United Grand Lodge.

the accident is not so great as we at first supposed . I have only to say that in proposing for re-election the Most Honourable the Marquess of Ripon tlie proposer , and myself , ancl you , who

will I am quite sure all respond to it , and desire to do an honour to our Most Worshipful Grand Master , and lam quite certain of this , that he , in accepting the position of Grand Master of

Freemasons of England , does a great honour to them . ( Cheers . ) I have the greatest satisfaction , Most Worshipful Acting Grand Master , in seconding

the re-election of the Marquess of Ripon . The motion was put by the acting Grand Master and carried unanimously .

Sir Albert W . Woods ( Garter ) then came forward and proclaimed the Marquess of Ripon , with all his titles and territorial qualifications , Grand Master of English Freemasons .

Bro . Geo . Lambert proposed the re-election of Bro . Samuel Tomkins as Grand Treasurer , whicli was duly seconded .

This was also carried unanimously , the acting Grand Master previously stating that Bro . Tomkins had iiiled the office for many years with benefit to the Craft and much honour to

himself . The Acting Grand Master , addressing Grand Treasurer , said , —Bro . Tomkins , I have to announce to you , that , for what number of years I

cannot tell , you are re-elected again to hold the office of holding funds in your hands belonging to Grand Lodge . I congratulate you again on on the honour conferred on you , and I

congratulate Grand Lodge of England on the good sense they have shown in re-electing you to your office . ( Cheers . ) Bro . S . Tomkins , —Acting Grand Master

and brethren , I thank you cordially for the honour you have done me in re-electing me to this exalted office . I have had a great deal of pleasure in serving you so many years , and I have

witnessed with great satisfaction the great progress and prosperity of the Craft in that time and I trust that great progress and prosperity will not be diminished during the ensuing year . ( Applause . )

The Report of the Lodge of Benevolence for the last Quarter ( in which are recommendations for the following Grants ) was presented : —

A Brother of the Neptune Lodge , No . 22 , London £ f , o The Widow of a Brother ofthe l . odye

of Faith , No . 141 , London 200 A Brother of the Albion Lodge , No . y , London 50 A Brother of the St . Andrew ' s

Lodge , No . 222 , London 250 Bros . Clabon , Savage , Nunn , and Raynham Stewart moved and seconded the above grants

which were carried without the slightest hesitation , and after graceful tributes had been paid to high Masonic character of the brethren named therein .

The following Report of the Board of General Purposes , was , on the motion of Bro . Horace Lloyd , Q . C , President of the Board , taken as read : —•

THE REPORT OF THE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES . The Board of General Purposes beg leave to submit their Report for the last quarter as follows : —* . Rent o / ' lhe Tavern Premises . At the last Quarterly Communication of Grand

United Grand Lodge.

Lodge upon an amendment moved by Bro . Mclntyre , Grand Registrar , to a motion of Bro . Francis Bennoch , P . M ., No . 1 , it was resolved " that the question of the propriety of reducing the rent of the Tavern be referred to the Board of General Purposes to consider and

report thereon to Grand Lodge . ' The Board find that the Freemasons' Tavern Company ( Limited ) , hold their premises under a lease from the Trustees of the Grand Lodge property for twenty-one years , from Christmas , 1867 , granted in consideration of a premium of

^ 000 , and at reserved rents of—¦ For the year 1 S 68 , 1869 , and 18 70 ... £ 1 , 200 per annum . 1 S 71 ... £ 1 , 300 1872 ... £ 1 , 400 „ ,. 18 / 3 ) r / , 184 £ ^ »

and thenceforward an increase of £ 50 per annum until the year 18 S 0 , by which time the rent would reach £ 1800 per annum , at which it was to remain during the residue of the term . The payment of this premium of £ 5000 was equivalent to an addition of about £ 300 per annum to these rents .

The Board have satisfied themselves , after consulting a most experienced adviser , that at these reserved rents the Company is over rented , apart from the question of premium , and that thc full rental value of thc Tavern as a going concern

may be taken at f , 1 -Joo per annum , lhe agreement by which the amount of premium anil the reserved rents was fixed was made in the year 186 4 , when somewhat exaggerated ideas prevailed as to the value of property of this description .

