On The Origin Of Grand Lodges And The Powers Of Grand Masters.

rogatives , than their mere assumption ? We think not . History says they have been all assumed where not expressly granted . We will illustrate by the example of a discovery inade by us within the year , namely , the true extent of the powers , prerogatives , & c , of Sovereign Grand Inspectors Generalor reci p ients of the thirty-third

, degree of the Ancient and Accepted Eite . As possessing that degree , and liaving what power its possession does actually confer , we state without fear of contradiction that not a tithe of the power claimed , and often exercised by thirty-thirds , in fact exists , or ever existed ; and that from the very beginning the

greater portion of the power claimed has been mere assumption . Por the first time , ancl within the last few months , we have seen and read a copy of the statutes , & c . of 1762 , and of the Constitutions of 17 S 6 , which contain the whole fundamental law of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Eite . These have

teen studiously , or , perhaps , carelessly concealed from the fraternity , and in their stead we have had only the assertions of men ambitious of power ancl authority to back tip their assumptions .

Admitting , for sake of the argument , that all the power ivhich these Statutes and Constitutions warrant is possessed by the thirty-thirds , yet these Constitutions disclaim all control over the first three degrees , wherever organizations of those degrees exist . In unoccupied territory a Supreme Council exercises the same rig hts that a Grand Lodge does in the same

territory . They grant warrants to open Lodges and make Masons . The rank of a thirty-third is to be recognised by " every'Lodge and Council of Perfect Masons , " and due honour is to be paid them , & c ., & c . Let us see what their peculiar duties and rights as thirty-thirds are . Section 2 , of Art . 11 , oi the

Constitutions of I 7 S' 3 , says : "The peculiar duties entrusted to them are to teach and give light to their brethren ; to preserve charity , union , and brotherly love among them ; to maintain regularity in the work of every degree , and to take care that it is maintained by others ; to see that the Dogmas , Doctrines , Institutes , Constitutions , Statutes , and Eegulations of the Order , and especially of those of sublime Masonry , are faithfully observed and obeyed , ancl on every

occasion to enforce and defend . them , and everywhere in fine to clo the work of peace ancl mere }* . " . JNTOW , who is to be frightened at all these rights , poivers , duties , & c , or to stand in awe of those claiming to exercise them r The youngest entered apprentice can tio the same . The more the remainder of these statuteswhich are for the working of the Orderare

, , studied , tho more limited will be found to be the rights and prerogatives of the High Princes of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Eite . We know not who framed the Constitutions of 178 G , nor does it matter but little . Whoever framed them , no power existed in the framers to take from

any * other organisation tho rights belonging to it , or to absolve any one from a previous allegiance . In fact , by tho Constitutions , they prohibit their successors from interfering in any jurisdiction already occupied , and from meddling with tho symbolic degrees . Their action was to be confined to the Lodges of Perfection ancl to degrees above ancl including the ' . Fourth or Secret Master . The Eite of Perfection was a series of twenty-five degrees , for the

government of which the statutes , & c . of 1762 were framed the last of which was that of sublime Prince of the Eoyal Secret . To this series , eight others were added by the Constitutions of 1786 , many of the former changed , and a new rite constituted . The agents of the Grand Consistory of Sublime Princes were called

"Deputy Inspectors General , " while the Constitutions of 1786 named the reci pients of the Thirty-third degree , " Sovereign Grand Inspectors General . " The statutes , & c . of 1762 were adopted by the Constitutions of 1786 , so far as they did not conflict , though many of them are necessarily obsolete . The powers

of a Thirty-third are , however , quite limited , except in the demand of courtesy and show , and this was the point of our illustration . The power claimed b y the Thirty-thirds has been , for the most part , the assumptions by ignorant and vain men , and their exercise has brought the Eite into disrepute ; while its supposed ridiculous arrogation of powers- has brought about confusion and want of harmony in many places ,

and subjected the whole Order to unmerited contempt . In like manner the powers ancl inherent rights and prerogatives of Grand Masters and Grand Lodges have had their origin ; for when we go back to the ancient record for the warrant of their authorit y , we find it mere assumption on the part of those claiming

it . ~ We find that all the power existed in the people —the P'raternity ; that they made the institution , and , as its creators , have delegated a portion of it to their Lodges , Grand and Subordinate , and the officers thereof . Every such grant of power is clearly susceptible of demonstration by the production of the grant

itself , to be found either in the " old charges" of 1723 , or in the Constitutions of our several Grand Lodges—or it does not exist . We do not believe in taking everything on trust , ancl that we must not question this or that dogma , because it is asserted to be one of the ancient landmarks . Who can say that it is a landmark unless it be a part of the ritual , or is found in the ancient charges ?

We come to the conclusion , then , that Grand Lodges have no other poivers than those contained in their Constitutions , or in those " ancient charges , " which are , by common consent , recognised as universal , and the general Constitution of the Order . The Grand Lodge of England , in 1723 , recognised the " old charges " as the fundamentalgoverning law of

, the whole Order—as the " Constitution of Preemasonry , " in the correct signification of the word ; and all subsequent G rand Lodges have given them the same recognition . These constitute the fundamental law of the Order , which cannot be changed , ancl the institution at the same time remains universal . Under

this fundamental laiv each Grand Lodge was organised , commencing with the Grand Lodge of England in 1721 ; and when organised , has adopted such particular regulations for its own government as circumstances seemed to require . These regulations , peculiar to each jurisdiction , are no more binding upon another

than is the Constitution of one of the States of this Union is binding upon the inhabitants of the others . Indeed , our American form of government bears so striking au analogy iu all its forms to the form of government of the Masonic institution , that were all other evidence wanting , it intrinsically contains the proof that Masons had a hand in its formation . The Constitution and laws oftlie "United States are