History Of The Present Book Of Constitutions Since The Union.

mitted by the Board on June 3 rd , a Special Grand Lodge was held on July 29 th , 1 S 1 S , at which the alterations suggested by the Board were approved . On September gth , 1 S 1 S , these approved alterations were confirmed , and it was resolved and ordered "That the laws as amended shall be in operation and take effect from the first day of November next ; " after which a

corrected Edition was issued in February , 1 S 19 , with the altered sheets reprinted and distinguished by an asterisk . ( SECOND EDITION . ) These first two Editions were printed only in quarlo , but in June , 18 : 7 , an octavo edition was issued " for the accommodation of llie brethren at large , " which contained all the alterations agreed to since 1 S 19 , but was not formal ! v submitted as a whole to Grand Lodge . ( THIRD EDITION . )

On June 5 th , 1 S 39 , it was ordered "That a new octavo Edition of t ' v Book of Constitutions be published with all the amendments and addition which have been made to the present lime , and that the same be arranged and printed under the superintendence and direction of a Committee , consisting of the Grand Registrar , the President of the Board of General Purposes , and Bros . J . Henderson , A . Dobie , and R . W . Jennings . " The

Committee thus appointed were occupied for some time by their las !* : , for their Edition was not issued till March , 1 S 41 , and seems to have been then published without being laid before Grand Lodge . ( FOURTH EDITION . ) The matter next came before Grand Lodge on September 2 nd , 1 S 46 , when it was resolved ' * That a new Edition with the corrections and alterations heretofore made bv the Grand Lodge be prepared and printed under

the superintendence of the Board of General Purposes ; " but on December 2 nd , the Board presented a report , recommending various other additions and amendments , and it was ordered that the report . should be printed and sent to each lodge , while the consideration of the recommendations was deferred until the next Quarterly Communication . Nothing , however , was settled until June 2 nd , 1847 , when it was ordered that a new Edition shoulil

be printed , containing only the alterations previously made by Grand Lodge and the verbal corrections recommended by the Board . This Edition appeared in the same month , the Board apparently abandoning their proposed amendments affecting the matter of the Rules . ( Firm EDITION . ) This Edition lasted until 1852 , when on June 2 nd llie Board of General Purposes was ordered to prepare and print a new Edition , and afler ihe lapse

of a year the Board presented to Grand Lodge on June ist , 1 S 53 , a copy ol the Book of Constitutions containing the alterations already made and various suggestions of their own . Two Special Grand Lodges were convened , on June 22 nd and August 2 nd respectively , lo consider these suggestions , and on September 7 th , 1 S 53 , after confirmation of the minutes , it was ordered that a new Edition be printed and published as amended . This appeared in the same month . ( SIXTH EDITION' ) .

This Edition seems to have been soon exhausted , for on March 71 I 1 , 18 55 , it was ordered that a new Edition of the Book of Constitutions , with the additions and alterations already made by Grand Lodge , and with verbal corrections only , should be printed ; and it was also then resolved for the first time to issue a Pocket Edition . This appeared in June , iSs / i-( SEVENTH EDITION ) .

On June 2 nd , 1858 , the Board of General Purposes reported thai this last Edition was exhausted , and they were directed to prep . ire and print a revised Edition . Accordingly on September ist , 1 S 55 S , the Board reported that they had so revised the Book of Constitutions and that it was then being reprinted ; and in the same month this Edition was issued , apparently without the revision of the Board ever being submitted to Grand Lodge ' . ( EIGHTH EDITION ) .

Again , on June 3 rd , 1863 , the Board of General Purposes reported that the last Edition was exhausted , and they were then authorized to prepare and publish a new Edition , embody ing the new laws and alterations made since the issue of 1858 . This appeared in August , 1 S 63 . ( NINTH EDITION ) . Next , on September 5 th , 1866 , the Board reported that as the Book ol Constitutions was out of print they had ordered an immediate reprint , embodying the new laws recently passed and making some verbal

alterations ; but before this appeared the Board reported , on December 51 I 1 , certain proposed amendments and alterations , of which some were then adapted and some were referred back to the Board . Accordingly on March 61 I 1 , 18 ( 17 , the Board again made a report on the subject , introducing some further proposed amendments , but the consideration of these amendments was postponed , apparently sine die , and the Board were then authorized lo print and publish a new Edition forthwith . This was issued in the same month . ( TENTH EDITION ) .

