Evening star., 1901-10-21

sonic powers were entirely friendly, and
described at length the visitations he had
made. Aaron Baldwin was appointed grand
tiler, temporarily, to fill vacancy KEEP
resentatives to foreign councils were also
appointed.
An important feature of the allocution
was as follows:
1.-THE deputy inspector general for the
District of Columbia asked if a brother
who held membership in the bodies of a
foreign Jurisdiction can, without severing
his connection with said jurisdiction, be
admitted as a member of a body of this
jurisdiction. 1 answered that he could not.
He further asked if this brother, while he
held membership in foreign Jurisdiction,
had been admitted into body of this juris-
diction and had subsequently dimitted, and
should present this dimit and again ask ad-
mission into a body of this Jurisdiction.
could he be received. / answered no; that
the facts mentioned would make mate
rial difference; that if the applicant is a
member of bodies in a foreign jurisdiction
he cannot be admitted into body in ours un-
til he renounces his allegiance to such for
eign jurisdiction. A citizen of Great Brit
ain or France or other foreign government
may become citizen Of the United States.
But before doing SO he must renounce his
allegiance to the foreign government, and
swear allegiance to our own. similar
rule should apply in Masonry
Vacancies in the Council.
Regarding vacancies, the acting grand
commander said:
''The complete number of members of our
supreme council is thirty-three. We have
been reduced until we have only twenty
three members-just a little more than two
thirds of the full number. l am decidedly
of the opinion that we should fill several of
these vacant places. and I respectfully
make the recommendation to this effect.
There Is no reason, In my judgment, why
we should not have thirty members. 1
would not fill all the places, for reasons
not necessary to mention here. but to leave
three vacancies should be sufficient. The
vacancies always increase In number be-
tween our sessions.
1--WE have no inspector general in the fol-
lowing states:. Kansas, Montana, Utah,
Idaho, Arkansas, Mississippi South Caro-
lina Florida, Maryland and none in the
District of Columbia or any of the terrific
ries excepting Oklahoma. Since the estab-
lishment of the supreme council there have
been crowned in all, 112 active members.
Of this number eighty-four have crossed
over to the side of the great majority.
There are five of this number on the emeri-
tus list and the remaining twenty-three are
the members at this time Of the supreme
council.
JurisdictiOn In Porto Rico.
Mr.. Richardson said the conditions in
Porto Rico had not changed since the last
session.
"I have endeavored," he said, ''to ac-
quaint myself with all the Masonic affairs
in that island so far as l could by corre-
spondence, but have been unable to get
satisfactory information. My letters to
two or three brethren there remain unan-
swered. The assurance has been given me
that at the session of the Supreme Council
of Colon, to occur during the present
| month"; action would be taken by that body
| formally withdrawing its authority over the
subordinate bodies in Porto Rico. This
action is not absolutely necessary. as the
| acquisition of. the island by the United
States itself terminated their authority
there Masonically, as it did politically.
..The Jurisdiction of our Supreme Council
| over the island is not disputed anywhere
| SO far as / know, and active steps should
| be taken by US to bring the bodies of the
! Rite and ali Scottish Rite Masons there into
working harmony with U.S..
Growth of the Order.
| Referring to the condition of the body the
| grand commander said:
| There was never time in the history Of
| the Supreme Council when the rite wa:
| more prosperous and buoyant with hops
than it is today. The returns from th'