assist him, or act as his deputy, on the occasion. In case the new grand master, when nominated or chosen, cannot attend at the time appointed for his instalment, he may be installed by proxy, on signifying his acceptance of the office; but such proxy must be either the last or a former grand master, or else a very reputable past master. OF THE ELECTION OR APPOINTMENT OF THE DEPUTY GRAND MASTER. The last grand master thus continued, or a new grand master thus appointed and installed, has an inherent right to nominate and appoint the deputy grand master; because, as the grand master cannot be supposed to be able to give his attendance on every emergency, it has been always judged necessary, not only to allow him a deputy, but that such deputy should be a person in whom he can perfectly confide, and with whom he can have full harmony. of the granD WARDENS. The grand lodge has the right of electing the grand wardens, and any member has a right to propose one or both the candidates, either the old wardens, or new ones; and the two persons who have the majority of votes or ballots, are declared duly elected. OF THE GRAND SECRETARY. The office of grand secretary has become of very great importance in the grand lodge. All the transactions of the lodge are to be drawn into form, and duly recorded by him. All petitions, applications, and appeals, are to pass through his hands. No warrant, certificate, or instrument of writing from the grand lodge, is authentic, without his attestation and signature, and his affixing the grand seal as the laws require. The general correspondence with lodges and brethren over the whole world, is to be managed by him, agreeably to the voice of the grand lodge, and directions of the grand master or his deputy, whom he must, therefore, be always ready to attend, with the books of the lodge, in order to give all necessary information, concerning the general state of matters, and what is proper to be done upon any emergency. For these reasons, at every annual election or appointment of grand officers, the nomination or appointment of the grand secretary has been considered as the right of the grand master, being properly his amanuensis, and an officer as necessary to him as his deputy. But in general, grand masters, not being tenacious of prerogative, have relinquished this privilege; and the grand secretary is chosen by the nomination and vote of the grand lodge. The grand secretary, by virtue of his office, is a member of the grand lodge, and may sit and vote accordingly. The grand secretary may appoint an assistant, but he will not be considered a member, nor admitted to vote. OF THE ELECTION AND OFFICE OF GRAND TREASURER. The grand treasurer is elected by the body of the grand lodge, in the same manner as the grand wardens; he being considered as an officer peculiarly responsible to all the members in due form assembled, as having the charge of their common stock and property. To him is committed the care of all money raised for the general charity, and other uses of the grand lodge; an account of which he is regularly to enter in a book, with the respective uses for which the several sums are intended. He is likewise to pay out, or expend the same upon such orders, signed, as the rules of the grand lodge in this respect shall allow to be valid. The grand treasurer, by virtue of his office, is a member of the grand lodge, and has a right to appoint an assistant, or clerk, who must be a niaster Mason, but not considered a mem ber of the grand lodge. He or his OF THE GRAND TYLER, AND GRAND These officers of the grand lodge must be master Masons, but none of them are members of the grand lodge. The tyler's duty is to attend at the door, to see that none but members enter into the lodge. The business of the pursuivant is to stand at the inward door of the grand lodge, and to report the names and titles of all that want admittance, as given to him by the tyler. He is also to go upon messages, and perform other services known only in the lodge. OF THE GRAND DEACONS. The grand deacons, whose duty is well known in the grand lodge, as particular assistants to the grand master and senior warden, in conducting the business of the lodge, are always members of the same; and may be either nominated occasionally on every lodge night, or appointed annually. GENERAL RULES FOR CONDUCTING THE BUSINESS OF THE GRAND LODGE, IN In the absence of the grand master, his deputy supplies his place, in the absence of both, the senior, and in case of his absence also, the junior warden takes the chair. All grand officers, present and past, take place of every master of a lodge, and the present grand officers take place of all past grand officers. Nevertheless, any of them may resign their privilege, to do honour to any eminent brother and past master, whom the lodge may be willing to place in the chair on any particular occasion. If the grand officers are not present, the master of the senior private lodge who may be present, is to take the chair, although there may be masters of lodges present, who are older Ma sons. But to prevent disputes, the grand master, when he finds he must be necessarily absent from any grand lodge, usually gives a special commission, under his hand and seal of office, countersigned by the grand secretary, to the senior grand warden, or in his absence to the junior, or in case of the absence of both, to any other grand officer or particular master of a lodge, past or present, to supply his place, if the deputy grand master be necessarily absent. But if