The Appeal Of Bro. Louis.

THE APPEAL OF BRO . LOUIS .

Grand Lodge did well in adopting unanimously the advice of Grand Registrar in respect of the appeal by a Bro . Lot'is , P . D . G . W . Bengal , against the sentence of suspension passed upon him by the District Grand Master of Bengal in December last . The circumstances , so far as we understand them , and as they were described by Grand Registrar , appear

to us to fully justify the course pursued by the District Grand Master . There is , as our readers are aware , a Bengal Masonic Benevolent Institution in Calcutta , which is supported by the voluntary contributions of the brethren , and also by those of many non-Masons . It was proposed to make certain alterations in the by-laws of this Institution , but the District

Grand Master considered such alterations would not be attended by beneficial consequences to the Charity , and set forth his reasons lor so thinking in a circular which he addressed to the subscribers , and one of which , by accident , reached the hands of a non-Mason . At thc Quarterly Communication of the District Grand Lodge in June of last year , at which , in the

absence on furlough in England of the Dist . G . M ., his Deputy , Bro . THOMAS J OXES , presided , Bro . Lours rosefor the purpose of calling thebre'hren ' s attention to the circular of the District Grand Master , but as thc matter was not on the agenda , the Acting District Grand Masterruledhimoutof order , and Bro . Louis sat down . The latter then appealed to United Grand Lodge , but the

late Grand Secretary , Bro . Col . SHADWELL H . CLERKE , wrote a letter , in which he pointed out that District Grand Lodge had no power or right to deal with any matter relating to the Bengal Masonic Benevolent Institution , which was a private society or body supported by the voluntary subscriptions of private individuals , both Masons and non-Masons . Here , in accordance

with the dictates of reason and common sense , the matterthould have ended , but Bro . Lours appears to have had , not one , but sundry grievances , and though he had been obliged to acquiesce firstly in District Grand Lodge , when the District Grand Master in the chair had ruled him out of order , and secondly , when the late Grand Secretary of England had pointed out that

District Grand Lodge had nothing to do with matters concerning a private institution , he was by no means satisfied . Hc , too , must needs issue a circular of some 12 closely-printed pages , in which he gave a version of what had passed in District Grand Lodge which differed materially from the official version . It also contained letters which he had received from

different brethren in reply to his request for their version of what had occurred , and one of these brethren said he understood that his letter was a private communication , and was much surprised on

iimling it was published in this circular without his ( the writer ' s ) consent . Lastly , Bro . Loris made several charges against the District Grand Master , who had been away in England , and was fain to admit that at least in one rase he had distributed his circular , which dealt with matters that had

occurred in District Grand Lodge , among non-Masons . On being called upon to give an explanation of his extraordinary conduct , Bro . Loeis appears to have admitted what it was impossible to deny , audio have offered a feeble defence of what was in fact quite indefensible . In the result the Ih ' st , Grand Master suspended him from all his Masonic rights and privileges ,

and United Grand Lodge by its action on the ist instant has now fully indorsed such suspension . Wc are well pleased this has been done . We know nothing whatever of Bro . Louis , and it is impossible , therefore , we could write otherwise than impartially , wh » n we point 0 || I that in the interests of Freemasonry it is absolutely necessary

" at the authority of our rulers should be upheld . If every time ¦ 1 brother with a grievance is taken to task by a presiding officer for bringing 11 forward irregularly , he is to set himself up against that officer ' s authority , ra " in question at an improper lime and in an improper manner the ac cui * acy of official records , utilise for his own purposes letters which in one

•* sc certainly were considered and intended to be private , and make ^ " ¦ ges against officers of still higher rank than the aforesaid presiding "Wr pro fem ,, there must be an end to all order and discipline . No ° ciet y , which lays claim to be respected by the general body politic , can ° rcl to allow the authority of its officers to be set at naught . In this

. * ar instance , moreover , thc offender was not , as Grand Registrar '" led out , a young and inexperienced Mason , of no standing worth -Peaking of , but one who had been " raised to honour and dignity , " and fa Die rank of a Past District Grand Warden . The President of the Board . ; _ - ••'" i . uirti , 131 L /^ UILlUltlllU tVrllUUII . 1 IIUI 1 LSI UUIIL Ul LI IU IJUtll ( J

. ^ neral Purposes added yet another reason , which carries with it great ^ 'ght . "The brethren , " said Bro . EKNN , " ought to recollect that in India there a great many castes , Masonry had tended in a great measure to toil ! < ar , d a * s 0 t 0 render the private life of India more reconciled e r » le of the British Empire . He thought that anything that tended to

The Appeal Of Bro. Louis.

disturb the harmony and union should be deprecated , and that Grand Lodge should do all in its power to cement it . " We do not desire to see men admitted into our ranks , and especially in our colonies and possessions abroad , where are to be found people of nil creeds , and nationalities , and castes , who cannot agree to differ . There ought to be no persons in our lodges who cannot be called to order without repudiating the obligations

they have contracted and attacking those who are placed in authority over them . It is evident , as Bro . FEN . Y suggested , that Bro . Louis in publishing these letters—which he had received privately— "had shown a rankling spirit , " and for this reason , as well as for the weightier reasons we have cited , we are glad that his appeal against his suspension has been dismissed .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Gloucestershire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE .

