Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS 6 or United Grand Lodge 602 The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ( Continued ) 603 CORRESPONDENCE—¦ The Status of Past Masters 60 ? Grand

Recognition of AYw Lodges 607 firo . John Havers 607 lioys' Preparatory School .....:.. 607 Rebuilding of ( lie Temple 607 Impounding Masonic Certificates 607 The Tranquillity- Lodge—A Correction ... 607 The Membership of Lodges—A Query ... 607 Reviews 607

Notes and Queries 60 S Royal Masonic Institution for Boys 60 S Royal Masonic Institution for Girls 608 Annual Pestival o £ tbe Emulation Lodge of In . pre . einent 60 S Freemasonry in Turkey 609

KKI ' ORTS or MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 610 Instruction 612 Royal Arch 612 Mark Masonry 612 The Election of Grand Treasurer 612 Masonic and General Tidings 613 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 614

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THE Agenda Paper must strike us all as being- unprecedented . If we may judge by previous discussions , both from the length , and , must we not add ? tediousness , of certain excellent brother orators , we havenot only a hard night's work before us , but we may find ourselves in the " wee sma' hours ayont the twal " before we have come to the end , if we ever do get to the end , of the

liberal menu of business provided for us . * * # WE trust that all members of Grand Lodge will attend to certain leading points , keep them before them , and not allow themselves to be diverted b y ingenious side-questions , or " go a-hu . nting" after numerous amusing , but

elusive , "hares . " One of the great objects of our gathering will be to // . / .-confirm the alteration in the " status of Past Masters , " and also that hasty legislation as to liability for join ing fees . There are grave objections to giving the provincial authorities the right of altering the days of lodge meetings . If any such power is to be granted , it must be on a dispensation from

headquarters , for a small fee to go to the Benevolent funds . We do not think there are any other points of much importance . The great necessity is to confirm the revision , so that the Book of Constitutions may be printed , and that we may see the end , at the same time , of impossible propositions and sterile discussions .

• # IT is so easy to be wise after " the event , " and so common to be profuse in proposals of alteration , when the need or the opportunity for such changes has passed away . Every lodge in the Craft has had full time given for sending up suggestions ; every member of Grand Lodge has had ample

opportunity allowed for depositing crude or sensible propositions , as the case may be . The patience of thosewhohave soughtto digest andassimilate the chaotic mass of alterations , reasonable and unreasonable , possible and impossible has been very great indeed , and the " residuum , " after the purifying and sifting process , is , to our minds , highly satisfactory . We shall

possess in our revised Book of Constitutions a code of English Masonic law , lucid , simple , and straightforward . No one , we think , can deny that it is a patent improvement on our old and cherished Book of Constitutions , which certainly ought to preserve the memory of Bro . WILLIAMS ever green amongst us . We hope to be permitted in our next to record

a completed revision , and the close , whether of wise or unwise changes , of hasty or mature legislation . One point we sometimes forget in the heat of our personal views or anxiety for favourite " fads , " and the acerbity of polemical discussions , that it is not one body , or anyone or any number of brethren , whose welfare and rule we seek to uphold and

control for many years to come , but that of the English Croft . Private fancies and subjective ideas must y ield to the general good , and we appeal to the Masonic patriotism of many of us to allow simply what is for the lasting welfare and true harmony and wise government of the Craft to dominate our theories and distinguish our words .

# # WE regret to see by the Agenda Paper that the Building Committee persists in attempting the carry ing of an impossible and impracticable report

upon Grand Lodge , Such an unwise course of action places all its members in a very delicate position . We feel and feel strongly that a grave blunder has been committed by some one , and can only hope that the sound and safe advice of a true " Amicus Curia ? " may yet be taken in time , and

so prevent an angry discussion , a very decisive expression of opinion , and for the Building Committee assuredly a complete " Fiasco . " We are told that though everybody agrees that the report is a mistake and a " forlorn hope , " " it cannot be expected that those who drew it up are to retrace their steps , or recall their words . " But why not ? The whole scheme was hastily entered

upon , and certainly not exhaustively dealt with . It betrays both in its composition and suggestions the marks of hurry and limited time , and an inexact and incomplete acquaintance with the bearings of the case . In private business no such proposition could ever have been made , and why in public ? It would almost seem so , and we feci that we are warranted in saying that there is no one brother of business habits outside the Committee who approves of the financial sacrifices demanded therein of often a too willing Craft . YVe have heard rumours that the whole matter is to be treated as a

