District Grand Lodge Of Bengal.

DISTRICT GRAND LODGE OF BENGAL .

A quarterly communication of the District Grand Lodge of Bengal was held at Freemasons' Hall , Calcutta , on Saturday , the 21 st of June . There were present : —Bros . John Pitt Kennedy , Acting Dist . Grand Master ; IT . H .

Locke , and G . H . Daly , Past Deputy Dist . Grand Masters ; I . I . Taylor , Dist . G . S . W . ; J . Mackintosh , Dist . G . J . W . ; D . J . Zemin , Dist . G . Reg . ; W . B . Mactavish , Dist . G . Treas . ; Rev . Bro . Etty , Dist . G . Chaplain ; A . J . Hughes , Dist . G . Sec ; Amos , Dist . G . S . D . ; f . C . Parker , Dist .

G . Dir . of Cer . ; W . H . Tones , Dist . G . Dir . of Cer . ; Sebastian , ' Dist . G . Swd . B . ; C . IT . Compton , Dist . G . Org . ; J . Beer , Dist . G . Pur . ; L . Guyon , Dist . G . Std . B . ; W . IT . Ay res , A . Le Franc , and J . M . Evans , Dist . G . Stewards 3 G . Alexander , Tyler ; and representatives of the various lodges in the district .

The District Grand Lodge was opened in due form at 7 p . m . Apologies were read from several brethren for unavoidable non-attendance . The Right Worshi pful Acting District Grand Master informed the brethren , that the first work

before the meeting was to consider and confirm the minutes of the communication of the 21 st March last , - but that as copies of those minutes had been printed and circulated , he proposed to consider them as road , and moved that they be confirmed .

Bro . C . H . Compton complained that he had not ] received a copy of the printed proceedings , and that in the summons he had received tu attend the present meeting , neither his name nor the date were written in the body of the letter , and that he had only received ;; copy of the

agenda paper that , afternoon . h .- The Rig ht Worshi p ful Acting District Grand Master feared that it was very possible that some irregularities , of the kind noticed by Bro-Compton , mig ht have occurred , owing , in the first place , to the adjournment of the meeting of the Committee of General Purposes to the 14 th

June , in consequence ol the ahsi-nce ol the District Grand Treasurer ; and in the second p lace , to the dangerous illness of the District Gram ] Secretary . Bro . C- IT . Compton , District Grand Organist , intimated that he must object to passing the minutes an usual , as lie had not revolved a copy of the same .

The Rig ht Worshipful Acting District Giand Master then ordered the minutes of the proceedings of the last communication lo lie read . On thv ' - Acting District Grand > ' saeiarv

commencing W read the minutes Uro . Compton withdrew U ^ objections , and said he did not wish to five unnecessary trouble ' , but only to bring iK'fore the meeting the fact that irregularities in the Secretary ';; oflice hid la :. ' e ; i p lace .

Ri g ht Wcr . bro . G . JT . Daly , P . P . Dist . G . M ., remarked that lit was by no means sure that Uro . Compton was entitled to a separate copy of the printed proceedings ; that , at all events , he was a ' Warder , of a lodge , and that he could

vouch to the fact that copies of the proceedings had been circulated to the Masters of lodges ; for circulation among the Wardens and Members of lodges , and therefore Bro . Compton must have received , or at least , had ae ,- 'ss to the

minutes . Bro . Compton , District Grand Organist , said he had never heard of their receipt , nor had he ever seen them .

Wor . Bro . H . II . Locke then proposed , and Wor . Bro . G . II . Daly seconded : —That the minutes of the communication of the 21 st March , 187 . 5 , be cunfiimed . On being put to the vote they were confirmed .

The District Grand Master then addressed Grand Lodge as follows : — Worship ful Brethren , —In endeavouring to fulfil ' : ls f ; lr ; ls possible , until a more able successor i . '" appointed , the duties of a brother . v . ho has for ve ; .. otxupu d this ch ,. ir , I ' i : c . e felt , . md

feel very great 'I'liiee . kiVs , (;¦ , uri . i ; : .-ousideniig the qualification- ; l ' l \> - ^ Jii . a . i ; ., ' . \\ e ii . id Jinoivj-st IK a Ma ' -ur ,,. ' M . i- - ou . ,, -f ¦ ¦ y . ,: i . '" --. ' -li per . ' euce ; :: K ! . iii'b . iiiilv , ow \ , . ''' i ; i ! -io : i ; . ; ujy knew his position in the Ciaft ami i ' . ' . ' c'l'l'es »

