The Grand Lodge And " The Freemasons' Magazine."

THE GRAND LODGE AND " THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE . "

LONDON , SATURDAY , JUKE T , 1 S 63 .

We have received a "first Avarning" from the Grand Master , and our Editor has been personally threatened with the terrors which aAvait him from the indignation of Grand Lodge—and for what ? Has he been committing treason against the

Grand Master ? Has he been attempting to undermine the Constitutions of Freemasonry ? Has he A iolated any of his Masonic obligations ? No ; but he has had the audacity to publish a letter , signed by a member of the Board of

General Purposes , in his OAATI name , impugning * a report issued from that august body , from the conclusions contained in which the Avriter dissents , and this , too , in a column which is expressly headed by a statement that "the Editor does not hold

himself responsible for the opinions of his Correspondents . " On moving the reception of the report of the Board of General Purposes , the Grand Eegistrai * , somewhat indiscreetly in our opinion , called attention to the letter of Bro . Meymott , winch appeared in our impression of last week , and denied the accuracy of its

statements . Bro . Meymott replied , and defended Avhat he had written , Avhen Bro . Jennings ( Avhose conduct is somewhat reflected upon in the letter ) , in terms neither polite nor Masonic , declared the whole of the statements of Bro . Meymott to be

" a tissue of misrepresentations . " Upon this the Grand Master interposed , and stated that if the Editor of the publication were a member of . Grand Lodge he Avas amenable to that body for publishing anything which took place in the Board of

General Purposes . Taking * the hint , Bro . Jennings called up Bro . Warren by name , and asked Mm if he Avas the Editor of THE FBEEITASOHS' MAGAZINE , a fact AA'hich he could not well deny Avhilst his name is Aveekly printed on the front page of

our journal , to show that Ave are not afraid to accept the full responsibility of our position . To any other questions , unless they had come from the Grand Master , Bro . Warren would have refused to reply , but none others Avere put , the

Grand Master proceeding to promulgate the following l ) ridem fulmen ,: — "To make known Avhat took place in the Board of General Purposes was contrary to the laAvs of Masonry ;

and tho editor of any publications if a member of Grand Lodge , Avho published anything relative to what took place in thafc Board , was deserving of and ought to receive the seA eresfc reprehension from Grand Lodge . " We expected to hear that , following this , some vote of censure AY ould . be moved—Ave fancied

that Ave saw the sword of Damocles dangling over our Editor's head , Avhich might bring destruction upon him . But no ; the matter was alknved to drop , Snd we Avere sorry for it ; for Ave know that , had the resolution been proposed , Bro . Warren AYOUICI

have been prepared to defend himself , having" no fear of Avhat Avould have been the result of an appeal to Grand Lodge , Avhilst he would have been enabled to tell some home truths , Avhich cannot well appear in this magazine .

We deny that Ave are under any obligation to conceal anything which takes place in the Board of General Purposes , whilst it is written by the members themselves , and is the topic of conversation at every street corner , and in every assembly of Masons which we enter , whether it be in our OAATI tavern or elsewhere .

Besides , we knoAV nothing of any obligation taken as regards the proceedings of that body —and if we did we have never taken it , or been allowed the opportunity of doing so—the only brother connected AA'ith this magazine , who

ever sought the honour of being a member of that Board during the last eight or nine years , having been persistently opposed by the Grand Master ' s friends , Avho , regardless of all honoiu * , did not hesitate to unite with a party in Grand

Lodge Avho Avere knoAvn to wish to replace the Grand Master by another , in order to effect the object of excluding that brother from the Board . We are amongst those Avho wish to let bye-gones be bye-gones ; but Ave shall not tamely submit to

threats or warnings Avithout resenting them , and maintaining the position Ave have obtained amongst the brethren . But let us ask how the party —with whom the Grand Officers , led by Bro . Jennings , then united—have repaid the

confidence placed in them ? Have they attended to their duties in Grand Lodge , or have they spurned any approach to conciliation , whilst they have been conspicuously active in other Orders of Freemasonry where the Grand Master

does not rule ? Some years since we , in common with many other brethren , were dissatisfied with the manner in which the Craft was governed , and Bro . Warren took the only legitimate means of expressing that dissatisfaction by giving notice of