Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS 345 United Grand Lodge 346 Royal Masonic Institution for Girls 347 The Special Grand Lodge at York 347 Royal Masonic Institution for Boys 347 Consecration of the Blackwater Lodge , No . 1977 •¦ 347 Rovai Cumberland Lodge , No . 41 , Bath . —

Third Jubilee Celebration 34 S Summer Banquet of the Mount Calvary Preceptory of Knights Templar 349 Masonic Garden Party 349 Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of Hampshire and Isle of Wight 349 Consecration of a New Mark Loc'ge 349 Bro . Lord Wolseley " s Visit to Dublin 349 South Africa 349

CoRRESI'OXPEXCE —¦ The Festival of the Boys' School 350 The 1 S 15 Constitutions 351 The Book of Constitutions 351 Reviews 351 Notes and Queries 351 Provincial Grand Lodjre of Surrey 351 The Royal Leopold Lodge , No . 1669 ,

Benevolent Association 3 ^ 2 RF . I-URTS up MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 352 Instruction 355 Rural Arch 355 Mark Masonry 351 The Theatres 350 Masonic and General Tidings 357 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 358

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THE Special Grand Lodge took place on the 27 th ult ., under the distinguished presidency of the PRO GRAND MASTER , supported by Bro , Viscount HOLMESDALE , and other Prov . Grand Masters . The attendance was not overpowering ; it was , in fact , sparse . The revised Book of Constitutions was considered and passed up to , if we remember

rightly the law 185 , and Grand Lodge was closed wisely at 9 . 20 , after four hours' exhaustive sitting , the heat being very great , and the attendance becoming gradually thinner and thinner . We were struck , as all must be , with the patience , consideration , and courtesy , not at all unexpected , cf our distinguished PRO GRAND MASTER , and were

gratified in noting the great evidence of marked ability and understanding of the Book of Constitutions evinced by Bro . Lord HOLMESDALE . AS the discussion progressed it seemed to become clearer and clearer , to some minds at any rate , that had the Board of General Purposes suggested the further consideration of the amended draft and the rejected proposals

by an independent Committee , it not only would have been a good stroke of policy , but would have commended the movement and the Board to the grateful recognition of their brethren , and above all would have saved much , very much , discursive and hasty discussion . Two things were plain from the first moment : that the provincial brethren muftered in force , and were not

satisfied with the concessions made . This duplex fact dominated all the subsequent debate and led to one or two unforeseen results . We still venture to think , " that for all around " equally , as there is no hurry in the matter , and the lasting character of the Book of Constitutions is the real thing to

aim after and desiderate , that a little more time to consider the various clauses , and from a purely technical and independent point of view , might well have been given , and would have redounded to the credit of the Board itself , and would have given great satisfaction to Grand Lodge , and advanced the best interests of the Craft . We are indeed all bound to concede

to the Board of General Purposes the greatest credit for hard work , and anxious efforts to bring about a complete , a salutary , and a safe revision of a Book of Masonic law so necessary and useful to us all alike . But some of us doubt , as we may fairly do , whether from its peculiar construction , as we

said last week , the Board is actually the very best body to which to confide the drafting and preparing of a code of Masonic law . It was quite evident as the hours passed away , that , as we begun by stating , a further consideration of several " moot points " would have been most desirable , and would have saved a deplorable waste of time .

»* * GRAND Lodge was deeply gratified by the announcement made by our noble brother the PRO GRAND MASTER on Friday last , with reference to the withdrawal of the altered Table of Precedence , and not the least so , by the peculiarly gracious mode in which it

was communicated . We re-invite attention to our recent leaderettes on the subject , and we cannot help thinking that a master's hand has again come back to the helm . But while we are glad to acknowledge that a very great mistake has been most seasonably rectified , and that in the most becoming manner , we yet feel bound to express a hope , that the attention

of our rulers may also be directed to the entire removal of other causes of dissatisfaction . The evident pleasure evinced by Grand Lodge at the felicitous announcement of the PRO GRAND MASTER , and the gratifying assurance of the unabated and vital interest of H . R . H . the GRAND M ASTER in all that pertains to the happiness of the Craft , ought to encourage all who

have the means and opportunity to tender loyal and salutary advice , so markedl y accepted , and so graciously received . Our rulers have it is clear but one great end in view , the general welfare , contentment , and gratification of the Craft . He surely then is the truest " Amicus Curi .-c , " who honestly seeks to conciliate antagonisms , to remedy shortcomings , and to rectify mistakes !

