Masonic Reform.

ings were made public . Time after time has the question of the non-publication of the proceedings of that committee been mooted in this journal , but we have only received two reports , and our readers can see how very meagre they were . The veiy letters addressed to the lodges by the committee were withheld from publicationand therefore the knowledof these

, ge letters kept from the majority of the brethren . However , it is not too late to mend , and that committee is composed of honest , straightford Masons , and we believe their error was one of judgment , not of the heart . We trust , therefore , that they will abandon their " un-Masonic" course of addressing the lod

ges , and at the meeting which they now call that they will take steps to procure the signatures of as many of their brethren as possible to a petition embodying the wants and wishes of the Masons of Victoria ; and have such petition sent to the three Grand Masters at home , who will at once see the justice of

our respect for self-Masonic legislation . And if they do not accede to our request , then we can take the alternative proposed by our Right Worshipful brother , " resign our lodges , and be free to form what Constitution we please . " Our Right Worshipful Brother allu . ded to the question of the amount of fees remitted to the home Constitutions , and considered that it would be more

expensive to us to keep up a staff of Masonic officers here to discharge the duties of the Grand Lodge Officers of home . That our warrants and certificates could be obtained cheaper there than here . We regret our Right Worshipful Brother should have put forward such an argument . Would he or any sane brother entrust the success of his business to a -

per son living 16 , 000 miles away , simply because he could the services of a manager at a small cost , or because he would save a few pounds in letter-paper ? Absurd . Would not the great benefit derived from a local manager more than cover any expense incurred in having the managing power resident . If this is true

of trade , it must also be true of government . Our political dependence on our home country is very slight . We do not now send to Britain for laws to govern the colony—in fact , statesmen are becoming every day more enlightened , and districts will soon have the management of their own local affair ' s ; and

thus it should be with Masonry . What can the Earl of Zetland , the Duke of Leinster , the Duke of Athol , or the Grand Lodges which they prepresent , know about our Masonic requirements ? Nothingpositively nothing ; or if they do know anything about us , their information must be obtained from some resident amongst us . Some months must elapsd before we" can obtain the benefit of the wisdom of

those honoured brethren . Now , we have every respect for the Home Constitution and authorities , yet we cannot bring ourselves to believe that the power of Masonic rule is , like some wines , improved by a six months' voyage ; therefore , even if we pay a little more for our Masonic ruling power , let us have it close

at hand . Our Right Worshipful Brother also stated that it was no grievance to have our Provincial Grand Master appointed by the home authorities , because although the Provincial Grand Masters are appointed by the Grand Masters , yet they are appointed in accordance with the wishes of the brethren over whom they are

to preside . Our Right Worshipful Brother could not have considered this portion of his proposition much . In Britain the Grand Masters have yearly to undergo the formality of an election—we say formality , because they are so highly respected and venerated , that no change would be made , yet a change

might be made : while our Provincial Grand Masters , once appointed , no change can be made , unless by the Grand Master , and then only after the lapse of considerable time . It is an axiom that all power springs from the people . Men give up certain rights for certain safeguards , and in yielding a portion of their

liberty in appointing a ruler over themselves , obtain the greatest amount of real liberty . The Master represents the people ; not ¦ so with the Masonic rulers . The Masonic body cf this colony have no election , and , therefore , are not represented . . They must obey whoever may be placed over them ; and

no change can be made Let us suppose that one of our ruling brethren should so far forget himself as a Mason as to commit any offence against the State . What degradation would it not be to the Masonic body to have such a ruler . A period of several months should be lost before our Grand Master could appoint a new Provincial Grand Master . Moreover , unless the election of that officer be annual , he does not represent the Masonic body .

How many Masons have been made since our Right Worshipful Brother obtained his high oSlce , and yet their wishes have never been consulted . How many brethen protested against the appointment of one Provincial Grand Master , and that protest , whether right or wrong , was unheeded . What becomes , then /

of the' assertion of our Right Worshipful Brother , that the Provincial Grand Masters hold their appointment in accordance with the wishes of their brethren ? Having carefully considered the objections raised against the establishment of a Grand Lodge of Victoriawe will adduce a few more reasons in favour

, of its establishment . If a Provincial Grand Master adjudicates on any Masonic question , and a brotherfeels himself aggrieved by that judgment , no appeal can be mude to the Provincial Grand Lodge , although appeal could be made against the acts or judgment of a Grand Master

to a Grand Lodge . This places the ruling power of a Masonic province in the hands of an individual not in the lodge of that province . The fount of power in Britain is a Grand Lodge . The provincial power is vested in the Provincial Grand Master . Why a representative should have a greater amount of ruling power than the person he represents , is an anomaly which cannot be understood , yet is to be seen in the office of a Provincial Grand Master . We therefore

seek to establish a Grand Lodge for Victoria , to put ourselves on an equality with our brethren in Britain , who have the appointment of their own ruler , subject to the Council of a Grand Lodge . Some of our up-country brethren may not desire to join in the present movement on account of a false idea of the honour they attach to their union with an

ancient body—the Grand Lodge of England . We hear daily such ideas promulgated . Nothing can be more erroneous . Grand Lodges are of modern origin , and a century and a-half has scarce passed away since the Grand Lodge of England was established . Since that time various Grand Lodges have sprung