New South Wales.

NEW SOUTH WALES .

DISTRICT GRAND LODGE , ENGLISH CONSTITUTION .

A SPECIAL meeting of this District Grand Lodge was held afc Freemasons' Hall , Sydney , on Monday , 18 th September last ' orfchn nurpose of further considering the proposed bye-laws . The l . W . District Grand Master Bro . John Williams occupied the chair , apported by Bros . W . H . Simpson D . D . G . M ., W . Henry Westcott DS . G . W ., Frank Senior P . S . D . G . W . as D . J . G . W ., Rev . W . Beg M . D . LVD . D . G . C ., Nicholas Hopsou D . G . Treas ., A . Gardner D . G . R .,

N « -man Selfo President Board of General Pnrposes , E . Leworthy DX Sec , M . Medway D . S . G . D ., N . J . Robinson D . G . J . D ., F . B . Da \ idson D . G . D . of C , J . Carrol D . G . Org ., H . Perdriau as D . G . Par ., S . L DeLissa D . G . Tylor , and several District Grand Lodge Officers . District Grand Lodge having been opened in dne form tho proposed

laws were read , and a few minor alterations having been made , were sevenlly approved . Notice of a motion by the D . D . G . M . was then given , to the effect that thero be three Trustees of District Grand Lodgefnnds , viz .: the D . G . M . and two members of District Grand Lodge , the two latter to bo elected afc the Annual Communication . Tho securities of District Grand Lodgo to be vested in their names ,

and to le deposited with the bankers of District Grand Lodge . The business of the special meeting being thus completed District Grand Lodge wis regnlarly closed . On Motclay , 21 st October , the u 3 ual | Quarterly Communication was held at the same place , and was also presided over by the D . G . M . who openetl the Lodge at 8 p . m . Tho minutes having received

confirmation , a letter was read from tho Grand Secretary , dated 21 st August 1878 , with a Warrant nnder tho hand and seal of the "Most Worshipful Grand Master His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , authorising the Lodge of Australia , No . 3 D 0 , to wear a Jubilee Jewel ( tho design to be approved by the District Grand Master ) in commemoration of that Lodge having been founded fifty years . The District Grand

Secretary read the Warrant , and handed it to the District Grand Master , who addressed Bro . Mitchell , the present Worshipful Master of the Lodge of Australia , and congratulated him and the members of the Lodge on tho honour that had been conferred on them . The District Grand Master stated that he was the oldest Past Master of the Lodge , and he was highly gratified that so pleasing a dnty had

desolved on him . The design of the Jewel would have to be placed in the space left for it in tho Warrant , and a facsimile thereof sent to Grand Lodge . The Warrant would be'presented at the Monthly Meeting of tho Ledge , and therefore he did not consider it necessary to say more on the present occasion . Another , from Bro . DeVine , Representative of the Grand Orient of

Peru , dated 1 st July 1878 , enclosing correspondence and list of Officers from that Worshipful Body , and expressing their good wishes for the welfare and prosperity of the District Grand Lodge , and also their desire to maintain fraternal intercourse with New South Wales .

Bro . Wager , President , brought np the Report of the Committee of Benevolence , showing the amount voted for relief of applicants since last Communication to be £ 56 , and he moved that the report be received , adopted , printed , and circulated . This being seconded by Bro . Webster P . S . D . G . D . was carried . Bro . Hopson , District Grand Treas ., declared the ca-. h balance to credib as follows : —

