United Grand Lodge.

by the Secretary and the brethren , chose to evade their duty , which was to receive the correspondence of the District Grand Master , and have the matter discussed by the lodge , they behaved in a manner disrespectful to him , which might have brought down on them the condemnation

of the District G . M . and the District G . Lodge . But it was quite competent for them , however contumaciously they might have behaved , to have received the resignation of the brother , and record it on the minutes . He had often laid it down in Grand Lodge , that if a brother chose to

resign his position as a member , no lodge could hold him . A brother had a right to resign , and there was no need of any resolution for accepting his resignation . His resignation itself was a fact , and he ceased from the moment of his tendering it to be a member . The notion of the

District G . M . seemed to be that if a brother ceased to be a member of a lodge , the District Grand Lodge and the District G . M . had no power over him . He thought the District G . M . was mistaken . While a man continued to be a Mason under the English Constitution , while he held a

certificate of Grand Lodge of England , he was amenable to the Grand Lodge of England wherever he might be ; he was amenable to the district or the province in which he might be residing at any time , so long as he resided there . When he resigned he excluded himself , by his

resignation , from a lodge ; but the District G . M . had power over him while he held his certificate , and could summon him before him to produce his certificate , to hear any charge against him ; and he could adjudicate upon the charge in any way , even to suspending him from his functions

in Masonry , or he might summon him to the District Grand Lodge to be expelled . Therefore , although this case must be decided in favour of the lodge , however badly they might have behaved to the District Grand Master , he might still deal with the brother , who could not be

allowed to avoid an investigation into his character simply by resigning his lodge . The brother must be dealt with afterwards by the District Grand Master as he might think fit , but in the meantime the appeal must be allowed . Bro . F . A . PhilbricK , Q . C ., seconded the mo .

tion , but said it would be a most disastrous thing for the best interests of the Craft if in allowing this appeal it were not clearly understood what was the position which Grand Lodge took with regard to questions of this kind . The Mason was t 3 Ught at the moment of his initiation that

Masonry is free , that is to say , a man was free to accept or to decline the obligation ; but when he had taken it he could not by any resignation of office or membership of his lodge divest himself of the character of a Mason , or renounce the duties which he had solemnly taken upon

himself . He remained for all time a Mason , as long as the authorities of Freemasonry did not expel him from the Order , and as long as he was a Mason he was bound by the obligation which we all acknowledged , and which he himself had solemnly sworn to perform . Therefore , whether

the brother was a member of this lodge or no lodge at all he was amenable to the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of the district in which he mig ht happen to be at the moment . In aflirming this appeal , he trusted it would not be understood that Grand Lodge at all denied , but rather

that it supported the jurisdiction over a brother under those circumstances . With regard to membership of a lodge , Masonry was a voluntary association . A man might , as Grand Registrar had said , remain in a lodge no longer than he pleased . He could not be continued by force

to be liable for his dues . But for all that his status of a Mason could not be altered , and he was still , whether a member of a lodge or not a member of any lodge , amendable to the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge or the locality in which he was residing . He would conclude

with one remark . By the courtesy of Grand Secretary , he had had an opportunity of perusing the papers in this matter . They were very lengthy , and raised many nice points of Masonic law . This Grand Lodge did not intend by its

decision to derogate from or affect the status of ihe lodge complaining . That must be dealt with by the District Grand Master of Jamaica . Grand Lodge was merely called upon to express an opinion on the formal complaint that had

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been made by the appeal . They would decide that , and let all other matters remain without any expression of opinion . The resolution was then carried , and the appeal allowed . The next was an appeal of the British Lodge ,

No . , 3 . 34 , Cape Town , against the judgment of the District Grand Lodge of South Africa , directing the installation of a brother as W . M . to be proceeded with immediately on his return to the colony , and that his Mastership should date from the 24 th J une last .

Bro . Mclntyre explained the circumstances of this case , in which a brother on his nomination as Master had had the voice of the lodge against him , but , as at the follo-ving meeting the minutes had not been confirmed , the lodge declared him elected . The District G . M . on the appeal

of some of the brethren had confirmed this , but the Grand Registrar advised the reversal of the decision , and allowed the appeal . Bro . Monckton seconded the motion , which was put and carried . Bro . Binckes , with reference to his notice of motion , explained that he had not been informed

of the proposal of Lord Carnarvon to have a special Grand Lodge for considering the report of the Special Committee on the commemoration of the Prince of Wales ' s return , and said that he should not have given his notice at the Board of Masters if he had known of the meeting at the Pro Grand Master ' s . He , therefore , withdrew his notice . Leave was given to withdraw the notice , 3 nd Grand Lodge was then closed .

