Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS 333 The Festival Returns , 334 Stewards' Visit to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys 334 Summer Festival of the Domatic Lodge ,

No . 177 33 S Complimentary Dinner to Bro . Alfred Brookman , C . C ., I . P . M . Aldersgate Lodge , J 6 $ 7 331 Royal Masonic Institution for Girls 337 C ORRESPONDENCETable of Precedence 338 The Recent Boys' School Festival 339

CORRESPONDENCE ( Continued)—Rebuilding of Freemasons' Hall 33 6 National College of Music 339 Reviews 33 ,, Notes and Queries 339 An Oration 339

New Zealand 340 Masonic Rifle Match 340 REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 341 Royal Arcli . " 343 Masonic and General Tidings 344 Lodge Meetings for Next Week iii .

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THE seriousness of the business to be transacted at the special Grand Lodge to-day ( Friday ) , cannot be overrated . The settlement of the Book of Constitutions is of intense importance , and of prevailing need , for the best interests of our now great Order . Some of us who are inclined to be " Iaudatores temporis acti , " may perhaps be ready to say that after all very

little has been done , and that the oldjConstitutions are superior to the new . But surely it is something by a better collocation of sections , and a more natural sequence of subjects , to render the Book of Constitutions still more readable and still more understandable , by the many as well as by the few . The gross ignorance often displayed of its provisions , and the lamentable

" rulings " we often hear of in various localities , governed neither by the letter or the spirit of the Book of Constitutions itself , if they are as frequently subjects of amusement , are as equally causes of grief to the expert and thoughtful Freemason . We therefore hail all attempts to make the language clearer and more precise , to render the intent more obvious , to

cause the Book of Constitutions to be more carefully read and more easily intrepreted . The Board of General Purposes has no doubt worked hard and with the best intentions to carry out the directions of Grand Lodge , but the Board of General Purposes is not a board created " ad hoc , " and it is affected seriously by one or two fatal characteristics , its yearly change , its

unacquaintance with the technical construction of laws , unfamiliarity with the grave difficulty of drafting satisfactory verbiage . It is the last Body in the world , in our humble opinion , ( with { a few notable exceptions ) , to which to delegate the preparation or revision of a code of Masonic law . In the list of amendments accepted and amendments rejected

those who have studied such subjects , or ever taken part in the framing of Masonic enactments , will note at once many debateable propositions and many regrettable omissions . In fact it could not well be otherwise . As a rule amendments are never agreeable or acceptable , and the Board of General Purposes had not even the time , if it had the inclination , to give to

each proposition , some of them novel , not a Sew experimental , and a considerable portion to a great extent tentative altogether , the full and careful consideration they demanded . It seems to us , we confess , that the only reasonable and safe course for Grand Lodge to pursue before they settle hastily and " en bloc " our one great authority of constitutional

privileges and constitutional law is , to refer the revised draft , with the accepted and rejected amendments , to a special Committee charged with a further examination of conflicting views , and a further amalgamation of various propositions , and to present such completed draft to a subsequent

Quarterly Communication or special Grand Lodge . We are inclined to think that if some brother of commanding intellect and influence , like Bro . J HAVERS , for instance , would come forward with such a specific proposal , and with a list of good names alike metropolitan and provincial , he would at once secure a decisive majority in Grand Lodge .

* * * WE shall not be at all surprised , if we have to announce to our readers next week , that the revised Book of Constitutions has been referred to a special Committee still further to consider and report on to a subsequent Grand Lodge . There are many patent reasons which may induce Grand Lodge to come to such a conclusion .

