United Grand Lodge Of England.

employment which had caused considerable irritation . He would not enter into the causes of this , because differences of opinion might readily arise , and some might say that it was caused partly by the great number of foreigners who

flocked towards our metropolis . But we gave a home to all , from whatever quarter they mig ht come ; and that might possibly have a tendency to make employment less toward our own population . As he said , he was not going to

enter into that question ; he would merely state the fact , which he supposed was patent to all , that sore distress did exist . Then the question was , whether the Grand Lodge , as representing the Freemasons of England , and

representing to a very great extent the Freemasons in the great City of London , and this great metropolis generally , should not raise themselves to the occasion , and make some grant which would be adequate to show their sympathy with those in distress . It seemed to him that their Grand

Master had made this proposition in the fall belief that it would mete out some aid towards those who might be destitute of employment . In what way it could be best bestowed it was difficult to know at the present moment , but there would be doubtless several modes in which it mierht be

usefully given , and if it could not be usefully given ifc should not be given at all ; but he was sure they might trust their Grand Master for selecting the beat way in

which it could be bestowed . He thought it would be a very fitting compliment to the Graud Master to allow him the discretion of meting out this amount as he might think fit .

Bro . H . D . Sandeman had great pleasure in seconding the proposal ; he had little or nothing to add to the observations so well made b y Bro . Beach . The motion was carried with enthusiasm . Bro . Gabriel Prior GoldneyP . G . Steward and W . M . 259 ,

then nominated His Royal Hi ghness tbe Prince of Wales for the office of Grand Master of the Order , aud gave notice that at the next Quarterly Communication he should propose him for re-election .

Bro . F . J . T yler W . M . Royal Naval Lodge , No . 59 , next rose ; he had the honour to nominate Bro . Stephen Barton Wilson to the post of Grand Treasurer . Bro . Wilson had been a Mason thirty-five years ; had served on every Board ;

was Yice-Patron of the Boys' School ; on the Committee of the Benevolent Institution , and had been W . M . of the Royal Naval Lodge , No . 59 on the register of Grand Lodge , three times , aud its Treasurer for twenty-eight years ; he

had been M . E . Z . of several Chapters ; and for several years had been a leading member , with his father , who was well known as the Architect of the Boys' School , of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement .

Bro . George Read P . M . 511 said ho wished to nominate Bro . Asher Barfield P . M . 511 , who was well known to all the members of Grand Lodo-e . He would not detain them

by making any observations about Bro . Barfield , but he had great pleasure in nominating him for the office of Grand Treasurer .

Bro . Robert Grey was then re-invested as President of the Board of Benevolence , amidst loud applause . Bro . James Brett and Bro . C . A . Cottebrune , as no other Brethren wero nominated for the offices of Vice Presidents , were declared duly elected .

The' following Brethren were elected as the twelve Past Masters to serve on the Board of Benevolence : Brothers George Pole Britten 183 , William Peter Brown 90 , Thomas Cull 1446 , George A . Cundy 90 ] , Charles Dairy 141 , James Burgess Grieve 1351 , Lewis Christopher Hnslip 813 , David D . Mercer 1641 , George Read 511 ,

Francis R . Span I ! 17 G 8 , Robert J . Taylor 144 , Alfred Cooper Woodward 1538 . The recommendations of grants , as per the list we printed last week , were confirmed , aud the Report of the

Board of General Purposes , also printed in our last issue , was adopted . With respect to the proposal to mark the silver wedding of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales , tho proposed grant of £ 500 was

cordially agreed to . As regards the two appeals , the first was dismissed , and the second allowed , •tho Grand Registrar stating that though Bro . Hutton had tendered his resignation ifc was

not accepted when he withdrew his resignation , and his still holding tho office was notified to all the Lodges in Montreal . In the second appeal , the Grand Registrar

stated that according to the Constitutions no private LocW had power to pass a sentence of suspension of his Masonic functions on any Brother . A Lodge might exclude a

United Grand Lodge Of England.

