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Grand Lodge Of Mark Masters.

GRAND LODGE OF MARK MASTERS .

fTlHE Grand Lodge of Marie Master Masons of England JL and Wabs , and the Colonies and Dependencies of the British Crown , held its half-yearly communication on Tnesuay , at "Freemasons' Tavern , Great Queen-street , London , tho M . W . Grand Mark Master the Ric-ht Hon . the

Earl of Kintore presided , and was supported by Lord Henniker Past Grand Master , Rev . Canon Portal Past Grand Master , the Marqnig of Hertford , and the following among other Grand Officers : —Lord Egerton of

Tatton Deputy Grand Master , Lord J . Tavlonr S . W ., G . P . Brockbanlc J . W ., H . Venn M . O ., J . S . Cumberland J . O ., Rev . Dean Currio and Rev . F . H . Richardson Chaplains , P . Davison Treas ., P . Richardson

Rogistrar , P . Binckes Secretary , C . W . Dnke S D ., E . L . Shep herd J . D ., R . Berridce D . of C , Brvant Std . Br ., W Ganz Organist , W . Morris I . G ., E . H . Thiellay , C . F Hogard , H . Stephens , W . E . Stewart , and F . W . Drivei Stewards .

Grand Lodge having beeu formally opened , and the minutes confirmed , the following report of the General Board was submitted . It was eventually adopted and its recommendations agreed to .

REPORT OP THE GENERAL BOARD . Tbe number of certificates issued in tbe half-year , ending 31 st of Marcb last , was 809 , the largest number as yet granted in a similar period—the total of registered advancements being now 20 , 196 . During the same period ten warrants for now Lodges were granted , viz . : —

No . 346 Tristram ... ... ... Newcastle-on-Tyne . 347 Albert Edward ... ... St . Thomas , Danish W . I 348 Fidelity and Unanimity ... Tnnnton . 319 Aklersbot Army and Navy ... Aldersbnt . 350 Temperance in the East ... Poplar , E . 351 St . Anne ' s ... ... ... East Looe , Cornwall . 352 Prince Leopold ... ... Kipon . 353 Dove Valley ... ... Ashbourne . 354 Rose and Lily .., ... Waltham Cross . 355 Eoyal Savoy ... ... London .

In the degree of Mark Manner , the nnmbpr of certificates issnod was 127 , bringing tbe total registered elevations to 1797 . Warrants for new Ark Mariner Lodges have been granted to Noah Lodge attached to Ramsay Lodge 180 , Mnrree , Punjab ; Byron Lodge

attached to Newstead Lodge T . I . Nottingham ; Stella Lodge attached to Star of Burmah Lodge 88 , Rangoon , B . B . The M . W . Grand Master has been pleased to appoint the R . W . Bro . Rev . John Fairclongh Provincial Grand Mark Master of British Bnrmah .

The R . W . Bro . J . Woodall Woodall , J . P ., has been re-appoiufced Provincial Grand Mark Master of North and East Yorkshire for a fnrther term of three years . The Board has the melancholy dnty of recording its deep regret at tho loss of V . W . Bro . H . C . Levander , who for npwards of ten years

discharged the dnties of Grand Registrar in a manner highly advantageous to tbe best interests of Grand Lodge . It having been reported to tbe Board that a brother had been installed in the chair of W . M . who had not served the office of W . M , in a Craft Lodge , and who had not proenred tho necessary

dispensetion ( article 64 , page 13 , Book of Constitutions ) , the Board recommended the M . W . Grand Master to issne a special dispensation to cover this irregularity , and inflicted a fine of two guineas on tbo Lodge . A petition has been presented from Derwent Lodge 282 , supported

by the R . W . Provincial Grand Master of Cumberland and Westmoreland , praying that the Board would recommend Grand Lodge to condone certain irregularities in tbe installations of Bros . Coverdulc and Salkeld , who , by unintentional error and inadvertence , bad only filled tho chair of W M . for ton months each . Tho Board h . nvin <»

carefull y considered the whole of the cirenmstancea connected with the case , has pleasure in recommending Grand Lodge to confirm Rros . Covcrdnlo and Salkeld in the rank and privileges of Past Master on payment of a fine of two guineas each . A Petition has been presented by the Leopold Lodge 235 , stating that , the Installation in 188 t was unavoidable postponed , and tbat in

consequence , of inadvertence and forgetfnlness , the then installed W . M ., Rev . R . P . Bent , P . G . Chap ., only served eleven months in the chair of W . M ., and praying Grand Lodge to confirm Bro . Bent in the rank and privileges of P . M . Tho Board has carefully considered the reasons for this conrse , and begs to recommend it to Grand Lodge , on payment by tho Lodge of a fine of Two Guineas . The Board regrets exceedingly to announce that by the failure of

Grand Lodge Of Mark Masters.

tho Bankers of Grand Lodgo , Messrs ' . Ridgway and Sons , a severe loss will fall upon tho various fund ? . The balances in Messrs . Ridgwav ' s hands were : —

General Fund - - - £ 87 14 0 Benevolent Fund - - - 29 S 2 1 ' Educational Fund - - - 62 9 0 Dewar Fund .... 253 16 0 Festival Fund - - 11 5 7 Duke of Albany Fund ( Balance of ) - 5 10 9

£ 718 17 5 No statement has yet been received from tbe Official Receiver in Bankruptcy , bnt tho Board recommends that the last three amounts mentioned bo made good from the General Fund of Grand Lod gp .

