Meeting Of Grand Lodge.

" thafc unless the Lodge wont on more properly than ifc had done , it would bo a grave matter for consideration wifch him whether the Lodge itself should not bo suspended . " Brother Philbriek , who , like the Grand Registrar , is a Q . C , though nofc entirely concurring in the comments of

his learned brother , agreed with him that Grand Lodge would bo acting withont precedent , aud also entirely outside the principles of the Order , if it acceded to Bro . Tudor ' s motion . Bro . Shackles , Worship fnl Master of Lodge 1511 , in which occurred the unfortunate difference which resulted in the lawsuit and Bro . Trevor ' s motion ,

then rose , and moved that Grand Lodge should proceed to further business , and Bro . Cartels , of Devon , in seconding tho amendment , expressed his opinion that no more monstrous attempt to foist legal expenses on Grand Lodge could ever have been made , and that Bro . Trevor , so far

from having upheld the principles of tho Craft , had , in violating tho secrecy of tho ballot , himself ignored one of thoso great principles . Tho amendment was carried , bnt when the Mosfc Worshipful Grand Master was about to put the original motion , it was agreed to relegate the matter

to the Board of General Purposes , and defer dealing with tho motion till the report had been received ; Bro . Gould , in the meantime , very sensibly pointing out that if Grand Lodge paid the costs incurred by the unsuccessful litigant ,

it ought mosfc certainly , in common justice , to pay those of the successful one . We trust , after the report of the Board , of which we have given particulars , we shall hear no more of Bro . Trevor and his costs .

There is , in addition , a motion of Avhich notice has been given by Bro . Major Edwin Bond , of Lodge No . 887 , Birmingham , and which will accordingly come undei discussion on Wednesday . Ifc reads to this effect : — " Thafc the Fund of B . nevolenco be decentralised so far as

the Provinces are concerned , and that a moiety of the subscriptions now transmitted to Grancl Lodge by the country Lodges be paid direct into the several Provincial Grand Lodges for tho purpose of meeting the numerous local claims for immediate relief which are now so constantly

made to those Bodies . " We shall fake an opportunity of dealing with this more fully on some future occasion , but a few remarks just now will be pertinent . We consider the motion exceedingly ill-advised , and as calculated to prove injurious rather than of service to our brethren in the

Provinces . We would point out to Bro . Major Bond that the Constitutions provide for the establishment of Provincial Funds of Benevolence , so that ordinary cases of local distress may be dealt with on the spot , while in extraordinary cases relief can be given both out of the Local Fund , ancl

the great Central Fund , or Lodge of Benevolence . If Bro . Major Bond will turn to page 53 of the Constitutions , he will find the following : " Great advantage having been experienced from the establishment of a Local Fund for charitable and other Masonic purposes , each

Provincial Grand Lodge may direct payments to be made by the Provincial Grand Officers and the Lodges in the Province for this desirable purpose ( exclusive of the contributions payable to the Grand Lodge ) . The payments by Lodges shall not exceed the following

sums , viz ., sixpence per quarter for every contributing member of a Lodge , five shillings for every person who has been initiated , and one shilling for every member who has joined any Lodge since the last payment . This fnnd cannot be established without the concurrence of at least two-thirds

of the members present in Provincial Grand Lodge , nor unless each Lodge in the Province shall have had clue notice of the meeting , and of the intention to propose the establishment of such fund , nor until the decision shall have been confirmed at a subsequent meeting of the

Provincial Grand Lodge , of which due notice shall also be given . If this fund be establish od , the mode of contribution by Lodges shall on no pretence be departed from , though the Provincial Grand Lodgo may diminish any of tlie payments , or exact only pari , of them afc their discretion .

