Ar00600

NOTICE . The Subscription to THE FREEMASON is noiv IQS . per annum , post-free , payable in advance . Vol . I ., bound in cloth 4 s . 6 d . Vol . 11 ., ditto 7 s . 6 d . Vol . III ., ditto 15 s . od . Vol . IV ., ditto 15 s . od . Heading Cases to hold 52 numbers ... 2 s . Od . United States of America . THE FREEMASON is delivered free in any part of the United States for 12 s . per annum , payable in advance .

Ar00604

giislivcrs to Correspondents . J . W . —The Twenty-first Degree- —NoacU . 'ic or Prussian Mason * : —is worked in England as one of the degrees given under the A . and A . Kite . For further information , write to the Grand Secretary , S . C , 33 , Golden-square , W .

Ar00605

TheFreemason, SATURDAY , J ; KE 8 , 1 S 72 . The Freemason in pub J j 5 . 1 KN ] on Saturday Mornings in time for the earl ) ' trains . The price of the Freemason is Twopence per week ; annual subscription , IOS . ( payable in advance . ) All communications , letter . ; , kc , to be addressed to ihe Kilitor , 19 S , Fleet-street , K . C . The I-Mitor will pay careful attention to all MSS . entrusted toliim , but cannot undertake to return them unlessaccotnpauied by poMaue stamps .

Ar00606

NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS . The Of ice o / 'Tm : FRKKMASOX is now transferred to 19 8 , FLKKT-STKKKT , E . C . All communications Cor the Editor or Publisher should therefore , be forwarded to that address .

United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

The Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge was held on Wednesday , the / Jth inst ., at Freemasons' Hall , the . Marquis of Rinoii , M . W . G . M ., on the throne . Grand Lodge was

numerously attended , ( here being present between , ; oo and 400 brethren . There was not a heavy paper ol business for the evening , but the old stereotyped subject , with which the name of ]> ro . Cooke

is associated stood in two or three forms on the paper , and as this subject always forbodes much discussion , the small amount of business was likely to be spun out over a large space of time .

Hut tor tins , all tne business which was to be transacted on Wednesday evening might have been disposed of in half-an-hour . It lasted however from seven till ten , although very

little was said which was new . It having been hinted several times in the course ol the debate , that to send back the report of the Hoard would be an insult to that body , I ' ro .

Llewellyn Evans requested the Grand . Master to relieve him of his oiikv , which his Lordshi p accordingly did , and immediately afterwards invested ifro . Horace Lloyd , 0 . 6 ' ., with the

collar and jewel of President . The Grand Lodge having been formall y opened , Grand Secretary read the minutes of the March

Communication , of the Grand Festival of 24 th of April , and of ihe Special Grand Lod ge ' , held at Birmingham , en ihe end of May . Jlefore putting tiiese last for confirmation , tiie

United Grand Lodge.

Grand Master rose and said , I cannot resist , in a veiy few words , taking this public opportunity of expressing the deep regret which I felt in not being able to be present upon the occasion to

which these minutes relate . It had been m ' y hope , up to the very last moment , that it might have been possible for me to attend upon that occasion , although when I was first asked to

undertake the duty of laying this first stone , I felt it my duty to point out how exceedingly uncertain it always must be , whether I can , as long as I hold the official situation which I have , now

the honour to fill , cany out any engagement which I may make , especially- during the Session of Parliament , but at the same time , I should feel it my bounden duty- to you , and especially to

the brethren of Warwickshire and the adjoining counties , and I say this the more upon the present occasion because we are honoured with the presence of my noble friend and brother , the

Provincial Grand Master of Staffordshire , who , on that occasion , brought so large a number of brethren together , by his influence , to do honour to the Grand Lodge , and to him , we are indebted

in a large measure for the zeal displayed b y the numerousbrethrenthenassembled—I say I should have felt it due to you and the provincial brethren to have attended on that occasion ,

if it had been in my power ; but I was called on , suddenly and unexpectedly , to be present at an important Cabinet Council assembled in the middle of that day- —a duty which 1 felt

1 could not , consistently with that which I owe to Her Majesty and the country in connection with the ollice which I have the honour to hold , put aside for any engagement whatsoever .

