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has been one of those inaccuracies which really are common to all proceedings of this sort , by which no one can be pained in any degree . It is quite right on the one hand that attention should be called to the error ; but it is

unnecessary to discuss it , still less to discuss it with warmth . AVhenever such an inaccuracy is pointed out , no doubt the Grand Secretary will have no objection to alter it . The minutes were then confirmed .

The G . SECRETARY then read the report of the Board of Benevolence for the last quarter , in which are recommendations for the following grants , viz : —

' Bro . C—— S , of the Lodge of Economy , No . 76 , AVinchester , . £ 100 . Bro . J B , of the Lodge of Faith , No . 484 , Aslitoii-in-JIafcerfield , £ 50 . And also a recommendation for a grant of ^ 250 to Bro . G B , of the Universal Lodge , No . 1 S 1 ,

London , which recommendation , however , according to the new laws , requires confirmation by the Lodge of Benevolence previous to its consideration by Grand Lodge . The report was ordered to be received and entered on the minutes . The two first recommendations were adopted .

Bro . B . BAKER took exception to the largeness of the grant in the third case ; but The ACTING G . M . said it had not been

moved . He had not put it , for this simple reason if it had been moved he should have been obliged to rule that the motion was out of order . The grant was made on the 24 th of August by the Lodge of Benevolence ; but b y the Constitutions it was necessary that that grant should be

confirmed b y the Lodge of Benevolence . There had been , consequently , no opportunity between the 24 th of August and the present Grand Lodge for the confirmation of that grant . The following report of the Board of General Purposes was taken as read , and ordered to be entered on the minutes : —

I . A complaint having been preferred to the Board by the Lodge of Benevolence against the Eastern Star Lodge , No . 95 , London , for non-payment of Grand Lodge dues in respect of a brother who had petitioned the Lodge of Benevolence for relief , the AV . Master and Wardens were summoned to attend the Board and produce the Warrant

and books of the lodge . A written explanation by the AV . Master having been received prior to the meeting of the Board , and the same having been duly considered by the Board , it ^ appeared that the complaint was admitted , but the non-payment had occurred some twenty-one years ago , and only one of the then members was now a member of

the lodge , and the lodge was now unable to explain how the omission occurred , but submitted themselves to the Board . Under these circumstances , and the W . Master being in attendance , the Board accepted the explanation , and waived further proceedings subject to the payment of the Grand Lodge dues admitted lo be due , which were at

once paid . 2 . The Board beg to subjoin a statement of the Grand Lodge accounts at the last meeting of the finance Committee , held on the I 2 lh August , 1 S 70 , showing a balance in ihc hands of ( lie Gram ! Treasurer oi £ 2 , 224 2 s . jt ) . ; and in the hands of Grand Secretary , for petty cash , £ 75 .

The G . REGISTRAR , in reference to the appeal of Bro . Geo . Ikase against his expulsion from the Order by the District Grand Lodge of Bombay , said that it had been before Grand Lodge for a considerable period ; and if it had come 011 tonight , it would have occupied a great portion of

time . But on the 3 rd inst . a telegram had been received , stating that the brother had made his submission to the District Grand Lodge , and that body requested that the Grand Lodge of England should suspend its decision till the

judgment of the District Grand Lodge of Bombaywas given . He would therefore move that the consideration of this appeal stand over till next Quarterly Communication . Grand Lodge adopted the suggestion .

I he G . SKCIUITARY read the second appeal , which w . is that of Bro . George Smithers ag . iinst the deei-ion of the District Grand Lodge of South Africa , annulling his assumed position as a P . M . in the Craft .

Lhe circumstances of fins case were peculiar . On the 4 th January , 1 S 5 S , Bro . Smithers received in the British Lodge , South Africa , the honorary degree of P . M ., in conformity with the practice which hud for a long lime previously prevailed

there , without being elected and installed and without having served the office of Master for one , year , as provided by the Book of Constitutions . The practice of granting the honorary degree arose from the difficulty which was expe-

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rienced out there in obtaining a sufficient number of installed Masters at an installation to form a Board of Installed Masters . From the year of his obtaining the degree , Bro . Smithers was allowed all the privileges of a P . M . at installation meetings . A question was afterwards

mooted about the regularity of the practice , and it was discontinued . At first the change was not allowed to make any difference to this brother , but in June last , at an installation , he was directed to retire , on the ground of his not being an actual P . M ., and not competent to be

present during the ceremony . He protested , but to avoid an unseemly contest , retired under protest . He petitioned the District Grand Lodge , which dismissed his petition , and this appeal to the Grand Lodge of England was the result .

