Pleasants, Wood, Wirt, Ritchie and Doddridge as District No. 5. The counties of Harrison, Lewis, Upshur, Barbour and Randolph as District No. 6. The counties of Mason, Jackson, Roane, Putnam and Kanawha as District No. 7. The counties of Calhoun, Gilmer, Braxton, Clay and Nicholas as District No8. The counties of Fayette, Summers, Pocahontas and Greenbrier as District No. 9. The counties of Monroe, Mercer, Raleigh, Wyoming and McDowell as District No. 10. The counties of Cabell, Lincoln, Wayne, Boone and Logan as District No. 11.

ART, 8. The representatives of Subordinate Lodges shall meet by districts, on the second day of each Annual Communication, and recommend some brother of suitable skill, who is a Master of a Lodge or regular Past Master, and a resident of the Masonic District in which the representatives respectively reside, for appointment as District Deputy Grand Master for the said district for the year then ensuing, whose duty it shall be to visit at least once a year each Lodge in his district, inspect its by-laws, records and mode of work, and give its members such instructions as he may deem necessary; to constitute new Lodges if directed by the Grand Master whenever required. Should be discover, either in his own district or any part of this jurisdiction, any Masonic error or evil, whether it appertains to a Lodge or an individual, he shall at once endeavor by Masonic means to arrest its progress, and if he shall judge it expedient he shall forthwith acquaint the Grand Master or the Grand Secretary with all the facts in the case. It shall be the duty of every Master or presiding officer of a Lodge to receive the District Deputy Grand Master of his district, as the representative of the Grand Master, resign the chair to him while making his official visits and submit to his inspection the charter, by-laws, records and mode of work, and cause to be paid to the said District Deputy his necessary expenses while making his official visit.

ART. 9. COMMITTEES.-The Grand Master, on the first evening of the Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge, shall appoint the following committees :

On Work-Consisting of five, who shall be considered and made the custodians of the ritual, and whose duty it shall be to exemplify the three degrees of Masonry in the presence of the Grand Lodge, if the Grand Master or a majority of the brethren so require.

On Returns of Chartered Lodges-Consisting of nine whose duty it shall be to make a tabulated report, showing the number of brethren admitted, initiated, passed, raised, dimitted, deceased, rejected, reinstated, suspended and expelled; also showing the net increase and decrease of the membership of each Lodge for the year, the proper amount of dues due the Grand Lodge, and pointing out all such errors or irregularities as may come under their notice in the examination of the returns of the several Subordinate Lodges.

On Charters and Dispensations-Consisting of three, whose duty it shall be to examine the returns of work, records of proceedings and the by-laws of Lodges under dispensation, and to reportsuch information and make such recommendation to the Grand Lodge as may be deemed necessary in relation to each particular Lodge applying for a charter.

On Grievances and Appeals-Consisting of five, whose duty it shall be to report, with such recommendations as they may deem proper, upon all appeals from the decisions or proceedings of any Lodge, or the Master thereof, and upon all papers and documents relating to matters of complaint or grievance appertaining to Masonic discipline which may be referred to them.

On Finance-Consisting of five, whose duty it shall be to examine the reports of the Grand Secretary and Treasurer, and also ascertain and report the actual expenses of one delegate from each Subordinate Lodge and the Grand officers.

On Masonic Jurisprudence-Consisting of three, whose duty it shall be to consider and to report to the Grand Lodge concerning such questions of Masonic law and usage, including cases of disputed jurisdiction, as may be referred to them.

On the Proceedings of Grand Officers-Consisting of three, whose duty it shall be to examine all reports of the Grand offi. cers, making such recommendations as they may deem proper.

On Correspondence-Consisting of three, who shall examine all printed or written proceedings emanating from other Grand Lodges in correspondence with this Grand Lodge, and report at each Annual Communication whatever they may deem of sufficient interest and importance to the craft.

ART. 10. All the officers of the Grand Lodge shall personally attend the Annual Communication, and each Subordinate Lodge of this jurisdiction shall attend by its first three officers, or their representatives, as provided by the Constitution, and at the same time shall return to the Grand Secretary a true list of its officers and members, and of the persons they have initiated, passed or raised, rejected, suspended or expelled, with the date thereof, and the name of any brother deceased during the year; and if any Subordinate Lodge neglects to be properly represented and make due returns, and pay its dues for two successive Annual Communications of this Grand Lodge, it shall be stricken from the Grand Lodge books, its charter forfeited, and the District Deputy Grand Master for the district in which it is located, shall demand and receive its charter, records and jewels, and deliver the same to this Grand Lodge. But if the Grand Lodge shall judge proper, it may upon application therefor, and payment of dues, and returns made, restore it to its former rank and privileges, upon such terms as may be deemed reasonable.

ART. 11. All questions of order shall be decided by the presiding officer without debate. All other questions shall be determined by a majority of members present voting in the manner prescribed in the constitution.

ART. 12. No dispensation or charter shall be granted for the formation of a new Lodge but upon the petition of seven known and approved Master Masons, in which their first Master and Wardens shall be nominated; which petition must be accompa nied by certificates of approval of the District Deputy Grand Master, and the duly certified consent of the nearest Lodge. For every dispensation must be paid the Grand Lodge the sum of twenty dollars; for every charter must be paid the Grand Lodge the sum of twenty-five dollars.

ART. 13. No brother can be eligible to the office of Grand Master, Deputy Grand Master or Grand Warden, who has not been elected Worshipful Master in some regular Lodge.

