United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

It will be seen from the programme we publish elsewhere of the business to be transacted at the regular Quarterly Communication of United Grand I . od ° * e , on Wednesday next , that more than one question of interest will be broii ° -ht under the notice of the brethren . In the first place , the M . W . Grand Master will move a resolution to the effect that in consideration of

the very eminent services rendered to Freemasonry by the late Bro . Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , G . Secretary , a sum equal in amount to one-half of his yearly salary be voted from the Board of General Purposes , and paid into the London and Westminster Bank to the account of the Trustees of "Thc Shadwell Clerke Trust" for the purchase of a Government life

annuity for Mrs . Clerke . We anticipate there will be no hesitation on the part of Grand Lodge in accepting this motion , which , seeing that the late Grand Secretary died in harness and in the very prime of life , must be regarded as a tribute of respect to the memory of his great services . Indeed , it is our opinion that if the grant proposed had been equal in

amount to a full year's salary it would have commanded the ready and unanimous assent of Grand Lodge . Everyone knows that the late Colonel CLERKE devoted the whole of his energies and ability tothe service of Freemasonry , and the general feeling will be that those he has left behind him should be well and even handsomely provided for . The

next question to be considered will be the salary to be paid to Colonel CLERKE ' successor . The Board of General Purposes recommend that this should be at the rate of ^ iooo per annum , which , considering the enormous increase in the duties and responsibilities now devolving on the Grand Secretary of United Grand I . odge , is by no means an excessive emolument ,

especially when we take into consideration that Grand Lodge is a wealthy body , and can afford to pay its principal executive officer a salary which is commensurate with the labours he is called upon to perform . But why not while Grand Lodge is about it , revise the salaries of the Grand Secretary ' s staff , so that all the brethren engaged in the office may receive

emoluments which more nearly correspond with thc increased labours now devolving upon them ? Let the Assistant Grand Secretary be paid at thc rate of £ 500 per annum and the junior members of the staff in proportion , Lastly , there will be the election of a Grand Treasurer for the ensuing year . There are two worthy candidates for the office—Bro . J . D . MURRAY , P . M .,

a prominent brother in thc Province of West Lancashire , arid Bro . J . S . Ci ' . MHERr . tNU , ait equally prominent member of the Craft in North and hast Yorkshire and London . Weare of necessity neutral as between these brethren and we must , therefore , leave it to those present in Grand Lodge on Wednesday next to decide which of the two shall be the nominal custodian of Grand Lodge moneys for the next 12 months .

The Jubilee Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

THE JUBILEE OF THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

I he great Masonic event of the present year — thc event to which the whole body of English Masons has been anxiously looking forward - " -has at length taken place , and there is an end for ever to the doubts and anxieties by which many of the brethren have been influenced . Briefly speaking , the Festival exceeds in its results anything that has ever been

achieved in the way of Masonic Celebrations , even the Centenary of the Y > yal Masonic Institution for Girls , which was held in thc Royal Albert all in June , 1888 , under the presidency of his Royal Highness the GRAND * ASTER , having been outdone to the extent of some ; £ oooo . Thus the ' ) 'which more immediateldevolves upon us now is to offer our very

y nYi " ' S ratu ' ' to those who had part in securing thc result . The ill c . n ' rmarl is , indeed , fortunate in having had this splendid opportunity M ' ' ° ^ P ublicly inaugurating his career as Deputy Grand th' S £ r ° ^ . ^ g ' l * True it is that it was not so much in s capacity , but rather in that which he has filled with so

success for not far short of 20 years—that of Provincial Grand Master fa . , rinva ' . "~ t ' '" is lordship presided . But we cannot lose sight of the Do Was t ' ^ occas i ° since his installation and investiture as K ^ , 9 rand Master within the walls of Grand Lodge on which Bro . the Llrl f A - ' . «¦ - ' ¦ . ¦ - ¦ WILlllll IHC WailS Ul UltlUU LVUfji ; Ull WHICH JJ 1 U . LI 1 U

, pubr ° ' ' - DGCUMBB bad enjoyed the opportunity of doing a great to hjs C j , . tllc Craft , and it must be gratifying in the highest degree Craft . " ¦ p * as wel 1 as tbe subject of gratulation to all members of the ' - ''it r 'T serv ' be has rendered has been attended with such magnifi-1 is , To the Stewards also , to whom we are indebted for this

