The St. Paul's Proposal.

THE ST . PAUL'S PROPOSAL

IT is very satisfactory to find Grand Lodge so emphathically laying down , as it did on Wednesday , the position that Freemasonry occupies in regard to outside works of a charitable or benevolent character , and we hope that the stand then

made will prevent others bringing forward any such proposals as that made in regard to the decoration of St . Paul ' s Cathedral , at least until such time as it can be clearly proved that the work of Freemasonry , in caring for the aged Brother , his widow , or his orphans , is completed in our midst .

The speeches of Brother Woodward and others at Grand Lodge in reference to this matter are given in exbenso in our report of the proceedings , and from them it is very easy to estimate the absurdity of the whole proposal , the suggestion

being that the Craft should contribute no less than £ 30 , 000 to a work wholly outside the scope of Freemasonry—and that too at a time when its three Institutions and its local Charity

Funds are by no means overburdened with invested capital , and there are hundreds of deserving members of the Order or their families in want of the common necessaries of life .

It is quite as well that no half measures were adopted on Wednesday—it must have been clear to all that Grand Lodge would not lend itself to the suggestion of Brother Woodward , and we hope the attention given to the matter

will satisfy that worthy Brother ' s ambition , although it has hardly won him the full share of notoriety he probably looked for when he started his correspondence in the daily

papersan initial proceeding , in our estimation , far from dignified or courteous to the ruling body of the English Craft , from whom he appeared jbo expect so much , and probably now imagines he has received so little .

The leading speakers on the proposal found a ready means of securing its exclusion by referring to the generally recognised principle of the Craft to keep clear of religious controversy . To undertake the renovation of St . Paul ' s Cathedral , which is

essentially a Protestant work , would , in a great measure , have associated Freemasonry with that creed , and on that ground alone it was wise of our leaders to decline the suggestion

put forward , although we can fully believe that most of those who were present on Wednesday heartily sympathised with the scheme individually , opposing it only in their collective capacity as members of our great unsectarian Order .

Masonic Halls.

MASONIC HALLS .

A PLEASING event in connection with the celebration of the £ - * - Jubilee of one of the Cornwall Lodges—the St . Martin , No . 510—was the presentation to the Worshipful Master , on behalf of the Lodge , of the trust deeds of the Masonic Hall

m which the meetings are held , and which is now the sole property of the Lodge , as recorded in the report of the Proceedings we give elsewhere . While recognising the desire ° f Brethren in many quarters to acquire Halls of their own

Masonic Halls.

we are certainly surprised the movement does not become more popular , particularly in the Provinces , although it may fairly be urged that experience gained in many quarters , where Halls are by no means a success from a financial standpoint , is all

but sufficient to deter Brethren from making a start in this direction . But it is fair to say that these non-successful Halls are in many cases owned by a Company , and require to earn a substantial amount year by year , in order to pay interest

on capital . The Liskeard Hall , to which we have referred , is differently circumstanced , the building now being the unencumbered property of the Lodge , and it is in this form we should like to see Masonic Halls more numerous in our midst

—what has been done in the fifty years existence of the St . Martin Lodge should certainly be possible elsewhere . We have previously spoken of the zeal many of our Scottish Brethren display in the acquisition of Halls in which to hold

their meetings , and last week gave another example , the Langholm Lodge of that Constitution having arranged a Bazaar and other means of raising money with such satisfactory results that we are told their new Hall , which is expected so

cost over £ 1 , 000 , is now nearly free from debt . Bazaars and Art Unions may not be viewed with unmixed satisfaction in this country , but it is very certain they are frequently put to

good uses in Scotland , where several Masonic Halls really owe their origin to such means of raising money , and one almost feels disposed to hope for similar tactics here , for securing such desirable results as are referred to .

Grand Lodge.

GRAND LODGE .

rpiHE September meeting of United Grand Lodge of Free-I masons of England was held on Wednesday evening in the Temple , Freemasons' Hall , London , Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P .,

Provincial Grand Master for Hants and the Isle of Wight in the chair . The position of Deputy Grand Master was occupied by Lord Addington Provincial Grand Master for Berks . Among the other Brethren who attended were Bros , the Bevs . E . J .

Simpson , J . S . Brownrigg , C . J . Marfcyn , and H . B . Cooper Smith , Sir Albert W . Woods ,. E . Letchworth , E . Loveland Loveland , F . A . Philbrick , Q . C ., Eobert Grey , Frank Eichardson , W . Lake , Aid . Dimsdale , S . Cochrane , Wm . Stiles G . Treas ., J .

Balfour Cockburn , James Terry , F . E . W . Hedges , J . M . McLeod , C . E . Keyser , Henry Smith , W . F . Smithson , E . Clowes , George Lambert , C . J . E . Tijou , S . Vallentine , W . A . Scurrah , E . Clay Sudlow , J . S . Cumberland , H . Maudslay , and George Bead .

After Grand Lodge had been opened and the minutes of the June Communication read , Bro . W . F . Lamonby proposed the non-conlirmation of the minutes so far as the election of members of the Colonial Board was concerned , claiming that by Eule 285 of the Book of Constitutions , which states that" when practicable , three members of the Board shall be Past Masters of Colonial

Lodges , " he was entitled to be placed on the Board . The Acting Grand Master , however , held that it was . a matter for the discretion of Grand Lodge , and that as Grand Lodge at its last meeting did not elect Bro . Lamonby , he could not be placed on

the Board . The recommendations of grants by the Board of Benevolence as given in our last week ' s issue were then confirmed , and the General Purposes and Colonial Eeports adopted . Bro . W . Woodward 1920 then brought on his motion that a circular be issued from Grand Lodge setting forth the scheme