United Grand Lodge Of England.

notice from Messrs . Spiers and Pond ( Limited ) , the lessees of Bacon s Hotel , Great Queen-street , of their intention not to apply for a renewal of the lease , which terminated at Christmas . The Board thereon consulted with the Grand Superintendent of Works as to the amount to be claimed for dilapidations , and also as to the steps which should be taken for re-letting the building , and this latter business

was p laced in the hands of a leading firm of agents , through whom an offer was received of £ 300 per annum from a gentleman proposing to open the house as a temperance hotel . The Board , however , considered that there were several objections to their accepting this offer , and they subsequently received another one from the Committee of the Grand Lodge of Mark

Masons of £ 3 60 per annum ( the rent hitherto received ) for a lease of 49 years , together with an undertaking to expend about ^ 3000 on the Building , the plans to be subject to the approval of the Grand Superintendent of Works , and the nett amount received from Messrs Spiers and Pond for dilapidations to be handed over to them . The arrangement being subject to the approval of the Grand Lodge of Mark Masons .

The Board consider that this offer is in every respect a very desirable one ; they have , therefore , accepted it subject to the approval of Grand

Lodge . ( Signed ) T HOMAS FENN , President . Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C , 19 th February , 188 9 . To the report is subjoined a statement of the Grand Lodge accounts ,

at the last meeting of the Finance Committee , held on Friday , the 15 th day of February last , showing a balance in the Bank of England ( Western Branch ) of £ 4659 19 s . 9 d ., and in the hands of the Grand Secretary for petty cash £ 100 , and lor servants' wages £ , , and balance of annual allowance for library - £ 23 16 s . jd .

Bro . T HOMAS FENN , President of the Board of General Purposes : M . W . G . M . in the Chair , — -The report of the Board of General Purposes was presented to the Board of Masters before the meeting of Grand Lodge of Mark Masters could be held to consider this question of lease , and the subject of the communication vvhich I am now about to read to you could nottherefore , be included in the Report of the Board . The communication

, is as follows : —( Bro . Fenn read a letter from Bro . Matier , Asst . Grand Secretary Mark Grand Lodge , enclosing the resolutions come to at the Special Grand Mark Lodge of last Monday week , as reported in our last issue : )—The request contained in this communication does not form a part of the Report of the Board , for the reasons which I have just mentioned to you . I am , therefore , not authorised by the Board of General Purposes

to bring that matter under your consideration at present , but your attention vvill be called to it after we have passed the recommendation for your approval of the lease to the Grand Lodge of Mark Masons . When the intimation of Messrs . Spiers and Pond vvas communicated to the Board they were under considerable anxiety as to the future of these premises . We could make no use of them for ourselves with the tavern intervening ;

we could make no use of them for our own purposes ; the fact of Messrs . Spiers and Pond not being able to make the hotel pay seemed to us to render it very unlikely that anybody else could do it . Therefore , it seemed to the Board , to let it as an hotel , with all the competition there is in that business , with the greater accommodation and better situation of the other hotels in London , that our rent might very much depend upon the success of the

contractors who might undertake to open it . The offer , therefore , of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons was received by the Board of General Purposes as a solution—a welcome solution—ot the difficulty . They did not require any large expenditure of money on our part to put the premises in the repair vvhich would be necessary to let it for an hotel ; they , on the contrary , undertook to put the place in repair , with the nett

money we should receive from Messrs . Spiers and Pond on account of dilapidations . The sum vvhich the Grand Mark Lodge undertook to lay out is ^" 3 , and probably it vvill be more . The expenditure of money will , no doubt , render this property permanently of greater value , and , of course , they could not be expected to lay out this sum of money if they had these premises only on a 16 years' lease . If vve exceeded that time it appeared to us to be of very little moment to what extent vve gave them the

lease . In fact , knowing that we should have good tenants in the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons—indeed , the best of tenants—it seemed to us that the longer time for which the lease was granted the better ; we , therefore , came to the conclusion that it was the wisest course to accept their offer , and I feel sure that this Grand Lodge will feel the same . I have heard that it is said this evening there is an objection on the part of some of the Craft brethren to having the Mark Masons under the same roof . I have several answers to that . We have them not under the same

