56. Q.-Are the Festivals of the Saints John regular communications? A. They are. See "Old Regulations," No. XXIII. Sec. 1, Art. V, of the Constitution of our Grand Lodge, recognizes them as such by necessary implication from the language employed. 57. Q.-May the ballot pass on the petition of candidates, upon the communications of the Sts. John's days? A.-It may, provided the petition has been referred at the previous regular communication, if that was not within ten days. This is why Sec. 1 of Art. V, Grand Constitution, provides that "no candidate shall be balloted for in less than ten days after his petition shall have been referred." Two regular communications of a Lodge might occur in each of the months, June and December, within ten days of each other, and so of the ensuing months, July and January. The same rule is applicable. 58. Q-Are the Festivals of the Sts. John regarded as regular, universally? A.-Throughout Christendom-and recognized by our Grand Lodge in the fact that our Lodges are dedicated to them; not because the Sts. John were Christians, but because they were by tradition 'eminent patrons of Freemasonry." 59. Q.-"What shall we do with that class of Masons who are able, but will not pay their dues?" A. By consulting the transactions of the Grand Lodge, January, 1859, page 55, you will see that this is a matter subject to the bylaws of each Lodge. If the by-laws do not provide for this contingency, charges of u. m. c. should be preferred against the Brothers so offending, and such discipline enforced as the case may require. This latter is by far the preferable course, and most Masonic. Mere nonpayment of dues ought not to subject to suspension or expulsion, unless that is shown to be due to unmasonic motives. Infraction of any rule or by-law ought not to carry any penalty with it until due trial, proof, extenuating circumstances, &c., be fully set forth. acting under the Constitution and by-laws, which penalties. It is the Lodge, alone can inflict THE OLD SONG. [Selected.] Oh, the old Song! the old Song! how it throbs upon my brain, Throbs the Song upon my brain, With a memory which is pleasure, and a feeling which is pain ! Oh, the old Song! the old Song! from a mother's lips it fell- In the dimly-lighted chamber of the mossy-gabled Grange, And again, and yet again, Throbs the Song upon my brain, With a memory which is pleasure, and a feeling which is pain! Oh, the old Song! the old Song! upon a summer noon, When green leaves whisper'd to the winds the love vows of sweet June- And again, and yet again, Throbs the Song upon my brain, With a memory which is pleasure, and a feeling which is pain! Oh, the old Song! the old Song! I see the shifting light Glance from the pearls which star the curls of many a maiden bright; And the dancers all are merry, till a voice most soft and clear, Rises upon the sudden hush, and gladdens every ear! Then vanish soon the dancers-and lights, and gems, and flowers- As again, and yet again, Throbs the Song upon my brain, With a memory which is pleasure, and a feeling which is pain. Oh, the old Song! the old Song! none other, well I know, Throbs the Song upon my brain, With a memory which is pleasure, and a feeling which is pain! GRAND LODGE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. WE take from the Mirror and Keystone the following account: The Annual Communication was held in November last. Sixtyeight Subordinate Lodges were represented. This Grand Lodge commences its Annual Communication at high twelve, meridian. The names of sundry Past Masters of their respective Lodges are published under the following, The following Past Masters were, on their application, duly elected members of the Grand Lodge.' This appears to show a different form of organization from any other Grand Lodge that we remember. 'It was, on motion, Resolved, That the Grand Master be requested to read any address that he may desire to make to this Grand Lodge at half-past 7 o'clock this evening.' The Grand Master, M. W. Henry Buist, in the evening, delivered his Annual Address, which is a valuable and sensibly written document. "Dispensations were granted for ten new Lodges, one of which is at St. Jago, Island of Cuba. On the subject of the latter dispensation, the M. W. G. Master remarks: Two Lodges had been previously established on that Island, and are now in existence; and it was the object of the petitioners, at whose instance the dispensation was granted, to obtain a charter for the purpose of uniting in the establishment of a Grand Lodge, to be known as the Grand Orient of Cuba. All that now remains to be done to accomplish this, is the confirmation by this Body, of the dispensation granted, and the grant of a charter. If it were necessary to justify the course I have taken in this matter, it need only be said that the Island of Cuba is unoccupied as an exclusive Masonic Jurisdiction, and therefore, open to the action of any Grand Lodge in the world. This proposition I deem indisputable, and it is unquestionably of great consequence, that Masonry, as an Institution, should be re-established on that island, on a positive, substantial basis, as it is calculated to be productive of great and good results.' A charter was granted to this Lodge, and to eight of those to whom dispensations were granted; the dispensation of the other was continued over one year longer. "The Grand Master informs the Grand Lodge that, 'In the month of March last, Colonel Charles Augustus May, a