In Companion Dadmun's pilgrimage he halts awhile on our own Peninsular State, and fraternally goes over our doings. Everything he says of us is done in that gentle, brotherly way, that makes us all love our noble companion, and makes his name a synonym of good when mentioned by the corps reportorial. Long may he be spared for his good work.

He, like ourselves, has been made to feel deeply the heavylaid hand of the Heavenly Father. We mingle our bitter tears with you, good Companion Dadmun, and fervently commend you to Him who doth not willingly "afflict or grieve the children of men." After quoting our sorrowing words, referring to the loss of her who was so loved, he says:

Brother Innes, we know how to sympathize with you, for we, too, have felt the chastening rod; but, thanks to our Heavenly Father, we both know the loving hand that holds it. A few years ago a noble ship encountered a tremendous storm. The wife of the captain was so terribly frightened that she walked to and fro, wringing her hands in fear that all would be lost. The captain drew his sword, and pointing it at her breast, said, "Do you fear that?" With a placid smile, she answered, "No! for I know the loving hand that holds it." Said he, "Neither do I fear the storm, for I know the loving hand that holds it." The storm passed, and all were safe.

Of course Companion Dadmun was reappointed Committee on Foreign Correspondence. Purely a civil service reform, the best man for the place.

M. E. Albert C. Smith, Boston, re-elected Grand High Priest.

R. E. Zeph. H. Thomas, Cambridge, re-elected Grand Secretary.

MINNESOTA.

The Twenty-first Annual Convocation was held in the city of St. Paul, commencing October 10, A.D. 1882, A.I. 2412.

M. E. O. G. Miller, Grand High Priest.
R. E. A. T. C. Pierson, Grand Secretary.

Twenty-four subordinate Chapters represented. Three Past Grand High Priests present.

The Grand High Priest delivered the usual address, and in opening says:

To this, the Twenty-first Grand Annual Convocation of Royal Arch Masons, I greet you as brethren and companions beloved, who have here assembled to exchange fraternal greetings, to deliberate and consult for the good of Royal Arch Masonry, and to review the labors of the past Another year has past away, and with it all its joys and sorrows, and our thanks are due to the Great I Am, who has with so bounteous a hand blessed us. I welcome you, companions, as the representatives of three thousand Royal Arch Masons of the G. Jurisdiction of Minnesota, who here meet upon a common level, representing all professions, from every station in life, and who are bound together with that indissoluble chain of friendship and brotherly love, which can only be severed by the hand of death alone. Let each of us be actuated, by the purest of principles, to so legislate for the good of our noble Order, that when our work shall be completed and presented for inspection, it may pass the Master Overseer's Square, and upon our return to our constituents receive the hearty welcome-" well done thou good and faithful servant."

The following decisions were made by the Grand High Priest and referred to the Committee on Jurisprudence, who reported them in accord with Masonic law and usage in that jurisdiction, except decision No. 6, upon which they made no report:

1. A ballot was had, the candidate declared duly elected to receive the degrees. After which, a companion asks that a new ballot be had, on the ground that there was not a negative in the ballot box, but upon examination there was found to be one, and only one in the box, the remainder having been misplaced, and their absence not discovered until the ballot was being taken and the fact not spoken of until after the ballot was declared. Can another ballot be had

Ballot void, and consequently insufficiency of ballots, another ballot must be taken.

2. A brother Master Mason was elected in a chapter U. D., but has not come forward to take the degrees; in the meantime a charter has been granted. Can we confer the degrees without further ballot, more than a year having elapsed since he was elected while under dispensation ?

In the absence of a constitutional provision governing the same, it rests entirely with the companions. If there is no objection to his re

ceiving the degrees you can confer the same upon him, and in case of an objection his application should again be submitted to the ballot.

3. Can a brother Master Mason in good and regular standing, be admitted and receive the degrees conferred in a Chapter of R. A. M., who has lost the most of his left hand, all the fingers and about half of the palm gone, only thumb and part of palm of the hand remains?

The mutilation is of such a character that he could not do the work required of him.

4. If a brother applying to a Chapter is rejected, how long before he can again make application?

In the absence of a constitutional provision upon the subject, it rests entirely with the subordinate Chapters; in other words they should incorporate the time that should elapse, before re-application, in their by-laws.

5. Is the loss of a leg (he now using an artificial one) such a maiming as to disqualify him for advancement, he not being so far maimed but that he could receive and impart all the instruction necessary in Speculative Masonry?

I regard the old law relative to the physical qualifications as applicable only to those applying to be made Masons. The brother is eligible.

