rid of the drones in order that the hive may the better work in harmony and unison. If unfortunately a good member now and then by mistake gets suspended, there is a very easy and quick way to remedy it, and no one is any the worse off. A good, stringent law does not strike terror to the minds of good men or Masons, but it does to drones and black sheep such as are found in all churches and societies, and it would be strange, indeed, if we did not have a few in the Masonic fraternity, and the sooner and easier we get rid of such the better.

Good-bye, Companion Mayo, until next year. We see our companions of Missouri know when they have a good thing, accordingly you "write" again next year.

M. E. A. M. Dockery, Gallatin, elected Grand High Priest.

R. E. Wm. H. Mayo, St. Louis, re-elected Grand Secretary.

MAINE.

At the eleventh hour, and late at that, we are in receipt of the transactions of this Grand Chapter, and have resolved to put her in the list of reviewed.

The Fifty-eighth Annual Convocation was held in the city of Portland, commencing May 1, A.D. 1883, A.I. 2413.

M. E. Joseph A. Locke, Grand High Priest.

R. E. Stephen Berry, as Grand Secretary.

For the reason of this pro tem. officer see report of our beloved Grand Secretary, Ira Berry, whom we truly hope long ere this is on "his pins once more."

Forty subordinate Chapters represented. Ten Grand High Priests present.

The Grand High Priest thus beautifully expresses himself in his opening:

It seems but as yesterday that we separated to enter upon the duties of a new year. That year has passed, and again we meet your officers to render an account of their stewardship, you to receive and act upon the same.

Our holiest devotions of piety and praise are due to our Heavenly Father for the continued blessings with which he has surrounded us,

and that so many are permitted once more to meet in this mystic place, to extend the hand of fraternal greeting and renew former friendships, to take council together and labor for the best good of our fellow man. Let us, then, with grateful hearts enter upon the duties before us, ever remembering to so walk in all the paths of life that our lives and actions may be acceptable to the Great I Am," and that the august mysteries of our Rite be not profaned or disgraced.

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Among the dispensations granted, the Grand High Priest says of one:

May 17th, I answered as follows (having first written a letter denying the request which was withheld):

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"I have been in doubt as to the propriety of granting the request. In 1874, Grand Master Cargill refused a similar request. * This decision was approved in Grand Lodge. There has not been any decision on this point in the Grand Chapter.

"I admire the fidelity of the members of the G. A. R. to the memories of our "noble dead." It is meet that we should honor their deeds, annually place the crown and chaplet upon their headstones, and scatter flowers, sweet harbingers of peace, o'er their graves.

"But this is not strictly a masonic rite. However, the Grand Lodge, at the last annual meeting, partly opened the door, by granting a similar request. Therefore, in accordance with the request of your M. E. High Priest, I hereby grant a dispensation to Hancock R. A. Chapter to join with James E. Hall Post, G. A. R., in the observance of Memorial Day."

This action was, by resolution, referred to the Committee on Jurisprudence, who asked until the next meeting of the Grand Chapter to report thereon.

He says of the continual moving of place of meeting of subordinate Chapters:

I am opposed to the frequent change of location of Masonic bodies. A Chapter should not be a body on trucks, to be carted around the County or State. A change should only be made when circumstances imperatively demand it. An applicant for the degrees should not be led to think that he is conferring a favor upon us when he sends in his application, but that a great boon is bestowed upon him when his request is granted. A change of location may create an undue desire to confer all the degrees possible—as I fear has already occurred in one instance-and thus unworthy members the more easily obtain entrance. Companions do not relax your vigilance, but carefully protect the purity and secrecy of the ballot box.

The following decisions were made during the year, and approved:

A Mason must be a member of a Lodge in order to give the Chapter jurisdiction; hence, if the Committee of Inquiry find that the applicant is not a member of a Lodge (although he supposes he was, and so represented in his application), they must report that fact to the Chapter and the application be returned without a ballot.

There is a strong feeling in the Order against the Chapter turning out in procession with their robes and Chapter clothing on. There can

be no objection against their appearing in public with simply jewels and aprons on.

Personally, am opposed to Lodges or Chapters sub-letting their halls. That which has been dedicated to Masonry, virtue and universal benevolence, ought not to be made public. The result will be pernicious.

Any hearing before a Chapter, affecting the standing of a companion, is a trial, and the notice to him should be under the seal of the Chapter.

The following, from the report of the venerable Grand Secretary, explains his absence from his accustomed place in the Grand Chapter:

I remember that years ago, M. E. Companion Burbank, in installing me remarked that having served for twenty-one years, I should be regarded as "out of my time"-come to "years of discretion "-and it was to be hoped that such errors and indiscretions as I might have been led into through inexperience would be avoided in future.

