The Revised Book Of Constitutions.

The new rules in the order of sequence would then read : No . 2 " The Grand Lodge ; " No . 3 " Rank and Precedence of Members ; " No . 4 " All Laws emanate from Grand

Lodge ; " No . 5 "Power of final decision" —for which wo wonld suggest the substitution of " Further Powers of Grand Lodge ; " No . 6 " General powers of all substituted authorities . "

No . 4 . corresponds with the first part of Rule 16 , p 24 , with the words " possesses the supreme superintending authority " from tho law " Of Appeal , " p 95 , interpolated , and reads thus : —

" The Grand Lodge possesses the supreme superintending authority , ancl alone has the inherent power of enacting laws and regnlations for the government of the Craft , and of altering , repealing , and abrogating them , always taking care that the antient landmarks of the order be preserved . "

No . 5 is verbatim the same as the second section of Rule No . 16 , p 24 . The subdivision of the present law is no doubt an improvement , but , if the new arrangement is accepted , the word " also " in No . 5— " The Grand Lodge has also , " & c . —must be omitted , as being superfluous .

The marginal note— " Power of final decision "—as we have already hinted , does not appear to us to convey clearly the meaning of the law , which says , in effect , Grand Lodge has the power to investigate certain matters , and it may exercise that power of itself or by delegated authority , but

it alone can erase Lodges and expel brethren . Wo would substitute " Further powers of Grand Lodge , " or words conveying the same sense . Moreover , in the law itself we would suggest the addition of the words , " except as hereinafter provided in Law 105 , under ' Provincial and

District Grand Lodges , ' " which lays it down that , under the circumstances as described , "the grand lodge delegates to its district grand lodges , meeting under district grand masters duly authorised and appointed by the grand master of England , in addition to the

powers herein given to provincial grand lodges , the power , of expelling masons , and erasing lodges within their respective districts . " It will be remembered that when Brother James Stevens proposed to submit a motion for the subdivision of the Metropolis into four

districts , each with a kind of Provincial Grand organisation presiding over it , objection was immediately taken to the proposed " Metropolitan District Grand Lodges , " on this very ground that District Grand Lodges possessed these very powers of expelling Masons and erasing Lodges , and

consequently that the new bodies would possess greater powers than the Provincial Grand Lodges . Bro . Stevens , it is true , used the word " District" in a postal , not a Masonic sense , but still most true is it that Masons may be expelled and Lodges erased in District Grand Lodges

without apparently any intervention of G . L . authority whatever . For these reasons , we would extend and make more compatible with fact the new law No . 5 by the addition of the exception already noted , and we would also amend the marginal note , which does not accurately convey the meaning and intent of the law .

No . 6 , which gives a list of the members of Grand Lodge , may be dismissed with tbe remark that no places are provided for Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies and Past Deputy Grand Directors of Ceremonies , who should follow after " 20 Past Grand Directors of Ceremonies , " or for the Grand Standard Bearer and Past Grand Standard Bearers

who , if we take the order of appointments as made or recorded this year for our guidance , should follow tho " Past Grand Sword Bearers . " No place , be it added , is

made for " Past Assistant Grand Pursuivants , " who should not he left out in the cold , or in accordance with the custom practised till this year should be promoted to Grand Pursuivants , and then take past rank .

No . 7 , " additional members may be appointed or elected , " differs from old No . 2 , p 18 , in this respect , that the constitution of such additional members is no

longer confined to the vote of Grand Lodge . The new law reads " Brethren of eminence ancl ability , who have rendered service to the craft , may , by appointment of the Grand Master , or by a vote of the grand lodge dnly confirmed , be constituted members of the grand lodge , with

such rank and distinction as may be thought proper . " No . 8 corresponds with Art . 3 , page 30 ; with the addi tion that it confers on the Grand Master the power of con

stituting a brother whom he may appoint his representative in a sister Grand Lodge , as well as a brother regularly deputed by a sister Grand Lodge , to be members of the Grand Lodge of England , with such rank as the Grand

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Master may deem appropriate . This extension of the Grand Master ' s powers is unobjectionable . No . 9 . " Qualification and disqualification of past masters " compares favourably as regards compactness with Art . 1 , page 18 . It determines clearly enough that Past

Masters cannot be members of G . Lodge when they have ceased to bo subscribing members of any Lodge for the period of twelve months , and they only regain their ri ght of membership of Grand Lodge as Past Masters when they havo again filled the office of Worshipful Master .

