and established by this Grand Lodge. It shall be the duty of the Chairman of said Committee to report the work of the Grand Lodge at each Annual Communication, on or before the third day thereof; and the Work and Lectures so established and reported, shall be the only Work and Lectures recognized by this Grand Lodge, and every Subordinate Lodge under its jurisdiction, shall, and is hereby required to, conform to said Work and Lectures.

SEC. 2. When any vacancy shall occur in the Committee on Work, by death, removal, or otherwise, it shall be the duty of the M. W. G. Master, or in the event of his disability to act, of the R. W. D. Grand Master, forthwith to fill said vacancy.

SEC. 3. The members of the Committee on Work, provided they are members of a Subordinate Lodge, shall be members of the Grand Lodge; and on all questions, whether to be decided viva voce, or by ballot-except in appropriations of the funds of the Grand Lodgeshall have one vote and no more.

SEC. 4. The Committee on Work shall be paid their necessary expenses in coming to, remaining at, and returning from the Grand Lodge, provided they shall have complied with the requirements of this Article."

This is certainly a step in the right direction.

GRAND LODGE OF NEW JERSEY.-M. W. Joseph Trimble, G. M., offered the following valuable suggestions:

"The different Lodges receiving their instruction from one person only, are thereby rendered able to work together without creating confusion, so that a Lodge can call upon a sister Lodge for assistance, when required, without fear that in so doing they may possibly suffer from inability to act together. Much benefit has been derived from requiring a candidate to be well informed in the instruction that has been communicated to him, previous to advancement, and in many Lodges the result has been such, that the youngest members are sometimes more fully acquainted with the esoteric duties, than those who have been in the Order many years. There is also an important advantage derived from the observance of this rule-it interposes delay, and affords time for the members of a Lodge to reflect upon the influence the admission of a candidate may have upon the interests of the Order, and thus becomes serviceable as an additional guard placed at the door of the Lodge."

He concludes by considerations addressed to the intelligence and moral sense of the Brotherhood, which we cannot resist the inclination to quote entire.

"It is essentially necessary that the officers and members of all Lodges understand their esoteric duties, but at the same time the exoteric should not be neglected, otherwise we may lose the spirit of Masonry by attending altogether to the letter; and thus the Institution which is in

tended to promote and encourage the growth of all that is good within us, may degenerate into a profession without practice, either bringing forth no fruit or producing evil. I would therefore urge upon the Masters of Lodges, when time and opportunity offer, to lecture their Brethren before closing, upon some part of the duty which those who profess to be Masons owe to religion, to themselves, to the Lodge, their Brethren, and to the community. Such instruction, delivered clearly and plainly by the Master of a Lodge, will have great effect in sustaining the weak, encouraging the timid, repressing the bold, and eradicating any vice that may prevail among the members. Should the Master from any cause be unable to perform this duty, which I conceive he owes to those he is called upon to guide and govern, then I would recommend the Lodge to appoint some experienced Brother to that duty; and should the business of the Lodge be so great at its regular meetings as to make it inconvenient to spare the time required, let them appoint a special meeting for the purpose. It may be objected that the attendance at the meetings so called would be small, and therefore no good would result; but I think it will be found that these meetings, if properly conducted, the duties of the Brethren clearly laid down, and their faults and short comings plainly set forth in a spirit of brotherly kindness and charity, will be more largely attended, perhaps, than any other, and the benefit produced will amply repay the exertion.

In conclusion, Brethren, let me call your attention to the tenets we profess; do we live up to them-can any one of us after close selfexamination, declare that he has done his duty-have we encouraged the wavering reprehended the delinquent-assisted the falling, and sustained the weak, in the spirit of brotherly love? Have we relieved the poor, comforted the distressed, and sympathized with the unfortunate, and all this in the spirit of truth, without thought of taking credit to ourselves for our acts? Have we practiced temperance, not only in regard to the body but in all our words, thoughts and actions have we the fortitude not only to bear danger from an outward source, but to overcome our passions and desires when needed? Do we exercise that prudence that would prevent us from rashly disclosing our own or another's affairs to our injury, and do we possess that spirit of justice which impels us to do right towards all men, and would enable us to do unto others as we would they should do unto us? This is what Masonry requires of us. Then let us endeavor to become as

;

nearly perfect as Masons as we can, by constant efforts to cultivate in our hearts the great tenets of our profession, so that when it is said we are Masons, we may show by our lives and conduct that we are worthy of the name."

The total of membership is 2,723. M. W. Isaac Van Wagoner, of Paterson, P. D. G. M., was elected G. M.; and R. W. Joseph H. Hough, of Trenton, was re-elected Grand Secretary.

The report of the Committee on Foreign Correspondence, of which Brother Hough is Chairman, is an exceedingly able and thorough

analysis of the condition of the Fraternity throughout the country, and will still further enhance the previously high Masonic reputation of that excellent Brother.

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GRAND LODGE OF MISSISSIPPI.-The Annual Address of Grand Master Wm. P. Mellen is mainly devoted to local matters. He, however, raises objection to the somewhat kindred projects of an American Masonic Home," and a North American Masonic Congress. Elsewhere we reproduce an extract from his exordium, which is well worth perusal.

The Grand Lodge adopted the report of the Committee on the subject, with the following resolution :

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Resolved, That the further consideration of a North American Masonic Congress be indefinitely postponed."

A laudable feature in this pamphlet is a complete list of suspensions, expulsions and deaths in other jurisdictions. The total number of Master Masons reported in Mississippi, is 9,045, of which number 971 have been raised" during the year previous.

