The Masonic Mirror.

Grand Secretary is inadequate , aud is not a sufficient remuneration for a gentleman who , owing to the increase of work , is compelled to devote the whole of his time to the duties of the office , and they recommend to Grand Lodge that the salary of the Grand Secretary be raised to . £ 400 per annum . The Board further recommend that the salary of the second clerk ( Bro . Buss ) be raised to £ 150 per annum ; and that such increase of salaries shall take lace from the 1 st January 1 S 59 "—M

p , . y lord , as the President of that Board , I shall content myself ivith simply moving , us a formal resolution , that the salary of the Grand Secretary he increased to £ 400 . I shall leave it to the worthy brother who took up the matter , who brought it before the Board , aud who carried it at the Board , to state the reasons why this vote should be agreed to . I shall move , therefore , that the Grand Secretary ' s salary be increased from £ 300 to £ 100 a year ; such increase to take effect from the 1 st of January last .

Bro . Smith . G . Purs , seconded the motion , ancl said--Before I state the reasons for this vote , I think it right to state that the Grand Secretary himself has been no party to this arrangement , in any way whatever . ( Hear , h = ar ) . He has not in auy shape influenced we , or any of tbe brethren at that board , although , if Grand Loclge should adopt this resolution , he will be pleased then to become a party to it ( hear , hear , and laughter ) , by participating in it ( renewed laughter ) . Ou the appointment of Bro . Gray Clarke to this office , it was contemplated to increase his

salary , ancl I was consulted on the subject . I thought ifc should come boforo the Board of General "Purposes before it came before this Grand Lodge . I consented to bring it before the Board of General Purposes , and I did so . I moved for a committee of that Board something like two yours ago , and on that committee ivere Bros . Dobie , Havers , John Harvey , S . Barton Wilson , White , aucl Henderson ( Grand Registrar ) . I found that the Grand Secretary did not receive the same salary as the late Grand Secretary , and I thought that if he was worthy to be honoured with the appointment , he was worthy also to receive tho salary , and the committee agreed to a recommendation to that effect . Bro . Dobie , the President of that committee , thought £ 500 a year would not be too much for the salary of the Grand

Secretary of Freemasons , but ive eventually ivere unanimous in recommending . £ 400 . The matter was referred back to the committee by the Board of General Purposes , aud two brethren were added to it . We had a discussion again , and in bringing up the report the committee ivas not unanimous , some thinking it not prudent to make any such recommendation to Grand Loclge just then . Hoivever , ivhen the report came to this Grand Lodge , it thought proper not to agree , and Bro . Farnfield and the junior clerk had their salaries increased , while Bro . Gray Clarke and two excellent

Bro . Buss ( - brethren ) were passed over . The matter ivas again brought before the Board of General Purposes , and in doing so I showed that I thought a great act of injustice had boon committed towards our Grand Secretary , seeing that our Assistant Grand Secretary received a larger salary than the Grand Secretary . That I could not understand , although theAssistantSeuretary ' saddition was made for long aucl faithful services . ( Hear , hear ) . Perhaps I may be told that although the present Grand Secretary receives only £ 300 , while the late Grand received £ 100 that £ 100

Secretary -, of the £ 400 was a gratuity for lengthened services . ( Hear , hear ) . Still , it was nevertheless £ 400 for services rendered to tho Craft ; ancl if Bro . White hacl asked for £ 000 or even £ 800 , he would have got it ( oh ! oh ! " order , " and " question" ) . What . 1 mean is , that if lie hacl wanted more he could have had it . Sow we have not heard any brother find fault with the present Grand Secretary ( hear , hear ) , and if he is worthy to fill the late Grand Secretary ' s office , he is worthy to have the late Grand Secretary ' s sal .-uy , although [ tear shall nofc be unanimous

. we on the subject ( hear , hear , and a laugh ) , because , owing to certain circumstances wo have not been so unanimous lately as we might have been . He does not hold any other appointment ; everyone knows where to find him , for he is always at his post . As Masonry is fast increasing , so his labours have vastly extended , so that he has often to take some of his work home ancl go on with it till ten or eleven o ' clock . Every brother who has had occasion to call upon him must admit now ready he always is to give his assistance , and his time is greatly taken up by the calls which are made . I hope Grand Lodge will accede to this motion , although I could have wished that the matter had fallen into abler hands than mine , ( Applause ) ,