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

are not , yet over . The contest Avas not at an end , and is not likely to be so for some time to come . The reformers in the Grand Lodge trusted too confidentl y in the completeness of their honestly-Avon victory , and did not sufficiently consider IIOAV

unscrupulous and ingenious Avere the opponents over whom they bad prevailed . They were aAvaro that tAvo Quarterly Coinmumcations of the Grand Lodge still remained to be held during the currency of the present year ; but they kneAV that

, according to the laws of the Grand Lodge , no motion could be made in it Avithout notice given at the previously Quarterly Conununication , and that no resolution adopted could be rescinded or modified , or the subject of it again taken into

consideration , till after the lapse of twelve months from the time of its being adopted . When the Quarterly Communication took place in August , therefore , no thought being entertained by them that anything could even be said about Avhat had been

done in May , and no business of special importance being expected to come before the meeting , there Avas a comparatively small attendance of members , and the old leaders of the Grand Lodge saAv that their

supporters Avere in a large majority , Avhich probably they had taken care to secure . They Avere not SIOAV to seize the 02 iportunity . It Avould not have done openly to violate the laws of the Grand Lodge , —to reconsider a subject on which a resolution had been adopted before a had

year elapsed , or to entertain a motion made without preArious notice given . But on the minutes of the May meeting being read , it Avas decided by a majority that the minutes should not be approved in so far as the resolution for reform of the Grand

Lodge was concerned , because that resolution Avas ultra vires of the Grand Lodge . No such procedure ever took place , I suppose , in the history of the Gjand Lodge of Scotland , or of any other Grand Lodge ; and being without precedent , it must be

eonsidered entirely on its OAVII merits . It Avas not open and honourable procedure ; the absence of previous notification of intention is sufficient proof of this . It is evidently an attempt to evade the laws of the Grand Lodge , and to annul a resolution Avithout formally rescinding it . Anj attempt to evade a laAv is odious in its very nature , and no one can doubt that it is

the duty of all true and worthy Freemasons to put down everything of the khid . Again , if this decision of the Grand Lodge in August should be alloAved to stand , and the resolution adopted after due notice of motion and due deliberation hi

May to be nidified by it , the state of matters in the Grand Lodge would evidently be worse than ever ; for a precedent would be established AvMch Avoidd enable an artful and unscrupulous clique virtually to set aside at their pleasure , when

by mustering their supporters they coidd obtain a majority , every laAV intended for the protection of Masonic freedom and independence . The carefully considered resolution of a large meeting might on any opportunity be over turned , in as this case ,

by a small meeting , Avhich the members forming the majority present had been privately invited to attend , for that special purpose . The action of the Grand Lodge in August is unprecedented , in any body having a constitution and laws . What Avould be thought of the House of

Commons or the House of Lords declaring a resolution already adopted by the House , or the vote by Avhich a bill was passed , to be ultra vires i If such a thing could bo done , the Avhole affairs of the country might be thrown into inextricable confusion .

At the close of the Quarterly Communication in August , notice was given of a motion for the substantial reversal of the unconstitutional resolution of the lodge that evening ; and when it came on for consideration at the next Quarterly Communication in Novembera kind of

com-, promise Avas agreed to that the consideration of it shordd be further postponed till February , that the subject might niean-Avhile- be considered in the Lodges and their opinion ascertained . It seems fair that the lodges should be consulted .

But I doubt if the course pursued by those seeking the reform of the Grand Lodge was the best possible . It Avas necessary that some protest should be made against the resolution of August , but those who carried that resolution will have

virtually gained their object , if the Grand Lodge meets in February , constituted as before , and not in accordance Avith the motion of May , Avhich would thus be treated as a dead letter . I hold that the motion carried . on May ought to b . e