Provincial Grand Masters.

four or five years ago a decision was given by the Grand Master of England in favour of our Prov . G . M ., after the presentation of a petition for his removal , and that we were refused all knowledge of the defence offered to our charges , except on one point , with regard to which our statements were affirmed by the Grand Secretary to he " whollfalse and groundless "

y , though a comparison of dates would at once have proved the contrary . When a prayer fSi * inquiry was sent to the Board of General Purposes about the same time , the reply given was that it Avas not within its province . The only alternative left us , therefore , is publicity through your columns . Last week you

kindly gave insertion to documents extracted from a local Jersey newspaper , which proved some very serious charges . I am informed that a paper has since been forwarded to you by a highly esteemed brother , being a copy of a most discreditable notice affixed in the appointed public lace at the Parish

p Church of St . Helier , according to law . I saw it there on Sunday morning , and again at ten o ' clock this morning , showing that at that hour no settlement had been made . On subsequent inquiry I found that the sale vras stopped in consequence of the payment of the moneyas I expectedjuding from previous

, , g affairs of the same kind . I now send a note which was issued on Monday , April 2 nd , to nearly thirty Freemasons , which is as follows : —

" Dear Sir and Brother , —You are invited to meet a few members of the Craft at the Pomme d'Or , on Tuesday , April 3 rd , at 7 p . m ., to consider whafc steps should be taken in reference to the conduct of the Prov . Grand Master and his determination to retain his office .

" Yours fraternally , " Jons DTJEELI , , P . M . C . LE STJEUB , "W . M . R . HOPKISTS , P . M . " I am told thafc the Prov . G . M . says that he has sent a copy of this note to the Grand Secretary . If

he desires publicity , we are not only willing , but anxious to assist him in giving it . "When the hour of meeting arrived , only six Avere present , which , at the time , seemed extraordinary . The matter has since been explained . It appears that the Prov . G . M . personally saw many of those Avho had been invited , and

threatened them with suspension from Masonic rights and privileges if they should he present . One brother , who otherwise would have kept aloof , Avas induced to go solely by the utterance of this threat . The tactics were at once changed , and noAvthe menace is restricted to the three Avho signed the invitation , " Quos deus

vult perdere prius dementat . " Nothing can give us greater satisfaction than the execution of this intention . "We shall then have a ground of appeal to Grancl Lodge , and an opportunity of bringing the matter to a solution which we cannot otherwise obtain , but which will unndoubtedly free the members

of this Province from the stain at present attaching to them . I fear that , however much he may fume , the Prov . G . M " . is too wary to put himself in such a dilemma . He is about to instal a new Deputy , and , as we are informed , to leave the government" of the Province entirely in his hands . So far , this is well , except that he is a young Mason of limited experience .

Provincial Grand Masters.

but it does not release us from the reproaches of the outside Avorld for having such a head , since he desires to retain his title of Prov . G . M ., though free from the labour and responsibility . Nothing will now satisfy us but his absolute and unconditional removal , and though there are few who have the leisure and moral to this outa small band of

courage necessary carry , us are determined to persevere , and to obtain an inquiry , if it be possible . If it be not , then farewell to the moral boastings and teachings of Ereemasonry . They will be proved to be merely empty words . The mischief , though it may appear to be local , is not reallsofor it extend wherever English

Freey , may masonry prevails , and with the same deplorable consequences , unless such changes are made in the Book of Constitutions , in regard to the appointment of Provincial authorities , as will render it impossible . Yours fraternally , Jersey , April 10 th , 1866 . P . M .

Reform In Masonry.

REFORM IN MASONRY .

TO THE EDITOH OE THE EEEJOTASON-s' MAGAZINE AND 1 USONI 0 -SllimOI ! . - DEAE SIE AND BEOTHEE , — The letter of a " German Mason in Turkey , " which under this sensational heading may have attracted the attention of some of your readers , should not , I venture to think , be left altogether unnoticed . I confess at once thathaving seen something of

, foreign Freemasonry , and perceiving something of foreign views on the subject , I have not the slightest sympathy—I say ifc in all respect to the writereither with his complaints or his proposed reforms . Happily for us all in England , and for Freemasonry itself universally , our Grand Lodge under our

venerated chief has hitherto resolutely set its face against Avorse than foolish innovations , and worse than meaningless controversies . It is the only Grand Lodge at present which , as far as I read aright , the genuine traditions of our Order upholds Avithout fear and without presumption , the great and beneficent , and , I may say , eternal principles of true and universal Freemasonry . Other Grancl Lodges , either voluntarily or

involuntarily , have allowed themselves to be turned aside from the great end for AA'hich alone Freemasonry exists , and for which alone it is either useful or laudable—I-mean the great end of fraternal and philanthropic association—and have laid themselves open to tho charge , in many cases most justly , of

encouraging the most dangerous novelties , and of patronising the most objectionable propositions . When one really penetrates that framework of philosophic pretention which foreign Freemasons carefully uprear to-day , andAvhen one begins to realise AA-hat are alike its aims and endeavoursits purposes and its

, proceedings , there remains no further ground either for astonishment or complaint that Freemasonry subjects itself even now , as in times past , and not unfrequently Avith a considerable amount of truth and justice to the charge , of disaffection fco lawfully constituted authority and of antagonism to social

order and religious truth . In some countries , unfortunately , at this very hour , Freemasonry seems to haA * e allied itself , most hurtfully , as Ave think in England , wifch secret societies of