The Masonic Mirror.

hoy had clone that , and made such a provision , then , and not till then , ought they to cease to accumulate . Bro . WYNNE said he should be very sorry to see the hands of the Board of Benevolence tied , and he hoped thafc the remarks ivhich had been made ivould induce the Board to be more generous in the next year than they had been in the last . The report ivas then received , ancl ordered to be entered on

the minutes . To the report was subjoined a statement of the Grand Lodge accounts at the last meeting of the Finance Committee , held on the 12 th instant , showing a balance in the hands of the Grand Treasurer of £ 6 , 033 12 s . 6 d ., and in the hands of the Grand Secretary for petty cash , £ 50 . Of these sums , there belongs to the Fund of Benevolence , £ 1 , 429 11 * . ScZ . ; to the Fund of General Purposes , £ 4 , 200 13 s . Sd . ; and in the Unappropriated Account , £ 473 7 s . 5 d .

REPORT OF THE BUILDING COMMITTEE . On the motion of Bro . HAVERS , P . G . W ., and Chairman of the Building Committee , the report was taken as read . Bro . HAVERS then moved that the report be received and entered on the minutes ; and he said thafc there was nothing , as far as he was aware of , arising out of the report which required explanation , bufc if any questions were put to the

committee he , as chairman , should be most happy to answer tbem . No question being put , the motion for the report being received ancl entered on the minutes was agreed to . THE ROYAL BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION . The G . SECRETARY presented a printed hook which , he said , was tbe annual report of the Royal Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and their Widows , dated the 19 th of May , 1865 , which was received .

THE MARK DEGREE . The G . SECRETARY commenced reading a long memorial from the Grand Chapter of Scotland , on the subject ; of the Mark degree , and whether its working would be recognised by the Grand Lodgo of England , when Bro . GREGORY " , P . G . D ., rose to ask whether such a communication could be received ; but the Grand Secretary , after a slight

pause , proceeded with the reading of the document . Bro . J . E . STEBBING then rose to order , ancl said , as they did not recognise the Grand Chapter of Scotland , they could not recognise'anything that might spring from it , and he must press the question whether thafc Grand Loclge could recognise the memorial coming from the Grand Chapter of Scotland . Bro . BRACKSTONE BAKER said he submitted , with Bros .

Stebbing and Gregory , that they were not in order in receiving a memorial in the Grand Lodge of England from the Grand Cliapter , which was not recognised even by the Grand Loclge of Scotland . Bro . GREGORY said he was sure that , if a body calling itself the . Grand Conclave of Knights Templar of England were to send a memorial to the Grand Lodge , the Grand Secretary

ivould nofc read it . The G . REGISTRAR said that , when they received a communication couched in respectful language from a body of Masons who , rightly or wrongly , were banded together under a particular title , it was their duty to give such persons a direct and courteous answer , so that tlie question they put might bo

sot at rest . Ho would not go into the question as to whethe the Grand Chapter ivas recognised by the Grand Lodge of Scotland , or not , but he Avas prepared to submit a resolution in answer to the persons calling themselves Mark Masters , wliicli he hoped , would declare for ever how that Grand Lodge Avas di sposed to receive them .

Bro . the Eev . J . HUYSHE , D . Prov . G . M . for Devonshire , ancl P . G . Chap ., said he did not often address Grand Loclge , but as these documents had been sent to tbem by Free and Accepted Masons , ifc would be most nnconvteous not to send them back an answer . The Gt . SECRETARY then completed the reading of the documents , ivhich contained the following questions : —

1 st . If the Grand Lodge of England is prepared to sanction the working of the Mark Master ' s degree in England . 2 nd . Whether the Grand Loclge is prepared to recognise the body styling itself " The Grand Loclge of Mark Masters of England , Wales , and the Colonies and Possessions of the British Crown" as the lawful head of the Order of Mark Masters in .

England . The G . EEGISTRAR then said as the memorial from the Grand Cliapter of Scotland , Avhich had been read , was before Grand Loclge , ifc was his duty , as one of its officers , to propose a resolution ; but before he proceeded with that subject , he must say that Bro . Gregory was not quite right when he said that Grand Loclge did not recognise the Grand Chapter of Scotland ; for

if a brother Avas exalted in the Grand Lodge of Scotland , he was eligible to bo admitted as a joining member of the Grand Chapter of England , and to thafc extent it was recognised . He contended to a courteous communication tbey ougbfc to return a courteous reply ; but whether they could sanction the working of the Mark Masters' Degree in England , or recognise the body styling itself the Grand Lodge of Mark Masters of

England , Wales , and the Colonies ancl Possessions of the British Crown , that must depend entirely upon the " Book of Constitutions ; " ancl at page 17 of thafc book it was there pointed out and laid down and adopted by that Grand Lodge ivhat constituted ancient and pure Freemasonry . That consisted of tliree degrees , and three degrees only—that of the Entered Apprentice , the

Fellow Craft , and the Master Mason , including the holy Order of the Koyal Arch , ivhich was the crowning step of Master Masons of this country , and which recognised only those degrees ; ancl until they erased the page of the "Book of Constitutions " to which he had referred , they could recognise no other . Thafc was agreed to when a solemn union took place between the two

Grand Lodges ; and he concluded by moving a resolution to the effect that a reply be sent to the Grand Chapter of Scotland , stating that as the " Book of Constitutions" only recognised the degrees of Apprentice , Fellow Craft , and Master Mason , including the Koyal Arch , that they could give no sanction to the working of the Mark Degree . THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES seconded the motion , and saicl as the article in the "Book of Constitutions" ivas a fundamental law laid cloiA'n on a former

occasion at the union of tho two Grand Lodges , ifc was not competent for that Grand Loclge to alter it . At the same time , he thought they ought to give the Grand Chapter of Scotland a courteous answer to their memorial . Bro . GREGORY said he cordially supported tho observations which had been made by the Grand Registrar and the President of the Board of General Purposes , ancl he only wished thafc the

same courtesy had been shown to other Masons ivho called themselves by another name than that of Mark Masters . ( Hear , hear . ) Bro . STEBBING said ho would not propose an amendment to the resolution in the few observations he should make upon the subject , as it was not improbable this question ivould come

before the Grand Lodge on some other occasion , but he ivas glad to find the resolution of the Grand Registrar did not answer the question Avhether tbey Avould sanction the working of the Mark Degree in this country . He passed that by , and