roof—it is quite distinct ; and that the wall of the Tavern is in between . But suppose vve did : although vve do not acknowledge the Mark Degree as a part of ancient Freemasonry , we cannot ignore their existence ; we are on perfectl y friendly terms with them : many of our most eminent Craft Masons are members of the Mark , and our Grand Master , the Prince of Wales , is their Grand Master . Altogether , it seems to me very much like letting the premises to ourselves . I , therefore , at once , without further

comment , beg to propose that this Grand Lodge do approve of the lease of the premises known as Bacon ' s Hotel , to Grand Lodgeof Mark Master Masons . Bro . the Earl of EUSTON , Prov . G . M . for Norths and Hunts : M . W . G . M . in the Chair and brethren , —I have the greatest pleasure in seconding the proposition , and I think no words of mine are necessary , after the clear way in which this subject has been put before you by Bro . Fenn , in heartily seconding the motion of our very worshipful brother .

After some remarks from Bro . RAYNHAM W . STEWART , P . G . D ., the motion was put and carried . Bro . THOMAS FENN : Having read to you the communication from the As st . G . Secretary of the Mark Degree , I think it my duty to propose to you now that the request of the G . Mark Lodgewith respect to the

remis-, 10 n of six months' rent , while these great alteartions are going on , should e granted . It is merely a principle . These alterations will be very large v / ll * 7 xtens ' > and will occupy very considerable time , and I think there so \\ U 0 0 ne w ' no woulc ^ sa y should not act liberally in cases of this n - While we are about it , let us be liberal .

Ch o . F . A . PHILBRICK , Q . C , Grand Registrar : M . W . G . M . in the ^ ' ~~ I beg to second that , "Your tenants are going to spend on 349 years ' at - SOm ething like £ 3000 . We know that ^ 3000 is £ 150 a year interest thinlF ^ Cent * ^ '"' y P ay t ' ' * P ° b aWy spend something more , I rent .. V least we car "* do is to give them six months at a peppercorn ' until they have got a place to go into . ne motion was carried .

United Grand Lodge Of England.

The Auditors' report was received , and ordered to be entered on the minutes . The election of Grand Treasurer was subsequently announced . 9 . 5 follows :

Terry ... ... .,, ... 841 Everett ... ... ... .., 617 Majority for Edward Terry ... ... 334 Grand Lodge was then closed in form .

Masonic And Military Order Of Knights Of Rome & Red Cross Of Constantine.

MASONIC AND MILITARY ORDER OF KNIGHTS OF ROME & RED CROSS OF CONSTANTINE .

ANNUAL ASSEMBLY OF GRAND IMPERIAL CONCLAVE . The annual assembly of the Grand Conclave was held on Monday , the 4 th March inst ., at the . Masonic Rooms , I 6 A , Great Queen-street , W . C , when there vvere present Sir Knights Col . Sir Francis Burdett , G . S . ; Baron de Ferrieres , G . V . ; George Powell , G . S . G . ; John Mason , as G . J . G . ; Thomas Cubitt , P . G . J . G . ; Dr . VV . R . Woodman , G . Treas . j C . F . Hogard , G . R . ; George Mickley , G . H . ; J . G . Marsh , P . G . S . G .

and P . G . A . ; T . C . Walls , G . A . ; Charles Driver , Charles E . Keyser , and H . H . Shirley , Grand Senate ; Belgrave Ninnis , P . S . ; C . F , Matier , I . G . Lanes ., P . S . ; A . H . Bateman , D . R . Kent ; F . Graves , M . P . S . No . 2 ; H . C . Heard , P . V . ; H . E . Cousans , T . G . Robinson , W . A . Scurrah , G . Graveley , C . F . Fielding , W . Lake , Nelson Prower , and others .

The lines having been formed , the Most Illustrious Grand Sovereign , attended by the Grand Officers , entered Grand Conclave , under the arch of steel , and Grand Conclave vvas opened in Imperial form . The Grand Recorder then read the minutes of the G . Conclave of 5 th March , 1888 , which were unanimously confirmed . The Grand Recorder read the annual report of the ExecutiveCommittee , vvhich was received , adopted , and ordered to be entered on the minutes .

Sir Knight W . R . WOODMAN , P . G . V ., and G . Treas ., proposed Col . Sir Francis Burdett , Bart ., for re-election as Most Illustrious Grand Sovereign . He vvas extremely proud to have the honour of making this proposition on the present occasion , for Sir Francis had reigned over them for many years . He vvas certain that the Order onl y wanted further developing to enable it to hold its own amongst all Christian orders of Masonry . They all knew , respected , and liked Sir Francis Burdett , who had become an integral part of the Order .

