United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

THE Quarterly Communication was held on Wednesday evening , at Freemasons' Hall . Brother W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., Provincial Grand Master for Hants and the Isle of Wight presided , in the unavoidable absence of the M . W . Grand Master , and Pro Grand Master , and Deputy

Grand Master . Bro . Sir Hedworth Williamson , Prov . Grand Master for Durham , acted as Deputy Grand Master ; Bro . Thomas W . Tew , Provincial Grand Master for West Yorkshire , as Past Grand Master ; Bro . Lord Cvemorne , P . G . S . W . as G . S . W . ; and Bro . Lord Alfred S . Churchill

G . J . W . Grand Lodge having been formally opened , the minutes of the Quarterly Communication of 5 th March and of the Grand Festival of the 30 th April were read and confirmed . Bro . Beach said he had great pleasure in announcing that the Most Worshipful Grand Master of

Canada , Brother Eichard Wftlkem , Q . C ., had done the brethren the honour of attending Grand Lodge as a visitor . And ho would ask the brethren to salute * him with the honour due to his rank . This having been done Bro . Richard Walkem rose , and said : M . W . Grand Master

in the chair and Brethren , —Without desiring to occupy your very valuable time this evening , I feel it would be ungracious in me not to say a word or two for the honour you have done me . It has been my very earnest desire since I was Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Canada

to have the opportunity of attending the mother Grand Lodge of England , and , with that desire , I am here this evening . I am an entire stranger in England , for though born here , I was carried out of the country at two years of age . I have settled in the Province of Canada , and I may

say I am thoroughly and oufc-and-oufc a Canadian . At the same time , brethren , I cannot forget the tie , and the remembrance of it will always be present to me . I acknowledge that , though in Canada , I am a son of a brother of this soil , and in pursuance of that idea and that thought it was that I determined to come over and attend the

Grand Lodge of England . Brethren , just a word with regard to our brethren in Canada . Ton , perhaps , are not all aware of the circumstances under which our Grand Lodge of Canada was formed . Ton will understand , outside of England , Scotland , and Ireland , in all countries

under the jurisdiction of the British Crown , what is called outside territory is regarded as common ground . Accordingly , Canada is considered common ground . "In 1855 , when Grand Lodge of Canada was formed , there were in existence in Canada Lodges holding charters from England , Scotland , and Ireland . For reasons which I will not

mention at the time—reasons which have been amply justified by the course of events since—the Canadians , declared thoir independence , and accordingly , in 1855 , 41 Lodges met in Ontario , and erected a Grand Lodge of

Canada , of which I am the Grand Master at the present time . The course they adopted was fully acquiesced in , i am happy to say , by the Grand Lodge of England , and Canadian independence was acknowledged by Grand Lodge under the Earl of Zetland in 1858 . Since that

time we have expanded from 41 Lodges , which constituted Grand Lodge of Canada in 1855 , to 355 Lodges , which was the number I presided over just a fortnight ago ; and out of a population of slightly over 2 , 000 , 000 , of which Ontario is composed , we have 20 , 000 Masons , of the best

men and true in that Province . You may have an idea of the enormous influence 20 , 000 Masons exercise in the Province ; aud I need hardly say , among those who are Masons of Ontario we have men who occupy the highest position . It has lately occurred to me to come over to

England to Grand Lodge to see the brethren and the working of the mother Grand Lodge of the world , and compare it with the Lodges of which our Grand Lodge is composed . I find in England the Lodges are composed of the bone and sinew of the English

nation . And , brethren , it is exactly so in the United states ; and wherever Anglo-Saxon institutions obtain and flourish there we find Masonry flourishes side » v side , thus showing that the teaching and practice » of Masonry are consonant with loyalty to our Queen and the maintenance

of civil and religious liberty . It is a great Pleasure to me to visit you this evening . Onr Lodge meets iu the month of July , aud I shall havo to hunv oacfc to attend it ; but I assure you that to the last day of \ J I -V" - ?* esteem as a great honour the cordial way whlch l have been received among you . Brother Beach

