United Grand Lodge And The Grand Lodge Of New Zealand.

to be adopted , accepted the resolution of the Pro Grand Master " almost unanimously . " But it would have been more graceful and more in keeping with the honour of the oldest Grand Lodge

in Cl . ristendom if our reporter had been able to omit from his record of the manner in which " the original motion was put and carried , " what , in this instance , we venture to call that wretched little qualilfcative— " almost . "

Article 219, Book Of Constitutions.

ARTICLE 219 , BOOK OF CONSTITUTIONS .

There is very little doubt that Article 219 of the Book of Constitutions has much to answer for in ruffling the tempers both of Grand Lodge authorities ancl the critics . In itself it is

innocent of all harm , a perfect marvel in the way of downright simplicity of meaning and intent . It does not say one thing and mean another . If all the great masters of the English

language that ever wrote a complete sentence grammatically had met together in solemn conclave for the purpose of framing this Article , they could not have constructed one that ' would more clearly define the consequences that would follow to a lodge

in the event of a majority of its members retiring from it , no matter what the cause of their retirement or the purpose they might have in view in effecting it . The Article lays it down

thus : "Should the majority of any Iodge determine to retire from it , the power of assembling remains with the rest of the members , but should the number of members remaining at any time be less than three the warrant becomes extinct . " Now the

meaning of this is clear beyond all question . A lodge may consist of 50 , 150 , or 500 members , and if 4 8 , 148 , or 49 8 of them determine upon retiring from it , then the minority of htso has no power of assembling and the warrant becomes extinct . But

if only 47 , 147 , or 497 determine upon retiring , then the minority of three is lawfully entitled to assemble under the " warrant and exercise all the rights and privileges of a Iodge of Free and Accepted Masons . This is not the lirst time we

have taken upon ourselves to point out that this Article 219 speaks with no uncertain voice . It defines , absolutely without any qualification , the consequences that are to follow to a lodge when the majority of its members determine upon

retiring from it . It vs useless for any one to contend , as , we believe , the Grand Registrar did , when the question of establishing a local Grand Lodge in New Zealand was first mooted , that the frame rs of this Article—of whom , doubtless , he was one

—never intended , or even contemplated , that the Article should bear this construction . No one knows better than he , who has attained such eminence in his profession , that a law must be interpreted to mean what it says . If what it says is in accord with

the meaning and intent of those who framed it , well and good ; but if , unfortunately , as in this and other cases that might be quoted , the law says one thing , while it was intended to mean another , those who administer the law have no alternative but to

decide in accordance with its clearly-uehned prescriptions rather than with what one or more of those who are responsible for framing it may tell us it was intended to prescribe . This is not one of those laws which , from the careless manner in which the

words , clauses , and sentences composing it have been put together , are capable of being interpreted in two or more different ways . If the plain honest English words , grammatically constructed into the sentence which constitutes this Article 219 ,

have any meaning at all , they mean that , in the event of the majority , whether overwhelming or slight , retiring from any Lodge , the minority , provided only it consists of , at least , three

members , retains the power of assembling under the warrant , and it is only in those cases in which either all the members determine on retiring , or less than three remain , that the warrant of the lodge becomes extinct .

It is well-nigh inevitable that a law thus absolutely drawn , should be productive of more or less serious hardship to members of lodges as well as prove the innocent cause of great disquietude of mind , among Grand Lodge authorities and critics ,

nor is the hardship by any means confined to one side . In the case of the lodge we have already imagined , consisting of 50 , 150 , or 500 members , it is manifestly a very great hardship to the 47 , 147 , or 497 who determine upon retiring , with the idea , as in the case of this New Zealand question , ol becoming a

Article 219, Book Of Constitutions.

