The Masonic Mirror.

THE MASONIC MIRROR .

NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS IN ARREARS . Subscribers who are in arrears will oblige by remitting at once to the office , No . 19 , Salisbury-street , Strand . [ Post Office Orders to be made payable to Bro . William Smith , CIS , ] * # * All communications to be addressed to 19 , Salisburystreet , Strand , London , W . C .

Masonic Mem.

MASONIC MEM .

The next meeting of the Provincial [ Grand Lodge of South Wales ( Eastern Division ) will be held at Cardiff on tho 28 th inst . Pull particulars are given in the announcement , which will be found in our advertising columns .

Grand Lodge.

GRAND LODGE .

The quarterly communication of the United Grand Lodge of England took place on Wednesday evening , in Freemasons ' Hall . Uro . Victor Williamson , J . G . AV ., occupied the throne in the absence of the R . W . the Grand Master ; Bro , Havers , P . J . G . W ., acted as S . G . W . in the absence of Bro . Sir Michael Hicks Beach , Bart , M . P . ; and Bro . Moore , P . G . Chaplain ,

acted as J . G . AV . There were present on the dais , Bros . Spiers , D . Prov . G . M . for Oxfordshire ; M'Intyre , G . Reg . ; Hopwood , P . J . G . I ) , and President of the CoIouial ^ Board ; G . W . K . Potter , P . J . G . D . ; Charles Hutton Gregory , P . J . G . D . ; Locock Webb , P . G . D . ; Bridges , P . G . D . ; John Hervey , P . J . G . D . ; Henry Empson , P . G . S . B . ; Albert W . Woods , G . Dir . of Cers . ;

Henry Maudslay , P . J . G . D . ; John S . Pullen , S . G . D . ; William Young , P . G . S . B . ; Thomas A . Adams , P . G . Purst . ; Emmens , G . Purst . ; Patten , P . G . D . and Secretary to the Girls' School , and several other brethren . The Grand Lodge was opened in due form , and Avitb solemn prayer .

The G . SECRETARY said he had received a letter from the II . W . the G . Master , asking the brethren to excuse his presence that evening in the Grand Lodge , as he still felt himself unequal to attend to any public business . Under those circumstances , he had no doubt that the brethren would make an allowance for his absence . ( Hear hear . )

The G . SECRETARY then read a letter he had received from Bro . Sir Michael Hicks Beech , Bart ., S . G . W ., stating that in consequence of a recent bereavement , he was unable to attend to the duties of Grand Lodge that evening .

THE LAST QUARTERLY COMMUNICATION . The G . SECRETARY then read the minutes of the Quarterly Communication of the 7 th of Juno . The G . MASTER put tho question that they be confirmed , which was carried unanimously .

SPECIAL GEAKD LODGE . The G . SECRETARY then read the minutes of the Special Grand Lod ge held at Tottenham on the Sth of July , on the occasion of the opening of the new schools for sons of Freemasons . The minutes merely detailed the ceremony and proceedings , which have already been published .

The G . MASTER put the motion for confirmation of the minutes , which was unanimously agreed to . THE ADDRESS or CONDOLENCE TO THE GRAND MASTER . Tlie G . SECRETARY read a letter from the M . 1 V . the Grand Master , in reply to the address of condolence on the death of

the Countess of Zetland agreed to at the last Grand Lodge , in which he stated that he took the first opportunity that presented itself in conveying to the Deputy . Grand Master , the Grand Officers , and brethren his heartfelt thanks for their kind address of condolence of the 7 th of June last , and hoped , under the aid of the Great Disposer of Human Events , to bear up

under his heavy affliction . He felt grateful to the brethren for their willing participation in the grief under which he Avas suffering , showing a renewed mark of their kindness towards him . The G . REGISTRAR said he was sure every one in that Grand Lodge and elsewhere Avould participate with their Grand

Master in his grief for the decease of the Countess of Zetland , and he hoped that feeling would he recorded on the minutes of the Grand Lodge . He would , therefore , move that the letter Avhich they bad just heard read in answer to their address of condolence be entered on the minutes , so that they might have a lasting memorial of their sense of Ms lordship ' s loss ,

and his kind and urbane conduct to all . ( Hear , hear . ) The G . MASTER : This is a question I think I need hardly put , except as a matter of form . The motion is that the letter of the Earl of Zetland be entered on . the minutes of the Grand Lodge . The motion was then put and unanimously agreed to .

SuspEKBTCffl' OF TME BEEVIDEBE ( MAIDSTCOTE ) LODGE ( NO . 503 ) . The G . SECRETARY'read a communication from Lord Holmesdale , Provincial Grand Master of Kent , reporting the suspension by him of the Belvidere Lodge ( No . 503 ) , Maidstone , in consequence of very great irregularities in their proceedings . The communication stated that on the 11 th of April last a

person named John Swinley was proposed and seconded for initiation in the Belvidere Lodge , but on a ballot taking place it Avas found' that tho ballot box contained five black balls against his admission . Upon this being seen , the W . M . said he thought that there must bo some mistake in the matter , and again sent round the ballot box for a fresh ballot , aud the result

was , that again five black halls were found in the box , and xipon which it was declared that John . Swinley was not elected . Some time afterwards , however , it was stated that the ballot box had been tampered Avith , and a motion to that effect was submitted to the lodge , which Avas carried by a majority of 26 to 5 . Upon this being stated , four members of the lodge came forward and protested against the resolution , and allowed that

they had put in four black halls against the admission of Sivhiley , hut nobwibhsbimdhig the mie iu the Book of Constitutions , which stated that if three black balls Avere put into the box against a candidate he could not be admitted , and in spite of the declarations of four members that they had put in black balls , the W . M . disregarded all these considerations , and

proceeded to initiate John Swinley as a member of the lodge . This had come to his , Bro . Lord Holmesdale's , notice , and he directed an investigation of all the facts to take place ; and the Deputy Provincial Grand Master required them iu the meantime to adjourn all further meetings of the lodge until July , when ho received an answer that they as Masons , like every

one else , should do that which appeared to he the best , and carry on their business as they thought proper . Under these circumstances ho had no other alternative than to suspend the lodge from its functions , and lay all the facts before the Grand Lodge . Tho G . REGISTRAR- said the communication Avhich had been

received from the Provincial Grand Master of Kent required the sanction of that Grand Lodge , because , by the powers invested in the Provincial Master , he was only empowered to suspend a