Grand Mark Lodge.

Mark Lodges in Ouebec to English Master Masons . We shall exceediugly regret it , if we are driven from this conciliatory position by the hostile action of the G C'sof the U . S . 6 . These facts we beg to commend to the fraternal consideration of your G . C . FREDERICK BINCKES , P . G . J . W ., Grand Secretary .

The whole question is occupying the earnest attention of the M . W . G . M . M . M ., and the Executive , who , while maintaining the honour of Grand Lodge , and the rights and distinctive position of the Mark Lodges in Montreal , are ready to negotiate for a peaceful arrangement on equitable terms , so soon as the legality of the Quebec Masonic body is established .

The Board regrets to find that the course taken by the Grand Chapter of Quebec has the support of the great majority of the Grand Chapters of the United States of America . Bro . Charles E . Soppet has been appointed the auditor of the accounts of Grand Lodge , in succession to Bro . H . A . Dubois , to whom the thanks of the Board are due for services cheerfully rendered .

In accordance with the resolution of Grand Lodge authorizing the Board to make certain alterations in the clothing of G . O . ' s ., the following circular has been addressed to every Prov . Grand Master and to the Grand Officers of the year : — The General Board , under date July 29 th ( confirmed September 4 th ) , have decided on the changes to be introduced in the clothing of Grand Officers and Past Grand Officers , and of Prov . Grand Masters and Deputy Prov . Grand Masters , as follows : — Grand Officers of the year ( with the exception of Grand Stewards ) , Prov . Grand Masters , and Deputy Prov . Grand Masters during their term of office , to wear chains .

Grand Stewards , Past and Present , to wear collars with embroidery of a special design , and gold lace on each edge without fringe . Past Grand Officers to wear collars with embroidery , and gold lace on each edge , without bullion or fringe . Prov . Grand Officers , Present and Past , to wear collars as at present , with gold braid and gold fringe . The design of the chain , as approved by the Board , is that of Messrs . Spencer and Co ., of 23 , Great Oueen-street , W . C , at a cost of 84 s .

The designs ot the collars are those of Mr . George Kenning , Little Britain , E . C , at a cost of 50 s . for collar complete , and for embroidery only , 30 s . Sealed patterns may be inspected at the office . Complaints have been addressed to the Board of the occurrence of irregularities on the part of lodges , in the installation of the W . M . at dates other than those sanctioned by the bye-laws . It has been the duty of the Board to inform the lodges in question that no W . M . who has not served 12 months can take rank as a P . M . or exercise the privileges of that position . It is confidently hoped that such irregularities will be avoided in future .

The Masonic Hall at Red Lion-square has been thoroughly repaired and re-decorated , and it is hoped that it may be made a place of meeting for many of our London lodges . The Board has the pleasure to announce that the total amount subscribed to the " Dewar Benefit Fund " up to the 30 th September was :

Subscriptions from lodges and individuals ... ... £ 139 15 6 Vote of Grand Lodge ... ... ... ... ... 50 o o Vote of United Grand Lodge of England 150 o o £ 339 15 ° " The Board recommends the following grants for confirmation of Grand Lodge : £ 25 to a brother of Prince Leopold Lodge , No . 238 . £ 10 each to two daughters of a brother of the Studholme Lodge , No . 197 . £ 15 to a brother of the Temple Lodge , No . 173 . The Board acknowledges with thanks the reports of proceedings from the Grand

Chapters of Scotland , Canada , Vermont , New Hampshire , Illinois , and Missouri , Bro . W . J . Hughan , P . G . J . W ., having presented the library with a copy of his historical work on the "Origin of the English Rite of Freemasonry , " the Board recommend that the thanks of Grand Lodge be conveyed to Bro . Hughan . ( Signed ) G . R . PORTAL , P . G . M . M . M ., President . The invested funds are as follows : General Fund £ 2900 o o Benevolent Fund £ 2000 o o Educational Fund ...... it 1400 o o The Grand Treasurer's accounts for the six months ending 30 th September , 1 SS 4 , show the following results :

DR . GENERAL FUND . To Balance 31 st March , 18 S 4 . •£ 532 9 5 „ Half-year ' s receipts 645 17 11 „ Interest on investments 58 5 3 „ India P . O . O . not claimed 376 £ 124001 GENERAL FUND . "E .

