United Grand Lodge Of England.

with credit lo himself and honour to the Craft . Last year Bro . Bailey , of the Province cf Staffordshire , was adopted as the brother to be nominated for the office , and Bro . Vai'ghan Morgan , who bsd , on the clrclion of Bro . Stiles polled 1 , 000 votes , and had the position in his hand , with the penerosity which was characteristic of him , said : " I recognise llie claim of the Provinces ; the position has bren held so many years by London brethren ;

we ought to recognise the Provinces , and he retired in favour of their good friend Bro . Bailey , thereby avoiding what they all deploied , a contest . ( Hear , hear , and cheers . ) That showed the true Masonic spirit of the man ; lie accepted defeat with honour one year , and last year he retired in a selfdenyirg manner . He ( Bro . Stephens ) therefore asked the brethren to recrgnise that kindly disposition of Bro . Vaughan Morgan and elect him .

He had some knowledge of their good friend and Bro . Stiles ; he had a watm corner in his hfart , and he said he would never leave his old opponent until he had seen him attain the position of Grarcl Treasurer . That was a gcod trait in Bro . Siiles . ( Cries of "Time . " ) With the greatest confidence possible , therefore , he submitted for the acceptance of Grand Lodge the name of Bro . Vaughan Morgan . ( Applause ) .

Bro . WILLIAM WOODWARD , P . M . 1920 , said he rose with very much p leasure indeed to nominate for the high position of Grand Treasurer his old friend and brother , Major Clifford Probyn . He would not weary Grand Lodge by any eulogy of his brother for the simple reason that he believed the majority of the b . ethren present were fully acquainted with the characteristics of Major CI fford Probyn and his fitness for the position . But it

was necessary he should give the brethren , briefly at all events , a list of some of the Masonic woik carried on by him during his Masonic career . Firstly he was a subscribing member of 10 lodges , and of those lodges he had been a founder cf six , the two most recent beirg the Lodge of the School Board for London and the Lodge of the London County Council . ( " Oh , oh , " and loud laughter . ) He was very pleased at this

recognition . ( Renewed cries of " Oh , oh , " and derisive laughter ) It was one of the qualifications of Bro . Probyn for the office . In addition to being founder of the lodges he had mentioned , Bro . Major Clifford Probjnwas also a full subscribing member of many other Masonic Degrees , and as regarded the Masonic Charities , without wearying Grand Lodge he would tell them . Bro . Probyn was Vice-President with four S ^ wardship * , of the

Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , Vice-Patron , with six Stewardships , of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , and Vice-President , with four Stewardships , of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . That was a brief resume of tre Mascnic work ( and he thought the brethren would agree with him , exce'Ient Masonic work ) of their Bro . Major Clifford Probyn . He would not weary the brethren with the brother ' s soc al qualifications , those were known to all of them , but he would conclude with this that he

was a splendid type of a true Freemason and of an Lnghsh gentleman , and he , therefore , with very much pleasure , concluded with nominating him for Grand Treasurer . ( Hear , hear . ) Bro . BEACH then announced the appointment by the Prince cf Wales of Bro . James Henry Matthews , P . Dep . G . D . C , as President of the Board of Benevolence . ( Cheers . ) Bro . Matthews was then invested .

Bro . BEACH then said the next business was a communication from the Most Worshipful Grand Master , that in consideration of the loyal and faithful services of the late President of the Board of General Purposes , Bro . Thomas Fenn , and of the late President of the Board of Benevolence , Bro . Robert Grey , the Most Worshipful Grand Master had thought proper

lo confer upon those brethren the rank of Past Grand Warden . ( Applause . ) He was sure the applause which followed the announcement ratified the appointment and was a testimony of the approval of Grand Lodge of the recognition of the eminent services which those two brethren had rendered to the Craft and to Grand Lodge . ( Renewed applause . ) Bros . Fenn and Grey the n advanced to the throne and shook hands with Bro . Beach on their appointment .

Bro . BEACH announced that Bro . D . D . Mercer had been re-elected Senior Vice-President of the Board of Benevolence , and Bro . C . A . Cottebrune , Junior Vice-President . Bro . BEACH then declared the following brethren duly elected Past

Masters to serve on the Board of Benevolence : Bros . George Graveley , 898 ; Walter Martin , 879 ; G . R . Langley , 2381 ; George B . Chapman , 27 ; Charles Dairv , 141 ; William Fisher , 834 ; James Bunker , 1158 ; William Vincent , " 1194 ; Simon H . Goldschmidt , 1329 ; Robert A . Gowan , 2029 ; William Kipps , 1275 ; and E . Nigh' . ingale , 87 .