An account has been opened at the London and Westminster Bank Limited , Bloomslmry Branch , and the Board requests that all cheques , & o ., may bo crossed thereto . The Board has to acknowledge with thanks the receipt of Proceed , iriga of tbe following Grand Chapters * . —Michigan , Maine , Maryland ,

Ohio , Illinois , Missouri , Colorado . Several of these deal with tho question of exclusive jurisdiction with reference to the Grand Chanter of Quebec , and all of them support the action of that Grand Chapter , as was to be anticipated , thongh tho manner in which the question is treated varies

considerably , and tho Board begs to express its appreciation of the Masonic conrtesy which distinguishes some of tho reports on the snbjpct . No fresh step has been taken by the Executive of Grand Lodge since tho last half-yearly communication , owing to the action of the Grand Lodgo of Quebec in severing all intercourse with tho United Grand

Lodge of England and the Lodges under its jurisdiction . As all Mark Masters in Quebec holding under this jurisdiction are Master Masons under the United Grand Lodge , this action of the Grand Lodge of Quebec , to be followed no doubt by the Grand Chapter , would rPiider useless all attempts at an arrangement fur the present .

This Grand Lodge can only orntinne to reassert the principles which have always guided tbo Grand Lodges of Great Britain and Ireland , viz . : That a minority of Lodges cannot bo coerced by a majority into joining a new organisation . That a Grand Lodge to be a lawful

body most be constituted in accordance with tbe laws of the States , and a 3 regard the Mark Degree , that Mark Lodges have a right to a separate charter or warrant , should they desire it , and ought not to be compulsorily merged in the more modern degree of Royal Arch Mason .

The Seventeenth Anniversary Festival in aid of tho "Mark Benevolent Fund" is appointed for Wednesday , 22 nd July , and the R . W . Bro . the Lord Egerton of Tatton , Deputy Grand Master , Prov . Grand M . M . M . of Cheshire , has most kindly consented to preside—with every prospect of success , which , it is hoped may be assured by the

sympathy and support of the members of tbo Mark Degree . Thero are now twplve Boys and five Girls receiving the advantages of the Educational Branch . Tito reports of p rogress are in all oises highly satisfactory . Tho Board has presented the Silver Medal to David William Russell Symon , now being educated at King Edward

VI . Grammar School , Southampton , of whose progress an exceptionally favourable report has been presented by the Head Master . The Board recommends that the Grand Director of Ceremonies , for the time being , should , for the future , be an ex officio Member of the General Board . The Beard has relieved the following cases : —

Bro . J . L „ 65 £ 5 0 0 „ M . E . 118 £ 5 0 0 „ W . P ., 176 £ 10 0 0

And recommends the following grants for confirmation by Grand Lodge : — £ 50 to C . R ., daughter of Bro . S . R ., Old Kent . £ 25 to Bro . J . A .. 34 .

£ 25 to Bro . J . C . G ., 59 . £ 20 to Bro . M . E ., 8 . ( Signed ) G . R , PORTAL , Past G . M . M . M ., President ,

The Invpsted Funds are as follows : — General Fnnd ...... £ 2 . 900 0 0 Benevolent Fund ..... 2 , 000 0 0 Educational Fund ..... 1 , 400 0 0 The Grand Treasurer ' s Accounts for the six months ending 31 st March 1885 show the following results : — Br . GENERAL FUND . Or .

To Balance 30 th Sept . 1884 - £ 213 0 3 Half-year ' s Receipts - . 906 13 2 Interest on Investments . 63 13 9

1 , 183 7 2

By Ordinary Expendi ' tm-e - £ 533 6 9 Geo . Kenning , jeweller , & c . 28 17 0 Spencer & Co . do . 156 6 0 lltighnn Testimonial - - 10 10 0 Homrnni & Son , T I - » I * 1 I / . i

decorators - loi . o Cash at Ridgwny and Sou 3 at date of Receiving Order in Bankruptcy ( subject only to a dividend ) 87 14 0

Overdrawn Dewar ' s Fund - 2 19 0 Balance at London ifc West , miuster Bank 209 9 11 1 , 183 7 2