The G . REGISTRAR applauded the very fair way in which the whole of the case had been put in the appeal by Bro . Smithers ; but by the Constitutions of the Grand Lodge of England a brother , to occupy the position of a P . M ., must have served the office of Master in a lodge for twelve months , and have

been previously formally installed . Bro . Smithers stated that he had never been so installed , and the irregularity was fatal to the appeal . This Grand Lodge could not make regular that which was irregular , and it must uphold the Constitutions . He , therefore , moved that the decision of the District

Grand Lodge be affirmed , and Bro . Smithers appeal dismissed . Bro . H . LLOYD , Q . C ., thought they could do nothing else . If they decided in favour of Bro . Smithers , they must decide that the District Grand Lodge of South Africa was wrong , when it was right .

The ACTING G . M . : Brethren , you have heard the details of this appeal very clearly stated , and the question before you is that the decision of the District Grand Lodge of Cape Town be upheld , and that the appeal which has come before you be dismissed . 1 , for one , concur .

Bro . Smithers appeal was therefore dismissed . The G . SECRETARY read the third appeal , which came from Bro . Philip Pinckney Cother , P . M ., No . 586 , Salisbury , against the decision of the Provincial Grand Master for Wiltshire , upon a complaint respecting the election of Master of the lodge .

The G . REGISTRAR , in the absence of Bro . Cother , who had , however , promised to be present to support his appeal , would state , as simply as possible , its nature , the conclusion at which the Provincial Grand Master had arrived with respect to it , and the decision which he ( Grand Registrar ) would

humbly suggest this Grand Lodge should come to on it . Bro . Cother was the Senior Past Master and the founder of the Elias de Derham Lodge , No . 5 S 6 , of Salisbury , in which it had been the custom , and Bro . Collier seemed to be under the misapprehension that it was consequently binding ,

that the S . AV . of the lodge should be elected to the office of Master . In the lodge there was a S . AV . in whom the appellant seemed to have great confidence . As the period of election drew near , communications had passed , and he entertained the belief that lhat S . AV . would be elected to the office

of Master ; but when the day of election came round a brother , who was a P . M . of another lodge , stated that he would be willing to serve if elected . Only a small number of brethren thereupon voted for the S . W ., and Bro . Cother attended at the next meeting of the lodge , when the minutes were to be

confirmed : but 111 the meantime the S . AV ., who was much offended at what had taken place , tendered his resignation . AA'hen the minutes were put for confirmation , an amendment was moved to the effect that such portion of them as referred lo the election of Master be not confirmed . It seemed bv

some mistake that the minutes were confirmed by a majority , and the proceeding of installing the -Master gone on with ; and before the installation was complete , Bro . Cother , who had been out of lhe lodge , came buck , and stated that it was a mistake , and that the minutes had not been confirmed .

Wlien the matter was investigated again , llu majority was found to lie against the confirmation of the minutes ; but the Master had been installed , and the difficulty was to get him out of the chair . The objection was then loo late , and it was found YhrU the Master lmvii remain in the eh ' . iiv . Up m

lhat , Bro . Cother went in the first instance to the Provincial Grand Secretary , and a correspondence took place , ending in an appeal to the Provincial Grand Master , Jiro . Cother understanding that when it came on his witnesses were to be ready and to be examined . In the meantime , the

Provincial (/ rand Secretary had written certain questions and circulated them among the accused brethren , who were to give their answers in writing . Bro . Cother made a great number of charges , among which he accused three of the P . M . ' s of entering into a conspiracy lo exclude the S . A \ . from the chair . The Prov . Grand

