Grand Lodge.

3 . A complaint having been preferred against the W . M . of the Lodge of Temperance in the East ( No . 898 , late No . 1200 ) , for having appointed a brother to the office of Junior Warden who had not been elected a member of the lodge , the W . M . attended , pursuant to summons , and , on being questioned , admitted that the brother had never been regularly admitted as a

member , and that , nevertheless , he had made the appointment . The name of the brother had been put in the summons for joining , but no ballot had actually taken place . The board , in consequence , resolved that the appointment was null and void ; and there appearing to have been great laxity and irregularity in the pro - ceedings of the lodge generally , the board fur ther ordered that

the lodge he fined one guinea , and the W . M . was cautioned to be more observant of the laws of the Craft , with which it was Ms duty to have made himself well acquainted . The fine has been paid . 4 . A complaint was preferred by the Lodge of Benevolence against the Lodge of Unanimity ( No . 89 , late No . 106 ) , Dukenfield , for having certified that Bro . John Drury had been a regular contributing member for 29 years , whereas Grand Lodge

dues had been paid for him for 23 _ r years only . A Past Master of the lodge attended the board , and the books having been examined , the certificate was proved thereby to he incorrect ; but it appearing that no money the property of Grand Lodge had been kept back , and the brother having expressed the regret of the lodge for what had taken place , the board resolved that the

apology be accepted , but that the lodge be cautioned carefully to examine their books before giving any certificate in future . 5 . A complaint was also preferred by the Lodge of Benevolence against the Lodge of Freedom ( No . 77 , late No . 91 ) , Gravesend , for certifying that the late Bro . William Coles had been a regular contributing member for 23 J years , whereas

Grand Lodge dues had been paid for him for 211- years only . It being shown to the satisfaction of the board that Bro . Coles had actually ceased to be a member for 2 years and upwards out of the said period of 23 _ f years , and that consequently no moneys the property of Grand Lodge had been withheld , and the error in the certificate appearing to have been - unintentional , the explanation was accepted , but the lodge was cautioned to be more careful for the future .

6 . A complaint was preferred by Bro . L . J . Levisolm , of the Old Concord Lodge ( No . 172 , late Nn . 201 ) , Loudon , against the Lodge of Fidelity ( No . 230 , late No . 280 ) , Devonport , for refusing him admittance as a visitor because he objected to take an obligation that he had been regularly admitted into Masonry , was a subscribing member of his lodge , and had not been expelled from any lodge . It appeared from the explanation

furnished by the W . M . of the Lodge of Fidelity , that Bro . Levisolm not being known or vouched for had been required to pledge himself that he was the person named in the Grand Lodge certiacate which he produced , that he had not been expelled from tbe Order , and was not under Masonic censure . That this practice had been followed by the lodgo for many

years , and had never before been objected to , and from circumstances stated by the W . M . not having reference to the case in question , appeared to be very necessary as regards visitors not known or vouched for . The board , after consideration of all the circumstances of the case , resolved that the explanation was satisfactory , and commended the caution which the lodge appears

to exercise in the admission of visitors . ( Signed ) J . Li __ WE ____ r _ . EVAKS , Freemasons' Hall , 19 th August , 1863 . President . To the report is subjoined a statement of the Grand Lodge accounts at the last meeting of the Finance Committee held on

the 14 th instant , showing a balance in the hands of the Grand Treasurer of £ 1758 16 s . 9 d ., and in the hands of the Grand Secretary for petty cash £ 50 . Of these sums there belongs to the Fund of Benevolence £ 817 13 s . 7 d ., to the Fund of General Purposes £ 486 15 s ., and in the nnappropriated _ account £ 504 8 s . 2 d .

9 . THE Error-! or THE COLOSIAI , BOAED . To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England . The Colonial Board beg to report that they have received a communication from the St . George's Lodge ( No . 440 , late No . 643 ) , Montreal , complaining that the Grand Lodge of Canada

continues to prohibit lodges under its jurisdiction from holding Masonic intercourse with the members of their lodge , on the alleged ground that St . George's Lodge is working irregularly , and moreover affirming that it had once surrendered its warrant and joined the Grand Lodge of Canada . The Colonial Board find no reason for this assumption on the

part of the Grand Lodge of Canada . They have called for , and had laid before them , certified copies of the minutes of the St . George's Lodge for the year 1856 ; the minutes for the preceding year cannot be furnished , seeing that certain brethren who seceded from the lodge in 1855 carried away with them the books , jewels , and paraphernalia , which the members have

fruitlessly endeavoured to recover . The Colonial Board refer to certain facts , showing that the St . George's Lodge is in all respects perfectly regular under tbe constitution of the Grand Lodgo of England , and consequently ought to be so acknowledged by the Grand Lodge of Canada ; not only in pursuance of the conditions agreed to when that

Grand Lodge was recognized by the Grand Lodge of England , but also because the regularity of the St . George's Lodge has never been called in question by the Grand Lodge of England , to whom alone it is accountable for any of its acts , and who only has a right to call its regularity into question .

The facts to winch the Colonial Board allude are the following : —In the latter part of the year 1855 , certain brethren , belonging to lodges under the Grand Lodges of England , Scot , land , and Ireland formed themselves into what they then termed "The Independent Grand Lodge of Canada ; " they were however denounced by a large majority of the lodges in that country , then holding under the Grand Lodge of England , as

illegal , and intercourse with the brethren and lodges belonging to this self-constituted Grand Lodge was strictly forbidden . In June , 1857 , which date is important , the largest proportion o £ the lodges in Canada holding warrants from the Grand Lodge of England withdrew from their allegiance and formed themselves into a Grand Lodge , which they designated the " Ancient

Grand Lodge of Canada . " In the course of time these two bodies formed a junction and became the present Grand Lodge of Canada . Meanwhile , however , the St , George's Lodge had continued its meetings with great regularity , and its proceedings in all essentials being conducted in most orderly ancl Masonic manner , as evidenced by their minutes ; and at one of their

stated meetings , held on the 15 th April , 1856 , the Prov . G . M ., the Hon . W . Badgley , visited the lodge , and was thereupon invited to preside over the brethren then assembled . The regularity of the lodge was thus acknowledged by the only duly constituted Masonic authority at the time existing in the province of Montreal ancl William Henry . The lodge also brought to the notice

of their local chief , the said Bro . Badgley , the abstraction of their jewels , & c , by the brethren who had joined what was termed by the Canadian Masons an irregular body , namely , the so-called Independent Grand Lodge of Canada .