United Grand Lodge Of England.

On the motion of Bro . ROBERT GREY , President of the Board of Benevolence , seconded by Bro . J AMES BRETT , Senior Vice-President , the above recommendations were unanimously confirmed . Bro . LENNOX BROWNE , Vice-President of the Board of General Purposes , proposed , and Bro . Sir ALBERT W . WOODS , G . D . C , seconded , the taking as read and the acceptance and entering on the minutes of the following

REPORT OF THE BOARD OP GENERAL PURPOSES . To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England . The Board have to report that vacancies have occurred in the list of Trustees of the real property of Grand Lodge by the deaths of Bros , the

Earl of Carnarvon , Lord Tenterden , K . C . B ., John Havers , Samuel Leith Tomkins , / Eneas J . Mclntyre , Q . C , and John Anthony Rucker . The surviving trustees being Bros , the Earl of Lathom , the Earl of Donoughmore , K . C . M . G ., Sir Albert W . Woods , K . C . M . G ., C . B . ( Garter ) , Sir John B . Monckton , and Frederick Adolphus Philbrick , Q . C .

Vacancies have also occurred in the list of Trustees of the personal property of Grand Lodge by the deaths of Bros , the Earl of Carnarvon and Samuel Leith Tomkins . The surviving Trustees being Bros , the Earl of Lathom and the Duke of Abercorn , C . B . The Board , therefore , recommend that the following brethren be now appointed to fill these vacancies : For the real property—Bros , the Earl of

Mount Edgcumbe , the Earl of Limerick , the Earl of Euston , and Bro . Thomas Fenn . For the personal property—Bros , the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe and the Earl of Limerick . ( Signed ) THOMAS FENN , President . Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C , 18 th August , iSoi .

To the report is subjoined 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 ( Western Branch ) of ^ 9043 4 s . 3 d ., and in the hands of the Grand Secretary for petty cash ^ 100 , and for servants' wages ^ 100 , and balance of annual allowance for library - £ 33 ios . iod . The motions were carried .

Bro . LENNOX BROWNE moved , and Bro . F . A . PHILBRICK seconded , the adoption of the recommendations in the above report that the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe , the Earl of Limerick , the Earl of Euston , and Bro . Thomas Fenn be appointed to fill the vacancies in the trusteeship of Grand Lodge for the real property , and the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe and the Earl of Limerick for the personal property . The motion was carried .

Bro . PHILBRICK , Q . C , G . Reg ., brought up an appeal by the Worshipful Master and brethren of Lodge La Cajsaree , No . 590 , Jersey , against a sentence of suspension passed on the lodge by the Provincial Grand Master of the Province of Jersey for wilful and deliberate disobedience of his orders . As the Worshipful Master and Junior Warden of Lodge La Cscsaree were in attendance in the porch , on the motion of the Grand Registrar , dul ) 'seconded , it was resolved b y Grand Lodge that they be admitted .

Sir Albert Woods then proceeded to the porch , and conducted the Master and Junior Warden of the lodge to the right of the Grand Master on the throne , below the dais . Bro . PHILBRICK then stated the case , the short facts of which were that in November , 1890 , Bro . John Durell , a P . M . of Lodge La Cesaree , a member of something like 20 years and upwards , who had served the chair

three times , and had been Treasurer of the lodge , wrotealetter to the W . M . stating that he had just received a letter from his son Walter who was in Mashonaland , South Africa , who had been a member of the lodge , asking for a certificate of clearance , as he was one of some brethren who were applying for a warrant for a new lodge out there . According to the minutes of the lodge it was decided that the demand ought to be made by Bro . Walter Durell

himself , and they sent this to Bro . John Durell in a letter in which they said if Bro . Walter Durrell did apply it should be at once granted . The letter which was signed by the Master said he would be pleased to beof service to him . It was explained that to get a further authority from Bro . Walter Durell would cause a delay of six months and Bro . John Durell again wrote to the lodge drawing their attention to Rule 213 of the Book of Constitutions , which

says " Whenever a member of any lodge shall resign , or shall be excluded , or whenever , at a subsequent time , he may require it , he shall be furnished with a certificate stating the circumstances under which he left the lodge ; and such certificate is to be required by , and to be produced to , any other lodge of which he is proposed to be admitted a member , previously to the

