United Grand Lodge.

A Brother of the Crescent Lodge , No . 788 , Hampton Court 60 0 0 A Brother of the Royal Savoy Lodge , No . 1744 , London 50 0 0 The Widow of a Brother of the Royal Oak Lodge , No . 871 , Deptford 100 0 0 4 . REPORT OP THE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES .

To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England . Tho Grand Superintendent of Works having reported that the drainage of the Grand Lodge premises is in a seriously affected condition , the Board directed , with the concurrence of the Grand Superintendent of Works , that an independent report shonld be obtained

from Mr . George Jennings . After thorough examination Mr . Jennings reports the present system of drainage to be in a dangerously insanitary condition , and estimates the cost of placing the drainage and sanitary arrangements of the entire premises in a permanently efficient condition at £ 582 10 s , including- his guarantee of efficiency for ten years , free of charge . The report and estimates having been

examined and approved by the Grand Superintendent of Works , the Board recommend Grand Lodge to sanction the expenditure of this sum for the purpose of carrying ont this most necessary work withont delay . The President haa laid before the Board a letter , received * by him from the Most Worshipful Pro Grand Master , stating that , in the opinion of His Royal Highness the Most Worshipful Grand

Master , the time has come when , in the interests of the Craft , it is desirable to augment the number of Grand Officers , not only of Grand Lodge bat also of tbe larger Provincial and District Grand Lodges , and that with this view he had received His Royal Highness ' s command to request the President to lay before the Board of General Purposes the following resolutions which it is the Grand Master ' s desire shonld , at the earliest moment , be submitted to the Grand Lodge for adoption .

" Tbat an addition be made to the Grand Officers appointed by the Most Worshipful Grand Master , by the appointment of a Grand Chancellor , to rank immediately after the Grand Wardens , and whose dnties shall be those at present assigned to the Grand Registrar , and set forth in Articles 31 and 32 of the Book of Constitntions ; and of Four additional Grand Deacons and a Deputy Grand Sword Bearer , and that the same take effect on and after the Grand Festival of 1893 . "

" Tbat in Provinces and Districts numbering 60 Lodges and upwards the Provincial and District Grand Masters shall be empowered to appoint annually Two additional Provincial or District Grand Deacons . In Provinces and Districts numbering 75 Lodges and upwards the Provincial and District Grand Masters shall be empowered to appoint Four

additional Provincial or District Grand Deacons . In Provinces and Districts numbering 100 Lodges and upwards , tho Provincial and District Grand Masters shall be empowered to appoint a Provincial or District Grand Chancellor , to take rank immediately after the Provincial or District Grand Wardens : Four additional Provincial or District

Grand Deacons and a Provincial or District Deputy Grand Sword Bearer , and that the Provincial and District Grand Masters be empowered to appoint such additional Provincial or District Grand Officers at the first meeting for the annual appointment of Officers of the several Provincial and District Grand Lodges after the confirmation of the Minutes of Grand Lodge . "

The Board havo great pleasure in recommending Grand Lodge to adopt these Resolutions and to order that the Book of Constitutions be altered accordingly .

( Signed ) THOMAS FENN , President . FREEMASONS' HAM , LONDON , W . C . 16 th August 1892 . To the Report is subjoined a statement of the Grand Lodge

Accounts at the last meeting of the Finance Committee , held on Friday , the I 2 t , h day of August instant , showing a balance in the Bank of England ( Western Branch ) of £ 5 , 898 13 s Od , and in tho hands of the Grand Secretory for petty cash £ 100 , and for servants ' wages £ 10 © , and balance of annual allowance for library £ 9 17 s 6 d .

5 . A Report of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons dated 13 th July 1892 , with respect to the alterations in the laws made for the Jubilee Year of that Institution , will be laid before Grand Lodge , viz .: — " That the

alterations made in Rules 19 , 20 , 23 , and 25 for the purpose of the Jubilee Festival which have been in force up to and including 30 th June 1892 , having now ceased to be applicable , the former laws , in force prior to the 3 rd Juno 1891 , are now the laws of tbe Institution , with the approval of Grand Lodge . "

6 . NOTICE OF MOTIONB y W . Bro . Peter de Lande Long P . G . Deaoon : — That tho Resolution of Grand Lodgo of 7 th September 1842 , to the following effect— " That a sum of £ 500 be granted from the Fund for General Purposes to the Royal Freemasons ' Female School , to be invested in the Public Funds in the

names of Trustees towards the formation of a separate Fund to be applied exclusively for the purpose of upholding , repairing , improving and maintaining the School House

and Buildings of the Institution . That the Trustees of such Fund be the three Senior Trustees of the Charity ' s other Funded Property , " be rescinded , and that the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls be permitted tu merge the

United Grand Lodge.

£ 500 therein referred to into the General Funds for the purposes of the Institution . 7 . APPEAL . By Brother William Statt , of the Yarborongh Lodge , No . 244 , Jersey , against the decision of the Provincial Grand Master of Jersey , confirming his exclusion by his Lodge .

