United Grand Lodge.

( i 2 ) By Bro . E DWIN T . BUDDEN , P . M . No . 622 : To move—That the regulations as to Masonic Funerals , contained in page 13 6 of thc present edition Book of Constitutions ( 1 S 73 ) , stand part ot the Revised Edition . ( 13 ) By YV . Bro . THOMAS YVM . TEW , S . G . D . : To move—That in Art . 129 of the Revise of the Book of Constitutions the following words be added at the end of the paragraph : " Except that of Treasurer . "

( 14 ) By V . YV . Bro . Rev . J STUDHOLME BROWNRIGG , P . G . C . - . To move—To omit in Article iSG , _ Revise of the Book of Constitutions , tlie words " ranking next" to end , and to insert "but junior to all who at that time shall or at any future time may be installed in the Chair of that lodge . " ( 15 ) By V . W . Bro . Rev . HERBERT GEORGE MORSE , G . C .: To move—To insert in Article 146 , Revise of the Book of Constitutions , beforo thc word " present" the words " past or . "

Bro . James Brett , P . G . P ., is nominated for election to the oflice of Senior Vice-President of thc Lodge of Benevolence . Bros . Henry Garrod , P . M . No . 749 ; James H . Matthews , P . M . 143 ; and Charles Alexander Cottebrune , P . G . P ., are nominated for election tothe office of Junior Y'dcc-President of thc Lodge of Benevolence . The twelve Past Masters nominated to serve on the Lodge of

Benevolence are as follows : —Bros . George Pole Britten , P . M . 1 S 3 ; Thomas Cull , P . M . 1446 ; Charles Dairy , P . M . 141 ; Henry Garrod , P . M . 749 ; George p . Gillard , P . M . 6 57 ; Charles F . Hogard , P . M . 205 ; YViiliam Mann , P . M . 1 S 6 ; Henry McPherson , P . M . 890 ; John Noble , P . M . 975 ; William H . Ferryman , P . M . 3 FYederick R . Spaull P . M . 1768 5 and Edward Francis Slorr , P . M . 22 .

LIST OF LODGES FOR WHICH WARRANTS HAVE BEEN GRANTED BY THE MAV- GRAND MASTER SINCE THE LAST QUARTERLY COMMUNICATION ot- GRAND LODGE . No . 2016 . —The Shalden Lodge , Alton , Hants . j , 2017 . —The Dukeof Portland Lodge , Nottingham .

„ 201 S . —The Nipal Lodge , Gorakhpur , Bengal . „ 2019 . —The Crook Lodge , Crook , Durham . „ 2020 . —The St . Botolph ' s Lodge , Aldersgate Street . „ 2021 . —Thc Queen ' s YVestminster Lodge , 8 A , Red Lion Square . „ 2022 . —The Haven Lodge , Ealing .

The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

( Continued from page 591 . ) At an emergency meeting of the Board of Stewards held on the 31 st May , 1 S 37 , Bro . Moran , Hon . Sec , reported that , in reply to his letter to the Deputy Grand Master hc had received the following communication : Palace , Kensington , 2 SU 1 May , 1 S 37 . Sir and Brother , —I have laid before H . R . H . the M . YV . G . M . your letter , upon

which his Royal Highness was pleased to remark that , as Grand Master , he can recognise no body of Masons as a regular Board or Committee , for whatever purpose they may profess to be assembled , who have not previously stated to him the specific object of their meeting , and obtained his sanction thereon . Under these circumstances , I consider myself restrained from answering you further than as an individual , and as such to state to you that his Royal Highness had hoped that , after what had passed personally between

him and Bro . Crucefix in a communication about a year ago , he had convinced that brother that the measure ought not to be brought forward , in a Masonic point of view , until it could be presented under more auspicious circumstances , by having in hand such a fund as would authorise the just hope of its final and ultimate success . I remain , & c , ( Signed ) R . J . SPENCER CHURCHILL , D . G . M . To E . K . Moran , Esq ., & c .

YVhen this had been read , Bro . Crucefix , who was present , immediately

made , in writing , the following declaration : Feeling myself forcibly called upon to reply to such part of the letter from Lord John Churchill , wherein it is stated that a personal conversation had taken place on the subject ofthe Asylum between H . R . H . the M . YV . G . M . and myself , I most unequivocally declare that his Royal Highness must have been mistaken , as , to my perfect conviction , that subject was especially avoided , although many other topics were discussed at length ; and , further that , on a careful examination of the notes I took relative to the interview

immediately at its termination , I find no reference whatever to the Asylum , and also that I have upon every occasion publicly declared that so marked an avoidance of the subject by the Grand Master was , I considered , favourable to the cause . All these circumstances I have explained to Bro . YVhit ; , the Grand Secretary , and an audience has been graciously granted me by his Royal Highness on Sunday next . ( Signed ) ROBERT THOS . CRUCEFIX . May 31 st , 1 S 37 . To the Chairman of the Board of Stewards of the Asylum .

