Grand Lodge.

The report was received , and the two sums recommended , granted . The report of the Board of General Purposes was then read .

THE REPORT OF THE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES . To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England . " The Board of General Purposes beg to report , that on the 15 th March last , on the complaint of the Deputy Provincial Grand Master for Sussexthey caused a summons to

, be issued to Brother Thomas Heward , of the Mariners ' Lodge , No . 878 , at Littlehampton , to attend and produce the Warrant and Books of the said Lodge ; that failing to attend on the 19 th April , he was peremptorily summoned to attend at the next Meeting of the Board ; that on the 17 th May he again failed to attend , but forwarded a communication , ing for further delaywhich was granted ; that since then

pray , lie lias neither attended nor taken any notice of the communications of the Board , and the Board have therefore felt it their duty to suspend him from all Masonic functions , and now report the same to the Grand Lodge . " The Board also report , that it has been brought under their notice by the M . W . Grand Master , that the members of certain- Provincial Lodges are in the habit of wearing

embroidered on their aprons other emblems then those sanctioned by the Book of Constitutions ; the Board have directed a communication to be made to the Provincial Grand Master of the Province , directing his attention to the circumstances , and requesting him to take the necessary steps for the discontinuance of a practice which is in violation of the law , p . 118 . "The Board further report , that they have received an application' from Messrs . Elkington & Co ., the Lessees of the

Tavern , requesting the grant- of a sum of money , to be expended in repairs of the Great Hall ; that they have caused enquiry to he made under the authority of the Grand Superintendent of Works , who reports that the repairs necessary may be completed for a sum not exceeding £ 275 , and that competent persons are ready to undertake the work . The Board therefore recommend that the sanction of Grand

Lodge be given for such outlay . " The Board also report , that they havecaused the Organs in the Great Hall and Temple to be carefully examined , and an estimate made of the expense of putting them into an efficient state . The Board have reason to believe that the cost will not exceed the sum of £ 70 , and they therefore recommend that they be authorized to expend that amount .

" Complaints having been made to the Board of the- inconvenience to which Provincial Brethren may be put by the late period at which the Quarterly Communication papers are issued , they have made arrangements by which , for the future , such papers will be printed and circulated as speedily as possible after each Grand Lodge . " The Board have much leasure in recommending that

p the following Lodges , which have made the necessary returns , be removed from the lists of those which are summoned to shew cause at the next meeting of Grand Lodge why they should not be erased , viz : —Howard Lodge of Brotherly Love , No . 64 , Arundel ; Derbyshire Lodge , No . 143 , Longnor , Staffordshire ; St . David ' s Lodge , No . 474 , Milford ; Combermere Lodge , No . 880 , Liscard , Cheshire ; Peveril of the

Peak Lodge , No . 940 , New Mills , near Glossop . ( Signed ) JOHN HAVERS , Freemasons'Hali , London , 22 nd August , 1859 . President . "

The President of the Board of General Purposes said it became his duty to move " That the report just read be received , " and in doing so he felt it due to Grand Lodge to make a few remarks on two statements in the report which did not require confirmation . The report stated that it had been brought under the notice of the Board that the members of certain Lodges were in the habit of emblazoning on their

aprons emblems not warranted by the Book of Constitutions . This was so directly opposed to the spiritand laws of Masonry , that the Board had called the attention of the Prov . Grand Master to it . The next subject to which he had to direct attention was , the future publication of the official reports of the proceedings in Grand Lodge . Complaints had been made by many members that they did not receive those

reports until about ten days before the following Grand Lodge . These complaints appeared so reasonable , that the Board , having given their attention to the question , had made arrangements for issuing the report as early as possible after each quarterly communication . ( Hear , hear . ) Bro . W . P . Scott , P . G . D ., having seconded the motion—Bro . the Bev . G . R . Portal rose to ask a question relative

to the Lodge at Littlehampton , but was shopped on a point of order by Bro . Havers , who said that the only question before G . L . was the reception of the report , and that the particular point ought to be discussed when the clause relating to it was moved for adoption . Bro . the Rev . G . R . Portal was quite aware of that , hut on former occasions it had been ruled thatwhere a clause

, in the report was not moved for adoption , discussion could only take place on the motion that the report be received . He was not aware that the clause in question required adoption , but , if such were the case , he was perfectly ready to assent to the reception of the report , and take the discussion subsequently .

The resolution having been put and carried , The President of the Board of General Purposes said it now became his painful duty to move a resolution on the subject referred to by Bro . Portal . It was with great regret that he felt called upon to move a resolution asking Grand Lodge to confirm the suspension of Bro . Heward , of the Mariners' Lodge , No . 878 , at Littlehampton , from his

Masonic duties . The Board had received a complaint from the D . Prov . Grand Master that Lodge , No . 878 , had neglected to make the usual returns . On enquiry they found that Bro . Cheriman had been the last Master , and that Bro . Heward had been the proprietor of the house at which the Lodge was held . The Lodge had fallen into difficulties , and Bro . Hewardwho was the Secretaryhad left the house

, , , taking with him the charter and furniture of the Lodge . The Board summoned Bro . Heward to appear before them , when he wrote a very proper letter , in which he stated that the Lodge , consisting principally of the masters and mates of vessels , had fallen into difficulties during the Crimean War when the trade of the town was much interfered with , but that if time were given him he would call a meeting and

endeavour to revive the Lodge . Time was given liirn , but nothing being done , a second summons was sent him by the Board , in May or June , when he again asked for timepromising to call a meeting in a fortnight . That he had not done , and since that time he had taken no notice of the communications of the Board of General Purposes beyond simplwriting a letter acknowleding that he held the

y g furniture and charter of the Lodge , by which be stated he had lost money . ( Hear . ) This was an instance among many of the great inconvenience which arose from allowing the master of a house where a Lodge was held to become the custodian of the charter and property of a Lodge . ( Hear . ) Whether Bro . Heward should even have been