United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

The business to be transacted by Grand Lodge at its Quarterly Communication on Wednesday next , the 3 rd prox ., is formidable in appearance , and will , no doubt , excite a large amount of interest , but there is nothing proposed to be done which is of

a contentious character , and , therefore , we anticipate that the agenda will be dispatched both rapidly and smoothly . First there will be submitted two recommendations by his Royal Highness the GRAND MASTER —( 1 ) that the rank of Past Grand Master be conferred on the Duke of CONNAUGHT on the

occasion of his return from service in the East Indies—( we erroneously stated in one of our Notes last week that the GRAND MASTER would himself confer the rank , which he has not the power to do , instead of that he would recommend that it should be conferred)—and ( 2 ) that £ ioK be voted tothe "Serpent "

Fund . Then will follow the nominations for the offices of Grand Master and Grand Treasurer . There will also be the appointment of a President of the Board of Benevolence , and the election of the two Vice-Presidents , and 12 Past Masters to serve on the same Board , but as only the requisite number of

brethren for Vice-Presidents and members have been nominated there will be no contest . The Reports of the Boards of Benevolence and General Purposes will be submitted , and there is also a notice of motion by Bro . T ., HASTINGS MILLER , Vice-President Board of General Purposes , inviting Grand Lodge to

accept a portrait of Bro . THOMAS FENN , President Board of General Purposes , which has been subscribed for by the friends of that distinguished brother , and to have it hung in the Board Room as a companion picture to that of Bro . Sir JOHN B .

MONCKTON , P . G . W . About the acceptance of this gift by Grand Lodge there can be no doubt , any more than there can be any doubt as to the incalculable value of Bro . FENN ' services to Freemasonry . With this notice of motion by Bro . MlLLER the agenda closes .

The Province Of Durham.

THE PROVINCE OF DURHAM .

We remark with pleasure that the custom of publishing in report form the transactions of Provincial Grand Lodges and Chapters is on the increase . Those who have had any considerable experience in tracing backwards the history of the Craft in any particular locality will bear out our statement that the chief

difficulty which such inquirers have to encounter is the irregularity vvith which , even in Masonic journals , reports of the proceedings of a lodge or Province are published . One year full and detailed accounts are to be found in many papers , both Masonic and local . The year following the reports are less

frequent and the particulars vouchsafed less ample ; then comes a series of blanks , and the aspirant for Masonic historical honours is at his wits' end to supply the gap—in blank despair at the small chance there is of his ever obtaining the requisite information . Were the example set by Durham and other

Provinces , of publishing official reports of proceedings regularly , more generally followed , these difficulties would be greatly reduced . B ' or example , we have before us , in a neat pamphlet , the Proceedings of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Durham at its annual meeting , at Stockton , on the 30 th September , and those

ofthe Provincial Grand Chapter at its convocation in Durham on the 23 rd July , together with the reports of the consecration ( 1 ) of the Williamson Royal Arch Chapter , No . 949 , on the 15 th February , and ( 2 ) of the Universities Lodge , No . 2352 , Durham , on the 22 nd of the same month . The statistical and financial

reports in the Provincial Grand Lodge Proceedings show that , both in membership and funds , the Province has made very satisfactory progress during the year . The Charities' Report show that it has been doing extremely well in respect

of its local educational fund , but that though the Province as such contributes regularly to the central Charities , it is the opinion of the Managing Committee that more might and ought to be done b y individual members in support of these Institutions ,

The Province Of Durham.

especially as it is shown that Durham draws largely upon the resources of the latter . Add to this , that the remarks of the Provincial Grand Master are printed in extenso , and that there is a complete list of the brethren appointed to Provincial office for the current year , and it will be seen that a full . account of the

doings of this Province is given officially within the compass of between 20 and 30 pages . Thus the brethren who read these reports can see almost at a glance what has been the position of the Craft in Durham during the years to which they relate , while

in the case of those who dabble in Masonic history , the task 01 hunting up details relating to this Provincial Grand Lodge ceases to be a difficulty . We congratulate our Durham brethren on the enterprise they have shown in this matter .

United Grand Lodge Of England.

UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND .

The following is the business to be transacted on Wednesday next , the 3 rd prox . : —¦ 1 . The minutes of the Quarterly Communication of the 3 rd September , 1890 , for confirmation . 2 . Recommendations by the Most Worshipful Grand Master

1 . That the rank of Past Grand Master be conferred on Lieutenant-General his Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn , K . G ., Provincial Grand Master of Sussex and District Grand Master of Bombay , on the occasion of his recent return from the East Indies , after completion of'his term of service there as Commander-in-Chief of the Bombay Army .

2 . That the sum of 100 guineas be voted from the funds of . Grand Lodge and added to the national subscription now being raised in aid of the families of the crew of her Majesty ' s late ship Serpent , recently lost with all hands , except three , off the coast of Spain . 3 . Nomination of a Grand Master for the ensuing year .

4 . Nomination of a Grand Treasurer for the ensuing year . 5 . Appointment and investment of a President of the Board of Benevolence . 6 . Election of a Senior and a Junior Vice-President of the Board of Benevolence .

7 . Election of 12 Past Masters to serve on the Board of Benevolence for the year ensuing . 8 . Report of the Board of Benevolence for the last quarter , in which are recommendations for the following grants : —• The widow of a brother of the Lodge of Israel , No . 205 ,

London £$ 0 o o A brother of the Lion and Lamb Lodge , No . 192 , London ... 50 o o A brotherof the St . James' Union Lodge , No . 180 , London ... 50 o 0 A brother of the Tuscan Lodge , No . 14 , London too o o And a resolution of a vote of thanks to the President , Bro . Robert Grey , for the courteous and able manner in which he has , during the past year , presided over the meetings of the Board .

9 . REPORT OF THE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES . To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England . The Board of General Purposes beg to submit a statement of the Grand Lodge accounts , at the last meeting of the Finance Committee , held on Friday , the 14 th day of November instant , showing a balance in the Bank of England ( Western

Branch ) of . 64004 5 s . nd ., and in the hands of the Grand Secretary for petty cash ^ ioo , and for servants' wages _ £ ioo , and balance of annual allowance for library ^ 3 6 13 s . 1 id . ( Signed ) THOMAS FENN , President . Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C . 1 Sth November , 1890 . 10 . NOTICE OF

MOTIONBy Bro . THOMAS H ASTINGS MILLER , Vice-President of the Board of General Purposes : A portrait of Bro . Thomas Fenn , President of the Board of General Purposes , having , at the desire of several of his friends in the Craft , been painted by Bro .

B . S . Marks as a companion picture to the one by the same artist of Bro . Sir John B . Monckton , P . G . W . and Past President of the Board of General Purposes , which was recently presented by him to Grand Lodge , and now hangs in the Board Room of Freemasons' Hall ,

These brethren request that Grand Lodge will accept the portrait of Bro . Fenn and will authorise its being also placed in the Board Room as a memento of the invaluable services rendered by him to English Freemasonry for very manyyears past . Names of brethren nominated for election to the offices of Senior and Junior Vice-President of the Board of Benevolence