India.

" 7 . —The Grand Superintendent did not concur in the propriety of asking District Grand Lodge to make a furl her remission of their dues , until steps had been taken to ascertain whether it was not feasible to increase the revenue of the District Grand Chapters . He would move , therefore , that the Finance Committee he asked to meet at an early date to consider this point , and that the representation recommended by them be

made ( o District Grand Lodge only in the event of such increase being found to be impracticable . This view being supported by the District Grand Principals , H . and J ., ivas concurred in by the District Grand Chapter and the Report , under the condition imposed was adopted . " Read . yjaragraph 7 , section " of Provincial Grand Chapters " from the General Regulations for the Order as follows : — " Every Provincial Grand Chapter shall have power to raise such funds

from its members and subordinate Chapters as may ho requisite for defraying its necessary current expenses . " Resolved : That the following report bo submitted to the AI . E . the Grand Superintendent , as embodying the recommendations of this Committee upon the subject upon which he has requested them to deliberate : —

11 EP 0 BT . The Committee , are of opinion that the revenue of the District Grand Chapter may he fairl y augmented by the following means : 1 st . —By a small Capitation Assessment . 2 udly . —By a revision of the present rate for dispensation fees . 3 idly . —By the payment of patent fees hy Grand Officers on their appointment to office in the District Grand Chapter . AVith reference to these three sources of revenue the committee

offer the subjoined explanations : — Capitation Assessment . —All Craft Lodges in the Mofussil pay to the District Grand Lodge a contribution of Rs . 2 for every subscribing member whosft name appears in . their annual returns . The Committee are of opinion that the lloyal Arch Chapters in the Province would readily contribute to the support of their District Grand Chapter by a similar payment . They would suggest that one rupee should be the amount of this assessment ,

and that it should not he leviable on account of any member for the year in which he has been exalted , or in which he has joined the Chapter . Dispensation Fees .- —The Committee believe that under this head a considerable increase of revenue may most justly bo obtained . Looking to the advantages secured by dispensations in this degree , as compared with those granted iu Craft Masonry , it Avill at once be apparent that the present rate is utterl y

disproportionate to the extent of the privileges conferred . A dispensation to pass or raise a brother at a less interval from the date ofhis previous degree , can at the most only accelerate the aspirants progress by three weeks ; a similar dispensation in the Order of tho Royal Arch may shorten a candidate ' s probation by

eleven months . As regards time therefore ( which is perhaps the essence of the value of a dispensation ) , the Royal Arch relaxation has nearly sixteen times the force of the corresponding concession in Cralt Masonry . Time however is not the only gauge for its value : comparison should be made between the number of opportunities which exist , for obtaining the craft degrees , and those which offer themselves to the candidate for admission to this Order . There are marly foity craft lodges within the

same geographical limits which contain the five Royal Arch Chapters at present working under the Grand Superintendent of Bengal , so that the chances which a brother , leaving- one partol India for another , has of finding a lodge at the place a hither lie is going , in which he may complete his craft degrees , are liiaily eight times as great as those of his being able lo obtain admission lo the Order of the Royal Arch . In view therefore of all that is obtained by the privilege of exaltation at an interval of

one month from the taking of the M . M . degree instead of twelve months , the committee believe that no one would object to the payment of four rupees ; and the accordingly recommend that this be the sum charged in future for all such dispensations . The other instances in which dispensations are obtainable are : —1 st For a companion to he ' / . of more thim one chapter at the same time . 2 nd . For the installation of a Companion as Z . or as H . without having passed the lower chairs . 3 id . For the

exaltation of serving companions . 4 th . For an ad interim warrant authorizing the opening and working of a . new Chapter , pending the receipt of a charter of Constitution from England . The first of these cases is one of very rare occurence ; but the committee think whenever such a concession is granted tho fee should be

India.