Consequently I had no choice , 111 regard to my public duty , except to break , as I did , with the deepest regret , an engagement which , under all other circumstances , I should have felt a pleasure

in keeping . 1 leel bound to otter this apology to the Grand Lodge , and to the provincial brethren who assembled on that occasion , and having done so , 1 put these minutes for

confirmation . The minutes of the Special Grand Lodge held at nirmingham were then confirmed . The election of members of the Hoard of

General Purposes was afterwards taken , and the scrutineers of voles were chosen anil obligated . There was no election for the members of the Colonial Hoard or of the Committee of

Management ot the Royal Masonic Henevolent Institution , as the number of candidates did not exceed the number of vacancies . On the retirement of fhe scrutineers from Grand Lodge , the Grand

Secretary read the report of the Hoard of Ilencvolenee for the last quarter , in which were recommendation for the folllowing grants , viz . : — The Widow of the late Hro . W . II . A . of the

Zetland Lodge , No . . , i 1 , London £ 100 . The Widow of the late Hro . H . S . E . of the Zetland Lodge , No . 1002 , Cockermoufh . X ' . Hro . J . J . II . of the Royal Alfred Lodge ,

No . 877 , Jersey , Past Provincial Grand Master £ ' . Hro . J . M . Clabon moved , and Hro . Joshua

Ntinn seconded all these grants , which were separately put , ami confirmed . The following - report of the Hoard of Genera ! Purpose s was tin tiie- motion of U ; u . LI . Evans ,

United Grand Lodge.

President of the board , taken as read : — " The Board of General Purposes beg to report as follows : — " The board have had under conside ration the

5 th paragraph of their report , submitted to Grand Lodge at the Quarterl y Communication in March last , which paragraph was referred back to the board . For •the convenience of Grand Lodge

the board subjoin the paragraph in question . " ' The Board have taken into consideration tire resolution proposed b y Bro . Matthew Cooke , P . M . in the Globe Lodge , No . 23 , for adoption

by Grand Lodge at the Quarterl y Communication held on the 7 th September , 1 S 71 , and referred to this Board to inquire into and report . This following is a copy of such proposed resolution : —

"' That whilst this Grand Lodge recognises the private right of every brother to belong to any extraneous Masonic organisation he may choose , it as firmly forbids , now and at any

future time , all brethren , while engaged as Salaried Officials under this Grand Lodge to mix themselves up in any way with such bodies as the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite ; the

Rites of Misraim and Memphis 5 the spurious orders of Rome ami Constantino ; the schismatic body styling itself the Grand Mark Lodge of England , or any other exterior Masonic

organisation whatever ( even that of the Order of Knights Templar , which is alone recognised by the Articles of Union ) under the pain of immediate dismissal from employment by this Grand

Lodge . "The charges made by Bro . Cooke at the above Quarterly Communication , against the officials in the Grand Secretary ' s office , have

already been inquired into b y this board , and a report thereon has been made to Grand Lodge , finding that such charges were in the main without foundation , and this report has been approved

by Grand Lodge . The Hoard have come to the conclusion that the inquiry directed to be made by them had reference to the charges above referred to , and not to the several ' Exterior

Masonic Organisations' mentioned in the proposed resolution of Hro . Cooke , and they have therefore not proceeded to inquire further into the matter . The board are of opinion , and

submit to Grand Lodge , that inasmuch as Grand Lodge has full control , not onl y over the officials in its service , but over the whole Craft , and would undoubtedl y' exercise such control

should any member , whether official or otherwise , be proved to have taken part in any degree or order denounced by Grand Lodge , or inimical to its princi ples ; and inasmuch as the proposed

resolution , if passed , would not add to the power and authority either of Grand Lodge or of this Hoard , such resolution is unnecessary , and the Hoard therefore do not recommend its

adoption by Grand Lodge . The Board , however , are clearly of opinion , and submit to Grand Lodge , that no clerk or other subordinate officer in the employment of Grand Lodge should take

a prominent part in any degree or order not recognised by Grand Lodge . " The Hoard having carefully reconsidered the

above paragraph , beg leave respectfully to state that they adhere , to the opinions therein expressed . ( Signet !) j . LLKWULLYX EVANS , President . '