District Grand Lodge Of Bengal.

and carefully performed them . My qualifications , I fear , fall far short of his , not from the want of a hearty desire to do my best in tho position which I hold , but from the inability to devote that time to the Craft which the duties

of the office require . I feel it necessary , in the first place , to offer some explanation as to the action I considered it advisable to take on hearing of the death of the Earl of Zetland , our Most Worshipful Past Grand Master . The sister lodges of Madras and

Bombay were prompt m mourning on the occasion , and therefore , unless some explanation were given , it mi g ht appear that I was guilty of remissness , or of disrespect to the memory of the late Grand Master of England . I considered that the position of the . District Grand Lodge of Bengal was in no way so closely

connected with toe late Most . Worshi p ! in Grand Master as to justif y us iu adopting measures to mark our resp- 'Ct for him , and our sorrow for his loss as an isolated branch of the . Crafc ; and I did not think we ought to anticipate or suggest the action to be taken by Grand Lodge of England .

The case of the late Lord Mayo was different He was the local Patron and Head of the Onlei

here , and there could be , iu his case , no doubt as to the propriety of putting into mourning the lodges working under the Hiram of the District Grand Master of this Lodge , over whicli he had presided . *

1 have to bring another malUr before you , which , at present , promises serious consequences to our Worshipful Brother the District Grand Secretary . The Masonic Almanac instead of

proving a source ol pro / u to the Bengal Masonic Fund , has , I am sorry to say , proved a loss , aud it has not received anything like that support from the brethren which it has received ou previous occasions . It is not too late lo remedy this , and I hone that

every brother will take steps to supply himself with an Almanac as soon as possible , and thus we may be quite certain to avoid any unnecessary loss , end , perhaps , the extinction of the Almanac in future years .

I have received a statement of the amount of funds credited to the Fund of Benevolence . It shows that however much Masonrv may be said to be failing off in Bengal in other respects , in the main object oi chautv it is evidently progressing , 'ihe collection of the Fund o ! J ! •-r . evolenee in live vears was nearly l \ s . •1 . 000 .

'I'll .- report o ! the Committee of G-. ueial Purposes was read . W . Pro . 11 . II . L < c ! -, e said , with re'Vrcnce to the remarks of the C ! i . iirm : !; i of the Oomu . it ' . ee of General Purpose * , at the committee mei'ting of the Till of June , that he would like to

cometo some definite understanding as to the position of \ V . Bro . Wood-Mason with regard to the District Grand Tivasurershi p ¦ he would , in fact , like to know wiieil ; r the District Grand Lodge ha 1 a Treasurer or not . He would bring lot ward a motion on the subject iatcr ii ; the

evening . Th- ' f' -W . Acting Disliict Gcmd Master explained tii . it Uro . Wood-Mason had r .-. pressed his w'sh to resign , and i . e ' \ Y . Uro , Kenned , ' ) had c ;> pcelcd a formal resignation .

h . wss then proposed by W . Bro . G . I J . D . iiy , and second , it I : ; - ' \ V . Bio . I ) . J . ' / . < min ;— ' 1 hat the report ol " the ( . ' otiiLiiime of Geu-Tal Purposes ;;! ld the account - ' , be received j vod they were passe . ; according !) . Repuit of the Committee of the Fund of

Benevolnce was also re ; : 1 . In proposing the adoption of the rep'iit , Wor Urn . ' li . U . Lode ; ii , l h ¦ had observe I v .-it ' i extreme salisfaeliu ;; . vhich he felt confident would be shared by e ,.:- \ ' member of District

Grand Lodge , that Uro . Roberts had accepted the oiiiec 0 ! ' Secretary to Sub-Committee of the Fund of lier , evi , ie- ;; ee . Doubtless there were some present who had had irjany amicable !' . " , ilU '; :. v . l : h th ' o . R . iherK : no one perhaps , had

District Grand Lodge Of Bengal.

had warmer or more frequent fraternal combats with that worthy brother than he himself , but lie could not refrain from bearing testimony , in which all would join , to the zeal , energy industry , and ability of this veteran Mason ; and he thought it a subject of sincere congratulation

that Wor . Bro . Roberts had accepted an office connected with a fund with which his name had been so long and so honourably connected . "Wor . Bro . Locke th . cn proposed that the report of the Committee of the Fund of Benevolence be adopted , together with the following resolution : —

