Membership Of The Grand Lodge Of Scotland ; What It Is And What It Ought To Be.

but carry away a most unfavourable impression of Scottish Freemasonry from what they might see and -hear . And Avhat is the reason of all this ? Those Avho have considered the subject are , I suppose , pretty unanimous in the opinion

that the Avhole evil has its origin in the proxy system which has been introduced into the constitution of the Grand Lodge of Scotland . The proxy system is a peculiarity of our national Grand Lodge . Not a vestige of it existsin any other

, Grand Lodge in the Avorld . It seems to be altogether of Scottish invention ; and those by Avhom it Avas devised Avould have little reason to be proud of it if they Avere

now witnesses of its results . The purpose Avhich it Avas intended to serve is easily understood . It seemed probable , Avhen the Grand Lodge of Scotland Avas established , 137 years since , that the attendance at its communications of the Masters and Wardens of lodges at a distance from

Edinburgh Avould ordinarily be small , so that there Avas danger of the Avhole business of the Grand Lodge being carried on , even from year to year , by a veiy few persons , the representatives of the lodges only of Edinburgh , and its immediate vicinitywho

, Avould thus acquire an undue poAver over all the lodges of the kingdom . To obviate this danger , the right Avas given to lodges Avhose Masters and Wardens could not

conveniently attend the meetings of the Grand Lodge in Edinburgh to appoint in their stead Proxy Masters to represent them in the Grand Lodge , as to Avhose qualifications it is only requisite that they should be Freemasons , members of a Scottish lodge in full enjoyment of Masonic

rights and privileges . And it was arranged that each Proxy Master should appoint two Proxy Wardens , they also , of course , being brethren belonging to some Scottish lodge , and that they along Avith him should be representatives in the Grand Lodge of the lodge wMch had elected Mm . - The theory

was that lodges Avould elect as Proxy Masters brethren Avell knoAvn to them , or in Avhom , from sure testimony of those Avho knew them , they felt themselves entitled to place full confidence , that so they might be well represented and their interests Avell cared for in the Grand Lodge .

It naturally happened that the brethren chosen as Proxy Masters , and the Proxy Wardens whom they appointed , were

mostly resident in Edinburgh . It also happened that many lodges , especially those in the smaller towns and villages , not regarding their right of appointing a Proxy Blaster as of great value , made no such appointment , and Avere contented to

remain unrepresented in the Grand Lodge ; also that many Avere ready to elect as their Proxy Master any brother Avho Avas recommended to them , although they had never previously heard of him , and knew 'very little of the brother ox brethren Avho

recommended him . And thus it came to pass that , if a member of the Grand Lodge had some particular object wMch he wished to carry , and in favour of Avhich he was doubtful if there Avould be

a majority of votes , the way was open to him to secure a majority by packing the Grand Lodge Avith creatures of his OAvn ; and if a number of members combined for such a purpose , and they Avere Avilling to spend a little money , it Avas easy for themAvithin a very short time

, , to effect a great increase of the number of their supporters by the addition of neAV Members to the Grand Lodge . In this Avay a mere clique obtained an almost absolute control of the affairs of the Grand Lodge , and managed them very much at

their OAvn pleasure , to ' , the grevious injury of its character and the discredit of Ereemasonry . It Avas , doubtless , the expectation of the founders of the Grand Lodge , when they introduced the system of representation by proxy , that the presence of a large number of the most enlightened and

esteemed of the brethren Avould thus be secured in the meetings of the Grand Lodge , giving wisdom to its councils and moral Aveight to its decisions , so as to promote in a Mgh degree the interests of Freemasonry in Scotlandand to uphold

, its honour . But the result soon proved the very opposite , and the eAdl has gone on increasing until it has become intolerable . The Grand Lodge , no doubt , has ahvays reckoned among its members some of whom both the brotherhood and their country

have reason to be proud ; but very many aie of an entirely different class , —illeducated , uncultivated men , of low social position , and possessing no more knowledge of Freemasonry than the least instructed and least proficient in any Edinburgh lodge , and this , it may be safely d , is very little knowledge indeed ;