United Grand Lodge.

appoint annually " Six Provincial or District Grand Deacons , " a " Provincial or District Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies , " and " Three Provincial or District Assistant Grand Directors of Ceremonies . "

In Provinces and Districts numbering 100 Lodges and upwards the Provincial or District Grand Masters shall bo empowered to appoint a " Provincial or District Deputy Grand Registrar , " to take rank immediately after the Provincial or District Grand

Registrar , Six Provincial or District Grand Deacons , a "Provincial or District Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies , " "Three Provincial or District Assistant Grand Directors of Ceremonies , " and a " Provincial or District Deputy Grand Sword Bearer . "

Rule 311 . —Below tho words " Grand Registrar , £ 10 10 s , to insert the words " Deputy Grand Registrar , £ 10 10 s , " and below the words " Grand Sword Bearer , £ 5 5 s , " insert " Deputy Grand ] Sword Bearer , £ 5 5 s , " and below the words " Grand Secretary , ( £ 10 10 s , " insert " President of the Board of Benevolence , £ 1010 . "

At page 137 . ~ rBelow the words " Past Grand Standard Beirars , " insert " Past Deputy Grand Sword Bearers , " and below these words " Deputy Grand Sword Bearer , " and below tin .- ¦ ords " President of the Board of General Purposes , " insert 'Past Deputy Grand Registrars , " a « d below these words " Deputy

Grand Registrar . " Tho Board also submit a statement of the Grand Lodge Accounts at the last meeting of the Finance Committee , held on Friday , tho

12 th day of May inst ., showing a balance in the Bank of England ( Western Branch ) of £ 8 , 629 0 s lid , and balance of annual allowance for Library £ 40 4 s 2 d , and in the hands of the Grand Secretary for petty cash £ 100 , and for servants' wages £ 100 .

( Signed ) THOMAS FENN , President . FREEMASONS' HALL , LONDON , W . C . 16 th May 1893 .

At the meeting of the Board held on Tuesday , the 16 th of May , after the ordinary business had been disposed of , the following resolution was passed , viz . ;—" That the cordial thanks of the members of the Board of

( Signed ) , F . ERNEST POCOCK , Vice-President . 10 . REPORT OF THE COLONIAL BOARD . To the United Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of England . Tbe Colonial Board have to report re "The Cambrian Lodgo , " No . 656 , Sidney , New South Wales : —

General Purposes be tendered to the President , V . W . Bro . Thomas Fenn , for the very able and courteous manner in which lie has presided over the meetings of the Board during the past year .

1 . In the early part of 1888 a general movement took place in New South Wales , having for its object the union of the various Lodges and Constitutions in the Colony nnder the jurisdiction of fche newly-formed Grand Lodge of New Sonth Wales .

At this period there were 80 Lodges under the English Constitution , of whioh " The Cambrian " was one . 2 . This Lodge had made its last return to Grand Lodge for the year 1885 , showing a list of 60 members , and since that time 16 initiations had raised the number to 76 .

3 . In June 1888 , a meeting , privately convened and attended by 23 members , was held to consider whether the brethren would join the newly-formed Local Grand Lodge . On taking the vote ,

ten were found on each side , three refrained from voting , and the Chairman gave a casting vote in favour of the proposal . Subsequently other members gave their adherence , including some of those who had at first dissented .

4 . At the September meeting of the Lodge the Immediate Past Master , from the ohair , stated to the brethren that he and the Wardens had , while still in office , sent the Lodge Warrant in to the Grand Lodge of New South Wales , in whose possession it then was .

Some of the brethren present verbally protested against this act , and subsequently the dissentients held a meeting , in cousequence of which they applied to the Grand Secretary of the Local Grand Lodge for a return of the Warrant . This was demanded in writing signed by eight brethren .

5 . Eighteen brethren signed a declaration thafc they were desirous of remaining nnder tho Grand Lodge of England . The Local Grand Secretary replied , he held the Warrant for the Grand Lodge of New South Wales , and the request was not complied witb .

6 . Meantime the movement in favour of tho new Grand Lodge had progressed , and become , as Lord Carrington the District Grand Master reported to the Grand Master , practically unanimous , aud n , * request for its recognition by the Grand Lodge of England was forwarded to the Grand Master .

