United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

THE Quarterly Communication of United Grand Lodge was held on Wednesday , the 7 th instant , at Freemasons' Hall , Great Queen " Street , W . C . The Earl of Mount Edgcumbe Deputy Grand Master presided . Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., Provincial Grand Master of Hants and the Isle of Wight , acted as Deputy Grand Master , and

Bro . Col . Le Gendre N . Starkie Proviucial Grand Master of East Lancashire as Past Grand Master . Bro . the Earl of Yarborough was in his place as Grand Senior Warden , and Bro . Rev . R . J . Simpson P . G . C . acted as Grand Junior Warden . There was a very large muster of brethren present .

After Grand Lodge had been opened , the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe said he had to express his regret that he was again in the chair at this meeting of Grand Lodge in consequence of the indisposition of Lord Lathom . He hoped his lordship was going on satisfactorily , but he was suffering from a severe attack of influenza .

The minutes of the Quarterly Communication of 1 st March and of the Grand Festival of 2 Gth April wero then read and confirmed .

The scrutineers of votes for the election of members of the Board of General Purposes were selected and obligated to make a faithful return . Brother J . H . Matthews was appointed Chairman , the ballot cards were collected , and the scrutineers retired .

Tho Earl of Mount Edgcumbe announced thafc the Grand Masfcer had appointed Brother Thomas Fenn to be again President of the Board of General Purposes , and Bro . Fenn advanced and was re-invested .

On the motion of Brother J . S . Cumberland , seconded by Brother Dr . Ernest Pocock , Brother John Smith was unanimously re-elected Auditor of Grand Lodge

accounts . The following brethren were declared elected as members of the Committee of Management of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution : —

Lodge . ALFRED H . HICKMAN .. 228 JOHN L . ANDERSON ... . 554 . Lieut-Col . ALI-RED DURRANT .. 569 CHARLES ALEXR . COTTEBRUNE - - - 733

CHARLES KEMPTON - ... . 1287 ISAAC DIXON ... ... 1567 WILLIAM HENRY HUBUERT ... 1625 NELSON EEED . . . .. 1671 EGBERT DANIEL CUMMINGS .. 1677 TiiEorniLUS J . BIRD . . . - 1897

The report of the Board of Benevolence for fche last quarter was read by the Grand Secretary , and , on the motion of Bro . Robert Grey President , seconded by Bro . James Brett Senior Vice-President , was confirmed . On the motion of Bro . Thomas Fenn President of the

Board of General Purposes , seconded by Bro . Dr . Ernest Pocock Vice President , the report of the Board of General Purposes was taken as read , and ordered to be received and entered on the minutes , all the propositions and

suggestions therein being agreed to . On the motion of Bro . Sir G . D . Harris , which was duly seconded , the Report of the Colonial Board was taken as read , and ordered to be received and entered on tho minutes .

The Annual Report of the . Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons , was laid before Grand Lodge . Bro . John Albert Farnfield then moved the Notice of

Motion standing in his name , having reference to granting a sum of £ 70 to supply the inmates of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution with coals dnring the winter months .

Bro . Dr . Jabez Hogg seconded the motion , which wns carried . Bro . Richard Eve nexfc rose to move : —

That this Grand Lodge declares that the conclusion of the Colonial Board , viz ., thafc Article 219 did not apply to the case of the Cambrian Lodge , No . 656 , of Australia , is totally opposed to the uniform practice of Grand Lodge since 1779 , and that the correct construction of the law is that

laid down by the V . W . Grand Registrar , Bro . Philbrick , and the V . W . the President of the Board of General Purposes , Bro . Fenn , on the 3 rd June 1885 , by tbe late M . W . Pro Graud Master , Lord Carnarvon , on the Sth

December 1888 , and by the R . W . Bro . W . W . B . Beach , and by the V . W . Grand Registrar , and the V . W . President of the Board of General Purposes on the 2 nd December 1891 , and adopted by Grand Lodge on thbse dates .

United Grand Lodge.

