Special Grand Lodge.

Bro . Havers , after the long and wearisome discussion which has taken place , I shall occupy your attention but a short time . We are accused of grave inconsistency in having stated our deliberate opinion that no change should bo made in the salaries of the Grand Secretary ' s department . But having now examined most carefully into the matter , and taking into consideration another matter—to which , in tho presence of onr respected Bro . White , I need not more particularly allude—we came to the conclusion that if any increase of salary were madethe Grand Secretary should participate therein .

, We did report that it was not then desirable to charge the Grand Secretary ' s department with any further salary ; but Grand Lodge overruled our decision , and took out of our hands that decision . ( Hear . ) By their decision to raise the salary of the chief clerk £ 100 a year , they relieved us from our decision . ( Hear , and a laugh . ) Wo were bound to bear in mind that these salaries were taken into consideration twenty-one years ago , ( hear , hear ) , that the salary of the Grand Secretary was then fixed at what the Grand Secretary was

receiving now , ( hear , hear ) , that you then increased Bro . White's salary not merely for his extended services , " but in consequence of the increasing duties ho will have to perform , and you have doubled tho salary of the head clerk . " ( A voice— " Assistant Secretary . " ) Well , yon have doubled the salary of Bro . Farnfield the Assistant Secretary ; you have added a new clerk to the establishment , but you have left the Grand Secretary himself without any increase . ( Hear . ) We therefore come to tho conclusion that it would be only fair and

light to put the Grand Secretary himself in at least as good a position as tho subordinates in his office . Bro . Whitmore has told us that ordinary intelligence , ordinary capacity , and ordinary politeness , will suffice for tho Grand Secretary . But , with all deference to Bro . Whitmore , 1 think the Grand Secretary of a great , extensive , and most influential institution like onrs , should be a gentleman not only perfectly acquainted with our work , capable of giving something more than mere cut and dried replies to the letters addressed to him , but able by his skill and judgment often to prevent matters becoming grave and important ( hear , hear ); understanding the best method by

which evil passions may be allayed in 1 , 090 Lodges , and amongst a membership of 100 , 000 Masons arranged under our banners . ( Hear , hear , ) I think we should have a gentleman who will devote himself entirely to our service ( hear ) , body and mind being employed to keep our society working on its proper basis . ( Hear . ) Now do you remunerate a gentleman of that class , and can you secure his services at the sum of £ 300 a year ? ( Hear , hear . ) It has been urged that doubling the salary of the Assistaut Secretary was in payment for his past servicesbut is it a sufficient reason that because

; yon pay one brother for his past services you should not pay another for his present services ? ( Hear , hear . ) I do not ask you to give this as a matter of generosity , but of justice . Your head clerk receives £ 300 a- year ( justly enough after thirty years'service ) , and your Grand Secretary receives the same . But does not the Grand Secretary receive £ 50 from Grand Chapter ? Yes ; but your head clerk receives £ 60 . ( Hear , hear . ) The duties now are double those of Bro . White , who , in addition to his salary here , had £ 210 and a house ,

as Secretary to the Hon . Artillery Company . He had as Grand Secretary £ 300 as salary , and £ 100 as gratuity ; £ 50 from Grand Chapter ; £ 210 and a house from the Artillery Company ; total , £ 660 . And surely there is no reason why £ 400 a year should he too much for Bro . Gray Clarke , whose duties take up all his time . Will you place him in a worse position- than his clerks , or the late Grand Secretary ? ( Hear . ) A brother has stated that the work of the Grand Secretary ' s office has not increased since 1 S 56 ; it may not

materially have increased since 1856 , but it certainly has increased greatly since the year in which £ 300 a year was considered sufficient for the Grand Secretary ' s salary . It has increased largely year by year since that time , when tho receipts of the Board of General Purposes were only £ 1 , 700 , whereas last year they were £ 4 , 000 . It was true there had been an addition to the staff , but that did not diminish the labours of the Grand Secretary in connexion with his letters , which are ever on the increase ; and through his courtesy and kindness yon have matters put to rights every week , which might have been fanned into a flame to the detriment of the Craft . 1 believe

