Ears Of Wheat From A Cornucopia.

EARS OF WHEAT FROM A CORNUCOPIA .

LONDON , SATURDAY , APRIL 3 , 1 S 69 .

By Bro . D . MURRAY LYON , A . M ., Masonic University of Kentucky , U . S . ; Corresponding Member of the Union of German Free masons , Deip ~ ig ; one of the Grand Stewards in the Grand Lodge of Scotland ; P . G . S . W . of Ayrshire ; author of tiie "History of Mother Kilwinning , " ij-c .

RAIDS UPON THE EIGHTS OP MOTHER KILAVINNING . Another entrenchment upon the rights of the Master of Mother Kilwinning—which was also an invasion of privileges common to all Provincial Grand Masters—was made by Grand Lodge when

in 1 S 60 it homologated a decision of its Committee , limiting the Master of Mother Kilwinning to " Masters or Wardens of Lodges within the province / ' in the appointment of his Provincial Grand Officers . It subsequently fell to the writer

practically to test the soundness of this finding . Having been commissioned by the Master of Mother Kilwinning ( Sir James Pergusson , Bart ., the present Governor of South Australia ) as

Provincial Junior Grand Warden of Ayrshire , we presented our commission at a communication of the Provincial Grand Lodge held at Kilwinning in December , 1 S 61 , and requested to be installed . The acting Provincial Grand Master ( the R . W . M .

of No . 22 ) declined to give effect to that commission , on the ground of our ineligibility to hold the office through not being the Master or Warden of a lodge within the province . Our protest against the legality of this proceeding took the form of a

petition and complaint against the Provincial Grand Lodge of Ayrshire , the consideration of which resulted in the unanimous adoption by Grand Lodge ( February , 1862 ) of the following resolution : —

' Finds , that on a sound interpretation of the laws of Grand Lodge , a Provincial Grand Master has power to appoint by Commission from time to time , a Provincial Grand Depute and a Substitute Master , two Wardens , a Secretary , and

Chaplain , all of whom must be Master Masons , having a residence in the province , but not necessarily Masters or Wardens of Lodges within the province : Therefore sustains the appeal of ... . and reverses the finding of Grand Committee of

date 5 th June , 1860 , and that of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Ayrshire founded thereon , and remit to the Grand Lodge of Ayrshire , with instructions to receive and instal as

Provincial Junior Grand Warden of Ayrshire , should his Commission be in all other respects regular . " MoTHEE KlLAVINNING THE AGGEESSOE . If in the instances which have been cited the lodge of Kilwinning was in the right , its excessive

jealousy for the preservation , and ignorance of the nature , of its privileges , has led to its committal of extravagances not at all in keeping with the dignified stand it has at other times taken as to the inviolability of its Agreement with the Grand

Lodge . The most notable instance of Mother Kilwinning ' s attempted usurpation of a right that in no respect belonged to it occurred in 18-3-3 , on the occasion of laying the foundation stone of Glasgow Jamaica Street Brids ; e . We learn from the Kilwinning records that « The M . W . M ., William Miller , Esq ., of

Monkcastle , having this evening ( August 30 , 1833 ) called a meeting , he stated to the brethren that the object of the meeting was to take into consideration a notice that had appeared in the public papers that it was the intention of the authorities

of Glasgow to lay with Masonic honours the foundation stone of a bridge to be erected over the river Clyde at the foot of Jamaica Street . After hearing the opinion of the brethren present , it was moved that they should attend and officiate on

that occasion , and that intimation be sent to the authorities of Glasgow , as also the Grand Lodge . It was unanimously agreed to , and a committee was appointed to consist of the office bearers and such of the brethren as could attend , to arrange all matters connected with the approaching ceremony . ... "

Urged forward by the hallucination that nad suggested this determination , the Lodge of Kilwinning apprised the Grand Lodge of its intention to attend and officiate on the occasion in question . In reply to that communication the Grand Clerk wrote :

" ... It is proper to mention that it is the prerogative of the Provincial Grand Master of the district to preside , regulate , and direct in ail Masonic matters and ceremonies therein . The present P . G . M . for Glasgow is Henry Monteith ,

Esq ., who , should he decline performing- the ceremony personally , has the rig ht to delegate that power to another . . . " In the face of this information , fifteen of the Kilwinning brethren proceeded to Glasgow and formally claimed on behalf of their lodge the right