By ordinary expenditure £ 095 ' 9 4 „ Iron safe for office 24 5 6 „ Purchase of £ 300 South Australian Bonds . . . 306 15 o —— 1026 19 10 ,, Balance at Bankers 221 2 8 „ Less cheque not presented ...... 868

' ' — 212 16 o Cash in hand ... ' 043 £ 1240 o 1 Audited and . ' approved this 18 th day of October , 1 SS 4 .

( Signed ) . CHARLES E . SOPPET . DR . BENEVOISENT FUND . To Balance from 31 st March , 1 S 84 £ 130 3 10 „ Half-year ' s receipts * 6 91 o o „ Interest on investments 45 6 9 £ 866 10 7

BENEVOLENT FUND . CR . By Grants in relief £ ' 34 o 0 „ Dewar Fund . . 50 o o „ Expenses , Pewtress , Printing . . . . . 3 19 o ,, Transferred to Education Fund 278 5 o

466 4 o „ Balance at Bankers 364 19 1 „ Cash in hand held by Solicitor to estate of the late Assistant Secretary . . . . . 15 7 6 „ Cheque not drawn for balance of salary due to ditto . 20 o o ———— 400 6 7

£ 866 10 7 _ , DR . EDUCATION FUND . To Balance from 31 st March , 1 SS 4 ....... £ 74 10 1 „ Transfe r from Benevolent Fund 278 5 o „ Interest on investment 23 5 1 £ 376 o 2 ' _ EDUCATION FUND . CR .

By Education fees £ 67 7 5 „ Expenses 450 „ Purchase of £ 300 Cape of Good Hope . . . 278 5 o o 1 349 T ? S „ Balance at Bankers 26 2 o o 1 349 T ? S „ Balance at Bankers 26 2 9

A J -. , , £ 376 o 2 Audited and approved this iSth day of October , 1884 . ( Signed ) CHARLES E . SoPI'ET .

Grand Mark Lodge.

The several grants recommended by the report were , on the motion of Bro . F . DAVISON , G . Treas ., unanimously made . Bro . F . BINCKES , P . G . J . YY * ., G . Sec , " then , on behalf of the Rev . Canon Portal , P . G . M ., proposed a vote of thanks to Bro . YV . J . Hughan , P . G J . W ., for his present to Grand Lodge of hts historical work on the "Origin of the English Rite of Freemasonry . "

Bro . ALFRED WILLIAMS secooded the motion , wh . ch was put and carried unanimously . Bro . YY . J . HUGHAN , in acknowledging the vote , said he returned his heartfelt thanks for the vote which had been carried . In making the gift it was his desire that a library should be formed in connection with Grand Mark Lodge . He thought the books alread y in the hands ot Grand Lodge

were the nucleus of a very good library , which might be added to by the collection of many old minute books of lodges . This point had been neglected for many years past . He hoped that in the future members would look after these matters , and so obtain a good record and history of Freemasonry from all sources . He begged to thank the members of Grand Lodge lor their kindness lo him , and lo say that , after some 21 years ' experience of Mark Masonry , the more he saw of it the more he liked it .

The report was , on the motion of Bro . Capt . HARGRBAVES , seconded by Bro . DUKE , adopted . The Earl of KINTORE said before they passed from this report he should like to say a word with reference to the position of Grand Lodge with the Grand Chapter of Quebec . He regretted very much to think that there had been a difficulty . The letter that was printed in ihe report stated the

difficulty very plainly . At the same time , he was anxious that this Grand Lodge should put itself ri ght in reference to the United Slates . He felt that nothing was to be gained by this difficulty , and he thought it would be well—and he hoped the brethren would support him in the proposal —thnt formally he should write to Bro . Goodall , their representative in New York , and ask him to move and see whether he could not approach the officials there with a view to justifying our position .

