Table Of Contents.

TABLE OF CONTENTS .

United Grand Lodge , 335 Grand Mark Lodge 337 Koyal Masonic Institution for Girls 338 ConnESPONDENCE : — Masons' Marks 338 The Masonic Charities 338 Bed Cross of Constantine 330 Prov . G . LouVc of Berks and Bucks 339

Masonic Tidings 339 The Surrey Masonic Hall 340 Masonic Archaeology 341 Laying the Foundation Stone of the Surrey Masonic HaU 341 Presentation of an Address to the J . G . W . of England 344 Royal . Arch . 345 Lodge Meetings for next week 34 a Advertisements ^^ z 334 340 34 6 347348

United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

The Quarterly Communication to Grand Lodge of England was held on Wednesday evening at Freemasons' Hall . The Marquess of Ripon , M . W . G . M ., presided . Lord Tenterden occupied the G . S . W . chair , and Colonel Whitwell , the G . J . W . There was a large attendance of

brethren from various lodges , and a great number of Past Grand Officers . The minutes of Quarterly Communication of March and of Grand Festival having been read by Grand Secretary and confirmed , the Scrutineers of votes for members of the Board of General

Purposes and of theCohonia ! Board wereselected and obligated , and thc election then took place . When the voting papers had been collected and the scrutineers had retired , The M . W . G . M . rose and said , I now rise for the purpose of submitting to you the motion

which stands m my name upon the paper , and I am quite sure that so far as the object to which I am about to ask you to make a contribution , is concerned , it will need no words of mine to recommend it to your charitable feelings . For brethren , youhave had brought before you , month

by month , in the public journals , the full descriptions , first of what was likely to happen and then of what was actually happening in the great British possession of India , at least in a certain portion of it , during this grevious time of famine . You have had , I say , such ample descriptions

brought before you by the public press , . that it would be perfectly unbecoming in me to attempt ia less forcible language to repeat that whicb from timo to time unhappily of late you have been reading in the newspapers . You know well the extent ancl the terrible character of that

calamity . Happy indeed arc we that in these times of ours we as a nation know nothing of these wide spread f ; mines , but our own immunity ought not to make us less sensible . I rather think that through a sense of gratitude it ought to make us more sensible of the

misfortunes of others . It ought to give us a tender heart with which to feel for , and greater readiness to aid those who are suffering from a calamity so tremendous , and to vis perhaps in its full extent I may truly say so inconceivable . Therefore , brethren , so far as the propriety of aiding by any means in the power of those who

can do so . such a calamity as this amongst those who arc the fellow subjects of our beloved Sovereign . I am confident that you will not require words of mine to convince you of tbo propriety of that course . Thc only question which could be raised would be whether this be or be not a

"fitting subject for the assistance of this Grand Lodge . Now , brethren , I say at once that 1 have always held that we ought very carefully to wei gh the claims which may be brought before us of this description and very carefully to consider the circumstances under which they come

under our notice . Claims of this kind are undoubtedl y not of a strictly Masonic character , and I will not say but that there is much in the ¦ 'irguincnts which I have sometimes heard urged h y some that these claims , not strictly Masonic , nre not proper objects for the contribution of

this Grand Lodge . J am not prepared to lay down so strict a general rule —( hear , hear)—but sam distinctly of opinion that we ought to consider every one of these cases vevy carefd ' y , and that we ought not to contribute from the funds ° ' Grand Lodge except in cates which are K'ajl y 0 f a national ch'trader . Now , no one

United Grand Lodge.

doubted when you were asked to contribute in the case of the cotton famine in Lancashire —( hear , hear)—no one doubted that that was a great national calamity to which the funds of Grand Lodge mig ht be appropriately devoted . Well , it seems to mc that we Englishmen , we

white Masons , owe a great debt of consideration to our brethren in the East , of a different race and of a different colour , but who are many of them Masons as we are , and who are all of them the subjects of our Queen —( hear , hear)—and I do think that when you have before you so large

a portion of British subjects , a calamity so tremendous and so overwhelming , that if you have the funds , as I believe you have upon this occasion , at your disposal , it is a call of a national character and one to which you may justly respond . ( Hear , hear . ) But I have

thought it right to draw your attention to this portion of the subject , in order that I may , so far as in me lies , enter at the same time , and protest against applying the funds of Grand Lodge to non-Masonic purposes , except in circumstances of a strictly national , and more or

less of an exceptional character . 1 believe those circumstances to exist at the present time . I believe that we shall be justified in making this grant , and I cannot doubt that if you agree with me in thinking that it is one which we mar fairly make , it is one which you will make most

gladly , because it will enable you to come forward to aid those who cannot aid themselves , and those who are suffering fiom one of the most tremendous calamities that can befall any portion of mankind . Therefore , brethren , without further preface I will content myself with moving the following resolution , " That taking into

consideration thc dreadful sufferings which the present famine in Bengal has inflicted on the natives of that presidency , this Grand Lodge do grant the sum of £ 6500 , to be paid out of the Fund of General Purposes , iu aid of the voluntary fund now in course of formation for their relief . " ( Cheers . ) Bro . Fawcett , P . G . M ., Durham , seconded the

motion . Bro . Sandeman , District Grand Master of Bengal , in supporting thc motion said , that in Bengal thc Masons had always been guided by

the principle just laid down by the G . Master , always to give their charity to Masons , except in cases of national or exceptional emergency . Although poor in pocket they managed to subscribe a somewhat handsome donation in the

case ofthe Scottish famine many years ago , thc Irish famine , and the cotton famine . He was sure the District Grand Lodge of Bengal would most highly appreciate this gift to the public of of Bengal .