District Grand Lodge £ 101 4 3 Benevolent Fund 43 14 4 Orphan Fund 30 11 8

He stated that in addition to these balances , £ 100 had been placed as a fixed deposit in the Bank to the credit of each of the funds , and also a further sum of £ 60 had been invested on account of the Orphan Fund . The Deputy D . G . M . then brought forward the motion as ' to D . G . Lodge Trustees of which he had given notice at the Special Meeting ,

and it was seconded by Bro . Westcott . Tho D . G . Master thought that the D . G . Treasurer should be oue of the Trustees , and Bro . Smith P . D . D . G . M . expressed it as his opinion that the Trustees should be permanent Officials of D . G . Lodge . He thought that the Treasurer and Secretary , who by the nature of their offices possessed the confidence of District Grand Lodge , were the proper

persons , with the District Grand Master , to fill the office of Trustees , and he therefore moved an amendment— "That the District Grand Master , District Grand Treasurer , and District Grand Secretary , for the time being , be the Trustees , in whose names all securities , & c , be invested . " Bro . Gordon P . S . D . G . W ., seconded the amendment , upon which Bro . Lee W . M . 1 , 169 ,

proposed as a further amendment— " That the Trustees be the District Grand Master , District Grand Tr / asurer , and two other brethren , to be elected annnally by Distrii t Grand Lodge . " Bro . Artlett W . M . 817 seconded this amend mi nt . Bro . Simpson in reply , said he was fully as desirous as Bro Smith could be , that the Trustees shonld not be changed freqnt itly . He did not think there was much to fear on that score . E -ethren of well known

stability wonld doubtless be elected in t ie first instauce , and re-elected again and again . Ho could not ccept the amendment . He therefore hoped the brethren wonld retail the power of election in their own hands , as proposed in tho resolu . iou he had the honour to submit to D . G . Lodge . The amendme- ts of Bros . Lee and Smith were then put and lost , and on the- original motion beim : put it was carried . No other business ott ring , D . G . Lodge was formally closed .

Provincial Grand Lodge , Seotei Constitution . —Th Quarterly Cutninuiiiruiioii was held on 2 Jih C ; tobcr . Prov-. G . Lod ; .-. was openetl in solemn form by the Depute F . G . M . Bvo . H . E

New South Wales.

Yanghnn . Apologies were received , accounting for fcbo absence of Bro . Dr . W . G . Sedgwick Il . W . P . G . M . and others ; there was a full attendance of brethren , and several distinguished District Grand Lodge Officers of the English Constitution were present as Visitor ? . Minutes of the July Communication having been read and confirmed , several communications from the Grand Lodge of Scotland were read

over , and elicited marks of approval from the brethren of Prov . G . Lodge . The thanks of Prov . G . Lodge were accorded to the District Grand Lodge , English Constitution , for the circular htter it had addressed to her daughter Lodges , cautioning against admitting as a visitor , Ac , any hailing from a spurious Grand Lo Ige styling themselves tho Grand Lodge of New South Wales . The

Provincial Graad Committee ' s Report recorded that revised code 3 of by-laws had been submitted by various Lodges , and that having been read they were , after some slight alteration , approved of . It also contained a recommendation that Prov . G . L . vote the sum of one hundred pounds towards furnishing the Lodge room , and that the by-laws enumerated in circular receive tho approval and sanction

of Prov . G . Lodge . Petitions for tho erection of new Lodges at Port Macqnarie and Rocky Mouth , Clarence River , wero granted , on a proposal from Prvo . G . Secretary , seconded by Prov . G . Treasurer . The Prov . G . Secretary ' s report stated that on tho 30 th August a circular was sent to all Lodges under the Prov . G . Lodge of New South Wales , intimating that certain members had been indefinitely

suspended from all the rights and privileges of Freemasonry iu consequence of their contumaciousness and disloyal conduct towards the Grand Lodge of Scotland , and requesting the W . M . ' s to give effect to their suspension by refusing to admit any of the said members into their Lodges unless they produce a certificate from the Provincial Grand Master that such suspension has been removed , and

that they are duly recognised as loyal brethren . A goodly number of the suspended brethren have availed themselves of the latter clause by petitioning the R . W . P . G . Master for the removal of their suspension . In each case such has been immediately granted , and they now hold membership to lawfully constituted Lodges . The reports were adopted , and the recommendations therein were carried unanimously . After some further business , Prov . G . Lodge was closed .

