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

up held , as not laAvfully rescinded , and therefore in full force . It is not impossible that the question of jho validity of the proceedings of the Grand Lodge in August—of their right to set aside as ultra vires the resolution adop ted in May—and therefore . also

the question if that resolution Avas really ultra vires or not , may come before the Court of Session Avith reference to rights of property . I have little fear as to Avhat the judgment of the Court would be if a disruption should take place in the Grand

Lodge between those who uphold the resolution of May and those Avho desire to sustain the adverse decision of August . In one point of vieAV , it may be said , the reforming party amongst the Freemasons of Scotland have nothing at all to fear .

They have only , if they find such a course necessary or expedient , to AvithdraAV from the Grand Lodge as utterly corrupt and degenerate , and to constitute a new Grand Lodge , to wMch , I am confident , such a number of lodges and estimable bretMen would adhere , that the old Grand Lodge and its adherents Avould soon sink into insignificance and contempt . They would

thus , indeed , renounce all interest in the property of the present Grand Lodge ; but they would also be free from all responsibility for its debts , AvMch , through longcontinued and gross mismanagement , are so heaAry , that to be quit at once of the property and of them Avould , as a mere

matter of pounds , shillings , and pence , seem very desirable . But on other and higher grounds I cannot , as a Freemason , think a disruption amongst the Freemasons of Scotland a desirable thing , and , least of all a disruption taking place through the voluntary withdrawal of those who seek

reform . If there must be a disruption , let them still maintain that they stand on the good old ground ; let them not constitute a neAV Grand Lodge , but , Avherever they meet to open a Grand Lodge constituted in accordance Avith the resolution of May , 1873 , let them open it as the Grand

Lod ge of Scotland , the same that Avas founded in 1736 ; let them claim the old name and the property , and accept the debts . TMs is the course Avhich I think brethren throughout the world would generally most approve , —the most constitutional and truly Masonic ; and in this way , if , as x expect , they are found to be

legally in the right , their victory Avould'be altogether complete , and the separation of parties would speedily come to an end , for none apart from them could pretend to constitute either lodge or Grand Lodge , or to carry on the Avork of Freemasonry . It were a strange thing indeed if the

resolution adopted by the Grand Lodge in May should be found ultra vires . It must then be held that the Grand Lodge of Scotland is for ever unable to reform itself in any Avay , or to make the least modification in its OAVH constitution , but

must remain to the end of time , or of its own existence—Avhich in that case would probably not be very prolonged—exactly such as it is . TMs must be the contention of those who stand up in support of the decision of August , if they have to plead

their cause in the Court of Session ; and how can it be maintained in face of the fact that the British Parliament has reformed its own constitution , as to the qualification of members of the House of Commons , as to the qualification of electors , and as to the constituencies entitled to return members , —depriving boroughs of that right , conferring it on tOAvns AvMch

did not possess it before , uniting counties that had formerly separate representatives , and dividing counties to increase the number of their representatives ] It seems absurd to imagine that everything in the constitution of a body which , like the Grand Lodge of Scotland

or the Parliament of the United Kingdom , is amenable to no higher authority , should be regarded as in every particular stereotyped and fixed , unchangeable as the laAvs of tho Medes and Persians , as it must be if it is to be held debarred from any attempt to reform itself . It is otherwise

Avith a body corporate , subordinate to a higher authority and deriving its constitution from it , as a burgh or any company incorporated by Act of Parliament , or a lodge holding of the Grand Lodge . It cannot change its OAvn constitution even in the most minute detail , and changes can only

be effected by the same authority by Avhich the original constitution Avas bestoAved . But changes may in any case be effected somehoAV ; and as to a Grand Lodge , it is above all necessary that the general approbation of the Masonic brotherhood should be obtained , a sufficient security that nothing Avill be done contrary to the