United Grand Lodge.

To the report is subjoined a statement of the Grand Lodge accounts at the last meeting of the Finance Committee , held on Friday , the nth ult ., showing a balance of £ 4870 lis . id . to the credit of the Fund of General Purposes , less £ 1242 7 s . Sd . applied to cover an amount overdrawn on account of the Fund of Benevolence , leaving a balance in the Bank of England of - £ 3456 8 s . 3 d ., and in the hands of the Grand Secretary for petty

cash ^ 75 , and for servants' wages fy 6 15 s . SIR J B . MONCKTON , President cf the Board of General Purposes , in moving the adoption of the report , said that fortunatel y it contained no cases of Masonic pains and penalties , and it might be looked upon more as an arithmetical proposition . The Board of General Purposes had nothing to do with the mode" in which Benevolence was distributed ; that remained with the Lodge of Benevolence and Grand Lodge ; but the Board had it in

its power to sec that the finances were kept straight , and if they found , as they did , that the account was considerably overdrawn , rather to the detriment of the General Purposes account , which it was their duty to invest as soon as the } ' had anything worth investing , the ) ' thought it ri ght to draw the attention of Grand Lodge to the scheme the } ' proposed , which they did in the report now before the lodge . COL . CREATON , Grand Treasurer , seconded the motion , which was put and carried .

GRAND SECRETARY then read a long application from a body styling itself " The Grand Lodge of New South Wales of Free and Accepted Masons , " requesting their recognition by thc United Grand Lodge of England as a regular Grand Lodge . Bro . Al . J . M CINTYRE , Q . C , Grand Registrar , in-moving that the request contained in this memorial bc not complied with , said

that a similar memorial had been unanimously rejected by the Grand Lodges of Scotland and Ireland , both of which as well as Grand Lodge of England had District Grand Lodges and District Grand Masters in South Wales . There were forty seven lodges under the English Constitution there , thirty under the Scotch , and nine under the Irish , or in all eightysix lodges . Thc lodges wanting to be a Grand Lodge were thirteen , " and

they based their application on the princi p le in America , that any three lodges mig ht form a separate Grand Lodge . If the memorial were granted the thirteen lodges would be a regular Grand Lodge and all the others would be irregular . He had made himself thorough ! } ' acquainted with the facts , and to his mind it was not at all consonant to the Constitutions of English Masonry to say , as the brethren of the memorialists did , that the

country was unoccupied . The brethren prayed that the memorial mi ght not bc refused on the ground of the financial contributions of the lodges in the colony to Grand Lodge . Thc brethren were under a mistake ; there was no contribution by Colonial Lodges to Grand Lodge . Grand Lodge of Scotland and Grand Lodge of Ireland having refused the memorialists , and all interchanging representatives , Grand Lodge of England ought to refuse it as well .

Bro . BRACKSTONE BAKER , P . G . S ., seconded the motion , which was put and carried . On the motion of Bro . RAYNHAM W . STEWART , P . G . D ., seconded b y Col . CREATON , G . Treas ., the report of thc Royal Masonic Benevolent

Institution for Aged Freemasons alul Widows of Freemasons , agreed to at a special Meeting of the governors and subscribers , on Wednesday the 19 th day of November , 1 SS 1 , at which it was resolved that certain alterations should be made in thc rules and regulations of the Institution , was appro "cd and adopted .

The appeal of Brother Thomas J . Mountain , of the New Zealand Pacific Lodge , against a sentence of expulsion passed on him by the District Grand Lodge of New Zealand , was dismissed on the ground that his appeal had not been presented to Grand Lodge within the time limited by the Book of Constitutions . '

The appeal of Bro . Samuel H . Dougal , of the Royal Standard Lodge , No . 39 S , Halifax , Nova Scotia , against a vote of the Lodge removing him from his office of Senior Warden , was allowed . An appeal from a brother of thc Harmonic Lodge , No . 35 6 , St . Thomas , West Indies , against a sentence of exclusion passed on him by his lodge , for un-Masonic conduct , was dismissed . Bro . C . J . PERCEVAL , P . M . 1607 , moved :

