Grand Lodge.

GRAND LODGE .

LONDON , SATURDAY , JUNE < t , 1861 ..

Has no one a grievance ? Is no one prepared to lead an opposition in Grand Lodge ? or are Ave to be doomed for ever to the inaction AA'hich noAv prevails ? Grand Lodge met on "Wednesday , and , on looking l'ound the seats , Ave began to fancy

that the autumn was upon us—notwithstanding that we arrived at the hall in great coats—and that the majority of Grand Lodge had gone to the sea side , Avhere we belive nine-tenths of the "W . M . 's manage to prepare themselves for

installing - their successors . Grand Lodge Avas , in truth , decidedly empty ; the Board of General Purposes AA as about to be elected Avithout opposition , ancl the only question of apparent interest was that relative to the letting * of the Tavern , Avhich , in sporting language , had been " made safe" before the meeting . When

the occupants of the dais entered , Grand Lodge certainly looked a little more lively ; but what AA ere the Grand SteAvards about , only seven showing out of eighteen , and Ave are not quite sure that the whole of those seven Avere Stewards of the year . Is there no fine on the Grand Stewards for non-attendance ? If not there should be . lien

have no right to undertake duties they do not intend to perform , neither have they a right to wear a distinguishing badge as having gone through a certain office , the duties of Avhich they regularly shirk , never appearing but on the

occasion of the Pestival . It is time for a reform in the manner in which the Grand Stewards are appointed ; and if they do not attend a little better to their duties , Ave shall feel bound to do battle for the Craft , to ensure a more equitable system of election than that Avhich now exists .

Grand Lodge opened , and the usual preliminaries having been gone through , the President of the Board of General Purposes brought forward a resolution authorising some alterations in the method of stamping the Grand Lodge certificates

so as to economise time in the Grand Secretary ' s office . The resolution was passed , but Ave trust that due care will be taken to prevent the stamping becoming too easy , so that false certificates may get abroad . We recollect that when Bro .

Elisha Cook , of the "United States , was here , hebeing a great collector of Masonic documents , even to the envelope of a lodge summons , if it only bore the impress of the square and

compasseswas favoured Avith a damaged form of a certificate , and forthwith boasted of his prize and how easily it AA onIcl be to make it pass as a genuine one . Notwithstanding-, it would have required a little forgery for the purpose , AA hich we are sure the

brother was incapable of , though suggesting Avhat under a lax system of guards with regard to certificates might be done . Then came the real "business of the evening , the g iving power to the Committee on the Grand

Lodge property to let the Tavern in its present ancl its future state . We have already given it as our opinion that the tenants have a right to IOIOAV , at the earliest possible period , the real position hi which they stand , and Ave need not therefore say

that we rejoice the resolution was unanimousl y carried—even the voice of the Objector General to all measures not emanating from himself , being * for once , and once only in the memory of the oldest Mason , silent . Alas ! AA hat are Ave coming to ?

Bro . Havers brought forward the motion in as quiet , able , and argumentative speech as ever delivered in Grand Lodge , the one fault Ave have to

find Avith it being that it was altogether unnecessary , as lie only conjured up giants in order to fell them to the earth . We are sure Grand Lodge did not Avant to be told that the Committee Avere not actuated hy other than

the purest motives in making the propositions —for had Grand Lodge believed so , it would not have required a , A'oice to declare it . Neither Avas it necessary to attempt to prove how much better a small and permanent Committee could manage

Grand Lodge property than a large and continually charging body like the Board of General Purposes . Grand Lodge has too vivid a recollection of the course it Avas forced to pursue less than

two years since to relieve that Board of duties it was evidently incompetent to fulfil , to wish , to restore them until every arrangement in connection Avith the new building is satisfactorily carried out . Bro . Havers paid a befitting tribute to the

manner in which the Tavern has been conducted b y the present lessees , and expressed an opinion Avith which all but the Senior Grand Warden will agree , that in any future arrangement they should have a preference , even at a sli ght sacrifice of immediate

income , over new and untried men—though , of course , Avhilst the lessees are justified in endeavouring to get the house for as little as possible , our Committee are bound to obtain for it the best price they can consistent Avith efficiency of