No . 10 is the concluding section of Art . 7 , page 19 amplified to this extent that it lays down that " a visitor can only attend Grand Lodge by permission of the Grand Master , " and then if admitted , he shall not" speak , " & c . No . 11 is the first section of the same Article 7 , ' as far as

the word " December , " the clause " at which none shall be present but the proper members without the permission of the grand master" being omitted . Having regard to the preceding rule , the retention of such clause was unnecessary . No . 12 is , with a few verbal alterations , of no

importance whatever , the same as A . 12 , p 22 , while No . 13 corresponds with A . 13 , p 23 , the clause " which shall be dedicated to brotherly love and refreshment" being omitted , and the restriction against private Lodges within the London district having a Masonic feast on the day of the Festival being struck cut .

No . 14 treats of the nomination , election , and installation of the Grand Master , and compares with the opening sentences of A . 1 , p 29 , the clauses about the winter solstice and the vernal equinox being appropriately dismissed , while his installation is fixed absolutely for the day of the

Festival . No . 15 , provides for the appointment of a Pro Grand Master in the case of the Grand Master being a prince of the blood royal , but the clause as to his powers is omitted , these having been already determined by Rule No . 3 . No . 16 provides for the contingency of the Grand

Master ' s death , and what measures shall be taken by those next in authority . This law is substantially , indeed we may almost say verbally , the same with Art . 2 , pp 29 , 30 . No . 17 , " abuse of power of Grand Master , " is the same as Art . 11 , p 32 .

No . 18 compares with the last section of A 1 , p 29 , but is greatly improved , as it enumerates the Grand Officers whom he shall appoint , and instal or invest in ancient form . In this list are introduced the "Depnty Grand Director of Ceremonies , " and the " two Grand Standard

Bearers , " whose omission from Rule 6— "Rank and precedence of members " of Grand Lodge—has already been noticed . It is further added that ( 1 ) he , the Grand Master , " may also appoint an Assistant Grand Secretary , " and ( 2 ) " the Grand Registrar must be an actual Master

or Past Master of a Lodge . " It strikes us a place apart , or in No . 3 , might have been found for this clause about the Grand Registrar . No . 19 provides for the nomination of the Grand

Treasurer in December , and his election iu March . By the present law , Art . 1 , p 34 , he is to be elected in March without previous nomination . The provision of sureties is now no longer necessary , and is omitted .

No . 20 fixes the appointment , by the Grand Master , of the President of the Board of General Purposes ; but as his rank has already been determined in Rule No . 6 , the clause of the present law as to his rank , p 36 , is left out .

No . 21 , relating to the appointment of the Grand Secretary , corresponds with the opening part of A . 1 , p 37 . So much of the present laws as relates to his clerks and his duties will be found provided for in the New Rules , Nos . 34 and 35 .

Nos . 22-24 need no comment . No . 25 , as to the powers and privileges of the Deputy Grand Master might , we think , be dispensed with , as it is provided for under Rule No . 3 , " General powers of substituted authorities . " •No . 26 , as to the Grand Wardens , differs somewhat from the

present law . Thus , for " in their absence the seniors of the past grand wardens present shall act pro tempore , " it is proposed to read " in their absence the past grand wardens present shall act in the order of seniority . " Of these we look upon the •former as being the more correct

from a grammatical point of view . Then the present law continues " If no past grand warden be present the grand master may direct any other member of grand lodge

being , or having been , master of a lodge , to act as grand warden for the occasion . " It is now proposed : " If n 0 past grand warden be present , the grand master may direct any other past grand officer or member of grand