United Grand Lodge.

then announced that the Most Worshipful Grand Master had again appointed Bro . Thomas Fenn as President of the Board of General Purposes ; and in investing him the acting Grand Master said he was sure he could place tho chain on no neck that was more worthy . The Scrutineers

of votes for the election of the Board of General Purposes wero then appointed and obligated , and the Scrutineers retired to collect and oxamine the papers . There was no contest for membership of the Colonial Board , consequently the brethren whose names we gave

last week were declared competent to act . This rule likewise applies to the Committee of Management for the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . The grants recommended for confirmation were all agreed to , and the proposal to vote £ 500 for the erection of a stained glass

window in the " Centenary Hall " at the Girls' School was also favourably received . The report of the Board of General Purposes—printed in full by us last week—was taken as read , and adopted , as likewise was the report of the Colonial Board . The report , embodying the alterations

in the rules of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , also secured the approval of the meeting . The customary grant of £ 70—usually brought forward by the late Bro . Raynham W . Stewart—was pleaded for successfully by

Bro . J . A . Farnfield , and this completing the business United Grand Lodge was closed . Later in the evening it was announced that the following brethren had been elected members of the Board of General Purposes : — -

EHENEZER CHARLES MULVEY ... 2353 GEORGE READ ... 1681 WILLIAM ALFRED ScuREAn ... 1744 JonN AIRD , M . P . . . - - 259 JonN BARNETT JUN . ... 2192

SAMUEL COCHRANE . 2345 CIIARLES EDWARD KEYSER ... 2323 TUOMAS HASTINGS MILLER . ... 1964 HENRY PRITCIIARD « 1415

CAPTAIN THOMAS CHARLES WALLS ••. 141 FREDERICK ERNEST POCOCK , M . D . . . - 1891 LENNOX BROWNE . - . ¦ •2108 GEORGE GARDNER . . - - - •2012 TOM DREW BEAR . . - - - 1584

P.G. Lodge Of Berks And Bucks.

P . G . LODGE OF BERKS AND BUCKS .

THE following circular has been sent to the several Lodges in the Province : — 22 Market Place , Beading , 31 st May 1890 .

DEAR SIE AND BROTHER , —I have great pleasure in forwarding to yon , for the information of the Brethren of the ——— - Lodge , the following extract from a letter received this morning from the Grand Secretary : —

"I have the hononr to inform yoa that the M . W . Grand Master , having dnly considered the request of the various Lodges in the Province of Berks and Bucks to be separated into two Provinces , one for each County , —he has been pleased to accede thereto , and has directed that the separation shall take place on the 1 st July ensuing .

' I have further great pleasure m announcing to you that the Grand Master has appointed , as Prov . Grand Master of the Province of Berks , H . K . H . the Dnke of Clarence and Avondale , K . G ., who will be installed by H . B . H . the Grand Master towards the end of July .

"The Province of Berks will remain for the present in charge of V . W . Bro . the EeT . J . Stndholme Brownrigg , as D . P . G . Master . " I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yonra faithfully and fraternally ,

. ROBERT BRADLEY , P . G . S . B . Prov . Grand Seo . It is confidently expected that the installation will take place in Reading .

The Prince of Wales has granted a warrant for the establishment of a Lodge in London to bo called the Cornish Lodge . It is founded for the convenience of Cornishmen resident in the London district . Brother Nicholas West , Past Grand Warden Cornwall , is to be the

first Master . Bro . J . Honwood Thomas Past Master Temple Lodge , No . 10 J , a member of the Gal . ' ery Lodge , No . 1928 , is to be the first Senior Warden ; and Brother Roberts the first Junior Warden . The Lodge is to meet at the Mark Masons' Hull , Great Qaeen Street , London .