Lodge cast the !
secret ballot, unrestrained and unrestrict- |
ed by any power, save that Of their own
will, which, in every ingenious heart, |
will be guided by an enlightened iudg- |
ment and conscience void Of ohense to-
ward God and man. lie has right to |
vote us he pleases, and on everything
proficiency, character, fitness, qualiiica-
tion-anything which may move his |
mind and choice at the time, and no one |
has a right to call in question this right, |
or to hunt out the member who may have |
cast IA black ball. The responsibility |
rests on him alone He is not account |
able to the W. M, nor to the Grand |
Lodge, nor to any person, for the ballot
he casts, but to his own conscience, and |
that alone.
The question of proficiency is general
ly-nay, almost universally upon |
in open Lodge, after examination and |
even if the vote should be unanimous, |
any brother may cast black ball if he |
chooses to do so, and who has the right to |
gainsay it?
1t is argued that n brother who casts |
black ball is bound to prefer charges |
against the candidate Your Committee |
hfIdiNHffIt tbs ii bhGRar4aea chi6eeBRQsitP0p
property of the Lodge, and he may be
required to make good his objections.
Brethren forget, too, that even after |
candidate is elected, he can be stopped !
by an Directing member
The right and sanctity of the secret |
ballot is inalienable, and belongs to every
Master Mason who is affiliated. A con
trary doctrine is one of the cruel inyen-
tions of modern Masonry, from which |
we heartily say Good Lord, deliver us "
We append section "A: "In ballotlng, !
every member should vote, and he has |
the right to vote secretly, and as he thinks |
proper. lie cannot be questioned or
caused to divulge how he voted ; nor be
required to give a reason therefor p.
IS, Il. and X. MitchelPs Digest Up. 407 !
and 40S).
Question 26 Section IS Of Rules and
Regulations for subordinate Lodges pro-
vides, "that sentences Of expulsion only
become operative as such at the next
annual communication of the Grand
Lodge, and under the authority and
with the confirmation Of that body
A MEMBERS charged, tried, and expelled.
He appeals to the Grand Lodge, and his
appeal is sustained, and decision Of sub
ordinate Lodge is reversed. Is it right
to publish him as an expelled Mason in
the printed proceedings Of the Grand
Lodge?
Anolcer. 1t was an error TO publish him
as an expelled Mason.
Question 81. If he be so enormously
published to the world as an expelled
Mason, and is injured thereby in reputa
ton and business, who is responsible
the Grand Lodge who published the pro-
ceedings, or the Grand Secretary who
makes them up, or the Master who ccrti-
fees them.
ARsuer. The committee do not consid-
er the subject matter contained in this
question as coming within the purview
Of their duties and appointment, and
therefore respectfully decline giving an
opinion.
Question. %. Would not such pub
LEGATION be libel on the brother To whom
all parties concerned would be liable for
damages ?
Ansaoer. The same answer given to the
question above is applicable 70 this.
The Committee will add, however,
that the custom is to publish the reports
Of Subordinate Lodges to the Grand
Lodge-or rather annual returns, in
which are embraced suspensions and ex-
pulsions an abstract is made from these
returns. and is published in the same
book Of the returns, which follow
the proceedings Of the Grand Lodge
/ The publication of the returns contain
nothing but facts, and the Grand Sec
rotary publishes them as they are made
out December 9th, in each year. If
the Grand Lodge reverses the action Of
a Subordinate, that information goes out
with the publication of the returns, and
shows that the expulsion has been re-
moved. If an abstract was published
from the returns, the name OF any one
who had been expelled, might with pro-
prieLy have been omitted, after the
Grand Lodge had acted on the case.
Your committee cannot conceive that