ballot being taken . " He proceeded to say he would not ask as a favour what was a matter of ri ght . At the meeting of the lodge when the first letter came no brother was present who had recognised Walter Durell as a member of the lodge although he had been a member for 10 years , and although his name was in the printed list of members . After the certificate had been refused at the second

meeting , Bro . John Durell appealed to the Provincial Grand Master . The Master and Wardens were summoned along with Bro . Durell before him , and the Prov . Grand Masterheard the complaint . The Prov . Grand Master thought the matter might be arrangedby Bro . Durell attending the lodge ana producing the letter from his . son , andthat then thelodge would grantthecertificate . In that case the Prov . Grand Master would not have to pronounce any

decision . But before the next lodge , at which the father promised to produce the letter , he had been told by some brother that if he attended he would be refused admission . Bro . Philbrick said he hoped in justice to the lodge this was an unauthorised communication , but the consequence was the father did not attend . The matter went again before the Provincial Grand Master , and in the result he suspended the lodge .

Bro . Philbrick thought the interpretation of Rule •213 came now for the first time before Grand Lodge , but the interpretation was very plain . It was usual no doubt to prefer the request for a certificate in lodge or for the brother who wanted it to write to the lodge ; but whether a brother was popular or unpopular in a lodge it was his right to have a certificate of clearance and of the circumstances under which he left the lodge . What harm on earth could it do V It was of no money value ; it could not be

used like a bill of exchange . However , the lodge decided that the brother requiring the certificate must apply in his own handwriting , and that unless he did they could not grant it . Considering Bro . John Durell ' s position , and his long membership of the lodge , he thought the lodge was bound to take his word that he was authorised by his son to make the application . Under the circumstances , he would move— " That the appeal be dismissed , and this Grand Lodge doth suspend Lodge La Cresaree until it makes due submis-

United Grand Lodge Of England.

sion to the Provincial Grand Master , and apologises to him for its past disobedience . " The Earl of EUSTON seconded . The lodge , he thought , had acted against all Masonic rules and in absolute antagonism to its Provincial Grand Master .

The J UNIOR WARDEN of Lodge La Cesaree said he had been asked by the W . M . to address the Grand Lodge for him in support of the appeal . Bro . Walter Durell became a member of Lodge La Caesaree in 1877 , and left it in July , 1880 . As Bro . Philbrick had stated , when the demand for a certificate was made in November , 1890 , no one was present in the lodge who knew Bro . Walter Durell had belonged to it . No mention of

his name was to be found in any of the lodge records . It was only in the rules , to which unfortunately it never occurred to any of them to refer . Therefore , as no brother knew him they thought it would be better for Bro . Walter Durell to write to the lodge himself . To this effect the Worshipful Master wrote to Bro . John Durell . At that time it did not occur to them that any difficulty would arise as to the

construction of Rule 213 , and that Bro . Walter Durell had not himself asked for it . As delay would occur , the Worshipful Master himself wrote to Bro . John Durell asking him to send the authority by which he claimed the certificate for his son . It was then that Bro . Durell wrote that he would not ask as a favour for that which he had a right to , and he referred to Rule 213 . It was after that the lodge found that Bro . Walter Durell had not asked

for it himself either verbally or in writing , and that Bro . John Durell had in writing absolutely refused , notwithstanding the demands of the W . M ., to give any proof that he held the authorisation from Bro . Walter Durell directing him to ask for the certificate of the latter . That was the clear position of the lodge on 8 th January , 1891 . They stated clearly at that date before an )' complaints had been made to the Provincial Grand Master that they were

prepared to give a clearance certificate to Bro . Walter Durell as soon as he asked for it himself or by his representative . He asked the Grand Lodge to remember the dates . Nearly a month after—in February , 1891—Bro . John Durell sent a complaint in writing to the Provincial Grand Master , and a copy was sent to the lodge with a request that they should attend . The W . M . on attending the Prov . Grand Master presented a statement of

facts . The lodge thought Bro . John Durell ' s conduct vexatious , and it was pointed out that he had persistently refused to produce the letter of his son , and this created the impression that he was not authorised to act . He produced it to the Prov . Grand Master and promised him to produce it to the lodge , but did not do so . He ( the J-W . ) contended that if the lodge was suspended , it could not during its suspension grant a certificate ; it could exercise no Masonic rights or privileges .