7 . At the Qnarterly Communication held 5 th December 1888 , the request was submitted to Grand Lodge , with a strong recommendation from the Grand Master in its favour , and Grand

Lodge resolved to recognise the Grand Lodge of New South Wales , The Grand Master reserved the right fco continue any existing Lodges iu the Colony which did not join the movement , and

United Grand Lodge.

stipulated that they should be deemed regular Lodges notwithstanding the formation of the new body . 8 . The Grand Master of New South Wales also requested thai the old Lodge Warrants might be retained by the Lodges , and this request was acceded to , on condition they were marked in the

margin to the effect they were no longer in force under the Grand Lodge of England , and that the jurisdiction was henceforth transferred to the Grand Lodge of New Sonth Wales . Authority was sent ont to the Grand Master , Lord Carrington , to cause this to be done , and acting thereon he caused a

notification complying with the condition to be stamped on the margin of all tbe Warrants . The Warrant of the Cambrian Lodge was ultimately handed to the new Lodge nnder his jurisdiction , which took the same name , " The Cambrian Lodge . " A similar conrse appears to have besn adopted with the Warrants of all tbe other Lodges whioh joined the new body . |

9 . Before , however , the matters referred to in the last paragraph bad happened the dissentient members had written to the late Grand Secretary , Colonel Shadwell H . Gierke , a letter dated the 8 th November 1888 , but whioh arrived after tbe recognition of |

the New Grand Lodge by the Grand Lodge of England , stating that the Warrant had been handed over , and that they desired to remain under English jurisdiction . They also asked for a duplicate Warrant , and prayed advice and assistance to secure their rights .

By enclosures in that letter it appeared there were at that time 63 members , 26 for and 20 against the proposed union , and the rest not declared . The contention was raised that being three or more in number the non-assenting brethren were absolutely entitled to retain the Warrant under Article 219 .

10 . The Grand Secretary replied ou 27 th March 1889 , that a duplicate Warrant conld not be granted—that the transfer of the Lodge was in accordance with the wishes of a very considerable majority of the members , only 20 not agreeing , and that in the opinion of the Grand Registrar , Article 219 of the Book of Constitutions

did not apply to such a case . 11 . In October 1889 , five of the dissentient members protested against the ruling of the Grand Registrar , and the Colonial Board , having considered , the protest on 9 th January 1890 , upheld the ruling as correct , and this was in due coarse com . mnnicated to those who protested .

Various letters were subsequently received from these brethren who protested against the decision of the Colonial Board and complained of the taking and detention of the Warrant , and at length a letter of 22 nd April 1891 was received by the late Grand Secretary , signed by Brother George Robinson , describing

himself as Worshipful Master of the Cambrian Lodge , but whose name was not registered in the books of the Grand Lodge of England , and asking if " our appeals from the Grand Registrar ' s decision and that of the Colonial Board had been heard by Grand Lodge . "

12 . This was followed by several further letters in which it was stated that legal proceedings wonld be taken in the Colony to recover the Warrant and property of tho Lodge , and it is not known if such steps were adopted , but tho Warrant still remains in the hands of tho New Lodge with the cancelling mark above stated .

13 . In January 1892 , she Board , uot being acquainted with the facts as to what had been done witb the Warrant , aud tho previous correspondence not being before it , owing to the lamented decease of Colonel Shadwell H . Clerke , resolved to recommend the grant of a Warrant of Confirmation in the event of the original not being returned .

14 . This resolution was communicated to the Applicants , but before the recommendation conld be acted upon the full facts above set forth were disclosed , and the Board thereupon rescinded its former resolution , and resolved to take no step in the matter .

15 . The Board adheres to the view it took of the scope of Article 219 of the Book of Constitutions , when the ruling of the Grand Registrar was protested against , and is of opinion that its provisions are not intended to deal with cases where the Lodge contemplates joining a new Masonio allegiance .

16 . It appears to the Board that the Warrant was properly cancelled under the direct authority emanating from the M . W . the Grand Master , given at the timo of the recognition of the Grand Lodgo of New Sonth Wales , and that as it is impossible for the Grand Master to issue a new Warrant , no action should be taken .

17 . No proper appeal was ever preferred to Grand Lodge as pointed ont by the Book of Constitutions , Article 217 . It is an entire misuse of terms to style the letters of November 1888 and October 1889 " Appeals . "

18 . The Lodge has neglected to make any return or payments sinco 1885 , and has never attempted to comply with the law in this respect until 23 rd February 1892 , when a return was signed comprehending 21 names , four not registered in tha Books of Grand Lodge , and one of a brother since deoeaaed .

( Signed ) GEORGE DAVID HARRIS ,. Chairman . FREEMASONS' HALL , LONDON , 8 th May 1893 . 11 . The Annual Report of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons , dated 19 tb May 1893 , will be laid before Grand Lodge .