N . B . —The papers relating to this Appeal will be in the Grand Secretary ' s Office until the meeting of Grand Lodge , and open for the inspection of the brethren during office hours .

List of Lodges for which Warrants havo been granted by the Moat Worahipful Grand Master siace the last Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge . No . 2428—The Gracedieu Lodge , Coalville , Leicestershire .

2429—The Lodge of Research , Leicester , Leicestershire . 2430—The Runymede Lodge , Wraysbury , Buckinghamshire . 2431—The Kingsley Lodge , Northampton , Northamptonshire 2-132—Tbe Sir Walter Raleigh Lodge , Holborn , London . 2433—The Minerva Lodge , Birkenhead , Cheshire .

2434—The Andenda Lodge , Eastbourne , Sussex . 2435—The Wineslai Lodge , Winslow , Buckinghamshire . 2436—The Ligonier Lodge , Muttra , N . W . Provinces ( District of Bengal ) . 2437—The Downshire Lodge , Wokingham , Berkshire . 2438—The Lodge Faith , Manora , Karachi , Sind .

New Masonic Hall At Blyth.

NEW MASONIC HALL AT BLYTH .

AT the present moment , when the Freemasons of Blyth ara working for the erection of a new Masonio Hall in Beaconsfield Street , the following particulars of their Lodge and tbe building scheme may be of interest to newspaper readers . On the 2 nd January 1856 , twelve brethren of the Craft requisitioned the Grand Lodge of England for a charter to form Blagdon Lodge of Freemasons . The petition was granted , and tha

Lodge formed by the aforesaid twelve , among whom was Thos . Cookbnrn , a well-known Blyth medical gentleman , who died in 1859 . During the year ending the following January about 50 of the prominent professional men , tradesmen , and ship captains had identified themselves with the Lodge . Most of these have passed away from the ranks of the living , but in looking over the books we

find the names of Captains Archibald Wilkie , James Wood , John Grey , and George Stavers , all of whom are still to the fore .- * It was not , however , until 6 th May 1856 , that the Lodge was consecrated , at the Ridley Arms Hotel , in Blyth . At 10 * 30 in tha morning the brethren met and proceeded to church , when a sermon was preached on behalf of the widows and orphans of shipwrecked

mariners . At one o ' clock the Provincial Grand Lodge was opened for the consecration , ladies being admitted at 2 o ' clock to witness part of the ceremony . That it was not an unimportant event in the town may be noted from the fact that a special train was run at 8 p . m . to Percy Main , for the convenience of the brethren attending from Newcastle , Tynemonth , & o .

On its passage over the ocean of time , Blagdon Lodge has had its fair weather and its foul . While it has run before the wind under favourable conditions during the greater part of its voyage , storms of adversity havo more than once overtaken it , but , thanks to the sound constitution of the Craft , the storm has been weathered , ancl the vessel has proceeded on her voyage , none the worse for hor

buffetting . To-day the officers and brethren have the satisfaction of knowing that never since the launch has a fairer prospect been before tbe Lodge . - Blagdon Lodge raises its banner under the Provincial Grand Lodge of Northumberland . On the retirement of Earl Percy , Sir M . W . Ridley , Bart ., was raised to the ohair of R . W . P . G . M . of the Province ,

with Aid . Holmes , J . P ., as his Deputy , and under the direction of these brethren Blagdon Lodge ( with Bro . John Tweedy as its present W . M . ) realizes to-day a condition of prosperity and harmonious working which approaches somewhat the ideal of the Masonio Craft . Amongst the many who have in past years held fche office of Worshipful Master of the Lodge may be mentioned Bros . W . L .

Johnson , J . R . D . Lynn , W . Robinson R . Laing , J . R . Forster , John Swann , W . Maxwell , James Hogg , James Eadington , James Carmiohael , Ed . Forster , A . H . Lake , W . W . Heron , and the late Bros . James Gibson , Aaron Adshead , R . Bell , and A . R . Guthrie . The present place of meeting is the Mechanics' Hall , Blyth , but for some considerable time a desire has been expressed for a Masonio

Hall , and now a scheme for building the same has taken shape amongst them . Through the interest and influence of Bro . Sir M . W . Ridley , Bart ., R . W . P . G . M ., an eligible site has been secured and activity ia apparent among the brethren who have been appointed to carry the matter to a successful issue . Having received tbe cooperation of their lady friends , the brethren have organised various

schemes for raising funds , one of the principal of whioh is , for the time being , a fortnightly meeting at whioh the ladies industriously labour in producing a vast collection of articles which are required for the purpose of stocking the tables of a grand bazaar , which it is proposed to hold at an early date . The brethren themselves are contributing generously to the bnilding fund , and a number of them havo consented to act as stewards for the collection of donations

towards the tamo . They are hopeful that their appeals will be readily responded to , and trust that their endeavours to make up a respectable sum total ot the ood of their books will meet with the practical support of their friends , both those of the Craft and others who wish them well in their somewhat heavy undertaking . A piece of ground adjoining the Higher Grade School , iu Beaconsfield Street , will be utilised for the building o ! the hall ,