United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

rpHE Quarterly Communication was held on Wednes ¦ * - day , when the M . W . the Pro Grand Master the Earl of Carnarvon presided . There was a very fair attendance of Officers present and past , as well as lay members of Grand Lodge , who doubtless had assembled more especiall y

to elect tho several Committees , which is generall y considered the special feature of tho June Communication . Amongst thoso present were Bros . Lord Cremorno G . S . W . Dr . Cox as G . J . W ., Dr . John Bobbins Grand Chaplain , Horace B . Marshall Grand Treasurer , F . A . Philbrick

G . Registrar , Sir J . B . Monckton Pres . Board Gen . Pur ., Col . Shadwell H . Gierke G . Sec , H . Buss Assist . G . Sec , Dr . Wendt G . S . Ger . Cor ., Baron de Ferrieres and Fred . Davison Grand Senior Deacons , E . Letchworth Grand Junior Deacon , Lieut .-Col . Taylor Grand Standard Bearer

Horace Jones Grand Superintendent of Works , Sir Albert Woods ( Garter ) G . D . C , Griffiths Smith Assistant G . D . C , Stephens Grand Pursuivant , H . Garrod Assistant Grand Pursuivant , Matthews Grand Standard Bearer ; J . Havers Past Grand Warden , H . D . Sandeman P . D . G . M . Bengal ,

Kevs . Ambrose Hall , H . A . Picard , C . W . Arnold , T . Cochrane , H . G . Morse , C . W . Spencer Stanhope , J . Studholme Brownrigg , Past Grand Chaplains ; Col . Creaton Past Grand Treasurer ; J . Glaisher , R . Grey , J . M . Case W . A . F . Powell , John Sampson Peirce , Col . H .

Somerville-Burney , Braokstone Baker , T . H . Devonshire , T . Fenn J . H . Scott , Peter de Lnnde Long , Ralph Gooding Robert F . Gould , Raynham' W . Stewart , Charles A . Murton , Frank Green , H . Mandslay , Dr . Jabez Hogg , H . E . Gumbleton

Henry J . Dumas , Charles Hutton Gregory , J . E . Saunders Past G . Deacons ; Magnus Ohren , Raymond H . Thrnpp , Thomas Dolling Bolton , James Lewis Thomas , Ed » ar Bowyer , Col . James Peters , George Lambert , C . Greenwood , James Brett , 0 . A . Cottebrune , T . Cubitt , L . F Littell .

After Grand Lodge had been formally opened , attention was called to the fact that a system of canvassino- for votes by means of printed papers was being adopted . Bro . Britten , "who drew attention to this grievance , desired to know from what source these documents emanated and

whether they were paid for or sanctioned b y the Board of General Purposes . The Pro Grand Master expressed his disapproval of these papers , ancl Bro . Sir John Monckton reminded the members of Grand Lod ge that he had on former occasions said , and he repeated the assertion , the

Board of General Purposes had nothing do with the issue of these papers ; he knew nothing about them ; they did not pay for them , and he did not know who did . Bro . James Stevens , as one of the candidates , also protested ; he considered himself prejudiced by these

canvassing papers . The Earl of Carnarvon said Sir John Monckton as President of the Board of General Purposes , had told the brethren the papers was not issued by the authority or with sanction of that Board . It seemed to him the

documents derived authority from no known person , and though it might be impossible to prevent their issue , he was free to ¦ ay he did not approve of it . He thought it was probable that after this expression of opinion some change might take place .

The balloting papers were then distributed , ancl the election of members of the Board of General Purposes proceeded . Bro . Robert Grey P . G . D . was appointed Chairman of the Scrutineers . The minutes of the several meetings of Grand Lodge , as given iu the agenda paper

printed by us last week , were next read and confirmed . The Grand Secretary reported receipt of letters from the Queen , the Prince of Wales , and the Duchess of Albany , in reply to the votes of condolenee passed on the 24 th April .

After these letters had been read , the Earl of Carnarvon moved , and Bro . H . D . Sandeman P . Dist . Grand Master of Bengal seconded , that they be entered on the minutes , which was unanimously agreed to . Lord Carnarvon then rose ; he said : —

BRETHREN , —Before we proceed to the next business which stands on the agenda paper , I have a communication of an important character to make from the Grand Master . Every one here present has probably seen an encyclical letter of the Pope which appeared in

many public prints with reference to Freemasonry in general . I believe it would not be our duty if , on this the first and earliest occasion we meet after the publication of that encyclical , we wore to separate without some notice of ifc . I have felt it my duty from this chair to propose to you the course which I think it is wise and dignified for us

United Grand Lodge.

