History Of The Lod Ge Of Emulation , No. 21.

up the same Jewels therein before he quits the Lodge , the Committee being of opinion , that no future servant of this Lodge will be so hard y and daring as to force such Lock , it being a capital offence . " The recommendation of the Committee was adopted . Dec . 2 ist . —At this meeting a proposition made on the

20 th April , and ordered to stand over until the end of the year , was confirmed and adopted as a law of the Lodge . The motion was to the following purport , "To raise the annual Subscription from £ i is . to £ i ns . 6 d ., to discontinue the collection of is . apiece for suppers , this sum to be paid in future by the Treasurer out of the Lodge fund . "

1779 , May 17 II 1 . — " Bro" ' - White produced a mahogany Ballotting Box which he had purchased as being the most adapted to a Mason ' s Lodge that he had ever seen and offered it to the Lodge at the price he gave for it ,, £ 3 . 12 . " Resolved unanimously , that the Lodge accepts said

offer , from Bro' ' . White and the Treasurer is ordered to reimburse him the prime cost , together with the charges on some little additions necessary to be made to it which he is requested to get done . "

WII . I . IAM 1 'KKSTOX , P . M . OK TIIK I . ODUK OK ANTIOUITY , HoXOKAKY MKM 1 SKK OK TIIK l . OlH ' . H OK KMri . ATlOX , Xo . 21 . Nov . 17 th . — "A Letter from the Grand Lodge was read , being proposals for payment of the debts due to the different Tradesmen on account of the Hall , viz . —

" That a Subscription be enter'd into of a sum not less than £ 23 each , the money so raised to be lent to the Society without interest to be paid in equal proportions at such time as the Hall Fund will admit thereof , and as a mark of distinction for the service rendered the Society by

this Subscription ; each Subscriber to be complimented with a medal of such value as the Grand Lodge shall think proper , with a suitable motto , and in case any Lodge should subscribe to this plan a like Medal to be presented to such Lodge to be worn ever after in the Lodge by the Master for the time being .

" Resolved , that the foregoing proposals be referred to the Standing Committee , who are desired to report their opinions on next Lodge Night . " Dec . 20 th . —Resolved , pursuant to the recommendation of the Standing Committee , that a Subscription be now

enter'd into by the individuals of this Lodge , for raising the sum of £ 25 agreeable to the proposals referred to said Committee and that the deliciency , provided it does not exceed £ ti . shall be made good from the Fund ot the Lodge .

"The sum of £ 11 . 11 . being immediatel y subscribed by sundry members present , the Subscription Paper was order'd to lay on the Table every future Lodge Night till completed .

" Resolved , that the supper on next Lodge Night , being the Night of Investing ( he New Master , & c , & c , be provided at 2 ' - per Head . " 1780 , [ an . 17 . — "It being recommended b y the last Audit Committee that the Furniture , Jewells and other property of this Lodge should be insured from Fire , a Motion

for that purpose was now Made by Bror- T . V . Hyam and Seconded by Bro ' - Wadeson , which meeting the universal concurrence of the Lodge it was , —Resolved that the sum of £ 100 be forthwith Insured at the Sun Fire Office on the Furniture , Jewells and other effects of the Lodge . "

Masonic beggars were not entirely unknown even at this earlv period , for on the 21 st February , 1780 " Bror- Green of the Island of St . Vincent applied for Relief . A Motion having been made & Seconded that he be Relieved with Half a Guinea , it was negatived on account of his having been

Relieved with £ 10 at the last Committee of Charity " April 17 th . — "A complaint being made against the T yler for frequent neglect in delivering the Lodge Summonses , he was dismissed , and it was ordered that the Summons for next Lodge Night be sent by the General ! Penny Post . "

Aug . 28 th . —At this Meeting the first steps were taken , on the initiative of Bror- White , towards uniting with the Mourning Bush Lodge , by the appointment of a Committee of Six Members to meet the like number from the Lodge last named to consider and settle the terms of an Union .

Resolutions , almost identical with those set forth as having been passed at the Mourning Bush Lodge were ultimately adopted by the Lodge of Emulation , and the Union was firmly cemented with ( lie utmost harmonv and good fellowship .

RECORDS OF THE LODGE OF EMPLATIOX . Xo . 12 . 1780—1814 . The previous Minute Books of each Lodge being full a new one was begun for the transactions of the United Lodges . It is bound in rough calf and bears the following inscription on a fly-leaf : — " Minutes of the United Lodges , Mourning

Bush No . 12 , and Emulation No . 324 , from 9 th Oct ., 1780 , to 19 th Dec , 1799 , both inclusive , under the title of Lodge of Emulation No . 12 , being Vol . III . of their Respective Proceedings . " The first Minutes in this book are those of the union meeting on 9 th Oct ., 1780 , and as

they closely resemble the proceedings alread y depicted , nothing further need be said about them . A Committee of nine members was appointed on 13 II 1 Nov . to examine the furniture of both lodges and to inspect the By-Laws , etc . The report of the Committee appears under date

27 th Nov . as follows : — " The Committee Report that ^ of }"• Brethren appointed met at The London Tavern at 6 o ' clock in y ° - evening and examined the Furniture belonging to the Lodge of Emulation and checked it against the List , and from thence proceeded to The Paul ' s Head Tavern , where

they were joined by the 4 other Brethren , and after examining the Furniture of the Mourning Bush Lodge they recommend such particular articles of each Lodges Furniture as marked in a List taken for that purpose to be disposed of . "

The Committee also recommended that the Lodge should in future meet once in every month either on the 2 nd or 3 rd Monday , that the officers should be elected in December , that the Annual Subscription should be _ £ i 11 s . 6 cl ., to be paid at the first meeting in January . " That all Masons Made in this Lodge shall pay the sum of Three Guineas in full for

Making , Registering , & c , and that the visiting fee should be 3 6 , and 4- to brethren who were not members of any Lodge . " The Report of the Committee was unanimousl y adopted at the next meeting , when it was decided to meet on the

3 rd Monday in every month . Unfortunately we have no means of ascertaining what Furniture and Jewels were sold nor what they realised , the only references to them being in the minutes of a Committee held on 3 th March , 1781 , when it was " unanimously agreed that the Furniture and

Jewells of the Lodge be conveyed to Br . Speers , and the Furniture sold at his valuation , and the Jewells at the valua-