United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

THE Quarterly Communication of United Grand Lodge will be held on Wednesday next , 6 th inst , at Freemasons ' Hall , Great Queen Street , London , W . C ., when , for the convenience of Provincial and other Brethren who desire to

attend Grand Lodge solely •for the purpose of recording their votes for the election of Grand Treasurer , Grand Lodge will be opened at two o ' clock p . m ., punctually , when Ihe Minutes of the last Quarterly Communication , so far as they relate to the election of Grand Treasurer , will be put for confirmation , immediately after which the Ballot will be proceeded with .

The Voting Cards for the election of Grand Treasurer will be given out 'to . the Brethren before entering Grand Lodge , and may be deposited in the balloting boxes on the Grand Master in the chair declaring the poll open , up to a quarter past six o ' clock , when no more Voting Cards utn be taken , and the ordinary business of Grand Lodge will be proceeded with . The following is the Agenda .-At 2 o ' clock p . m .

i . The Minutes of the Quarterly Communication of the 5 th December 1900 , so far as they relate to the Election of Grand Treasurer , will be read and put for confirmation , after which the Candidates for the office of Grand Treasurer will be formally proposed , and the ballot proceeded with . Brother Captain John Barlow P . M . No . 1260 , and Brother Horace Brooks Marshall P . M . No . 1745 , & c , the only nominations . At 6 o ' clock p . m .

2 . The Minutes of the Quarterly Communication of the 6 th December 1900 , and of the Especial Grand Lodge of the 15 th February 1901 , will be rea'd for confirmation .

3 . Election of a M . W . Grand Master . 4 . Report of the Board of Benevolence for the months ending December , January , and February , in which there are recommendations for the following : The Widow of a Brother of the Southern Star Lodge ,

No . 1158 , London _ £ 5 o o o A Brother of the Egyptian Lodge , No . 27 , London ... 100 o o The Widow of a Brother of the Pilgrim Lodge , No . 238 , London ( unsound mind ) ... ... ... ... ... 100 o o The Widow of a Brother of the Bagshaw Lodge , No .

I 457 J Loughton 50 o o A Brother of the Great City Lodge , No . 1426 , London ... 100 o o A Brother of the Old King ' s Arms Lodge , No . 28 , London ... ... ... 75 o o A Brother of the Athole Lodge , No . 1004 , Douglas , Isle of Man 50 o o The Widow of a Brother of the Cornish Lodge , No .

236 9 , London 150 o o The Widow of a Brother of the Lodge of Harmony , No . 309 , Fareham 50 o o A Brother of the St . James Lodge , No . 765 , London ... 50 o o The Widow of a Brother of the Eclectic Lodge , No . 1201 , London ... ... ... ... 50 o o

5 . REPORT OF THE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES . To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England . The Board begs to report that it has been called on to

investigate a complaint against two Brethren in the Province of Guernsey and Alderney , for insubordinate conduct and dereliction of Masonic duty , and that it has felt it its duty to suspend such Brethren from all Masonic rights and privileges , the one for six , and the other for three months .

The attention of the Board having been called to the practicethe subject of much complaint— of smoking in the corridors adjacent to Grand Lodge and in other rooms in the building , orders have been issued prohibiting such practice in future . The Board has to report that the conveyance to the Trustees of Grand Lodge of the Stables recently acquired in New Yard , pursuant to the resolution of Grand Lodge , has been completed .

The Board has further to announce that it has received a Report from Right Worshipful Brother George Richards District Grand Master for the Transvaal , to the effect that a Central Committee of the South African Masonic Relief Fund had been formed at Capetown , of which R . W . Brother Earl Roberts , K ! G ., Past Grand Warden , had accepted the office of Honorary President ; and that

local Sub-Committees for the distribution of relief had been established in Capetown , King William ' s Town , Kimberley , Pietermaritzburg , Durban , and Johannesburg . That to each Committee sums of money had been allocated to relieve the most pressing cases of distress , and that in addition to the sum of . £ 1000 allocated to

Capetown , Kimberley , Durban , King William ' s Town , and Pietermaritzburg , it had been arranged to place , £ 1000 at the disposal of the Transvaal Committee so soon as the Refugees from the Transvaal commenced to return to their homes , as it was considered the cases for relief would naturally gravitate towards that centre .

The Report further stated that the Lodges unattached in Rhodesia , Zululand , and a portion of the Orange River Colony , were especially represented on the Central Committee , and that applications for relief were either forwarded direct or through the pearest Sub-Committee .

United Grand Lodge.

Of the sum of , £ 9000 which had been received by the Trustees at Capetown , the Central Committee had arranged with the Standard Bank there to place , £ 6000 on deposit , bearing interest at 3 per cent . It was also stated that the local Committees meet weekly , making monthly reports to the Central Committee , the services of the members of which were given gratuitously . That the principle adopted by the Committee was to grant free relief to Widows and

Orphans in need , but treating advances to the Brethren as loans •repayable , should future circumstances permit . R . W . Bro . Richards , in conclusion , stated he was desired by the President and Members of the Central Committee to convcv to the Grand Lodge of England their gratitude on behalf of the Brethren in South Africa for the noble response made by the Fraternity under the English Constitution to the appeal of the M . W . Grand Master .

