Freemasonry In Bengal.

FREEMASONRY IN BENGAL .

A Special Communication of the District Grand Lodge of Bengal was held at Mecrut on the 7 th November last , and , in the course of the proceedings , the District Grand Master , Bro . Sir H . T . PRINSEP , delivered an interesting address , the leading points in which are well worth noting . Referring , in the first

place , to the fact that in the earlier years of his District Grand Mastership the District Grand Lodge had met on sundry occasions at outl ying stations , he explained that those meetings had been discontinued , because " they were not properly attended by those for whose convenience they were held . " He remarked

that it was unreasonable on the part of brethren at such stations to expect the Calcutta brethren to come frequentl y amongst them , when the ) - concerned themselves so little about attending the meetings of District Grand Lodge at Calcutta . At the same time , he pointed out that the latter , being attended b y more

lodges , were a more complete representation of Freemasonry in the District , while , in all matters of importance , their interests were always well cared for . He further expressed his belief that the outlying lodges had no reason to complain on the ground that more of their members were not appointed to office in

District Grand Lodge . Prior to his accession to office , there was , so far as he knew , only one instance in which District Grand office had been conferred on a member of a lodge outside Calcutta . He had , however , recognised the unfairness of this course , and had felt very great pleasure in appointing

several of the more experienced and distinguished brethren of outl y ing lodges to office in District Grand Lodge , notwithstanding that , in consequence of the difficulties they had in attending District Grand Lodge in Calcutta , he had found it necessary to fill those offices temporaril y .

He also explained the difficulties he found in distributing the offices in District Grand Lodge so as to give general satisfaction , firstl y because there were fewer offices to fill than there were brethren to fill them , and secondl y because it often happened that good men who were in every way fitted

for appointment to positions of superior rank had to content themselves with inferior offices , while , if he entertained the idea of promotion from the latter to the former , he was at once confronted with the difficulty that the alread y limited number of appointments it was in his power to make would be still further

diminished . As regards the general condition , efficiency , and attention to their duties of the lodges under his charge , the District Grand Master found himself in a position to speak in terms which , on the whole , may be considered very favourable . Their numbers were practicall y the same as in the previous year

the work was generally well done , and onl y here and there were there any shortcomings which he deemed worthy of notice . As for the funds of Grand Lodge , the Fund of Benevolence , which was carefull y administered b y a sub-Committee , was in a position to meet all ordinary demands upon its resources . In

respect of the Bengal Masonic Educational Association , it was at the present time bearing the cost of educating 42 children , and if it were in receipt of more subscriptions and donations , it would be more nearl y in a ppsition to take under its charge all who were applicants for its benefits . There can be no doubt

however , that it is well and economicall y conducted , its onl y working expenses being those of printing , advertisement , and postage , so that , as the District Grand Master pointed out , " nearl y every rupee contributed towards this fund goes to its charitable object . " With reference to the District Grand Lodge

Fund , which had been formed out of the surplus balances of those funds which were not devoted to Charitable purposes , with a view to enabling them at some future time to purchase a suitable building for the meetings of the Dist . G . Lod ge and our Calcutta lodges , there was at the time standing to its credit a

sum of 47 , 116 rupees , which was nearl y all invested . Objections had been raised to this Fund being devoted to its intended purpose b y the outlying lodges , the members of which considered that a portion of it should go towards the purchase or support of their own Masonic Buildings . The District Grand Master ,

however , pointed out that the bulk of it was contributed b y the Calcutta lodges , the subscriptions from outside lodges being on a very small scale . Moreover , it was the property of District Grand Lodge , and was intended to be devoted to the purchase

of suitable premises for its use , while the Calcutta lod ges would be no better off than they are—except in the matter of improved accommodation—and would continue to pay rent for the use of the new . as they do now for the use of the p resent premises . It was

Freemasonry In Bengal.

his ( the D . G . Master ' s ) opinion that they should always be in a . position to close with any suitable offer that mig ht present itself and for this reason : " If by any mishap , as , for instance , by change of ownership of the building which wc have , as tenants , occupied for more than 50 years , we should receive notice to

quit , Freemasonry in Calcutta would be p laced in the greatest difficulty . We should have no p lace of meeting , which , in an overcrowded city like Calcutta , would cause very serious inconvenience , and act prejudiciall y to our Order . " The District

Grand Master concluded his address b y congratulating those present on the excellent attendance , and offering to furnish any information on matters connected with the District which mi ght be desired . And we , in our turn , congratulate the District Gran d Master on the very satisfactory p icture he was able to present of Freemasonry in the District of Bengal .

United Grand Lodge Of England.

UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND .

