United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

THE following is the Agenda of Business to be transacted in Grand Lodge , at the Quarterly Communication on "Wednesday next , 2 nd December , at six for seven p . m .:

BUSINESS . 1 . The Minutes of the Quarterly Communication of the 2 nd September for confirmation . 2 . Nomination of a Grand Master for the ensuing year . 3 . Nomination of a Grand Treasurer for the ensuing year . 4 . Appointment and Investment of a President of the Board of Benevolence .

5 . Election of a Senior aud a Junior Vice-President of the Board of Benevolence . 6 . Election of twelve Past Masters to serve on the Board of Benevolence for the year ensuing .

7 . Beport of the Board of Benevolence for the last quarter , in which are recommendations for the following Grants , viz .: — A Brother of the High Cross Lodge , No . 754 , London ... £ 75 0 0 A Brother of the De Warren Lodge , No . 1302 , Halifax ... 100 0 0 The Widow of a Brother of the British Union Lodge , No .

114 , Ipswich ... ... ... 100 0 0 A Brother of thc Lebanon Lodge , No . 1326 , Feltham ... 100 0 0 The Widow of a Brother of the Lodge Brotherly Love , No . 329 , Yeovil 50 0 0 And a Besolution of a vote of thanks to the President , V . W . Bro . Eobert Grey , for the courteous manner in which he has , during the past year , presided over the Meetings of the Board .

8 . BEPOBT OF THE BOABD OF GENEBAL PURPOSES . To the United Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of England . The Board have to report that the following Presentations have been made to the Library and Museum since the last meeting of Grand Lodge , all of which have been accepted with thanks i—

TITLE OB OBJECT . Br WHOM PBESENTED . Bobert Burns Commemoration Medal—William James Hughan P . G . D ., & c . The Great Pyramid—John Chapman P . P . G . D . Devon , & c . The Descent of Symbolic Masonry , & c . —John Armitage P . M ., & c . Jachin and Boaz , 1805—John Lane P . A . G . D . C , & c . History of St . Michael ' s Lodge , No . 63 , Dumfries—James Smith B . W . M ., & c .

Photograph of Bye-Laws of Prov . Grand Lodge of York , 1785—Michael C . . - Peck P . G . Std . Bearer , & c . Boyal Alpha Lodge Members' Jewel of thc late Col . Shadwell H . Gierke—Mrs . Shadwell H . Gierke , History of the Lodge of Honour , No . 526—Thomas J . Barnett P . P . G . W . Staffordshire . Historical Sketch aud Centennial Medal of Washington Lodge , Massachusetts —Herbert F . Morse W . M .

Bye-Laws of Lambton Lodge , No . 789 , 1825—Bobert Hudson P . G . Standard Bearer , & o . Thoughts , Moral and Divine ( Wollins Calcott ) 1764—Thomas Francis P . P . G . W . Hants , & o . Back reports of Grand Lodge of Wisconsin—John W . Laflin Grand Secretary . Old Masonic Oil Painting—George Everett P . G . Treasurer .

The Board also submit a Statement of the Grand Lodge Accounts at the last meeting of the Finance Committee , held on Friday , the 13 th day of November instant , showing a balance in the Bank of England ( Law Courts Branch ) of £ 5 , 528 7 s 9 d , and in the hands of the Grand Secretary for Petty Cash £ 100 , and for Servants' Wages £ 100 . ( Signed ) BICHABD LOVELAND LOVELAND . President .

Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C , 18 th November 1896 .

APPEAL . 9 . By Bro . Edward H . Gibbon P . M . No . 2119 , Queensland , against the ruling of the District Grand Master that a motion was in order , and could be put to the Quarterly Communication , to excise from the Minutes a resolution actually come to at the preceding meeting of ¦ District Grand Lodge , although no notice of such motion had been given .

NAMES OF BEETHBEN NOMINATED TO THE OFFICES OF

SENIOB AND JUNIOB VICE-PBESIDENT OF THE BOABD OF BENEVOLENCE . Bro . David Dixon Mercer P . G . P . as Senior Vice-President . Bro . Charles Alexander Cottebrune P . G . P . as Junior Vice-President . And no others were nominated . NAMES OF PAST MASTEBS NOMINATED TO SEBVE ON THE BOABD OF BENEVOLENCE .

Bro . George Graveley ... P . M . No . 898 Walter Martin ,, 879 George B . Langley ... ,, 2381 George B . Chapman ... ,, 27 Charles Dairy „ 141 William Fisher ... „ 634

James Bunker „ 1158 William Vincent ... „ 1194 Simon H . Goldschmidt „ 1329 Bobert A . Gowan ... „ 2029 William Kipps „ 1275 Edward Nightingale ... „ 87 Aud no more than twelve were nominated .

