Ad01001

PERRIER=JOUET&Cos. CHAMPAGNES. FINEST VINTAGE RESERVE-CUVEES . THE FAVOURITE MASONIC BRAND . Agent—A . BOURSOT , 9 , Hart Street , Hark Lane , London .

Ad01002

ROYALEXCHANGE ASSURANCE . INCORPORATED A . D . 1720 . Funds in Hand Exceed - - £ , 5 , 250 , 000 Claims Paid Exceed - - £ 42 , 000 , 000 FIRE , LIFE , SEA , ACCIDENTS , BURGLARY , EMPLOYERS' LIABILITY , ANNUITIES . The Corporation will act as : — EXECUTOR OF WILLS , TRUSTEE OF WILLS AND SETTLEMENTS . Apply for full Prospectus to the Secretary . Head Office -. —ROYAL EXCHANGE , LONDON , E . C .

The Constitution And The Constitutions.

The Constitution and the Constitutions .

Imy ^ MBtt

r T ^ HE Masonic atmosphere seems to be charged with I rumours of reform , and reform of a kind that , to the conservative old Past Master , appears to approach the limits of revolution . The old Past Master is after all the backbone of the Craft , and it will be a bad day for the Order when his counsels cease to have weight . He has acquiesced

in the additions to and alterations in the Constitutions , that are now so frequent , recognizing that legislation is after all but the crystallization of public opinion , and that each alteration in our laws is but a putting into permanent form public opinion up to that point , marking progress in fact .

Therefore there is no innovation involved . The Craft is not involved in experiments , nor is it committed to treading a hitherto untrodden path . But we have now reached a point it is felt , and admitted by those who ought to know best , at which a new constitution , rather than new constitutionsmay

, be necessary , and whatever is done in accordance with that feeling is bound to be experimental , and , worse still from the old Past Master's view , there will be no possibility of turning back . To put it briefly , Grand Lodge has ceased to be

representative of the Craft in general . Conscious of this , Grand Lodge shews a tendency , more and more noticeable every year , to be guided by those of its officers whose tenure , is , for all practical purposes , a permanent one , and whereas in days gone by there used to be a disposition to question the limits of the Grand Master ' s prerogative , its assertion is now

submitted to without cavil . All this means that brethren admit that the only continuity in Grand Lodge is the opinion of its permanent officers , and the prerogative . We do not for a moment question the wisdom with which either of these has been exercised . The Craft has never been more wisely advised or governed than it has been during the present generation .

All this is however a poor apology for maintaining a system that every one admits is an anachronism . It was argued for instance , when the abolition of the slave trade was proposed , that the slaves would never be as happy in their free state as when they had all found . And equally it is quite possible to

imagine the Craft to be worse off under a new Constitution than it has been under the present benevolent despotism . All the same , we shall still have the priceless advantage of the presence and advice of those who do the work to-day , whatever happens , and so we can have less hesitation in

thinking about a recasting of the Constitution . In an article in this journal ( September , 1905 ) , there was hinted at what has since been freely talked about . Under the present system there is no limit to the possible membership of Grand Lodge . Its numbers are increasing b y

nearly 3 , 000 every year . We want a smaller and more business-like body , made up of those who will attend as a matter of course , who will represent , not their own interests , but those of lodges or provinces . Under present rules

there are added every year to Grand Lodge 3 , 000 who really have no axe to grind but their own . They are responsible to no constituency . No one cares whether they go or not , except those who are responsible for the seating arrangements , who would rather they stopped away . Perhaps we should explain . There are every year 2 , 700 new Worshipful

Masters , members in a representative capacity , all of whom , the year after , retain their membership , but in a private capacity . It is suggested that the Wardens should lose their right to sit and speak in Grand Lodge , and also that the Past Masters as such should lose theirs . This would reduce

Grand Lodge to the Masters , an impossible proposition , for there would be absolutely no continuity . Then it is suggested , with more wisdom , to leave Grand Lodge where it is , but only consult it when a plebiscite is necessary , and for working purposes have a chamber of delegates . Incidentally , this

would make Grand Lodge membership a highly prized privilege . Whom should the delegates represent ? We should unhesitatingly say the Provinces and Districts abroad , but there is one important consideration . The private lodge is the unit of the Order , and it is a landmark . The Province

or the District is but an emanation from the Provincial or the District Grand Master , who in his turn holds under the Grand Master's pleasure . The Craft could get on without the Province or the District , but it cannot dispense with the private lodge . The Province , as the electoral unit , presents many advantages , and possibly , if our constitution ever became so

assimilated to the political constitution as to demand it , the Provinces could supply us with a second chamber . But this is a long way off . To have the lodges represented , would mean an assembly of more than 3 , 000 members at least , which would do little to relieve one of the present difficulties .

Whereas a scale of representation could be devised by which the Provinces and Districts could be allowed one delegate for , say , each ten lodges on the register , and we should then have a Grand Council of 24 6 members , supposing London be so divided up as to permit of its fullest representation on

the scale suggested . There are still forty-one lodge ;; which make their returns direct . For these it would not be difficult to make provision . The Districts would arrange to be effectively represented by electing only such brethren as possessed knowledge of Colonial conditions and were likely to be able to attend .

Probably our readers will by this time agree with our opening remark , that all this would mean a revolution . But even if it be so , it must be admitted that no tinkering with the present state of things will suffice . If things are to be put on a different footing , the process must be an effective one , and whatever is suggested will involve the disfranchisement of some 33 , 000 brethren . That is a very large order