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REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGS .

ta't Ulasonrs .

URBAN LODGE ( No . 1 in 6 ) . —The regular meeting of this lodge was held on Tuesday , jSth ult ., at St , John ' s Gate , Clcrkenwell , when Bro . . ( . Tickle , W . M ., presided , There were likewise present among other brethren Bros . J . Simpson , S . W . ; Edwin Lcgge , J . W . ; If . H . Pearson , P . M ., Treas . ; | . p .. Carpenter , P . M ., Sec ; It . M . Blanchford , S . D . ; S . Lehmcvcr , | . D . ;

It . H . Marston , D . C ; John Heath , I . G . ; . j . Dionysius Lovcrdo , J . Pearson , P . M . ; | , Redding Ware , I'M . ; W . Creswiek , | ohn Hicks . Visitors : ' ( . Hell , 1178 ; G . Davis , 16 ;; John M . Wike , P . G . D . ; W . C . Madderer , 504 ; J . F .. Middle-ton , P . G . S . ; G . Gardiner , 749 , ; and 11 . Massey { " Freemason" ) . After the usual formalities Bros . Buck , Milburn , anil Butler were

raised ; and Messrs . Robert Cheadle , James Fenn Beck , ami Reuben Charles Green were initiatce ' . The election ol W . M . for the ensuing year was then taken , mid Bro . J . Simpson , S . W ., was unanimously chosen to fill the chair in succession to Bro . Tickle . Bro . Robert Henry Pearson was unanimously re-elected Treasurer ; and Bro . W . Steedman , Tyler . Bro . Tickle in ' acquainting Bro . . Simp

son of the choice of the brethren , said it afforded him very great pleasure to do so . He could assure him that it was an honour and a dignity to which he need not say certainly all the younger . brethren aspired . lie felt confident that Bro . Simpson would appreciate the honour the lodge had done him in unanimously electing him , and he knew that he ( Bro . Tickle ) would have in Bro .

Simpson a very worthy successor in the chair . The brethren too would support him as well as they had supported their present Master . Bro . Simpson in reply thanked the brethren for the honour they had done him , and he trusted he should perform his duties with honour to the lodge and credit to himself . The W . M . in addressing the Treasurer said that the brethren were pleased with the way in which

Bro . Pearson had performed his duties as Treasurer , as they were glad to have such a brother in whose hands they could place the financial concerns of the lodge . Bro . Pearson said lie appreciated the honour conferred on him , and would promise to take great care of the cash , which he was always ready to receive . He would not run into debt , but during the present year the W . M . had been very generous ,

and the balance in hand was not so large as he would like it to he . He hoped by next year to have a larger balance , and he would do all in his power to increase it . The W . M . afterwards gave his authority for forming a lodge of instruction , to be called the Urban Lodge of Instruction . Before the brethren adjourned to banquet , Bro . K . II . Marston , P . M ., D . C , appealed to the lodge 011 behalf oi

an old actor ( Hro . II . . Mellon ) , late a member of Mr . Phelps'Sadlers'Wells Company , who had requested him to bring his cascbclore the brethren at this meeting . Bro . Mellon , however , died on last Saturday week , and the widow , with whom he ( Bio . Marston ) had been in communication , as she was in great distress , would feel

grateful for any assistance which the lodge might feel inclined to bestow . A sum was then voted from the fund of benevolence , and at the banquet table a fuither grant was made by the voluntary donations of the brethren . On the motion of Bro . J . Pearson , P . M ., seconded by the S . W ., , 1 Past Master ' s jewel was unanimously voted to

Reports Of Masonic Meetings.