On this , thc meeting unanimously resolved that Bro . Cruccfix ' s declaration was perfectly satisfactory , and that it saw " additional reasons in the communications made for continued exertion in aid of the approaching festival . " With respect lo Bro . Cruccfix ' s promised interview with the Grand Master , we glean the following information from the statement made by that brother himself , at the request of the Stewards present , at a meeting on

Ihe gth June following : I have the hig-h gratification to report that the interview appointed by H . R . H . the Grand Master having bcen postponed from Sunday to Tuesday last , I waited upon the Grand Master on that day and was most graciously received . I confine myself at this moment to the reporting upon matters solely relating to the Asylum , and beg- to state that H . R . H . has authorised me to announce to the Craft at

large that he has not bcen and is not novi in any manner , either directly or indirectly , opposed to the contemplated Asylum , and that he shall be most happy to learn that the Present and presumed means may meet the supposed exigency , and with this feeling hc cordially wishes us success . ( Signed ) ROBERT THOMAS C RUCEFIX . To the President and Brethren of the Board of Stewards .

After an interview , the result of which was so satisfactorily described , it "lust have bcen indeed a bitter disappointment to Bro . Crucefix when , as has been already stated , he attended the Quarterly Communication of Grand '• odge in September , 1 S 37 , and was peremptorily g iven to understand that H . R . H . the M . W . G . M . was opposed to the establishment of the Asylum .

r he situation in which he found himself , with no choice open to him but to Press or postpone his motion , was an extremely delicate one , and it is not surprising if , in the following letter which hc addressed tothe Grand Master , Bl " o . Crucefix should have exhibited considerable warmth of feeling in what "e wrote . To his Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex , M . YV . Grand Master , & c . Most Worshipful Sir , —Presuming that a summary of the proceedings of the Grand Lod ge of Wednesday last has been laid before your Royal Highness , I hold it to be my

The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

especial duty to entreat permission to advert to one portion of those proceedings that I may stand justified m my conduct to the Grand Master , to the Masonic worl ' d , andwhat must be of the deepest importance to every individual , however humble in his position , however limited in his usefulness—to my conscience . In the very last interview which your Royal Highness graciously vouchsafed mc , I gathered this grateful avowal that your Royal Highness was not and had not been

opposed to the Aged Masons Asylum . These glad tidings were delivered with that simplicity which characterises the language of your Royal Highness , and which rendered it impossible for the most homespun mind to mistake its purport , and left me , as 1 rejoice to fool , at full liberty to bring the important subject of the contemplated Asylum before the Grand Lodge on YVednesday last . Animated by this assurance on the part of your Royal Hi-dincss I about to enter the Grand Lod

was ge to fulfil what 1 deem a sacred duty a duty I must ever feel to be associated with my Masonic existence—when to my dismay , and to my sorrow ( and I may add to the subsequent sorrow of a great majority of the assembled brethren ) I was abruptly informed that your Royal Highness was opposed lo the measure . I was not actually commanded to withdraw thc motion , but the terms in which the messag-e was conveyed left me no alternative between postponing or pressing the motion ,

to have withdrawn it would have been disgraceful . Witli the words of your Royal Highness—a Prince ' s words—still beating in my mind , 1 nevertheless- bowed to the imperative suggestion of the Deputy Grand Master ( if I may use the term suggestion , wanting one to explain the anomalous nature of things ) , for I could not but beheve that such suggestion must have proceeded from some extraordinary error , sonic unhappy misrepresentation , which it is my present object , with the gracious permission of your Royal Highness , to endeavour to explain and remove , to the end that I may in December next

be enabled to redeem the pledg-e which hundreds of my brethren consider that I have in a great measure disregarded , and which nothing but a desije to prevent a too ardent expression of their feelings justified me in encountering so severe a trial as the disappointment at such a moment ( however only for a time ) of their honest and long cherished hopes . With the most profound respect for the person of your Royal Highness , with the deepest loyalty to your high office , 1 have humbly to solicit that you will be graciously pleased to grant me , at any befitting time , the condescension of an audience or a reply .

