United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

BY far the most numerously attended meeting of Grand Lodge siuce the memorable gathering at the Albert Hall , on the occasion of the installation of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales as Grand Master , took place on

Wednesday , the cause of the special attendance being the interest taken in the election of Grand Treasurer for the ensuing year . Considerably over twelve hundred brethren were present , —if we may judge from the number of votes

recorded when the ballot for Treasurer was taken , the actual total was 1252 , but we are aware that some of those who attended did not record their opinion , while generally we

feel that the arrangements for the ballot will prevent any . thing like a definite idea being formed upon such a basis as the figures referred to . Of course we

need hardly say that the attendance was far in advance of what could be accommodated in the Masonic Temple . Indeed , the whole of the available space in Freemasons' Hall was called into requisition , and even

then the several rooms were inconveniently crowded . Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., Provincial Grand Master Hants and Isle of Wight , presided in Grand Lodge , and was supported by a Targe number of Grand Officers and Past Grand Officers , among them being Lord Cremorne S . G . W .,

Alderman R . 1 ST . Fowler . M . P ., J . G . W ., H . B . Marshall

Grand Treasurer , F . A . Philbrick , Q . C ., Grand Registrar , Thomas Fenn President of Board of General Purposes , Colonel Shadwell H . Clerke Grand Secretary , E . E . Wendt Grand . Secretary for German Correspondence ,

Baron De Ferrieres , M . P ., and F . Davison Senior Grand Deacons , J . S . Eastes and E . Letchworth Junior Grand Deacons , Horace Jones Grand Superintendent of Works , Sir Albert W . Woods ( Garter ) P . G . W . Grand Director of

Ceremonies , A . Richards Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies , Griffith Smith Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies , Major E . Locock Grand Sword Bearer . James H . Matthews and Lieuteant Colonel Samuel E . Taylor Grand Standard Bearers , E . M . Lott Grand Organist ,

H . G . Buss Assistant Grand Secretary , and Henry Garrod

Assistant Grand Pursuivant . The minutes of the last Communication having been confirmed , the election of Grand Master for the ensuing year was proceeded with . Bro . F . H . Goldney P . P . S . G . W .

Wilts proposed the re-election of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales . He had been entrusted with the privilege of proposing His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales for re-election as Grand Master , and did so with the fullest

confidence that the proposal would meet with the hearty and unanimous approbation of tho Craft . It was of great advantage to a society like Freemasonry—so large and influential , and composed of men of every class and of all

countries—that it should be ruled over by one who in his own person united exalted rank , sound judgment , and ability , which commanded respect and admiration ; one who , unswayed by political motives , and uninfluenced by

religious faction , might be above the thoughts of envy , and beyond the reach of rivalry . Such a one had been the Prince of Wales . Born to reign over a great empire and a loyal people , he had yet more intimately attached himself

to his future subjects by the bonds of Freemasonry . The eleven years of His Royal Highness ' s Grand Mastership will be for all time distinguished by the unprecedented increase in the Craft , both as regards numbers and social

status , and also by the extraordinary benevolence of the brethren , who , during that period , contributed to the three principal Masonic Charities upwards of £ 350 , 000 , ample proof , if any were needed , of tho beneficial effects of the most excellent rule of the Prince of Wales . Bro . Dr . Paul P . M . 46 seconded the proposition . He would merely say

that His Royal Highness had clone great service to the

Craft . Masonry had flourished under tho auspices of the Prince of Wales , who had done his beat to promote its interests . The acting Grand Master then put the proposition to Grand Lodge , and . His Royal Highness was unanimously

elected . In due course he was proclaimed Grand Master by Bro . Sir Albert Woods . The next item of businessthe election of Grand Treasurer—was now proceeded with . The names of three candidates nominated at the last

Communication—Bro . D . P . Cama , Bro . J . Willing , and Bro . J . Woodall—being formally submitted to the brethren , scrutineers were appointed , the balloting papers collected ,

and the work of counting the votes commenced . Meanwhile the report of the Board of Benevolence for the last quarter , in which were recommendations for grants of

£ 50 , £ 100 , £ 50 , £ 50 , £ 80 , £ 50 , and £ 100 re

spectively was adopted , as was also that of the Board of General Purposes ( both reports were given in our last issue ) . In reference to this letter , Brother Thomas Fenn , the President of the Board , in moving its

adoption , said that the only matter in the report which required a resolution of Grand Lodge was that which referred to the suspension of Lodges and the effect of that suspension on the rights and privileges of the

individual members of the Lodges suspended . Hitherto it was held that the suspension of a Lodge included all the members of the Lodge . This was abundantly proved by the reports of Grand Lodge and the minutes of the Board of

General Purposes , but as this interpretation was not always followed , it was attended with great difficulties , and in some cases with great injustice . It had become the practice for brethren to belong to more Lodges than one , and it

might happen that a brother fully and actively engaged in a Lodge or on a Committee of one of the Masonic Charities mig ht find himself suspended from all his Masonic functions because he happened to belong to a distant

Lodge ; one which he rarely attended or in which he took any active part . It had been suggested that while suspension should attach to all the other members of the Lodge those who belonged to other Lodges should be

excepted . This was unjust , because m many cases the penalty would fall on those who were comparatively innocent , while those who had been doing wrong might escape . The Board had therefore considered it would be

far better to interpret tho suspension of a Lodge as the suspension of its warrant , thus preventing the Lodge from meeting or performing any Masonic functions while those brethren for whose wrongdoing the Lodge had been

suspended should be dealt with individually . Grand Lodge was not called upon to make a new law , but to adopt an interpretation of an existing one which was suggested by the Board of General Purposes . As we have already said ,

the report was adopted . The report of the Special Building Committee ( also published in our last issue ) was then submitted . Sir John B . Monckton , Chairman of the

Building Committee , moved its adoption ; Brother Raynham W . Stewart seconded , and the reportinvolving a grant of £ 800 — was adopted . The Auditors' report was passed , and then the appeals