United Grand Lodge Of England.

Grand Treasurer Bro . William Heap Bailey , P . P . S . G . W . of Staffordshire , who was initiated in Royal Sussex Lodge , No . 353 , Derbyshire , in 1873 , an ^ in 1874 joined the Abbey Lodge , No . 624 , Burton-on-Trent , Staffordshire , and filled the chair in 1 S 80 . He was appointed Provincial Grand Registrar in 1885 , and Provincial Senior Grand Warden in 1 S 94 . He is also a founder and present first Master of the Fellowship Lodge , No . 2535 , and a member

of the Anchor Lodge , No ; 1704 . He is a Vice-President of our three Charities , having also served 15 Stewardships—five to each Institution , and a member of the Board of Management of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . Right Worshipful Sir and brethren , I could-dilate much upon the merits of the Worshipful Brother whose name I now submit to your just approval . He has worked hard in the provinces , and I think

there are many of our most gracious brethren in London who will uphold me when I say that he has worked hard in London lodges . If he were not a man fully qualified for the post I myself would not for a second take up your time in proposing him . I know , also , that you will bear with me when I say that a much more worthy Mason than myself would have addressed you from the floor of the house , but he is absent

through illness ; he would have said much more than I could ; but Bro . Bailey is here to-night I believe , and I do not like to praise a man up in his presence . Above all , this I may without being egotistical as to the provinces say , that we all in the provinces look up to London , for our guidance . If we want emulation we come to you ; if we want some support we come to you , because we know you can support us in London . But above

all I know you like in your generosity to feel that the provinces have a hold and a touch in the Grand Offices which are distributed by the Craft . This is one of two that I know of from his Royal Highness downwards , our M . W . Grand Master . There are two offices that are apportioned each year . One is given to him who has been nominated to-day , one who is honoured , I might almost say worshipped , the one who is our head . And then there is

the Grand Treasurer . But I will say this , and I trust you will bear with me when I say that the provinces have not had this position placed upon them for the last four years . I think , having just alluded to this , I should be very ungrateful in my capacity of proposing and nominating Bro . Bailey , if I were not to say that our Bro . Ald . Vaughan Morgan , in his chivalrous ' and brotherly

manner , has withdrawn from opposition to him , hoping that there might be no contest . Everyone knows that our Bro . Vaughan Morgan is a man much beloved and liked everywhere ; but we also know his magnanimity of temperament , and I think he has shown this most graciously to us when he retires as he does to-day . I have great pleasure in nominating Bro . Bailey for the office of Grand Treasurer . ( Applause . )

The ACTING GRAND MASTER next announced that the Grand Master had again been pleased to appoint Bro . Robert Grey as President of the Board of Benevolence .

Bro . Robert Grey was then conducted to the Acting Grand Master , by whom he was invested as President of the Board of Benevolence for the 10 th year . The election of Senior and Junior Vice-Presidents followed . The candidates were Bros . Henry Garrod and David Dixon Mercer , for Senior Vice-President , and Bros . C . A . Cottebrune and C . J . R . Tijou , for Junior Vice-President .

Bro . ROBERT GREY stated with reference to the election of 12 Past Masters to serve on the Board of Benevolence , which was the next business on the paper , that although on the agenda paper , it appeared that no more than 12 were nominated , in fact , a brother was nominated in addition , and that made 13 ; but subsequently at the Board of Benevolence , not wishing a contest in Grand Lodge , that brother withdrew his name .

The ACTING GRAND MASTER then declared the following 12 brethren duly elected : Bros . George Graveley , P . M . 898 ; Walter Martin , P . M . 879 ; George R . Langley , P . M . 2381 ; George B . Chapman , P . M . 27 ; Charles Dairy , P . M . 141 ; William Fisher , P . M . 834 ; James Bunker , P . M . 1158 ; William Vincent , P . M . 1194 ; Simon H . Goldschmidt , P . M . 1329 ; Robert A . Gowan , P . M . 2029 ; Robert H . Evans . P . M . 1139 : and William Kipps , P . M . 1275 .