well known and distinguished officer of the Army of the United States, being on a visit to this city, and having expressed an ardent desire to be initiated into Masonry, which he had heretofore been prevented from doing, in con sequence of the cosmopolitan character of his profession, I exercised the prerogative vested in me by the Landmarks-and the existence and legitimacy of which has been repeatedly recognized by this Grand Lodge,―of summoning an Occasional Lodge, and making him a Mason by sight. The funds accruing from this initiation were, by my direction, presented to Mrs. the widow of a Master Mason, who was in destitute circumstances, and had, on former occasions, received relief from the fraternity of this city.' "The Grand Master suspended the Master of a Lodge from office because of habits of habitual intemperance. The address of the Grand Master abounds with valuable information and suggestions, and we will take pleasure in making extracts therefrom in our future issues. "The Grand Secretary read his Annual Report, which is a compend of a review of Masonry in other jurisdictions. Bro. Mackey's ability as a Masonic Writer and Jurist, is amply sustained by this report. He agrees with Bro. Hillyer, of Mississippi, that when a Mason is expelled by his Lodge, and the Grand Lodge is satisfied that the expulsion was unjustly inflicted, and the party was not guilty of the crime alleged against him, the Grand Lodge possesses the power not only to restore him to the rights and privileges of Masonry, but also to membership in his Lodge. That power of the Grand Lodge, as a court of last resort, ought never to have been disputed. Bro. Mackey disagrees with Bro. Wiley, of Alabama, in regard to the voluntary character of the institution,' on which subject we agree with the M. W. Bro. of Alabama. On the subject of that important question brought before the Grand Lodge of Alabama, where the Master of a Lodge had granted a new trial in a case in which the members of the Lodge refused, by their votes, to inflict punishment adequate to the offence, Bro. Mackey justly remarks: If a member, having been accused of a heinous offence, and tried, shall, on his trial, for want of sufficient evidence, be acquitted, or being convicted, shall, for the same reason, be punished by an inadequate penalty-and if he shall thus be permitted to remain in the Institution with the stigma of the crime upon him, whereby the craft comes to shame;' then, if new and more sufficient evidence shall be subsequently discovered, it is just and right that a new trial shall be had, so that he may, on this newer evidence, receive that punishment which will vindicate the reputation of the Order. No technicalities of law, no plea of autrefois acquit, no mere verbal exception, should be allowed for the escape of a guilty member; for so long as he lives in the Order, every 6 man is subject to its discipline. A hundred wrongful acquittals of a bad member, who still bears with him the reproach of his evil life, can never discharge the Order from its paramount duty of protecting its own good fame, and removing the delinquent members from its fold. To this great duty all private and individual rights and privileges must succumb, for the well-being of the Order is the first great law in Masonry.' "Bro. Mackey also agrees with Bro. Barber, Grand Master of Arkansas, who asserts, that although no political opinions can be pronounced a legal disqualification,' yet he claims the right to blackball any candidate for this very cause, if he has reason to believe that his political opinions are of such a nature that his admission would not promote the good order and well-being of the Fraternity.' "Bro. Mackey takes the view that each degree ought to be balloted for separately, and asserts that the theory of one ballot for all the degrees is radically wrong.' In regard to the opinion held by some, that a worthy, moral man has some sort of implied right to initiation, and to blackball such a man is a Masonic offence, Bro. Mackey argues that no such right exists. Bro. Mackey is in favor of the North American Masonic Congress, and in relation to the Articles adopted at Chicago, he says: The Congress, as now formed, will not in the slightest degree infringe upon the independence or supremacy of the State Grand Lodges. It will assume no power of positive legislation; it will make no laws for the government of the Craft; it will neither suspend, expel, nor otherwise punish Masonic offenders; it will assert no jurisdiction over Grand or Subordinate Lodges, &c.' We believe that the unbiased portion of the Fraternity will see in the 7th and 8th Articles of Association, the intention at least to assume all that Bro. Mackay says it will not, and the portion we have printed in italics was altogether unnecessary, for we assume that no Grand Lodge would, under any circumstances, suffer its rights and independency to be invaded by the exercise of such powers. 66 'Bro. F. F. Gary, Secretary of the Cokesbury Masonic Female College, presented a highly encouraging report of that institution. It at present numbers 125 pupils. The Institution is only in the fourth year of its existence, yet it has accomplished much in the cause of education. We wish it God speed in its efforts to advance the intellectual culture of the future mothers of the rising generation. "The Grand Lodge is engaged in reviewing its constitution. The Grand Lodge adopted the recommendation of a committee, to whom |