Bro . ALFRED WILLIAMS then rose and said : I beg to nominate the Right Hon . the Earl of Kintore as our Grand Master lor next year . I am very glad to see him occupying that position , and I hope to see him again installed on another occasion . The M . YV . Grand Master has done all he could to promote the good of the Order . ( Hear , hear . ) Charity jewels were then presented to several brethren . Grand Lodge was then closed .

The Grand Lodge was then made special for the purpose of consecrating the Grand Stewards Lodge , which ceremony was very ably performed by the Grand Master . The unusual pressure on our space this week prevents our giving a report of the interesting proceedings , but we shall do so next week .

Testimonial To Bro. W. J. Hughan.

TESTIMONIAL TO BRO . W . J . HUGHAN .

The presentation of the testimonial to Bro . YV . J . Hughan , P . G . D ., which has been subscribed to duringthe lastfew months by brethren in all parts of the kingdom on account of his valuable contributions to the history of English Freemasonry , was made on Wednesday , at Freemasons' Tavern . The

chair was taken by Bro . Sir John B . Monckton , P . G . W ., and late President of the Board of General Purposes . The presentation was preceded by a luncheon , to which there sat down in addition to the chairman the following brethren :

Bros . Horace Brooks Marshall , Grand Treasurer ; James Smith Eastes , Junior Grand Deacon , District Provincial Grand Master Kent ; Brackstone Baker , P . G . D ., G . Representative , & c . ; Thomas Wm . Tew , P . G . D ., D . Prov . G . M ., YV . Yorkshire ; Frederick Binckes , P . G . S ., Sec . R . M . I , for Boys ; E . L . Hawkins , P . M . 357 , 47 S , P . P . G . W . Oxon ; Geo . L . McKay ,

P . M ., P . P . G . W ., Prov . G . Sec . Cumberland and YVestmorland ; Capt . Hugh G . Colvill , Prov . G . W . Cornwall ; Jas . Terry , P . M ., & c „ Sec . R . M . Ben . Inst . ; T . S . Carter , 403 , P . P . G . YV . Herts ; T . M . Humphries , P . M . 530 , P . P . G . S . of YV . Staffordshire ; Chas . S . Lane , P . M ., P . P . G . D .

Durham ; John Lane , P . M . 1402 ; Geo . Edward Baker , 192 ; YV . Lake , P . M . 131 , P . P . G . Reg . Cornwall , and others . A large number of congratulations and sympathetic letters were received from those unable to attend .

At the conclusion of the luncheon the CHAIRMAN gave the first toast , "The Queen . " In proposing the toast of the day , ' * Bro . VV . J . Hughan , " the CHAIRMAN said that the informal nature of the meeting did not make it necessary that he should detain the company with any lengthened remarks . At the

same time he hoped they would listen patiently to the few remarks he had to make . Under ordinary circumstances one would in a somewhat cowardly manner be inclined to make use of the expression—perhaps by way of apologising for his few remarks—that he felt unequal to the occasion ; but . he was bound to say in all candour that such an excuse would fail of the

object of the meeting , because he would be a poor man indeed who could not say something of it at a very short notice . They knew why they were assembled , and that the few Masons who were assembled at that Board represented a large number of equally good Masons whose public and private associations kept them away . The meeting of Grand Lodge that evening ,

although it mig ht bring members to town , at the same time might keep brethren away . Still those present felt they represented them , and he felt he was speaking not only for those present but for them all . They were there to do honour to whom honour was essentially due . Now , honour was very often done , and very worthily done , both in the Craft and out of the

Craft ; but he supposed there never was an occasion where honour was more thoroughly due than it was in the case of Bro . Hughan . ( Hear , hear . ) He had learned from Bro Hughan in friendly conversation at the table that he first saw lig ht in the month of July , 186 3 ; therefore , by an interesting

coincidence , in this present year of grace Bro . Hughan had attained his Masonic majority . Bro . Hughan had been telling him many things relating to the Craft , both in this country and in others , and , what he did not know before , that in the United States they had a body which they called the Veterans , and