there be no special commission, the general rule of precedence is, that the junior grand warden supplies the place of the senior in his absence; and if both are absent, the oldest former grand wardens take place immediately, and act as grand wardens, pro tempore, unless they resign their privilege. When neither the grand wardens of the present, nor of any former year, are in company, the grand master, or he that legally presides in his stead, calls forth whom he pleases to act as deputy grand master and grand wardens, although the preference is generally given to the master or past master of the oldest lodge present. The presiding grand officer has the further privilege of appointing a secretary, or any other grand officer, if neither the stated officers, nor the deputies of such of them as have a right to nominate a deputy, be present. In case of the death of a grand master, the same order of succession and precedency takes place, as is above set forth, until a new grand master is duly chosen and installed. Öld grand officers may be again chosen officers of private lodges, and this does not deprive them of any of the privileges to which, as old grand officers, they are entitled in the grand lodge; only, an old grand officer, being the officer of a private lodge, must depute a past officer of his particular lodge to act for him in the grand lodge, when he ascends to his former rank in the same. OF GRAND VISITATIONS, COMMUNICATIONS, ANNUAL FEASTS, &c. The grand master with his deputy, the grand wardens, and grand secretary, shall, if possible, annually, go at least once round, and visit all the lodges under his jurisdiction; or, when this laudable duty becomes impracticable, from the extent of his jurisdiction, and large number of lodges, he shall, as often as necessary, and if possible annually, appoint visiters, of different districts, composed of his grand officers, and such other assistants as he may think proper, who shall make faithful report of their proceedings to the grand lodge, according to the instructions given them. When both the grand masters are absent, the senior or junior grand warden may preside as deputy in visiting lodges, or in constituting any new lodge. The brethren of all the regular lodges, in the same general jurisdiction, and grand communication, shall meet in some convenient place on St. John's day, to celebrate their festival; either in their own, or any other regular lodge, as they shall judge most convenient. And any brethren, who are found true and faithful members of the ancient craft, may be admitted. But aly those who are members of the grand lodge must be present during the installation of grand officers. The ceremonies, charges, prayers, &c. are hereafter to be given, under their proper heads. The preceding compendium is general, embracing the rules and regulations of lodges throughout the world. We design, in *cceeding numbers, as we may have room, to publish from time to time, any such rules and regulations of different grand lodges, may be communicated to us for that purpose, together with regular lists of suborInate lodges under their several jurisdicG tions, the times of their regular communications, and the names of their officers. To this end, we respectfully solicit our brethren, the secretaries of all the grand lodges in the United States, and the British and Spanish dominions in America, to furnish us with such documents relative to their respective lodges, as are suitable to be committed to writing, and would be for the general information and interest of the fraternity, to record in the Register. FOR THE MASONIC REGISTER. Delivered at St. John's Hall, NewYork, before COLUMBIAN ENCAMPMENT, at their quarterly communication, on the 26th of August, 5819, by SIR GEORGE HOWARD, illustrious grand prelate. SIR GEORGE, New-York, Aug. 27, 5819. Pursuant to a resolution of Columbian Encampment, the undersigned beg leave to tender the thanks of that body, for the very eloquent and appropriate address delivered by you on the 26th inst. and to request a copy for publication. In making this request, the committee take the present opportunity to assure you, that they feel both pride and pleasure, in the performance of that duty; at the same time expressing their entire satisfaction of your exertions on that occasion. Accept, Sir, The assurance of our high regard, JOEL JONES, GARRET MORGAN, Committee. Sir George Howard, Illustrious Grand Prelate. SIR KNIGHTS, New-York, Aug. 27, 5819. You request from me a copy of my address at the Quarterly Communication of Columbian Encampment. Your wishes shall be gratified, although I feel a delicacy in laying before the public a subject which I had so little time to arrange. Such as it is, I present it to you, and with it my thanks for the kind expressions contained in your letter. Accept for yourselves, and the body you represent, the assurances of respect and esteem of your Companion And very humble servant, GEORGE HOWARD. ' Committee from Columbian Encamp ment. BRETHREN, ORATION. As pilgrims from the East are you assembled, companions in fellowship and brotherly love, convened to consummate the social relations which bind you together as Masons; you form an interesting group. While my feeble powers are exerted on the present occasion, I am forced to claim your kind indulgence; that if aught shall escape my lips which shall create disgust, or fail to please, let the benignant hand of Charity cover with her mantle my imperfections, and eternal silence consign them to the tomb. For the consideration of an ignorant and uninterested world, I have nothing to offer; I leave their opinions Aoating upon the billows of uncertainty and doubt. 