Grand Lodge Of New York.

No member shall be permitted to dimit from the lodge of which he is a member until he shall present a certificate from some warranted lodge that he has been accepted for membership therein ; on presentation of such certificate , and upon the written request ofthe brother , the lodge at a stated

communication may , if the member is not an elected officer or indebted to the lodge , or under charges , issue a certificate of dimit , which shall not be delivered to the brother , but shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the lodge , to the lodge from which such certificate of acceptance came ,

which dimit shall not become operative , or the brother ' s membership in the lodge issuing thc dimit terminated until the brother shall have consummated membership in the other lodge . But any member of a lodge against whom charges are not pending , and whose dues and indebtedness

to the lodge are paid , may withdraw from membership by presenting a written application therefore at a stated communication . The lodge shall grant the request of the brother by dropping his name from the rolls , and his membership shall thereby be terminated , and he shall be subjected

to the disabilities of an unaffiliated Master Mason , provided , however , that an elective officer cannot withdraw during his term of office . The following was proposed as a substitute : Any member of a lodge wdio is not an elected officer thereof , nor under charges , and whose dues

to the lodge are paid or discharged , may obtain a dimit from such lodge if he make application thereof in writing ata stated communication . This gave rise to an animated debate , the ground taken by its opponents being that if a Mason left the State , and went to another , he would have

nothing to show to enable him to join a lodge in the State to which he had gone , l'he substitute was ultimately lost , and the committee accepted amendments by M . AV . Clinton F . Paige , changing the words " accepted" and " acceptance " for " petitioned " and " petition , " and making it compulsory on thc lodge to grant the dimit , and

sending it to the lodge receiving the petition . The last clause in thc first paragraph in the original resolution was also changed so as to read " AVhich dimit shall not become operative , or the brother ' s membership in the lodge issuing the dimit terminated , until notice shall have been received that the brother has consummated membership in the other lodge . "

A clause in the io 2 d section , providing that suspension ( the punishment for non-payment of dues ) should not extend to brethren who are manifestly unable to pay their dues , was , on motion ot AV . Bro . George AV . Dilfcs , stricken out , but such punishment is not to be inflicted until

two years dues are " owing . AA' . Bro . Couch , of Brooklyn , moved that any brother suspended for non-payment of dues may be restored to membership by a two-third vote of members present , and voting , provided he shall have paid the amount due at the time of his suspension .

Tins was amended by substituting the word " restoration" for " suspension , " and " majority " for " two-thirds , ' and in this condition the substitute of Bro . Couch was adopted . The Grand Lodge was called from labour to refreshment , to resume labour at 2 p . m .

On re-assembling the Committee on warrants reported in favour of granting new warrants to several lodges under dispensation . Duplicate warrants were recommended to be granted , without charge , to High Falls Lodge , No . 428 , Seneca River , No . 169 ; and Oriona

No . 229 , in place of the originals destroyed by lire . At the same time the committee called attention to the gross carelessness of custodians of warrants , in leaving both warrants and records in their lodge rooms , often insecure , frequently inaccessible in case of lire , and recommended

( he Grand Lodge to adopt such measures as will hold the Master of a lodge to a strict accountability in case of the destruction of a warrant by lire . The name of " Abram ' s" Lodge , No . 20 , was change to that of "Pioneer" Lodge , No . 20 .

A motion to defer the order of the day until after the constitution should have been passed was lost , and the regular order of business ]> roceeded with , thc M . AV . Isaac Phillips in the East . The M . AV . Christopher G . Fox , was elected Grand Master bv a show of hands . J li .-

Grand Lodge Of New York.

following committee was appointed to inform the M . AV . Brother of his re-election : Past Grand Masters James Gibson , Stephen H . Johnson , and Nathaniel F . Waring . The M . AV . Brother , on presenting himself , was addressed by the Presiding Officer , on behalf

of 80 , 000 Masons , in congratulatory terms , and was responded to by the M . W . Brother with thanks for the confidence reposed in him . M . AV . John L . Lewis nominated ( and M . AV ., Stephen H . Johnson seconded the nomination ) 11 . AV . Ellwood E . Thorne for Deputy Grand

Master . He was unanimously elected , and entered the Grand Lodge escorted by M . AV . John L . Lewis , Joseph D . Evans and R . AV . Isaac H . Brown , the committee appointed to inform hi in of his re-election unanimously , when he was congratulated on his re-election .

