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sMSKtvpfHi$^ftfiBiH SATURDAY , J ANUARY 19 , rgor . ?

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

More than the usual amount of business was transacted at the Quarterly Court of Governors and Subscribers of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys which was held at Freemasons' Hall on Friday , the nth instant , under the presidency of Bro . C . E , Keyser , P . G . D ., Treasurer and Trustee , and we rejoice

to see that what was done , as well as what was announced as about to be done in the future , was eminently satisfactory . There was necessarily a feeling of sadness in connection with what was said about the Richard Eve Memorial . It was difficult for those present to realise that barely six months had

elaped since the lamented brother was discharging the duties of Chairman of the Board of Management , and that everyone was then hoping he would soon recover from the indisposition and illness which for a time had confined him to his house . So natural a hope was never , alas 1 realised , and last week the Court of Governors was resolving as to the form their tribute of

respect to the memory of his great services to the Institution should take . They have resolved wisely in keeping outside the powers of the Charity Commissioners , and the only doubt we have is whether the Stained Glass Window in the Hall of the new School buildings at Bushey is memorial enough to one who accomplished so much for the School . Couid not a Scholarship , or an annual prize or prizes , be added ' i

Masonic Notes.

As to the progress that is being made with the new buildings at Bushey , Bro . Keyser ' s assurance that more had lately been done is satisfactory , and we trust there will be no need to enforce the penalties to which the builders will render themselves liable in

the event of their task not being completed within the stipulated time . Still more satisfactory is it to hear that the Board of Management have entered into a contract to sell the existing School buildings , Scc ^ at Wood Green , for ^ 40 , 000 , the purchase to be

completed by the 24 th June , 1903 ; while it is gratifying to know that when sold these buildings will still be used for scholastic purposes . Moreover , we must all concur most heartily in the thanks expressed to Bro .

Stanley J . Attenborough , P . A . G . D . C , the honorary Solicitor to the Institution , for the skill and ability with which he conducted the negotiations to a successful issue . » * *

The only other business of interest that was dealt with was ( 1 ) the election of two boys whose respective fathers have died while engaged in active military service for their Queen and country , immediately and without ballot , to be maintained and out-educated until such time as the buildings at Bushey are ready for

the reception of the School ; and ( 2 ) the declaration of 23 vacancies to be competed for at the election on the 12 th April next by a list of 37 approved candidates . As to the income received by the Institution in 1 9 , it was dealt with at length in our leading article of the 5 th instant . » * »

Great progress is beirg made in the Province of Devonshire in providing private quarters of their own as the meeting-places of the lodges on the roll . Last year as many as three new Masonic Halls were dedicated or had their foundation stones laid , and now

the New Year and Century have not been 4 8 hours old before the news is published that our Tavistock brethren have rented a site on which to erect a Hall of their own , and that the first stone of the premises has been laid with appropriate ceremonies . The central figure on the occasion was Bro . Major Joseph

Matthews , P . M . Bedford Lodge , No . 282 , Tavistock , P . Prov . G . Supt . of Wks . Devon , who laid the stone , while Bro . F . B . Westlake , P . D . G . D . C . Eng ., P . Prov . G . W ., delivered a short oration appropriate to the event . The function was a great success , and we wish the lodge and its members a long career of prosperity in what will very shortly be their new home .

* * * It appears from the printed Report which has reached us of the proceedings at the Quarterly Communication of the District Grand Lodge of Burma held at Freemasons' Hall , Rangoon , on the 23 rd October last , that the Craft is doing fairly well . There

are not many lodges on the roll and these are not very strong in respect of membership , but as regards funds District Grand Lodge appears to be in very good form , there being at the close of the September quarter balances in hand on the General Fund of close

on 1270 Rupees , ' and on the Benevolent Fund of 1425 Rupees . We are pleased to hear that the District Grand Master—Bro . J . Copley Moyle—has given his sanction to the publication of a Masonic Calendar and Diary for the year . The work has been undertaken

by the District Grand Secretary , and we echo the hope expressed by the acting District Grand Master , who presided at the meeting , that the W . Masters and Secretaries of lodges will render the District Grand Secretary all the help in their power so as to make the publication as complete and accurate as possible .