Sir Knight C . , F . MATIER seconded the proposilion , which vvas carried amidst applause . Sir FRANCIS BURDETT said it was gratif ying to him to find that he still had the kind opinions of the members of an Order with which he had been

connected for an immense number of years . He thought the Order had now become firmly rooted , and trusted it vvould flourish . He regretted he had not been so constant in his attendance as he could have wished , but he was frequently out of town . He thanked them sincerel y for the kind manner in which the motion had been proposed and received .

Sir FRANCIS BURDETT said it gave him more than usual pleasured have the opportunity of nominating Sir Kni ght Baron de Ferrieres as Most Eminent G . Viceroy , and was convinced he was heart and soul in the Order , The nomination was seconded b y Sir Knight HOGARD and carried nem . con .

Sir Knight Baron DE FERRIERES thanked the M . I . Grand Sovereign and the Sir Knights for the honour , and trusted he should fill the chair vvith benefit to the Order and satisfaction to himself . On the nomination ol Sir Knight WALLS , seconded b y Sir Knight POWELL , Sir Knight Dr . W . R . Woodman , P . G . V ., vvas unanimously reelected Treasurer of the Order , an honour for which he appropriately returned thanks .

The M . I . Grand Sovereign vvas then pleased to appoint the other members of the Grand Council as under : Sir Knights George Kenning , Grand S . General ; E . H . Thiellay , Grand J . General ; Rev . H . Cummings , Grand High Prelate ; Rev . S . Maude , Grand High Prelate ; Rev . H , Dicketts , Grand High Chancellor ; VV . R . Woodman , P . G . V ., Grand Treasurer ; C . F . Hogard , Grand Recorder ; T . C . Walls , Grand High Almoner ; J . S , Cumberland , Grand Chamberlain ; Lewthwaite , Grand Architect ; Dr . Mickley , Grand Marshal ; C . H . Driver , Grand Orator ; and W . G . Lemon , Grand Historiographer . He also appointed as members of the Senate * . Sir Knights Earl of Euston , Grand Preceptor ; H . H . Shirley , Grand Examiner ; J . Moon , Grand Prelate ; Rev . A . W . Oxford , Grand Sub-Prelate : H . T . Lardnpr . Cranri

Vice-Chancellor ; and H . Venn , Grand A . Recorder . And he appointed as President of the Executive Committee , Sir Knight Baron de Ferrieres , and Sir Knight J . Lewis Thomas , member . Tne following sir knights were elected by the Imperial Grand Conclave as Grand Senators , and were appointed to office as under : Sir Kni ghts C . E . Keyser , Grand Sub-Almoner ; i \

. oernuge , urano inspr . or egana ; A . H . Bateman and Fred Graves , Grand Standard Bearers ; H . G . Heard , Grand Sword Bearer ; H . Penfold , Grand Organist ; C . E . Soppet , Grand Precentor ; B . Ninnis Grand Vice-Chamberlain ; A . Williams , Grand Asst . Marshal ; G . R . ' Cobham and J . A . Gartley , Grand Heralds ; J . O . Robinson , Grand D . of C . ; and G . Gilbert , Grand Sentinel .

' I he following were nominated and elected for the Executive Committee and the Grand High Almoners' Committee : Sir Knights C . F . Matier , J . Mason , T . C . Walls , W . G . Lemon , and George Powell , as members of the former , and Sir Knights Dr . Woodman , H . H . Shirley , and H . Venn , as members of the latter .

Letters of regret for unavoidable absence vvere received from a large number of sir knights . On the motion of Sir Knight WOODMAN , seconded by Sir Knight WALLS , the sum of 10 guineas was voted as an honorarium to the Grand Recorder , in consideration of his energetic and efficient services on behalf of the Order .

Sir Knight HOGARD returned thanks , and said he should be oleased to place the amount on his Steward ' s list for the R . M . I , for Boys . The Grand Conclave was then closed in Imperial form , and a banquet was held in the Freemasons' Tavern in conjunction vvith the Premier Conclave .

BERKELEY HOTEL ( late St . James ' s ) , 1 , Berkeley-street and 77 , Piccadilly , London , W . First class accommodation for residents , with a Restaurant newlyattached for high class luncheons and dinners , at , fixed prices and b la carte . —C . DIETTE , Manager . —fADVT . l