After a few words from Bro . J . II . Wynne , in opposition to the gift , while twelve poor old men and twenty-two poor old women were unsuccessful at the last election of the Benevolent Institution , the resolution was put and carried ; and

Bro . Tomkins , Grand Treasurer , said he would follow the course he had adopted on former similar occasions , and pay tlie money immediately , without waiting for the confirmation of the

vote by next Grand Lodge . The G . M . announced that he would defer making the statement as to the alterations he contemplated with regard to flic charity jewel .

The late W . M . and another brother of the British Oak Lodge were then introduced to show cause why the iodgc should not be erased . Tim late W . M . went into a long statement to show

that in doing what he had done , he did what he thoug ht was for the best , and if he had done wrong he apologised for it . Bro . J . A . Rucker , "V . P ., ami the Board of

General Purposes explained what the conduct of the two contending- sections of the lodge was when before the Board , and said that from what the Board saw they felt it was impossible for the lodge to exist with any credit to the Craft . Tha Board though very unwilling to erase the lodge , were unanimous in their recommendation to that effect .

Bro . F . A . I'hillbrick and Bro . Poynter concurred in every respect with Bro . Rucker . On the G . M . putting the motion for the erasure of the lod ge ; The late W . M . of 831 . said he attended that

United Grand Lodge.

evening , not to show canse against the motion , but only to apologise and express his regret if it was ruled that he had done wrong . He never intended to show cause . The resolution for the erasure of Lodge 831 was then put and carried unanimously , aad the two brethren retired .

Bro . Joshua Nunn , moved the following grants recommended b y the Lodge of Benevolence for the last quarter , viz . : — A Brother of the St . Luke ' s Lodge , No . 144 , London £ 50 A Brother of the Bank of England Lodge ,

No . 263 , London £ 50 A Brother of the Star-in-the-East Lodge , No . 67 , Calcutta ., £ < o

All these were carried unanimously . Bro . James Brett seconded the two first and Bro . J . B . Monckton "the last . The following report of the Board of General Purposes was moved b y Bro . Rucker , and seconded by Bro . J . B . Monckton , to be taken as read .

" The Board of General Purposes deeply regret having to report that since the last Quarterl y Communication the Craft have sustained a serious loss , and the Board have been deprived of the services of a most efficient head , by the

early death of their President , Bro . Horace Lloyd , Q . C , whose great ability in presiding over them , and whose unvaried urbanity had gained him the respect aud warm esteem of every Member of the Board .

" The Board further report that they have had their attention drawn to the salaries of the officials in the Grand Secretary ' s Department , and the following tabular statement has been brought

under their notice showing the number of Certificates issued in each year from 1866 to 1873 inclusive , together with the Income ofthe Fund of General Purposes and of the Fund of Benevolence during the same period ; —

Total Number Total income ot of Certificates -. the Funds of issued by llic General Pur- Total Date Grand l . ' odcjc poses , the Fund Salaries Paid , and Grand of Benevolence Chapter . and of Grand

Chapter . 1866 7547 .- £ 13 , 578 14 6 . £ 1 , 527 6 o 1867 7498 14 , 805 15 9 1 , 331 5 o 1868 7148 14 , 280 12 6 1 . 278 5 o

1869 7286 14 , 846 12 11 1 , 30 / 14 o 1 S 70 7323 14 , 9 62 3 ir 1 , 317 10 o 1871 7440 15 , 3 6 9 19 u 1 , 416 o o 1872 845 3 16 , 926 16 11 1 , 4 . 39 o o 1873 8766 17 , 891 15 4 1 , 377 10 o

Thc number of lodges in 1 S 63 was C JC J C , in 1 S 73 1380 , showing an increase of 39 per cent , in eleven years . Taking into consideration the facts set forth in the foregoing statement , and that the increase in the number of lodges , of certificates issued ,

and consequently of thc annual receipts , must necessarily have greatly added to the work of this department , and considering more especially that all household expenses have materiall y increased since the salaries were last fixed by Grand Lodge in 1866 , the Board are of opinion

that the time has arrived for revising the salaries in the Grand Secretary ' s department , and for submitting a new scale for the sanction of Grand Lodge . Thc offices in the Grand Secretary ' s department

are—Grand Secretary . Chief Clerk . Cashier or 2 nd Clerk . 3 rd Clerk . 4 th Clerk . 5 th Clerk .

Grand Tyler . The Board first took into consideration the salaries of the various offices , without reference to the individual merits or claims of the brethren who fill those offices at the present time , and after arriving at what they deem should be thc

minimum and maximum in each case , they considered what immediate increase they should recommend to be made in the salaries of those who at present discharge the duties of those offices . The scale fixed b y Grand Lodge in 1866 waa as fo . lows ;—1