# # WE understand that , yielding to the request of many old Masonic friends , Bro . J HAVERS , finding himself happily in better health than for some time past , has been induced to take once again an active

part in the business of Grand Lodge . This information and this fact if verified , as we doubt not , will give unqualified satisfaction to many old supporters and admirers . In Bro . HAVERS ' long and arduous Masonic career it was impossible but that he " trod on many toes " so to say , affected the equilibrium of some , and antagonized the " vanities " of more , but even

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those who most widely and loudly differed from him , agreed in a recognition of his Masonic zeal , his mastery of the Book of Constitutions , his great ability , and in his inflexible integrity . It will , therefore , we venture to think , be a subject of much rejoicing to numerous older and younger brethren , alike to hear that we shall see him now oftener in Grand Lodge

than for the last few years , and be able to avail ourselves of his expert lore and his wise counsels as to many serious questions which at present affect , and to some extent agitate , Grand Lodge . Bro . HAVERS , as was to have been expected , from his high character and special position has , we are informed , been consulted of late by a good many brethren , and

although reticent in giving any opinion , he has listened patiently , and with an evident desire to assist , to all who have sought an interview with him . We are pleased in being able to announce the fact , and we shall not scruple , as we hope others will not scruple , to place before him any facts or opinions ,

or , indeed , wishes of the Craft which we think may be useful to him , and , through him , to our Rulers , the more so , as we feel assured the Craft and Grand Lodge will derive great aid and support from the representations of his long experience , and his minute acquaintance with the active working of our Masonic system .

* * * THE " Order " of the GRAND MASTER is alluded to in the " agenda paper " as ruling the new Table of Precedence . But it is quite clear that such an " Order" requires grave consideration , in fact , the gravest , as much can be said " pro and con " the assumption of absolute prerogative claimed by

our esteemed brother , the GRAND REGISTRAR . A search for precedents •would establish this undoubted fact , —that since 1 S 16 many alterations have been made by " order" of the GRAND MASTER ; but as many and as important have been brought about by " motion " in . Grand Lodge . Both sides are therefore right and -wrong in the controversy ; there is no distinct

custom either way . But then it follows that the claims of absolute prerogative are not admissable . The moreso , as the most recent changes have been effected by distinct motion in Grand Lodge . As regards the Table of Precedence itself , whatever be the abstract question of prerogative , we know , or think

we know , ourselves , from various circumstances , what has always been the mind of Grand Lodge thereanent in the concrete . We invite a most serious reconsideration of the whole subject , fraught as it is with serious consequences , consequences which might actually imperil the entire privileges and independence of Grand Lodge .

* * THE returns for the Boys' Festival are alike remarkable and most striking . We are not ourselves aware of any similar result of any similar charitable festival held at any time in this country . Certainly Bro . BINCKES has a fair claim to congratulation and commendation , in that marvellous outcome

ot Masonic liberality and good feeling which this last festival has exhibited , and astounded the Secretaries of similar institutions and an admiring public' Henceforth , 1 S 83 will be a great year in Masonic benevolent annals , in that our Craft clearly testified by its response to Bro . BINCKES ' S appeal ,

that it thoroughly realised the intense value and need of the Boys' School by its munificent " largesse , " and its unprecedented returns . The fact that there were 400 Stewards is a fact in itself and by itself , pregnant with meaning and full of the most important considerations .

* * # ONE fact deserves to be noticed , that the provinces have sent up returns nearly two to one in amount to , the metropolis ,- and if we are correctly informed that the bulk of the . £ 15 , 000 is for the Special Building Fund ( with the double votes ) , it is not difficult to presume that sooner or later

several consequences not anticipated in the original programme may be the inevitable outcome and illustration of the liberal offers of the Special Building Fund . But most truly , as ever , " sufficient for the day is the evil

thereof , " and as we are no sense wittingly ever " prophets of ill , " we prefer to accept the " sunny " or the " seamy side " as you will , and leave to Time , which " discloseth all things , " the more certain verification of favourable "fads , " or maybe hazy theories .

* * WE would call the attention of the brethren to the meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge at York , next month , which will be honoured by

the attendance of the GRAND MASTER , when he will lay the foundation stone of the new Institution with Masonic ceremonial . We shall call attention to this interesting fact more fully later . The Yorkshire brethren will , no doubt , organize and carry out a most successful assembly .