United Grand Lodge

UNITED GRAND LODGE

THE December Communication of Grand Lodge , held on Wednesday , at Freemasons' Hall , was , as we had anticipated would be the case , very numerously attended , and on the whole the proceedings may be

characterized as having been most satisfactory . To mark the interest taken by the heads of the Order in the affairs of the Craft , whenever anything of a special character is to be considered , the throne was occupied by the Pro Grand

Master , the highest Masonic dignitary who , under all the circumstances of the meeting , could be present , as it might hardly be considered in good taste for the Grand Master himself to attend on the occasion of the nomination of a

Grand Master for the ensuing year . The Earl of Carnarvon was supported in Grand Lodge by Bros . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., Provincial Grand Master Hampshire and Isle of Wight , as Deputy Grand Master ,

Lord Herschell S . YV ., Col . Sackville West P . G . W . as S . W ., Eevs . J . N . Palmer and Rev . W . Mortimer Heath Chaplains , D . P . Cama Treasurer , F . A . Philbrick Registrar , Thomas Fenn President of the Board of General Purposes ,

Col . Shadwell H . Clerke Secretary , E . E . Wendt Sec . Ger . Cor ., Samuel PopeS . D ., Ral ph Glutton and J . E . Le Feuvre J . D . ' s ; Sir Albert Woods Dir . of Cers ., R . G . Glover Dep . Dir . of Cers ., H . T . Wood Asst . Dir . of Cers ., W . Roebuck

Swd . Bearer , E . D . Davis and H . Greene Stand . Bearers , W . Parratt Organist , A . Lucking Pursuivant , W . H . Perryman Assist . Pursuivant . Altogether about 500 brethren were present .

The minutes of the last Communication , in so far as they referred to the Treasurership of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , were challenged by Bro . J . S . Cumberland , who revived the question discussed at the last Grand

Lodge , as to the legality of the alteration recently made by the Benevolent Institution , removing the duties of Treasurer of the Institution from the Grand Treasurer for the time

being to a brother elected by the subscribers to the Charity . Bro . Cumberland argued the last election was irregular , inasmuch as the alteration in the rules had not been

approved by Grand Lodge . The Pro Grand Master thought the occasion was not the proper one at which to discuss the question ; it did not interfere with the minutes ; but subsequently he explained that he had been mistaken

in regard to this point ; at the same time he did not consider that the best occasion for discussing the subject , and felt that perhaps Bro . Cumberland would be content with having mentioned the matter . The minutes were then put and confirmed .

The Pro Grand Master then submitted the communication from the Most Worshipful Graud Master in regard to the future position of the President of the Board of

Benevolence . He hardly doubted , from what he had heard , but that this communication would be acceptable to Grand Lodge . By desire of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales he submitted the following resolution : —

"Thnt the Pi esident of the Board of Benevolence shall , by virtue of his office , be a Grand Officer , with rank next to Past Grand Secretaries , and that on retiring from office he shall rank as a Past Grand Officer in the same manner as the other Officers of Grand Lodge , aud that the Book of Constitutions be altered accordingly . "

This message from the Most Worshi pful Grand Master needed little explanation from him . The brethren who attended Grand Lodge were aware how largely the busi-

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ness of the Board of Benevolence had increased during the last few years . At every Quarterly Meeting they were called upon to approve grants , varying no doubt in amount , but often running to very considerable sums , on behalf of the less fortunate members of the Craft . Those grants ,

which were generally passed without much delay , entailed a large amount of serious previous consideration . Further than this , the Board of Benevolence had , of recent years , much enlarged the scope of its duties , and had had more

busiuess thrown upon it ; it was , therefore , very important that its President should hold a fitting position in Grand Lodge . For this reason the office was in the appointment of the Grand Master , and was made annually , though , as a

matter of fact , the same brother was generally selected to fill it . They had , unfortunately , that night to lament the loss of one who had fulfilled the duties for a long period , and who was , he thought , universally respected in the

Craft for his courtesy , his kiudness , his Masonic charity , and his devotion to duty . This plaoe it was the duty of the Grand Master to fill , and he had been pleased to select Bro . Robert Grey for the appointment . The Pro G . Master

felt sure that the selection would be agreeable to those present , and with those few words—partly of sincere and genuine regret for him whose loss they deplored , and

partly to announce the change the Grand Master had thought it expedient to make—he left the resolution in the hands of Grand Lodge . Bro . Sir John Monckton seconded the proposal , which was approved .

The next business on the agenda was the nomination of a Grand Master for the ensuing year . Sir P . Cunliffe Owen nominated H . R . H . the Prince of Wales . It had

fallen to his good fortune , he said , to make the proposition , and in doing so he felt he might perhaps be allowed to refer to the many claims which His Royal Highness had

upon the Freemasons of the kingdom . He trusted he mig ht also be allowed to allude to the fact that they were assembled on an auspicious day , the birthday of H . R . H . the Princess of Wales .

The nomination of a Grand Treasurer was then proceeded with , Bro . Robert Berridge submitting the name of Bro . Augustus Frederick Godson , M . A ., M . P ., for the office , and Bro . G . A . Vennell nominating Bro . Richard Eve I . P . M . 165 .

The Grand Secretary announced that the Globe Lodo-e had nominated Bro . Edward JNixey to fill the vacancy on the Board of Grand Stewards caused by the death of Bro . E . C . Mather , and that the Grand Master had approved of the nomination .

The officials of the Board of Benevolence were then formally announced , Bro . Grey being declared President , Bro . James Brett Senior Vice President , and Bro . C . A . Cottebrune Junior Vice President , the former on the

appointment of the Grand Master , and the two latter as the choice of the Craft . The following twelve Past Masters were declared elected ( no others having been nominated )

to serve on the Board : —Bros . Britten 183 , Brown 1 ) 0 Cull 1446 , Cundy 901 , Dairy 141 , Haslip 813 , Hogard 205 , Mercer 1641 , Read 511 , Spaull 1768 , Taylor 144 , and Woodward 1538 .

The Report of the Board of Benevolence for the last quarter was then brought up , aud the recommendatioi s contained therein ( of which we gave a list last week ) were agreed to . Considerable discussion ensued on the submission of the Report of the Board of General Purposes , which , as our