And tbat the alleged cancellation of the warrant was in direct contravention of the terms on whioh Grand Lodge granted recognition to the United Grand Lodsje of New South

Wales . And that these brethren who adhere to their allegiance to this Grand Lodge aro therefore entitled to recognition as tho Lodge .

This led to a long and interesting discussion , Bro . Eve speaking at some length , after which Bro . J . E . Le Feuvre seconded the motion . Bros . J . A . Philbrick , the Rov . R . J . Simpson , S . R . Baskett , R . D . M . Littler , Q . C , W . F . Lamonby , and the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe all addressed tho

meeting , and on the resolution being put , it was carried by about two to one , amidst cheers . Bro . Philbrick then brought forward the appeal of Bro . Makinson Sanders , late of Lodge No . 1025 , Star of the South , Buenos Ayres . He said Bro . M . Sanders was

a member of the Lodgo , he was put up as a candidate for the Chapter , but was unsuccessful on the ballot . He applied for his certificate of clearance from the Lodgo , and having paid up his dues he was entitled to it . Unfortunately before ho resigned the Lodgo he wrote a private letter to

a brother , who was also a member , in which he used somo words which ho had better not have used . The brother to whom it was written instead of burning it showed ifc in the Lodge . It was not a Masonic offence , but it was taken before the District Grand Master , who suspended him for six months . The District Grand' Master said

Bro . Sanders was entitled to his certificate , bufc not to givo him a clean certificate , bufc to state fche circumstances under which Bro . Sanders left tho Lodge . He ( Brother Philbrick ) advised Grand Lodgo to quash the suspension , and to direct the District Grand Master to have entered

on the books of the District Grand Lodge thafc Grand Lodge was of opinion that no Masonic offence had been committed by Bro . Sanders . One curious circumstance in this case was that at the time the sentence was passed a warrant had been sent out for a now Lodge in the

Argen-.. . .. tine Republic , and thc consecration had not taken place . In that warrant this same Bro . Sanders was actually named as the S . W . of tho Lodge . The District Grand Master told the Master designate nofc to admit Brother Sanders , and he consecrated tho Lodge and ignored

. Bro . Sanders' name , and put fche brethien to elect another brother as S . W . instead . All these acts were grossly and highly censurable in the District Grand Master . The warrant of the Grand Master could not be altered , qualified ,

.. or disobeyed afc the will of any District Grand Master . If a District Grand Master did so ho deserved to have his conduct noticed and to be admonished . If he had any doubt he should have postponed fche consecration till he had written home .

Bro . Fenn seconded tho motion , fco declare the suspension quashed , and ifc was carried . Grand Lodge was then closed in due form . The acting Grand Master took the Scrutineers' report in another room . The following is the result of the election of the Board of General Purposes : — Lodge .

ARTHUR G . SANDBEBG , M . D . .. 3 WILLIAM ALFRED SCURRAH ... . 167 EBENEZER CHARLES MULVEY .. 179 WILLIAM BELCHAMBER .. . 193

GEORGE READ ... 511 ARTHUR WILLIAMS ... . 834 GEORGE EDWIN FAIRCHILD .. 1196 FREDERICK ERNEST POCOCK , M . D . - - - 1642 Captain THOMAS CHARLES WALLS . . - 1745

WILLIAM JAMES MASON .. 2150 ARTHUR BLENKARN .. 2381 JAMES BOULTON ... . 2442 WILLIAM BARNES FENDICK .. 2460

The following were elected members of the Colonial Board : — Lodge . JAMES BALFOUR COCKBURN , M . D . - •- 84 JAMES BRETT .... 177

Major-Gen . FREDERICK G . S . GADSDEN .. 434 REGINALD ST . A . ROUMIEU - . - 1537 Captain THOMAS CHARLES WALLS . . . 1745 LENNOX BROWNE . .. 2108 JOHN SPEIGHT CUMBERLAND .. 2128

In our lasfc issue we stated in error thafc Prize Day nt , the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys had been fixed for the 26 fch inst ., it should have been Tuesday , the 27 th instant .