United Grand Lodge.

made with regard to the particular motion of himself that he alluded to—the Grand Registiar dwelt upon prerogative of ( he Grand Alaster . lie ( Bro . Robhins ) rejoined with privilegeprivilege of the Grand . Lodge—full , free , and frank discussion of all matters connected with the honour , dignit-v , and welfare of the Craft .

Bro . R . Alanuel seconded , concurring with every word tittered by Bro . Robhins . Bro . Strachan was sorry his good Bro . Robhins had seized he opportunity of his motion for making a personal attack upon him . Since he had held the office of ( irand Registrar he did not believe more than two motions had been rejected by

the General Committee He had never heard that ( he Grand Registrar had prerogative . It was absurd : he had nothing of the kind . He was ( lie servant of Grand Lodge : he was the adviser of Grand Lodge . The Committee was not Grand Lodge ; but all Committees of Grand Lodge were entitled to his advice On one occasion Bro . Robhins attended ( he

meeting of the General Committee , and had a notice of motion which concerned the prerogative of the Grand Master alone , which Grand Lodge had always acknowledged . In the

Committee ' s judgment it was not within ( he cognisance of Grand bodge . Bro . Robhins tried to argue the matter . The President was present , and said matters were never argued there ; if they were , it would he practically impossible to conduct the business . The Committee was not empowered to express any opinion upon a motion before it ; all it could do

wtis to say if it was scandalous . If it was scandalous , if the question was argued all night it would not make it not scandalous . Alotions mi ght be put on ( he paper for the purpose of gratifying spite ; and though the brother would know that as soon us it was brought on in Grand Lodge the presiding Alaster might nile it out of older , vet the brother ' s

object would have been gained The system had worked well so far ; Bro Robhins was in the wrong . Bro . Robhins disavowed any intention of making a personal attack on the Grand Registrar , and the motion , on being put to the vote , was declared lost . Two appeals were then laid before Grand Lodge , the first

of which , on the motion of the Grand Registrar , was lost , and the second sustained . Grand Lodge was then closed in dus form .

Grand Lodge Of Scotland.

Grand Lodge of Scotland .

r pHE annual communication of the Grand Lodge of Scol-I land was held in the Royal Arch Alasonic Hall , Queen Street , Edinburgh , on November 29 th , and thereafter a large assemblage of the brethren celebrated the festival of St . Andrew in Freemasons' Hall , George Street . At the

business meeting the chair was occupied by Bro . Murray of Alurraythwaite , Past Deputy Grand Alaster . He deel ired all the elective offices vacant , and then moved the re-election , for a term of office as Grand Alaster Alason of Scotland , of the Hon . Charles ATaule Ranlsay . This was unanimousl y

adopted with enthusiasm , and the Grand Master elect was introduced and installed with the usual solemnities by the Acting ( irand Alaster , who also invested him with the emblems of his office . The Grand Alaster then took the chair , thanking ( irand

Lodge for the high honour conferred on him for the third time . He intimated that he had been successful in getting Sir Thomas Gibson Carmichael , Provincial Grand Alaster of Alicllothian , to undertake the duties of Deputy Grand Alaster ; and Sir Hector Alunro , Provincial Grand Alaster of Ross and Cromarty , to undertake those of Substitute Grand Alaster .

These intimations were received , and these two brethren were installed , and afterwards the other officers elected b y Grand Lodge , on the recommendation of Grand Committee . The brethren afterwards celebrated ( he festival of St . Andrew

m the hreemasons Hall . About 330 Alasons were present , presided over b y the Hon . Charles Maule Ramsay , Grand Alaster . Sheriff Kincaid Alacken / . ic , K . C ., in proposing the toast of the evening , '' The Grand Lodge of Scotland , " paid an eloquent tribute to the services rendered to Freemasonry by

the Grand Alaster Mason of Scotland , who had during the past year visited two-thirds of the ( irand Provincial Lodges , having gone from Dumfries to Wick , and from Ayr to Banff , stimulating and encouraging brethren in the work of Grand Lodge . The Grand Alaster , in reply , thanked the brethren for the

honour conferred upon him for a third time in electing him Grand Alaster Alason of Scotland . Since ( hey mcl a year ago it gave him pleasure to be able to tell llicm that flic Scottish craft had prospered in a very marked degree , because they must remember that , though they had not added to their ranks the same number that they added either last year or the previous year , nevertheless the accession ol

the brethren to the craft had gone very far towards strengthening the position that they aimed at occupying in the general estimation . For the last year they had added to their numbers no less than 8 , 7 ( 97 nexv members . That was a very respectable total in itself , and was a great deal bigger than an } - total ( hat was ever added during ( he nineteenth

century . The income of the general fund for the past year had been , in round figures , some . £ 9 , 750 , as against a little over £ 10 , 000 a year ago . The expenditure for the last two years had not varied very much . In fact , if they took out of it one extraordinary outlay that did not come to them very often , a sum of . £ 700 in connection with the publication of

the new laws and constitution , the outlay of last year was less than it was in the previous year , with the result that in both years the general fund was increased by some £ 6 , 800 . In the last year from iheir benevolent fund , that was administered in comparatively small stuns every month , thev

had given out , in round figures , £ . 1 , 000— . £ -99 6 to be correct The annuities at the present moment amounted to . £ 2 , 317 . Since the formation of the annuity fund fifteen years ago they had distributed a matter of £ 20 . 000 . That annuity funci had grown rapidly . During the past year they had issued charters to some eighteen lodges , which were

scattered pretty well throughout the world in the colonies beyond the se :: s . The position of Grand Lodge at the present moment was as follows : The general fund amounted to £ 33 , 22 7 , the benevolent fund to £ 8 , 6 3 8 , and the annuity fund to £ 41 , 825—making a grand total for the three funds

of £ 83 , 6 90 , exclusive of the heritable and moveable property , which is valued at £ 25 , 400 . Altogether the Grand Lodge of Scotland and the Scottish craft were in a position of unprecedented prosperity . To-day they found Grand Lodge the owner of an aggregate fund of some £ 109 , 090 .

The Grand ATasl-jr proposed " The health of the Deputation fro 11 Daughter Lodges , " and first called for a reply from Bro . Shicll , the head of the deputation from his Mother Lodge—St . [ ames , Brechin . Bro . Shicll , in his reply , claimed , without any disparagement to other Lodges , that St . James had produced a Grand Alaster who , he said ,

without fear of contradiction , was equalled by none ( hat had ever been produced by any other Lodge . Other toasts followed , and the proceedings terminated before ten o ' clock .