New Zealand.

NEW ZEALAND .

Auckland files to hand contain the following items : — A meeting of tho District Grand Lodge of England was held on 5 th December , in the large room of . the New Zealand InsuraiiceCompany ' sOffices , kindly lent for theoccasion by the American Order of Oddfollows . The bnsiness was the election of Officers . Bro . G . S . Graham , Right Worshipful District Grand Master , presided .

The whole of tho Officers were re-elected and duly installed by the D . G . M . A salary was also voted to the D . G . Secretary for his services . The proceedings were of the most harmonious character . At a meeting of the Lodge United Service I . C ., at the Masonic Hotel , on 27 th November , the following Officers were elected

for the ensuing year : —Bro . Roycroffc the retiring W . M . becomes Immediate Past Master and was elected Treasurer ; Bros . Goodacre W . M ., Suiter S . W ., Holmes J . W ., Hargrave 3 S . D ., Syme J . D ., Haslett I . G ., Porter Tyler , Evans and McEwen Stewards , J . Melton Secretary . A good deal of Lodge bnsiness , including three nominations , took place before the Lodge terminated .

York Mark Lodge (Time Immemorial).

YORK MARK LODGE ( TIME IMMEMORIAL ) .

THE Annual meeting of this Lodge , for the Installation of Master , was held at York , on Tuesday , and was presided over by the W . M . Bro . T . B . Whytehead . A ballot was taken for Bro . A . G . Duncornbe of the University Lodge No . 55 , which proved successful , aud successful ballots wero also taken for eight candidates , seven of whom were advanced by the W . M . to the honourable degree . The next business was the Installation of tbe W . M . elect , Bro . the Hon .

W . T . Orde-Powletfc S . W ., which was ably performed by Bro . T . B . Whytehead , and tho W . M . having been proclaimed and sainted appointed and invested his Officers as follow : —Bros . Rev . W . Valentine S . W .. J . Hotlins J . W ., Rev . W . C . Lukis Chaplain , J . S . Cumberland M . O ., 0 . G . Padel S . O ., G . Garbutt J . O ., W . Paley , M . D ., Registrar of Marks , T . B . Whytehead P . M . Secretary , T . Cooper

P . M . Treasurer , M . Millington S . D ., A . T . B . Turner J . D ., T . G . Hodgson Organist , I . F . Taylor I . G ., T . Humphries Steward . After the close of the Lodge the brethren met at supper , when an excellent , repast was provided , which called forth high eulogiums on the management of the Steward Bro . T . Humphries . The W . M . Bro . W . T . Orde-Powlett presided , and was supported by about 30

members and visitors , amonust the latter being several military brethren of tho Royal Irish Dragoon Guards . The usual Loyal Mnd Masonic toasts having been given from the chair , tbe Installing Master gave the toast of the health of tho W . M . and Prosperity to the York Mark Loduc , alluding in terms of praise to tbe interest shown by Br > . Powlett in all Masonic work , and the pains he had taken to master the dnties of the offices ho had filled .

The toast was received with enthusiasm , as was also the heahh of the Installing Master , proposed by Bro . G . Balmford P . M ., who spoke of Bro . Whytehead ' a services to the Lodgn , in being mainly instrumental in bringing it into allegiance under the Grand Mark Lodge of England , and now handing it over to his successor neatly a uudred strong in subscribing members . Br \ Whytehead iu replying

gave a short resume' of the History of Mark Masonry , aud pointed out the importance of the degree , aud its c nuei'tion with Musonic traditional history . The other toasts were " the Visitors , " proposed y the J . W ., and " the Chaplain , " proposed by Bro . C . D . Barstow . A vji . llection was made , amounting to 30 s , which was placed on the Steward's list , Bro . T . Cooper P . M ., for the Benevolent Festivd ,