The Revised Book Of Constitutions.

lodge , or the expulsion of a brother , he shall make a special report to the grand lodge , with his opinion thereon . "

a special report to the grand lodge , with his opinion thereon . " The provincial grand master has no power to expel a mason , though he may , when

satisfied that any brother has been illegally excluded from any of his masonic functions or privileges , by a lodge within his

district , order him to le -immediately restored , and may suspend , until the next quarterly communication , the lodge or brother who shall refuse to comply with such order . "

What we have printed in italics is , as we have said , excluded from this head or division , just as tho existing law ( Art . 9 , p 32 ) conferring a similar power on the Grand Master had been omitted from the heading "Grand Lodge . " The latter excluded law , and the above excluded

clause , will be found grouped together under proposed new Regulation No . 208 , under " Private Lodges . " It is a fancriticism whether it would not have been better to group all the functions of the Grand Master under tho head of " Grand Lodge , " and all those of the Prov . and Dist . G .

Master under that of " Provincial and District Grand Lodges , " though ifc would be perhaps equally necessary even in that case to have some rule as to illegally-excluded members and their reinstatement , as in No . 208 , which , of course , would contain the necessary references to tho

previous corresponding rules . If the object of publishing a revised Book of Constitutions is to make it as brief as possible , the present arrangement will be the better . But if clearness and compactness , under the several divisions , as well as brevity , are held to be the principal object , then our suggestion has a decided advantage .

Rule No . 88 compares with Art . 12 , p 49 , and is , in fact , that article reproduced almost word for word , and the same may be said of Rules Nos . 89 . " To report proceeding to grand secretary "—90 . " May appoint a deputy " —91 . " Notice of appointment" of Deputy P . G . M .

92 . " Musfc be a past master . " 93 . " Dispensation for non-residence . " 94 . " Provincial and district grand officers have no rank out of thoir province or district . " 95 . " Qualification for office . " 96 . " Provincial or district grand stewards . " 97 . " Meetings of provincial grand lodge . "

98 . " Opening of provincial or district grand lodge . " 99 . "By-laws . " 100 . " Minutes . " 101 . " Provincial grand lodge may advise , but cannot adjudicate . " 102 . "Local fund . " 103 . " Treasurer to be elected annually . " These correspond with the following , in the order in which thoy

are given , in the existing edition , namely : —Art . 9 , p 48 ; Art . 10 , p 49 ; Art . 11 , p 49 ; Art . 1 , p 50 , " Of D . P . G . Masters , " part ; Art . 1 , p 50 , "Of D . P . G . M , " part ; and Art . 1 , p 50 , " Of the other Prov . G . Officers , " parfc ; Art . 2 , p 50 , parfc , and Art . 2 p 51 , parfc , the

words " and shall possess within their district , the rank and privileges of grand officers " being omitted from tho latter ; Art . 3 , p 51 ; law re Prov . G . Stewards , p 51 , except aa to clothing ; Art . 8 , p 48 ; Art . 1 , p 52 ; Art . 3 , p 52 ; Art . 6 , p 54 ; Art . 8 , p 55 ; Art . 4 , p 53 ; and Art . 5 p 54 .

, We have just noted the omission of certain words which were misleading in their definition of the status of Prov . G . Oflicers " within their district , " ancl which , indeed , not

long since caused some differences of opinion . We may add that the provision for non-residence under dispensation is now extended to Deputy Prov . G . Masters as well as the other Prov . G . Officers .

We have already remarked of No . 104 , which corres - ponds with the first part of foot note at p 45 , that , seeing it defines a District G . Lodge and District Grand Master and that these had already been frequently mentioned in the proposed rules under this head , it would have stood better

at , or as nearly as possible at , the beginning of the division , either as a foot note or as incorporated in tho text . No . 105 — " additional powers " of D . G . Lodges—is to all intents and purposes the first part of Art . 1 , p 55 , while Nos . 106 and 107 correspond with Art . 3 and Art 2 , p 56 . Nos

108 , " Meetings of district grand lodges , " 109 " Rules and regulations , " and 110 , " Payment to district fund , " call for no observation , nor is there much to say as to Nos .

