Registration Of Masons.

REGISTRATION OF MASONS .

WITHOUT in any way altering the main principles of Freemasonry the tendency of the present age to surround everything -with routine formality is gradually making itself felt in connection

with the Masonic Order . In every sphere of life things which a generation ago were allowed to go on without restraint or hinderance—permitted , in other words , to adjust themselves—are now hedged in with

restrictions and regulations framed with a view to secure greater method and correctness , and in a great majority of cases fully serving the purpose for which they are intended ; the general desire being to leave nothing to chance or individual responsibility , but

rather to put everything in such form as to be intelligible to any one desiring information , and possessed of ordinary aptitude for the acquisition of knowledge . Freemasonry does not at first blush

appear to present many opportunities for the application of this principle of systematising , but a brief consideration will show that the idea is not wholly unknown in connection with our Order , routine

advancement to office , for instance , being now virtually the rule , as opposed to the system of promotion by merit which was more generally practised in bygone ages . There are no doubt other instances of

the kind to be adduced , and it is fair to imagine that as years go by new fields for operation will be found , with results more or less satisfactory as they meet with the approval or disapprobation of the Craft at large .

A proper system of registration of Freemasons appears to be a case in point . It has often struck us as being very strange that an organisation such as ours should have existed so long without any attempt

being made to provide a Kegister 01 Members , with the usual array of particulars to be expected in a roll of subscribers . We do not know if we are going too far , but we believe it is the fact that Grand Lodge

itself is perfectly ignorant as to the number of registered Masons on its roll . We do not mean that the authorities could not say how many sets of " dues " were received during any particular year ,

but that there is no means at present available of determining how many of those ** clues " represent dual membership , and this , we know , must be a matter of considerable moment in calculating how

many actual subscribing Freemasons there are under the _ rule of the Grand Lodge of England . Then , again , Grand Lodge keeps no record by which to ¦ its

uenmy subscribing members . ± > ro . so-and-so may have been initiated in such-and-such a Lodge , and may regularly subscribe for a number of years , hut we do not think Grand Lodge is in the position

to identify that Brother outside of his Lodge—the returns required from each Lodge at present supplying only the ** ages , addresses , titles , professions , or occupations of all newly admitted or joining

Registration Of Masons.

'Brethren , " but making no attempt at registering the addresses and other particulars of every subscribing member . We know there are many instances where brethren have kept up their membership of a Lodge wnicn

years atter they loit the neighbourhood m tney lived at the time of their initiation or joining , bub Grand Lodge does not ask for any particulars of these removals , and is not fully prepared to deal with them even if they are supplied .

Some of our Provincial Grand Lodges are seeking to remedy this , and are endeavouring to systematise their Registers to a very great extent the object being , as one of the leaders of an important

Province recently observed , to ultimately prepare a Register of M . isons in the Province , with fall particulars of their calling , addresses , & c , which would be a great use in various ways . We cannot believe Grand Lodge would long remain inactive in

such a matter if it were shown that the various Provinces took so much interest in the question as to provide Registers for their own districts ; and we must accordingly look for an extension of the system

in the smaller centres before hoping for it in the superior one . It will , in fact , be a natural growth , the outcome of private or semi-private effort , rather than the work of the rulers of the Craft ; and it will

accordingly depend on the way m which the idea is taken up and developed throughout the Provinces to decide whether or not a general Register of English Freemasons shall or shall not be started by our Grand Lodge .

Renewal Of Membership For The Purpose Of Advancement.

RENEWAL OF MEMBERSHIP FOR THE PURPOSE OF ADVANCEMENT .

A QUESTION has recently been submitted to us which raises a peculiar point in regard to Masonic law , one , indeed , for which there does not appear to be any direct provision in the Book of Constitutions , while the action of some of the

American Grand Lodges is quoted in favour of a line of procedure wholly at variance with the spirit of English Freemasonry , if not actually prohibited by its laws . The question , briefly put , is whether a Mason ,

initiated and passed in an English Lodge can , alter a lapse of between six and seven years , claim to be raised to the sublime degree in that Lodge , and if so , on what terms and conditions as regards fees and

membership dues ? The Constitutions ot the Order are somewhat vague on the point , or a least they appear to be so when we weigh the several poiuts submitted pro and con in the case under notice .

Rule 191 of the English Constitutions appears to be the only one bearing on this question , and it is to the effect that " every Lodge must receive as a member . . . . any brother initiated therein , except a serving brother , unless such brother express his wish to the