The report of the Board of Benevolence for September , October , and November having been read by the GRAND S ECRETARY , On the motion of Bro . R OBERT GREY , seconded by Bro . D . D . MERCER , the following recommendation of grants were confirmed : A brother of the High Cross Lodge , No . 754 , L-ndon £ 75 e o A brother of the De Warren Lodge , No . 1302 , Halifax 100 o o The widow of a brother of the British Union Lodge , No . 114 ,

Ipswich 100 o o A brother of the Lebanon Lodge , No . 1326 , Feltham ioo o o The widow of a brother of the Lodge Brotherly Love , No . 329 , Yeovil 50 ° ° On the motion of Bro . L OVELAND LOVELAND , seconded by Bro . J . J . THOMAS , the report of the Board of General Purposes , as published in these columns last week , was taken as lead . The same brethren moved and seconded that it be received and entered on the minutes .

Bro . S . R . BASKETT , P . M . 1367 , thereupon rose , and said it was with some diffidence that he took what he was afraid was an unusual course , that of moving that this report be not received , but he wished to do so in the most courteous way he could . He desired to put to the President of the Board of General Purposes , through the Acting Grand Master , of which he had given Bro . Loveland Loveland previous notice , a question , without

going into details , with regard to certain correspondence , which related to a certain important letter from the District Grand Lodge of Otago and Southland , New Zealand . The question was whether such letter had been received by the President of the Bo ^ rd of General Purposes , and by the Board , and if not , why not ? if it had been received , why was it not on the minutes ? At the same time , it was a very important letter ,

and one which , he thought , certainly should have come before the Board , if it had not already done so . The President had been so courteous to him in t * e matter , that he felt a little hesilation in pressing the question , and he should like rather to leave it to him to say if , in his opinion , it was a question that should not be pressed . He would not press it ; but having given notice ° f it , he was there that nig ht to do so . Bto . R . LOVELAND L OVELAND , in reply , said Bro . Baskett had written ' 0 him on a subject uhch he piobably knew more about than he ( Bro ,

United Grand Lodge Of England.

Loveland ) , and he referred lo a letter of the 28 th November , 1896 , in the Freemason , signed " Lex Scripta . " He ( B-o . Loveland ) did not know who "Lex Scripta" was ; Bro . BJSMU mi ght know . Ths letter said " At the Special Meeting in July , Grand Lodge was asked to req test the Grand Master to take such steps for the recognition of the Grand Lod ge of New Zealand , and for the establishment of fraternal good fee'ing with o ir

New Zealand brethren , as he may consider consistent with the honour of this Grand Lodge , and with just consideration forlhose lodges which mav desire to retain their connection with the Grand Lodge of England . " Grand Lodge passed that by a very la-ge majority . Since that , at the hst meeting of the Board of General Purposes , Bro . Limonby , a friend of Bro . Baskett , asked the same qurstion that Bro . Biskelt asked , and he ( B-o !

Loveland ) gave him the same arswer he gavj to IVo . li iskclt , that at that time he ( Bro . Loveland ) never heard or knew of a loiter being sent to him . Oa making mquiry , he found it was wrongly direct-d to hin as Pies dent ' , because the Grand Master having the matter in hand , the l > > ard could n it have it in hand until the Grand Master had dealt wuh it . It was left for the Grand Master to take such steps for the recognition as he . mi ght be advised . Therefore , that was sent to the legal adviser of ihe BoardBro .

, Philbrick , the Grand Registrar . He d'd not see the letter ; ho did not read it , and that being so , he could not give any information . But a letter had been sent to the Grand Master . Bro . Baskett had a letter in which he referred to the circumstances of the precedent set by Grand Lodge in the time of the Eail of Zetland in the Canada case . When the Grand M istjr had determined it would then be laid before G'and Lodge to ratify and confirm what the Grand Master did .

Bro . S . R . BASKETT said the answer was so satisfactory that he would ask leave to withdraw his amendment . The amendment having been , by leave , withdrawn , the report was rereceived and ordered to be entered on the minutes . Bro . BEACH said a letter had been received from the Royal Masonic

Institution for Boys . It would be in the recollection of G-aod Lodge that contributions were being made for a scholarshi p for tint Institution , atvl it was for the purpose of that it was desired to call it " Tne Grand Lodge Scholarship . " H that met with the approval of Grand Lodge he thought they could not do better than assent to it . This was unanimously agreed to .