The ACTING GRAND MASTER : Brethren , —the Most Worshipful the Grand Master has been pleased to confer the rank of Past Grand Warden on his Excellency Lord Brassey , K . C . B ., of Lodges Nos . 40 , 247 , and 1184 , Governor of the Colony of Victoria . I may add to that , brethren , that a good many years ago I had the privilege of initiating Lord Brassey in the Apollo Lodge at Oxford . Also on his Excellency , Sir Gerard Smith ,

K . C . M . G ., of Lodge 1191 , Governor of the Colony of West Australia . ( Applause . ) The Most Worshipful Grand Master has [ been pleased to appoint Bro . C . Kupftnchmidt to the office of Assistant Grand Secretary for German Correspondence . Bro . C . Kupferschmidt was conducted to the Acting Grand Master , and invested by him .

Grand Lodge then , on the motion of Bro . ROBERT GREY , seconded by Bro . HENRY GARROD , confirmed the following grants recommended by the Board of Benevolence :

The widow of a brother of the Vitruvian Lodge , No . 8 j , London ... ... ... ... £ 50 o o A brother of the Lodge ol Emulation , No . 1505 , Liverpool 150 o o A brother of the West Middlesex Lodge , No . 1612 , Ealing 50 o o Eig ht children of a brother of Lodge Love and Honour , No . 494 , Axminster ... ... ... 75 o o

On the motion of Bro . R . L OVELAND LOVELAND , President , seconded by Bro . W . A . SCURRAII , Vice-President , the Report of the Board of General Purposes , as published in the Freemason last week , was taken as read . Bro . LOVELAND LOVELAND said the brethren would recollect that in June last he moved , on behalf of the Board of General Purposes , certain

resolutions , the effect of which was that a scheme was ordered , or , rather , it was resolved , that it should be in abeyance for six months , in order that the Indian , Foreign , and Colonial lodges should be communicated with on the subject . Twenty-eig ht Dist . G . lodges received the report and about 450 lodges also . The result the brethren would notice on the agenda paper of this evening—five answers from the Colonies and India . ( 1 ) From the District Grand Secretary of South Africa ( Western Division ) , pointing out the desirability of having brethren with Colonial

experience on the newly-constituted Board . ( 2 ) From the District Grand Lodge of Queensland , expressing an opinion that the abolition of the Colonial Board was undesirable , and recommending that in the event of the proposed change being carried the Board should contain five Past Masters having Colonial experience . ( 3 ) From the District Grand Lodge of Bombay , stating that it appeared to it to be a matter of perfect indifference whether the affairs of lodges

United Grand Lodge Of England.

abroad are administered by a Colonial Board , the Board of General Purposes , or a Sub-Committee of the latter . ( 4 ) From the District Grand Lodge of the Eastern Archipelago , expressing its approval of the proposed alteration . And , lastly , from the Cambrian Lodge , N . S . Wales ( the lodge which all along had been complaining of the way in which the duties of the Colonial Board had been performed ) , expressing an opinion that the Colonial Board should be continued .

Now , in accordance with the rules of the House of Commons , he would first move— " That Rules 2 S 2 to 287 be repealed . " Those were the present rules relating to the Colonial Board . Before they had any new rules on that subject , they must first get rid of those which existed . Bro . W . A . SCURRAH , Vice-President , seconded .

Bro . S . R . BASKETT said , as allusion had been made to the Cambrian Lodge , he only rose to say , in answer to that , that it by no means followed that the Cambrian Lodge would not prefer the Colonial Board to the Board of General Purposes ; but he did not think that the fact of his having failed to get on with the present Colonial Board showed that he could not get on with a future one . Bro . PHILBRICK : Changing King Log for King Stork . ( Laughter . ) The motion was carried .

Bro . LOVELAND LOVELAND next moved—That Rule 254 Book of Constitutions be altered to read as follows : The Board shall consist of the Grand Master , Pro Grand Master , Deputy Grand Master , the Grand Wardens of the year , the Grand Treasurer , the Grand Registrar , the Deputy Grand Registrar , a President , Past Presidents , the President of the Board of Benevolence , the Grand Director of Ceremonies ( Sir Albert Woods , without whom we could not possibly get on ) , and 24 other members .

