Constitutions Of Freemasonry.

irrevocable , and any person refusing to submit to them " shall be liable to expulsion from Grand Lodge , deprivation of his Masonic privileges , or such other punishment as the Grand Lodge may see proper to inflict , " — and whichby-the-byewe cannot see it has any power

, , to enforce , inasmuch as there is no annual or continuous fee binding the members of the Order to their lodges . Though it is not so expressly declared as in the Constitutions of England and of Ireland that the right of altering and enacting laws exists only in Grand Lodge , it is so by

implication , it being declared that " no motion for altering or abrogating an existing law , or for enacting a new one , " shall be made , excepting at a Quarterly Communication .

We now come , according to the English Booh of Constitutions , to the " Regulations for the Government of Grand Lodge during the Time of public Business , " all that we have been hitherto discussing being-a kind of preface or preamble to the laws themselves , though ,

for the sake of comparison , we have had to refer more directly to the " regulations" for the government of business in the Constitutions of Ireland and Scotland , therefore rendering it necessary for us occasionally , in the course of our review , to touch on the same points a second time .

In the Grand Lodge of England , after the minutes are confirmed , all communications from the Grand Master and the Board of General Purposes are to be read and taken into consideration . In Ireland a like course is to be pursued , all matters

and complaints relative to lodges or brothers being to be taken into consideration , " the same having been previously examined and prepared , and arranged in a digested form by the Board of General Purposes , who shall report and offer their recommendation on each individual case . "

We do not find any similar regulation in the laws governing the meetings of the business of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , but we have no doubt it is acted upon , inasmuch as we find the Grand Committee are to " regularly report all their transactions for the information , approval , or disapproval of the Grand Lodge . "

We will pass over the regulations relative to brethren not speaking more than once on the same question , inasmuch as they are common to all well-regulated societies , whether Masonic or otherwise . We have already spoken ofthe notice of motion

necessary to be given for an alteration in the laws , and passing this brings us to a very important point , of which ive spoke last week . We were in error when we questioned the power of the Grand Master to object to a motion being put to Grand Lodge , it being declared at pages

20-7 that a motion previously to being put shall be "handed up in writing to the Grand Master . After having been perused and found by him not to contain anything contrary to the antient landmarks of the Order [ and

what they are it would be difficult to determine ] the motion may be proposed , and , on being seconded , the question shall be put thereon ; " thus giving a power of rejection—a power that has certainly been stretched at times far beyond its meaning . These regulations do not require further comment , as generally they

are little more than a repetition of the principles laid down in that portion of the Book of Constitutions we have already gone through—the arrangement being rather calculated to perplex than assist the brethren in then- endeavours to arrive at the proper bearing of any particular law .

The only other point worthy of notice in these regulations is that relative to the power of voting by the Grand Master , who , whilst each of the other members possesses one vote , is entitled to two votes—of course it is here meant a vote in every division , and a casting vote when the numbers are equal , though not so

explaineda similar power existing in Ireland , with the explanation we have just volunteered ; but in Scotland , the Grand Master , or presiding officer , is debarred from " a deliberative vote" being confined to the casting vote in case of an equality of votes .

In Scotland it is especially declared that " no brother shall be permitted to quit the Grand Lodge until the same has been closed , without permission asked and obtained from the Grand Master , or other brother in the chair ; " and this regulation , although not specially laid down is occasionally acted upon by the sister Grand Lodges , the last time it was enforced in England being in 1857 . We could wish it were enforced with a little

more stringency , as at present the most important questions have often to be decided by comparatively few of the brethren , the large majority " sloping" immediately after some particular motion or motions , in which they feel interested—sometimes of a mere personal nature—have been disposed of .

In Ireland it is also enacted that the same subject shall not be brought forward in Grand Lodge for reconsideration until after the lapse of six months from the time of its being decided upon . We may here add that the Grand Festival in England

is held on the Wednesday following St . Georges' Day , April 23 , when the various Grand Officers are appointed and installed ; in Scotland , on St . Andrew's Day , November 30 , excepting when the same falls on a Saturday or Sunday , when it is held on the Monday

following ; and in Ireland , on St . John ' s Day , June 27 th and December 27 th , excepting it should fall on a Sunday , when the meeting is to be held on the Monday—though the election of their Grand Officers . only takes place in May—and on these clays the Grand Lodge of Ireland

" is to receive and decide * upon the report of the Committee of Charity and Inspection respecting the election of the newly-elected officers of Dublin lodges "—the officers iu private lodges in Ireland onl y holding their position for six months , instead of twelve , as in England and Scotland .