that the value of such services is incalculable to Masonry . As to this allowance diminishing the resources at your disposal tor charity , I have told you that your surplus income is £ 2 , 500 a year ; and do not be over generous to some charities , while you underpay your Grand Secretary . I shall make no appeal to your feelings in favour of Bro . Clarke ; and as to the only charge brought against him , I shall only add to the words of the Deputy Grand Master , that Harington is to Canada what Portal is to England , and that but for these two men the question , now happily settled , would never have arrived at the height it did . ( Cheers , and " Oh ! oh ! " ) The M . W . Grand Master then put the amendment , which was lost

by a vast majority . The question for increasing the Grand Secretary ' s salary was then put as a substantive motion , and carried with less than a dozen dissentients . INCREASE TO THIS SALARY OF BUO , BUSS . The President , of the Board next moved , that the salary of Bro . Buss , who had been in the service of Grand Lodge some four years , bo increased to £ 150

a year . He said—I shall not he doing my duty unless I pay Bro . Buss a tribute which is justly duo to him . A more zealous and useful officer no body ever had than Bro . Buss . Bro . Whitmore—I am happy to agree with . the mover of this motion , and—Bro . Havers—How about the charities , now ? ( Laughter , and cries of Oh , oh 1 ) Bro . Whitmore : From my heart I pity the brother who could make such an observation . ( Oh , " oh ! laughter , and Order , order !) I was going to say that I have some opportunity of knowing that Bro . Buss is a faithful servant , inefficiently remunerated , and 1 have great pleasure in seconding the motion . Carried uem . con .

I'ROFESSIONAL AUDITORS FOR GRAND LODGE ACCOUNTS . The President of the Board then read the next paragraph of tho report , which was as follows : — " The Board have under their consideration a plan for simplifying and improving the system of keeping the accounts of the society , which they believe will bo of advantage . Considering tho magnitude of the accounts and the impossibility of carrying out any systematic or efficient audit under the present regulationsthe Board are of opinion that ( without interfering with the

, . present audit by the Masters of Lodges ) , it would be desirable and advantageous that the accounts should be audited once at least in each year , by professional accountants , who should have free access to all such books and documents as they may require . The Board believe that brethren thoroughly competent to undertake such work may be found ; and that a sum of twenty guineas per annum will be an adequate remuneration , they therefore recommend to Grand Lodge to empower the M . W . Grand Master to appoint two such

professional accountants as auditors . " He moved a resolution in accordance with the above , except that he substituted the word " one" in the place of " two , " on the ground that , though twenty guineas might be enough for one good professional auditor , it would not suffice to secure two auditors of that standing and competency which the urgency of the case demanded . The present mode of audit was unique . ( Bear , and a laugh . ) The Masters of twenty Lodges in succession were invited to the Grand Secretary ' s office at seven o ' clock , to audit the accounts , an immense mass of books was put before thorn , and they wore told that supper would be ready at nine o ' clock . ( Laughter . ) Twenty men could not audit the accounts at all , none could audit them in two hours .

He proposed that the professional auditor should submit his statement and report to these twenty Masters , whom he neither wished to deprive of their privilege or their supper . ( Laughter . ) Bro . Binckes said he seconded the motion with pleasure ( laughter ) , well knowing from experience that the present audit was most inefficient . Bro . Whitmore opposed the motion , and thought tho present plan would work if they put off the supper till another occasion . He opposed the appointment of a professional auditorbelieving that the

, present system might be so improved as to render it unnecessary ; and though he did not suppose that such a case could occur whilst the Board of General Purposes was as pure as it was at present , he could conceive that a time might come when , with a less scrupulous Board , the accounts might be so cooked as to deceive the most experienced professional auditor . ( Hear , hear , and " Shame- ! " ) A Voice—Then you would only get thein there on the supper night ( Laughter . )

. Bro . Stebbing also objected to the motion on account of the £ 20 expenditure it involved . He thought " Grand Auditors" should' be elected ; the honour would be valued ; but for £ 20 they could not secure the services of a first rate man . It was these reckless additions to their expenditure which raised up their Haringtons and Portals . ( Oh , oh ! and laughter . ) He implored tho Grand Master to let this be an honorary distinction , and then some worthy and distinguished Mason would do it for nothingand would value a seat on that dais

, , which he ( Bro . Stebbing ) did not , and , if iie did , ho should never get it ( laughter ) , at greatly more than £ 20 , or £ 50 , or even £ 100 . ( Laughter . ) Bro . Symonds supported the motion , and as to £ 20 being inadequate , he knew " of his own knowledge that the accounts of the commissioners