In consequence of the exhaustion of this Edition the Board reported on December 7 th , 1870 , that they had ordered a reprint , containing the alterations sanctioned by Grand Lodge , with as little delay as possible . This appeared in January , 1871 . ( ELEVENTH E DITION ) . The next Edition is the one now in use and appeared in January , 18 73 ;

but no reference to its ' issue is made in Grand Lodge Reports , probably becauseit is a verbatim reprint of the Edition of 1 S 71 . ( TWELFTH EDITION ) . It will be seen from the foregoing account that Ihe new Edition of the Book of Constitutions now before Grand Lodge will be the thirteenth since the Union ; let us hope that number will bring with it no ill-luck .

Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS .

ELECTION OF CANDIDATES . The Quarterly Court of the Subscribers and Governors and the October Election of this institution was held last Saturday , in llie large hall of . Messrs Spiersand Pond's , Freemasons' Tavern . Col . Creaton , Past Grand Treas ., Presided , and there was a large attendance of brethren . After thc minutes had been read and confirmed , Bro . A . H . TATTERSHALL moved :

"That three of the members of the Committee who have been longest on the Hoard shall not be eligible for re-election until after the expiration of 13 months . " In making the motion he said it would be in thc recollection of many members of the General Committee that he gave a similar notice of motion three years ago , and if it bad been brought forward at that time he would have been one of the members of the House Committee to go off . But from some informality it was not brought

mrward , and it was deferred to a future occasion . He thcrelore brought it forward now . He did so in order that there mig ht bean election of three new members of the House Committee every year . It was time the members Were elected every year , but many brethren who would like to come on did not wish to put themselves in opposition to any one on the Committee . But if three members retired annually they would give a very good opportunity for infusing new blood into thc Committee . Il would be argued that

Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

three of the oldest members were three of the most valuable ; but after the expiration ol 12 months there was no doubt if they were so valuable they would be re-elected . If this proposition passed they could get rid of some members who were really of no use on the Committee . He said distinctly there were some who were of no use . He said it alter an experience of ci » 'ht or nine years on the House Committee . He knew there were some workTn" ' members ; but there were some ornamental members , and it was thai they might get rid oi those who were of no service that he brought forward this motion .

Bro . HEMSWORTH seconded . Bro . W . J . MI . IRLIS thought as they were talking about elections to Committees he might offer a few words with regard to the lasl election , which he considered a disgrace to any society , particularly . to Freemasons . Bro . Col . CREATON said he took it that any discussion on thc present motion must be confined to the subject of that motion ' . '¦¦ - With regard to the

conduct of thc last election , that was not the question before the brethren . Bro . BRI . STOW had heard with a great amount of . ' surpi isc the motion of Bro . Tattershall brought forward , because at the present time it seemed to him that the subscribers had got entirely in their own hands the power to elect whom they pleased . If the Committee carried this resolution they would be depriving themselves of the right to elect just whom they pleased .

It seemed lo him that at present they had free choice , and it was unwise of them as governors and donors to deprive themselves of any powers . It was all very well to say that the brethren retiring might be re-elected after being off the Committee a year ; but he begged leave to say that a brother who had been off a Committee for 12 months , no matter how useful a member he might have been , by that time would have lost some of

his interest in the Charily , and would not come forward again . When they saw men like Bro . John A . Rucker , one of the most popular men in the Craft , on the Committee , they might assume that when once he was put off for 1 J months they might not have the chance of electing him again . For tlie sake of such men it was undesirable to pass this resolution ! lie did not know whether it would be the turn of this brother to come off , but there were oilier members of equal value , and it appeared to him that

it would be most undesirable for them to tie their hands by passing such a resolution as this . If they did not like the brethren brought forward for reelection they need not re-elect them . He thought they should give this motion a direct answer . If it was the pleasure of " the meeting that it should be carried , let it be , but if not , as he hoped il would not be , let Bro . Tattershall know once for all that the brethren did not want to be harassed by coming up time after time to vote against his motion .

