The Mountain In Labour.

THE MOUNTAIN IN LABOUR .

LONDON , SATURDAY , MARCS , 1 . 1802 .

After three years gestation the Mountain has produced a very little mouse—sans tail , sans ears , sans eyes , sans everything . After a three years' slumber the Board of General Purposes Lave discovered that , under the powers granted to them by Grand Lodge

in December , 1858 , they can do literall y nothing in the "way of dealing with the Grand Lodge property . "Wonderful Legislators ! Only three years consideration for such an immense discovery ! They have , accordingly , asked for an extension of powers to do what ?•—to go to sleep again ; to wake up once more ,

perhaps at the end of the nest generation . The truth is , the Board of General Purposes is an ever changing body , and has plenty to do without troubling themselves with building . Here is the Board of 1858 -.

—BEO . JOHN HAVEES PEESIBENT . BEO . CHAKLES LOCOCK WEEB VICE-PEESIDENT . Bro . Francis Roxburgh Bro . R . Kynaston , W . M . No . 66 „ * William H . White „ William Young , „ 72 „ William Pulteney Scott „ George Haward , „ 108 „ John S . S . Hopwood „ Frederick Slight „ 233 # John Hervey RWWheeler 324

„ „ . . , „ „ * Stephen Barton Wilson „ W . W . Beach , M . P . 965 „ * Richard W . Jennings „ * Fred . Adlard , P . M . No . 7 „ * John L . Evans „ Thos . Bisgood , „ 8 „ * A . A . Le Veau „ Fred . Binckes , „ 11 „ * Joseph Smith „ * John Symonds , „ 21 „ J . H . Dart , W . M . No . 1 „ Edw . Roberts , „ 167 „ T . D . Grissell , „ 14

And here the Board of 1 S 62 : — BEO . . ZENEAS J . MCINTYBE PBESIDENT . BEO . J . RANKIN STEBBING ViCE-PaEsr » ENT . Bro . nVMiam H . White Bro . W . J . Meymott W . M . 14 „ C . Hutton Gregory „ J . H . Heal „ 167 „ * John Hervey „ R . W . Stewart „ 663 hen Barton Wilson

„ * Step „ Edward Cox „ 955 „ Albert W . Woods „ R . H . Smith „ 1010 „ * John Symonds „ S . Haydon „ 1079 „ * Richard W . Jennings „ * Fred . Adlard .,. P . M . 7 „ * John L . Evans „ John Savage „ 19 „ * Abraham A . Le Veau „ Thos . G . Dickie „ 53 „ * Joseph Smith „ Aug . Sargood „ 109 „ J . J . A . L . " 1 w ,, „ T . W . Thomson „ 230 Creaton , j ' " -- „ Henry Empson ,, 275

So that only nine , as will be seen by the names of those marked with an * of the present Board were members of that to whom powers were given by Grand Lodge , to see whether some better . provision than that existing could not be found for the Craft in their own premises ; and a further change of at

least seven , and it will probably be of ten or twelve members will take place under the Constitutions in June next . Erom such a body no properly digested scheme can well be expected , and so it was foreseen by the independent members of Grand Lodge at the time , and it was proposed that a Special Committee should be appointed to consider the subject

and report to Grand Lodge . Had that course been adopted a sensible and well considered plan might have been propounded by the close of 1859 at the furthest , and the property in Great Queen Street , by this time , have presented something ' like a respectable appearance—instead of being , as it now is , a standing disgrace to tho Craft . But no , the bugbear cry of " want of confidence , " that disgrace

to every deliberative society , was raised , and the matter left in the hands of the Board of General Purposes—we see with what result . The Board say : —¦ "The Board beg further to report , that they have had several plans laid before them for the appropriation of

the freehold property belonging to tho Society , Some of these plans are based upon the continuance or increase of the present tavern communication ; hut inasmuch as Grand Lodge , in 185 S , decided that the attention of the Board should be directed solely to schemes for appropriating the property , or a portion thereof , to Masonic purposes exclusivel " it was considered that the Board

y , ought not to entertain such schemes until the sanction of Grand Lodge for their so doing should be obtained . It was therefore resolved" That whereas the following resolutions were agreed to at a Quarterly Communication of the Grand Lodge , holden on the 1 st December , 1858 , viz .: — 1 st . That it is desirable that the freehold property

now belonging to the Society , or such part thereof as may be necessary , shall be devoted exclusively to Masonic purposes . " 2 nd . That the subject be referred back to the Board , with directions to report thereon to the Grand Lodge , and to bring before it such a scheme as may appear to be practicable for carrying out the first resolutionand

, to authorise the Board to expend a sum not exceeding £ 300 for that purpose ; and if they see fit , to submit the subject to the public competition of the whole Masonic body , and to offer a sum , not exceeding 150 guineas , in premiums for the best design .

" 3 rd . That m the scheme which they will have to consider , it will be desirable to proceed only with a view of providing fitting and appropriate accommodation to be devoted solely and exclusively to Masonic purposes . "And whereas several members of the Board of General Purposes are of opinion , that it is desirable to have power to consider the propriety of appropriating a

portion of the property for the purposes of a tavernshould the judgment of the Board take that directionit is respectfully requested that much additional power be granted to the Board by Grand Lodge accordingly . "

It is true that the last resolution appears too much to fetter the Board in their consideration of the improvement of the Grand Lodge property ; but we ask why that was not discovered in . 1859 ? and why three years have been wasted in doing nothing ? It is true Bro . Savage had an inkling , in 1 S 58 , that

the resolution would have the effect , and , as it was nearly twelve o ' clock when the motion was brought forward and Grand Lodge nearly empty , moved that its consideration be adjourned . But no , the matter was so important that it must be disposed of at once ,

and the resolution was carried , only to be shelved . We are not now going to discuss the question of Tavern or no Tavern , that will do for another time ; but we trust if Grand Lodge does give further