The Masonic Mirror.

the M . W . the Grand Master consisted of two parts ; the one referred to money matters , and the dther to the Prov . Grand Masters . He wished to call the attention of Grand Lodge to one of these questions , and to raise a discussion upon it . The Grand Master : Any communication of this kind from the Grand Master is placed before Grand Lodge as a matter of course , and the alterations therein proposed to be made will now be put as substantive motions .

Bro . the Eev . G . E . Portal said , that what the Earl of Carnarvon wanted to know was , whether Grand Lodge would have an opportunity of expressing an opinion upon that portion of the Grand Master ' s communication which was not referred to in the resolutions about to be submitted . The Grand Master : I am only here to control the order of your proceedings .

The Grand Master has stated his views ; as a matter of course , they will be recorded as a portion of our proceedings . On that subject we can have no discussion . I have had the honour now of belonging to this Grand Lodge thirty-five years , and till the last three years I have regularly attended . This has always been our rule There has never been a discussion on the communication of the Grand Master .

Bro . White , the Grand Secretary , then proposed a series of resolutions , the object of which was to give effect to the propositions by the M . W . the Grand Master , as set forth in the statement read . Bro . the Earl of Carnarvon said : I have listened with deep attention to the specific motion which has been formulated out of the communication of the M . W . the Grand Master . I shall be happy to vote for it , provided always that we have

subsequently a vote taken upon the other part of it , which relates to the Prov . Grand Masters . ( Hear , hear . ) I concur in what I will call the money clauses—all those which relate to alterations to be made in the Book of Constitutions ; but I shall feel it my duty to lay before the Grand Lodge my serious objections to that part of the propositions which relates to the Prov . Grand Masters . I ask therefore if we shall take a second motion on the communication as a whole , as to whether or not it shall be entered on the minutes ?

The Grand Master : Any communication from the Grand Master must be recorded upon your minutes . That has always been the course hitherto pursued . The Eev . Bro . Portal called the attention of the chair to the fact that the Grand Master " recommended and submitted" his statement "to the consideration and

decision of Grand Lodge . " These were the Grand Master ' s own words . ( Hear , hear , and applause . ) Yet they were told by the representative of the Grand Master on the present occasion , that they were not to be allowed to consider and decide . ( Hear , hear . )

The Grand Master : We are not discussing what shall be done with respect to the Prov . Grand Master question ; that subject is not before us in the substantive motion which has been put . The Earl of Carnarvon : I am compelled then to raise the discussion in a manner in which I did not desire to do it , sooner than permit the subject to pass away unnoticed and without discussion . Col . Burlton here rose amidst loud cries of " Carnarvon ! Carnarvon ! " and said

that a higher authority than the Grand Master , viz . the Grand Lodge itself , had appointed a committee for the express purpose of inquiring into the expediency of forming a body to whom all letters and correspondence relative to colonial matters should be submitted for consideration . That committee assembled several times , and had made its report , which should have been communicated to Grand Lodge in June last . Great discontent prevailed on the subject , and he thought that report ought certainly to be read before any resolution on the question was

agreed to by Grand Lodge . ( Hear , hear . ) He wished the Brethren to recollect that the Colonial Lodges were not so much dissatisfied with the 7 s . 6 d ., or even with the returns they were called upon to make ; what they were justly indignant about was , that they received no replies whatever to their complaints and communications . ( Hear , hear . ) Petitions remained unnoticed for years and years . ( Hear , hear ! and cries of " Shame ! " ) Some had gone unnoticed for ten years to his knowledge . (" Shame / shame I ) It was to remedy this state of things that