Grand Lodge.

District Grand Lodges wore also enabled to fix stated times , not exceeding four in tho year , for thoir regular meetings . From an examination o £ tho various papers sent homo , it appeared that tho District Grand Lodge of South Australia had drawn up a code 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 havo tho powor of fixing a day for tho meetings of tho District Grand Lodgo in tho months of January , April , June , and October , between tho 1 st and 15 th of

each month ; and that such Committee should havo liberty , between tho meetings of the District Grand Lodgo , to oxorciso all tho powers conferred by tho "Book of Constitutions " on tho District Grand Lodgo . Tho by-laws , not having received tho sanction of tho Grand Master , aro not yet in operation . In tho papers above referred to it is shown that tho brethren

so styling fchomsolvos tho General Committee convened a mooting in January last , tliougli not between tlio 1 st and 15 th as contemplated by tho by-laws , but on tho 24 th of that month , and this was done in direct opposition to tho order in writing of tho District Grand Master . That somo brethren , in consequence of tho said order of tho District Grand Master , refrained from

attending , but that others assembled and passed sundry resolutions . That tho so-callod Committee , through Bro . AA hittlo , 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 oxistonco , and if tho pr-ocoodings on tho 24 th of January wore or were not regular . The Colonial Board , after fully considering the purport of the laws in the "Book of Constitutions" 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 by the Most AA orshipful Grand Master , " the General Committee intended to be constituted under the 13 th Article of the proposed Code had no operative existence , and could not perform any of the functions intended to be delegated to them , and that consequently the

meeting convened by them on the 2-lth of January last , although ¦ called a District Grand Lodge , 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 , " Tendered it necessary that the actual day and time of meeting

should he fixed , and that ifc could not properly be left open to be settled by a committee . Tho appeals wore from Bro . AVilliam Gorso and other brethren who had boon suspended from thoir Masonic privileges by Bro . Hardy , tho District Grand Master of South Australia . Bro . M'TNTYRE , G . Reg ., said ho was of opinion that what had

been dono by those brethren in calling a , meeting at a time thoy wero not legally entitled to do so was wrong , the proposed now by-laws not having received tho sanction of tho Grand Lodgo of England ; but with respect to Bro . AA ickstood , ono of tho appellants , in removing him from his Masonic privileges , tho District G . Master had gono beyond his power . In tho caso of any dispute ,

tho District G . Master might hoar aud determine all subjects of Masonic complaint or irregularity respecting lodges or individual Masons within his district , and might proceed to admonition , fine , or suspension until the next meeting o £ tho Grand Lodgo ; but beforo ho could do so tho man must bo hoard in his own dofonco . In this caso tho District G . Master had determined , but not heard . Should he not appear to tho summons ho must bo summoned again , and thon , if tho summons was not complied with ,

and ho did not appear , tho brother should bo considered as having acted with contumacy , and bo suspended . Tho District G . Master had written to some o £ tho brethren , asking thorn if they had illegally attended a Grand Lodgo , but thoy replied that thoy had attended no illegal Grand Lodgo . Instead o £ doing this ho ought to havo issued his summons requiring their

attendance , and sending tho brethren a copy of tho charges preferred against them . As ho had not dono so those appeals must bo allowed . Tho District G . Master was also wrong on othergrounds , and therefore ho moved that tho decision of tho District G . Master bo reversed , and tho appeal allowed . Bro . LLEWELLYN EVANS seconded tho motion , which was put and agreed to .

DISTRICT GRAND LODGE or SOUTH AFRICA . Tho next business was to consider a communication from tho District Grand Lodgo of South Africa , as to tho right of tho Grand Lodgo of tho Netherlands to establish now lodges in tho Capo Colony . Tho G . REGISTRAR said that this colony formerly bolongod to tho Dutch , and at that timo tho District Grand Master of tho

Netherlands was stationed thoro and performed all tho duties of Grand Master . In 1770 an agreement was como to , and by an arrangement tho English wore to bo allowed to establish their lodges in tho Capo Colony . Tho Dutch received thoir English brethren with open amis , and when English Freemasonry camo out thoro in full form , and tho English founded thoir lodges , tho

Provincial Grand Master of tho Netherlands was solocted to bo tho Provincial Grand Master under tho Grand Lodge of Englandand ho remained so up to his death . Frosh lodges wore continued to bo formed , porno undor tho Grand Lodgo o £ tho Netherlands and somo undor . tho Grand Lodgo of England ; and on St . John ' s Day—a day of groat importance in that colony—thoy fixed the

celebration of tho anniversary at different hours , so that tha brethren could go £ rom ono lodgo to another to congratulate each other on tho return of tho day . It appeared , however , sinco 1814 that thoro was an opinion that no now lodges undor tho Grand Lodgo of tho Netherlands could bo established in tho Capo Colony vendor a . con . von . tion agreed to , but as tlio powor of resuscitating and joining now lodges undor tho Grand Lodgo of

tho Netherlands had boon tacitly submitted to , tho brethren now wished to know whether that convention was to bo uphold , as tho lodges of the Netherlands and those of tho Grand Lodgo o * England had hitherto worked most harmoniously side by sido together . The G . MASTER concurred in the views of the Grand

Registrar , and they were embodied in a motion that the harmony that had hitherto existed between the Grand Lodge of the Netherlands and the Grand Lodge of England should not he disturbed , and that the Convention should not be upheld . The Grand Master also undertook to make a communication to the Grand Lodge of the Netherlands to that effect .

THE ROYAL BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION . The report of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution aged Freemasons and the AVidows of Freemasons was laid befo the Grand Lodge . COALS TOR THE ROYAL BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION . It was proposed by Bro . J . Udall , P . J . G . D ., " That £ 50 bo givon

from tho Fund o £ General Purposes . That tho money bo placed in tho hands of the Secretary of tho Asylum of tho Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Agod Freemasons and the Widows of Freemasons , to supply tho inmates at Croydon with , coals during tho winter season . " This being the whole of the business , Grand Lodge was closed in due form and with solemn prayer .