Grand Lodge.

and such bodies from the Proviucial Grand Masters and Provincial Grand Lodges at home . 4 . It being necessary on account of the distance from England of District Grand Lodges , and the consequent delay in their communications with the Grand Lodge of England , that their powers should be more extensive than those of

Provincial Grand Lodges , the Grand Lodge delegates to its District Grand Lodges respectively meeting under Disti-ict Grand Masters duly authorised and appointed by the Grand Master of England , in addition to the powers specified under the head of Provincial Grand Lodges , the powers of investigating , regulating , and deciding on all matters relating to

lodges and individual Masons within . their respective districts , which power they may exercise either of themselves or by a committee of their body , provided that nothing herein contained shall in any way interfere with the powers of the District Grand Masters . 6 . All powers given by the " Book of Constitutions" to

the Board of General Purposes in cases of Masonic complaint or irregularity , may he exercised by District Grand Lodges , or by such Committee as aforesaid . 7 . Complaints against lodges or brethren may be preferred either to the District Grand Master or to the District Grand Lodge .

8 . The proceedings and decisions of District Grand Lodges , and of any such committee as aforesaid , shall in all cases bo strictly governed and controlled by the laws of the Craft , as laid down in the "Book of Constitutions , " and by the Ancient

Landmarks . 9 . District Grand Lodges may make rules and regulations for the management and conduct of their own proceedings , and of those of any committee of their body , and may define or limit the powers of such committee , and may from time to time alter such rules and regulations as they may think fit ;

but no such rules or regulations shall be binding or in force until approved by the M . W . the Grand Master of England . 10 . In all cases an appeal lies from the decision of District Grand Lodges to the Grand Lodge of England . . 11 . District Grand Lodges may fix stated times for their meetings , not exceeding fonr times in the year , but the

District Master may , as at present , summon and hold a District Grand Loilge of Emergency whenever the interests of the Craft shall in his opinion require it . The particular reason for convening such District Grand Lodge of Emergencv shall be expressed in the summons , and no other business shall be entered upon at that meeting .

12 . In the event of the death , resignation , removal , or suspension of the District Grand Master , the District Grand Lodge shall continue to exercise its functions , and the Deputy District Grand Master , it there he one , and if not ( or in the event of his being absent from the district , and until his return ) , the District Grand Officer , or Past District Grand

Officer next in rank then in the district , shall assume and exercise the functions of District Grand Master until another District Grand Master shall have received his patent of appointment from the Grand Master of England , and shall have notified the same to the District Grand Secretary .

13 . The brother so exercising the functions of a District Grand Master shall not assume that title , nor shall such brother , in consequence of his so acting , be entitled to rank as a Past District Grand Master , or to wear the Masonic clothing appropriate to that office . Should the above resolutions be adopted and confirmed , it will then he the duty of the Board to ask that it be referred

back to the Board of Gcneyal Purposes , to cause the proper insertion thereof in the " Book of Constitutions , " and to make such formal alterations in such book as may be necessary . ( Signed ) J . LLEWELLYN EVANS , President . Freemasons's Hall , London , Nov . 23 . On the motion of the PRESIDENT or THE BOARD , the Report was taken as read , and it was afterwards received and ordered to be entered on the minutes .

Bro . LLEWELLYN EVANS said ho had then to move that as the Derbyshire Lodge ( No . 122 ) , All Saints' Lodge ( No . 13 S ) , Foresters' Lodge ( No . 456 ) , Cambrian Lodge ( No . 464 ) , Lodge La Tolerance ( No . 538 ) , and Dnlhonsie Lodge ( No . S 65 ) had failed to make returns to Grand Lodge , having disregarded repeated summonses , be respectively summoned to attend the

Grand Lodge in March , 1866 , to show cause why they should not be respectively erased and their warrants declared forfeited . He was happy to say that , since the Agenda had been published , the Lodge of Loyalty ( No . 86 ) , St . David's ( No . 366 ) , and Samares ( No . 559 ) had made the proper returns . The motion was put and agreed to .

Bro . EVANS said that the greater part of the Report was taken up with recommendations for extending the existing powers ot Provincial Grand Lodges . At the present time the powers of Provincial Grand Lodges , in some cases , were corresponding , and extensive as those of the Grand Lodge , while in others they are very feeble , and therefore a

necessityhad arisen for some alterations in the "Bookof Constitutions " in regard to them . At first the laws worked very well in respect to Provincial Grand Lodges , as access to the Metropolis was easy , and any difficulty could be met when it should arise : but with regard to Proviucial Grand Lodges in India , Australia , and China , the greatest difficulty was felt whenever there was

a resignation or removal of the Provincial Grand Master . The alteration of this law was brought under the attention of Grand Lodge in June last , when they received a very temperate aud well-written communication from the Provincial Grand Lodge

of Australia sotting forth the difficulties under which they laboured in that colony , and asking for redress . That communication was referred to the Board of General Purposes , and the principle was one upon which Grand Lodge was called upon to legislate . That Grand Lodge was almost bound to follow the example which was set by Government in respect of their

colonics by allowing them to make their own laws , and only retaining the power to appoint their governors . He proposed , in the first instance , to take the opinion of Grand Lodge whether or not it was desirable that these alterations should be made , and if he found that No . 1 resolution was agreed to , then he would submit the others in a body , or in detail , as the Grand

Lodge mig ht see fit . He begged now to move the first resolution , which was put and agreed to . Bro . L . EVANS said he had then to propose the second resolution which was for the purpose of repealing so much of Article I ., page 55 , of the "Book of Constitutions" as was contained under the head of "District Grand Lodges , " clown to

the words , " appeal to the Grand Lodge of England , and , " with the exception of the words which empowered District Grand Lodges to erase lodges and expel members . Bro . WHEELER wanted to know why these lodges were designated District Grand Lodges instead of Provincial Grand Lodges ?

Bro . LLEWELLYN E VANS , said if Bvo . Wheeler would read the " Book of Constitutions , " he would there see why they were called District Grand Lodges . He wished to mention that in the Agenda paper the fifth article of the recommendations of the