to take . It is a duty which none of ns can covet , but which , like many other duties , we are sometimes bound to accept . I shall only speak in that measured language of respect which is due to the head of tho Roman Catholic Chnrch . All tho more do I say this , and feel it , that I sincerely respect him , not merely as the Roman Pontiff ,

but as a statesman who , succeeding to a great post—a great political post—in critical times , has shown his statesmanship with ability , and , I think , discretion . Tho letter to which I have to call your attention is a very long one ; it contains a variety of topics , some of which intimately concerns us . I think this encyclical falls into two

great errors . In tho first placo it confounds all Masonio bodies in all parts of the world in a common aud sweeping charge of condemuation , and it next proceeds to confound all those Masonio bodies with infidels , or , as it terms them , " naturalists in religion , " and tho revo . lutionists and anarchists in politics . I hold hero a copy of thia

encyclical , and I observe that it imputes , amongst other things , these charges to the whole Masonic body withont discrimination and with , out qualification . It charges ns with treating matrimony in the lightest possible spirit , and regarding it as no bond or tie ; it accuses us of separating education from religion and morals ; and it charges

us with a dissemination of vice and vicious principles for the purpose of corrupting the morals of the young ; aud , lastly , it imputes to ua all those monstrous charges which are included under the titles of sedition , revolution , socialism , and communism . Ifc is my duty , and I hold it to bo the duty of Grand Lodge this night , on the first

occasion which has been given to it , to protest against these unfounded charges , and in protesting to affirm , with all the force and all the solemnity thafc wo can bring to bear , that they are founded upon a complete and total misapprehension of Freemasonry . Brethren , I am not here to night to defend all Masonic bodies in all parts of the

world . As we desire to stand perfectly clear ourselves , so let us not take any ground that is n « t absolutely correct . I grieve to thiuk that there aro some Masonic bodies that have laid themselves open to mnny of Iho charges which this encyclical letter contains , bnfc , on tho other hand , I fearlessly deny that there has been anything , directly

or indirectly , by word or by deed , aught thafc can sully the fair fame cither of this Grand Lodge or any Lodge under its rule . If I desired to appeal for evidence on this subject , where should 1 turn ? I should point to onr own rules , our ancient charges , our Book of Constitutions , one and all breathing a spirit of religion , and of obedience

to tho law . I hope I may go further , and , taking the Mnsonic bodies of England as a whole , I may point to our different Lodges and to our members , and say that in life , in morals , they are not unworthy of their great professions : and , lastly , I should turn to that long line of illustrious rulers

who have governed this Craft , whose pictures till last year , before this hall was consumed by fire , hung on these walls , and , above all , to our present Grand Master himself ; and I would ask any one , auy fair ancl impartial bystander , whether it was conceivable that ; an Order founded I say npon those laws , governed by those traditions ,

ruled by those rulers , could ever be open to the monstrous charges which I have just now read . I am convinced , bietbren , that social order and religion have no stronger friends , nor truer pillars to rest upon , than the Masonic bodies of England . I deeply regret , brethren , that any person in the position of the Pope shonld have been so far

misled by false representations as to put ; his hand—I am sure most undesignedly—to such a mis-statement of facts as this encyclical contains . I wish that anything I can say or that we could do here would open his eyes to tho ( acts of the case , but , whether this be so or not , we have one duty to ourselves and to the ancient and venerable

Order that we represent , and ifc is this—in the most temperate Ian . guage thafc we can command , bnt afc the same time the most decisive , to protest against this charge , and to spread far and wide our protest against it , and with this object and with this purpose I beg now to

move" That this Grand Lodge has seen with great regret the recent encyclical letter , in which the charges of atheism , sedition , and vice are made against Masonry in general without discrimination ; and that this Grand Lodge , whilst it does not deny thafc meetings for political and seditious purposes have in some instances been held

nnder tho pretence of thoir being Masonic Lodges , can only express its astonishment and regret that English Freemasonry should by some strange misapprehension of facts be included in this sweeping charge , which the law , practices , and traditions of the Order , as well as the position of its rulers , clearly prove to be utterly withont foundation . "

Bro . John Havers P . G . W . seconded the resolution ; he thought they were deeply indebted to the Pro Grand Master for the thoughtfulness which had made him bring this subject before the brethren , and for his constant care and attention to the work of Grand Lodge . He thanked

his lordship for the admirable manner in which he had put before them that evening the resolution he moved . As he had said before to his lordship , this resolution was not necessary for Freemasons ; they knew it was not necessary even for Roman Catholics , because , while they should treat them with the greatest respect , they were free to do ,

say , and think what they liked ; but there might be in this wide world of ours some good , dear old ladies , of both sexes , who had the idea that Freemasons were rather a bad class , and these would be reconciled by those great and beautiful words which had fallen from their chief . Having said this much , he begged to second the resolution .

The Earl of Carnarvon having put the resolution , said he had the satisfaction of declaring that it was carried nem con .