Grand Lodge.

THE LAST QUABTEELY COMMUSICATI O- ' . ¦ The G . Secretary read the minutes of the quarterly communication of the 3 rd of June , which were confirmed . GKJLSD LOD & E AT LANCASTEB . Tlie G . Secretary read the minutes of a special Grand Lodge

held at Lancaster , on the 17 th of June , on the occasion of the laying the first stone of a neiv asylum by the Earl of Zetland , and tbey were confirmed . SPECIAL GEAKD LODGE . The G . Secretary read tho minutes of a special Grand Lodge , held on the 1 st of July . This meeting , it will be remembered ,

was held for tho purpose of disposing of the business left over from Ihe last quarterly communication . The minutes were confirmed . At this meeting a resolution in reference to the funds of the Board of Benevolence was passed , and it was as follows : " That Bro . Clabon ' s propositions be referred to the consideration of a

committee of fifteen brethren , to be nominated by Grand Lodge , ¦ and five other brethren to be nominated by the M . W . the Grand Master , with instructions to such committee to report to Grand Lodge in December , upon the proposed scheme and generally to the advisability of making any , and if any , what alteration in the appropriation of the Fund of Benevolence , or

in the mode of dealing therewith . " The acting G . Master said the Grand Master had reserved to himself the right to nominate five members to be associated with the other members of the committee , and he had accordingly nominated Bros . M'Intyre , G . Reg . ; Victor Williamson , E . J . Fraserthe Rev . R . Bedfordand Llewellyn EvansPres .

, , , ¦ of the Board of General Purposes . The other members of the committee are , Bros . J . M . Clabon , John Udall , John Savage , J . S . Hopwood , Rev . J . E . Cox , B . Head , T . Fenn , J . Symonds , William Young , E . Cox , J . Smith , S . Gale , J . Nunn , aud H . G . "Warren .

JnE DISTEICT GEAND MASTEE JOB NEW SOUTH WALES . Tho Grand Secretary laid before tho Grand Lodge a letter . received from Bro . Arthur T . Holroyd , D . P . Master for Now South Wales , complaining of the decision of Grand Lodge upon certain appeal cases in March last . Bro . Havers , P . G . M ., said he liad to ask the indulgence of

the Grand Lodge in having to speak upon this communication . in consequence of the absence through illness of the Grand Registrar , and also whilst ho performed a very delicate duty in reference to tha District Grand Master of New South Wales . At the outset he would say that if a man had fallen into an error , it was his first dut y to come forward and frankly

acknowledge it . It appeared that Bro . Holroyd , tbe D . G . Master for New South Wales , impugned the decision at which the Grand Lodge had arrived in March last ,, on three appeals from New South Wales . On two of those appeals there was no doubt whatever but that tbey had come to a ri ght conclusion , but with respect to thc third , it was said that the Grand Lodge

had dismissed the appeal and ordered the suspension of tha brother in question , from his Masonic functions to be removed In the communication whicli had been received from Bro . Holroyd he made a very grave charge against the Grand Registrar , and in his own words he said . " I charge tho Grand Registrar with having placed before the Grand Lodge a gross fabrication

, as he moved that the suspension of a brother from his Masonic functions should be removed , that' suspension never having been in existence . " The D . G . Master said he had never suspended this brother , and therefore as no suspension could be removed , the Grand Registrar had totally misrepresented what he had

Grand Lodge.

done . Now he ( Bro . Havers ) , need hardly say that if the charge was true , that the Grand Registrar had wilfully misrepresented any Grand Master , lie would not deserve to bold office for a single hour , but he would tell as briefly as he could the history of the case ; to show the strange concatenation of circumstances under which the Grand Registrar fell into the error . At the

quarterly communication in March there were three appeals from Now South Wales , and they were all heard ou the same evening . One of them was as to a dispute about the payment of five shillings , and the question as to whether it was payable in advance or not , and in reference to this question the G . Reg . said , lie believed the money had gone into the right pocket ,

although he thought the proceedings of the D . G . M . were wrong . And he concluded by saying that he made uo motion on tbe subject , but afterwards seeing in the Agenda paper , the words , ' ' against his suspension from his masonic functions , " he accidentally moved that such suspension should be removed . Now that was the whole history of the matter , and on which the

grave charge was made that lie had wilfully misrepresented the D . G . M . of New South Wales . He ( Bro . Havers ) need not say that no man had shown a greater amount of zeal , impartiality , honesty , and uprightness , than Bro . Mclntyre , and not a word of reproach could be fairly brought against him . A number of brethren wont over these appeals most carefully ,

for tbe purpose of coming to a right decision upon them , but if any one made an error , it was his duty frankly to acknowledge it . The G . Reg . had done so , aud they were not only bouud to acquit him of the charges brought against him by a man in the position of D . G . M ., but to express their consideration of them . He had accordingly prepared a resolution , which lie offered for the adoption of Grand Lodge , and which was as follows -.

—" That this Grand Lodge , having heard the explanation now given , acknowledges an error has occurred , and expresses its regret that in the agenda paper of March last , in reference to the appeal of Bro . J . W . Golden , the words ' against his suspension , from his Masonic functions , ' should by some unexplained cause have been inserted , and the Grand Registrar should have

accidentally adopted those words , and in consequence bave moved that a suspension should be removed which had never been pronounced . "Tbat this Grand Lodge has heard with extreme regret the charges made by Bro . Holroyd , D . G . M ., New South Wales , against the Grand Registrar , to the effect ' that he had intended

to prejudice his case , " that 'he had uttered a false statement , ancl had placed before Grand Lodge a gross fabrication of suspension . ' The Grand Lodge is of opinion tbat even making every allowance for the excited feelings of Bro . Holroyd , such charge is unwarranted and unjustifiable ; it desires to express its full confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the Grand

Registrar , and its strong condemnation of the language used by Bro . Holroyd . " Bro- Llewellyn Evans , President of the Board of General Purposes , seconded the motion . A Brother , whose name we were unable to learn , said , before the motion was put , ho wished to make a suggestion , without

taking upon himself the task of moving an amendment , and that was , in considering the communication of the District Grand Master of New South Wales , which was undoubtedly of a very strong character , they should meet it with language that was calm and dignified . It would be no excuse to recriminate in terms like those used by Bro . Holroyd . Bro . Brackstone Baker was of opinion that the resolution of Bro . Havers went far enough , and not too far , as it was his opinion that they were warranted in the conviction that Bro .