The United Grand Lodge Of England.

THE UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND .

OUR Grand Lodge held its Quarterly Communication on Wednesday . In the absence of tho Grand Master , Pro Grand Master , and Deputy Grand Master , E . W . Bro . Robert Hamilton , M . D ., District Grand Master of Jamaica , presided , Lieut .-General Brownrigg , C . B ., Provincial Grand Master of Surrey , acting as Dep . G . M ., Captain Piatt P . G . D . as Grand Senior Warden , and the Rev . C . J . Martyn P . G . Chaplain as Grand Junior Warden . There were likewise present

very many Grand Officers , present and past , together with a strong muster of the representatives of the subordinate Lodges . Among others wo noticed Bros . S . Rawson P . District G . Master of China , R . Giddy D . G . M . Griqualand , S . Tomkins Grand Treasurer , John Hervey Grand Secretary , H . G . Buss Assist . Grand Secretary , Cap . tain N . G . Philips and P . de Lande Long Grand Senior Deacons , II .

C . Tombs and E . J . Morris of Swansea , Grand Junior Deacons , J . C . Parkinson P . G . D ., W . Hyde Pullen P . G . S . B ., James Mason P . G . S . B ., John Symonds P . G . A . D . C ., J . A . Rucker , Rev . Sir J . Warren Hayes P . G . C . Rev . R . J . Simpson P . G . C ., Joshua Nunn , C . Godtschalk P . Prov . G . D . Devon , Colonel Snmmerville Burney , John Wordsworth G . S ., F . Binckes P . G . S ., C . F . Matier , John Constable , A . H . Tatter .

shall , H . Browse , F . A . Philbrick , Q . C ., & c , & c . The Lodge having been opened , and the minutes of tho last Communication , which were takon as read , having been confirmed , the Grand Master moved that the sum of 200 guineas bo voted in aid of the fund which is being raised towards tho relief of the sufferers by the late torriblo fire at St . John , New Brunswick , and that 100 guineas be granted towards

the relief of the sufferers from the " cataclysm on the coast of Peru . The motion , which was seconded by Lieut .-General Brownrigg , was agreed to unanimously . Tho several grants recommended by the Lodgo of Benevolence , as detailed last week , were then confirmed . Tho next business was tho consideration of tho report of the Board of General Purposes , as to the title and constitution of the Lodge of

Benevolence ; but Bro . P . de L . Long , Vice-President of the Board of General Purposes , in the absence of Bro . J . B . Monckton , who is President , and Bro . 2 E . Mclntyre Grand Registrar , very gracefully proposed that the subject should be postponed till December . To this Bro . James Mason offered an amendment , to the effect that the postponement should be till the March Communication . A discussion

ensued , in the course of which Bro . Binckes said it had been his intention , even had Bro . Long not come forward and suggested the postponement till December , to have offered the same proposition ; at the same time he thought that three months was quite long enough for any person of average intelligence to make up his mind . In the end , however , Bro . Long yielded to the views of Bro . Mason , and

accordingly the latter ' s amendment , that the consideration of the scheme recommended by the Board of General Purposes should be postponed till March , was earned . Bro . J . M . Clabon then rose and proposed the motion standing in his name , " that a grand of 1 , 000 guineas be made to the Indian Famine Relief Fund . " In the course of his remarks , Bro . Clabon observed that tho principle of Freemasonry ,

as he understood it , was universal Charity , and he believed the object to which ho proposed tho sum should be devoted was one which came within the legitimate sphere of the Fraternity . Two small sums had already been voted that evening towards similar objects , and the Provincial Grand Lodgo of Dorsetshire had set them a worthy example by voting £ 120 towards the relief of our Indian fellow

subjects . He then expatiated on the fearful nature and extent of the calamity , and read a letter written by a lady at Kolapore , Madras Presidency , in which she described the terrible effects of the famine on the natives . As to the sum he had proposed , ho had heard various rumours about an amendment to make the amount one-half , but he trusted the brethren would be unanimous . The amount in the Lodge

of Benevolence could not be touched , but there was a large annual surplus in the Fund of General Purposes , and it had been able to invest £ 8 , 000 last year . He thonght , therefore , they could easily afford to give the thousand guineas set down in his motion . Lieut . - Col . Creaton having seconded the proposal , it was carried with acclamation . Bro . S . Tomkins Grand Treasurer , having announced that ,

in accordance with former precedents , he should at once remit the sum to the Relief Fund without waiting for the confirmation of the minutes in December , as he had every confidence the grant would be confirmed , and having f nrther expressed a hope that other Provincial Grand Lodges would follow the example set them by Grand Lodge and tho Provincial Grand Lodge of Dorsetshire , Grand Lodge was shortly afterwards closed in the usual manner .