Brother for one night for a grave Masonic offence , or fine him , or admonish him . Grand Lodge was then closed .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Cor . respondents . All letters must bear the name and address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications .

; u ; THE HIRAM LODGE . To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —In the last Keystone the able editor dismisses " JUSTITIA ' S " very striking letter in yonr columns with this terse condemnation , " a lame and impotent argument . " In the same issue appears a quotation from the Trestle Board of

San Francisco , which is based in its entirety and argument on the erroneous assertion , " whan Hiram Lodge surrendered her early charter , " & o . Hiram Lodge never surrendered her charter , nor was ifc asked for . | J JIf it is " registered " as a proof of Masonic legal life , and that it

required no charter of constitution or creation , may I ask my able Bro . MacCalla under what Warrant Hiram worked between the date of registration and the date of issue of the Charter of Eecognition ? Surely was ifc not Oxnard ' s Charter ?

Over the wide and the whole effect of that later Charter of Eecognition was an admission of previous existence and legal procedure . Wonld ifc not be well to print the Charter of Eecognition , as something may turn on its special verbiage ? Would it not also bo well to look up , if preserved , the negotiation

which led to Hiram joining the Grand Lodge of Connecticut in 1789 ? The Trestle Board admit that a change has been made , and it is this very point of change , without the consent of Hiram , on which the whole question really arises . Yours fraternally , LEX .

"WORK" IN LODGES OF INSTRUCTION . To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I was amongst tho interested spectators and listeners on tho occasion of the rehearsal of the ceremonies of Consecration and Installation in the Koyal Commemoration Lodge of Instruction ^ reported in last Saturday's CHRONICLE . It was the first

occasion on which I had had the opportunity to see and hear tho ceremonies rehearsed together , and I must say that I was delighted with the solemnity , order , ancl regularity with which the conjoined functions were performed by tho brethren who had undertaken the rehearsal .

So much so , that I made some inquiries before leaving tho Lodgeroom , as to when and where I could again hear these ceremonies , tho former particularly , and was surprised by the replies I received . These seemed to infer , for no positive statement was made , that the members of London Lodges aro precluded from sharing in this

sublime portion of Craft Masonry by feelings , nob altogether ot jealousy , but of desire on the part of a fow fco keep that work in , as ifc were , what our American kinsmen would call a " ring . " Whether this applies to Provincial Lodges my informant could not tell me . It is in regard to Metropolitan brethren , of whom I am one , that I

am concerned . Now I do not care who may be referred to in the term " a select few . " I wos told that the principal brethren who conducted tho delightful ceremonies at Putney , were not recognised as amongst them , and that it was quite a novolty to see those

brethren working together in such ceremonies . So much the greater pity , said I to myself , for I felt that for oratory , eloquence , and method , they would take a lot of beating , no matter how able or proficient the " select few " may be . What I want to ask yon is this : Is there any other reason beyond

what has been suggested to ma why these brethren , whom I heard the otht ' . r night , should not , whenever occasion or opportunity offers , repeat tbe ceremony of Consecration ? I know that Installations alone nro rehearsed by brethren who cannot be amongst the " select fow , " whoever they may be , but there seems to be some sort of

reservation as to Consecrations , and I want to know why there should be ? Perhaps if you do not care yourself to answer , one or other of your correspondents mi ^ hfc kindly do so ; aud in caso there should be a desire not to publish tho reason , I send my namo card nnd address herewith , and will hold any private communication

through yon in strict confidence , if required . Will you ; i ! so oblige rue by an intimation of a proposed repetition of the work I refer to by tho same breliiten . I shall certainly attend , and get some Masonio friends to share tbe pleasure I huve received through their laudable efforts to impress ou others the beautiful teachings of our Order . Yours fraternally , PUTNEV .

The members of the Lanp , ton Lodge of Instruction will hold their annual dinner afc tho White Hart , Abchurch Lane , ou Thursday , 15 th December , at 7 p . m ., and will resume work on Thursday , oth January .