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therefore , if we did our duty as good Masons we were good men . There should be no law which should injure brethren of other degrees . He could inform the brethren that there was attached

to the Grand Mark Lodge a Charity Fund for Masons who were Mark Masters , but if a brother was poor and had not passed the Mark , the Mark Masons felt that he was a brother Mason , and

assisted him . Thereftirc , he trusted Granel Lodge would take the matter into its serious consideration . It was not only those particular gentlemen who were mentioned , em whom this report was

an attack ; it was an attack upon everything which was not acknowledged hy the Granel Lodge . He would entreat the brethren to pause before they carried this report . If the )' ' were protecting the

paid officials they were protecting all Orders not acknowledged by Grand Lodge , and he thought it was their duty to protect these Orders . Charity and love for one another were in accordance with

our masonic teaching , and he hoped that , as the fifth clause of the report was contrary to that teaching , Grand Lodge woulel unanimously decide that this resolution be expunged from the

minutes . Bro . Matthew Cooke said it seemed to hi m that a

considerable amount of misapprehension had arisen about this . As his Lordship woulel remember , this discussion all came about b y a certain motion which he ( Bro . Cooke ) had put on the

notice paper . One brother had kindl y informed them of a little private business behind the scenes , and talked about suspended people belonging to exterior organisations . Perhaps that

brother would permit him to retaliate , and remind him that he had been suspended himself , and if he had been suspended as long as he ( Bro . Cooke ) he would have pulled the building down

with him . The three last lines of the report were totally contrary to what the Presitlent had set forth , " That the Board arc clea- y of opinion and submit to Grand Lodge that no Clerk or

subordinate officer in the employment of Grand Lodge should take a prominent part in any Degree or Order not recognised hy Grand Loelge" That was exactly his ( Bro . Cooke ' s ) original

proposition , not one worel more or less . It was that no salaried official should elcal with those things which were contrary to this Grand Lodge . It was not that any brother should not belong to

them , for every brother had a right to belong to what order he pleased ; but , he said , as long as they eat our bread they were our servants , and they had no business to travel beyond their duty ,

It was beyond their duty to go in antagonism to the principles tif this Grand Lodge . Therefore , he could not but arrive at this conclusion , that the prohibition of the President ' s report i-ntirel y

did away with what he had hitherto said . He ( Bro . Cooke ) was invited to attend the Board , he was not charging ; he was dislincily told that all charges were withdrawn ; and now , to tie a

tin kettle to a poor dog ' s tail , the word " charges " was put in , which was only a way to excite a prejudice , so that the object on the motion should not be carried . If the Board were willing , lie

submitted to Granel Lodge that the three last lines of the report should stand with thi . * . alteration , " That no salaried official or other subonii nate officer" ( because he was not going to lea \ e the Grand Secretary out , any more than anybod y

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else ) instead of " That no Clerk or other subordinate officer in the employment of Grand Lodge should take a prominent part in any degree or Order not recognised by Grand Lodge . " If it

were so altered , all well and good ; but he would only saj r that their report , by the last three lines , stultified the whole thing from beginning to end . Bro . F . Binckes said he had some interest in

this question , as a member of all the orders not recognised , and he would make a suggestion which he thought would simplify the question . He could not see what was the object of the

Board in framing the last article of the report ; but he thought they must have some ulterior object in view of which the body of the Craft had no idea . As the language of the report now

stood , even he himself might perhaps be visited with some unknown pains anel penalties , for having the honour to belong to certain orders and degrees . He therefore would ask Bro . Gregory

to let the concluding part read thus— "The Board have come to the conclusion that the enquiry directed to be made by thcmjiad reference to the charges above referred to , and not to the several exterior Masonic organisations mentioned in the

proposed resolution of Bro . Cook , and they have therefore not proceeded to inquire further into the matter . " Stop there ; then omit the next five or six lines and proceed . lie would then get

rid of the idea of conflicting degrees or orders , of the expression " Craft , " and that which attacked the officers of the Grand Lodge . He would ask Bro . Gregory to accept that amendment .

Bro . LI . Evans did not think it was competent to Grand Lodge to remodel the report , but it might semi it back to the Boarel . Granel Lodge could not add to or diminish from the report .