Bro . I ' .. K . STORK , P . M . and Treasurer No . 22 , could not endorse llie sentiments of llie last speaker entirely , because he thought that Bro . Tattershall , as a brother connected with this Institution , had 1 perfect rhdrt to bring forward whatever proposition he pleased . For himself he did not agree with ihe motion . He thought it was wrong for any brother who had the interests of ihe Institution at heart , lo bring forward this motion on

personal grounds . In all institutions there were generally some fancy or ornamental names on the committees . He was connected with some 17 committees of institutions , working orphan schools , and the like , and there were lancy or ornamental names on them—names of men who . never attended to their duties . He was one who did not believe in ornamental names . He felt lhal when a man took a certain position it was his bounden

duty to attend to the duties of that position for the sake of the prosperity of the Institution , and to do all he possibly could for it . If thfey had ornamental names on their Committee he certainly agreed that a third should retire annually , and give others an opportunity of being elected . There were those among the brethren who had done as much as those on the Committee , but

on delicate grounds they did not like to oppose llie old names , lie would himself like to have a finger in the pie , but he would not think of opposiu " others who were on the Committee . If he was the ri ght man , let them have him , bul he would not tout ; and he thought it was a proper thing in every Institution for a certain number of members or directors to retire annually .

Bro . G HAH A . vi thought the end of the proposition would be to prevent them from electing certain members of the Committee who retired by rotation . Let them have members retire by rotation ; but let them have an opporlulunity of re-electing them . He quite agreed that it mi ght be an advantage to have new blood on the Committee ; but , while new blood was valuable

old , sound judgment was more valuablestiil . Men who had been regular in their attendance should not be prevented the opportunity of giving iVjii judgment on any point , and affording the Institution the bcnelit ' of their ; rvices . He opposed the motion , and hoped Bro . Tattershall would be adv ed lo withdraw it .

Bro . WALTER HOI-KKIRK asked how long Bros . Rucker and Nunn had been on the House Committee ? Bro . HEDGES , who was telerred to b y Col . Creaton , said he had not the exact figures by him , but he thought about 16 years . Bro . lloi'EK . iRK said he thought it would be a great benefit if there were lobe a change—not for thc Committee to be elected "en bloc . " It vvas

the custom lor the whole of the Committee to be printed on one sheet , and the election took place annually . Sheets were given b y the Committee with all their names printed on them , and they were ' asked to vole for themselves . The consequence was that all the members were selected ; and when lhc number of Vice-Presidents was taken into consideration he did not think it was right to thc whole of ihe Craft to let the Institution be governed ba

y small minority . Some did atlend , and some did not . But there were some outside who were anxious to serve the Institution . He thought some should stand over for 12 months and allow others to show their interest in thc Institution . He hoped this motion would be successful , and he was sure lhal that day 12 months they would find they had done good service to thc Institution .

Bro . KAVNIIAM W . STEWART , P . G . D ., reminded the brethren that every year there was an election , and in seven years there had been nine new members on the Committee . Some brethren were an assistance , and by their advice they were able to carry out good work . They look great care of the girls . If they put people on who did take trouble and who did discharge their duties he did not think they ought to be displaced ; but still the brethren had the power to displace them now , for an election took place every year . hro 1

. S . II . ARKIIOUSK said it was quite true they had an election now , but Bro . Stewart should remember that two of the names last elected were put . on by the Ilouse Committee themselves , and it was no use to oppose them . lie was not speaking with any disrespect for Bro . Stewart or the House Committee . If they were to search the whole of the Craft he believed that taken as a body they could not find a better Committee than there was now ; but still he thought there ought to be a chance for such men as Bro , Storr . He could not , however , support Bro . TattershalFs pro-