Honorary Past Grand Officers.

would be only the means of rendering the honours of Masonry so cheap as to render thein unworthy the acceptance of anyone who values his own self-respect . As linighthood is now heing constantly declined hy men of eminence in the world , from their scientific or

other attainments , so will past honours then he declined Iby every Mason who truly understands the dignity of the Order and his own position in the craft .

The Constitutions Of Freemasonry.

THE CONSTITUTIONS OF FREEMASONRY .

At a period when the means of communication between the three sections of the United Kingdom , England , Scotland , and Ireland , have become almost as easy as a few years since existed between two adjoining counties ; and Avhen pleasure trips from the one to the

other are almost as common as a visit to Eanelagh or Yauxhall to our ancestors ; and Avhen , therefore , the "fiiethren of one country has so many more opportunities of visiting the lodges of the others than Avas formerly ihe ease , we believe we need enter into no apology for

calling the attention of our readers to a comparison of the laAvs under which the brethren hailing from the three sister Grand Lodges are governed—and in doing so we shall , for the sake of regularity , and for more ready reference to the various points , adopt the form as laid

down in the Book of Constitutions of the Grand Lodge of England . In the first place we will premise that the Grand Lodge of England declares that " pure and antient Masonry consists of three degrees and no more , viz .,

those of Entered Apprentice , the Pellow Craft , and "Master Mason , including the Supreme Order of the Holy Hoyal Areh , " though the latter is placed under separate

government from the Crait . In Scotland , Grand Lodge takes even a more limited A'iew and " recognises no degrees of Masonry but those of Apprentices , Pellow Craft , and Master Mason , denominated St . John's Masonry . " On the other hand , the Constitutions of Ireland includes the whole of the degrees of Preemasonry

to the thirty-third , there being four governing bodies , Grand Lodge , Grand Chapter , Grand Conclave of K . H . T ., and Grand Council of Bites , but all having a connection one with the other . In England the Grand Officers , and Past Grand

Officers , Provincial Grand Masters , the Masters and Wardens of all private lodges , and the Past Masters of such lodges so long as they continue subscribing members of any lodge , constitute the Grand Lodge . In Ireland , the same brethren form the Grancl Lodge ,

Past Masters , however , having the option either of "being subscribing members of any lodge , or subscribing to the Grand Lodge funds the sum of £ 2 annually "—and Shore being a special provision in favour of " the members ofthe Grand Master's Lodge Avho had obtained the third degree previously to the Oth of June , 1837 , so long as they continue to be subscribing members of that

lodge . " The members of this Grand Lodge have the poAver of appointing proxies when unable to attend themselves , such proxies heing Past Masters of the lodges they represent ; and Grand Officers may he represented by proxies even when present themselves—but the

proxies have no votes . In Scotland the privilege does not extend to Past Masters—but the country lodges may be represented by Proxy Masters and Wardens not being otherwise members of Grand Lodge , no Proxy Master or Warden

being allowed to represent more than one lodge at the same time—and the privilege of sitting in Grand Lodge was only extended to Provincial Grand Masters in 1849 . The Grand Officers consist of in

ENGT , . IKELAMD . SCOTLAKD . Grancl Master . Grand Master . Grand Master . Pro Grand Master . * Dep . Grand Master . Gd . Master Depute . Deputy Gd . Master . Two Grand Wardens . Substitute G . Master . Two Grand AVardens . Grand Treasurer . Two Grand Wardens . Two Grand Chaplains . Grand Secretary . Grand Treasurer . Grand Treasurer . Two Gd . Chaplains . Grand Secretary .

Grand Registrar . Two Grand Deacons . Grand Clerk . Grand Secretary . Grand Organist . Two Grand Chaplains . Two Grand Deacons . f Two Grand Deacons . Grand Supt . of Works . Architect to G . Lodge . Gd . Dir . of Ceremonies . Grand Jeweller . As . Dir . of Ceremonies . Grand Bible Bearer . Grand Sword Bearer . G . Dir . of Ceremonies . Assistant Grand See . Grand Bard .

Grand Organist . Grand Sword Bearer . Grand Pursuivant . Grand Dir . of Music . Assistant G . Pursuivant . Two Grand Marshals . Eighteen G . Stewards . Out and In-door Gd . Tylers .

In England there is a Grand Tyler , and in Ireland a Deputy Grand Secretary , Grand Pursuivant , and Grand Tyler , though not published in the list of Grand Officers , none of them being members of Grand Lodge ; and there are likewise Grand Stewards in Scotland .

We have given the above list in the order of precedency , but we should observe that in England and Scotland the Provincial Grand Masters rank immediately before the Grand Wardens , where , as in Ireland , they do not take rank until after the Grand Deacons ,

who even take rank preceding the Past Grand Masters and Past Deputy Grand Masters , who are followed by the Provincial Grand Masters and the representatives of foreign Grand Lodges—who are succeeded in then * their turn by the Past Grand Wardens and other Past Grand Officers .

The first clause in the English Boole of Constitutions , after that defining the qualifications of those who constitute Grand Lodge , is one declaring that " Brethren of eminence and ability Avhohave rendered service to the Craft may , by a vote ofthe Grand Lodge , duly confirmed , be constituted members of the Grand Lodge , with such rank

and distinction as may be thought proper "—and Avhich power has been lately extended to the Grand Master , irrespectiA-e of Grand Lodge , and which some of the Prov . Grand Masters noAv , we believe , claim to exercise ,