# * * THE kindl y and thoughtful admission made on the withdrawal of a recent Order , that > in the very precise language of the Freemason , there had

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been an exercize of a " concurrent jurisdiction " alike by the GRAND MASTER and the Grand Lodge as to the subject of precedence and rank , and hence that a claim of an absolute prerogative was untenable , was alike graceful and most Masonic . Indeed , it is now , we believe , conceded that for every exercize of the GRAND MASTER ' prerogative as the fountain of

honour , several examples of a similar " user" might be produced in respect to the same exercize by Grand Lodge . We congratulate all concerned on the cessation of an undesirable controversy , and will only add that while we

shall always to the best of our power and ability uphold the acknowled ged and legal prerogatives of the GRAND MASTER , we shall , as in duty bound feel it to be our Masonic obligation lo endeavour kindly and respectfully to maintain the undoubted privileges of Grand Lodge .

* * » One or two of the amendments carried in the special Grand Lodge are noteworthy . One is the giving of the Book of Constitutions as well as the lodge bye-laws to all the newly-initiated ; another is the restoration of the

words after due examination in the clause relating to visitors ; while a third is a sort of general agreement that a clause should be adopted to prevent , without knowledge of the fact , candidates who have been ' < black balled" in one town and lodge being proposed and balloted for in another .

* * SEVERAL vexed questions have also been now decided , though several remain for settlement . The very important point of the presidency of a lodge under all eventualities is now satisfactorily provided for , and several alterations have been made of more or less importance to gratify our

Provincial brethren . The burning subject , the status of Past Masters , has yet to be dealt with . On this point we think it well to say a few words to-day . Lord C ARNARVON ' wise and warning words at the outset , as tolong speeches and abstract essays , naturally and properly kept back many from speaking on the subject when mooted . When the proper point is reached , a

good deal will have to be said " pro and con . " Our brethren from the provinces are apparently exercized by the fact that Past Masters " in " the lodge have no recognized status out of their own province . But several con « siderations come in . There is a good deal of force , no doubt , in the contention that " of the lodge" is a technical expression ; but we hold to the

opinon that a Past Master , while he is a subscribing member of some lodge and retains a seat in Grand Lodge , & c , " a fortiori " he does the same in a Provincial Grand Lodge ; he is , no doubt , not a Past Master " of " the particular lodge in which he is now a subscribing member , in the sense of having passed the chair ; but he is both a Past Master in the Craft and

"in" the lodge , and no one can deprive him of his rights or his rank , quoad Grand Lodge and Provincial Grand Lodge . As a Past Master in the Craft and subscribing msmber to a lod ge in the province , he has a right to a seat and vote in any Provincial Grand Lodge , in our humble opinion , despite some erroneous rulings on the subject . But we

confess we very much object to go further , and place young Past Masters on an actual level with Past Masters " of " a special lodge . Let us take one illustration . A lodge is formed ; has great success ; gains great prestige ; and after 10 years , say , it has reached a remarkable position of Masonic efficiency and financial prosperity . Isitfair , or even decent , that a " stranger "

should come in and claim the same " status" as the actual Past Masters of the lodge , who have worked for 10 years in bringing about this state of things , by a mere payment of money ? And if we are to do this for English Past Masters , what are we to . say for Scottish or Irish Past Masters ? in the former case , often with no lodge subscription at all ; in the latter ,

comparatively small ; and in both jurisdictions the custom of " passing the chair " still continued , which hasbeen long given up properly by us . We , therefore , with due submission to some of our Provincial brethren , cannot fully endorse a view as regards Past Masters which we believe is far from being universalJy approved of in the provinces , but are most ready to render the actual " status " of the Past Master clearer and more precise by the law .

* * * IT was amusing to note the other evening , though it vvas in the great heat , an " experimentum " truly "in corpore vili" tor all present , the persistence with which some worthy friends of ours stuck to their favourite " fads . " Our worthy correspondent and friendly antagonist , Bro . J AMES STEVENS ,

reproduced his theories with his wonted ability . But Grand Lodge refused to hear the " voice of the charmer , " and we must add , very wisely . Those of us who remembered Bro . STEVENS ' old contentions quite saw what he was "driving at , " but remembering Lord CARNARVON ' caution abstained from abstract disquisitions . We do not always agree with Bro . STEVENS , but we always think that he means well ; and he has lean : d the best of all