I have the honour , & c , September Sth , 1 S 37 . ( Signed ) R . T . CRUCEFIX . Notwithstanding this untoward event , which , as Bro . Crucefix suggested , was no doubt due to some misapprehension the recognition by Grand Lodge of the scheme for establishing the Asylum was onl y deferred and a resolution to that effect haiing once received the sanction of thc supreme authority , the prosecution of their labours by Bro . Crucefix and his coadjutors became a comparatively easy task .

In the meantime , while this correspondence was in progress , thc Committee of the Asylum were receiving additional evidence of the interest it was exciting among the members of thc Fraternity , among the new subscribers entered on the roll being the provinces of Devonshire and YVest Yorkshire , each of which contributed thc sum of twenty guineas towards the funds of the proposed Institution ; the Prov . Grand Lodge of

Somersetshire unanimously voting £ 25 , while a two nights' benefit al the Strand Theatre , which had been granted for thc purpose by Bros . Hammond and Jerrold , yielded upwards of fifty guineas . At the festival for the year 1837 , which had been ori ginally fixed for the 21 st June , and had to be postponed in consequence of the precarious state of the King ' s health—it will be in the recollection of the reader that YViiliam ' IY ' ., who departed this life on the

20 th June , had been a Freemason for half a century , and Grand Patron of the Order since the death , in 1830 , of his brother George IY ' . However , it was held on the 19 th July , at the Freemasons' Tavern , Bros . John Chanter , George Price , S . Staples , and E . K . Moran being respectivel y President , Vice-President , Treasurer , and Hon . Secretary of the Board of Stewards . Owing to the inability , as already described , of Bro . James Pattison , M . P .,

P . G . J . YY ^ ., to occupy thc chair , Bro . J . Copeland Bell presided . The gentlemen guests present , among whom were several non-Masons , numbered 153 , and the total of the subscriptions announced , including thc annual receipts , was £ 610 , an amount sufficiently large to amply justify the selfcongratulations of the Committee on thc success of their labours ; the more especially as it rendered it possible for them to purchase a further sum of

• £ 500 Three per Cent . Consols , making a total of £ 1100 Government Stock , y ielding a small but fixed annual income sufficient to cover the current expenses . This was set forth in the audited statement of accounts submitted at thc meeting - of the General Committee at Radley ' s , on the 2 S 1 I 1 November , while there appeared to be a cash balance in the Treasurer ' s hands of close on £ 70 . It was also announced on this occasion that a sum

of £ 20 had been received from two lodges at the Cape of Good Hope , which were to be placed to the credit of the Asylum , but subject to the approval of the Grand Master . On the nlh April , 18 38 , at the usual monthly meeting of the Sub-Committee , a letter of thanks for this contribution was directed to be sent to Bro . Clerke Burton , Prov . Grand Master of the Cape of Good Hope , a similar letter to be sent to the Friendl y

Lodge , No . 531 ) , now Ho . 3 S 3 , Jamaica , for their contribution of £ 50 in aid of the Asylum . A resolution was also unanimousl y passed to the effect "That although the existence of the Asylum for Aged and Decayed Freemasons is partl y known in thc provinces , it is probable that many lodges are not sufficiently acquainted with the objects of the Institution , as well as its present situation and prospects , and that it is desirous an address

embodying such information , together with the fact of its having bcen unanimousl y sanctioned b y Grand Lodge , be sent postpaid to all the country lodges , " Bros . Dr . Crucefix , Moran , Sangstcr , and Field being appointed a Committee for thc purpose of carrying it into effect . At ' lhe next meeting in May , this Committee brought up the address they had prepared for submission to lodges in the provinces , and from this we glean the following

interesting explanations as to the ori gin and purpose of the proposed Asylum : It seemed to the original promoters of this much wanted Charit y almost a disgrace to the wealthy , extensive , and intellectual body composing the Masonic Craft that their Chanties should be limited to ( hc care and instruction of the young , while for the a " e _ l Mason himselr , who had passed his youth amid the enjoyment of those happy associations whicli belong to our society , and contributed in the hour of his social enjoyments to the maintenance of those deserving Charities lum reared its

, no Asy head to "ivc shelter to the decayed and worthy brother , when age and misfortune came to diminish his enjoyment , and add to the pangs of want and misery the recollection that nearly every other body afford to their aged and distressed the solace of a home and a resting place in the decline of days , ere the final departure to where troubles can come no more , and tear - are for ever wiped away . ' rt . ^ _ F w ny yC | arS paSt , _ . , 'ab 'ish ? d Masonic Charities in England have been the Board of Benevolence and Schools for the education and clothing- of the sons , and the