" That in all cases when a question is brought before Grand Lodge , for which a division is demanded , theMelh ' ng of the same shall be conducted in a similar method to that pursued in the House of Commons , viz .: — Two tellers from each side of the question be appointed to record the votes as the Members pass out , and make their report accordingly . "

He based his motion on thc difficulty under the present arrangements for correctly ascertaining the exact numbers on either side in a division , and he referred to the confusion that was apparent this evening when a division was called 011 an important question . Bro . F . DAVISON seconded the motion , which was supported by Bros . A . E . GLADWELL , W . M . 172 , and Dr . CARPENTER , and others . Ultimatel y the subject was referred to the Board of General Purposes . Bro . RAYNHAM W . STEWART , P . G . D ., moved :

"That having regard to the enormous increase in the number of lodges since the grant made by Grand Lodsje in 185 S to the ' Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows o £ Freemasons , ' and for which the Institution lias to send to the W . M . for the time being of each lodge two voting papers every year , the

amount to be contributed in future by Grand Lodge he increased to £ 1000 per annum to tlie Male Annuity Fund , and £ 600 per annum to the Widows' Fund ; such payments to he borne in equal proportions by the Funds of Benevolence and of General Purposes . " Bro . COL . CREATON , G . Treas ., seconded the motion .

Pro . G . P . BRITTEN , P . M . 1 S 3 , objected to the Hind of Benevolence bearing a portion of the burden . Bro . J . M . CLABON , P . G . D ., supported Bro . Britten . After a short discussion , it was agreed by Bro . Raynham Stewart to let the last portion of his motion read " such payments to be borne by the Fund of General Purposes . . . The motion , as altered , was carried unanimously , amidst loud cheers ; and Grand Lodge was then closed .

We are g lad lo be able to state that since the last meeting of United Grand Lodge , important improvements have been made in the ventilation of the Temple , the Board Room , the De Grey , the Zetland , and the whole of the rooms in which the various lodges are held . _ The ventilation improvement works have been carried otit by thc Sanitary

Engineering and Ventilation Company , of Victoria-street , Westminster , who hat'e applied their " Imperial" ventilating tubes and " Imperial " exhaust ventilators , uader the direction of Bro . John Gibson , F . R . I . B . A . The high standing of the architect , and the large experience of thc \ cntilation Company , is sufficient guarantee that the detail of thc arrange-

United Grand Lodge.

ments has been carefully worked out and the work so executed as to ° uye the best possible result ; and we may reasonabl y hope that the frequent complaints of' the heat and oppressiveness of the atmosphere of the rooms will now cease , in so far as it is possible to satisf y the very varying ideas of different persons on a subject which is comparativel y little understood and full of difficulty . . We may . say , that from enquiries made since thc completion of the ventilation , it appears to have given general satisfaction ,

Grand Mark Lodge.

GRAND MARK LODGE .

INSTALLATION OF H . R . H . THE DUKE OF ALBANY AS PAST GRAND MASTER .

The Half-yearl y Communication of Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales and the Colonies and ' Cependencies of the British Crown was held on Tuesday evening , in the large hall of Freemasons' Tavern , when a large number of brethren attended to witness the installation of H . R . H . the Duke of Albany , K . G ., as Past Grand Master of this degree . The Ri ght Hon . Lord Henniker , M . W . G . M . M . M ., presided . The other brethren present were : '

M . W . Bro . H . R . H . the Dukeof Albany , Provincial Grand Mark Master Mason ; P , X' B £° ? ' l ? - ' , ? ' Y' „ ' y > Prov - G - - South Africa , as D . G . M . M . M . J Colonel Sir Francis Burdett , Bart ., Prov . G . M . M . M . Middlesex and Surrey ; Montague Guest , M . P ., Prov . G . M . M . M . Dorset ; R . C . Else , J . P ., Prov G M . M M . Somerset ; W . A F Powell , Prov G . M . M . M . Bristol ; Hon . Willbraham Egerton , M . P ., P . G . M . M . M . Cheshire ; John Bevan , Prov . G . M . M . M . Westland , N . Z . ; Lord Arther Hill , M . P ., G . S . W . ; C . F . Matier , P . G . W ., as G . l . W . : General I . Studholme

