The Masonic Mirror.

been recommended , for it was but a true Masonic spirit for the Grand Lodge of England to pass a vote of condolence on the sad event , which had deprived their brethren in Scotland of their Grand Master . The motion was put and unanimously agreed to .

LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE OE THE NEW MASONIC BUILDINGS . The R . W . G . MASTER said he had then to announce that within the last day or two he had received a communication from the Building Committee , requesting him to lay the foundation stone of the new building , and they proposed that it should take place on the day of the Grand Festival , as being one of great

interest to the Craft . He had much pleasure in consenting to do so , and he also thought that the day which had been selected was most appropriate and convenient . The Grand Lodge , therefore , would meet at three instead of four o'clock . For himself , he felt proud at the act he had been called upon to perform , to lay the foundation stone of a building which he trusted would

he permanent , and that it would not only add to the convenience hut the credit of the Craft . Therefore , if it met with the approbation of Grand Lodge , the foundation stone of the new "building would be laid on the 27 th of April . ( Loud cheers . )

JERSEY LODGES . The R . W . G . MASTER said he had to state that a report had "been received from the Provincial Grand Master of Jersey , announcing the suspension of nine brethren from their Masonic privileges , for not attending to a peremptory summons which had been served upon them . That suspension would , therefore , he continued until they put in an answer to the complaint made against them .

THE BOARD OF BENEVOLENCE . The report of the Board of Benevolence for the last quarter , was presented , and the following recommendations were agreed to : — The widow of the late Bro . Robert Hudson , of tho Loelge of Prince George ( No . 308 ) , Eastwood , Yorkshire £ 30 Bro . William R . G . Key , of the Percy Lodge ( No . 19 S ) , London 100

THE REPORT OP THE AUDIT COJIAIITTEE OP GRAND LODGE ACCOUNTS . The report of the annual audit committee , of the Grand Lodge accounts for the year 1 SG 3 , was presented and agreed to . TUB BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES . The report of the Board of General Purposes was taken as

read , and on the motion that it bo received and entered on the minutes , The PRESIDENT OP THE BOARD OP GENERAL PURPOSES alluded to the appeal from Bros . Smith and Allen , who had been expelled from the Robert Bums' Lodge for an indiscriminate system of black balling . That appeal had been dismissed by the

Board , but they could , if they thought fit , appeal to the Grand Lodge . The report was receiveci and entered on the minutes . To the report was subjoined a statement of the Grand Lodge accounts at the last meeting of the Finance Committee held on the 12 th February inst ., showing a balance in the hands of the

Grand Treasurer of £ 2 , 620 15 s . 6 d ., and in the hands of the Grand Secretary for petty cash £ 50 . Of these sums there belongs to the Fund of Benevolence £ 1 , 124 6 s . 8 d ., to the Fund of General Purposes £ 1 , 002 14 s . 4 c ? ., and there is in the Unappropriated Account £ 402 14 * . Gd .

REPORT OP THE COLONIAL BOARD . On the motion of Bro . HOPWOOD , the report of the Colonial Board was taken as read , and on his motion that it be received and entered on the minutes , he said he had only a few observations to make upon it ; but he was sure that it must be gratifying to Grand Lodge to know that the brother who had fallen

under censure in the report , had expressed to the Grand Secretary his regret for having acted in the way that called forth that censure . ( Hear , hear ) . The report was received and entered on the minutes .

PROPOSED SECESSION OP AUSTRALIAN LODGES . The G . SECRETARY read a very long memorial from certain , brethren at Melbourne , Victoria , addressed to the Grand Lodge of England , praying that they might be permitted to join , with brethren of the Irish and Scottish Constitutions , in forming a Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of "Victoria . This

memorial complained that there were three separate modes of working , that they did not participate in the funds of the Grand Lodge of England to which they contributed , and that of all purposes they desired to form an independent Grand Lodge for Victoria . Bro . HAVERS , P . J . G . W ., said he rose to move the resolution ,,

of which he had given notice in the words in which it appeared on the paper , leaving out only the words which appeared in parenthesis , which were considered unnecessary , and to render the whole more gramatically correct . His motion would , therefore , be as follows : — " That whilst this Grand Lodges does not deny that circumstances may arise under which Colonial lodges may be

justified in forming themselves into an independent Grand Lodge , it is of opinion , from an attentive consideration ofthe matters set forth in the memorial now before it , that no circumstances have arisen in the Colony of Victoria , either from the number of lodges therein , the period during which they have existed , or from the expressed wishes of the majority of the brethren

constituting them , as would justify those lodges in throwing off their allegiance to the Grand Lodge of England ; and this Grand Lodgo , in the full conviction that such a proceeding

would tend rather to weaken than to strengthen the ties of Masonry , and to lower rather than to elevate its character ,, desires to express its strong disapprobation of any present attempt to found an independent Grand Lodge in that Colony , aud urges upon all well-disposed ancl zealous brethren to use their best efforts to maintain the union which has hitherto happily existed between the lodges in Victoria and their Mother

Grand Lodge . " He said he believed that the resolution , of which he had given notice , expressed the feelings of every member of Grand Lodge , forhe believed that theymust all receive n memorial of that kind with regret . At the same time he must say that he approached this memorial with feelings of mingled regret and gratification , which was unusual in the discussion of memorials

of that kind . Here there was no charge brought against the Grand Master who was at the head of the Grand Lodge . There was no charge of neglect brought against the Provincial Grand Master , or was their any complaint against the executive officers . The memorial which he held in his hand was signed by only nineteen Masons , of whom seven were English ,

eight Irish , and four Scotch , and as there were forty-one English lodges in Victoria , it was by the representatives of only seven of those lodges that they asked the brethren to be allowed to throw off their allegiance to the Grand Lodge of England . If it was by less than one-sixth of the lodges of Victoria they were asked to throw off their allegiance , he said

that it was impossible , and they must be very misguided men who had signed such a memorial . Still he hoped it would go forth , and that it might reach their brethren in Australia ,