Reports Of Masonic Meetings.

"' The Army , and particularly the Royal Scots Grays—Nu / ' / i Secundis—and the 93 rd Sutherland Highlanders . * ' Bro . Archer then proposed , as a personal toast , " The Grand Lodge of Greece , and its lirst Grantl Master—a Scottish Mason , initiated in Lodge St . Andrew , of Edinburgh , ' ' & c , which , like the toasts preceding it , met with a warm response .

BENGAL . DISTRICT GR ' ANII LCHK ; E . A quarterly communication of the District Grand Lodge of Bengal , was held at the Freemason ' s Hall , Calcutta , on Saturday , the 22 nd day of June , 1872 . There were present : —Thc R . AV . Bro . Hush David Sandeman , District

Grand Master ; W . Bros . John Pitt-Kennedy , Deputy District ( irand Master ; J . B . Roberts , Past Deputy District Grand Master -. I . L . Taylor , as Dist . S . G . AV .: AV . E . [ ellicoe , as Dist . J . G . W . ; D . J . Zemin , Dist . G . Registrar ; AV . B . Mactavish , Dist . G . Treasurer , ' and Offg .

Dist . G . Secretary ; H . B . Lewis , as Dist . S . G . Deacon ; AV . G . Amos , as Dist . G . Director of Ceremonies : AV . H . Fitze , as Dist . G . Sword Bearer ; C . H . Compton . Dist . G . Organist ; J . C McGregor , as Standard Bearer ; R . C . Sterndale , A . J . Ferris , ALD ., A . Le Franc , AV . Hay , J . Blackburn , Dist . G . Stewauls ; G . Alexander , Dist . G . Tyler .

The following lodges were represented : —Star in the Fast , No . 67 ; Industry and Perseverance , No . 109 ; True Friendship , Xo . 218 ; Humility with Fortitude , No . 229 ; Marine , No . 232 ; Anchor and Hope , Xo . 2 54 ; Courage with Humanity , No . 392 ; St . John , No . 4 86 ; Excelsior , NT ) . 825 ; Temperance and Benevolence , Xo . iio " o : Sandeman , No . 1374 .

fhe visitors were :- —Bros . A . B . Mitchell

W . M . 401 , S . C . ; W . C . Bishop , I . J 74 ; and W . Boroughs , unattached . The District Grand Lodge was opened in due form at 6-4 . 5 P- - Apologies wore read from several brethren for unavoidable non-attendance . The Grand Secretary stated that a mistake

had been made in the printed proceedings of the last Quarterly Communication , the name of Worshipful Brother D . G . Liebenhals having been omitted from the list of exclusions from Lodge "Courage with Humanity , " No . 232 , and the initials of Bro . A ' angricken being given as "T . " instead of" J . "

Thc Minutes ofthe Communication of the 21 st Afarch , 1872 , having been printed and circulated , were , with the alterations above referred to , on the motion of the District Grand Master , taken

; is read , and on being put to the vote , were confirmed . The District ( . fraud Master then addressed ( irand Lodge as follows : — Worship ful Brethren , —AVe have this evening to consider the usual reports on the working ot

our funds during the past quarter . The District Grand Lodge fund has decreased owing to an excess of disbursements over receipts , and the Committee of General Purposes again complain of a non-receipt of certain returns and dues . The proposition of this Committee , that three of its

members be authorized by District Grand Lodge lo audit the Treasurer ' s Accounts previous to the usual quarterly meetings of the Committee , in order to avoid unnecessary delay at such meetings , seems to me to involve a question of executive detail with which it is scarcely necessary

o . r ns to interfere , as it is one that the Committee eau well decide for themselves ; but I can , of co-arse , have 110 sort of objection to such formal authority being given , if you think it advisable that the District Grand Lodge ihotild pass an order on the . subject . The Committee express

a hope that the proposition by the District Grand Secretary , Captain . Murray , will mct-t with !' : vnur ; and it is with much pleasure that J dra-v -our attention to the liberal donations made bv Ln ; .- - . Satrriell and Atkinson towards the desi . -, d

restovali . iii of 01 r Benevolent fund . 1 third , t ' ::: ' . lb Committee have acted priuler . ll , - MI -lot ve ; writing ( .: '¦ the e .:.- '; i . latanre locked tip u iii ; th ; . ¦ '; dniiiii- : ira :-. ir- (' . ai ' .-ral on arete ;! of the 1 sla'u c ilk : ! .. l ¦ Id ..,- - : ( r r .. T ! cl ' . -.. r .: :. .- ;• ' -. -u

lug tlie ::: ; : ¦ •¦ :.: ' ' " . > i- - .- w , ; v . ; n -. sin sight oi tie il . i . ! :, J . oV ' iViCi' ^ iii ... l il . c il . /; e 1 ultimate recc / wr , ' may bv .

