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wonderful that they should vehemently oppose any attempt to carry out the Book of Constitutions , and to throw their election open to the whole craft . Bro . HATERS must however—and perhaps not unjustly—have had a somewhat mean opinion of the understandings of those to whom his report was addressedif he imagined that they would be convinced

, by the reasons alleged for this refusal of justice to the country Brethren , who form the great majority of the Craft . If he had said ,. in order to maintain the power of the Craft in the hands of half-a-dozen persons , who shall rest upon the support of the London Lodgesit is

, essential that there should be but one polling pjlace , and that in London , so that the country Brethren may be effectually disfranchised , he would at any rate have spoken the truth . Instead of this , however , three grounds are assigned for maintaining the existing abuse , each more puerile , if possible , than the other .

We are told that the change is not called for—that it would not be to the advantage of the Craft—that it would be likely to lead to confusion and abuse . It is for the Provincial Brethren to accept the challenge thus thrown down , and say whether the charge is called for , or not . If they wish to have it , they have only to call loudly enough , and they will get it ; just as the Colonies have asked for far greater concessions , and have got them . If the Country Lodges do really feel

the thraldom of the London Lodge , they have only to ¦ organize a sufficiently strong movement , in their Private and Pr . G . Lodges , and they will carry this , and any other reform they please . No doubt , in the opinion of the monopolists , it would not be " to the advantage of the Craft , " that the existing abuse should be destroyed . It is however for the Craft

to say whether they are content to allow the present ridiculous sham to go on any longer , or not ; whether they are satisfied to allow a local minority to elect their rulers ,. and to vote away their funds . And so as regards the " confusion and abuse" which is to follow the admission of the Provinces to their

constitutional rights , we are unaware that there is either one or other in the election of candidates for the Charities , which is conducted entirely by voting papers . The Board is said to have been unanimous in its opinion that it ought not to be reformed . There was not then one single member of it who represented

country wishes and feelings . What more need be said to show how preposterous is the present system of centralization ? Does any one in his senses suppose that if each Pr . G . L . returned one member to the Board , such an " unanimous " decision would ever have been arrived at ?

It depends now upon the Country Lodges how long the present state of things shall go on . How long they are content to be ruled by London , under the mendacious appellation of " Grand Lodge . "

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IN reading the accounts of the different Pr . G . Lodges which have been held during the summer , no one

can fail to be struck at the absence of nearly all the names of local influence and importance . With the exception of the P . G . M ., we look in vain for any of the county gentry . Indeed , their apathy seems not to be confined to public meetings , for we find the building committee of the New Masonic Hall , at Leicester ,

expressing their regret that the gentry generally , who were Members of the Order , had not supported the undertaking . Now if , as we are often told , one great advantage of Masonry , is that it brings the upper and middle classes into close and kindly contact , anything in our system , as at present worked , which has the

effect of causing the upper classes to hold aloof from Masonry altogether , or , after having joined it , to confine their attendance to then- own Lodges , cannot but be regarded as a great evil . We are , however , greatly mistaken , if we have very far to go , in order to find the cause of this want of

interest . It lies entirely in the mode of appointment to the higher offices in the Craft , and in the tenure by which those offices are held . It is , for instance , notorious , that with few exceptions , there are in every Province in England , Masons of higher social rank than the P . G . M . What inducement then have such persons to interest themselves in the affairs of the Craft ? They must be content to serve as inferiors , under one to

whom they are socially , and possibly , in Masonic worth and knowledge also , superiors . They know that the P . G . M . is in office for life , and that even should there be a vacancy , unless they are in favour with the reigning clique in London , they have no chance of succeeding to it . There is , therefore , we repeat , no inducement whatever for the leading county gentryeither to become

, Masons , or to interest themselves in our affairs . Such then being the cause of the evil , it is obvious that an annual or triennial election of the P . G . M . by the free suffrages of the Pr . G . L . would afford a remedy for it ; and we might then expect to find that many noblemen and gentlemen of positionwould be eager to qualif

, y themselves for an honour which is now entirely beyond their reach . The same argument applies in its degree , to the election of the Grand Master . So long as that high office is a life appointment , it ceases to be an object of ambition to numbers who mi ght otherwise fairly aspire to fill it ; and consequently the interests of the

Craft are sacrificed . We are glad to find that the principle for which we are contending , has received the recognition of no less an authority than LORD ZETLAND . At the last meeting of his Pr . G . L ., his Lordship said , " that by changing his Wardens annually , he had no doubt that the interests of the Craft would be better served , than if the honours were confined to any individuals . "

And as regards the inferior offices of Grand Lodge , and of Pr . G . Lodges , we are convinced that a great impetus would be given to the zeal of many a hard working Mason , if a certain proportion of the honours of the Craft were bestowed by the Brethren themselves . In Victoria , the Pr . G . Stewards are elected by the Lodges in turn—in' Canada , half the officers of G . L . are elected