The Masonic Mirror.

Grand Lodge , and by the largest majority he had ever witnessed in that room . The subject of the building had been fully before the committee ; Grand Lodge had confirmed the decision of the committee , and their judgment had been approved by two most distinguished architects ; therefore , he appealed to the bretliren to withdraw the amendment ancl let the business proceed . He hoped the decision of Grand Lodge would be coniirmed without a long discussion .

The G . MASTER put the motion , and the minutes were confirmed , only three or four hands being held up against it . MINCTTES or SPECIAL GRAND LODQ-E . The minutes of a special Grand Lodge , holden at Lordshiplane , Wood-green , Tottenham , to lay the foundation stone of the new Boys' School , on the Sth day of August , were read by the G . Secretary . The G . MASTEE put the question , and the minutes were unanimously confirmed .

GRAND SUPERINTENDENT OE WORKS . The G . MASTEE said , in consequence of Bro . Cockerell having "been selected by the Committee on the Grand Lodge Property to superintend the construction ofthe new building , he hud felt it to be his duty to appoint that brother as Grand Superintendent of Works . In so doing , he did not intend to cast the least slur or disrespect on their late Grand Superintendent of

"Works , Bro . Daukes ; but it would be for the convenience of carrying on the great work he had undertaken that Bro . Cockerell should hold that office . The G . MASTER sail he had to inform the Grand Lodge that Lord De Tabley had been appointed representative at the Grand Lodge of Canada . He bad further to inform Grand Lodge that Sir T . Hesketh had been appointed to represent

the Grand Lodge of the Netherlands . He had also to inform Grand Lodge that Bro . George Pole had been appointed to re--present the Grand Lodge of Hayti . Bro . Cockerell was then called up , and the G . Master invested him with the clothing of Grand Superintendent of Works , and lie took his seat upon the dais .

ST . JOHN ' S LODGE , QUEBEC . The next business before the Grand Lodge was an appeal by Bro . James Dunbar , of St . John's Lodge ( No . 182 ) , Quebec , against a decision of the Provincial Grand Master of Quebec and the Three Rivers . The G . SECRETARY read a very voluminous correspondence upon the subject .

Bro . STUBBING said lie had listened with attention to the reading of these very voluminous papers , but he must confess that he was utterly unable to understand what they were all about . . He should therefore move that the whole of them be printed , and the consideration of them deferred until the next Grand Lodge . The G . REGISTRAR saidas the subject had been left over

, from the last Grand Lodge , lie did not think they could dispose of it in that way , and he believed he could explain to Bro . Stebbing the facts of the case , without waiting for the printing of the papers . It seems that there was to have been a Masonic trial for some o & ev . ce by a brother , which was known to the brethren within the province of Quebec and the Three Rivers . The day

of the trial was fixed , but when it was to take place several -visitors were present . The brother who was accused desired that the visitors should withdraw , but the W . M . said he was the proper judge as to whether these persons ought to remain in the lodge , and afterwards stated that the business to be transacted was not of so private a nature as to require the visitors to be excluded . A brother then moved that they be excluded , but the W . M . refused to put the motion . The matter was brought

before the Provincial Grand Master , who held that the business of the loelge was conducted iu the same way as that of the House of Commons , to which strangers were admitted , but they were not supposed to be present ; and whenever the business was of a piivate nature , on any member noticing that strangers were present , they were immediately excluded . He ( the G . Reg . ) opposed the view taken by the Provincial Grand Master

, ami held that a Mason ' s lodge was like a Mason ' s church , ancl he had a right to remain so long as he conducted himself with decorum , was properly vouched for , and conformed to the byelaws of the loelge . Was the W . M . justified , then , in refusing to put the motion for the exclusion of the visitors from the lodge . He ( the G . Reg . ) contended that lie was right , for he

had the discretion of saying whether they ought to remain or not . He moved that the appeal of Bro . James Dunbar , of St . John's Lodge ( No . 182 , late 214 ) Quebec , be allowed , and the decision of the Provincial Grand Master of Quebec and the Three Rivers reversed .

Bro . GREGORY thought they were taking upon themselves a great responsibility , if they , as a Court of Appeal , reversed the decision of their representative in a foreign country . without having the materials before them to enable them to judge whether the appeal should be entertained or not . Bro . HAVERS remarked that , if Bro . Stebbing or Bro . Gregory were not acquainted with all the facts of the case it was their own faultas the subject had been brought before the

, Board of Masters , and the papers had been for four months in the Secretary's office , for any one who chose . to make himself acquainted with all the facts ; and if Bro . Stebbing and Bro . Gregory had not done so , they were guilty of a ' gross dereliction of duty . If Bro . Stebbing and Bro . Gregory had not read the papers , they ought to take the ruling of the G . Reg . Bro . STEBBING said he had only a few words to say . He was

not a Master , so that he could not be present at the Board of Masters . Therefore , so nmch of Bro . Havers's thunder fell harmless upon him ; nor did he know that the papers were in the Grand Secretary ' s office . He was a country member , but , forming one of the Court of Appeal , had a right to be thoroughly informed on the subject . What the G . Reg . proposed was an illegal proposition . As to the power of Masters , they formed a

very small proportion of the Masons of England , and if it was to rest with the Master to say whether or not a motion should be put , ancl he should be supported in that view by the Grand Lodge , there soon would be an end of Masons . He was not

saying that visitors must withdraw , hut it might be that a man was charged with a repulsive offence , and in such a case visitors might be asked to withdraw , rather than that their ears should be tingled in hearinga complaint , perhaps resting on a mere thread . Would it be right , in such a case , that a man's character should be discussed before persons who went there from mere motives of curiosity ? To do so , he held that it would be utterly wrong , that it wonld be unconstitutionaland too great a power to

, place in the hands of a single man . He stood up for the thousands of Masons who were not Masters of lodges , for even Masters were not always the wisest people in the world . He had great respect for the G . Reg ., but he would not pin his faith upon him , however exalted his position or his talents , and should press his motion that the papers should he printed , and that at the next quarterly communication they should be discussed .

Bro . GREGORY seconded Bro . Stebbing's motion . The G . REGISTRAR , in reply , said the Master of the lodge was the proper person to say whether a motion was in order or not . He was the responsible custodian ofthe rights of the lodge , ancl was the only person who was answerable to the Grand Lodge for properly carrying out his duties . He submitted , in this case , that the W . M . was right , that the appeal should be allowed ,

and the decision of the Provincial Grand Blaster of Quebec reserved . The GRAND MASTER put the question , and the original motion allowiug the appeal was carried .

ISLE or WIGHT . In the matter of an appeal of Bro . the Rev . A . Wallace , of Newport , Isle of Wight , against the decision of the Provincial Grand Master of the Isle of Wight , in a complaint laid before him on the 19 th of February , 1863 , it was stated that there was serious illness in the family of Bro . Wallace which prevented his attendance , and the subject was deferred to the next Grand Lodge .

GRAND LODGE or IRELAND . The G . SECRETARY read a letter from the Deputy Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Ireland , with extracts from letters written by the Provincial Grand Secretary of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Victoria under the Irish Constitution , and a resolution passed by the Grand Lodge of Ireland thereon . There was also a communication from the Grand Master of

England in reference to these documents . The documents were very voluminous , hut the subject to which they referred arose out of a complaint made by the Provincial Grand Lodge of Victoria acting under the Irish Constitution , that when their members join lodges acting under the English Constitution they are not allowed to be elected as Masters until they had previously served the office of Warden for twelve months iu that lodge , although they had already