United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

The Quarterly Communication of United Grand Lodge of 1 'ree and Accepted " Masons of England xvas held on Wednesday evening , at Freemasons' Hall . The Earl of Carnarvon , Pro Grand Master , presided ; Bro . General Brownrigg , C . B ., acted as Deputy Grand Master ; and Bro . Montague GuestAf . P ., Provincial Grand Master for Dorset , as Past Grand Master . Bro . Lord Carrington occupied his post of Senior Grand Warden , and Bro . the Right Hon . the Lord Mayor the chair of Junior Grand Warden . The other Grand Officers present xverc

—Bros . Rev . T . Robinson , G . Chap . ; Rev . T . Cochrane , G . Chap . ; Lieut .-Col . ] . Creaton , G . Treas . ; / Tineas J . Mclntyre , G . Reg . ; Sir John B . Monckton , F . S . A ., Pres . Bd . Gen . Pur . ; Col . Shadwell H . Gierke , G . Sec ; E . E . Wendt , Grand Secretary for German Correspondence ; Major John Penrice , S . G . D . ; \ V . G . Harrison , Q . C , S . G . D . ; Capt . Clement N . Beswicke-Royds , J . G . D . ; R . C . Else , l . G . D . ; Horace lones , G . S . of \ V . ; Sir Albert W . Woods ( Garter ) , G . D . of C ; R . T .

Pigott , Asst . G . D . of C . j John Messent , G . S . B . ; H . S . Alpass , G . Std . Br . ; W . Masefield , G . Std . Br . ; Sir W . W . Burrell , Bart , P . G . M . Sussex ; Hon . R . W . H . Giddy , Dist . G . M . Griqualand ; Sir Pryse Pryse , Bart ., P . P . G . M . W . D . S . Wales ; Montague Guest , P . G . M . Dorset ; Wilhelm Ganz , acting G . Org . ; H . G . Buss , Asst . G . Sec . j W . R . Wood , G . Purst . ; L . F . Littell , G . Asst . Purs . ; Rev . J . E . Cox , P . G . C ; Rev . H . A . Pickard , P . G . C ; Rev . T . VV . Hayes , P . G . C ; Rev .

VV . A . Hill , P . G . C ; Rev . Ambrose VV . Hall , P . G . C ; Rev . C VV . Arnold , P . G . C . ; Pev . R . J . Simpson , P . G . C ; Rev . J . Studholme Broxvnrigg , P . G . C ; Rev . C . R . Davy , P . G . C . ; Rev . VV . K . R . Bedford , P . G . C . ; Major-General H , Clerk , P . G . D . ; Captain Nathaniel George Philips , P . G . D . ; John Sampson Peirce , P . G . D . ; Lieut .-Col . H . S . Somerville-Burney , P . G . D . ; J . H . Scott , P . G . D . j R . F . Gould , P . G . D . j VV . A . F . Powell , P . G . D j J . M . Case ,

P . G . D . j James Glaisher , P . G . D . ' ; C . VV . C . Hutton , P . G . D . j C . A . Murton , P . G . D .. Raynham W . Stexvart , P . G . D . j Brackstone Baker , P . G . D .-, VV . E . Gximbleton , P . G . D . ; H . J . P . Dumas , P . G . D . ; H . C . Levander , P . G . D . ; Frank Richardson , P . G . D . . Henry Grissell P . G . D . ; Thos . Fenn , P . G . D . ; F . P . Morrell , P . G . D . ; Peter de Lande ^ de Longe , P . G . D . j H . C . Tombs , P . G . D . j Robert Grey , P . G . D . j J . A . Rucker , P . G . D . j Henry Maudsley , P . G . D . ; Magnus Ohren , P . A . G . D . C ; George Burt , P . A . G . D . C ; E . C Daines , P . A . G . D . C ; James Lexvis Thomas , F . S . A ., P . A . G . D . C ;

