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of thc Grand Lodge and the General Grand Chapter may be productive of peace and harmony , and fruitful of good results in the intercourse of their constituencies . "Fraternally , ( iignedj "CHRISTOPHER G . FOX , " General Grand Secretary . " " General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons for thc

United States of America . " Office of General Grand Secretary , Buffalo , N . Y ., "March ist , 1878 . " Be it Known : That at the twenty-third triennial convocation of the General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of the United States of Amciica , held at Buffalo , in the State of New York , on Friday , August 24 , 1877 ,

the following resolution was adopted , viz . : — " * Resolved , That the General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of the United States of America hereby recognises the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales , and the Ceilonics and Depenelencies of the British Crown , as the rightful and supreme

authority over the degree of Mark Master Mason in England and Wales and those colonies and dependencies of the British Crown in which no existing Grand Body claims jurisdiction over that degree . "' In witness whereof the seal of the General Grand Chapter is this day impressed .

( Signed ) "' CHRISTOPHER G . Fox , " ' General Grand Secretary . '" Communications have been received from the U . S . of America on the subject of the formation of a Grand Lodge of Royal Ark Mariners , which Grand Lodge is recommended to refer back to the General Board for further

consideration . It is with great regret that the Board announces the loss of the services , by death , of R . W . Bro . John Sutcliffe , Provincial Grand Mark Master of Lincolnshire , and o [ R . W . Bro . James Mackay Cunningham , Provincial Grand Mark Master of Sussex . Of the eminent services rendered to the Order by the

former , it is impossible to speak too highly ; while with reference to the latter it may be truly said that he proved himself in every respect a worthy successor to the late R . W . Bro . Sir J . Cordy Burrows . The zeal and energy of these distinguished brethren cannot be too warmly appreciated , nor can their loss be too deeply deplored .

In order more clearly to define the power of District Grand Masters in connection with their granting authority to brethren to open lodges , waiting the approval of the M . W . Grand Master , the Board recommends : — " That the following words be added to the Constitutions : — " Clause . 6 : ' District Grand Masters having thc

additional power to give a dispensation authorising brethren to meet as a loelge , until . a Warrant of Constitution shall be signal by the M . W . G . M . ' " And also , with a view to eliminish the expenses of the Granel Festival , that in Clause 44 , with reference to Granel Stewards , the word 'Twelve' be substituted for ' Eight . '" Thc Boartl has considered a petition for re-lief on behalf

of Mrs . J . H ., wielow of thc late Bro . J . H ., of Devizes , whose services in behalf of the Oreler were exceedingly valuable , and only interrupted by his premature decease , ancl recommends a grant of £ 15 . The Grand Treasurer ' s accounts for the six months to 31 st March , 1878 , are subjoined , which show : —

GENERAL FUND . Balance from 30 th September , 1-877 £ o ° 7 ' 3 Half-year's receipts ... £ 585 2 o Dividends ... 11 2 2 59 " 4 2

£ . ° 3 5 5 Half-year ' s disbursements : Purchase e > f Stock ... £ 107 13 o Expenditure ... ... 643 5 3 — 75 ' ° 3

Balance 31 st March , 1878 £ < 52 5 - FUND OF BENEVOLENCE . Balance from 30 th September , 1877 ... £ 306 3 fj Receipts for half-year ... £ 26 15 (> Dividends ... 17 3 8 44 1 2

* 35 ° 4 8 Disbursements £ 65 10 o Purchase of Stock 215 10 o 28 f 00 Balance , 3 ist March , 1878 £ 69 4 8 ( Signed ) G . R . PORTAL , Past G . M . M ., President .

Examineel anel founel correct . ( Signal ) THOMAS MEGGY , Auditor . 14 th May , 1878 . Bro . the Rev . G . R . Portal , P . G . M ., in moving the first of the recommendations of this report , said he thought it would not be unbecoming before doing so if he congratulated G . L . on the wonderful increase that had taken place in the number of lodges and certificates , as stated in

t he report . No less than 12 new lodges , and six other warrants issueel s'nee , during the last half-year , had been granted . He wo . Id particularly draw attention to the fact of the Time Immemorial Lodge , thc " Howe , " at Birmingham , having noiv come under the banner of this Grand Lodge . It was one of the most important to get uneler this banner ; one that this Grand Lodge hael been trying to get for the last fifteen years , ever since this Grand Lodge was started ; and this Grand Lodge would most

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likely have failed in their object if it had not been for the Grand Master of the Province of Warwick , the Rev . W . K . Ryland Bedford . It was entirely owing to that brother ' s endeavours that the Howe Lodge had given in its adhesion to Grand Lodge . He would now move "That £ 200 be invested in New Zealand or other colonial bonds on account of General Fund . " If the brethren would be

good enough to turn to the end of the report they would see that there was a considerable balance to the account of the General Fund—no less than £ 359 3 s . 7 d . Therefore the Board recommended that £ 200 of that sum be invested . It would be perfectly safe to do so , because funds

were coming in very rapidly , and the £ 159 3 s . 7 d . would be quite enough to keep at the bankers' for any emergencies that might arise between now and the end of the next half-year . Bro . Goepel seconded the motion , which was then put and carried .