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M. W. David Mitchell, (P. D. G. M.) of Goodman, was elected Grand Master, and R. W. Ro. W. T. Daniel, of Jackson, was reelected Grand Secretary.

GRAND CHAPTER OF LOUISIANA.-The larger portion of the address of M. E. J. Q. A. Fellows, G. H. P., is taken up in recapitulating the doings of the General Grand Chapter at its last convocation. He, however, merely commends the subject to the consideration of his Grand Chapter, abstaining from any recommendation of action. The remarks of Comp. Fellows with reference to the relation of the Blue Lodge to the higher degrees connected with Freemasonry, we have considered of such general interest and importance, that they will be found elsewhere in this number.

Membership, 817; exalted within the year, 132.

M. E. Comp. A. J. Norwood, of Clinton, was elected G. H. P., and E. Comp. Samuel G. Risk was re-elected Grand Secretary.

GRAND COUNCIL OF LOUISIANA.-A membership of 229 is reported. J. H. Holland was re-elected M. P. G. M., and Samuel G. Risk, Grand Recorder.

SUPREME COUNCIL 33°, S. G. J. G., NORTHERN JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES.-The Annual Communication of this, the highest

body in the Ancient and Accepted Rite, convened at the Grand East, at the city of Boston, on Tuesday last, and was succeeded by the Annual Conclave of the Sovereign Grand Consistory 32°.

The attendance was larger than in former years, the interest manifested betrayed the rapid advancement of this rite in the united Northern States. Delegates from all parts of the North and West responded at the opening of the several bodies.

Matters of great interest to the Craft are under consideration, and while that wisdom and moderation which ever guide true Masonic deliberations shall have sway, no doubt can be entertained as to the result of this annual sitting.

Among the delegates from New York may be noticed Ill. Bros. C. T. McClenachan, Ed. Eddy, J. H. Hobart Ward, Henry C. Banks, Robert Macoy, John A. Foster, Hugh Gardner, Andres Cassard, George A. Barney, M. J. Drummond, and others; from Ohio, Ill. Bro. E. T. Carson, K. D. Van Rensalea; and from most all portions of the jurisdiction, representations appeared.

Mason and Dixon's line seems to be the dividing boundary, and while the Southern bodies have in a few years past, mainly through the exertions of Ill. Bro. Albert Pike, so rapidly increased in numbers, dignity and influence, it must be highly gratifying to all Ineffable Masons to see a laudable ambition in this part of the United States for emulation in the great work of placing in a just and proper light, the degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Rite.-N. Y. Courier.

GRAND COMMANDERY OF VERMONT.-The Order now presents for inspection and review, 185 Sir Knights.

The venerable and excellent Sir Barzillai Davenport, Grand Com., having seventy winters of age upon him, declined re-election, and Sir John S. Webster, of Winooski, was elected G. C., and Sir John B. Hollenbeck, of Burlington, Grand Recorder.

Among the number of Sir Knights enrolled, we recognize the names of many citizens distinguished in civil life, and of national reputation in Masonry.

MAINE. At the Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Maine, Bro. Josiah H. Drummond, of Waterville, was elected Gr. Master, and Bro. Ira Berry, of Portland, Gr. Secretary. In the Grand Commandery, Sir John Williams, of Bangor, was elected Gr. Commander, and Sir Ira Berry, Gr. Recorder.

The Gr. R. A. Chapter elected Comp. Moses Dodge, of Portland, G. H. P., and Comp. Ira Berry, Gr. Secretary. Bro. Cyril Pearl is Chairman of the Committee of Foreign Correspondence, both in Gr. Lodge and Gr. Chapter.

'GRAND ENCAMPMENT, MICHIGAN.-At the recent session of this Body, Sir D. B. Tracy, of Mt. Clemens, was elected G. C.; Thomas Norman, G. G.; C. Luce, G. C. G.; G. A. Strong, G. Recorder."

We find the above paragraph floating in some of our exchanges. Some error is obvious, but what it is precisely, we are not prepared to say. The constitutional period of election in this Grand Body is at the annual meeting in June.

MASONIC CONVERSATIONS.

It was a source of pleasure to us to be present at a Masonic meeting a few evenings ago, under an intelligent presiding officer. The able manner in which he discharged all the duties of his office, the attention that his manner of discharging those duties commanded from the Brethren, the earnest desire of every Brother present to hear every word that fell from his lips, the readiness with which his decisions were bowed to, and the satisfaction which they gave the Brethren, all went to convince us that our Worshipful Brother was indeed Master of his Lodge. One feature we noticed especially, and it particularly pleased us. The regular business of the Lodge was over; there was no "work," as the conferring of degrees is called, and instead of closing his Lodge as most "Masters" do under such circumstances, he said, "Brethren, we can now spend half an hour profitably in a Masonic Conversation.' Is there anything on which any Brother requires light? or has any Brother a suggestion to make, that may benefit us all as Masons? Let us have a regular family talk over Masonic matters generally." A Masonic "family talk" followed that interested all the Brethren presentwe know it interested us. There was no subtle discussion; no effort at display; no attempt at gaining a personal triumph. The eliciting of truth only, seemed to be the object of every one present. How many Masters of Lodges might follow this excellent example, and have their "Masonic Conversations "their" family talk over Masonic matters generally "with profit and satisfaction to themselves and their Brethren.-Masonic Signet and Journal.