ART. 14. Every petition for initiation must be in accordance with the form prescribed by this Grand Lodge. It shall be presented at a Stated Communication and audibly read by the Secretary, when such remarks may be made as may be deemed necessary to guide the brethren in their inquiries as to the qualifications of the candidate, but action thereon shall be postponed until the next Stated Communication of the Lodge, occurring not less than four weeks thereafter, at which time the petition shall be again read by the Secretary, and a ballot shall be taken, no discussion or remarks as to the character of the applicant being allowed after the ballot is taken. After all entitled to vote have deposited their ballots, the contents of the ballot box shall be inspected by the Junior Warden, Senior Wardon and Worshipful Master, in the order here stated, and if the ballot is clear, the Master shall declare the candidate elected. If no more than one negative appear, the Master may order a second ballot to be had immediately, when if one or more negatives appear, the Master shall declare the candidate rejected. If upon the first ballot two or more negatives appear, the Master shall declare the candidate rejected, and in no case shall the second ballot herein provided for, or the declaration of the result, be postponed until a subsequent communication of the Lodge, nor shall the petition of any rejected candidate be entertained in any Lodge until after one year from the date of such rejection.

ART. 15. No Lodge shall make more than five Masons at the same communication. nor confer a degree on more than one candidate at a time, nor give a candidate more than one degree at the same communication.

ART. 16. The fees for the three degrees shall not be less than twenty dollars, and no time of credit shall be given in any case -not less than five dollars to accompany the application, the remainder to be paid when the degrees are conferred as the Lodge may elect, but the fees shall not be remitted in whole or in part.

ART. 17. No Lodge in this jurisdiction shall confer the degree of Fellow Craft or Master Mason upon any brother who has

been initiated or passed in any other Lodge, without the written consent of such Lodge, nor shall any Lodge entertain the application for the mysteries of Freemasonry of any one who has been rejected in any other Lodge, without the written consent of such Lodge, nor shall any Lodge entertain the petition of any applicant for initiation whose residence may be nearer some other Lodge in this jurisdiction, without the consent of such Lodge by vote.

ART. 18. None but Master Masons can be members of a Lodge or vote on any subject, nor can business, other than conferring the degrees, be done in any other than a Master Mason's Lodge except in case of Masonic trial; nor is it lawful to admit a brother from any other Lodge without his first producing a regular dimit therefrom. Every Mason should belong to some regular Lodge, but no brother can belong to more than one Lodge at the same time.

ART. 19. The teaching of any Masonic ritual not authorized by the Grand Lodge is forbidden.

ART. 20. No Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons can legally assemble in this State under a warrant granted by any foreign Masonic power, except only those Lodges in this jurisdiction chartered by the Grand Lodge of Virginia prior to the formation of this Grand Lodge and now holding allegiance thereto.

ART. 21. In all cases of advancement from one degree to another, it shall be necessary for the brother wishing to be advanced to undergo an examination in open Lodge touching his proficiency in the degree from which he wishes to bo advanced, after which a ballot shall be taken on his proficiency, and if found clear he shall be declared duly elected to receive the dogree. An Entered Apprentice or Fellow Craft desiring advancement shall apply for that purpose within one year from the timo of his initiation or passing, and should more than one year have elapsed between the time of receiving his previous degree and the time of his application for advancement, he shall present a petition in writing which must be read at a stated communication of the Lodge and lie over one month before being balloted upon, this ballot being upon the moral character and qualifications of the candidate. The examination and ballot upon proficiency provided for in this article must also be had.

ART. 22. In case of a vacancy in the office of Master, by death or removal, the Senior Warden shall occupy the East and fill the West by pro tem. appointment. If vacancies occur in both the East and West, the Junior Warden shall occupy the East and fill the West and South by pro tem. appointment. Should vacancies exist in all the offices, then the Grand Master or the Grand Lodge may issue a dispensation for a special election.

ART. 23. The Grand Lecturer shall appoint annually as many Deputy Grand Lecturers as he may deem necessary, and for whose competence and energy he shall be held responsible.

ART. 24. Each Subordinate Lodge shall pay annually, as a contribution to this Grand Lodge, the sum of seventy-five cents for cach member, according to the returns made; provided always, that no Lodge shall pay less than five dollars.

ART. 25. The Grand Treasurer shall be authorized to pay out of the funds of the Grand Lodge the actual necessary expenses estimated by the shortest practicable route, of one delegate from each Subordinate Lodge, and of Grand Officers when not delegates.

ART. 26. When a member of a chartered Lodge signs a petition for a dispensation for a new Lodge, and a dispensation is granted by the Grand Master, his membership in the chartered Lodge is thereby suspended, he is quasi dimitted. When the Grand Lodge grants a charter to the new Lodge his dimission becomes complete and absolute, and his membership is transferred to the now Lodge; but if the Grand Lodge refuse a charter and withdraw the dispensation, then his membership in the chartered Lodge is revived, and his dues which ceased to run on the granting of the dispensation commence again on its withdrawal. When members of a chartered Lodge make application for a dispensation for a new Lodge they must give notice in writing to their Lodge of their intention to make said application, and must pay all dues owing to the same to date of dispensation.

ART. 27. If so desired, the Secretary of a Lodge of which a deceased brother Master Mason was a member in good standing at the time of his death, shall furnish the widow or nearest of kin of the deceased brother a certificate of the said brother's membership and good standing-the certificate to be signed by the W. M. and Secretary, and attested by the seal of the Lodge.

ART. 28. The ancient regulations requiring the Master to have served as Warden shall be strictly enforced in this jurisdiction, and each Master or Warden elect must have received the degree of Past Master previous to his installation, and as a necessary part of his qualification for the duties of his office.

ART. 29. The laws of this Grand Lodge may be amended in the following manner: Every addition, amendment or alteration shall be proposed in writing at a regular communication of the Grand Lodge. If seconded by one-third of the members present, the amendment shall lie over one year, be printed in the minutes, and if adopted by a two-third vote at the next annual communication, shall become a part of these laws.