Grand Lodge.

GRAND LODGE .

LONDON , SATUBDAT , MAECS 22 . 1 S 62 .

The more we consider the proceedings at the last Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge , the more ¦ we are convinced of the irregularity—nay , direct illegality—of taking matters into consideration ¦ which do not appear in the agenda paper , as is evidenced by

laws 8 and 9 , pp . 19-21 , of the Booh of Constitutions ( edition 1858 ) under the head of " regulations for the government ofthe Craft , " where it is said" It being essential to the interests of the Craft that all matters of business to be brought under the consideration of the grand lodge should be previously known

to the grand officers and masters of lodges , that , through them , all the representatives of lodges may be apprised of such business , and be prepared to decide thereon , ¦ without being taken by surprise , a general committee , consisting of the present and past grand officers , and the master of every regular lodge , shall meet on the AVednesday fortnight immediately preceding each quarterly communication , at which meeting all reports or representations from the most worshipful grand master , or the board of general purposes , or any board or

committee appointed by the grand lodge shall be read ; and any member of the grand lodge intending to make motion therein , or to submit any matter to its consideration , shall , at such general committee , state , in writing , the nature of his intended motion or business , that the same may be read . No motion , or other matter , shall be brought into discussion , in the grand lodge , unless it

shall have been previously communicated to this general committee . Notices of motion once given shall stand on the paper of business in their order of precedency , if renewed at the general committee , until they have been considered by grand lodge , or otherwise diposed of . "In order that all lodges may be duly informed of the business to come before grand lodthe printed

rege , port of the proceedings of the last grand lodge , and a printed copy of the notices of motion for the ensuing grand lodge , shall be sent to all lodges , at least ten days before each quarterly communication . A paper of the business to be transacted in grand lodge shall be placed in the hands of each member on his entrance into the hall . "

Now nothing can he clearer than the words " no motion or other matter shall be brought into discussion in the Grand Lodge unless it shall have been previously communicated to this General Committee , " and yet on the 5 th inst . three most important subjects were brought forward and adjudicated upon , not one

of which was in the agenda paper , or had been communicated to the Committee on the " "Wednesday fortni ght immediately preceding the Quarterly Communication ; " and Ave are convinced that if the

question is properly raised , the whole of the proceedings connected with those subjects must be quashed for informality . It is true that the proposition for the erasure of a number of lodges had been several times before Grand Lodge , and there was probably no chance of any of them being enabled

to make the returns necessary for them to be kept on the rolls of Grand Lodge ; but that is not the question , which is simply whether the motion should

or should not have been communicated to the brethren , as standing for adjudication on the 5 th inst ., prior to its being proceeded with . The other subjects were , however , of equal , if not greater importance , and had never been before the General Committee in any form whatever—viz ., the

appointment of a Trustee for the Grand Lodge Property—and the consideration of the complaint made against a brother of Newport , Isle of "Wi ght , and upon which he had been suspended by the Prov . Grand Master .

As regards the trustee , there could be no better appointment than that of the Earl de Grey and Eipon , the Deputy Grand Master , but still notice ought to have been given of the intention to bring forward the motion , and there can be no excuse of want of time ,

for the death of the Earl of Yarborongh took place iu the first week in January . The Grand Secretary as an apology , states , that it was not until the day prior to the meeting of the General Committee that the Board of General Purposes made an order for the funding of money , and therefore it was not until after

the meeting of the Committee he became aware that it was necessary to appoint a new trustee prior to the investing of funds . The latter part of the statement of Bro . Clarke Ave have no doubt to be perfectly true , but we contend that the Grand Secretary should have known that monies could not be invested in an

imperfect trust , and that it was his duty the instant that he heard of the death of the noble Earl who had acted as trustee , to have made a note of the circumstance , and , at the earliest opportunity , called the attention of the General Committee to it , when the necessary steps might have been taken to fill up the

vacancy in a legal and constitutional form . But the last subject irregularly brought before Grand Lodge is of still greater importance , and though arising out of the previous minutes , assumes a form which even those protesting against the proceedings did not see at the time . The truth is , the

quest-ion , and it was a painful one to bring forward at all , was began in irregularity , and has been continued in irregidarity . Clause 4 , pp . 46-7 of the Booh of Constitutions ( edition 1858 ) , " of Prov . Grand

Masters , enacts : — "He ( the Prov . G . Master ) shall hear and determine all subjects of Masonic complaint or irregularity , respecting lodges or individual masons , within his district , and may proceed to admonition , fine , or suspension , until the next meeting of the grand lodge , according to the general laws of the craft . A minute of such ,

proceedings , stating the offence and the law applicable to to it , together with the decision , is to be transmitted to the grand master . When the case is of so flagrant a nature as , in the judgment of the provincial grand master , to require the erasure of a lodge , or the expulsion of a brother , he shall make a special report to the grand lodge , with his opinion thereon . " The provincial grand master has no power to expel a mason , though he may , when satisfied that any brother