Brownrigg , C . B ., P . G . W . ; Colonel , Shadwell H . Gierke , P . G . W . ; Captain N . G . Philips , P . G . W . ; V . W . Bros . J . E . Le Feuvre , G . M . O . ; E . C . Mather . G . S . O . ; H . R . Cooper Smith , G . J . O . ; Baron de Ferrieres , M . P ., P . G . AI . O . ; T . B . Whytehead , P . G . M . O . ; Richard Eve , P . G . M . O . ; Magnus Ohren , P . G . M . O . ; William Roebuck , P'G'M-O . J J- F- Tweedale , P . G . S . O . ; R . de M . Lawson , P . G . S . O . ; Thos . Cubitt ^ P . G . S . O . ; Reginald J . Mure , P . G . S . O . ; Alexander Spears , P . G . J . O . ; Lieutenant-Colonel J . Crosland Hay , P . G . Overseer ; Rev . R . N . Sanderson , G . Chap . ; Rev .

H . G . Morse , G . Chap . ; Rev . Augustus A . Bagshawe , P . G . Chap . ; Rev . W . Mortimer - Heath , P . G . Chap . ; Rev . Ambrose W . Hall , P . G . Chap . ; Rev . T . F . T . Ravenshaw , P . G . Chap . ; Rev . VV . Stanton Moses , P . G . Chap . ; Rev . C . W . Spencer Stanhope , P . G . Chap . ; Rev . C . J . Maityn , P . G . Chap . ; Frederic Davison , G . Treas . ; H . C . Levander , M . A ., G . Reg . ; Edward Baxter , P . G . Reg . ; Frederick Binckes , P . G . W ., G . Sec . ; Donald M . Dewar , P . G . M . O ., G . A . Sec . ; W . Bros . W . Hickman , D . Prov . G . M . M . M . Hants and Isle of Wight ; D . Y . Strachan , D . Prov . G . M . M . M .

Northumberland and Durham ; C . Stephens , D . Prov . G . M . M . M . Berks and Oxon ; Major Frederic R . Sewell , D . P . G . M . M . M . Cumberland and Westmorland ; T . fell Pulley , 9 ;? - , \\ ,. & - Thrale Perkins , G . S . D . ; S . S . Partridge , G . J . D . ; S . Mattison , P . G . D . ; Alfred Williams , P . G . D . ; J . Lewis Thomas , P . G . D . ; F . W . Ramsay , M . D ., P . G . D . ; Captain 1 hos . Hargreaves , P . G . D . ; G . J . McKay , P . G . D . ; Henry Lovegrove , G . S . of W . ; Colonel W . Wigginton , P . G . S . of W . ; R . Berridge , G . D . of C . ; S . Rosenthal , P . G . D . of C . ; T . C . Walls , G . Swd . Br . ; T . W . Coffin , P . G . Swd . Br . ; Jas . aievens sui vvimelm

, r . u . j . u ., as v .,. . cr . ; Uanz , ti . Urg . ; li . AI . Lott , P . G . Org . ; J . IL Spencer , P . G . LG . ; Geo . Clark , jun ., W . J . Meek , H . J . Lardner , C . L . Mason , , Deputy Provincial G . M . M . M . West Yorkshire ; and Edwin Gilbert , G . Stewards ; Wm . Watkins , VV . Tunstall Clarke , Geo . Yaxley , James Smyth , T . J . Armstrong , John Barker , Edward Margrett , P . de E . Collin , J . C . Mason , R . L . Loveland , O . H . Pearson , T ' i ' £ i ! . ' A " K 6 ch > A - 1 Iarnes » T . W . Adams , Chas . Pullman , A . GreatRex , - M . D ., P . Grand Stewards ; C . T . Speight , Grand Tyler ; W . J . Hickman , P . G . S . W . nants 1

anu . or w . ; John w . Uibson , P . G . S . W . Middx . and Surrey ; Charles Harding , P . G . J . W . Middx . and Surrey ; -H . H . Riach , P . G . M . O . Middx . and Surrey ; H . H . Hodges , P . G . M . O . Berks and Oxon ; N . S . Heivens , P . P . G . S . O . Leicestershire ; Henry George , P . G . J . G . Lincolnshire ; G . Westall , P . P . G . J . O . Berks and Oxon ; Rev . W . Valentine , P . G . Chap , N . and E . Yorks ; Rev . P . H . Richardson , P . P . G . Chap . Leicestershire ; W . Lake , P . P . G . Reg . Cornwall ; W . F . Lamonby , P . G . Sec . Cumberland and Westmorland ; R . Glasspool , P . G . A . Sec . Berks and Oxon : G . Kennpdv .

