The Masonic Mirror.

noble lord by tbe loss of the partner of his life , and conveying the warmest sympathy with him in his hour of affliction . Bro . Dr . BOWIES , Prov . G . M . for Herefordshire , seconded the motion . The G . MASTER then put the motion , the entire brethren

rising , and it was carried unanimously . ERASURE OE LODGES FROM THE LIST , Tho PRESIDENT OE THK BOAED OF GENERAL PURPOSES saicl that , as the London and North-Western Lodge of Fidelity ( No . 61 G ) , Crewe , and the South Suffolk Loclge ( No . 627 ) , Sudbury , had neglected to make the prescribed returns aud

payments , and hacl been duly summoned to show cause why they had not done so , he regretted that it became bis duty to move that those lodges be erased from the list . Tlie G . REGISTRAR seconded the motion , which was put , and carried unanimously .

PAST GRAND PURSUIVANT . The G . MASTER said , as acting Grand Master on that occasion , he had to move— " That Bro . Thomas G . Dickie , late Grand Pursuivant , clo take rank and wear clothing as a Past Grand Pursuivant . Ifc was usual to grant this privilege , and it was enjoyed by his predecessors in office . The G . REGISTRAR seconded the motion , which was put , and

agreed to . THE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES . The next business on tho paper was the election of members to form the Board of General Purposes . The G . MASTER said he had again great pleasure in appointing Bro . Llewellyn Evans to be President of that Board . ( Applause . )

THE COLONIAL BOARD . The election of brethren to constitute the members of the Colonial Board was next proceeded with . THE ROYAL BENEA ' OEENT INSTITUTION . Tho Committee of Management of the Royal Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons ancl their Widows Avere duly elected .

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES . On the motion of Bro . Llewellyn Evans , the report of the Board of General Purposes ivas taken as read ; and in moving that ifc be received and entered on the minutes he saicl there Avas only one paragraph in it to ivhich he wished particularly to call the attention of Grand Lodge , and that was the third , ivhich

was as follows : — "The Board desires to call tho attention of Masters and Wardens of lodges in the London district to tho law in the "Book of Constitutions , " page 70 , section 1 , which provides that they shall , within one month after appointment in eacli year , respectively sign their names in a book at the office of

the Grand Secretary . The Board regret to find that the breach of this regulation is of very frequent occurrence . This is a Masonic offence resulting in great inconvenience , and the Board trust that their having called attention to the matter will insure a better observance of tlie law . " He thought ifc would he necessary to call the attention of those

brethren ivho were present , amongst whom there might he young Masters and Wardens , to a subject which hacl been often neglected ; for by the "Book of Constitutions" they were required , within a month after their appointment to such offices , to sign their names in a book at the office of the Grand Secretary , and the neglect of doing so had led to great inconvenience . Bro . GREGOEI ' , P . G . D ., wished , before the motion AVUS put ,

that the President of the Board would explain the meaning of paragraph 2 in the report , which was as follows : — "The Board have had their attention called to the want of sufficient safeguards which appears to exist in the » preseufc mode of admitting brethren to Grand Lodge at the Quarterly Communications . They have consequently directed certain instructions to be drawn up for the guidance of the Scrutineers , and

these , if properly attended to under the supervision of the Grand Pursuivant and his assistant , will , they trust , answer tlie object intended . " The PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF G ENERAL PURPOSES said there bad not been a sufficient amount of cave on tlie part of the Scrutineers in inquiring into the proper status of

brethren claiming admission into the Grand Lodge , and ifc had , been found thafc young Masters appointed to that office had not been sufficiently strict in the performance of their duty , and . that was why the Board had drawn up regulations for the admission of brethren to Grand Lodge , which they trusted would , be better observed for the future . The Board thought there

should be some regulations drawn up wbicli tbey could place in the hands of the Scrutineers , and if they did not observe them , there would be just grounds for blaming them . Bro . GREGORY said he was nofc aware that anyone had obtained admission into Grand Lodgo improperly , and if there bad nofc , then tbe existing rules must be deemed sufficient for

the purpose . He had , however , no desire to say any more upon , the subject , or did he intend to move an amendment . Bro . CLABON , Vice-President of the Board of General Purposes , drew the attention of the Grand Loclge to a statement which had been made on a former occasion , that the Board of Benevolence was spending money too fast in the monthly grants that were made to distressed Freemasons , and ifc ivas said afc

one time that they only had £ 6 19 s . 9 d . in hand ; but the fact was , that they had made tliree investments in the . funds during the preceding year , instead of as in former years only one , and indeed tbey had funded too much , Avbieb reduced tbe money m » hand to the sum stated ; hut ho found that the receipts during ; the last year to the Fund of Benevolence were JS » i » , WO , while tlie expenditure was only £ 3 , 200 , leaving a surplus in hand of

£ 900 . Therefore , ho said , there was no ground for blaming , the Board of Benevolence that they ivere spending too much : money . He wished to ask the brethren , however , whether they , were content to go on accumulating money contributed to the-Boiird of Benevolence —( cries of "No , no ! " )—instead of spending ifc upon ] ioor Masons ivho now stood iu need of it ?

Bro . J . It . STEBBING , P . G . D ., said it appeared to him that thespeech of the Vice-President of the Board of General Purposeswas to induce a more lavish expenditure hy the Board of Bene volence , but if a committee was appointed he was prepared to show that a good deal of the money voted by the Board of Benevolence was given aivay very uselessly . He hoped the

time would come when the Grand Lodge would t ike in band tbe » affairs of the Board of Benevolence , Avhen he should be able to > show how the money might be applied to the benefit of petitioners , and not , as at present , when it in some cases for a few months kept the recip ients from the poor-house . He hoped that Grand Lodge would concur in the appointment of a committee

to consider the subject , and see how the funds could be spent , more judiciously . Bro . HAVERS , P . G . W ., while giving Bro . Clabon credit for his . exertions , said he had asked the brethren v / bether they were togo on accumulating the funds of the Board of Benevolence , and there was a cry of " A o , no ; " bufc he said " Yes , yes , " for they ivere pledged to support their annuitants , and they ought to put something by for a rainy day , or a national calamity . When