The following bretlnen were then re-elected unanimously : Senior Grand Warden , R . AA'd Edmond L . Judsoii , of Albany ; Junior Grand AVardeu , R . AV . General James AV . Hustcd , of Peekskill ; Grand Treasurer , M . AV . John AV . Simons , of New A ' ork ; Grand Secretary , R . AAc

James M . Austin M . D . ; Grand Chaplains , R . AV . Res , R . L . Schoonmaker , F . C . Ewer , and J ohn G . AVe ' oster , Grand Pursuivant , AV . Johnston Fountain ; Grand Tyler , AV . John Hoolej and Grand Lecturer , R . AV . George H . Raymond .

In returing thanks for his re-election , R . AA'd Bro . Ilusted gave a history of his labour in getting the taxes on tlie Hall remitted , whicli , by a blunder of an engrossing clerk , was made naught ; but a supplementary bill , which he had introduced , would be signed by the Governor , and the Hall would be exempt from taxation .

The M . AV . Luke Lockwood , Grand Master of Connecticut , was here introduced and received with the grantl honours . M . AV . James jenkinson here rose , ami said : " Most AA " orshipful Grand Master , 1 think the labourer is worthy of his hire . I therefore move

that thc thanks 01 this Grantl Lodge , properly engrossed , be presented to our Junior Grand AVarden , General James AA'd Husted , for his able , efficient , ami effective services , in tlie Legislature , in behalf of this Grand Lodge . " Adoptetl unanimously . R . AV . Bro . Sinclair , moved for a convention

of Masters ol lodges 111 New A ork and Brooklyn , to be held on Saturday evening in the Masonic Temple , to devise means for the completion of the same . Referred to the Committee on Jurisprudence . A clause was inserted in the section relative

to the non-payment of dues , providing that for thirty days before a brother can be stricken from the roll for such an offence he shall be summoned to attend lodge and pay . On motion of M . AA' . Bro . Johnson , the installation of Grand Officers was made the

special order lor nine o clock Friday morning . On motion of AA' . Levi J . Isaacs , the thanks of thc Grand Lotige were unanimousl y given to the M . AAc Isaac Phillips , for the able and courteous manner in which he conducted the election .

The consideration of the Constitution was resumed . On a question as to a waiving of jurisdiction by a sister lodge , R . AA ' . Isaac M . Brown stated that he had three times asked a

sister lodge for a permission to initiate , pass , and raise a candidate who had been rejected by said lodge . That lodge refused permission on thc ground that the candidate is a Catholic . Now he knew no sect in Mnsonrv . nordidlielook

for any religious qualification except a belief in a Supreme Being . The man in question had nothing against him , and was as line a piece of material has he had ever seen in his 1 ntire Masonic career , yet lie was refused b y the lodge in question by but one vole , where there

were only seven persons voting . Tiie section on this subject was amended so as to make a majority vote , instead of a single black ball , sufficient to refuse such permission . Amendments were passed preventing the inititiation , passing or raising of more than five

candidates at any one time , aud the conferring of more than one degree or any one candidate in one day . One- of the amendments adopted read I ' ins "No officer or oth < r memh-r of in : I --Ig-

Grand Lodge Of New York.

shall be permitted to procure the initiation of advancement of any candidate in any other lodge than that in which such candidates shall have been accepted . " On motion of M . AV . Clinton , F . Paige , the report was recommitted , with instructions to

report back complete . The Grand Lodge then called off until 9 a . m . Friday . On Friday the Grand Lodge resumed labour at 9 a . m ., prayer being offered by R . AV . and Rev . John G . AVebster , Grand Chaplain .

rhe special committee to whom was referred so much of the Grand Master ' s report as referred to the Chigago Board of Relief , recommended that the 3 . 494 . 17 dols . returned by the Chigago Board of Relief he turned over to the Hall and Asylum Fund , whicli was adopted .