Bro . F . Beiinoeh saiel he confessed that the last few words of Bro . Evans entirely met his own view , at the moment the proposition was made that the report should be adopted . V \ 'hv , it seemed to him that scarcely any member of

the Boarel of General Purposes could draw from this resolution exactly what they , either individually eir collectively , meant . It was in itself , in some respects contradictory . lie had expected

that the long and painful discussion at the last Quarterl y Communication wouhlhave been quite sufficient to settle the matter with reference to Bro . Cooke ' s motion . But the Board went on and

condemned not only the Grand Officers for doing that which was- perhaps unseemly during the hours of ollice work , but every brother . If not directly , they were inferential ])* condemned . Not

satisfied with that , they condemned certain officers and clerks in the Grand Secretary ' s office , excluding the chief . He would say , include them all if you please , not this clerk only , for the

reason that on the last occasion the Most \\\ , rshipfnl the Grand Master most emphatically staled that if thealh-gations were true—and in his

judgment they were uninislakcably true—lie would take care that henceforth no such matter should occur under the roof of the Grand Lodge . This seemed to him ( Hro . Bcnnoch ) to meet the

case so thoroughly and entirel y that he would confess , when he saw this present report , that he felt amazed that the Board of General Purposes should again have entered into a discussion so fertile of misunderstanding and unbrotherly . feelings . 1 le would move an amendment , which would embrace

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all the objections that had been raised , " That the whole of clause five , of the report be referred back to the Board of General Purposes for reconsideration . "

The Grand Master explained to the brethren the position they were in with respect to these motions . He said we are getting into some little confusion as to the various proposals that

have been already submitted to Grand Lodge , anel therefore I think I emght to state the real position we are in and the order in which the motions ought to be taken . This proposition relating

to the reference back of the report ought to be taken first . Consequently if Bro . Bennoch moves the reference back of the whole t > f clause five , we shall take it . Jf his amendment

is defeated , then Bro . Binckes ' s amendment ought to be taken next , for the omission of the words beginning "the Board are of opinion , " down to" its adoption by Grand Lodge . " If Bro . Binckes is beaten , then we take Bro . Gregory ' s

motion . Bro . Raynham W . Stewart seconded Bro . F . Bennoch ' s amendment . Bro . Geo . Lambert objected to the word ,

" schismatic , " but the Grand Master informed him that it was not an original expression by the Board , but onl y quoted from Bro . Cooke . After a few words from Bro . John Symonds ,

P . G . D ., as to the use of the quotation marks in these reports ; from Bro Gregory , opposing the reference back , after the Board had " incubated over this egg" for three months ; from the

Rev . R . J . Simpson , P . G . Chaplain , who was in a stale of considerable confusion , arising perhaps from his own ignorance , but who thought that many of these unhappy discussions had arisen

from the fact that Grand Lodge had laid clown no rule with regard to their oliicers following certain degrees , and recommended that in future such rule should be defined ; from Bro . LI . Evans , who

said the Board found " certain charges were made against a certain brother in the employ of Grand Lodge by Bro . Cooke , and they invited Bro .

Cooke to give information ; " from Bro . Cooke , anel Bro . Binckes , Bro . Bennoch ' s amendment was put , and carried by a large majority . Accordingly the other paragraphs of the report stootl over .

The Grand Secretary read the statement of accounts , which showed a balance in the hands of Grand Treasurer of £ 4 , 246 ' 2 s . 8 d ., and in the

hands of the Grand Secretary , for petty cash , £ 7 . 1-

The Grand Sccrelary also read the Report of Bro . R . P . I larding , Aiulitor of Grand Lodge account of receipts and disbursements during the year 1871 .

Tiie Grand Master said that the next business on the paper was Bro . Mattiiew Cooke ' s motion , of which notice had been given ; but he woulel put it to Bro . Cooke whether , as the report ,

which embraced the subject-matter of his motion , had been referred back to the Board , he would not best consult the convenience of Grand Lodge by postponing his motion till the amended repor

was received . Bro . Matthew Cooke replied that he was going to rise for the very purpose of making the

request that he might he allowed to postpone his motion His Lordship , on the last occasion had given orders that the irregularities complained of should