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" question of confidence " in the Committee . Let us hope it is not so , and that such isa pure " canard . " No more serious mistake could be made , and to such an announcement there could be from Grand Lodge but one reply ? That bod ) -, singularly conciliatory and considerate , will certainly

never brook anything like minatory dictation ; and we trust most sincerel y , ancl earnestly , that wiser counsels will yet prevail , and that u-cmay have to announce next week a pacific and sensible solution of the whole " vexed question . "

_ * * WE never could profess to understand on what "data" or experience of facts the Building Committee drafted and issued that remarkable report , for which , like the Roman gladiators of old , they seem to say to our Royal GRAND MASTER "Ave , CJESAR , to morituri salutnmus . " There can be no

doubt if Grand Lodge has to choose between the resignation of the Building Committee and the rejection of the report which alternative they will accept . One great objection to the report is the financial one . It is both in the abstract and concrete positively unsound . It purposes to give a premium unheard of , even in London , for buying up our own property : to bind the

Grand Lodge hand and foot for nearly two generations of brethren , and to spend an enormous sum of valuable and hardly-obtained money , not to benefit the Craft , not to advantage Grand Lodge , but to render a good " take " still better for , no doubt , excellent lessees . But why should we go out of our way to do all this ? The policy seems alike very strained and

abnormal , and we have never yet heard from any one , least of all from any one conversant with finances , the slightest approval of thc proposition , or any explanation of proposals which must strike all interested in the property of Grand Lodge as generally improvident , lo say thc least . The whole returns to Grand Lodge on outlay will not be more than one

and a quarter per cent ., and all we shall get for our expenditure of £ 40 , 000 ( if that amount will suffice ) will be a magnificent supper-room , an unuseable Masonic Hall , a vast expenditure of valuable money , and a settling down . in Great Queet-strcct , " willy-nilly , " for 50 years . As all these arrangements constitute a " consummation " not

" devoutly to be wished for" by any of us , we beg once more to protest against a hasty , injudicious , and unsatisfactory proposal we fear to the Craft , and in no sense helpful to the interests of Grand Lodge . We believe we are expressing the sentiments of all unprejudiced brethren in the metropolis

and the provinces when we say " Jet this wide and ill-advised proposal be at once withdrawn , and a plan submitted simply to reconstruct the Hall with such improvements as science and experience can suggest or demand safely . " In this way , and only in this way , will the grcit body of Grand Lodge be pacified and contented . * * * WE have not seen the amended plans for the new Hall . The original plan was condemned at thc first glance , but as we understand it has been withdrawn it is useless and impolitic to " slay the twice slain . " We wish to ask this question . Has anything been done to remove our objection to the impossibility of constructing a hall to seat 1500 brethren on the floor , in

which speakers can properly be heard . We are told that this objection is to be met either by a gallery or an amphitheatral form with a " tribune " for the speakers , as it is admitted a level room to seat 1500 brethren is , for acoustic purposes , impossible . No such room exists for an assembly like ours , involving the reading of reports , and in the case of debate . But

does not this very uncertainty display the ha . te and inexperience , we hardly like to say " insouciance" with which such plans have been prepared and promulgated . No one who knows anything of the tenacity wilh which our Grand Lodge adheres to old forms , customs , and the

" norma Vivendi would propose arrangements which must entail a revolution in our Masonic business and habits of thought . We hope to have heard the last of such idiosyncratic general suggestions and unhealth y abnormal arrangements , and feel sure that Grand Lodge will require a more ship-shape plan for the seating and convenience of its members .

# * # WE agree with Bro . J AMES STEVENS ' proposal in the abstract , but think it a little premature , and wc advise him to withdraw it until we have settled what the real plan is to be . He can always add it as a " rider , " a wise , reasonable , and salutary «• rider " in our opinion , and which will commend

itself to Grand Lodge if for no other reason than that we have many distinguished architects amongst us , like Bros . BARRY , WHICHCORD , Professor LEWIS , and others , whose opinions ought to be taken , and whose advice ought to be solicited , in a matter so affecting the prestige of Grand Lodge , the furtherance of the great art of architecture , and the convenience and comfort of the Craft .

# * # WE think that our distinguished Bro . HORACE J ONES has been placed in a very difficult position by the demand upon him for a plan , practically gratuitous . We think the Book of Constitutions only contemplates his giving a general sort of advice to the GRAND MASTER and the Craft . We