United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

THE following is the Agenda of Business to be transacted in Grand Lodge at the Quarterly Communication on Wednesday next , 2 nd September , at six for seven p . m . 1 . The Minutes of the Quarterly Communication of the 3 rd June for confirmation . 2 . The Minutes of the Special Grand Lodge of the 29 th July for confirmation .

3 . To read acknowledgment of Address from Grand Lodge to H . R . H . the Most Worshipful Grand Master on the occasion of the Twenty-first Anniversary of his Installation as Graud Master . 4 . Report of the Board of Benevolence for the last quarter , in which are recommendations for the following Grants , viz .: — A Brother of the Lodge of Philanthropy , No . 940 , Stockton-on-Tees ... £ 50 0 0

A Brother of the St . Ambrose Lodge , No . 1891 , London ... 50 0 0 The Widow of a Brother of the Social Lodge , No . 93 , Norwich 50 0 0 The Widow of a Brother of the Prosperity Lodge , No . 65 , London 75 0 0 A Brother of the Lodge of Freedom , No . 77 , Gravesend ... 50 0 0 A Brother of the Trinity Lodge , No . 254 , Coventry ... ... 50 0 0

5 . REPORT OF THE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES . To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England . The Board have to report that the following Presentations have been made to the Library and Museum since the last Meeting of Grand Lodge , all of which have been accepted with thanks : —

TITLE OR OBJECT . BY WHOM PRESENTED . Catalogue of Library of Lodge " Archimedes , " Gera , Germany . —Paul Fischer , Librarian . A Handbook of Jamaica in 1896 . Official and other Personages in Jamaica . —W . A . Feurlado P . M . No . 1836 . Royal Arch Clothing of the late Earl of Zetland . Curious old workbox with Masonic emblems . —Lord Bolton Past G . Warden .

A Masonic Manuscript ( French ) . —Ishak Ibrahim ( Alexandria ) . History of Freemasonry in Rhode Island . —Edwin Baker Grand Secretary Rhode Island . Warrant of Warmsley Lodge , No . 14 , Nova Scotia . —Col . F . R . Sewell D . P . G . M . Cumberland and Westmorland .

History of Lodge St . John , No . 16 , Scotland . —George R . Ure P . M . No . 16 . Old Masonic Jewel ( silver ) . —J . M . McLeod P . G . S . B . Old Royal Arch Jewel . —Dr . J . Wilkie Burman P . M . No . 663 . Celebration of 150 th Anniversary of the Massachusetts Lodge . —Samuel W . Creech jun . German Masonic Jewel . —F . J . W . Crowe P . P . G . O . Devon .

Tactics and Manual for Knights Templar . Book of Constitutions and sundry Proceedings of Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter of Kentucky . —H . B . ' Grant G . Sec . Kentucky . The Board also submit a statement of the Grand Lodge Accounts at the last meeting of the Finance Committee , held on Friday , the 14 th day of

August instant , showing a balance in the Bank of England ( Law Courts Branch ) of £ 6 , 992 ls 7 d , and in the hands of the Grand Secretary for Petty Cash £ 100 , and for Servants' Wages £ 100 . ( Signed ) RICHARD LOVELAND LOVELAND , President .

Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C , 18 th August 1896 . A Report of a Special Meeting of the Governors and Subscribers of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows of

Freemasons , dated 28 th July 1896 , will be laid before Grand Lodge , in which the following proposed alteration of Rule 18 , and the addition to Clause 1 of the Widows' qualifications , then agreed to , are submitted for approval : " That Clause 18 be expunged , and the following substituted in lieu thereof : —

"In consideration of the Grants from Grand Lodge , the Master of every Lodge in the London District shall at every election for Male Annuitants be entitled to two votes , and at every election for Female Annuitants to one vote . Every Provincial Grand Master , or his Nominee , shall at every election for Male Annuitants be entitled to two votes , and at every election for Female Annuitants to one vote

for every Lodge in his Province . And in consideration of the Grants from Supreme Grand Chapter , the First Principal of every London Royal Arch Chapter shall at every election for Male Annuitants be entitled to two votes , and at every election for Female Annuitants to one vote . Every Superintendent of a Province , or his Nominee , shall at every election for Male Annuitants be entitled to two votes , and every election of Female Annuitants to one vote for every

Chapter in his Province . In the case of a Province where there is no Superintendent , the votes shall be sent to the First Principal of the respective Chapters . The number of Lodges and Chapters claiming in the Provinces to be determined by the number of Lodges recorded in the Freemasons' Calendar and Pocket Book for the current year . " That in Clause No . 1 of the Widows' qualifications , after the word

" Lodge " in the third line , the following words be inserted : — " Unless in the case of her last husband ' s Petition having been accepted by the Committee , and he had died before his election , in such case her application will be considered eligible . " List of Lodges for 'which Warrants have been granted by the M . W . Grand Master since the last Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge .

United Grand Lodge.

2616 . —The St . George Lodge , Barbadoes . 2617 . —The Murchison Lodge , Cue , Western Australia . 2618 . —The Lodge of Friendship , Helena Vale , Western Australia . 2619 . —The New Brighton Lodge , New Brighton , Cheshire .

2620 . —The Cavendish Lodge , London . 2621 . —The Military Lodge , London . 2622 . —The Beach Lodge , London . 2623 . —The Etekwine Lodge , Durban , Natal . 2624 . —The Excelsior Lodge , Eton , Queensland .

Mark Grand Lodge.

MARK GRAND LODGE .

THE regular Quarterly Meeting of Grand Lodge will be held in Mark Masons' Hall , Great Queen Street , W . G ., on Tuesday next , 1 st September , afc 5 for 6 p . m . The following is the Agenda of business : 1 . Read and , if approved , confirm Minutes of Quarterly Communication of 2 nd June 1896 .

2 . REPORT OF THE GENERAL BOARD . During the three months ending 30 th June 1896 , there have been issued Mark Certificates , 337 ; total number registered , 35 , 839 . Warrants for five new Lodges , viz .: — No . 498 , Massy , Jullundur , Punjab . No . 499 , Star , London .

No . 500 , Royal York , Nottingham . No . 501 , Caldene , Hebden Bridge , W . Yorks . No . 502 , Phosnix , Simons Town , South Africa . Royal Ark Mariner Certificates , 117 ; total number registered , 4 , 996 . The R . W . Bro . Sir Charles B . Graves-Sawle , Barfc ., Provincial Grand

Master for Cornwall has been compelled , through ill-health , to resign this office , which he has filled with dignity and great advantage to the Mark Degree since 1881 . The Most Worshipful Grand Master has been pleased to direct that the Province shall for the present remain under the authority of the Deputy Provincial Grand Master .

The Province of Sussex has offered for the acceptance of Grand Lodge a full-length portrait of their Provincial Grand Master M . W . Bro . His Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught , K . G ., Past Grand Master , & c , & c ., & c , & c , which will be formally presented in Grand Lodge . On examination of the returns of Preston Lodge , 143 , ifc was found that an alteration of the Bye-Law fixing days of meetings had by some

inadvertence not been sanctioned and registered in the Grand Secretary s Office , although submitted to , and approved by , the R . W . Provincial Grand Master , and that Brother Edwin Bush had served the office of Worshipful Master nineteen days short of the full term of twelve months . The Board recommend Grand Lodge to confirm him in the rank and privileges of Past Master .

FUND OF BENEVOLENCE . The Twenty-Eight Annual Festival was held at Freemasons' Tavern , on the Sth July , under the presidency of the R . W . Bro . Charles Letch Mason Provincial Grand Master for West Yorkshire . The sum of £ 2 , 406 was announced as having been paid and promised . This being the largest result ever declared , the Board have great pleasure in congratulating the Chairman and Board of Stewards .

The Twenty-Ninth Annual Festival will be held in July 1897 , under distinguished presidency , and the Grand Secretary will be happy to receive the names of Ladies and Brethren willing to act as Stewards . ( Signed ) R . LOVELAND LOVELAND , President . FRANK RICHARDSON , Vice-President .

C . F . MATIER , Grand Secretary . 3 . A Motion will be made that the Report be taken as read . 4 . A Motion will be made that the Report be received and entered on the Minutes . 5 . Recommendation arising out of the Report : —

Thafc Grand Lodge do confirm Bro . Edward Bush in the rank and privileges of Past Master . 6 . A Motion will be proposed that the Report be adopted . 7 . Presentation of Charity Jewels to the Stewards of the last Benevolent Fund Festival .

Precedence.

PRECEDENCE .

IN answer to a question as to the relative position of Initiates and Joining members in a Lodge , the Grand Secretary of England is reported , in the " Indian Freemason , " to have replied as follows : " It is quite an error to suppose that a Brother initiated in a Lodge has

a greater claim to office than a joining member . The W . M . has absolute discretion as to the appointment of his Officers , but the general rule is for the W . M . to offer office to the Brethren according to seniority on the register of the Lodge , unless there be some special reason why a particular Brother should not be promoted .

I know it is often a question whether , in the case of a joining member and an initiate being elected on the same evening , the joining member takes precedence of the initiate . My own opinion is that in strictness he should , as it is quite possible the joining member might be called upon to assist in the initiation ; indeed , if an Installed Master , the newly-elected joining member might himself perform the ceremony of initiation , and it would be an anomaly for the initiate , under such circumstances , to take precedence of the member of the Lodge who actually made him a Mason . "