The Board having for some time had under its consideration proposals for amending the law relating to the Election of Members of the Board . of General Purposes , begs to recommend Grand Lodge to sanction the following alterations in the Book of Constitutions : That Rules 255 and 256 be amended to read as follows :

Rule 255 . —The President and six of such other •Members shall be annually appointed by the Grand Master at the Quarterly Grand Lodge in June , and the Grand Lodge shall on the same day elect , from the actual Masters and j . - ' ast Masters of Lodges , as many as may be required to make up the remaining eighteen members

of the Board , as hermafter provided . A Master and Past Master , or more than one Past Master of the same Lodge , shall not be elected as such on the same Board ; but this shall not disqualify any Past Master , being a subscribing member and Master of another Lodge , from being elected for and representing such other Lodge as Master .

Rule 25 6 . —At the election in June 1901 , the full number of eighteen members shall be elected ; and thereafter one third of the elected members shall go out of office annually , but shall be eligible for re-election . Those who go out of office in June 1902 shall be the six members who were elected by the smallest number of votes in 1901 ; and those who go out of office in June 1903 shall be the six members who were elected by the next smallest number of votes

in 1901 ; the Board always determining , when the votes for any such members shall have been equal , who shall be the members so to go out of office ; and after 1903 , those who shall go out of office shall always be the members who have been for the longest time in office . On the death or removal from office of an elected member , the Brother elected in his place under Rule 261 shall go out of office at the time appointed for the member whose place he has taken .

The attention of the Board having been directed to the crowding and inconvenience occasioned by the procession into Grand Lodge of so large a number of Present and Past Grand Officers , it begs to report that , at the suggestion of the Grand Director of Ceremonies , Sir Albert . W . Woods , Garter , and with the sanction of the Most Worshipful Grand Master , it has been arranged that , in future , the procession into Grand Lodge shall be divided into two parts ; the first

part comprising Past Grand Officers , according to their rank , seniors first , who shall proceed into Grand Lodge and take their seats on the Dais ; the second part to be formed of the Grand Officers of the year , who will precede the Grand Master as at present , and will open out in front of the Dais to allow the Grand Master , or other presiding Officer , to take his seat , and -will then take the seats marked and reserved for them .

It is with a feeling of very deep and sincere regret that the Board has to report the removal by death since January 1900 , of the following Brethren , who had filled a high position in the Craft as Officers of Grand Lodge : R . W . Bro . The Earl of Radnor , l ' rov . G . Master for Wiltshire . R . W . Bro . The Earl of Portarlington , P . G . W .

R . W . Bro . The Earl of Londesborough , P . G . W . R . W . Bro . The Earl of Donoughmore , K . C . M . G ., P . G . W . R . W . Bro . Sir Hedworth Williamson , Bart ., Prov . G . Master for Durham . R . W . Bro . Sir Gabriel Goldney , Bart , P . G . W . R . W . Bro . Thomas Fenn , P . G . W .

V . W . Bro . Rev . Robert J . Simpson , P . G . Chap . V . W . Bro . Rev . Charles J . Martyn , P . G . Chap . V . W . Bro . Rev . Brooke Lambert , P . G . Chap . V . W . Bro . Richard Eve , P . G . Treas . V . W . Bro . Sir Alfred Bevan , P . G . Treas . W . Bro . A . Saville Tomkins , P . G . D .

W . Bro . Sir Francis Boileau , Bart , P . G . D . W . Bro . Sir J . W . Maclure , Bart , M . P ., P . G . D . W . Bro . A . Stewart Brown , F . R . C . S ., P . G . D . W . Bro . Chas . Beaumont , P . G . D . W . Bro . Chas . Barry , F . S . A ., P . G . Supt of Works . W . Bro . Chas . H . Driver ; P . G . Supt . of Works .

W . Bro . Wentworth Cole , P . Asst . G . D . C . W . Bro . John Fenwick , P . Asst . G . D . C . W . Bro . Geo . Kelly , P . G . S . B . W . Bro . E . J . Smith , P . G . Std . B . W . Bro . B . Kelly Thorpe , P . G . Std . B .

W . Bro . Howard H . Room , P . G . Std . B . W . Bro . Sir Arthur Sullivan , P . G . Organist . W . Bro . George Graveley , P . G . Purst . W . Bro . L . F . Littell , P . G . Purst . W . Bro . Walter Martin , P . Asst . G . Purst .

The Board has to report that the following Presentations have been made to the Library and Museum since the last Meeting of Grand Lodge , all of which have been accepted with thanks : Title or Object . B y whom Presented . Two Old Masonic Prints ( Dutch ) . —John H , Gerards , No . 3772 ,