constituent part of the local Grand Lodge about to be formed that they should be deprived of their status as an o rganised lodge , because the remaining three members decline to join them in their decision and insist upon retaining the warrant

and with it the power of assembling as the lodge and exercising their rights and privileges as such . But let us assume that this same lodge is differentl y divided on the question of joining the proposed local Grand Lodge , or remaining under the banner

of the parent Grand Lodge , and that instead of 47 , I 47 , or 407 members being in favour of secession , and three against it there should be found , 26 , 7 6 , or 251 for retiring , and 24 , 74 or 249 for remaining . In this case we think it will be generally

allowed that it is hard on the members of a minorit y whicii is so nearly equal in point of number to the majority that they should be deprived of their organisation as a lodge . We realise that the cases we have imagined are extreme cases , und that

when the members of a lodge are not unanimous in favour of one course or the other , they would be differently divided in opinion , being neither , as a rule , so nearly equally divided as in the one case , nor exhibiting such an overwhelming

preponderance in favour of secession , as in the other case . We , therefore submit , with all deference to Grand Lodge , that a clause should be added to Article 219 , by which the hardships , which undoubtedly exist at present , though they cannot be wholl y

removed , shall be reduced to the lowest possible minimum . Let the law , as it stands , be held or declared to apply equally to all those cases in which a majority of the members of a lodge determine on retiring , either because they are desirous of ceasing to

be subscribing members , or because they wish to join other lodges , or help in forming new lodges , within the fold of our Grand Lodge . Let the new clause provide that in any British colony or possession where there exist lodges that have been

warranted by the Grand Lodge of England , and in which the question of forming a local Grand Lodge is raised bona fide , the question of joining the new body , or remaining in obedience

to the mother Grand Lodge , shall be decided by such a majority of the whole body of subscribing members in good standing as will make it clear towards which of the alternative courses the

general feeling of the members inclines . This majority may be fixed at two-thirds , three-fourths , four-fifths , or any other proportion that may be preferred , but , whatever the proportion

that may ultimately be decided upon , let it be a majority of the whole body of subscribing members , not of those who happen to be present at the formal or informal meeting at which the resolution is considered and decided . If some such course as this be

adopted , the interpretation of Article 219 will , in future , present few , if any , difficulties . And , what is more to our purpose , while , as now , the rights of minorities will be safeguarded , the rights of a clearly-defined preponderant majority of members

will be respected . We do not sympathise with a bare majority of 26 in a Iodge of 50 members which would deprive the remaining 24 members of their rights and privileges ; but slill less

do we concern ourselves much about the fate that befals a minority of three , who insis ^ jon their rights to the detriment of their 47 fellow members .

Supreme Grand Chapter Of England.

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER OF ENGLAND .

On Wednesday evening the Quarterly Convocation of the Supreme Grand Chapter of Rojal Arch Masons of England was held at Freemasons Hall , Great Queen-st , Comp . W . Wither Bramslon Beach , M . P ., Grand J-i Grand Supeiintendent Hampshire and the Isle of Wight , presided as G . Z . i Comp . Sir Terence O'Biien , K . C . M . G ., as G H . ; Comp . Thomas Ftn " . Past President of the Committee of General Purposes , as G . J . ; and there were

present—Comps . Edward Letchworth , G . S . E . ; Sir George D . Harris , President of t 1 " Committee of General Purposes ; Robert Grey , Past President of the Commi ' of General Purposes ; R . Horton Smith , D . G . Reg . ; W . M . Stites , P- ° ' Treas . ; W . E . M . Tomlinson , P . G . S . ; W . Smithett , ist A . G . S . ; E . D . AnderW G . S . B . j H . Maudesley , P . G . S . B . ; R . Plumbe , ist G . Std . Br . ; E . St . Clair , 4 ' G . Std . Br . ; Lennox Browne , P . G . Std . Br . ; F . Richardson , G . D . C . ; W- ' Scurrah , A . G . D . C ; T . Minstrell , P . A . G . D . C . ; Clement Godson , P . G . S . B-i Peter de Lande Long , P . G . P . S . ; Gordon Miller , P . A . G . S . ; lames EdmesW '

P . G . Std . Br . ; Bruce M . Seton , P . G . P . S . ; A . Lucking , P . A . G . D . C . ; A . Spencer , P . G . S . B . ; Henry Garrod , P . A . G . D . C ; William Lake , A . G . S . E . ; Charles ^; Hill Drury , P . G . S . B . ; William Vincent , P . A . G . D . C ; S . V . Abraham , P- ' D . C ; George Read , P . A . G . D . C ; and many others ,