Mark Grand Lodge.

MARK GRAND LODGE .

THE regular Quarterly meeting of this Grand Lodge will be held in Mark Masons' Hall , Great Queen Street , W . C , on Tuesday next , 1 st December , at five for six p . m . The following is the Agenda of Business : 1 . Bead and , if approved , confirm Minutes of Quarterly Communication of 1 st September 1896 .

2 . BEPOBT OF THE GENERAL BOARD . 1 ST DECEMBER 1896 . During the three months ending 30 th September 1896 , there have been issued : —Mark Certificates , 179 ; total registered , 36 , 018 . Eoyal Ark Mariner Certificates , 34 ; number registered , 5 , 030 . His Boyal Highness the Grand Master has been graciously pleased to re-appoint , for a further term of three years , B . W . Bro . Col . George S . Tudor as Provincial Grand Master for Staffordshire .

Warrant for a Lodge of Boyal Ark Mariners : — The Old York , to be attached to the Old York T . L , Bradford . The following letter has been received from the Dowager Countess of Limerick , in reply to the address of condolence on the death of M . W . Bro . the Earl of Limerick Past Grand Master , forwarded to her by resolution of last Grand Lodge : — DEAB SIB ,

I beg to thank you very sincerely for the kind resolution of regret at my husband's death , and condolence with myself and family , passed at the , last Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge , and hope you will be good ' enough to express my warm thanks and appreciation of the feelings which prompted it , at the next meeting . I am , dear Sir , yours truly , ISA . BELI . E LIMEBICK .

The District Grand Secretary of South Africa having in the following letter asked certain questions concerning the Status of Mark Masons under the Grand Lodge of Scotland , the opinion of the Grand Secretary of Scotland was obtained , and after due deliberation the Grand Eegistrar decided as follows : —

QUESTION OF DIST . G . OPINION OF GRAND DECISION OF THB SEC OF SOUTH AFRICA . SECRETARY OF SCOTLAND . GRAND BEGISTBAB . 1 . A Scotch Mark 1 . It is competent by 1 . He having done the Lodge has been opened all Lodges under the work in a Scotch Mark under the Master Masons' Scottish Constitution to Lodge where it is legal , I Lodge . The Master of work the Mark as a do not see he has broken

the Scotch Lodge is an section of the Fellow any obligation as an English Mark Mason , he Craft degree , the step to English Mark Mason , gave the degrees to Can- be conferred on Master didates without being Masons . of the Scottish duly installed in the Constitution . I could chair of a Mark Lodge , not express an opinion

according to the Book of on the question of the Constitutions , he not Status of English parhaving passed the chair ticipant in the working of a Warden , nor was he of the Mark as referred installed by a P . W . M . M ., to in your letter .

has he not broken his obligation of an English Mark Mason by taking part in this Lodge , he being a member of an English Mark Lodge ?

2 . AW . M . of an English 2 . At the date of re- 2 . I do not see any-Mark Lodge took part in cognition of the English thing wrong in this ; the giving these degrees , he Mark Grand Lodge by Scotch acknowledge the not being a Scotch Mark the Supreme Gr . B . A . English Mark , and vice or even been a Boyal Chapter of Scotland , the versa . Arch Mason of the then Gr . Master of Mark

Constitution ? Masons , Lord Kintore , in answer to my question , assured the Sup . Gr . Chapter that Mark Masons under the Scottish Craft Constitution would get full recognition at the

hand of the English Grand Mark Lodge , and under this assurance it has been the custom to admit Brethren of the English Mark at meetings of Craft Lodge giving the Mark .

3 . Can a Mark Mason 3 . I cannot answer . 3 . Yes . made by this Lodge be allowed to visit an English Mark Lodge ? 4 . Has a Scotch Master 4 . Yes . Grand Lodge 4 . This can only be of a Master Masons' of Scotland does not re- answered by the Grand Lodge the right to give cognise Installation by a Secretary , Scotland .

the degrees without being Board of Installed Mark installed by a Board of Masters . The Master of Past Masters ? a Scottish Lodge holding Lodges , if a Mark Mason himself , may confer the Mark in any Craft Lodge ; indeed any competent Mark Mason may do so . 5 . Can English Mark 5 . Yes . When sitting 5 , Yes . Masons visit this Lodge ? to confer the Mark .