A meeting of the above Prov . Grand Lodge was held on Wednesday , the ist inst ., at Cirencester , under the presidency of Bro . the Right Hon . Sir Michael Hicks-Beach , Bart ., M . P . The lodge was held at the Corn Hall , which was handsomely fitted up for the occasion . The banners of the lodges in the province adorned the wall in thc following order : —Royal Faith and Friendship Lodge , No . 270 ; Royal Union Lodge , No . 246 j Foundation Lodge , No . 82 ; Royal Lebanon Lodge , No . 493 ; Cotteswold

Lodge , No . 592 ; Sherborne Lodge , No . 702 ; St . John ' s Lodge , No . 761 ; Royal Gloucestershire Lodge , No . S 39 ; Lodge of Sympathy , No . S 55 ; St . George ' s Lodge , No . 900 ; Prince of Wales Lodge , No . 951 ; Zetland Lodge , No . 1005 * , Royal Forest of Dean Lodge , No . 1067 ; Tyndall Lodge , No . 1 , 363 ; and Hicks-Beach Lodge , No . 2407 . Prior to the opening of the Prov . Grand Lodge a lodge of recreation was held at thc seat of the Right Mon . Earl Bathurst , in his lordship ' s park .

About 150 of the brethren availed themselves of the invitation , and this proved a most enjoyable feature of the day ' s proceedings . At half-past three o ' clock thc Prov . Grand Lodge was opened in the Corn Hall , when the attendance was very large . The Prov . Grand Master presided , and he was supported by the following Prov . Grand Officers : Bros . R . V . Vassar-Smith , D . P . G . M . ; General Vizard , P . S . G . W . ; R . W . Northcott , P . J . G . W . ; Rev . Chris . V . Childe , P . G . Chap . ; J . Nay-smith ,

P . G . Reg . ; T . Nelson Foster , P . G . Treas . ; J . B . Winterbotham , P . G . Sec ; J . W . Drew , P . S . G . D . ; Robert Anderson , jun ., P . f . G . D . ; R . [ . Weston , P . G . S . of W . ; Dr . Needham , P . G . D . of C ; ' Dr . Campbell , P . A . G . D . of C ; William Heath , P . G . S . B . ; ] . P . Thomas , P . G . Std . Br . ; S . W . Hadingham , P . G . Std . Br . ; E . G . Woodward , P . G . Org . ; Henry T . Jew , P . G . P . ; and | . A . Goold , Sidney Bloodworth , and William Rice , P . G . Stwds .

The lodge having been opened in the usual manner , the first business was the confirmation of the minutes of the Prov . Grand Lodge held at Dursley on May 19 th , 1 S 91 . The next business on the agenda . was to receive the report of the Prov . Grand Treasurer . Bro . T . N . FOSTER then submitted a detailed statement , which showed that the receipts were ^ idi 5 s ., and the year closed with a balance in hand of about £ ix .

The Report of the Charity Committee was presented by Bro . R . V . VASSAR-SMITH , D . P . G . M . After devoting a considerable sum to Masonic Charities there was a balance in hand of £ 115 12 s . 4 d . The DEI * . PROV . GRAM ) MASTER reminded the brethren that Sir Michael would this year preside at the annual Festival of the Boys ' Institution , and expressed a hope that he would be well supported on that

. Bro . T . Nelson was then formally proposed and unanimously re-elected Treasurer , and the vacancy caused by the death of Bro . Phillips was filled by thc unanimous election of Bro . Window , 855 , as Prov . G . Tyler . The Charily votes having been passed , Bro . R . V . VASSAR-SMITH

moved that the sum of 100 guineas be voted to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , to endow thc chair of the Prov . Grand Master in perpetuity , in celebration of this year being the fourth occasion Sir Michael would preside at the Festival . The roll of the lodges was then called , and thc respective reports proved that Masonry in the province was generally in a flourishing <* eit , Ait , n , i

At the conclusion of this formal business the Prov . Grand Master then , in an able manner , appointed and invested the Provincial Grand Officers for the ensuing year as follows : Bro . Sir Lionel Edward Darell , Bart ., 839 ... Prov . S . G . W .

„ R . Ellett , 592 -. ••• Prov . J . U . VV . ,, Rev . Alfred Bond , 270 ... ... ... Prov . G . Chap . „ E . G . Woodward , 493 ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ T . Nelson Foster , 839 ... ... ... Prov . G . Treas . ,, J . B . Winterbotham , 82 ... ... Prov . G . Sec . /• ' -i r > a .. - o ™ .. c n n l oiI \ ei uuvj

,, ^ . . ^ uj-a , o ^ ... ... ... . . u . u . „ E . H . Hcnly , 8 55 ... ... ... Prov . J . G . D . „ T . A . Hiiband , 246 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . of VV . ,, J . Trinder , 592 ... ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ " Edwin Lea , 1905 ... ... ... Prov . A . G . D . C .