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made would be beneficial to Freemasonry ; and they felt no doubt of their ability to suggest adequate provisions as to amount of payment , mode of investment , and all other matters of detail . 6 . But after full consideration the Board came

to the conclusion that any change in this respect was undesirable , and at a special meeting , held on thc 29 th April last , they unanimously resolved as follows : — " That this Board is of opinion that the principle of restricting the privileges of the Craft to

those who continue to be subscribing members of some lodge , is not only sound in itself , but productive of material benefit to the Order , and that no sufficient reasons have been adduced to warrant a departure from the obligation iu this

respect prescribed b y the Book of Constitutions . 7 . The Board are fortified in the ojiinion which they have exjiressed in the above resolution by finding that in the year 1 S 69 , the same subject was under the consideration of the Board of

General Purposes of that day , on a reference from Grand Lodge , and that the following resolution was passed by them on thc 16 th March in that year : — " That the Board , having duly considered the reference made by Grand Lodge , do not feel that sufficient grounds exist for altering the laws so as to allow of commutation for life . "

UNAUTHORISED WEARING ot MASONIC

CLOTHING . 8 . The attention of the Board has been called to a jiractice , which they are informed is not infrequent , of brethren ajijiearing in Masonic costume at so-called " Masonic Balls , '' and other public gatherings held without any sanction or permission from the constituted authorities of Masonrv .

9 . Ihe Board are clearly of opinion . that the wearing of Masonic clothing , or of any of the jewels or badges of the Craft , in such circumstances , is not only objectionable in itself , but is in violation of the spirit of the jirovisions of the Book of Constitutions on jip . 93 , 94 , under the head of " Public Processions . "

10 . In order to remove any doubt as to whether such proceedings can be dealt with as Masonic oilences , the Board very respectfully recommend to Grand Lodge that an addition be made to thc Book of Constitutions which will

provide for such cases , and will attach to them an adequate penalty , although somewhat less in degree than that imposed by the Book of Constitutions on page 94 for attending as therein mentioned " at any funeral or public procession . "

IRREGULAR REMOVAL OI-LODOES . II . The Board liaving had occasion to rejirimand a lodge for an irregular removal , and having ieason to believe that some misajijirehension exists as to the maimer in whicii tlie jiower of removal ought to be exercised , think it exjiedient

to call the attention of the Craft to the provisions of the Book of Constitutions pp . 92 , 93 , upon this subject . 12 . No lodge can be removed from one house or place of meeting to another , even within the same town or jilace , excejit in strict accordance

with thc regulations there laid down , and until such strict comjiliance has been ascertained by the Grand Secretary or ( as the case may bet b y the Provincial Grand Master , as mentioned on page 93 , pur . 3 , the remmal will not be recorded . 13 . No degree conferred , or other Masonic act

performed by any lodge at a jilace of meeting to which it has been illegally or improjierly removed can be in any way recognised b y Grand Lodge ; and thc lodge so olfending exposes itself to admonition , line , or suspension . id . Tho President will therefore move : —

( 1 . ) That the Report be received and entered on the minutes . ( 2 . ) That the following paragrajih be added after jiar . 2 of the title " Of Public Processions" on page 93 of the Book of Constitutions , that is to say : —

" Jf any Brother shall ajijiear clothed in any of the jewels or badges ol the Craft at any ball , theatre , assembly , or meeting , or at any place of public resort , unless the Grand Master , Provincial Grand Master , or District Grand Master ( as the case may be ) ., shall have previously given permis-

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sion for Brethren to be there present m Masonic clothing , such Brother shall be liable to be suspended from all his Masonic functions for such period as the Grand Master , Provincial Grand Master , ov District Grand Master may determine

. ( Signed ) HORACE LLOYD , President . 20 th May , 1 S 73 . At a meeting of the Board held on Tuesday ,

the 20 th ult ., after the ordinary business had been disjiosed of , it was uanimously resolved : — "That this Board cannot sejiaratc without tendering to their President , the V . W . Bro . Horace Lloyd , Q . C , their sincere and cordial

thanks , not only for the undeviating courtesy and kindness which every member of the Board has received at his hands , but also for thc untiring zeal and attention which he has devoted to the

business of the Board , and the ability and discretion with which he has conducted its proceedings . " ( Signed ) J A . RUCKER , A'ice-President .

Bro . Mclntyrc , in moving that this report be received and entered on thc minutes , reiterated the statement of Bro . Horace Lloyd at former Quarterly Communications , that the receiving the report of the Board by Grand Lodge did not

commit the brethren to an assent to anything which was contained in the report . The report was only an expression of the opinion of the Board , and not of the opinion of Grand Lodge .

