Random Notes And Reflections.

RANDOM NOTES AND REFLECTIONS .

npIME has nofc diminished the interest that is taken in ¦ * - the status of Past Masters question , although it has tempered the feeling that at one period marred the discussion . Bro . 0 . W . Arnold P . G . O . and D . P . G . M . Surrey , has contributed to a contemporary a very excellent letter

on the subject , and his views coincide with those that have been consistently advocated in these columns . We need not repeat them in extenso . No doubt joining Past Masters had two grievances afc least , and these were , as Brother Arnold says —( 1 ) That they had no place in their Provincial

Grand Lodge ; and ( 2 ) Thafc their rank as Installed Masters was not acknowledged by the Lodge they joined . By the new rules tbe first grievance has been completely removed , and by the same authority the second has been substantially met ; in the one case a place has been assigned to joining

Past Masters in their Provincial Grand Lodge , and in the other it is provided " that in ihe absence of the P . M . of a Lodge , joining P . M . ' s have a right to take the chair . " This assigns a distinct position to a joining P . M ., and is a full recognition of his rank as an honoured officer of the Craft as

a body . The other resolution that was carried , which has given rise to a prolonged discussion , and which will come up for acceptance or rejection on confirmation of the minutes at next Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge ,

on Sth December , goes much farther . Not content with what was freelly given at the demand of justice , some brethren deemed ifc right to claim for joining P . M . ' s the rank of P . M . of the Lodgo they joined , taking rank immediately after the W . M . at the time they entered .

— : o : ~ We need not repeat tbe objections thafc have been urged against this attempt to create by law a distinction that should only be conferred as free recognition of merit , or be the result of work done in and for the Lodge . Brother

Arnold , like ourselves , thinks that a compromise might be effected . We use the term " compromise " in a limited sense , becanse the remedy he proposes , and which we from the first advocated , has been in use for years . Bro . Arnold sees objections to making it a law oi Grand Lodge that

private Lodges may , by a vote of the Lodge , assign a position to a joining P . M . amongst the Past Masters of that Lodge ; but he advocates giving power to Lodges to make a bye-law for the purpose . This would meet every just demand , and we trust the views so ably put by Bro .

Arnold will be accepted as a solution of a question that has caused much heat , and which cannot be finally settled except upon the broad basis of justice . The following sentence in Bro . Arnold's letter will recall onr own opinions so frequently expressed , and we give it because it puts the equity of the case in a very pithy form :

If this power were given to the Lodge , no further grievance conld exist ; for if a Lodge did not choose to hononr , as well as to receive a joining Past Master , it would in all probability be because ifc considered that he was a speculative rather than a working Mason ' and no one would sympathise with him nnder such circumstances .

Apparently , we are only on the threshhold of the dis cussion of the question of the rebuilding of the Temple . A weary war of words is before ns , and unless the object to be aimed at is definitely settled , there will be no end to the contention . The Special Committee have obtained a

great deal of information which is now before tbe Craft . From the tone and matter of their report it is quite clear they believed that either they had a mandate to consider the points they had to deal with , or that they came within the scope of their work . How they arrived afc that con .

elusion we need hot discuss ; ifc is sufficient to know that the cost their scheme would entail has aroused strong opposition , especially in the Province of West Yorkshire . Even in London the feeling seems to be , to some extent , in favour of restoration chiefly , and not in furtherance of

the plan of the Committee . It is contended that all that is necessary is to restore the Temple , and perhaps rearrange the kitchen department . We certainly share in the objections- that are urged against the purchase of the remaining portion of the lease of Bacon ' s Hotel ; the price

demanded is a strong argument against granting a long lease to Messrs . Spiers and Pond . No one knows what the future may bring forth , and for Grand Lodge to tie its bands for fifty years , even were tbe terms much better than those proposed , would be forging fetters for the

Random Notes And Reflections.

future which would be galling and unjust to our successors , and might involve them in claims which they could nofc meet without serious injury to the Craft , especially to fche cause of charity .

Still there remain matters to be decided that were , and probably still are , regarded as important . The desire for an enlarged Temple was nofc a mere sentiment , surely ; if so , ifc would be difficult to determine where the sentimental

begins and ends , and where the practical comes in . If the Temple only is to be restored , the matter can soon be disposed of ; but if it is to be enlarged , if better accommodation is to be afforded to those wbo have to go to

Freemasons' HaU on business , if there is to be a library and museum worthy of the Craft , if the kitchen arrangements are to be improved , then structural alterations must take place . Until the brethren make up their minds as to what

they really do want , it will be impossible to draft a plan . The restoration of the Temple would be tbe simplest scheme , but we can hardly believe that that is ali that is likely to be demanded . It may not be necessary to

purchase Mr . Bacon ' s lease , nor to extend that of Messrs . Spiers and Pond , but it may be desirable to do something more than restore the damaged Temple . The question of banquetting accommodation is not so important as some

seem to think . When we find private enterprise doing so much for the service of Lodges , it would be imprudent to incur any large outlay on our own premises , unless the present and prospective advantages were beyond dispute .

That does not appear to be so , and were tbe Craft polled it would be found that they are opposed to speculations which would involve an increased outlay , and tie the hand of Grand Lodge for balf a century to come . If our

tenants are suffering at our hands , relief ought to be given as a matter of justice ; if not , consideration ought to be given to our own wants , and those can besfc be served by taking tbe control of our property into our own keeping .

On Tuesday afternoon the remains of Bro . the Marquis of Donegall , K . P ., G . C . H ., were interred in the family mausoleum on the estate near Belfast . Our deceased Brother was Provincial Grand Master of the Province of

Antrim , and on the occasion of his funeral the brethren assembled in large numbers to swell the mournful cortege . He was ripe in years , having been born in 1797 , being thus 86 years of age at the time of his death . He was also

held in high respect , as not only did the Freemasons of his own and adjoining province take part in the funeral ceremony , but also representatives of the Royal Irish

Militia , of the Belfast Corporation and tbe Harbour Commissioners , while the peopled assembled in thousands in and around Cave Hill , the name by which the residence of the late Marquis is known .

— : o : — There was a cheerful as well as a sorrowful aspect of the meeting of the Craft . A Grand Masonic Bazaar has been beld at Belfast during the past few days , whicb helped to

increase the number of the brethren in the town . After attending the funeral of Brother the Marquis of Donegall , the members of the Craft attended the ceremony of closing

the bazaar , which was a brilliant finish to an equally brilliant opening . We learn that the financial results are most cheering , and that the local Masonic Charities will receive a great accession of funds .

There is great activity in the Masonic ranks just now . In addition to the doings in Ireland , we find that Brother Lord Hartington laid the foundation stone of a New

Sunday School building in connection with St . James' Church , Buxton , on Tuesday . The ceremony was performed with Masonic rites , and afforded a pleasant and edifying sig ht to a large crowd gathered on the occasion .

A Convocation of tbe North London Chapter of Improvement was held , on Thursday , 1 st inst ., at the Alwyne Castle Tavern , St . Paul's-road , Canonbury . The installation of Principals was conducted by Comp . Brown , in a

most praiseworthy and impressive manner , at 7 o ' clock ; there was a number of Past Principals assembled on tins occasion . At 8 o ' clock the ceremony of exaltation was rehearsed ; Comp . Hunter occupied the chair of Z .,

Comps-Isaac H ., Sparrow J ., R . Bird S . N ., Hubbard P . S