Charles Greenxvood , P . G . S . B . ; A . J . Duff Filer , P . G . S . B . ; S . Mullens , P . G . S . B . ; Joshua Nunn , P . G . S . B . ; Geore Lambert , P . G . S . B ; VV . F . Nettleship , P . G . S . B . ; C . E . Willing , P . G . O . j James Brett , P . G . P . J E . P . Albert , P . G . P . j VV . T . Howe , P . G . P . j C . A . Cottebrune , P . G . P . j VV . Clark , P . G . P . ; S . Foxall , P . G . P . ; Edgar Boxvyer , P . M ., VV . M . 1964 ; George Kenning , P . M ., P . G . D . Middx . j R . H . Croivden P . M . 1297 ; VV . Lake , P . M ., P . Prov . G . Reg . Cornwall ; T . C Walls , P . M . 1745 ; Capt . Colville , P . G . W . Cornxvall ; E . B . Grabham , * J . D . Langton , W . M . 1673 j and

others . After the formal opening of Grand Lodge , GRAND SECRETARY read the minutes of the Quarterly Communication of 1 st of March , of the Specia Grand Lodge of the 15 th of March , and of the Grand Festival of the 26 th of April , all of xvhich were severally put and unanimously confirmed .

GRAND SECRETARY then informed Grand Lodge that the deputation appointed by Grand Lodge to present the address of congratulation to Her Majesty on Her Majesty ' s happy escape from assassination , attended at Buckingham Palace on the ioth of May . He then read the address , as well as Her Majesty ' s most gracious reply .

The Earl of CARNARVON , then proposed , and General BROWNRIGG seconded , that these documents should be permanently recorded upon the minutes of the proceedings of Grand Lodge . The motion xvas unanimously adopted . Bro . J AMES STEVENS , addresingthe Grand Master in the chair , said that

it was his intention in the course of the evening to raise a question of common privilege j and that he might be in order , he begged to inquire whether his lordship xvould take the question at this point or later in the evening ? It was xvith regard to a motion of which he had given notice , and which had been excluded from the agenda paper .

Lord CARNARVON said that if it were as he understood , a nexv question of privilege , and that the merits of the question were not to be discussed , he could take it at once . Bro . STEVENS said his question bore upon the rejection of a notice of motion xvhich had been sent , in terms of the constitutions of the Order , to the Board of Masters for them to see before being placed on the agenda .

The notice of motion xvas not ultra vires , and it was sent in conformity xvith the laws , but in answer to it he had received a very courteous letter from the Grand Secretary , stating that it had not been approved by the Board of Masters and that the Grand Registrar xvas of opinion that it was altogether out of order , and that it affected the prerogative of the Grand Master . No man respected the prerogative of the Grand Master more than he ( Bro .

Stevens ) did , but by the Book of Constitutions the Grand Lodge had the power to decide and determine upon all questions which might be brought before it , and the humblest member had the right to express his opinion . He thought that the aggregate body of Grand Lodge was affected by such interference , and he considered that the time was come when the brethren below the dais should receive something like fair and candid treatment . As

far as he xvas aware , up to the present time power had not been delegated to one person , either in the person of the editor of the Freemason ( Order . Perhaps he was wrong in making a personal observation ; he would not like to spoil the cause by making it a personal question , but he maintained that to the members of this Grand Lodge that the time had arrived xvhen they

should assert their privileges . In the face of the amount of business that was before Grand Lodge he could say no more , but leave it for others to follow up ; but he could not sit doxvn without saying that he had as perfect a right to have his motion on the agenda as any one of the notices of motion that were there . He declared that he had been wrongly interfered with , and he xvas obliged to make some protest against it .

Bro . FILER , P . G . S . B ., said he had been waiting to hear xvhat the question was , but Bro . Stevens had not mentioned it , and it xvas quite conceivable that the subject was inadmissible . Bro . STEVENS said that he understood the M . W . GrandMasterhad ruled

United Grand Lodge.

that the question was not be touched , and it was perfectly well knoxvn to the great majority of those present . The GRAND MASTER said that he had not heard of this question himself until he was within Grand Lodge that ex'ening . He understood the complaint to be that a notice of motion xvas sent to the Board of Masters , and

that by the Board of Masters it was rejected as inadmissible . The Grand Lodge had not yet heard what the motion was . He xvas quite ready to hear the worthy brother's explanation , but must limit him very strictly to the point that he must not enter upon personal questions on the general merits of the case . Bro . Stevens had to show xvhat the motion xvas he submitted .

Bro . STEVENS said that the notice of motion he sent forward was "That this Grand Lodge having regard lo the great increase in the number of lodges in the metropolitan area during the past txventy-five years , and the consequent , almost total exclusion of the members thereof from any participation in Grand Lodge and Prov . Grand Lodge honors , this Grand Lodge

desires to respectfully represent to His Royal Highness , the M . W . Grand Master , the propriety of subdiving such metropolitan area into four District Grand Lodges . " He would not comment upon the motives , because if it was not discussed then it could be on some future occasion , and , therefore , he confined himself strictly to the question of privilege .