Quatuor Coronati Lodge , No . 2076 , has paid a high compliment to German Freemasonry in the person of Prince Frederick Leopold of Prussia , who is Protector of the three Grand Lodges in Berlin , by electing him an honorary member . His Royal Highness had expressed a wish to the lodge to be placed on the roll of

its Correspondence Circle . It was , however , felt that the Prince would greatly appreciate the complime n ' if he were made an honorary member , and , accordingly , at the recent meeting of the lodg e he was proposed and seconded as such , and his election was carried by acclamation .

* * We feel sure that we may express the sympathy of our readers , as well as our own , with Bro . C . Kupferschmidt , P . M . No . 2076 , Asst . Grand Secretary German Correspondence , who has recently had his

right arm removed close to the shoulder , and we trust our able brother , after undergoing so serious an operation , may be able to resume his duties at an early date , restored—at all events so far as restoration is possible—to his usual mental and bodily health .

Masonic Notes.

Fortunately , it does not often happen that matters of grave irregularity in the conduct of a lodge are brought to the notice of District Grand Lodge authorities and included in their printed proceedings . Such a case , however , will be found in connection with

the proceedings of the District Grand Lodge of Burma , to which reference has been made in a previous Note , the complainant being the J . W . of Lodge Victoria in Burma , No . 832 , while his complaint had reference to quite a number of circumstances such as

the use of improper language in open lodge by a member without any attempt on the part of the W . M . to call the offending brother to order ; a number of members being allowed to vote after having resigned membership and the consequent irregularity of the

ballot in which they took part ; the application of one and the same ballot to a number of candidates ; and the omission from the minutes of proceedings at the meeting of facts regarding certain unfavourable ballots .

# # # It appears from the record of the case that the letter complaining of these matters was forwarded to the W . M . of the lodge for submission to the District Grand Master , but the W . M . returned it , and

consequently it was sent direct to the District Grand Master , who referred it to the District Board of General Purposes for decision , and to report their finding to him . The Board appears to have gone fully into the matter , and after six successive meetings ,

at which the complainant and defendant , with their respective witnesses , bad a most patient hearing , they found that the several charges brought by the former against the latter—several of them being generally admitted—were proved with one exception .

* » * Thus the charge relating to the use of improper language in lodge , without any attempt on the part of the W . M . to prevent it , was declared to have been generally admitted and proved ; as also was the charge

relating to certain brethren having taken part in the ballot after they had resigned their membership of the lodge , and that under the circumstances such ballot was null and void ; that the charge as to the admission of joining brethren on a collective ballot was

authorised by the vote of the lodge on a regular proposition , and was not proven ; that the minutes of proceedings contained no mention of certain matters that were likely to reflect on the credit of the lodge ; and that the W . M . did not exercise that discretion and authority which he ought to have done .

The Board having dealt with the specific ma ' . ters referre d to them for their consideration and report , proceeded to deal with certain other points which arose in the course of their inquiry , and found that the biethren who resigned were no longer members of

the lodge ; that the J . Warden ( the complainant ) having resigned after the final ballot was no longer a member of the lodge ; and that both the joining members and the candidates for initiation who were admitted on collective ballots , in which non-members took part , were not regularly admitted .

* * * The Board conclude their report by expressing their opinion that " while the proceedings were most irregular , it is plain that fraudulent voting was resorted to by some member of the lodge ; " but they dismiss

the contention of the W . M . and sundry of the witnesses "that no language could be too strong in condemning such a fraudulent act , " by observing that though " the act was deserving of the severest censure , " yet " within the walls of a lodge ( no matter what question

may arise ) language should at all times be temperate and Masonic . " In the result they found that the W . M . - —with whom they express sympathy in the difficult circumstances in which he was placed—did not " attempt to rule and control his lodge " and is , therefore , " deserving of admonition . "

» # We have received a report of the Proceedings at the 45 th Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Canada ( Province of Ontario ) , which was held in the City of London ( Ont . ) in July of last

year . Here , again , the Report on Foreign Corres pondence is an important compilation , for which Bro Henry Robertson , Q . C ., Past G . Master , is respon

sible , extending to more than 100 pages . The task of reviewing the Reports of other Grand Lodges has been most ably carried out , and reflects the greatest credit on Bro . Robertson ' s judgment .