Bro . Justice PRINSEP speaking , as belonging to a distant province , said he had never seen such a cloud raised up by the brethren of Lodge La Cesaree . One would think that the matter was one between Bro . John Durell , the father , and the-lodge . But where was the poor son all the time ? Could he obtain any Masonic rights ; could he assist the cause of Freemasonry by joining in starting a new lodge V No ; he was prevented by the

refusal of his mother lodge when the son was away in a distant land . What was more natural than that he should write to his father to get him a certificate . If they had had any doubts about the authenticity of the application they might have sent a registered letter to the son . He had always understood that it was one of the first motives

of Freemasonry to endeavour to act harmoniousl y with one another , and to work smoothly and easily , and facilitate the cause of Masonry as far as in their power . It appeared to him that here there had been every endeavour to take advantage of technical quibbles . Bro . PHILBRICK having replied ,

Bro . J AMES STEVENS ( the Master and J . W . of Lodge Cesaree having retired while Grand Lodge deliberated ) , contended that according to Rule 213 , the application must be made by the brother himself , and that a Provincial Grand Master could not override the Book of Constitutions .

A division was then taken , but without the numbers being counted , it was clear that a large majority were in favour of the dismissal of the appeal , and the Earl of MOUNT EDGCUMBE SO declared it . The W . M . and J . W . of Lodge La C ? csaree were then sent for , and on their being conducted to the Grand Master in the chair his lordshi p informed them that this question had been very carefully considered , that

Grand Lodge had divided upon the subject , but a majority—a decided majority—found in favour of the motion that was made by the Grand Registrar . That motion was " That the appeal be dismissed and that this Grand Lodge doth suspend Lodge La Cesaree until it makes due submission to the Provincial Grand Master and apologises to him for its past disobedience . " The Master and the J . W . then bowed and retired , and the Grand Lodge was closed .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Cornwall.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF CORNWALL .

The annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Cornwall was held at St . Austell on Tuesday , the 25 th ult . The Prov . Grand Lodge was summoned for 11 o ' clock , and was held at the Assembly Rooms , which were neatly decorated for the occasion . The officers of the Prov . Grand Lodge present were Bros , the Right Hon .

the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe , Prov . Grand Master ; Sir C B . G raves-Sawlc , Bart ., D . P . G . M . ; Major J . J . Ross , 121 , P . S . G . W . ; R . A . Courtney , 51 ° - P . J . G . W . ; E . Huxtable , 331 , and H . M . Petty , 75 , Prov . G . Chaplains ; T . Taylor , 318 , Prov . G . Treas . ; Trevennen , 318 , Prov . G . Reg . ; T . Chirgwin , 131 , Prov . G . Sec . ; T . C . Mack , 131 , P . S . G . D . ; T . A . Kistler , 589 , P . S . G . D . J

1 . H . Spear , 330 , P . J . G . D . ; ] . Brewer , P . G . Std . Br . ; F . Rodda , 131 . P . D . G . D . C ; J . Duckett , S 93 , P . A . G . D . C ; Lieut . T . R . Grylls , 75 . P . G . S . B . ; E . F . Whitley , 331 , P . G . Org . ; S . Trcsidder , 75 , P . Asst . G . Sec ; W . Ellis , 318 , P . G . Purst . ; J . Langdon , 131 , P . Asst . G . Purst . ; R . K . Williams , P . G . Stwd . ; and R . James , 318 , P . G . Tyler .

There were also present the following Past Provincial Grand Officers : Bros . Gilbert B . Pearce , 450 , P . P . J . G . W . ; W . Nettle , 510 , P . P . J . G . W . ; Robert Williams , 12 7 2 , P . G . T . ; E . W . Anderton , 331 , P . P . S . G . W . ; Charles Truscott , 49 >

P . P . J . G . W . ; J . H . Baynes Reed , 75 , P . P . G . Std . Br . ; Richard Angel , 131 , P . P . G . S . J John Tonkin , 131 , P . P . A . G . Sec . ; W . Wagner , 450 , P . P . G . Stwd . ; W . A . Bennett , 6 99 , P . P . G . Std . Br . ; Rev . R . F . Fraser-Frizell , 131 , P . P . G . C . ; M . Richards , 3 ' > P . P . G . T . ; J . N . Francis , 75 , P . P . G . T . ; J . A . Bersey , 893 , P . P . G . S . ; E . Edwards ,