Grand Lodge.

GRAND LODGE .

LONDON , SATURDAY , DECEMBER 24 , 1801 .

FEES OF HONOUR . Reverting to tlie proceedings at the last Grand Lodge , Ave now come to tlie question of the reduction of the Fees of Honour on appointment to Grand Office and , in order to show the brethren '

the extent of this reduction , Ave append a list of the old and neAv fees : Old Fees . New Fees . Guineas . Guineas . Pro Grand Master . .... 40 10

Deputy Grand Master .... 40 10 Grand Warden 30 10 Grand Treasurer 30 10 Grand Registrar 25 10 Pres . ofthe Bd . of Gen . Purposes 25 10

Grand Secretary 25 10 Grand Deacon 15 5 Grand Dir . of Cers 13 5

Assist . Grand Dir . of Cers . . . 13 5 Grand Supt . of Works .... 13 5 Grand S . Bearer 13 5 Under the old law the amovmts Ave have given Avere to he reduced by twenty guineas in the case of

the Pro Grand Master , Deputy Grand Master , and other officers down to the Grand Secretary inclusive , and by ten guineas in the case of the minor Grand Officers , should the brethren appointed have previously filled the office of Grand Stewards—a fair

and equitable arrangement , seeing * that the serving of that office costs from £ 15 to £ 20 , and has often cost much more : AA'hilst , in spite of anything * said to the contrary , £ 15 is the minimum they are called upon to pay . Under the new arrangement ,

of course , no such reduction can be made , and Ave therefore ask in justice that the gentlemen Avho pay the most for their offices should at least be allowed to hold their rank as Past Grand Officers , and placed in the list of precedence , and not , as now , be called upon to resign their red collars at the end of the year of office .

We are not opposed to the reduction of the fees , for Ave would rather they Avere abolished altogether ; but Ave must distinctly deny that the laAV is to be altered for tlie benefit of " brethren Avho on account of their energy and

devotion to Masonry might be esteemed by the Most Worshipful Grand Master Avortliy to be raised to distinction in the Craft "—brethren Avho have so distinguished themselves rarely attaining

any rank in tho Craft beyond that their own lodges can bestoAV on them , unless , indeed , they belongto some favoured lodge , and one , or , at most , two , good appointments in a year are the utmost that can be looked for . NOAY , who will the alteration

affect the most ? The Grand Wardens , AVIIO will save twenty guineas , aud who , it is as notorious as the sun at noon-day , are not—excepting in such rare instances as only to prove the rule—appointed for their " energy and devotion to Masonry , " but for

their social position in the outer Avorld—because , to use a common expression , they have a handle to their name , a brother of " energy and devotion to Masonry" being only selected Avhen nono of the titled nobodies Avill accept the office . But the

President of the Board of General Purposes knew that the words of the report signed Avith his name could not be defended , and he , therefore , quietly ignored them , and said that Grand Officers were appointed for one of two reasons , either for

services they have rendered , or services they were expected to render to the Craft . What services are expected from Grand Wardens or Past Grand

Wardens Ave do not pretend to know but this Ave do know , that they scarcely ever belie their antecedents . They do nothing * before their appointment and nothing afterwards , some of them not even condescending to put in

an appearance at Grand Lodge during their year of office , aud assuredly never afterwards , a Past Grand Warden being almost as great a vara avis as a dead donkey or old postboy . The only Past Grand Wardens Ave ever recollect to have

seen in Grand Lodge were Bros . Lord de Tabley , Col . BroAvnrigg * , F . Dundas , Jno . Havers , Alg * . Perkins , Patterson , and Fancier , three or four of Avhom may be regarded as constant attendants to

their Grand Lodge duties , and would have been equally so if they had never held Grand Office of any kind , and may therefore be stated to fairly come under the designation of having shown " energy and devotion to Masonry . " What were

the peculiar qualifications which led to the appointment of the Grand Secretary Ave know not but it Avas not for his " energy and devotion to Masonry . " He had , hoAvever , this negative qualification , that ho- Avas a stranger , whose name had never been

heard by nine hundred and ninety-nine brethren out of every thousand , and may therefore be supposed to have entered on the discharge of his duties Avithout prejudices and Ave cannot see Avhy a paid officer should be called upon for a fee for