Grand Chapter.

By Disbursements during the Quarter ^ 142 iS 10 „ Purchase of ^ 200 Consols , 92 ^ , Bank Fee and Commission 18 3 " 12 6 „ Balance ' 427 18 5 J 27 < 6 9 9

which balance is in the hands of Messrs . Willis , Percival and Co ., Bankers of the Grand

Treasurer . " The Committee have likewise to report that they have received the following petitions : —• " JSt . From Comps . J oshua Nunn as Z ., Henry Johnson as H ., William Johnson as J ., and seven others ; for a chapter to be attached

to the Caledonian Lodge , No . 134 , London , to be called 'The Caledonian Chapter , ' and to meet at the Ship and Turtle Tavern , Leadenhallstreet , in the City of London . 2 nd . From Comps . Elias Gottheil as Z . j Alfred Ellis Harris as H .: Charles Challis

Taylor as J . ; and seven others , for a Chapter to be attached to the Lodge of Faith , No . 141 , London , to be called ' The Faith Chapter , ' and to meet at Anderton ' s Hotel , Fleet Street , in the City of London . " 3 rd . From Comps . the Rev . Jno . "VVm . Newell

1 anner as Z . ; Charles Dutton as H . ; Samuel Gilbert as J . ; and eleven others , for a chapter to be attached to the Lodge of Unity , No . 321 , Crewe , to be called ' The Chapter of Faith , ' and to meet at the Crewe Arms Hotel , '_ Crewe , in the County of Chester .

4 th . From Comps . Thomas Pibble Payne as Z . ; James Ricketts Weston as H . ; Henry Dusautoy as J . ; and ten others , for a chapter to be attached to the Lodge of Peace and Harmony , No . 359 , Southampton , to be called 'The Chapter of Peace , ' and to meet at the Freemasons '

Hall , Southampton . 5 th . From Companions Mark Scott as Z . ; Frederick Dickinson as H . ; John Brook Bray as J . 3 and six others , for a chapter to be attached to the St . Germain ' s Lodge , No . 566 , Selby , Yorkshire , to be called "The St . Germain ' s

Chapter , and to meet at the Crescent , Selby , in the County of York . ' ' " 6 th . From Comps . Tlie Right Honourable Spencer Compton Cavendish , AI . P ., Marquis of Hartington as Z . ; Haughton Charles Okeover as H . ; Charles Robert Colvile as J . ; and eleven

others , for a chapter to be attached to the Aborettim Lodge , No . 731 , Derby , to be called ' The Chapter of Truth , ' and to meet at the Arboretum Hotel , in the Township of Litchnrch , in the County of Derby . " / tli . From Comps . William Henry Porritt

as Z . ; George Fox as H . ; David Richard Wright Porritt as J . ; and six others , for a chapter to be attached to the Londesborougli Lodge , No . 734 , Bridlington Quay , to be called 'The Londesborougli Chapter , ' and to meet at the Masonic Hall , Bridlington Quay , in the County of York .

" 8 th . From Comps . Samuel Geo . Homfray as Z . ; Hy . John Higginsou as H . ; Wm . Williams junr ., as J . ; and nineteen others , for a chapter to be attached to the Philanthropic Lodge , No . Si 8 , . Abergavenny , to be called ' The Philanthropic Chapter , ' and to meet at the Masonic Hall ,

Abergavenny , in the County of Monmouth . " 9 th . From Comps . George Arthur Brown as Z . ; John Lewis as H . ; James Phillips as ) . ; and seven others , for a chapter to be attached to the St . George ' s Lodge , No . 1098 , Tredegar , to be called ' Ihe Prince of Wales Chapter , ' and

to meet at the Temperance Hall , Tredegar , in the County of Monmouth . " 1 oth . From Companions John Millward as Z ., Robert Rippon Duke as H ., Frederick Turner as J ., and twelve others , for a Chapter to be attached to the Phoenix Lodge of St . Ann , No .

1 , 23 , 1 ; , Buxton , to be called ' The Phcnnix Chapter of St . Ann , ' and to meet at the Court House , Buxton , in the county of Derby . "The foregoing Petitions being in all respects regular , tlie Committee recommend that the

prayers thereof be respectively granted . "The Committee have also received a Memorial from the St . George ' s Chapter , No . 440 . Montreal , praying for a Charter of Confirmation , the ori g inal Charter having been surreptitiousl y re-

Grand Chapter.

moved at the same time that the Warrant of the Lodge ( for which a Warrant of Confirmation has since been granted ) was also removed . The Committee being fully satisfied of the truth of the allegation set forth in the Memorial , recommend the prayer of the Memorial to be granted .

All the above were separately moved , seconded , and passed , without any discussion . Comp . Scott then read the following item in the report : ¦—" The Committee have also to report that they have received a petition from the principals

and other members of the Chapter of Hope , meeting at the Globe Tavern , Royal Hill , Greenwich , Kent , which is at present attached to the Lodge of Friendship , No . 206 , meeting at the Ship and Turtle , Leadenhall- street , praying that the Chapter may be detached from the aforesaid

Lodge , No . 206 , and be henceforth attached to the St . George ' s Lodge , No . 140 , Greenwich , Kent , and be called 'The St . George ' s Chapter . ' "This petition " is regular inform , and is accompanied with resolutions from both the lodges

signif ying their assent to the proposed arrangement . The Committee recommend that the prayer thereof be granted . " Comp . Scott moved that the prayer be granted . Comp . Joshua Nunn seconded the motion . Comp . Bradford opposed it . It seemed to him

a most extraordinary announcement to make to Grand Chapter . He had known Grand Chapter for the last twenty years , and had never known such a petition granted . What had been done ever since he had been a Mason ought to be done now . The present was an extraordinary course

to adopt , and yet the Committee reported that the petition was " regular in form . " He did not say that he objected to the petition being granted , but he should call on Grand Chapter , if it granted this petition , to grant a similar favour to his own Chapter attached to St . John ' s Lodge ,

which met at the Hollybush , Hampstead . Comp . Scott said he could not allow these irregular observations to be made . Grand Chapter was not considering the St . John ' s Chapter , and the bringing forward that subject was not relevant to the case under discussion .

