Grand Lodge Of New South Wales.

GRAND LODGE OF NEW SOUTH WALES .

THE regnlar Quarterly Communication of the above Grand Lodge was held at the new Masonic Hall , on Wednesday , 2 nd June . The M . W . Grand Master , Dr . H . J . Tarrant , M . L . A ., opened the Lodge in amp le form at 7 p . m . Prayer was offered up by the Grand Chaplain . The roll call of members and Lodges having been read and responded

to , the Grand Secretary read his report , congratulating Grand Lodgo on its continued and increasing prosperity . The report showed , although only half tho Lodges had sent in returns , that 106 entrants were recorded for the past quarter , making a total of 2 , 177 . The amount due by Grand Lodge to Benevolent Fund had been cleared

0 ff _ the balance to credit of tho latter fund was £ 006 ; and there was a considerable balance to credit of Grand Lodge fund , although there had beeu very heavy expenses incurred dnring the year . Many of onr conntry Lodges were building their own Masonio halls—the latest being Lodge Star of the South , the land having been generously

g iven by Bro . Woodward P . M ., and nearly the whole of tho money required for the building subscribed at one Lodge meeting . Communications and reports of proceedings had been received from twenty-eight Grand Lodges . The report concluded by Grand Secretary informing the Grand Lodgo of the death of Mrs . Booth , wife of

onr respected P . D . G M . Bro . J . Booth . The report was adopted . The reports of the Board of General Purposes and Inspector of Workings were read and adopted . The report of the Inspector of Workings showed that ho had visited several country Lodges lately , ancl found all the Lodges in a healthy financial state ; but there was

room for improvement in working in the case of one or two . He had made arrangements to visit all tho Lodges in the Richmond and Clarence Rivers , also the Lodges in tho New England district , and those in the Gonlburn district previous to next Quarterly Communication . There was no report sent in from the District Grand

Superintendent of tbo Sonth Coast Lodges . Applications for recognition were read from the Grand Lodge of the Federal District of Mexico , and the Grand Lodge of Porto Rico ; the latter was

recommended by the United Grand Lodge of Colon and Cuba ; both were referred to the Board of General Purposes . The election of Officers for the new Masonio year was then proceeded with , and resulted as follows : —

Bro . Dr . H . J . Tarrant , M . L . A .- - Grand Master A . Henry .. .. Senior Warden G . Larsen ... - Junior Warden De Courcy Browne , M . L . A . - Inspector of Works R . V . Gale . . . O

— Witcomb - - - V Chaplains Hart - - . . ) Starkoy .... Treasurer Fuller .. .. Senior Deacon Capt . Hayward ... Jnnior Deacon

Wm . H . Ore - - - Bard John Slade- ... Superintendent of Works Horn .... Director of Ceremonies Hurst .... Assist . Dir . of Ceremonies

Spencer .... Sword Bearer Capt . Brett . - - Pursuivant Lind ... - Assistant Pursuivant W . H . Carrick - - - Tyler

The Most Wor . Grand Master informed the brethren that he had again appointed Wor . Bro . J . Hunt as his Deputy Grand Master for the ensning year . The Grand Mastor alluded to the death of Mrs . Booth , and the Lodge unanimously resolved that the Grand Secretary write to Bro . Booth , expressing the sincere regret of the members of

Grand Lodge at the loss he has sustained . Wor . Bro . Weekes was presented with a commission appointing him as the representative of the Grand Lodge of Victoria . Prayer having been offered by the Grand Chaplain , the Grand Lodge was closed in ample form at 10 p . m .

Oi the evening of tho 24 th June , the installation of the above Grand Lodge Officers took place , and after the banquet the M . W . G . M ., rising to speak , was greeted with prolonged cheering , lasting several minutes , after whioh the Grand Master said : —Brethren , this is an auspicious occasion , as it is to mark the event of the installation

of your Grand Lodge Officers for the ensuing year , and you may expect me to give you some explanation as regards your position as n Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons . Many years ago this Colony was ruled by a nominee system of irresponsible government ; bnt Bro . W . C . Wentworth , a member of one of the Lod ges now

under our jurisdiction , introduced , by the present Constitution Act , our present form of local responsible Government . This is also what we required hero as Masons for a number of years— 'that is , Masonically to govern ourselves as Masons ; and somo nine years ago , when wo set abont this work , a circular was issued inviting all the members

of the Craft in this Colony to attend a conference to take into consideration the advisability of establishing a Grand Lodge of Masons in thin unoccupied Masonic territory , when the majority of Masons responded to it , but fc . any of them at the eleventh hour were precluded from attending , owing to tho action of cot tain persons in

authority , who had their own interests rather than those of Free-* nasoiiry at heart , and had ifc not been for their action , tho Masons of Joov / Sonth Wales wonld have been as unanimous in eiitabliubinrr a Grand . Lodge as onr brethren iu South Australia . However , 11 } subordinate Lodges were represented nt the conference , anrl e .

