Constitutions Of Freemasonry.

commendations on each individual case , " the Grand Lodge , however , reserving to itself the power of deciding upon matters not previously submitted to the Board of General Purposes , and it being provided that "A motion for the enactment of a new lawor for the

, alteration or repeal of an existiug law , . or for a grant of money , shall not be made unless one month ' s previous notice thereof in writing shall have been given in open Grand Lodge , -which notice shall be printed in the summonses for the next regular meeting of the Grand Lodge .

Scotland is not less jealous of the power to bring forward questions of which previous notice has not been given , and it is there provided"No Motion for altering or abrogating an existing Law , or for enacting a new one , or for disposing of any part of the Property or Funds of the Grand Lodge , shall be made , except at a Quarterly Communication ; and such Motion must lie for three months on the table before discussion . "

" Notices of Motions intended for consideration at future meetings , must be given personally , and in writing , and not by Brethren present on behalf of absent Members . " In England we know that the Grand Master occasionally exercises the power of declaring that a motion cannot be put—though under what law we are at a loss

to discover—but in Ireland it is frankly declared " A discretionary power is vested in the Chairman of the Grand Lodge of rejecting any notice of motion , if such shall be deemed by him improper or unlawful , or inconsistent with the ancient landmarks of the Order , " but in Scotland the Constitutions are again more liberal ,

and the decision of what is improper or illegal is left , not to the opinion of one brother , however exalted his rank , but to the majority of the brethren . " When any Motion , not contrary to the Laws , shall have been , regularly made and seconded , it shall not be competent for the Grand Master , or other Brother officiating in the

Chair , to refuse to put the same to the vote ; and if any doubt shall arise as to the interpi-etation of a Law , the power of deciding the same shall be vested , not m the Ohaiv , but in the Meeting . "

We now come to a most important clause—especiall y where the right of adjournment is denied—that of calling Grand Lodges of Emergency , and here it will be found that , so far as the principles of the Craft are concerned , England is far behind Scotland in the powers they possess . In England it is enacted

"The Grand Master , hi his absence the Pro Grand Master , in his absence the Deputy Grand Master , or , in his absence the Grand Wardens , may summon and hold Grand Lodges of Emergency , whenever the good of the Craft shall , in their opinion , require it . "

Whilst in Scotland the following is the provision : — " The Grand Master , Depute , or Substitute , may at any time call a Meeting of the Grand Lodge ; and upon an order from the Grand Committee , or a requisition signed by twenty-one duly qualified Members of the Grand Lodge , the Secretary shall be bound immediatelto call a Meeting

y , to be held within ten days from the date of presenting the requisition . " In Ireland it is . enacted that in addition to the monthly meetings of Grand Lodge , meetings are to

take place " at all times , when duly summoned ; " but we do not find any regulations under which the Grand Lodge can be summoned , excepting in the ease of the demise of the Grand Master , or his being rendered incapable of discharging his duties by other causes , when

the "Deputy Grand Master , or , in his absence , the Senior Grand Warden , or some other Grand Officer according to seniority , " is to summon a Grand Lodge for the election of a Grand Master .

We pass over the clause relative to the time for holding the Grand Festivals , and still keeping the English Booh of Constitutions for our guide , we come to one even more important than the last treated upon , and involving a princip le upon which we have already

spoken in these pages , viz ., who is the proper person to preside over Grand Lodge in the absence of the Grand Master or his Deputy ? Thus , in the English Book of Constitutions , we find

" If , at any Grand Lodge , stated or occasional , the Grand Master be absent , the lodge shall be ruled by the Grand Officer or Past Grand Officer next in rank and seniority who may be present ; and , if no Grand Officer be present , by the Master of the senior lodge . "

Now we have already , we trust , sufficiently shown that , though taking rank in the table of precedence , the Prov . Grand Masters rank before the Grand Wardens , that they are not Officers of Grand Lodge , and that the power of presiding in the absence of the Grand Master

and his Deputy , does not vest in them , but , under the constitutions , in the Grand Wardens , and it is gratifying to find that this view of the ease is borne out by the express enactments of the sister Grand Lodges . Thus , in Scotland , where the Prov . Grand Masters take precedence , as in the Grand Lodge of England , it is provided

"In the absence of the Grand Master , the Chair shall be filled in the following order : —By the Past Grand Master , Grand Master Depute , Grand Master Substitute , Senior Grand Warden , Junior Grand Warden , the Master or Proxy-Master present , according to the Seniority of their respective Lodges on the Grand Roll . "

In Ireland we have already shown that the Provincial Grand Masters rank after the Grand Officers of the year , and the Past Grand and Past Deputy Grand Masters ; and there it is declared " At each meeting of the Grand Lodge the chair shall be

filled by the Grand Master , and in his absence by the Deputy Grand Master , and in his absence by the Senior Grand Warden , and in his absence by the Junior Grand Warden , and in his absence by the Grand Treasurer , and iu his absence by the Grand Secretary , in bis absence by the Grand Chaplains , according to seniority , and in their absence by the Grand Deacons , according to seniority , and in their

absence by a past Grand Master , or past Deputy Grand Master , according to Masonic rank and seniority , and in their absence by the acting master of the Grand Master ' s lodge , and in his absence by a past acting master of that lodge ; and in case no such brother be present , the chair shall be filled by the master of the senior lod ge present , or his proxy . "

Thus it will be seen that , though in Ireland and Scotland the power of the Prov . Grand Master is , in his