Bro . RICHARD HORTON SMITH , Q . C ., Deputy Grand Rrgistrar , brought forward the appeal by Bro . Edward H . Gibbin , P . M . 2119 , O icensland , against the ruling of the District Grand Master that a motion was in order ! and could be put to the Quarterly Communication , to excise from the minutes a resolution actually come to at the preceding meeting of District Grand Lodge , although no notice of such motion hid been given . It

seemed to him and the Grand Registrar that that appral mi ght be decided by the rules cf the District Grand Lodge abiut w * ich the con roversy arose on the salaries of the District and Assistant District Grand Secretaries . The seventh rule of the District Grand Lodge , which was , of cours ° , sanctioned by the Grand Master , provided " that the salaries of the D . stnct Grand Secretary and other paid officers cf the District Grand Lodge shall determined annuall

be y at the Comtr . imication in March . " That was absolute ; it must be done then and at no other time . At the Communication in March of the present year a motion was put and carried , that the honorarium of the District Grand Secretary should b-j ^ 125 , and ^ 50 to the Assistant Grand Secretary . That was perfectly regular , and was obligatory . At the Communication in June the controversy arose , and motions were made and carried , of which no iiolice had

been given , reducing the salaries . It had been admitttd that thi minutes of the March Communication were correct . An appeal was made to the District Grand Master , who held that the motion was in order although notice of it had not been given . Against that ruling the present appeal was brought . The appeal would be allowed and the District Grand Lodge be directed to enter on their minu ' . es a simple confirmation of this pirt of fie resolution come to in March . The motion was carried , and Grand Lodge was closed in form .

Royal Arch.

Royal Arch .

Fidelity Chapter , No . 3 . A meeting of this chapter was held on the 6 th inst ., at Freemasons' Hall , Great Queen-street , when there were present , among others , Comps . Lircomb . M . E 7 . ¦ fmt 1 . C . Walls , V . L ., P . D . G . D . C . ; 11 . Mapleton ; J . W . } . Collens . P . Z ., PPCS N S . E . ; H . J . Lardner , P . Z ., P . P . G . S . B . ; S . N . j I . Iteming , P . Z ., Treas . ' : Nash ' 1 st A . S . ; Kadcliffe , P . Z . ; Larter , and Goddard , Janitor . ' The minutes of the previous convocation were read an ! confirmed . The followin " members were unanimously elected respectively Principal * and officers for the

year ensuing : Comps . Capt . Walls , M . E . Z . ; Mapleton , H . ; H . | . Lardner , J . ; Collens S . E . ; Lieut .-Col . Hart , S . N . ; Heming , Treas . ; Nash , P . S . ; Birch and Pratt ' Asst . Sojs . ; Larter , D . C . ; and Goddard , Janitor . A Past Principal ' s i-jivel was ' voted to the M . E . Z . The report of the Audit Committee was received and ad ipted Apologies for non-attendance were received from Cimps . Ste , ' n » n 5 . 1 P Z V Gravis P . Z . ; Weeks , P . Z . ; F . McUougal , P . Z . ; C . Greenwood , P . Z . ; Birch , P . Z . and others . 1 he Chapter was then closed . ' A banquet followed . A few toasts were given .

Comp . Radcliffc proposed " l ' he Health of the M . E . Z . " In the course uf his remarks he stated that he personally regretted that their First Principal hid hid no candidates during his year of office . An old chapter like No . 3 , possessing as it did certain privileges , should not languish for want of candidates . However , their M . E . Z . had presided over them both in and out of the chapter in a most able and gonial manner , and on leaving the chair he would take with him the m > st " Hearty goo J wish » s " from all , and might he be spared long to wear the jewel which would be presented to him at the next meeting .

The M . E . Z . briefly acknowledged the complimeit . In giving the toast of "The S . E ., Treisurer , an 1 O . ficers , " the M . E . Z . expressed his great acknowledgments to those worthy companions . The proceedings then terminated .

I in-. Uuuit ss o \ ouiv being unable to be present at the annual bazaar at the Giosvtnor Hall , in aid of the work carried on by the Sisters at St . Saviour's Priory , Hacknty-ioad , sent a large contribution of pottery , & c , for sale . THE f . ORU MAYOR and Sheriffs of London were rnteitaincd at dinner by the Lonneis Company at the ! rocadero on Wednesday evening , the chair being occupied by Bro . Sir 11 . A . Isaacs . ° '

Till , NEW PiiKs . OKNT of the Royal Academy , Sir E . J . Po nter , was entertained at dinner on Wednesday evemng by the President and Committee of the Koyal Societie ; Club , among the Ruetts being Bro . Archdeacon Stevens , the Danish Minister , the Swedish and Norwegian Minister , Sir Edwin Arnold , and s : veral Koyal Acid-nrci ma .