We observe with regret that , whenever a grant of money is proposed , it is the regular practice for the brother who introduces the motion to express a hope that Grand Lodge will accept it unanimously . The Earl of Carnarvon did so , when he proposed the grant of £ 4 , 000 for building and

endowing two lifeboats in commemoration of the Grand Master ' s safe return from India , and Bro . Clabon followed Lis Lordship ' s example on Wednesday , when he moved

that a sum of one thousand guineas be handed over to the Indian Famine Relief Fund . For ourselves , we think Bro . Clabon ' s proposition was worthy of Freemasonry ; indeed , we would far rather have seen the amount of tho errant

would rather havo everybody else recognise the merit of his

doubled than halved . But the practice of deprecating opposition to a motion is , in our humble judgment , at least unwise . We do not say it amounts to an attempt at dictation , but it looks very much like it . Everybody who has a scheme to propose is anxious to carry it , and he

The United Grand Lodge Of England.

proposal . But why allude to the possibility of some amendment being moved , and on tho strength of such allusion , lay down the necessity that exists for unanimit y ? Unanimity , in such cases as Bro . Clabon ' s motion , if attainable , is always to be desired ; but the fact that he , or

some else holds one opinion , does not deprive other people of the right to hold and express theirs . If some kind of protest is not raised now , wc may find the practice adopted by other and less prudent brethren on grave questions of policy , and the limits of free discussion will be

narrowed to a one-sided exposition . We set our face resolutely against this way of advocating a motion being adopted as a regular practice . We entirely acquit Bro . Clabon of any attempted dictation , but we have not tho same confidence in the wisdom and discretion of the other members of Grand Lodge .

Ireland.

IRELAND .

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF ARMAGH .

ON Wednesday , 29 th August , a Quarterly Communication of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Armagh , which embraces the counties of Armagh , Louth , and Monaghan , was held , the Right Worshipful Bro . Maxwell C . Close D . L . M . P ., the Prov . Grand Master , presiding , assisted by Deputy Grand Master John Gervais Winder J . P ., and a numerous attendance of the brethren of the mystic tie from

throughout the province . The usual formalities being observed , and the ordinary routine bnsiness transacted , the nomination of officers for the ensuing year was proceeded with , the most complete harmony being observed , and all the elections passing off with entire unanimity , as follows : —Bro 3 . the Very Worshipful Francis Edward Clarke LL . D . M . D . Grand Senior Warden , the Very Worshipful Andrew-Kni

ght Young J . P . Grand Junior Warden , the Very Worshipful H . H . Hancock Grand Treasurer , the Very Worshipful George Hill Smith Grand Secretary , the Worshipful and Rev . A . B . Young Grand Chaplain , the Worshipful George C . Cochrane Grand Senior Deacon , the Worshipful John Galbraith Grand Junior Deacon , the Worshipful Thomas Osborne Marks Mus . Doc . Grand Organist , and the Worship . ful

M . M'Carthy Rutherford Grand Inner Guard . Bros . Richard Harvey and Hugh Leonard M . R . I . A . were re-elected as representatives of the Provincial Grand Lodge on the Board of General Purposes at the Grand Lodge of Ireland , and Bros . Hesse and Turner were re-eleoted on the Grand Lodgo of Instruction . A vote of thanks was eloquently proposed by Bro . William B . Kayo LL . D ., and seconded by Bro . John G . Winder J . P ., and cordially

assented to by the meeting , to Bro . James Hesse , late Grand Secre . tary , on his retiring from office , after which the meeting closed . Tho brethren in the evening dined at the Beresford Arms Hotel , under the presidency of the most popular Grand Master Bro . Maxwell C . Close M . P ., Representative of the United Grand Lodge of England . Tho usual Loyal and Masonic toasts were given and responded to . Tho dinner and viands were supplied by Bro . Tranter , in his usual style .

Bombay

BOMBAY

Caledonia Lodge , No . 400 , S . C—A regular monthly meeting of this Lodge was held in the Scottish Masonio Hall , Khumballa-hill . road , on Wednesday , 27 th June 1 S 77 , when there were present—R . W . Bro . LangW . M ., J . B . Thomson I . P . M ., Freeborn P . M ., Clark D . M ., A . Taylor S . M ., Rodger S . W ., Dr . Doolittlo J . W ., Houston Treasurer , Purvis Sec , Cooper S . D ., Minns as J . D ., Allan

Jeweller , Ogg I . G ., Smith Tyler , and a numerous attendance of the members . Amongst the visitors were R . W . Bros . Tudball , Tomlinson , R . M . Patell , and several brethren from Sister Lodges . After the Lodge had been opened in due and ancient form , and tho minutes of the previous meeting read and confirmed , the R . W . Master intimated that the first portion of his duty was to carry out tho

unanimous wish of the brethren by the presentation of a P . M . 's jewel to R . W . Bro . Thomson I . P . M . This presentation , he said , should have taken place at the last meeting of the Lodge , but he now felt glad that it had been postponed , as there were so many moro brethren present to witness the ceremony . A largo number of these , if not all , were aware of R . W . Bro . Thomson's worth to the cause of

Freemasonry , and of his indefatigable exertions in the interests of the Craft iu general , and it was a pleasing duty indeed for him , as Master of Caledonia Lodge , to havo the privilege of attaching this bright ornament on a brother ' s breast , worthy in every way , and he trusted that R . W . Bro . Thomson would long live to wear it , and , if he ever left for other climes , he would continue to look npon it as a

romembrauce of past happy clays . This was but a slight mark of the esteem in which Brother Thomson was held by the brethren of Caledonia , but it was offered as a token of good will and appreciation of the many valuable services rendered to the Lodge by him dnring his occupation of the Eastern chair . Tho R . W . M . having resumed his scat , R . W . Bro . Thomson , who was enthusiastically received , replied most

appropriately , thanking the R . W . Master , officers and brethren of Lodgo Caledonia for thoir high appreciation of his services , and for their kindness in conferring tho honour upon him of presenting him with a P . M . 's jewel—a mark of their esteem and brotherly love which he highly prized , and which on every fitting occasion he wonld wear on hia breast , throughout his lifetime , with unalloyed pleasure , as . a memento of the fraternal union that existed