The Jubilee Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

amazing success , who for many months past have been exerting themselves to obtain donations and subscriptions , and who arc now in a position to realise that their labours have not been in vain , our heartiest thanks are likewise due . The work of canvassing is by no means an agreeable one . The rebuffs which a man who undertakes it is apt to meet with

every now and then are a somewhat severe strain upon his patience , and when , as not unfrequently happens , he finds himself again and again disappointed—it may be in quarters from which hc had hoped to derive his greatest support and encouragement—he feels inclined to surrender his trust , or at all events to let things take their course , and look rather to the

chapter of accidents than to any special exertions of his own for a heavy list of contributions . However , there is now an end to all their cares , and the knowledge that one and all of them have had a share in raising the sum of nearly ^ 60 , 000 which was announced in Covent Garden Theatre on Wednesday , is indeed a consolation for the

troubles and exertions which have been harassing them for the past few months . Lastly there is the worthy and indefatigable Secretary , Bro . J AMES TERRY , and his staff , and the Committee of Management of the Institution , who have been devoting all their energies towards the attainment of this grand result . They now have a fitting reward

for all their labours in the knowledge that what they have had the honour of achieving is far in excess of anything that has ever before been achieved in the same field of labour . They have , too , this further cause for congratulation , namely , that what they have been able to accomplish will prove a permanent benefit to a most valuable Masonic Charity—that for all lime to

come—at all events for so long as Masonry maintains its present position in England—many and many a poor Mason and poor Mason ' s widow will have cause to bless them for the work which was carried to so magnificent an issue in the Theatre Royal , Covent Garden , on Wednesday of the current week .

United Grand Lodge Of England.

UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND .

\ The following is the business to be transacted in Grand Lodge on Wednesday next , thc 2 nd prox .: 1 . The minutes of the Quarterly Communication of the 2 nd December ,

1891 , will be read and put for confirmation . 2 . The minutes of the Special Grand Lodge of thc 27 th January , 1892 , will be read and put for confirmation . 3 . The M . W . Grand Master will

move-That , in recognition of the eminent services of the late Grand Secretary , Colonel Shadwell H . Clerke , a sum equal to six months of his salary be voted from the Fund of General Purposes , and paid into the Bloomsbury

Branch of the London and Westminster Bank , to the account of the Earl of Lathom , the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe , and Sir Albert W . Woods , Trustees of " The Shadwell Clerke Trust , " for the purpose of purchasing a Govern , ment life annuity for Mrs . Clerke .

4 . Election of a M . W . Grand Master . 5 . Election of a Grand Treasurer . Bros . James Daniel Murray , P . M . No . 1335 , Wigan , and lohn Speight Cumberland , P . M . No . 2128 , London ,

the only nominations . 6 . Report of the Board of Benevolence for the last quarter , in which nre recommendations for thc following grants , viz : —¦ The widow of a brother of the Cedewain Lodge , No . 1594 ,

Newtown , Montgomeryshire / 50 o o A brother of the Cripplegate Lodge , No . 1613 , London ... 50 o o A brother of the Paxton Lodge , No . 1686 , London ... 100 o o The widow of a brother of the St . George's Lodge , No . 112 , Exeter 150 o o

7 . REPORT OE THE BOARD OF GENERAL PURI-OSES . To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England . The Board have had under consideration the salary of the Grand Secretary , which was fixed by Grand Lodge in 1874 at . £ 500 per annum , rising by , £ 50 per annum to a maximum of , £ 8 oo . In 188 7 the salary of the late Grand Secretary , Colonel Shadwell H . Gierke , was raised to . £ 1000 ,

The Board , taking into consideration the peculiar nature of the qualifications for the olfice of Grand Secretary , the important duties he is called upon to perform , the great increase in the work since 18 74 , and that there is no pension on retirement , unanimously recommend that the salary of Grand Secretary on appointment be . £ 1000 per annum .

The Board also submit a statement of the Grand Lodge accounts at the last meeting of the Finance Committee , held on Friday , the 12 th day of February instant , showing a balance in the Bank of England ( Western Branch ) of