- ^ 11 District grand master may issue certificates , " 112 ' Blank certificates furnished , " 113 "Duplicate returns to Jhe Grand Secretary , 114 " Remittance of dues , " and 115 Dispensation to confer degrees afc short intervals , " except

The Revised Book Of Constitutions.

that Nos . 113 and 114 are together equivalent to Art . 11 p 60 , and No . 115 to the second section of Art . 1 , p 55 . We shall enter on our consideration of " Private Lodges " next week .

Lord Mayors And Freemasonry.

LORD MAYORS AND FREEMASONRY .

T E Boi est morl ; Vive le Roi . On Thursday Bro . Sir J . ¦ * - ' Whittaker Ellis , Bart . Grancl Junior Warden , laid aside the insignia of his office as Lord Mayor of the City of London , and Bro . Alderman Knight was formally inducted into tho Civic Chair in his stead , amid those manifestations

of the London citizens' loyalty to old and respected customs which aro customary on such occasions . Tho grand inaugural banquet in the Guildhall followed in the evening , ancl was , as usual , attended by many of tho principal members of the ministry . The loyal , patriotic , ancl other toasts were

introduced ancl followed by speeches of varying merit . Everything , indeed , passed off in a manner worthy of such agatheringof Englishmen of the well-to-do classes , allbenton

enjoying themselves around tho festive board , and we may now be said to havo fairly settled ourselves down to the work of a new Civic year under tho tutelary care of Bro . Alderman Knight , Citizen and Freemason .

Ordinarily , of course , Lorcl Mayor ' s day and its celebration are matters outside tho ken of a Masonic journal . There are many Lodges , it is true , which meet within the precincts of the city , and somo of them havo moro immediately abont them a certain added lustre from thoir

connection , real or imaginary , with members of tho great Corporation . These facts alone would not have induced us to make Lord Mayor ' s Day tho subject of editorial comment . But latterly Freemasonry has played a moro than usually conspicuous part in Civic celebrations . In

two out of tho last threo Lorcl Mayoralties , tho Mansion House has been the scene of brilliant Masonic gatherings , not of an informal character , but held there by dispensation from the Grand Master , in a close-tyled Lodgo room , ancl the members all wearing the clothing ancl insignia of their

rank . One of theso meetings was honoured by the presence of His Royal Highness tho Grand Master , and the other no doubt would have experienced the samo good fortune , but for the multiplicity of the Prince ' s engagements . Then , in Alderman Stone ' s Mayoralty , Lord Mayor

Stone and tho Sheriffs , of whom Sir J . W . Ellis was one , paid a sort of state visit to Tho Great Cifcy Lodgo ; and other Lodges , but especially tho Alliance , No . 1827 , have been similarly , though perhaps loss ceremoniously , honoured by Lord Mayors who havo also been members of

the Craft . In short , a strong feeling of mutual respect appears to havo grown up of late years between the City and our Fraternity , and it need hardly be said to their mutual satisfaction and oven advantage . There is reason for this , No municipality in the world dispenses its charity of every

kind with a more liberal hand than tho City of London , nor ia there a more benevolent and beneficent body than the Freemasons , whoso splendid support of tho Institutions

they have established is constantly being made the subject of eulogy hy the ontsido world . Under these circumstances , Ave may justly ask to be excused if we have gone somewhat out of onr usual course to record the succession

of one Masonic Lord Mayor by another . We have no means of foreseeing what may happen during Bro . Knight ' s year of office . He may not have the same opportunities as his predecessor and Sir F . W . Truscott enjoyed of manifesting , as it wero , semi-officially , his sympathy with our Society ,

but of his hearty goodwill towards ifc wo are as certain as that ho is at this present time the Right Honourable the Lorcl Mayor of London . And , what will be regarded with equal satisfaction by our readers , the two aldermen who stand next in order for election to the Civic Chair are both

Masons , so that , in all human probability , the next three years , like the year which closed on Thursday , will seo the destinies of London City entrusted to gentlemen who are Craftsmen as well as citizens . Wo will content ourselves with adding the expression of our hearty good wishes to

Bro . Lord Mayor Knight on his accession to power , and the hope that his year of office may bo as prosperous as that of his immediate predecessor , Bro . Alderman Ellis , and his predecessors , Bro . Sir F . W . Truscott , Sir Thomas White , and Alderman Stone .