I he officers of the Grand Lodge were then installed .

The following Commissioners of Appeal were nominated by the Grand Master and confirmed by the Grantl Lodge : Chief , R . AV . Andrew E . Suffern , of Haverstraw : Commissioners—AVm . T . AVoodruff , of New York ; AA ' . Josh J . Couch of Brooklyn ; AV . John A .

De Reimer of Schenectady ; AV . / Alexander T . Goodwin , of Utica ; AV . George O . Baker , of Clyde ; and AV . David F . Day , of Buffalo . R . AV . Edmund L . Jiufson , from the Committee of Finance , repotted various appropriations for salaries and for charitable and other

purposes . The Grand Secretary was recommended to receive 6 , 000 dols . lor salary and clerk hire , and the Boards eif Relief of New York 1 , 500 dols ., ami Brooklyn ami AVilliamsbtirgh

100 dols . each . Seventy-live dollars were appropriated for a safe for the (' rami Treasurer , and all moneys over and above what was required to pay expenses were turned over t ; i the Hall and Asylum Fund .

llie First six Grand Oflicers having been appointed a committee to re-district the State tendered the following report , whicli was confirmed :

ist . —Queens and Suffolk counties . 2 nd . —Kings , east of AAd-ishinglon-iveiiue . 3 rd . —Kings , west of AVashington avenue . 4 th . —Richmond county and New York city Lodges up to and including No . 1 . 56 .

51 I 1 . —New A ' ork City Loelge /; up to and including No . 243 . 6 th . —New York city lodges up to and including No . . 371-7 U 1 . —New York city lodges up to and

including No . 600 . Sth . —New A ' ork city lodge- , up lo anel including No- 7 . VJyth . —AA ' estehester . Putnam , and Dutchess counties .

10 th . — -Rockland , Orucs'C Sullivan , and Ulster . nth . —Greene . Delawaie . and Schoharie . 121 I 1 . —Columbia , Keicsela v , Albany , and Schenectady 1 . 3 th . —AA ' ashinglon , Saratoga , AA ' anen , and

Essex . 14 th . —Montgomery , Fulton , Hamilton , and Herkimer . i ') th . —St . Lawrence , Franklin , an , \ CUnUv . i . lO ' lh . —Jefferson and Lewis . 17 th . —Otsogo , Chenago , and Broom .-.

19111 . —Oiioiiuago , Oswego , Cayuga , and Cornhnd . 20 th . —Tompkins , Schuyler , Tioga , and Chemung . 21 st . —AV ' ayne , Ontario , Seneca , and Yates . 22 iid . —Monroe , Livingston , Genesee , and

\ A yoniing . 23 rd . —Steuben and Allegany . 2 . j . lh .- — Orleans and Niagara . 2 . * dh . — - Erie . 20 th .---Chautauqua and CaUaiau :: u ; .

1 wo districts 111 New York and Brooklyn , woiking one in the German aud thc other in the Fivuch , Sp . uiish and kalian language :. ; . The ninetieth annual communication of the Grand Lodge was then closed .

A UOON TO I ' VICIIV I lousiaioui . —i ' tJ : > : -, with the ci / Iebrale-1 wii ' u-i | uiltc < l sok-s , v . e-. iline ; twice as line ; asordinarv ] i-nther , for ail .-i ;;' e- ; ; ,-nxl r !) i ] J ; v : i ' .- ; ho t- veil ';) rcctr ' tVu : llp : i , -.. liiiCi iie-ve-r v . -i-.-ir out .-it tic- t-vs , m .-iv u- lia . l at ma-. t .-. l-rc C--. U :, S . I : i . '; -t oil : d . ' . ;¦ ¦ . <; {';¦ c ; i tdi :-l , eiC ] .. ! _ ,- ; ..., tCdi O' -. Tll / .