Reports Of Masonic Meetings.

The District Grand Lodge will , I am confident , cordially concur with the Committee ofthe Fund of Benevolence in their expressed feeling of regret at the departure from Calcutta of AV . Bro . Farr , who took such an active , interest in our charitable funds . It is well known to that

excellent Brother that we all regret his absence on our own account , antl thnt we heartily desire his return to Calcutta , if such return be advantageous to himself . It is satisfactory to see that the Committee , with the small funds at their disposal , have been able to do so much good . The

disbursements during the quarter have slightly exceeded the receipts . Referring to the proposition before the Benevolent Fund Committee by AV . Bro . Roberts , I do not observe that the required statement was placed before the

Committee of General Purposes as determined . I would venture to suggest that all vested funds be , for the future , held in the joint names of three persons , and the , book debt certificates of promissory notes produced at every quarterly lneetino- of the Committees . If held in the

names of three Grand Officers in their official capacities for the time being , there will be no difficulty in realizing when it is desirable to sell the notes , while complete safety will be fully secured . Complaints are very frequent from Lodges as well as from individual masons , of an inability

to procure Grand Lodge certificates ; and I desire to call the attention of Masters to the circumstance , as it is , in the great majority of cases , due to the non-submission by private Lodges of their periodical returns to the Grand Lodge of

England . These returns arc altogether distinct from those whicii are rendered to the District Grand Lodge , and a reference to No . 40 of our By-laws will show that " the returns of the Grand Lodge of England are to be sent direct to the Grand Secretary in London . " The form of return for

the Grand Lodge does not correspond with that required by the District Grand Lodge , and this circumstance alone should show that a single return is not ofthe work done in private Lodges under its jurisdiction , the Grand Secretary in London is obviously not in a position to issue

certificates until he has received the returns which should be . submitted to him direct , f need scarcely dwell upon the great desirability oi the observance of punctuality in the submission of such returns , as a matter of justice to brethren who arc entitled to receive certificates , and who

may be put to great inconvenience by their nonreceipt . Until a brother is duly registered , he cannot of course be recognised as a member of our bod y by the Grand Lodge in England ; and it frequently so happens that petitions for the

establishment of new Lodges are returned from home on the score of informality , inasmuch as the names of the petitioners are '' unknown in the Grand Secretary ' s Office for want of returns overdue .

I will make my remarks on the motion in the Agenda Paper by AV . Bro . E . ll . Lloyd at the proper time , and will content myself with saying at present that thc motion as it now stands would , if carried , involve a breach uf our constitutional law , as laid down in pages 19 and 6 9 of the Constitutions .

I have received a report from the District ( irand Secretary , Captain Murray , regarding the Lodge " Chota Nagporc" at Hazarcebaugli , which he visited 'in his way to the Hills in April . Our A ' ery Worshipful Brother , assisted by a deputation from this District Grand Lodge ,

dedicated tlie Masonic Temple which lias been erected by the local Freemasons , and of which architectural plans have been deposited among our archives . Bro . Murray took the opportunity of inspecting the books , and speaks generally

( of the I . odge as being in a vcry satisfactory position . lie mentions especially that the ' banquet rliiii ; . ' . . -. were kept separate irom th "' monthly :- ; di .-. r !\ p ' . ie : i % of iiieie . h . : > io tiie lodee

e . s . dl ; that th .- ie .-s due lo Distri- 'L Grand Lodge are placed everv mouth in the hands of the Master bv Ins Treasurer ; that arrears of supscripiii-ns are unknown ; that the attendance is jvatictual and regular : and that the registers are

i- . inink- ' . e and kept well up to date . Irregularities ¦ . in- ' .-. ' : ' . ¦ : •• .. d .-ais are so frequent !; . - permitted to . ¦ .. ¦ ' : 'i . ' ¦ . Jasomc Lodges . 1 hat 1 . ' . ; ake no apology , 1 " . ' noticing thus prominently points vvhich otiglu to Ln . rigidly ofwuvvcxlj hi every well-rce ; ulj . Lcd