Thus country Lodges can , in no case , be subject to fees exceeding those paid by every Lodge within the London district , while their members will have the advantage of a local fund as well as of the general fund of Charity in London . The Provincial Grand Lodge may make such

ragnlations as they may deem necessary for the application of this fund . " It will be seen from this , that in those Provinces where such funds are established , brethren who may bo so unfortunate as to need assistance have two funds to which they can apply , the local Fund and the central Fund . In this respect they have the advantage over brethren simi-

Meeting Of Grand Lodge.

larly circumstanced , who reside in the Metropolitan district . It must be a great boon to a brother who may need , or be thought worthy of , only a small amount of help , to know that he can obtain it , so to speak , on the spot ; while as regards the largo and important cases , the prompt

assistance from the local fund will doubtless suffice to carry them on till their petitions to the Central Fnnd have been adjudicated upon , and such grants as may be made are forthcoming . On the other hand , if a portion of the subscriptions directed to be paid to the Fund of Benevolence

is handed over to the Provincial Fund , the efficiency of the former will be impaired without any commensurate benefit accruing to the latter . Last year , for instance , the account of the Fund of Benevolence , as stated by Bro . Harding , the Auditor , began the year with a balance due to

the Fund of General Purposes of £ 701 15 s . Its Receipts amounted to £ 9 , 270 3 s , and its Disbursements to £ 10 , 109 5 s , so that the year closed with a balance , namely , amount overdrawn , taken from Fund for General Purposes , of £ 1 , 540 17 s . It will be said , of course , that if a moiety

of the Provincial Lodge contributions is withheld from the Central Fund and diverted into specially-established Provincial Funds , thero will bo a diminished number of petitions to the former . We have very serious doubts on this point . If a large central fund is unable , through pressure

of applications , to make both sides of its account square , we cannot see how a number of small funds scattered throughout the country will fare better . For instance , a Province is now under an obligation to transmit subscriptions amounting , we will assume , in the aggregate to £ 60 .

This added to a number of other sums of smaller or greater amount , together with the contributions of the London Lodges , yield , say , some £ 7 , 600 a year . But give one £ 30 to the Central Fund , and the other £ 30 to tbe Provincial Fund , and we should like to know how long it will take

the latter to raise a sufficiently large sum so as to administer substantial relief to the extent of £ 100 , £ 150 , and even occasionally to a higher figure . A case in point , by way of illustration , will be found in the Report of the Lodge of Benevolence , which will be submitted on

Wednesday next . The Lodge has recommended a grant of £ 200 to a distressed brother of Lodge No . 945 , Abingdon . Now , if we assume that in Berks and Bucks the receipts annually of its provincial Fund of Benevolence reached even the considerable sum of £ 100—considerable , that is to say , as

regards the number of its subscribing members—how would it be possible for it to vote a sum of £ 200 , as has been recommended to be done in the case noted ? A large fund with over £ 50 , 000 Government Stock to its credit may venture to give largely , when large gifts are held to be

desirable or necessary ; but a number of small funds could , only give in proportion to their modest annual receipts , ancl , it might be , equally modest investments . No , our Constitutions have wisely provided that for administrative purposes there shall be , where desirable , Provincial Grand

Lodges , seeing that they are better able to cope with matters of local interest , while in respect of important questions vitally affecting the well-being of the Fraternity , there is a final appeal to Grand Lodge , our central Masonic Diet or Parliament . But it has also been as wisely ordered

that in matters of Benevolence , while the Constitutions , as we have shown , sanction , and indeed encourage the establishment of Provincial Charity Funds , they insist on there

being one Grand Central Fund of Benevolence , to which all worthy , indigent Masons , be they Metropolitan or Provincial , English , Scotch , Irish , or foreign , may apply for help in the time of their distress .

We beg to remind our readers , and especially those of the Degreo in question , that the Summer Half-yearly Communication of the Mark Grand Lodge of England and Wales will be held at the Criterion , Piccadilly , on

Tuesday next , 31 st instant . The meeting will be especially attractive , as the Earl of Lathom M . W . G . M . M . M . will instal his successor , Lord Henniker , and the latter will then appoint his Officers for the year .

The Provincial Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons , Surrey , will meet on Tuesday next , the 31 st instant , at the Masonic Hall , 105 High-street , Croydon , under the banner

of the Frederick of Unity Chapter , No . 452 . Most Excellent Companion General Studholme Brownrigg , C . B ., Provincial Grand Superintendent , will preside , and a strong muster of the Companions may be anticipated .