10 rupees . The second esse is one in which so great a gain ^ s obtained by the companion in whose favour the dispensation granted , that the Committee are of opinion that a propor " tionately hig h fee would always be willingly g iven . A companion being H . without previous service as J ., has not only his progress towards the chair of Z ., acceleratedhy at least a year , but he is likewise saved all risk and uncertainty of at least one election ; it is not every J . who becomes H . atthcendof his year ; he may

have to leave the station at which the Chapter is situated , or amore successful competitor may obtain the promotion—but to one who obtains the rank of 11 . at once , no such risk occurs .. The same of course applies with even greater force in the case of a Companion who is made Z . from J . ( passing over the intermediate chair of II . ) , and doubly so with one who attains the summit of a Royal Arch Alason ' s progress , the office of Principal Z . without service in either of the lower claims .

, Considering therefore the very great privi ! eges conferred , the committee recommend the following scale of dispensation fees :. —For the installation of a Companion as II ., without previous service as J ; , 10 rupees ; For the installation of a Companion as-Z ., without his having served as H ., but being a . Past J „ 16 rupees ; For installation as Z ., without previous service in either of the lower chairs , 25 rupees . For the exaltation of serving Companions , the Committee recommend that no increase upon

the present foe of Us . 2-8 be made . a . For an ad interim warrant for the opening and working of e new Chapter , a fee of Rs . 50 is recommended—being the sain as is charged hy a similar dispensation in Craft Masonry . Grand Officers' Patent Fees . —In the Craft District Grand Lodge , in tho Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Masters , and in the Provincial Grand Conclave , K . T ., patents of appointment areissued , and certain fees are payable thereon . The Committee

are of opinion that this is a most legitimate way of obtaining contributions towards the necessary expense , of such governing bodies . In the District Grand Chapter , however , at present , no patents of office are issued , and as a consequence no fees are levied . The Committee feel assured that a handsome and appropriate form of patent , hearing the Seal of the District Grand Chapter and the signature of the Grand Superintendent , would be very acceptable to the recipients of the honours of Grand

Ollice as affording them at all times the means of producing documentary proof of their rank in R . A . Masonry , anil their right totheir Grand Collars ; and the Committee cannot think that any objection would he made to the following scale of fees on appointment;—District Grand Principal II ., 32 rupees ; District Grand Principal J ., 25 rupees ; District Grand Scribe , E . 20 rupees : Distiict Grand Scribe N ., 10 rupees ; District Grand Principal Sojourner , 16 rupees ; Distiict Grand First Assistant

Sojourner , 12 rupees ; District Grand Second Assistant Sojourner , 12 rupees ; District Grand Treasurer , 10 rupees ; District Grand Registrar , 8 rupees ; District Grand Sword-Bearer , 8 rupees ; District Grand Standard-Bearer , S rupees ; District Grand Director of Ceremonies 5 rupees . The committee would point out that after the first introduction of the practice of levying such fees , companions Avould scarcely ever be called upon to pay the fees of larger amount at

once ; because as a companion would rise gradually from the lower offices lo the higher , he would ( agreeably to the practice in the other Grand Bodies above referred to ) only be expected to pay lhe di ( i _ rci _ eo between the fee for his former patent , and that lor the office to which he mig ht be promoted ; so that the total . amount of I he fee payable by any of the hig her officers wouhl in reality be spread over three or lour years , AVith reference to the officers who have heen already appointed for the

year 1871 , the payment of the proposed fees cannot of courso be insisted upon ( supposing the scheme to be adopted ); but the committee think that these officers mig ht , be furnished with a patent of office upon payment of half the fee pertaining thereto ' according to lhe above scale . The committee would also suggest that certificates of appointment mig ht be furnished to any Past Grand Officer of ( he Dist . Gr . Chap , upon payment of one-fourth of the fee . Both as regards the Past Officers and those now

appoint ! d for 1870-71 , these payments would he optional ; hut of course no patent could he supplied without such payment . Tiie committee believe that the increase to the funds of this District Grand Chapter , which has become so necessary , may be confidentl y expected to follow the adoption of lhe means above detailed ; and that these modes of augmentation will not be found to press at all heavily either upon the members ofthe District Grand Chapters , or upon the private