'Tis to you, who have emerged from the shades of ignorance, who have passed from chaos and confusion, to light, and symmetry, and order; who have been raised from the tomb of mental blindness, and brought to view the beauties of the order in their native lustre; to you only would I address myself on this occasion. Brethren, the fields of Masonry and Christianity are too extensive for our feeble vision; the strongest mind cannot fathom their depths; the eye cannot search their length and breadth, and the combined powers of human nature become exhausted in tracing the variegated beauties of the one, and the inestimable riches of the other. of infidelity rolls harmless, and the Your attention is claimed to a re- Unhappily, in a moment of forgetfulness, he forfeited the favour of Heaven. The angelic partner, created from his own body, and placed with him in the enchanting recesses of Paradise, alas!-fell a victim to the subtlety of a sinful appetite, and gor Astonishment, love, and admiration, seal the faculties; and the man whose ardent spirit excites him to dwell upon a subject so highly interesting; a theme so heavenly sweet, is drawn in-ged with a delicious repast on the sensibly from the uninteresting scenes of this world, and with an ecstacy unknown and unfelt but by kindred spirits, his tongue breaks out in rhapsodies of bliss! Hail, thou sacred and eternal rock on which the storms of worldly troubles beat in vain; thou sure foundation, against which the sirocco forbidden fruit! The self-condemned criminals awaited in trembling anxiety the anathema of an insulted Creator. The judgment came; it descended upon them like a torrent of fire; yet, that tender mercy, which ever shines conspicuous in the character of Deity, saved the wretched victims from dissolu tion. The Grand Architect did not utterly reject him from the building; he was spared, and with him remained the elements of our order. Through the endowments of memory, Adam was enabled to teach a numerous progeny the sciences he had comprehended in the blissful bowers of Eden, and the knowledge he had gained of Nature, and her God. As the inhabitants increased throughout the earth, those lessons of truth fell into confusion and corruption, and were retained in their native lustre but by few. But thanks to the virtues of that few, they survived the apathy of the ignorant, and the universal language escaped uncorrupted, one of the greatest judgments and most horrid catastrophes nature ever witnessed. Nor shall the names of Jared, and Mahaleel, of Enoch, and Tubal-Cain, be erased from the records of Masonic fame, until the remembrance of the universal deluge, which wrapt in wretchedness and death the human family, shall sink in oblivion, and chaos come again. From our grand master Noah, his deputy, and two wardens, we are once more to date the revival of our order. The space of one hundred years elapsed, and a numerous progeny had been initiated as brethren of the craft, when the obstinate superstitions of mankind, again brought upon them the frowns of an angry Deity. But from the ruins of Babel, from the confusion of Shinar's spacious plain, Freemasonry extended itself to every corner of the globe. Through hands which were strengthened by the Lord of Hosts, it waxed powerful and great, until another period was matured by the birth of Solomon, and the completion of the temple. It is with peculiar sensations of deEight, we survey the many interesting events of this period, for on them are founded almost all the landmarks of modern Masonry. A temple was to be built to the Grand Architect of Universal Nature, it was to be dedicated to the worship of the great I AM, and sanctified by the presence of Jehovah. Who was competent to the task? What mind should conceive the plan? What hands perform the work? Solomon was endowed with wisdom from on high to designate the plan; he called the craft together, and the temple of our God, was began and finished, solely by Masonic hands. It is a pleasing thing to mention, that although corruption, perjury, and treason, assailed our ancient brethren, their authors were discovered by the unerr. ing eye of justice, and doomed to suffer penalties tantamount to their crimes. The destruction of this celebrated building, and the captivity of the Jews by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, closes the third and interesting period. The light once more dawns in splendour, from the eastern hills, and Cyrus, king of Persia, sounds the welcome notes of freedom, to the wretched slaves of Babylon. The fourth, the joyful era commences, when Zerubbabel, the chosen of the Lord, once more lays the foundations of the house. He reared its walls; he established its pillars, and brought forth the head stone thereof, amidst the exulting shouts of the faithful of the craft, crying grace, grace, unto it. It was promised that the glory of this latter, should exceed the glory of the former house. It did; it was more extensive, costly, and magnificent; and, my brethren, it was hallowed by the presence of JESUS THE REDEEMER. The countenance of the world's Saviour shed its benignant rays throughout its expansive arches, and beamed bright in all its avenues. First, a temple enlightened by the Father's glory, next, the hallowed sanctuary of the Prince of Peace. Thus, brethren, closes the sketch of Ancient Masonry., A subject more sublime can never be conceived, more |