The Masonic Mirror.

been a subscribing member for eleven years . He did not say that was a reason why he should not have £ 50 , but they ought to have a full knowledge of all the facts . If the Board of Benevolence bad done anything under a misapprehension , it ought to be rectified ; but if they now thought right to adhere to their original recommendation for £ 50 , he for one should

never think of opposing it . Bro . CROMBIE , P . G . D ., said that Bro . C . had been a member of the Silurian Lodge for twenty-seven years , and whether tbe dues were paid by himself or by the brethren of the lodge to the Board of Benevolence , that was quite immaterial , and he was entitled to the £ 50 .

Several other brethren having expressed their opinions , tbe resolution was put and agreed to . Bro . UDALL , P . G . D ., ' moved that the recommendation for £ 50 to the ] , " widow of Bro . R . be confirmed . Bro . GALE seconded the motion . Bro . HAVEES , P . G . J . W ., hoped for the future that in all

cases where the Board of Benevolence considered themselves incapable of dealing with them , and they were sent to Grand Lodge * that the brethren would be prepared to state the reasons for making the recommendations . He might state that they had at present , by these grants , overdrawn their bankers' accounts by £ 150 , and their next month's income would be mortgaged

to the extent of £ 200 . Bro . CROMBIE said that if they were not to make these grants for the want of funds they ought to know it , and to be told that the Grand Lodge would dispense with the Board of Benevolence , and that they must suspend their [ functions , as they had no funds to dispose of . If they wanted those funds for their other Charities they ought to know it ; but still tbey had large funded property , and were they to be told that that

was not to be distributed for benevolence if it was required ? Bro . HAVERS said a certain sum was paid every year for benevolence , and in addition to granting relief to their poor , they charged themselves with contributions to their various Charities . Hitherto the Board of Benevolence had been found ¦ sufficient to relieve their casual poor , ' and to put by something for their permanent Charities . The Board of Benevolence was

charged every year with the sura of £ 800 for the decayed men and women ; and if the grants that evening were carried , he hoped for the future they would examine more fully into the merits of every petition , and endeavour toavoid a repetition of the proceedings of that evening , as they had expended the whole of the funds , had overdrawn them by £ 150 , and mortgaged tbe

next month by £ 200 . He would be very sorry that the time should come when they should be compelled to sell out their Stock ' , and trusted that their annual subscriptions would keep up a good fund for casual purposes ; for the moment they ^ began to trench upon their funded property , from that moment he should begin to date their downfall . He thought it would be

a fatal day for them when they should begin to sell out their funded property ; and instead of doing so , they ought every year to add something to their Stock for the relief of their aged poor . The D . G . MASTER , while agreeing with what had been done by tbe Board of Bunevolence , said it would be a complete abdication of the functions of Grand Lodge if it was supposed that

the recommendations for these grants were to pass as a mere matter of course . It was their first duty to relieve the wants of their poorer brethren , but they were also specially interested to see that their funds were not given in a wasteful or extravagant manner . It was the duty of Grand Lodge carefully and critically to examine the acts of the Board of Benevolence , and he believed that good would arise from the discussion which bail taken place ; and as there was no practical opposition to the

grants , he hoped the Grand Registrar would not press a motion which he bad put forward in the early part of the discussion . The motion was then put by the D . G . Master , and agreed to . The rest of the recommendations were agreed to without observation .

THE BOAED or GENERAL PURPOSES . The PRESIDENT OF THE BOAED or GENERAL PURPOSES moved that tbe report be taken as read , which was agreed to , and he afterwards moved that it ho received , aud entered on the minutes . In making that motion it would be merely for the purpose of receiving the report , aud could be ] done without

considering such matters referred to in it as would form the subject of separate resolutions . The motion was put and agreed to . The PRESIDENT or THE BOAED OE GENERAL PURPOSES then said it was his duty to bring under the consideration of Grand Lodge a resolution in reference to an alteration iu the scale of

fees of honour hitherto payable by Grand Officers and Provincial Grand Masters . The Board considered that the present scale of fees was both impolitic aud unjust , and it prevented them from obtaining the services of many eminent members of the Craft who objected to pay the large fees now demanded of brethren on taking office . Grand Officers were appointed for

one of two reasons , either services they had performed , or services tbey were expected to perform . It was unjust to charge large fees to brethren who were appointed to offices for services already performed and rendered , and it was equally unjust to others who were expected to give them to the promotion of the interests of Freemasonry . They did not propose to abolish these fees of honour altogether , but they did propose to abolish the payment of them to the Board

of General Purposes . The funds of the Board of General Purposes had been increasing for some years past , and ho believed they would continue to increase . The certificates they had issued that year were between 5 , 000 and 6 , 000 , and he had no doubt that number would go on increasing . The Board were anxious not to trench upon their funds , and after a careful

investigation and calculation they found that , with the alteration proposed to be made in the scale of fees of honour , the loss to the fund of the Board of Benevolence would not be more than £ 80 a year . Their high fees were prejudicial to Freemasonry , and , the exaction of them was unworthy a great body like the Freemasons . There were formerly large fees paid by those who received

honours from the State , but the Government felt that it was unjust to make these demands when rewarding men for their past services . The Board of General Purposes had acted in the same spirit by doing away with those large fees , for by maintaining them tbey were deprived of tbe services of brethren who had done good suit ancl service to the Craft , ancl who were

willing to devote a large portion of their time to the duties of their office . He should move that Articles 1 , 2 , and 3 , at pages 110 and 111 of the " Book of Constitutions , " be repealed . Bro . ADLAED seconded the motion . The question had been very fully gone into and considered by the Board of General Purposes , and there was a unanimous feeling that tbe settlement of this important question would lead to tbe promotion of Freemasonry ; therefore he had great pleasure in seconding the motion .

Bro . H . G . WARREN was desirous that they should get rid of fees altogether ; but while the Board of General Purposes had made these recommendations , he thought it would be unfair and unjust to the body of Grand Stewards that they should still be called upon to pay £ 15 for serving that office , without giving them past rank or entitling them after their year of office to wear a red collar , unless they chose to go to a further ex-