United Grand Lodge Of England.

UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND .

The Quarterly Communication of United Grand Lodge of England was held on VVednesday evening , at Freemasons' Hall , the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe , D . G . M ., presiding . Bro . VV . W . B . Beach , M . P ., P . G . M . Hants and the Isle of Wight , acted as Deputy G . M . ; Bro . Sir Hedworth Williamson , P . G . M . Durham , as Past G . M .,- Bro . the Right Hon . A . Akers-Douglas , M . P ., P . G . W ., as S . G . W . ; and Bro . the Rev . R . J . Simpson , P . G . C ., as J . G . W . There were also present Bros . T . F . Halsey , M . P ., H . D . Sandeman , Sir A . W . Woods , E . Letchworth , G . Sec . ; R .

Grey , D . P . Cama , Richard Eve , Geo . Everett , S . Cochrane , Alderman and Sheriff Dimsdale , Thomas Fenn , T . L . Wilkinson , Col . Money , C . B ., W . B . Coltman , Peter de Lande Long , Capt . N . G . Philips , W . G . Lemon , R . Loveland-Loveland , Lennox Browne , Dr . Strong , W . P . Brown , Capt . T . C . Walls , Dr . F . Ernest Pocock , J . E . Le Feuvre , J . H . Matthews , \ V . F . Smithson , C . E . Keyser , Robert Turtle Pigott , D . C . L ., H . J . P . Dumas , A . C . Spaull , and others .

Grand Lodge was very numerously attended , and the excitement was immense , the election of members of the Board of General Purposes being the great attraction of the meeting . Grand Lodge having been opened in due form , the minutes of the March Quarterly Communication and of the Grand Festival were read by Bro . LETCHWORTH , and put and confirmed . The appointment and investiture of the President of the Board of General

Purposes was the next business on the paper , but , as the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe stated , for obvious reasons it was postponed till after the report of the Committee of General Purposes . Scrutineers for the ballot were then selected and obligated , Bro . J . H . Matthews was appointed Chairman , the ballot cards were collected , and the Scrutineers withdrew . The following brethren were declared elected members of the Colonial Board and of the Committee of Management of the Benevolent Institution .-

List of brethren for the Colonial Board : Bros . William Farquharson Lamonby , P . M . 962 and 1924 ; Captain Thomas Charles Walls , VV . M . 60 ; Robert Anthony Gowan , P . M . 2029 ; James Brett , P . M . 177 ; John Speight Cumberland , P . M . 2128 ; John Newton , P . M . 174 ; and Henry Lovegrove , P . M . 1507 .

List of brethren for the Committee of Management for the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons : Bros . Emii Apelt , VV . M . 186 ; Alfred Henry Hickman , P . M . 228 ; Lieut .-Col . Alfred Durrant , P . M . 5 ( 19 ; Charles Alexander Cottebrune , P . M . 733 ; Charles Kempton , P . M . 1287 ; Joseph Henry Price , I' . M . 1321 ; Theophilus I . Bird , P . M . 1567 ; William Henry Hubbgrt , P . M . 1625 ; Robert Daniel (' ummings , P . M . 2427 ; and William Barnes Fendick , P . M . 2460 .

Bro . LETCHWORTH said the M . W . G . M . had nominated Sir G . D . Harris as Chairman of the Colonial Board , and Bros . Philbrick , O . C , and J . H . Matthews as members . Bro . CUMBERLAND proposed Bro . John Smith as Auditor of Grand Lodge accounts , and the motion was seconded and carried .

Bro . LETCHWORTH announced that the M . W . G . M . had been pleased to nominate the following brethren as members of the Committee of Management of the Benevolent Institution : Bros . E . Letchworth , Dr . Jabez Hogg , T . B . Purchas , R . N . ; b \ Mead , A . C . Spaull , James Brett , T . W . Whitmarh , S . Vallentine , S . V . Abrahams , and C . J . R . Tijou . The following grants , recommended by the Board of Benevolence , were confirmed :

A-brother of the Domatie Lodge , No . 177 , London £ 50 o o A brother of the Selwyn Lodge , No . 1901 , London 75 o o The widow of a brother of the Grand Master's Lodge , No . 1 , London . ... ' * 50 o o

A brother of Lodge Temperance , No . 169 , London 50 o o A brother of the Humber Lodge , No . 57 , Hull 50 o o A brother of the Granite Lodge , No . 1328 , London 100 o o The widow of a brother of the Lebanon Lodge , No . 1326 Feltham 50 0 o

The report of the Board of General Purposes as printed in the breemason last week was taken as read , and ordered to be received and entered on the minutes . Bro . THOMAS FENN then moved , in accordance with the recommendation inthe report , the erasure of lodges 447 , 550 , 672 , 73 6 , 8 9 6 , 952 , 978 , 101 4 , 1015 , 1183 , 1340 , and 1535 . The motion was seconded by Bro . Dr . POCOCK , and carried . Bro . FENN then brought up the following recommendation :

The Board have received from Bro . John Lane , the author of " Masonic Records , " an offer of the copyright of the second edition of this work on the sole condition that it be printed in his own name as author and under his supervision , and that 500 copies be printed and sold at one guinea each ; this work is a register of lodges in all parts of the world that have emanated from the several *

Grand Lodges of England , from 1717 down to the year of publication , 1886 . It gives the date of warrant , the various numbers and names the lodges have borne , with the different places of meeting , and , if erased , the date of erasure , with other particulars that can be briefly set forth . Many years of patient labour and careful research were spent by the compiler in its preparation , and it is perhaps 'he most useful Masonic work ever published .