He then referred to the subject of " commuted payments , " which the Board had carefully considered , but could see no reason for altering the laws as laid down in the Book of Constitutions

so as to allow of commutation for life . With respect to life members the report of thc Board would not atf ' ect any one who had not jiassed the chair of a lodge . It might be the case that , acting on an opinion , some brethren might have

believed that by a commutation they retained their membership for ever . In such a case hc ( Grand Register ) felt confident that Grand Lodge would not suffer such brethren to be injured , but would allow them to

retain their rights . The Board would be but too hajijiy to take that matter into consideration , and although they were not a a legislative body , would recommend that if those rights were brought about by misapprehension

of what the law was , they should be retained . It was well known that a most distinguished brother , who had occupied the post of Grand Registrar , and was a Provincial Grand Master , had advised that , life-membershiji could be retained bv the

jiayment of a sum of money . If brethren had been misled by that , the board would take care that they should not be injured thereby . But if brethren would take the ( rouble to read the Book of Constitutions , they vvould find that not onlv on

one page but m almost every page where the Craft was sjioken of , it was stated that a brother could not be a member oi the Craft unless he continued a subscribing member . He trusted that the opinion of the board woultl go forth to

the Craft with weight , that no brother who ceased to be a subscribing member of one of the Craft lodges could retain his privileges- but that if any brother relying on an ojiinion , exjiressed by

a most distinguished Mason , had acted upon it , they would take care that his privileges shonld not be altered . ( Cheers . ) Bro . Raynham W . Stewart , seconded the motion .

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Bro . AV . Smith wished to know whether this was the proper time to move that the matter be referred back to the Board . The acting Grand Master replied that it was

not , but stilt if Bro . Smith wished to make any remarks , it was quite competent for him to do so . Bro . Smith , after a few observations , said he did not consider that the subject had been

properly dealt with by the Board , as Grand Lodge was led by the 6 th paragraph of the report to believe it had been , and he would therefore

move that it be referred back . If it was necessary he would give a notice of motion to that effect .

The acting Grand Master said that if Bro . Smith was really in serious earnest to refer the matter back to the Board , it was within his power to do so now . He however thought that it would conduce to the convenience of Grand

Lodge if it was brought forward by distinct motion at a future day , instead of being referred back now . He would not refuse to put the motion , if Bro . Smith wished it , but atthe same time he did not think it would be convenient .

Bro . W . Smith , would be sorry to take up thc time of Grand Lodge by putting the matter to the vote , but he would , at next con venient ojijiortunity , move a fresh resolution , in

the meantime withdrawing his amendment . The reception and entering of the report on the minutes was then agreed to . Bro . Melntyre next moved the second

paragraph of the rejiort on the subject of the " unauthorised wearing of Masonic clothing , " and read the section from the Book of Constitutions upon that point , and the punishment to be

awarded for a breach of that rule . No doubt , he said , that was a very heavy punishment , which seemed to him to have been promoted by old Masons to prevent the appearance of Masons in

the streets in " clothing" without lirst having the permission of the Grand Master or his deputy . Some brethren thought this law mi ght be evaded by their not going out into the streets in the

clothing , to theatres , or balls ; and , in one case where permission had been refused , the brethren * felt justified in carrying their clothing in their pockets and putting it on when they got to the

place of amusement . He would , therefore , beg leave to jiropose , in order to meet cases of breach of Masonic discipline in this respect , that the

following paragrajih be added after jiar . 2 of the title " Of Public Processions" on jiage 93 of the Book of Constitutions , that is to say : —

" If aii ) r Brother shall apjiear clothed in any of the jewels or badges of the daft at any ball , theatre , assembly , or meeting , or at any place of jiublic resort , unless the Grand Master , Provincial

Grand Master , or District Grand Master ( as the case may be ) , shall have previousl y given permission for brethren to be there present in Masonic clothing , such brother shall be liable to

be susjiended from all his Masonic functions for such period as the Grand Master , Provincial Grand Master , or District Grand Master may determine .

Bro . Bulley , G . S . B ., seconded the motion . After a few observations Iron Col . Cole and Bro . Browning , which called from the Acting Grantl Masier the remark that he could not

sillier any brother to go b ; ick to thc * question of the recejition of thc report , already decided , a brother asked whether it would be a breach of the law if the brethren dined iu Masonic cloth-