United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

THE Quarterly Communication was held on Wednesday , in the Temple , Freemasons' Hall , when the Earl of Mount-Edgcumbe Deputy Grand Master presided . Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., acted as Deputy

Grand Master , and Bro . Sir Hedworth Williamson as Past Grand Master . The Wavdons chairs were occupied by Bros . Akers Douglas and the Bev . B . J . Simpson . The attendance of Brethren was very large .

After the opening of Grand Lodge and the reading and confirmation of the minutes of the previous meetings the election of members of the Board of General

Purposes took place . Scrutineers of the ballot were appointed . Intense interest was manifested in the election , and before the opening of Grand Lodge canvassing for votes was strongly persevered in . There was no contest for the Colonial Beard or for the

Committee of Management of the Boyal Masonic Benevolent Institution , and the nominated Brethren , of ¦ whom we gave a list in our last , were declared elected . The Grand Secretary added that the Prince of Wales had named Sir G . D . Harris as Chairman of the Colonial

Board , and Brothers Philbrick , Q . C , and J . H . Matthews as members . Brother John Smith was re-elected Auditor of Grand Lodge accounts , on the motion of Bro . J . S . Cumberland .

Nominated by the Prince of Wales on the Benevo lent Institution ' s Committee of Management were Bros the Grand Secretary , Dr . Hogg , T . B . Purchas , E . Mead A . C . Spaull , J . Brett , T . W . Whitmarsh , S . Vallentine S . V . Abraham and C . J . R . Tijou .

The Brethren confirmed the recommendations of the Board of Benevolence , on the motion of Bro . Eobert Grey , seconded by Bro . James Brett . On the motion of Bro . Thomas Eenn , seconded by

Bro . Dr . F . Ernest Pocock , Grand Lodge adopted the Report of the Board of General Purposes , first of all erasing the twelve Colonial Lodges of which we gave a list last week and which had failed to make returns for

many years . Bro . Thomas Fenn next brought up the recommendation that the offer of Bro . John Lane , the author of " Masonic Records , " of the copyright of the second edition of that work to Grand Lodge he accepted . Bro .

Fenn endorsed the opinion of the Board that the work was invaluable , and ought to be in possession of Grand Lodge . He added the Brethren ought to be much indebted to Bro . Lane for the offer , as the preparation

of the work , a copy of which was now in Grand Lodge , had cost him a great deal of labour , and it contained statistics of a very valuable description . He moved that Bro . Lane ' s oSex be accepted .

Bro . Dr . Pocock seconded the motion , which was then put and unanimously carried . Bro . Dr . Pocock then rose and wished to say a few words on the last paragraph of the Report , in regard to the announcement by Bro . Fenn of his desire to retire

from the Presidency of the Board of General Purposes . He said Bro . Fenn had rendered great services to Masonry for a number of years , more especially during the ten years he had been President of the Board . During the three years he had himself been a member of

the Board he had seen that it would be impossible to have a Brother presiding over the Board in a more masterly manner . Bro . Fenn had determined not to seek re-nomination . Dr . Pocock , speaking on behalf of

himself and the other members of the Board , thought they would have to congratulate themselves if they got a Brother in Bro . Fenn ' s place anywhere near so capable of presiding over them .

Bro . T . C . Walls supported the statement , which was also spoken to by Bro . E . Le Feuvre in the same strain of praise .

The Earl of Mount Edgcumbe said that as representative for the moment of the Grand Master of England he desired in the name of H . R . H . to express his hearty concurrence in what had been said with reference to Bro .

Fenn . The Pro Grand Master also and himself , and all the Officers and Brethren of Grand Lodge assembled , reechoed H . R . H . ' s sentiment , and regretted the retirement of Bro . Fenn . They thanked him at the same time for the work he had done for Grand Lodge during the ten years he had been President of the Board .

United Grand Lodge.

Bro . Fenn , who was much affected , said he did not know how to thank the Brethren sufficiently for this recognition of what he had done , but fchey might believe him he appreciated fche compliment they had paid him very deeply .

The Earl of Mount-Edgcumbe announced that the Prince of Wales had appointed Bro . Richard Loveland-Loveland President of the Board of General Purposes . Bro . Loveland-Loveland was thereupon invested , and was conducted to the seat of the Board of General Purposes in Grand Lodge .

In the absence of Bro . J . A . Farnfield , Dr . Strong moved the grant of £ 70 for coals during the coming winter for the old people in the almshouses at Croydon . It was seconded by Bro . T . Hastings Miller , and carried .

Bro . Richard Eve P . G . T . obtained leave to withdraw the motion , notice of which steed in his name , stating that it was not the notice thafc he delivered in to the General Committee of Grand Lodge ; that the Committee

was wrong m rejecting the motion as he sent it in , it not being scandalous , ii regular , or not within the cognizance of Graud Lodge ; and that he should appeal against the rejection of his motion at the September Quarterly Communication . Grand Lodge was shortly afterwards closed in duo form .

Grand Mark Lodge.

GRAND MARK LODGE .

THE Quarterly Communication Avas held on Tuesday ' at fche Mark Masons' Hall . The Earl of Euston M . W . Pro Grand Master presided , and there was a large attendance , among those present being : —The Marquess of Hertford , Viscount Dnngarvan , Lord

Ampfchill , Rear Admiral Markham , Lord Skelmersdale , Baron de Ferrieres , Mr . Justice Gainsford Bruce , Colonel Money , C . B ., Colonel Malet de Carteret , and Colonel Somerville Burney .

The report of the General Board was taken as read , and ordered fco be received and entered on fche minutes . The Earl of Euston said there were very few remarks

to be made by him on the Report , save one , which was with reference fco the memorial to their late lamented Past Grand Master the Rev . G . R . Portal . The

subscriptions that were raised for a memorial to him were sufficient to buy a good organ and place it in the Hall the Brethren were now assembled in , and put an inscription upon it ; it was a distinct ornament , and

would always bring to the minds of the Brethren the memory of one who had worked very hard and very zealously for Mark Masonry ; fchey could only compliment the Committee who had carried oufc fche design .

There was another remark arising out of a reference in the Report to the resignation of a Brother who had held a high office in Grand Lodge for seventeen years—Bro . Robert Berridge . Bro . Berridge had been Grand

Director of Ceremonies for over seventeen years , and during his term of service had done his work well and worthily . He had been a prominent figure in Mark Masonry , but he now felt that his many duties , public

and private , prevented his acting as Grand Director of Ceremonies as he would wish to do . The Brethren under such circumstances could do no less than give Bro . Berridge a hearty vote of thanks for his services .

He would move that such a vote be passed , and that it be engrossed , and sent to him by the Grand Secretary . He asked them to do this because he though that Bro . Berridge had , up to the present time , done the Degree

great service . Bro . Berridge had had troubles of many sorts and kinds ; he had lost his children , and he was now going out of business . Finding that travelling and

absence from town would prevent him from attending fco the work of Grand Lodge , he had resigned . Personally , he thanked Bro . Berridge most heartily for all he had done .

Viscount Dungarvan seconded the motion , which was carried unanimously . On the motion of Bro . Loveland-Loveland , seconded

by Bro . Major C . W . Carrell , the Report of the General Board was adopted . The Prince of Wales was then declared re-installed