" That the District Grand Lodge records upon the minutes of the proceedings of this communication the satisfaction with which it has received the information of the acceptance , b y Wor . Bro . Roberts , of the office of Secretary to the

Executive Sub-Committee of the Fund of Benevolence , and that the thanks of the District Grand Lodge be given to Wor . Bro . Roberts for having done so . Seconded by Wor . Bro . Dalv , and carried unanimotislv amid

acclamation . The report of the Committee of the Fund of Benevolence was approved and confirmed . The meeting then proceeded to discuss the report of tlie proceedings of a committee appointed by the District Grand Master of Beiisial

to investigate certain irregularities alleged to have taken place in Lodge Courage with Humanity , No . . 592 , E . C . Wor . Bro . IT . IT . Locke asked if the Master and Wardens of the offending lodge had been lormall y cited to appear and answer for themselves .

The Acting District Grand Secretary stated that ordinary cards of admission had been sent to them , tot-ether with the agenda paper . Itwas ultimatel y determined that the further consideration of this report be deferred until

next meeting , and that , in the meantime , a formal summons should be served upon the Master and Wardens , calling upon them to show cause why the proceedings of the committee should not be confirmed . Wor . Bro . H . H . Locke moved that the

District Grand Secretary be instructed to write to Bro . Wood-Mason and ask him if he felt himself able and willing to perform the duties of District Grand Treasurer , in order that if he . did not feel himself equal to them , the Ri ght Worshi pful Acting District Grand Master mi ght make other arrangements Wor . Bro . Locke

added that he had never seen Bro . Wood-Mason either at any committee meeting's , 01 at any of the communications of District Grand Lodge , at all of whicli it vyas the duty of tlie District Grand Treasurer to attend ; and that it was most inadvisable that the present state of things should continue . Seconded b y Wor . Bro . Zemin .

Ihe Right Worshi p ful Acting District Grand Master then put the motion to the meeting and it was carried nem con . Br " . C . II . Compton , District Grand Organist gave notice of motion—" 'J hat at the next

quarterl y communication in- should move that tlie sum of Rs . r 0 o , fornii . ig part of Unbalance now outstanding to the credit of tho Musical Instrument fund , be transferred from that fund lo the Fund of Benevolence .

I'he Acting District CrL-ud Secretary reported that he had nceived several notices of eu : ! ' .: s < ., >;> horn lodges for non-payment of dues . There being no ftuthtr business to be brought forward , tlie Distri- ; ( hand Lodge wasclosed iu clue form .

"C ' UIJT . OX Xllt . UclIT ANII I . VI'I-I . I . IOIFII . I : CumAscr .. "—/ tiler tlie hid sea . ioii tl , ; it has jn .-. t passed by , , t mild dan )|) atmosphere will probably follow , and in its train will come fever , soic throat , di phtheria , chest complaints , and ihe . unntism . Ilollov . uy's Ointment well rubbed upon tW- ' skin , near li c . ' , ' , ; , ( led pan , ai cure < '" ! reels the rcl . ixiny and depressing elk-els ol dampness on thceonstitution and siec . es sickness * . it em , t ,-,, i ,-s i , > e ,,- ' ,,, i ,.,,,.. i .,..,. , n „ s . ¦ - ¦•- 111 SI 1 I

, , , .,..... •... ..,, _ ,,, , „ ,, , ,, ,. ' — •' , icy ;! dales , 'e loca . Kii dilation , as-nae . es iiil ' anialion , soollis i . i . l . tt ; : ; n , b . aces i .-is-el or , lis ,, i ,. | oe . Js uleci . i ! , "ir-. 1 I 0 I ! , \' . ; , \* s I'ills , sinnii ; or- > i :-je I . il , e " . c \ je . lil-- the erne . In all e . 'es ot disea-c- o ! ihe ( iieai , immediate rceoue-e is leeoimneiided hi I loll , « . n ' s pm ilyiiie ; pirni'idii picpauili " 'i-, v . 'hieh , a-, ; , lu s ; - ! ; . em el >•¦ :: ' ., will pieu'i ;! a-lhnia , consumption and oilier seii . uis \ :-i \ vj . . —Anvr .