Reports Of Masonic Meetings.

bod y of Freemasons , but which are none the less creditable to the small but influential number of Craftsmen who have lately evinced so much zeal for the good of our Order at Hazareebaugh . A further report from the same Brother informs mc that he has recently inspected the books

of Lodge "Dalhousie" at Mussourie . He reports very favourably on the state of this Lodge , which is working very prosperously tinder the present Master , AV . Bro . T . H . Clarke , District Giand Assistant Director of Ceremonies , who is well supported by Brothers LI . G . Scott , Trotter , and

others . Bro . Murray , in reporting on this Lodge also mentions that the expenses of entertainment are kept wholly distinct from the funds of the Lodge , which are entirely devoted to Masonic objects . The Report of the Committee of General

Purposes was then read . After some remarks from AV . Bro . Roberts , to thc- effect that the general funds of Grand Lodge should be kept completely and absolutely separate from each other , and that the monies belonging to thc Fund of Benevolence should never be

diverted from their legitimate object on any plea or pretext , it was proposed by AV . Bro . Taylor , and seconded b y \ V . Bro . Zemin , that the accounts be passed , and they were passed according !) -. W . Bro . Roberts proposed that a detailed

statement of the vested funds of the Fund of Benevolence , showing all the payments of interest made by the District Grand Lodge on account of the loan of Rs . 2 , 000 , as well as of the interest realized from the Bank of Bengal on

the balance ol the securities—viz . Rs . 1 , 600—be prepared by the District Grand Treasurer and . submitted at the next convocation of District Grand' Lodge . The proposition was seconded by AV . Bro . Kennedy , and carried .

The District Grand Treasurer reported that Lodge No . 218 had , since closing of the accounts , submitted their returns for the quarters in arrear , and had deposited money 011 account of their dues .

W . Bro . Lloyd proposed , and Bro . Turner seconded , that the cash balance of Rs . 223-9-6 appearing in the Treasurer ' s accounts as being locked up with the Administrator-General on account of the estate , of the late Bro . J . H . Linton , be written oil " . file motion was put to the vote , and carried .

Hie Report ol the General Committee ofthe fund of Benevolence was read . The proposal of AV . Bro . Murrav-, to the effect " that as the vested assets of the Fund of Benevolence in the hands of the late District Grand Treasurer were not forthcoming , it was the duty

of the Members of the District Grand and Calcutta Lodges to subscribe amongst themselves a sufficient sum to place the Fund in its former position , " was , in the absence of Captain Murray put to Grand . Lodge by AV . Bro . Zemin , alid being warmly approved was carried , when the District Grand Master requested the District

Grand Secretary to address all Lodges in the district by circular on the subject . It was proposed by W . Bro . Roberts , and generally approved , that the appeal thus to be made to lodges should embrace the whole sum ot Rs . , 5 , 823-2-6 which was now really owing to the Fund .

\\ . Bro . Lloyd , in pursuance of notice moved " that the Master and AVardens ( or substitutes for such AVardens ) of a private Lodge be empowered to appear at the'Meetings ofthe District Grand Lodge of Bengal , and be admitted , on the

Master of snch lodge vouching to the District Grand T ylcr and Assistant Director of Ceremonies that such Brethren as appear with him are his Wardens , 01 are such other Brethren delegated to appear as representatives for his v . ' ardcu .-, and are Members of the Lodge under ills rule . "

The District Grand Masier explained that tiie Master and Wardens of a private Lodge were empowered to appear in Grand Lodge as Members , provided that their names bad been returned to tbe District Grand Secretary , and that in order

co give every facility to Masters who desired to to s . nd substitutes ni ca-e- ; when the Wardens themselves co dd no ! app .-ar , tiie Grand Tyler ' s book was g . Mi .-rall y kept <> p . n till 3 o ' clock on lite day jt : wlitcii Gravid Ludge met , , aud tlwf