Grand Lodge.

planation , but ordered that the lodge be cautioned to be more careful for the future . J . LLEWEIXYX EAM-NS , President . At a meeting ofthe Board held on Tuesday , the 21 st inst ., after the ordinary business had been disposed of , it was unanimously resolved— " That the thanks of tbe Board are due , and

are hereby tendered to the V . AV . Bro . John Llewellyn Evans , the President , for his attention to all matters of business that have been brought forward during the past year , for the ability with which he has conducted the proceedings , and for his courteous bearing to ail the members of the Board . " EDWD . J . FBASEE , Vice-President . Freemasons' Hall , London , AV . C , 22 nd May , 1867 .

District Grand Lodges wore also enabled to lis . stated times , not exceeding four in the yoar , for their regular meetings . From an examination of tho various papers sent homo , it appeared that tho District Grand Lodgo of South Australia had drawn up a codo of by-laws , [ to bo submitted to tho Grand Master for approval , in conformity with Article 3 , pages 52 , 53 of tho " Book of Constitutions . "

In such by-laws it was proposed , inter alia , that a General Committee should bo formed , composed of members of tho District Grand Lodgo , who wore to have tho power of fixing a day for the meetings of tho District Grand Lodgo in tho months of January , April , Juno , and October , between tho 1 st and 15 th of oaeh month ; and that such Committoo should have liberty ,

between the meetings of tho District Grand Lodgo , to oxorciso all tho powers conferred by tho "Book of Constitutions " on tho District Grand Lodge . The by-laws , not having received tho sanction of tho Grand Master , are not yet in operation . In tho papers above referred to it is shown that tho brethren so styling themselves tho General Committoo convened a mooting

in January last , though not between tho 1 st and 15 th as contemplated by tho by-laws , but on tho 2-ith of that month , and this was dono in direct opposition to tho order in -writing of tho District Grand Master . That some brethren , in consequence of tho said order of the District Grand Master , refrained from attending , but that others assembled and passed sundry

resolutions-That the so-called Committee , through Bro . Whittle , under tho appellation of " Chairman , " submitted several questions for tho consideration of tho Colonial Board , tho general tendency of such questions being whether tho Committee had , or had not , an operative existence , and if tho proceedings on tho 24 th of January wore or wore not regular .

To the report is subjoined a statement of the Grand Lodge accounts at the last meeting of the Finance Committee held on the 17 th May , showing a balance in the hands of tho Grand Treasurer of £ 3 , 767 Is . 8 d ., and in the hands of the Grand Secretary for petty cash £ 50 . Of these sums there belongs to the Fund of Benevolence £ 994 9 s . Gd ., to the Fund of General Purposes £ 2 , 331 18 s . 9 d ., and there is in the Unappropriated Account £ 490 13 s . 5 d .

9 . THE REPOET OF THE COIOSIAL BOABD . To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England . The Colonial Board report that they have had laid before them sundry papers transmitted for their consideration from the 33 .. W . the District Grand Master o ? South Australia , Uiebrother

¦ acting as District Grand Secretary , and certain members of the District Grand Lodge , styling themselves a General Committee . The subject matter of the reference relates to the validity or votherwise of the appointment of the said committee , and the consequent regularity or irregularity of their proceedings .

It will be necessary to enter into some details , in order to make tho case clear , and to show the grounds upon which the Colonial Board came to the conclusions to which they arrived . The Grand Lodge of England recently passed certain laws -whereby enlarged powers , under certain conditions , were confided to District Grand Lodges in the colonies and foreign parts ' .

Amongst others it empowered them to investigate and decide on all matters relating to lodges and individual Masons within their respective districts , as well as to exercise such powers either of themselves or by a committee . And the Distric t Grand Lodges were further authorised to make rules and regulations for the management and conduct of their own

proceedings , and of those of any committee of their own body , and may alter such rules as they think fit ; but no rule or regulation shall be in force until approved hy the M . W . the Grand Master of England . " The Colonial Board , after fully considering the purport of the laws in the "Book of Constitntions" relating to District

Grand Lodges , gave it as their opinion that , inasmuch as no bylaws of a Provincial Grand Lodge can be valid until they have been " submitted to and approved hy the Most AVorshipful Grand Master , " the General Committee intended to he constituted under the 13 th Article of the proposed Code had no operative existence , and could not perforin any of the functions intended to be delegated to them , and that consequently the meeting convened by them on the 24 th of January last , although

called a District Grand Lodgo , was irregular , and the business transacted at such meeting consequently null and void . They also expressed their opinion that the power conferred on District Grand Lodges to " fix stated times for their meetings , " rendered it necessary that the actual day and time of meeting should be fixed , and that it could not properly be left open to be

settled by the Committee . The Board were likewise of opinion that the powers to be conconferred on a General Committee by the District Grand Lodge were altogether ultra vires , seeing that it was proposed to authorise such Committee to exercise between the meetings of the District Grand Lodge all the powers conferred by the Grand

Lodgo upon its District Grand Lodge , which . the Board considered would have the effect of giving to a committee , of whom four are to be a quorum , "the power of expelling Masons and erasing lodges" within the district , and that under no circumstances could rules or regulations passed for the guidance o £ the Committee of the District Grand Lodge be acted upon until

approved of by the A \ orshipful Grand Master of England . In conclusion , tho Board cannot refrain from noticing and oxpressing thoir regret at tho un-Masonic spirit which seems to exist amongst tho brethren in South Australia , and which , if good sense and proper discrimination of tho laws of tho Craft do not in future prevail , is likely to load to much inconvenience , and

impede tho progress of Freemasonry in tho district . J . S . S . HOPAVOOD , President . Freemasons' Hall , May 22 nd , 1 SG 7 .

10 . Tho annual report of tho Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Agod Freemasons and tho AVidows of Froomasons , dated the 17 th day of May , 1 S 67 , will bo laid before tho Grand Lodgo . 11 . Tho communication from tho District Grand Lodgo of South Africa , as to the rigtit of tho Grand Lodgo of tho

Netherlands to establish now lodges in thp Capo Colony . Deferred from tho last mooting of Grand Lodgo . 12 . Appeal of Bro . AA illiam Gosso and othor brethren in South Australia against thoir suspension from Mason ic privileges b y the District Grand Master .