The Meeting Of Grand Lodge.

so that it could not bo considered by the officials beforehand . It was admitted that Bro . Lamouby was within his rights in giving the notice , bnt it was spoken of as if this was a straining of his rights , and tho suggestion was that if longer notice had been given it would have been ruled

out of order at the General Committee and not have been allowed to be placed on the paper . The Grand Registrar pointed out what he considered to be a flaw in the motion ,

and tho acting Gran 1 Master eventually ruled that the motion was onfc of order and could not be discussed . He said very fairly that he had consulted the Pro Grand Master , who agreed with him .

It is with some diffidence that I venture to differ from such great authorities , bnt as you have never shrunk from expressing your opinion , however much it may differ from the loaders in the Craft , I think you would be failing in your duty if you hesitated to allow me to express my

views now . I cannot but think the decision was wrong , and unconstitutional in tho highest degree . ^ I do not want to be captious , and am aware that a certain degree of laxity has sprung up as to the name of the General Committee . I do not know

any such body as the ' •' Board of Masters . " The Constitutions provide for a General Committee and it is not an empty distinction . The General Committee acts under the authority of the Book of Constitutions and its functions are clearly defined by Articles 49 to 59 . This body is , or

should be , what it professes to be , a General Committee of Grand Lodge , a representative , democratic body , and to it , and to it alone , belongs the power to say what motions aro improper to come before Grand Lodge . The President of the Board of Benevolence has the right to preside

over its meetings ( Art . 49 ) and no doubt any opinion he , or the Grand Registrar , or the Grand Secretary , or any other brother of high standing might express , would have great weight with the Committee in deciding on the propriety or regularity of any given motion . But neither

the President of the Board of General Purposes , nor the Grand Registrar nor the Grand Secretary has any right or power that I can find to rule in that Committee that such and such a motion cannot go on the paper . That is a matter for the Committee alone , and their vote must decide it .

In the present instance the Committee had passed the motion and had allowed it to appear on the Agenda paper , and I fail to see where the Constitutions give power to the Grand Master , or acting Grand Master , to intervene and prevent discussion of a motion thus regularly placed upon the Agenda .

It seems to me , with all due deference I say it , that the acting Grand Master acted unconstitutionally in preventing the motion being discussed . And as a matter of fairness I think he was wrong . Granted , for the sake of argument , that the V . W . Grand

Registrar was right in his contention that the motion was irregular in the shape it was placed on the paper , it seems to me that tho prcper course would have been to have allowed Bro . Lamonby to make his motion . If seconded , the Grand Registrar or any one else could , after hearing

Bro . Lamonby ' s reasons , have pointed out where it was wrong , and either spoken agaiust it as a whole , aud let it go to the vote in its entirety , or could have suggested such amendments as would have put it in correct form , and let it be accepted or rejected as amended .

1 amnot arguing for Bro . Lamonby ' s motion ; you may , and probably would , dissent from it , but on broad grounds of public policy I think it should not have been snuffed out unheard . If Bro . Lamonby had reason to think that even one brother suffers injustice he should have been allowed to plead his cause .

The time has , in my opinion , come to speak out plainly . We are in danger of losing onr ri ghts as members of a great democratic body . After all , the Grand Master is only the annually elected executive head of the Order , and the power of government of the Craft belongs to Grand

Lodge as a whole , not to a " Board of Masters " or a " Grand Council , " or any other unrecognised or selfelected bod y . Unless the Craft is prepared to give itself over blindl y to he dragooned by officialism some stand should be made , and made boldly before it is too late . I

have spoken strongly but I feel strongly , aud I ask yon to invite Brethren who have studied the question of the historical origin and development of onr great Institution to come forward and discuss the matter either in your columns , or , where it should rnoro properlv be discussed—

The Meeting Of Grand Lodge.

within tho walls of Grand Lodge , —and not to allow motions affecting the rights of Lodges or individual Brethren to be '' ruled out of order" without a fair hearing .

The Earl of Lor . desborough was to be installed as Worship ful Master of tho Constitutional Lodge , Beverley , on Thursday , a grand banquet being arranged to follow tho ceremony .

Wc are pleased to announce that Bro . Councillor John Bradshaw P . M . Charity representative . of tho Architect Lodge , No . 1375 , has had assigned to him the position of

Provincial Grand Deacon , and will ho invested as such by the Earl of Lathom , G . C . B ., Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master West Lancashire , at tho Provincial meeting to be held at the Botanical Gardens , Old Trafford , on Wednesday next .

The Duchess of York Lodge , No . 2482 , was consecrated on Wednesday at the Victoria Hotel , Manchester , tho Provincial Grand Master of East Lancashire , Col . Lo Gondre N . Starkie officiating , and being supported by a

large number of his Officers . Col . Starkio having to leavo at 4 o ' clock Bro . W . T . Schofield P . M . 1219 assumed the chair and installed Bro . T . A . Lowe as tho first W . M . We hope to give a full report of tho proceedings next week .

The annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Durham is to bo held at Bishop Auckland on Tuesday ,, the 26 th inst ., at half-past three o ' clock . The Charities and other Committees will meet at 12 80 and 2 * 15

respectively . Tho Provincial Grand Master , Sir Hod worth Williamson , Bart ., will preside , and will be supported by the Deputy of tho Province , the Rev . Canon Tristram , D . D ., and other Officers .

With full Masonic ceremonial , the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe , Provincial Grand Master of Corn-wall , proposes on Thursday , the 21 st inst ., to lay the corner-stone of the new parish church of Millbrook , to the Building Fund of which his lordship has been such a munificent contributor . For

the accomodation of Cornish Masons , whom the Provincial Grand Secretary ( Bro . T . Chirgwin ) has invited to be present , a steamer will meet the up train arriving at Saltash at 1 P 11 a . m ., and convey brethren

from Cornwall direct to Millbrook and back to Cremyll after the ceremony . Luncheon will be served in tho Orangery at Mount Edgcumbe , and steamer arrangements will be made so as to enable Cornish brethren to return by an early train from Devonport . —Western Morning News .

The supporters of Effio Rolph Rankin , No . 23 on the list of candidates for election to the Girls School , ask us to publish the following particulars : —The father , Brother Dr . M . A . Rankin , left a widow and eight children , seven of whom were entirely dependent on their mother . Mrs .

Rankin ' s mind completely gave way under the burden , and for many months she was under restraint at St . Luke ' s Hospital . She is still an invalid , and will be so , it is feared , for tho remainder of her life . The case is strongly recommended by Lord Ampthill Provincial

Grand Master , and the following influential members of the Province of Bedfordshire : —C . E . Prior , M . D ., Deputy Provincial Grand Master , Rev . Percy F . J . Pearce Prov . Grand Chaplain , F . W . Webb Prov . G . Treasurer , E . A . Cumberland P . P . G . Treasurer , J . W . Green P . G . Steward , J . Gladwell P . P . G . W ., E . F . Green P . P . G . W ., William Austin P . M . 475 .

THE SETEJT AWCIENT WOKDEKS OF THE WORM , together with one of the chief wonders of modern times , may bo appropriately classed as follows : —The tomb of the lung of Ceria ; the Temple of Diana ; the walls aiul hanging gardens of Babylon ; tho Colossus at Rhodes ; a brazen statue of Apollo sevenly cubits high ; the statue of Jupiter , sculptured in ivory and gold ; and tho marble watch tower at Alexandria . These comprise the wonders of ancient times , but amongst the chief and perhaps the most important of modern wonders to persons in delicate health may be classed Holtoway ' s Pills ami Ointment , which for over fifty years have performed most wonderful cures in all parts of the worm .