P . G . A . Sec . Kent ; G . Ker , P . G . S . D . Kent ; Henry Stone , P . G . D . of C . Hants and Isle of Wight ; Geo . Lilley , P . P . G . D . of C . Middx . and Surrey ; Henry Baldwin , P . P . G . D . of C . Middx . and Surrey ; C . W . Duke , P . G . D . of . C . Sussex ; Geo . Ellard ! P . G . S . B . Northumberland and Durham ; Robt . Osborne , P . G . Org . Hants and Isle of Wight ; H . Brett , P . P . G . I . G . Berks and Oxon ; II . VV . Homanh , P . P . G . I . G . Berks and Oxon ; Thomas Brooke , P . G . S . Monmouth ; J . K . Pitt , Middx . and Surrey ; and H . Massey , P . G . Stwd . ( Freemason ) . '

Grand Lodge having been formally opened , the M . W . G . M . was saluted in due form , and the minutes of the last Half-vearl y Communication , and of the Moveable Grand Lodge held at Sheffield , on 22 nd September , were read and confirmed . The M . W . G . M . then rose , and said I have to inform Grand Lodge that H . R . H . the Duke of Albany is wailing without , having been elected as a Past Grand Mastcr at the last Grand Lodge . The confirmation of

the minutes ratifies that election . I will , therefore , ask two Past Provincial Grand Masters , who arc waiting without the lodge at the present moment , two Grand Chaplains , one Past Chaplain , the Grand Director of Ceremonies , two Grand Deacons of this year , and four Grand Stewards lo go without the Grand Lodge to receive His Royal Highness . . His Royal Highness was then conducted into Grand Lodge by the fol- ' lowing brethren , Bro . Wilhelm Ganz , Grand Organist , playing the National

Anthem : Bros . Montague Guest , Prov . G . M . Dorset ; Col . Sir Francis Burdett , Prov . G . M . Middlesex and Surrey ; Gen . J . Studholme Brownrigg , C . B ., P . G . W . ; Col . Shadwell H . Gierke , P . G . W . ; Capt . N . G . Philips , P . G . W . ; Fredk . Binckes , P . G . W ., G . Sec ; Rev . R . N . Sanderson , G . Chap . ; Rev . II . G . Morse , G . Chap , j Alfred Williams , G . D .: Thos . Jell Pulley , G . D . j S . S . Partridge , G . D . ; R . Paulson Spice , P . G . Steward , and W . Joseph Meek , G . Steward , Cushion Bearers ; E . Gilbert ,

G . Steward j and Robt ; Berridge , G . D . of C . His Royal Highness having taken his stand in front of the Grand Master ' s pedestal , Thc M . W . G . M . said : Sir , it is my pleasing duty as Grand Mark Mastcr Mason to welcome your Royal Hi ghness to this Grand Lodge . Your Royal Highness is aware that you were unanimousl y elected as Past Grand Master at thc meeting in May last . The reception which thc proposition and your acceptance of thc office at the time met with , and your reception

here to-night , will assure your Royal Highness that I am not only justified in saying that we welcome you to Grand Lod ge of the Mark Master Masons , but that we welcome you on this occasion most heartily . Sir , it is never absent from our thoughts how much Freemasonry owes lo the many illustrious members of the Royal House , of England . It would indeed be unnecessary for me to go into details on this subject . What I have said is well known to all of us here present . Sufficient is it for me to say now that

we know that your illustrious brother , H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , presides over the . Grand Lodge of England , and H . R . H . your illustrious brother , the Duke of Connaught , is a Past Grand Warden of England , and that you yourself are a Past Grand Warden of England , and that Her Majesty the Queen allows us to call her the Patron of our Order . Sir , wc welcome you , not onl y on this account for the many services and the many favours that wc have received from the Royal Family , but for yourself antl for the