Bro . Tickle , W . M . Lodge was then called off for re [ reshment , and the brethren sat down to a very nice ban quet , at which the W . M . presided , and , assisted by Bro Loverdc , W . S ., was unremitting in attention to the corn . ! forts of the brethren . The toasts were admirably proposed and the brethren were treated to other than the set phrases which they are accustomed to hear . In introducing th .

first toast , the W . M . said the toast of " The Queen " paramount in all assemblies of Englishmen , and not the less so in the Urban Lodge . It has been said that " Kings make reigns ; and Queens make eras , " and when English history—the history of the present reign—came to be writ , ten , he ventured to think that the Victorian era would not be surpassed by any that bad preceded it . The health of

our beloved Queen needed not many words of adulation from him , and he would therefore simply give the toast of "Her Majesty the Queen , "—the leader of English , in fact he might say of modem society . The toast of " The Prince of Wales , M . W . G . M ., " led the W . M . to say that His Royal Highness was an English gentleman as well as the Grand Master of Freemasons , and it was his quali .

ties as an English gentleman that had made him so popular , and endeared him to Englishmen . He did not think he was travelling out of his province when he said that of all the Princes of Wales who had figured in Eng . lish history there had been none so popular as the present Grand Master . After " The Health of the Pro Grand Master " had been honoured , the W . M . proposed " The

Deputy Grand Alaster and the rest of the Grand Officers , " and coupling with it the name of Bro . John M . Wike , P . G . D ., referred to this well-known name in connection with the Masonic Institutions . Directing the brethren ' s attention to the numerous jewels on Bro . Wike's breast , he said they represented a Stewardship for these Institutions as many as fourteen times , and he ventured to say there

never came within the Urban Lodge such a representative of the Charities as Bro . Wike , who had rilled in past times not only the office of S . G . D . of England , but that of S . G . W . of his ( the W . M . ' s ) native county , East Lanca . shire . Bro . Wike , in acknowledging the toast , said he must plead guilty to both these indictments ; he had held the offices referred to , and he had done all that in his

power lay for the promotion of the cause of the Masonic Charities . It was this one word " Charity " which en . abled him to say something in response to the toast . There could not be a Mason who did not own that it was one o [ the greatest ornaments of the Order to have such institu . lions connected with it as the Benevolent Institution and the Boys' and Girls' Schools . That it was proper , that it

was right , to relieve those brethren who from various circumstances were no longer able to support themselves , that it was their bounden duty to care for the widows of the brethren when the brethren had depaited this life , was so evident a proposition—it was a duty so consonant with every principle of religion and morality—that he did not care to say one word concerning it . That it was their duty to go

further , and not stopping at relieving existing wants , pro . viding for the wants of the coming generation , was also an evident fact . In this the brethren might take credit to themselves , and stand forth without a biush before the world and say that such institutions did not exist outsidr the Craft . There were no such schools anywhere , simply because they were not charity schools supported by

almsgiving ; but the children were put into them as the children of our unfortunate brothers , and not as those re . ceiving a pittance or dole . The brethren were improving thore schools while they were increasing them year by year . Long might they continue to be the pride of the Order , nay , he might almost say , the reason why our organisation existed . But the word "charity" taken

simply in that sense , was not the only sense in which Masons understood it , nor was it for charity in that sense that Masonry existed . The " charity " of Frcemasoniy was not simply the charity which consisted of putting one ' s hand in the pocket , that the man who had money should give it to the man who had none . I le was bound to believe , as every Freemason believed , that Soloinan was a

Freemason , and that Freemasons had existed ever since ; and he also believed that the Apostle Paul was a Freemason , or he would never have given such a definition of the word " charity " as he did . It was that definition of charity they ought to strive to inculcate in all the new initiates . The " charity " which was the bond of Freemasonry , which had kept Freemasons in existence , and

would keep it in existence , was the charity which was represented by the shorter word " love . " When a man be . came a Freemason the precepts of the Order taught him I " he . 1 little more loving and gcneious than the hard world lie saw around him ; he saw that he was to discover something good in men . In the " outer world" men scl up a round god in the shape of a sovereign and wor it

shipped it ; but when he entered Freemasonry he found something better . I le found in it that he was taug ht t « believe not the worst of a man , but the best ; and he fountl when he advanced to the higher degrees of FreemasoWT that he was not to believe even when a thing looked bad in a brother , but that he was to seek for a favourable interpretation , and eveii to believe that there was somethliii ?

good though he did not see it . That was the charity " should stiive after , and which would keep us together as long as the world lasted , so long as we were actuated by the noble sentiment of thinking ihe best of each other , ot believing everything that was good and repudiating everything tliat was evil . So long as we shewed our faith m this principle so bug would Freemasonry flourish , and so

long would the brethren assemble at mommy ings and be enabled to drink the health and do honour 11 the heads of the Order . ( Hear hear . ) In giving ' " Health of the Initiates , " the W . M . contrasted the pre *' position of the lodge with the position it was in as garded the number of its members when he was ' nltl 3 . live or six years ago . He thanked Bro . Wike for " noble sentiments he had given utterance to , becaus