stah-Ji « hed themselves in a h ? gal aud constitutional manner into the Grand Lodge of New South Wales . Iu this action thoy followed the precedents laid down by all Grand Lodge ' s ni thoir establishment . Thev then , according to the custom of these

occasions , sent tho report of their Proceedings to all Grand Lodges , asking for recognition as a supremo power , aud 1 am glad to say wo have already replies from forty-eight Grand Lodges , by whom wo are acknowledged as a Grand Lodge of Freo and Accepted Masons and these Graud Lodges represent two inillious of brother Masons

Grand Lodge Of New South Wales.

and when tho happy day arrives , which I trust is not far distant , when we are recognised by all the Grand Lodges in existence , wo will be in a position to say that wo are in fraternal communication with four millions of our brethren . You are all aware that for a number of years Freemasonry was represented here by threo District

Grind Lodges , which held their authority from the Graud Lodges of England , Ireland and Scotland . The District Grand Lodge Masters under this regime were nominated for life , if they desired to hold the position , by the Graud Master of their respective Grand Lodges , who nominated all their subordinate Officers ; and in this way the

brethren as a body had no voice whatever in the selection of their rulers . Such a system as this was totally at variance with the democratic tastes of this colony , aud all the Lodges working under the jurisdiction of the Graud Lodge of New South Wales have not followed the bad example of permitting a single person in

authority fco nominate his Officers , but have decided that every brother holding office in a Lodge shall be elected by his fellows according to merit . The fact of establishing a local Grand Lodge in this territory in no way decreases our loyalty to tho Empire , as was exhibited when the members of the Grand

Lodge of Now Sonth Wales were the first body of Freemasons who were accorded the privilege of welcoming to our shores the representative of our Sovereign Queen Victoria . We measure results , practically speaking , by results , and I am glad to say we have initiated 2207 members since our establishment . Our Grand Lod ^ e

is in a healthy position , both numerically and financially . We are also bound together in unity ; but , with all this , it behoves us to look around and see we do our duty as Masons . There is one matter I desire to condemn most emphatically , which is the abuse of our noble Institution by the use of somo of our Masonic emblems as trade

signs to attract attention . I trust that the subordinate bodies under the Grand Lodge of New South Wales will make some provision in their bye-laws to erase the name of any brother from their list of members who descends to adopt such unmasonic practices . Another

matter I must refer to is , thafc our Order has been in existence for nearly sixty years . Before the establishment of the G . Lodge of N . S . W . there was not , during that period , a single Masonic Institution to mark its existence . Since the establishment of our Grand

Lodge , our efforts in this direction have been to build onr present Masonio Hall ; but I would desire fco impress npon the brethren the necessity of raising some monument to Freemasonry which ' would extend help to the widow and orphan in fche moment of their distress . I desire we should be placed in a position

to point out to the public our Masonio schools and orphanages , and enable them to see that , although we have spent so much money in this direction , we are ready to spend more for the benefit of oar

fellow-creatures . In conclusion , I must record our most grateful thanks to our Grand Secretary . I believe the Grand Lodge of New South Wales would nofc occupy its present proud position had ifc not been for his exertions . I must also thank the P . President of the

Board of General Purposes for the able manner in whicb he haa exeented the important business of his office ; and although last , yet not least , I must thank my Depnty Grand Master , Bro . Hunt , for the assistance he has at all times given me in the performance of my duties , particularly in visiting onr subordinate Lodges when I could

not , owing to my many duties , attend myself . I must also thank tho past Executive Officers for the assistance they havo rendered me during the past Masonic year . Brethren , let the coming year be a memorable one by onr making provision for our widows and orphans in the

e .-fcablishrnenfc of such Masonic charity . " G . S . W . Henry P . D . G . M . responded , after which the toast of onr Deputy Grand Master waa received . The meeting was enlivened by some songs , and brought to a close by singing " Anld Lang Syne . "

The Directors report , just issued , of the Crystal Palace District Gas Company , for the half-year ending the 30 th June 188 G , to be presented to the Proprietors at the ordinary general meeting , on the 17 th September 1886 ,

is now before us . Prom it we learn that the general working of the Company during the half-year has been satisfactory , although the prices obtained for residual products continue-very low . As to the illuminating power

of the gas supplied , the reports generally bave been satisfactory , still on two * occasions the Gas Examiner for the Lewisham District Board of Works reported an excess of sulphur compounds beyond the Parliamentary limit , but it was shewn that these excesses were clue to accidental

circumstances connected with the " testing place . A further reduction iu the price charged to consumers has been made , 2 s Del per 1000 cubic feet being the standard rate . The Directors recommend the declaration of a Dividend for the half-year ending 31 st December last at the

following rates per annum , viz .: —0 per cent , on the Preference Stock ; 7 per cent , on the Ordinary 7 per Cent . Stock ; 10 per cent , on the Ordinary 10 per Cent . Stuck ; and 7 per cent , on the New Ordinary 7 per Cent . Shares ;

all less Income Tux ; amounting to £ 12 , 308 8- < Oil , and that the warrants , for tlie Dividend declared , he forwarded by post to the Proprietors , or their authorised ageus , before the 21 th September next .

Ad00502

FUNERALS properly carried out and personally attended in London or Country by Bro . G . A . HTJTTOJV , 17 Newcastle Street , Strand , W . C , Monuments erected . Valuations made .