Bro . the Rev . G . R . Portal next moved the second recommendation . That in Clause 44 . of the Book of Constitutions , the word " eight" be erased and " twelve " substituted . That the following words be added to Clause 3 6 , " District Grand Masters having the additional power to give a dispensation , authorising brethren to meet as a

lodge , until a Warrant of Constitution shall be signed by the M . W . G . M . " The poTht of that proposed alteration had reference to the Grand Stewards . It was the privilege of the provinces in this Order to recommend in turn a brother to be appointed a Grand Steward by the Grand Master . The Grand Steward ' s fee was fixed at two guineas , which went

to pay whatever sum was not covered by the sale of dinner tickets at this half-yearly festival . Hitherto the expense of this festival over and above what the tickets would provide for had been very considerable , and that extra expense had fallen upon the general funds of Grand Lodge . The General Board had thought that this was an exceedingly undesirable state of things to be continued if

it was possible to arrive at any other solution . After considering the matter the Board thought that if the Board of Granel Stewards was increased in number from eight to twelve , the extra sum paid by the fees of the additional four would leave the balance to be paid by Grand Lodge very small , if not eliminate it altogether . He could not but think it was a most useful thing tbat energetic

brethren in the provinces should be nominated by their resjiective Grand Lodges for the office of Grand Steward ; and he thought also it would be an advantage as regarded the funds of Grand Lodge . As it would increase the patronage of Provincial Grand Lodges if this recommendation was approved , he would move to that effect . Bro . Col . Wigginton seconeled thc motion .

Bro . Hunter Little saiel he observeel that Clause 44 went em to state that four of the Stcwartls shoultl be nominated by thc provinces of Middlesex and Surrey , anil four by the remaining Provincial Grand Lod'ges . In what way was it contemplated to provide for the nomination of the addition four Stewards : was it by giving all the extra patronage to Middlesex and Surrey ?

The M . W . G . M . said he believed it was understood that the intention was that as the number of the provinces had incieased since the Book of Constitutions was made out , the nomination of the whole of the four additional Stewards should go to the Provincial Grand Lodges other than those of Middlesex and Surrey . Middlesex and Surrey woulel still nominate four , and the other eight

woulel be nominated by thc remaining provinces . Bro . Hunter Little expressed his satisfaction at this arrangement . Bro . Sabine asked whether Mieldlcsex and Surrey exercised its right year by year .

Bro . Binckes replied he was not sure that it did . There was generally a difficulty in getting the requisite number of nominatieins , but he hoped there would not be any such difficulty in future . Five had been nominated b y Middlesex and Surrey this year . The motion for making the alteration in Clause 44 was then carried .

Bro . the Rev . G . R . Portal next moved the alteration in Clause 5 6 , as given above . He said that it was suggested by reason of twelve weeks elapsing between the time of sending from India the petition for a lodge and the receipt in India of the warrant . It was therefore proposeel to give the District Grand Master the power of granting brethren a dispensation for holding a lodge in the interval . Bro . Hargreaves having seconded the motion , it was put and carrieel .

Bro . the Rev . G . R . Portal then moved thc next recommendation— " To alter and amend the rules regulating the Funel of Benevolence . " The recommendation was "That so soon as thc invested property of the Fund of Benevolence amounts to £ 1000 , a separate account be ojiencd , to be called the Education Fund .

" That one-half of all contributions hereafter received for the benevolent purposes of the Order be paid to the Education Fund , anti one-half to thc Benevolent Fund . " That the income accruing from whatever source to the two funds be kept entirely distinct . " That thc Education Fund be administered in such manner as shall be from time to time directed by Grand

Lodge . " This recommendation was the natural consequence of the suggestion made by the Board at the last Granel Lodge that they should consieler what could be done for the special benefit of the children of decayed Mark Masons .

