Grand Lodge Decisions.*

in which we differ with him , not only in opinion , but also in the statements of fact on which he has based such opinion . Thus under the head of " Authorised Ritual" it is remarked incidentally at p . 7 Lhat " ic is Masonic custom to wait for the

confirmation of the minutes previous to taking action of any description , but it is worthy of note that the Constitutions only require the minutes to be confirmed on the election of a Worshipful Master : Vide Article 130 of the

Book of Constitutions . " It is quite true that a brother is not " deemed to be elected " Master of a lodge unless to much ol " the minutes of the preceding meeting as relates to his election has been confirmed , but Bro . LAWRENCE appears to lose sight of

the fact that stress is laid on the necessity for the election of a Master at one lodge meeting being confirmed at the next meeting , not because the election of a brother to serve as Master is the only proceeding of a private lodge which requires

confirmation , but because the election is not ' valid , and the arrangements as provided in the lodge By-laws for the installation of the new Master cannot be carried out until that much of the minutes is so confirmed . If our brother will turn to Article

172 , he will find it therein laid down—as regards private lodges —that "the minutes can only be confirmed at a subsequent regular meeting of the Lodge . " As regards Grand Lodge , he will find that Article 62 provides for the confirmation of minutes

while Article 74 lays it down specifically that " no resolution for a grant of money ( except sums of £ 50 or under , recommended by the Board of Benevolence ) , or for a new law or regulation , or for the alteration or repeal of an old one , shall

become valid unless confirmed at the next ensuing quarterly communication . " Moreover , if Bro . LAWRENCE will kindly refer to OLIVER ' S " Masonic Jurisprudence "—edition 1859—ne will find at p . 203 that the author of that useful work lays it

down that " no resolution of a lodge or any other business how unanimously soever it may have been agreed to in the first instance becomes binding , and no action can be taken upon it till it has been confirmed by open voting at a subsequent

regular meeting , with at least five Master Masons and members of the lodge present . " Later in the same paragraph in which this passage occurs , Dr . OLIVER remarks , " So stands the lawand a very judicious law it is , for it prevents all factious

intriguing , which could scarcely fail to be occasionally successful if a resolution or law established by a majority of votes at one lodge were irreversible at another . " Bro . LAWRENCE is not the only brother who labours under the impression that the only

lodge minutes of proceedings that require confirmation are those that relate to the election of Master , and that as regards all other minutes all that is necessary is that they be confirmedor otherwise—as correct records of what took place in lodge .

With reference to the " Prerogatives of the M . W . G . M . ' as considered at pp . 7-1 r , it is too large a question to discuss in a review . We shall , therefore , content ourselves with pointing out that when some years ago it was suggested , rather than proposed , that the then existing ; Table of Precedence of Grand Officers

should be disturbed , to the detriment of the Grand Chaplains , who were to be degraded below the rank of the Grand Treasurer , Grand Secretary , and other officers , we do not think it was so much a question of landmarks as between the Volume of the

Sacred Law and the Key and Cross pens as of the relative powers and prerogatives of the Grand Lodge and Grand Master , When it was claimed b y those who suggested tin ; alterations in the Table of Precedence ol Grand Officers that they were made by

virtue of the Grand Master ' s prerogative , it was contended b y others—and we think it was rightly so contended—that the Table of Precedence was settled by the authority of the Grand Lodge . To go no further back than the 18 73 Edition of the Book of

Constitutions , such a I able will be found at pp . 16-18 of that Edition . It was felt that the proposal was an attempt on tinpart of sundry to usurp the powers of Grand Lodge , and when the full extent of the ill feeling to which the proposed alteration

in the Table had given rise was realised , the scheme was heard of no more , the Grand Master , with that tact which characterises him , and to which Bro . LAWRENCE so gracefully

refers , extricating himself and his officers from the difficulty in which the latter would have placed him by leaving the Table unaltered , and ( he grave question of

Grand Lodge Decisions.*

Grand Lodge powers v . Grand Master ' s prerogatives untouched . It must also be taken into account , as at all events offering some justification for the proposed changes in the order of precedence as reeards the offices of Chaplain ,