The Board have further satisfied themselves that the rent so reserved is a serious burthen to the lessees , and that to obtain some reduction 01 it is a matter of urgent importance to the financial prosperity , if not to the existence of the

Company , as will be apparent from the consideration that the undertaking has not been hitherto a prosperous one , and that a difference of £ ' 300 a year in the rent is equal in round numbers to a dividend of 1 per cent , per annum on their paid-up capital .

lhe Board see no reason to believe that there has been anything in the conduct of the Company to deprive them of a right to consideration in this matter . They have hitherto paid their rent with fair regularity at the rate of £ ' 1200 per annum , the pavment of the additional rent above

that minimum having been , by consent of both parties , deferred until tho settlement of the pending question as to the reduction of the rent . The application by the Company for a reduction of the rent is placed solely on the ground that they had entered into an improvident

agreement , and is an appeal to the favourable consideration of Grand Lodge . The Board are ol opinion that the Company have made out a good case for some diminution of the rent , and upon the whole , and having regard to the premium originally paid , they recommend that the rent

reserved by the lea .-: o should be reduced so as to stand as follows : —For the years 1868 , 186 9 , and 1870 , £ 1200 per annum , as originally fixed ; that it should thenceforward increase b y £ ^ 0 per annum until in 1876 it reaches £ ' 1500 ; and that it should remain at that amount during the residue

of the term . But the Board further . recommend that the right to this reduction should be dependent upon the Company paying up forthwith all arrears of rent due on the reduced scale , and upon the punctual payment of the reduced rent quarter by quarter .

Exclusion of Members bij Lodges . At tlie last Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge certain resolutions were moved by Bro . J . Rankin Stebbing , P . G . D ., for conferring

certain powers upon private lodges in this respect . Upon tin amendment moved by Bro . J . Havers , P . G . W ., the subject was referred to the Board of General Purposes to consider and report to the Grand Lodge .

'i'he Board having fully and carefully considered the matter , have now to report that in their opinion the present provisions of the Book of Constitutions confer adequate powers upon private lodges for the excluding of members

United Grand Lodge.

upon sufficient cause if so authorised by their bye-laws . The Board are of opinion that it would be desirable that lodges should be permitted to include in their bye-laws , as framed under Sec . 5 on page 63 , one authorising the exclusion of members for sufficient cause on condition that every such bye-law shall provide

for the memoer complained of receiving due notice of the complaint made against him , and of the time appointed for its consideration , shall give the power of exclusion only to a majority of not less than two-thirds of the brethren present , and shall state on its face the ri ght of appeal against exclusion if illegal , or without sufficient

cause . The power thus given will be in addition to the powers conferred by the Book of Constitutions , Sec . 20 , pp . 67 and 68 . fr regular Dispensation .

It was brought to the notice of the Board that in a country lodge a brother has been raised to a superior degree within less interval than four weeks from the conferring of a previous degree , contrary to the provisions of the Book of Constitutions , p . 86 , Sec . 7 . It appeared , however ,

that this had been done under a dispensation granted to them for that purpose by the Provincial Grand Mas t er of the Province , assuming to act under the power given by the Book of Constitutions at p . 5 6 , Sec . j , par 2 , and in the full belief on the part of the lodge that such

dispensation was regular , and duly authorised them to confer the degree . Upon application to the Provincial Grand Master in question the Board ascertained that the warrant of dispensation had been issued b y Jiini in error and inadvertently , at a time of great domestic affliction .

Under these circumstances the Board did not consider it necessary to do more than to call the attention ofthe Provincial Grand Master and the country lodge to the irregularity , and to refuse to recognise as valid the degree so conferred . Thc Board refer to the matter in this

report solely for the purpose of making it generally known to all lodges that there is no power in a Provincial Grand Master , in whatever circumstances of emergency ; to dispense with the requisite interval of four weeks at the least , and of removing an erroneous impression which they believe exists upon the subject . The

special provision on p . 56 , already mentioned , refers to district Grand Masters and to Masters of lodges in the colonics and foreign parts , where there is no district Grand Master , and even they have not the power unless when it is speciall y conferred upon them by the M . W . Grand Alaster .

Additional Clerk in Grand Secretarif s Office . The Board desire respectfully to represent to Grand Lodge that in consequence ofthe increased work requiring to be transacted in the Grand Secretary ' s office , the present stall * is inadequate ,

nnd they recommend that an additional permanent clerk should be appointed , to be termed the fifth clerk , and to receive a salary upon the same scale and conditions in all respects as the third and fourth clerks . The President will therefore

move—That the Report be received and entered on the minutes .

1 'hat the Board of General Purposes be authorised to enter into arrangements with the Freemasons' Tavern Company ( Limited ) , for a reduction ofthe rent of the Tavern premises upon the basis of the recommendations contained in

their report to Grand Lodge . ¦ That an additional permanent clerk be appointed in the Grand Secretary ' s office , to be termed the fifth clerk , and to receive a salary upon the same terms and conditions as the third and

fourth clerks . ( Signed ; HORACE . LLOYD , President . Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C , 19 th February , 187 . 3 .

To the Report is a subjoined a statement of the Grand Lodge accounts at the last meeting of the Finance Committee , held on the 14 th February , 187 , 3 , showing a balance in the hands of the Grand Treasurer of £ 4150 f , s . yd . ; and in the hands of the Grand Secretary , for petty cash , £ i ' v ( To be Continued . )