I am sorry to have profited so little by his admonition-having been so indiscrete the past winter as to expose myself to a fall, by which a leg was broken, and I rendered a cripple for some months-as yet I know not how many. Still, I am not the less sensible of his kindness, and attribute no blame whatever to him for the mishap.

The following resolution, introduced by Companion Burbank, was adopted as a standing regulation:

Resolved, That any Grand officer elected or appointed at an Annual Convocation of the Grand Chapter, and not installed, present himself for installation to one of the first four officers of the Grand Chapter, to a District Deputy Grand High Priest, or at a meeting of his Chapter, and cause a certificate of his installation to be forwarded to the Grand Secretay; and the Grand Secretary shall notify each of such Grand Officers of his election or appointment, and of this provision for his installation. The following from Companion Drummond was also adopted as a standing regulation:

Resolved, That no Royal Arch Mason shall sell, offer for sale, buy or aid in circulating any printed document or cipher, as a ritual of Royal Arch Masonry. Any one so offending shall be liable to discipline, and may be expelled.

All Royal Arch Masons are strictly enjoined to bring to the notice of their Chapter all violations of this regulation which may come to their knowledge, for the action of such Chapter.

The following resolution was unanimously adopted:

Voted, That the cordial thanks of this Grand Chapter are extended to M. E. Joseph A. Locke, our retiring Grand High Priest, for the faithful, impartial and successful manner in which he has discharged his high trust these two years past.

Companion Drummond is again the writer on correspondence, ably, and as only Drummond can do it, are the proceedings of forty-four sister Grand Chapters reviewed, and many questions of interest fully, carefully and fraternally discussed; and where he disagrees with you his way is so winning, and you know his intentions are so good, that you only smile and come again to the front to hear him "do so more." We must satisfy ourselves in a small way by commending the report to all Royal Arch Masons for careful consideration, and give his closing words:

The questions of non-affiliation and non-payment of dues have been more generally discussed than heretofore. We are obliged to admit that the tendency is toward making affiliation and payment of dues the test of Masonic standing. It is proposed to ignore "the original plan of Masonry," and compel every Royal Arch Mason to be a member of both Chapter and Lodge, or lose his Masonic character. In some jurisdictions, and we belive in our own, the old law will be maintained, and in a short time this fury in favor of modern methods and ideas will have wasted itself, and Masonry, as it came to us from the fathers, wil[ be revived.

We have heretofore called attention to the fact that in Maine and those jurisdictions in which the milder system prevails, the delinquencies are less numerous than in other jurisdictions; this fact, however, has been denied, and in proof of the denial, the party cites the fact that in Maine in the year ending March 31, 1882, the suspensions from membership were forty for each thousand of the total membership. The unfairness of taking a single year is apparent; but when it is known that in every pamphlet (proceedings of 1882) the statistics for the ten preceding years were given, showing an average of 8 in each

thousand, the unfairness of the test and the weakness of the denial are much more apparent.

In the history of a Pennsylvania Lodge recently published, we find that twenty per cent. of all who were ever members were suspended for non-payment of dues; and only a little over one per cent. of those suspended were ever re-instated, and one-third of the re-instated were again suspended!

We believe that the severe policy in relation to payment of dues is not the wisest. Men, and especially Masons, are more readily moved by appeals to their sense of honor than by appeals to force. "Pay your dues, or be suspended," is not exactly according to the teachings of Masonry. But the fever must be allowed to run; in time it will turn, and the patient recover health.

Hear what he says of Companion Wm. B. Langridge, whom we all loved so well:

"The shadow of a great grief" falls upon us as we are writing the last pages of our report. An envelope bordered with black comes to us, and as with trembling hands we take out the circular, also bordered with black, ere it is half opened we read, "William B. Langridge is dead." We had not heard of his illness, and the shock was severe. It seemed only a few days since we had had from him a postal card, written in his usual strong plain style.

Companion Langridge, as Grand Secretary and writer of reports on correspondence, had deservedly acquired a national reputation.

As a writer, he spoke plainly and earnestly; his style was clear, terse and simple; he had a large knowledge of Masonic law, and high appreciation of Masonic principles.

As he loved Masonry, he could not endure to see Masons tarnish the fair fame of the institution by conduct in disregard of their duties.

Knowing that he dealt heavy blows in debate, and could wield the weapon of ridicule most effectively, we were surprised to find him exceedingly sensitive, especially in regard to his State and its Grand Bodies. But he was sensitive for others as well as for himself; we once received a long letter from him in which he quite earnestly discussed some questions upon which we were at issue; it was not a letter to be answered at once or without research, and as we were quite busy the answer was somewhat delayed, and before we did send it, we received another letter from him requesting a return of the former one, in order that he might discover how he had unwittingly offended us.

In his death, Masonry has sustained a severe loss. He was unselfish in his devotion to it; quick to discover an attack upon it and ready to defend it.