Bro . . 'E NEAS MCINTYRE said , that in reply to the call upon him , he must venture to state it as his opinion that the President and Board of Masters xvere right in declining to place this notice of motion on the agenda paper . In the first place , the Board xvere right in rejecting a motion on a matter that could not properly be discussed in Grand Lodge . He would venture

to say that it was not a matter that came within the cognizance of Grand Lodge at all , and , therefore , the notice of motion xvould not be proper . It was a prerogative of the M . W . G . M . to constitute provinces , and appoint Provincial Grand Masters , assigning to each his province , because the Provincial Grand Mastership exists only during the existence ol the Grand

Mastership , and it is not incumbent upon the G . M . to appoint a successor unless he chooses to do it . The case of the Province of the Isle of Wight , and the next province , Hants , xvas within their recollection ; one of which prox'inces had been suppressed or merged into the other . The poxver was a prerogative of the Grand Master , and any

discussion in Grand Lodge that would trench upon that prerogative would be illegal . Besides xvhich , a vote in Grand Lodge , which was a general gathering of Masons , would not necessarily represent the xvishes of the brethren in the locality principally affected by the resolution . The Board of Masters had called upon him officially for his

opinion , and he gave it as his opinion that the proceedings contemplated would be an interference with the prerogative of the Grand Master . Looking at the proposed motion , it xvas misconceived altogether , as it referred to making District Grand Masters . District Grand Masters were x'ery different from Provincial Grand Masters , because the District Grand Lodge

has the poxver of expulsion , which does not exist in Provincial Grand Lodges . Grand Lodge was in txvo capacities ; it xvas a great legislative assembly , making laxvs laws for the guidance of the Craft ( laws which were made b y the individual votes of the members , and xvhich even the Grand Master himself must obey ) , and there was the prerogative of the Grand Master ,

which did not come within the laws of Grand Lodge , because Grand Lodge had no power to take the matter out of the hands of the Grand Master . The Grand Registrar then examined the notice of motion before them , which he had in common , he supposed , with other members of the Craft

received with a printed communication from Bro . Stevens , referring to various laxvs in thc Book of Constitutions , with a viexv to showing that any discussion in Grand Lodge of a proposal for the creation of districts or provinces xvould be an interference xvith the prerogative of the Grand Master .

At the conclusion of the Grand Registrar's argument , Bro . STEVENS , by leave of the President , said that the only reply he desired to make was that there was no desire to make a laxv ; it was merely proposed that a respectful representation be made to the Grand Master . There xvas no " shall " about

the notice of motion . It was merely that a respectful representation be made , and that Grand Lodge should have an opportunity of expressing an opinion about it . He would pass without remark the attempt that the Grand Registrar had made to bring him into ridicule , because that xvas a personal matter .

The M . W . G . M . in the chair said that this question had come upon him quite suddenly . He xvas not axvare that itwas to be brought forward until he was within the walls of Grand Lodge . It xvas a serious question xvhich touched the right of a brother to bring any matter before Grand Lodge for a free discussion of it . He had always held that to be a

right to be most jealously guarded , and it xvas one that he xvould never controvert himself in the slightest degree . On the other hand , it was quite as important to Grand Lodge to maintain in its integrity the G . M . 's prerogatix'e ; that was equal to the right of free discussion ; it was one of the ancient landmarks of the

Order . The question , as it came before them , xvas one especially difficult to folloxv , as reference had to be made to various parts of the laxvs . On the one hand he was bound to say there had been very little more than a mere statement of the proposition by the worthy brother xvho desired to bring this motion forxvard ; while , on the other hand , they had a very elaborate and

very clear argument against that proposition by the Grand Registrar , and the case xvas , therefore , heavily weighted on the one side as against the other . If he had had to decide , himself , upon the whole of this question , and upon the grounds upon which it had been brought forxvard and argued ,

he might be in some difficulty , because it was totally impossible for him to satisfy himself how far , in his opinion , each and every part of these regulations had applied to the particular questions , but it seemed to him that the question narrowed itself to a very small issue indeed . The motion which , is