The Quarterly Gommunication of United Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of England was held on Wednesday evening in the Temple , Freemasons' Hall , London . The Earl of Lathom , Pro Grand Master , presided , and was supported by Bros , the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe , Deputy G . M . ; W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., Prov . G . M . for Hants and the Isle of Wight , as Past G . M .: Sir John B . Monckton , as S . G . W . ;

the Rev . R . J . Simpson , P . G . C ., as J . G . W . ; Thomas F . Halsey , Prov . G . M . for Herts ; Lord Addington , the Rev . J . S . Brownrigg , the Rev . C . J . Martyn , F . West , A . F . Godson , M . P ., Baron de Ferrieres , E . M . Lott , Sir Albert W . Woods , Robert Grey , Thomas Fenn , T . T . Bucknill , Q . C ., M . P ., R . Loveland Loveland , E . Letchworth , G . Sec . j W . Lake , Asst . G . Sec ; Hastings Miller , Lennox Browne , C . W . C . Hutton , J . S .

Cumberland , R . Clay Sudlow , James Terry , Richard Eve , George Everett , S . Cochrane , F . Mead , Ralph Gooding , M . D ., W . M . Stiles , G . Treas . ; Henry Smith , D . P . G . M . West Yorkshire ; W . F . Smithson , P . G . D . ; T . Lean Wilkinson , Admiral A . Hastings Markham , Dr . Balfour Cockburn , George Read , T . C . Walls , Sir J . C . Dimsdale , P . G . Treas . ; James H . Matthews , H . J . P . Dumas , W . M . Bywater , and many other Grand

Officers were present besides some 350 other brethren . Grand Lodge having been opened in ample form , the minutes of the previous Quarterly Communication were read by Bro . E . LETCHWORTH , G . Sec , when Bro . S . R . BASKETT desired to put a question to the Grand Registrar , whether it was correct that at the last meeting of Grand Lodge

the brethren were told in a letter with reference to the opinion of the Board of General Purposes of the District Grand Lodge of Bombay that it seemed to the Board a matter of indifference whether the affairs of the lodges abroad were administered by the Colonial Board , the Board of General Purposes , or a Sub-Committee of the latter .

Bro . R . LOVELAND LOVELAND , President of the Board of General Purposes , said he had had no notice of any question on this subject being brought forward . The letter referred to in which this was stated was in the Grand Secretary ' s office , but it was not in Grand Lodge at the present moment .

Bro . S . R . BASKETT said the letter had been put in . He would have given the President notice . A letter had been put in his hands since he came into Grand Lodge upon the matter , and he would ask permission of Grand Lodge to enquire of the President whether this was a resolution of the District Grand Lodge of Bombay . If it was not so , he thought , with

all deference , that Grand Lodge was greatly misled on the last occasion in not having the whole motion put before them . He considered it was decidedly unjust that a certain number of the brethren , comprising such a body , should have no experience of working lodges in India or the Colonies , where the conditions and surrounding circumstances were so widely different from those at home .

Bro . THOMAS FENN , Past President of the Board ot General Purposes , rose to order : It had been held over and over again in Grand Lodge , that no question could be put without notice . It was quite impossible that a question of this kind could be asked without notice . Bro . BASKETT thought Grand Lodge had been misled on a matter of very great importance . He again put the question : Was this resolution the resolution of the Board ?

Bro . the Karl of LATHOM said Bro . Thomas Fenn had risen to order , and had said it was always a rule in Grand Lodge that a question could not be put without notice . Bro . S . R . BASKETT said he deferred to the P < o Grand Master's ruling .

The minutes were then confirmed . Bro . the Earl of LATHOM : Brethren , —A great sorrow has lately fallen upon our beloved Queen and her daughter , the Princess Beatrice , Princess Henry of Battenberg . It has been the invariable custom for Grand Lodge to show its loyalty and devotion to the Crown on every occasion affecting either the happiness or the sorrow of the Royal Family by passings

vote . It is my duty on this occasion to ask you to pass a vote of condolence to the Queen and the Princess Henry of Battenberg . Prince Henry of Battenberg , having a deep sense that he owed a debt to his adopted country , volunteered to serve with her Majesty ' s troops in the Ashantee Expedition . He was ready to brave the deadly peril—I call it a peril , for so truly it is- " of that pestiferous country . He has died , and he has died really in the ha

service of war as if he had fallen on the field of battle . The Queen "> lost in him a companion who has been a comfort to her for the last 10 yw *' and she was justly fond and proud ot him . Princes ; Beatrice has bjen lelt in her sad widowhood with her orphan children . Most sincerely our heart , must go out to them and sorrow with them in all that they have lost . I " en this account that I ask you to pass a vote of condolence to her Majesty the Oueen and the Princesss Henry of Battenberg , which I will now read

to you : . - That the Grand Lodge , with feelings of devoted loyalty , desires nu '""!' and respectfully to offer to her Mo . it Gracious Majesty the Queen tni expression of deep and sincere sympathy on the great calamity has befallen her Royal Highness the Princess Beatrice ( Pr ' f : Henry of Battenberg ) on the lamentable death , while serving ™ adopted country in a foreign land , of his Royal Highness " Henry of Battenberg , K . G ., and this Grand Lodge earnestly P >