The Fund of Benevolence was instituted some years ago for the assistance of Mark Masters , their witlows and children ; but so far as thc children were concerned they had hitherto only benefitted from thc assistance given to Mark Masters or their widows . The Benevolent Fund had now increis . ii so largely , consequent upon the claims

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upon it by Mark Masters and their widows having been so few , that thc Board felt they might now extend the operations of the fund to doing something if possible for thc children of decayed Mark Masters . Looking to the fact that at the last election of the Boys' School no less than 46 children were unable to be elected for want of room , he thought there could be no doubt in the mind of any of

the brethren that they could not benefit a Mark Mason or his widow better than by assisting in the education of his or her children . The Board , therefore , proposed that so soon as the Fund of Benevolence amounted to £ 1000 , anything that might afterwards be received on account of that fund should be divided into halves , and that one-half should be expended as Grand Lodge might direct from

time to time—they did not bring any motion about that forward to-day , but would leave it to next Grand Lodgeone-half should be put aside for the assistance of the children by educating them , and the other half , as now , to go towards relieving the distresses of Mark Masters and their widows . Grand Lodge need not be afraid that Mark Masters or their widows would suffer from this

arrangement , inasmuch as by the proposition it was provided that one-half of the fund must go to ' ^ them . He believed that this new arrangement would meet with so much favour among all Mark Masons that as a result there would be a very great increase in this Benevolent Fund . He hoped the brethren would pass the recommendation unanimously , for he was sure they could not do anything more

conducive to the benefit of the Order and their own fellow creatures than by helping those poor creatures whose parents were unable to give them that push in the world which was afforded by that good education which we all desired our children should have . Bro . T . J . Sabine in seconding the motion , said as a

member of the Board he expressed his personal gratification that the fund which he and a few others were the means of establishing a few years ago had grown to such proportions that they were able to deal with it in the way proposed . The system which Bro . Portal had explainee ! must commend itself to every Mason present and to eveiy member of the Order . With the fund in such a

prosperous state as it now was they had every prospect that in the future it would attain to such an amount that they would be able to do something very handsome for the children of Mark Masons who had fallen intc adversity . The motion was then carried unanimously . Bro . the Rev . G . R . Portal next moved , " That thc

Grand Treasurer be authorised to repay from the Fund ot Benevolence the sum of £ 39 17 s . nd . to the General Fund for sundry disbursements on account of said fund . " Having explained that the sum named was an accumulation of deficits for some years past in thc receipts from Stewards' fees for the Benevolent Funel Festival , which deficits had been paid by the General Fund , he saiel it was

now proposed to repay the General Fund out of the Benevolent Fund . Bro . H . C . Levander seconeled the motion . Bro . Strachan objected to the amount being taken from the Benevolent Fund , and thought it was the first time Grand Lodge had been asked to expend any portion of the . Fund of Benevolence for eating and drinking . The

donations to the Fund of Benevolence were made for benevolent purposes , and should be applied to those purposes only . He would respectfully move as an amenelment that this subject be referred back to the General Boartl to find some other means of liquidating the amount other than by trenching on the Benevolent Fund . If they could not find such means , hc for one would be ready to

pay his share of the amount . ( Loud cheers . ) After some discussion as to the best means of accomplishing the end proposed by Bro . Strachan , the brethren appearing to be unanimously of his opinion , the motion of Bro . Portal was rejected , and as a consequence the General Fund , which has paid the amount , has to bear it . On the motion of Bro . the Rev . T . F . Ravenshaw ,

seconded by Bro . James Stevens , £ 13 was granted to thc widow of a late brother . Bro . the Rev . G . R . Portal next said , with reference to th -. recognition of this Grand Mark Lodge by the General Gram ' Royal Arch Chapter of the United States of America , that . it was impossible to exaggerate the importance of this step , because it carried with it recognition by the other Grand

Chapters of the United States . He thought this should not be allowed to pass without some notice or acknowledgment on the part of Granel Lodge . He then moved , " That this G . L . receives with the greatest satisfaction the resolution of the General G . Chapter of the United States of America to recognise this Granel Lodge as the rightful anil supreme authority over the Mark Degree in England am

Wales and the Colonies and Dependencies of the British Crown . " Lord Skelmersdale , in seconding the resolution , said he had much pleasure in doing so , for it was a matter for great congratulation and rejoicing that Grand Chapter of America had recognised this Grand Lodge . Bro . the Rev . G . R . Portal said he was quite surethsrj

would be but one feeling in Granel Lodge in favour of send ing a fraternal answer to such an important body as the Gei . cral Grand Royal Arch Chapter of the United States of Ameiica . The brethren would all feel satisfied and pleased that this Grand Lodge was now on terms of communication with that body . The motion was carried unanimously . Bro . T . J . Sabine , then rose and said—M . W . G . M ,, it

falls to my duty on the present occasion , having been the nominator of the Right Hon . Bro . Lord Skelmersdale as Grand Master for the ensuing year at the last Half-yearly Communication of Grand Lodge in December last , to move his election as Granel Master of this Order . I do so now with a great deal of pleasure . The records of this Degreesince the meeting of la--t December carry out and prove what I then stated with regard to the s _ e : cess of th ' . - ' Ji'giev .