To the Secretarial Department of the Grand Lodge it is simply invaluable , giving , as it does , information at a glance which otherwise could only be obtained , " at al ) , at the cost of much time and research . The book has been out of print some years , and ever since its issue Bro . Lane has been collecting materials for a

United Grand Lodge Of England.

new and revised edition which will contain many hundreds of important corrections , and will also include all lodges warranted down to the present time . A revised edition of ** oo copies with the additional matter would probably cost about £ 350 or £ 400 . The Board strongly recommend the Grand Lodge to accept Bro . Lane's generous offer of the copyright of this work , and to authorise the Board to order

the printing of 500 copies under Bro . Lane ' s superintendence , and to publish them at the price of one guinea each . He said he had no doubt the book was well known to the brethren . The Grand Secretary could testify to the truth of what was stated in the report , that it was a most invaluable book and ought to be in the possession of Grand Lodge . He , Bro . Fenn , thought the brethren ought to leel very

much indebted to Bro . Lane—for the work had cost him a great deal of labour—for offering the copyright . ( Loud applause ) . The book was present in Grand Lodge , but of course it could be examined as it was a large volume . It contained statistics of the most valuable description . It was said in the report that Bro . Lane stipulated that 500 copies should be printed and sold at a guinea each . That letter had been rather misunderstood ; it

did not bear that interpretation ; still he thought it was the wisest course Grand Lodge could take—to have 500 copies printed , and he was sure they would be cheaply disposed of at a guinea a-piece . He , therefore proposed that Bro . Lane's offer be accepted , and that the Board be authorised to print _ o < _ copies and to offer them for sale at one guinea each . Dr . POCOCK seconded the motion and it was put and carried . *

Dr . POCOCK then said he would like to call the attention of Grand Lodge to a resolution which was passed by the Board at the conclusion of the business at the last meeting .

" That the Board of General Purposes have heard with regret the announcement made by V . W . Bro . Thomas Fenn that it is his intention to request the Most Worshipful Grand Master not to re-appoint him to the office of President for the ensuing year . In tendering to him their cordial and sincere thanks for the able and courteous manner in which he has presided over their deliberations , the members of the Board desire individually and collectively to record

their appreciation of the services rendered to Freemasonry during the whole of his long connection with the Craft , and more especially during the 10 years that he has filled the office of President . The members further desire to express the sincere admiration which they feel for Bro . Fcnn's thorough knowledge of Masonic law and precedent , and for the zeal and ability with which he has carried out the arduous duties of his position . "

The great services rendered to Masonry for a number of years by Bro . Fenn —( applause)—and more especially—he thought he might say more especially—the services he had rendered during the m years he had been President of the Board of General Purposes entitled him to this . He ( Dr . Pocock ) had had the honour of a seat at that Board for the last three years , and he was perfectly certain it would be impossible to have a brother

presiding over it in a more masterly manner than did Bro . Fenn . ( Applause . ) Bro . Fenn had determined not to seek re-nomination , and he ( Dr . Pocock ) could only say that speaking on behalf , if he might [ venture to do so , of the whole Board , that the members of the Board might congratulate themselves if they got a brother who was anywhere nearly so capable of presiding over them as Bro . Fenn . He would not trouble Grand Lodge further . He did

not know whether it would be necessary for him to make a motion on this , but he should not like the occasion to pass without mentioning this subject . Bro . T . C . WALLS , Grand Std . Br ., said that having seconded this resolution at the last meeting of the Board and having sat at the Board of General Purposes at the time Bro . Fenn was appointed by the Prince of Wales President in 1884 , he had very much pleasure in endorsing the

remarks of Dr . Pocock in introducing this resolution before Grand Lodge . Bro . Fenn ' s services to Masonry were paramount , the large extent of his Masonic knowledge had been of great advantage to the whole Committee and he thought that night they would pass with acclamation that resolution so ably moved by Dr . Pocock giving to Bro . Fenn that meed of praise which he was so eminently deserving of . Bro . I . E . LE FEUVRE said he was sure Grand Lodge would not like to

pass to any other business without bearing well-deserved testimony to the obligation they were under to Bro . Fenn . eThe Earl of MOUNT EDGCUMBE said : As representative for the moment of the Most VVorshipful Grand Master of England , he desired in his Royal Highness' name to express his hearty concurrence in the resolution with reference to Bro . Fenn . ( Applause ) . The Pro Grand Master , and , I need not say , myself , and all the officers and brethren assembled here to-night

will re-echo his Royal Highness' sentiments and express their regret at Bro . Fenn retiring from the position he has held , and thank him for the work he has done for Grand Lodge during the 10 years he has been President of thu Board . ( Renewedapplause ) . I therefore put simply as a separate motion the adoption especiall y of the last paragraph of the Report of the Board of General Puiposes , which has been read to you , and I am sure all will heartily join in it , and I ask you to join in it in the usual manner . ( Applause ) .

Bro . THOMAS FENN , who , on rising , was greeted with a renewal of the applause , said : M . W . G . M . in the chair , I do not know how to thank you sufficiently for this recognition of what I have done , but , believe me , I appreciate the compliment you have paid me very deeply . The Earl of MOUNT EDGCUMBE then announced that the M . W . G . M . had appointed Bro . Richard Loveland Loveland as President of the Board of General Purposes . Bro . Loveland was accordingly invested and conducted to the seat which Bro . Fenn vacated .