I reasurer , and Secretary , that the office of Secretary was created first , that of Treasurer next , and that of Chaplain last . Thus , if the dates of creation were followed , the three offices of Chaplain , Treasurer , and Secretary would rank in the inverse order

of precedence to what they do now , yet there is no doubt as to the V . of the S . L . taking precedence of the minute and cash books . Bro . LAWRENCE might have supplemented the information contained under this head by mentioning that an attempt was

again made in 1892 to disturb the then existing order of precedence when it was proposed to increase the number of Grand Officers by six , one of the offices to be so created being that of Grand Chancellor , with precedence next after the Grand

Wardens . The proposal was found to be exceedingly distasteful , and instead of the Grand Chancellor taking precedence of the Grand Chaplains , the amended scheme provided for a Dep . G . Registrar ranking next after G . Registrar .

In the paragraph at p . 11 headed " Recognition of New South Wales , " we are told that the refusal of our Grand Lodge to recognise a "body styling itself the Grand Lodge" of " does not imply any censure of the body making the

application . We are not of Bro . LAWRENCE ' S opinion in this matter . When this refusal took place as stated and for a long time afterwards , the members of the so-called NewSouth Wales Constitution were an irregular body . They had formed themselves into

lodges without due authority , and when the late Earl of CARNARVON arrived at Sydney , he was not in a position to receive that welcome from the N . S . Wales brethren , which he gladly received from the English , Scotch , and Irish brethren in New South

Wales as recognised in lodges under their respective Grand Lodges . So deplorable was the condition of Freemasonry in lhe Colony at the time—the English , Irish , and Scotch brethren refusing to have anything to do with the so-called N . S .

Wales Masons—that he made an attempt to bring them together and we rejoice to say he succeeded in his attempt . But had there been no censure , either direct or implied , in our refusal to

recognise these irregularly constituted Masonic bodies , there would have been no war to the knife , so to speak , between the regular and irregular organisations .

As regards the office of " Grand Treasurer , " Bro . LAWRENCE has made no allowance for the change of circumstances which had come over the office of Grand Treasurer , who had ceased to be a responsible officer as provided in the 18 73

Book of Constitutions . Hence the contention , that as he no longer had any duties to perform , there was no longer a valid reason for continuing the same brother in office yeai

after year . We do not think it wise to apply the term " Radicals " to those who advocated the change . There arc many brethren who regard the term as one of reproach .

Under the head of " Revision of the Constitutions , " we beg to point out that the statement that "Bro . WILLIAMS brought out successive editions in 1815 , 18 rg , 1827 , and 18 41 , " is not correct , at all events as regards the year 18 4 I , for the best of all reasons that Bro . WILLIAMS died in 18 ^ 9 .

Other points , there are to which we shall call attention here after . For the present we seem to have dealt with most of tin important points in the first head or chapter .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Surrey.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF SURREY .

The annual meeting of the above Provincial Grand Lodge was held at the Royal Asylum of St . Anne's Society , Redhill , on the 22 nd inst ., when there was a very large attendance of brethren . The P . G . M ., the Earl of Onslow , G . C . M . G ., presided , and was supported by—Bros . J . D . Langton , P . D . G . D . C , as Deputy P . G . M . ( in the unavoidable absence of Bro . F . West , Deputy P . G . M . ); Dr . H . Strong , P . G . D ., as Prov . S . G . W . j

A . H . Bowles , P . G . D ., as Prov . J . G . W . ; J . T . Firbank , M . P ., G . D . ; V . P . Freeman , P . G . D . ; W . Pile , Prov . G . Treas . ; C . T . Tyler , Prov . G . Sec ; J . R . Cleave , P . P . G . D . ; J . H < Hawkins , Prov . G . D . C . ; J . H . Mayo , P . P . G . P . ; E , L . Berry , Prov . G . S . of W . Bucks ; W . Dennis , W . M . ; W . Lane , P . P . G . S . B . ; G . B . Smallpeice , P . M . ; T . Clark , P . P . G . S . B . ; W . A . Lathom , Prov . A . G . Sec . ; and many other P . G . Officers and members of the province . Provincial Grand Lodge was opened , and the minutes confirmed , after which , the roll of lodges was called ,