6. Albert Chapter, No. 31, received the petition of two brothers for the degrees, who were made Masons in the lodge located at Sleepy Eye, and were duly elected; they are railroad conductors running trains between that place and Waseca; their families are boarding at Waseca and were at the time, but had previously boarded at Sleepy Eye, and they had voted here; in their petitions they claim their residence at Sleepy Eye, and considered that they had the right to claim their residence at either end of the route. Now, Waseca Chapter, No. 26, demands the fees received for the degrees, claiming their residence at Waseca. Which Chapter is entitled to the fee ?

I do not understand how you can go behind the petition of the brethren named; if it is an open question, then the parties in interest must decide, If they claim residence at Sleepy Eye, that settles the disputed point. I see no reason for pursuing a contrary course to that indicated by Grand Master Wells in a similar case, at the same locality, that the lodge at Waseca "was neither entitled to the membership or the fees." 7. What is the Masonic jurisdiction of a subordinate Chapter ?

In the absence of any regulation of the Grand Chapter governing the jurisdiction of subordinate Chapters, will say the jurisdiction of a subordinate chapter should extend in every direction half way between it and the nearest Chapter.

8. Can a petition for the degrees be received from a brother residing in Dakota Territory, by a Chapter in this jurisdiction, there being no G. C. in Dakota?

The petition can be received, as there is to my knowledge, no Grand Chapter in Dakota.

9. Can a dispensation be issued for a Chapter to receive and act upon petitions for the degrees the same evening presented, the parties being well known?

No power vested in the G. H. P. to issue a dispensation to create or set aside any regulation governing a subordinate chapter, except in special cases named in the Constitution. In the absence of any by law upon the subject, it rests entirely with the companions.

10. During the month of May, 1882, a brother received the degrees of Mark Master and Past Master, soon after he met with an accident which resulted in a total loss of his sight, he now wishes to receive the M. E. and R. A. degrees. Is he entitled to receive them, no other objection existing ?

The brother cannot be advanced.

On further motion, No. 6 was referred to the Committee on Appeals and No. 9 recommitted. We fail to find any action by either committee on the subject matters referred to them.

The Grand High Priest takes no stock in certain works being promulgated throughout his jurisdiction, and says:

There is a work being promulgated among Chapter Masons, the title of which I do not now recall, purporting to be the official ritual of Capitular Masonry, as furnished by the Committee on Ritual, of the G. G. C., and understand some of the Chapters in this jurisdiction are making use of it. If such a ritual has been adopted by the G. G. C. the G. H. P. of this jurisdiction has never received an official notice to that effect nor a copy thereof. I would therefore suggest that the work in this jurisdiction be confined to the ritual used from the organization of the G. C. in 1860, until such official notice of change shall be received. He concludes his reference to the death of Companion Farmer Bower as follows:

"To know him was but to love him."

"Of cultivated tastes and scholarly habits, he not only devoted his means lavishly to the accumulation of a masonic library for himself, but was the chief founder of the library of the city, and liberally devoted to its interests, his time and money. Genial, generous, honorable, hospitable, always faithful and true, he died regretted by all who knew him, and his death was deplored as a public misfortune."

The kind and fraternal report on Foreign Correspondence

comes to us again this year from the pen of Companion Pierson, who so well knows how to perform that labor.

Thirty-four sister Grand Jurisdictions are reviewed, Michigan for 1882 among the number. We very much regret that, owing to the proximity of time of meeting of our Grand Chapter and that of our sister Minnesota, we have to be a year behind in this review, but Pierson's reviews are good at any age. For kindly words said of our report, we make a very low bow.

We give Companion Pierson's closing remarks, and regret that we will not meet him in Denver, once more take him by the hand, whisper sweet words of love into his ear, and talk over the many changes of the relentless past. But we must call a halt, and give his say:

We think we hold the age; our first report was written in 1863, in it we gave a brief history of the organization of the General Grand Chapter, and of each Grand Chapter then in existence; object, for the information of the craft in Minnesota, very few of whom had access to the sources of such information.

In all the subsequent years we have kept that object steadily in view, our selection for extracts have been for the practical suggestions made. Peace and harmony prevail in each of the jurisdictions from which proceedings has been received, and prosperity in most.

The transactions have been confined to the usual routine, relating to home matters, hence little has been found upon which to report.

The reports on Foreign Correspondence are written by companions of masonic experience, who enunciate opinions only after due consideration, but it cannot be expected that each should arrive at the same conclusions.

We have copied freely from these reports, believing that they have and should have more weight, than resolutions adopted by a Grand Body on the spur of the moment.

In all these years we have no memory of an unkind expression, on the contrary there have been many flattering commendations, none the less appreciated because not incorporated in our reports-for all which we can only say, "thanks."

We hope to attend the triennial at Denver. We attended a meeting of the General Grand Chapter for the first time at Lexington in 1853, at the triennial at Detroit, in 1880, none were present that we met in 1853, and only three of those who attended the meeting of 1856,—and two of those have gone home.