Seconded by Bro . W . A . SCURRAH , the motion was carried . Bro . LOVELAND LOVELAND moved that Rule 255 be altered to read as follows : That Rule 255 be altered to read as follows : The President and six of such other members shall be annuall y appointed by the Grand Master at the Quarterl y Grand Lodge in June , and the

Grand Lodge shall on the same day elect the remaining 18 members from among the actual Masters and Past Masters of lodges . A Master and Past Master , or more than one Past Master , of the same lodge , shall not be elected on the same Board , but this shall not disqualify any Past Master being a subscribing member and Master of another lodge from being elected for and representing such other lodge as Master .

This was also seconded by Bro . W . A . SCURRAH , and carried . Bro . LOVELAND LOVELAND then moved " That the word ' elected ' be inserted before the word ' members' in Rule 256 . " " One-third at least of the ( elected ) members must go out of office annually . " If the rule stood as it was now the Wardens , the President , the Treasurer , and the Grand Registrar would have to go . Therefore the Board proposed that one-third of the elected members should go out of office annually . Bro . W . A . SCURRAII seconded .

Bro . KEMPTON , P . M . 1287 , wished to ask if it was proposed that the elected members who were to go out of office in accordance with Rule 255 should be eligible for re-nomination and subsequent election . Bro . LOVELAND L OVELAND said if they were nominated they could be re-elected .

Bro . KEMPTON observed that the alteration of Rule 256 was quite unnecessary because the whole of the iS went out of office , they must go , the whole Board were eligible for re-election . Bro . PHILBRICK said one-third were to go out of office , six out of 18 . Bro . KEMI'TON remarked that Rule 254 said all went out of office—they were all to be elected in June .

Bro . PHILBRICK : It does not say "go out of office " at all . The new rule was to be that one-third at every election would go out . There were 18 elected members every year , and a third were to go out every year , but they could be re-elected . Bro . KEMPTON : That is exactly the opposite to the answer to the question I put .

Bro . LOVELAND LOVELAND said the rule had been in existence many years—one-third to go out every year . Bro . THOMAS FENN , Past President of the Board of General Purposes : At the election they can put up again . Bro . PHILBRICK said the object was to have fresh blood in , but if the retiring members were not disqualified they were re-eligible .

Bro . S . R BASKETT enquired whether the President would accept the addition of certain words— " who shall not be eligible for re-election for 12 months . " He also proposed for Grand Lodge that in the selection of those who were to go off it should be the six who had attended the fewest times in the twelvemonth . He did not believe in being called upon to elect year after year brethren who did not attend and had succeeded in getting on the Board

by simply obtaining the highest number of votes . He would much prefer to see those remain in office who did the most work the most regularly . But there might be an equality of attendances and then those who had not been the longest on the Board might go out . He asked whether Bro . Loveland Loveland would accept his ( Bro . Baskett ' s ) proposed addition .

Bro . KEMPTON said he would second the addition , which would read " the third who had attended the fewest number of meetings during the year . " Bro . W . A . SCURRAH said it was very plain and clear . The rule hitherto can ied out was to take the lowest number of attendances , and that seemed very reasonable . He thought a good deal of confusion would ensue from Bro . Baskett ' s proposal .

Bro . J GLASS , P . M . 453 , wished to know the number of the rule referred to by Bro . Loveland Loveland , as having been in existence many years . Bro . LOVELAND LOVELAND replied that it was an unwritten law . The ACTING GRAND MASTER thought the opinions that had been expressed on this resolution wanted reconsideration , and he would suggest that it be referred back to the Board to bring up again to Grand Lod ge .

Bro . PHILBRICK said the matter had been going on nowfor a year and a half , and as far as he understood—if he might venture to say so—the sense of Grand Lodge was tolerably unanimous except upon the point Bro . Baskett suggested . His suggestions were particularly valuable , and he aereed with

them , that a member retiring should not be eligible for 12 months . Then came the question how the six who were to retire were to be chosen , which seemed the only point—whether they were to be the six lowest on the poll or the six who had attended the fewest times . In the one case it must be remembered it was the vote of Grand Lodge , and in the other case the act