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Master took the petition and gave his decisionfirst , that the minutes were not confirmed , and therefore that the Master , who had been declared duly elected , was not duly elected ; secondly , that the officers who had been in office during the past year should continue in office during the coming

year , and according to Bro . Cother ' s account , the Prov . Grand Master refused to hear the witnesses Bro . Cother had present , and gave his decision notwithstanding . The Prov . Grand Master was bound to hear and determine all matters of complaint in his province , whether against lodges

or individuals . If he should refuse to do so , then an appeal lay to the Board of General Purposes . In this case he had to some extent adjudicated on the case—in fact , on the most important portionwhich decided that the A \ . M . was not duly elected , and therefore that the office was vacant . It seemed

to him ( Grand Registrar ) clear that—whether the Prov . Grand Master was right or wrong in saying that , upon the evidence before him , the minutes were not confirmed and the Master notduly elected —what he should have done was , what was pointed out by the Book of Constitutions direct , that , at the

next regular meeting of the lodge , the brethren should proceed to the election of a new Master . He had not done that , and so far his decision could not be upheld . With respect to the other questions , it appeared to be the safest course to send back the case to the Prov . Grand Master , with a

representation that , in the opinion of this Grand Lodge , he ought to hear the evidence before determining the question before him . AA hcn he had heard the evidence , he could then give his decision , and if Bro . Cother was dissatisfied with it , he could come to Grand Lodge . At present , they could not uphold the decision of the Prov . Grand Master .

The ACTING G . M . : There can be no doubt that this question , which came before the Prov . Grand Master of Wiltshire , was not only a very lengthy one , but , as I have had an opportunity of seeing the papers , I can say , complicated also . Therefore , I am not surprised that some errors have crept into

his decision . At the same time , it is perfectly incontestible that , as the Grand Registrar has plainly and clearly shown , an error has taken place in that decision , and I see no alternative for this Grand Lodge , except to refer the question back

again , as has been proposed by the Grand Registrar , to the Prov . Grand Master . The question , therefore , which I shall put to you is , "That this appeal be referred back again to the Prov . Grand Master of AViltshire , " with such an intimation in writing as the Grand Registrar has suggested . The motion was carried .

The next business on the paper was Bro . Raynham AV . Stewart's motion : " That , inasmuch as the Freemasons' Hall and buildings have been built out of the funds belonging to the Craft , on and after the 24 th June next the respective rents now paid by the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for aged

Freemasons and their AVidows , the Royal Masonic Girls' School , and the Royal Masonic Boys' School shall cease and determine , and the same accommodation as now afforded them , in all respects , shall be continued for the benefit of such institutions , free of all charge whatsoever . ' '

Bro . STEWART said that , much as he should like to see this motion carried , lie felt that Grand Lodge would , l > y carrying it , not be acting in good faith towards the Building Committee , lie would , therefore , not press his motion , but would ask to be allowed lo withdraw it till the debt incurred by Grand Lodge was paid off .

The ACTING G .. M . thought Bro . Stewart would be acting wisely in so doing . There was a great deal to be said on the motion , he apprehended , when it came on at a future time , lie would , therefore , put the question that the motion be discharged . The motion was discharged accordingly .

The concluding motion en the agenda paper was a proposed motion of Bro . Joshua Nunn , P . G . S . B ., "That in the last paragraph of the 16 th Law of the Fund of Benevolence , at the second line , after the words ' ten pounds , ' to add ' except in cases

requiring the sanction and approval of Grand Lodge . '" Bro . J OSHUA NU . N . V asked permission to withdraw his motion , in consequence of the large vote . 11 the last Board of Benevolence , and until those m-ilters had been disposed of by Grand Lodge . This motion was likewise discharged .

Bro . C . IIlTToX GRKGORY wished to ask one question before Grand Lodge was closed . It might be in the remembrance of Grand Lodge that in March a sum of 300 guineas was voted for a tablet to record the successful completion of the buildings in which they were assembled . Those who had

witnessed the completion of the admirable work would feel deeply indebted to the Building Committee , and would be pleased to see the small memorial of it which had been proposed . He therefore asked his lordship ' s permission to inquire of the chairman of the Testimonial Committee