Comp . Bradford replied that he thought St . John ' s Lodge had been" ill-used by being sat upon for the last twenty years . The Acting Grand Z . reminded Comp . Bradford that the Chapter was now debating the contents of the report of the Committee which concerned the Chapter of Hope .

Comp . Scott added that Comp . Bradford referred to another Chapter—the St . John ' swhich was not before Grand Chapter , and if he wished the case of St . John ' s to be considered he must bring it in regular form before the Committee . Comp . Bradford again said that St . John ' s

Chapter had been ill-treated for the last 20 years . ( Cries of No , no . ) Comp . Scott inquired if Comp . Bradford wished to move an amendment . Comp . Bradford replied that he would move , " That the petition under consideration be not granted until that of St . John ' s Chapter were granted . "

Ihe Acting G . Z . informed Comp . Bradford that if he liked to bring his case before the Committee of General Purposes he could do so , but I 13 had no right to introduce an extraneous subject , which this was , into the discussion on the matters concerning the Chapter of Hope . Comp . F . Walters said , there was nothing in

the steps taken b y the Chapter of Hope at all extraordinary . It had ori ginally been attached to the Lodge of Friendship , but was afterwards separated from that lodge . It was well-known that the Lodge of Prudent Brethren parted with their Chapter Warrant some years ago to the Neptune Lodge . Separation of a chapter fiom one lodge , and attachment to another was nothing

new . The motion of Comp . Scott was then put and carried . Comp . Scott said the last paragraph of the

report was one of finance , but it had been well considered by the Committee before its adoption had been recommended to Grand Chapter . It was as follows : — " The attention ol' the Committee having been

Grand Chapter.

directed to the very great increase in the number of chapters ( nearly one-hundred ) , and the consequent increase of exj > enses in the office , since the arrangement was made in 1866 , "that one sixth of the salaries paid by Grand Lodge should be paid by Grand Chapter , the Committee recommend the following resolution for the adoption of Grand Chapter .

" That in future Grand Chapter shall pay onefifth , instead of one-sixth , of the salaries fixed by Grand Chapter to be hereafter paid to the Grand Secretary and his Clerks and the Grand Tyler , and that the sum of £ 50 per annum be contributed towards the general expenses , instead of £ 2 , 0 per annum as at present . " He begged to move its adoption .

Comp . John Savage seconded the motion , and corroborated the statement that the increase in the number of chapters had greatly increased the work of the Grand S . E . ' s office , and its expenses . It was but fair therefore that Grand Chapter should make an additional contribution

towards those expenses . Some years ago it had been decided , that a sixth of the salaries of Grand Secretary ' s office should be borne b y Grand Chapter , and £ 20 paid towards the general expenses of the office , and at that time it was considered that the proportion was just . Now , however , when the work was so much increased , one-fifth

of the said salaries , and £ 50 towards the expenses , seemed to him a proper j > roportion . If the Grand Chapter did not do this , probably we should hear before long that Grand Chapter was poaching on Grand Lodge . It seemed to him that the proposition was equitable , and he would second Comp . Scott ' s motion .

The motion was carried unanimously . The Acting Grand Z . announced that the Grand Z . had appointed Comps . Scott , Head , and Fraser , members of the Committee of General Purposes for the year , and called on the Companions to elect the remaining six .

Tlie election was then proceeded with , and of ei ght members who were proposed , Comps . J . Savage , Joseph Smith , Joshua Nunn , H . Browse , James Brett , and F . Adlard were chosen . The formalities for closing Grand Chapter were thereupon observed , and the Companions separated .

Multum In Parbo, Or Masonic Notes And Queries.

Multum in Parbo , or Masonic Notes and Queries .

In Bro . Laurie ' s history of Freemasonry ( Ed . 1859 , p . 16 3 ) it is stated that John McGowan , Esq ., presented to Grand Lodge of Scotland a book " containing the minutes of a lodge of Freemasons , held at Rome in 173 ^ , under the

auspices of the Earl of Winton .... this is the . lodge over which Prince . Charles Edward presided as Right Worshipful Master . " We should begladifany of the Scottish fratres

would kindl y inform us as to the character and contents of this minute-book , and the year in which the Prince was Master of the lodge . W . J AMES HUGH AX .

What are tlie earliest records of the Mark Degree in this country ? We shall be glad to correspond with any brethren who can furnish us with authentic extracts from the minute-book of any ancient lodge , or chapter , which worked the

Mark degree anterior to the year 1770 , in either England or Scotland . It would appear from the Records we already possess that the "Mark-man" was given to Fellow Crafts , and the Mark Master , to Master

Masons , during the latter part of the last century , and although it is often stated that Mark Master ' s degree , ( as now worked under the flourishing Mark Grand Lodge ) was formerly a part of the Fellow Craft , we have never yet seen a minute

of any lodge meeting , at which the Mark Masters degree was conferred on Fellow Crafts during last century . On the contrary , however , we have a code of By-laws transcribed for us from

the Banff Lodge Records expressly providing for the restriction of the Mark Master ' s degree to Master Masons , dated A . D . 1778 . W . J AMES HUGHAN .