India.

Quarterly Banquet shall continue to be charged to the Grand Officers' Fund , any deficiency being made up from the Grand Lodge Fund by a resolution of the District Grantl Lodge . " This motion was seconded and carried . The Committee recommended that , in by-law 11 , which specified "the funds in connection with the District Grand Lodge , " the words " and the sale of banquet tickets" should be added to the following clause : — "The Grand Officers' Fundfor defraying

, the expense of the banquets at the quarterly meetings of the District Grand Lodge , supported by the quarterly subscriptions of the Grand Officers and Past Grand Officers . " Bro . Dr . POWELL , AV . M . of Lodge St . John , observed , with reference to the above , that it had just been ruled that there was to lie no allusion to the banquet in the by-laws . The PROV . G . SECRETARY said , —Right Worshipful Grand

Master , it docs not appear . to me to be advisable that there should be no legislation whatever with regard to the banquet . It is of great importance that it should not be optional with the Grand Officers to contribute towards the expenses of the banquet . At present , under by-law 4 , they are bound to pay 10 rupees a quarter for the purpose , and their payments afford a sure and certain basis for the banquet . Bro . ROBERTSto meet the difficultyproposed that the

, , by-law alluded to might remain substantially unaltered , save in this respect , that , instead of providing for the payment of 10 rupees a quarter by tho Grand Officers to the Grand Officers ' Fund , and expressly for the expenses of the banquet , it should simply provide for the contribution of that amount by the Grantl Officers to the Grand Stewards' Fund , it being understood that the money would continue to be applied to the

purpose for which it had heretofore been paid . The PROV . G . SECRETARY seconded the proposition , and it was curried ; the clause noticed by the Committee , and all other passages relating to the Grand Officers' Fund , to bo corrected accordingly . The Committee recommended that by-law 12 , which provides that the accounts of the funds in connection with the District Grand Lodge " shall be kept by the G . Treas ., audited by the Finance Committee , and submitted to the District Grand Lodge , " should be altered , so as to make a separate provision

for the Grand Officers' Fund , to the effect that the accounts of that Fund should be audited by the Grand Officers of the Finance Committee , and should not be submitted to the District Grand Lodge , but circulated , if required , to the subscribers to the fund , for their information . The Pr . ov . G . SECRETARY proposed that the accounts of the Grand Officers' Fund , or , as it was now culled , the Grand Stewards' Fundshould not be kept bthe G . Treas . but bthe

, y , y G . Stewards . It was eventually agreed that the recommendation of the Committee should be adopted , with the alteration of the words "Grand Officers' Fund" to " Grand Stewards' Fund . " In substitution ofthe ruleunder the head "Freemasons' Hall , " the Committee proposed the following law : — " Tho Freemasons ' Hall shall be placed in charge of such brother as may be

appointed to it by the Provincial Grand Master , under the designation of Custodian . Lodges holding their meetings at the Freemasons' Hall shall pay towards the rent of the premises eight annas a month for each subscribing member upon its list , as set forth in its periodical returns , the District Grand Lodge making up any deficiency that might remain . "—Agreed to . The Committee recommended that the forms of returns of

the Mofussil aud Presidency Lodges should be assimilated . The PROV . G . SECRETARY observed , that although , as a member of the committee , he had agreed to the change , it appeared to him , on further reflection , to be unadvisable , even for the sake of a little improvement , to alter the forms to which the lodges had become accustomed . The recommendation of the Committee washoweveradopted .

, , To the following jiroposals of the Committee no objections were offered : — " A printed paper of the business to be transacted in Grand Lodge shall be sent to all lodges in or near Calcutta before each quarterly communication , ancl placed also in the hands of each member on his entrance into the hall . "All notices of motion shall be made in writingeither at

, one communication of the District Grand Lodge for consideration at the next , or to the Provincial Grand Secretary at least three weeks before the meeting of the District Grand Lodge . " All notices of motion once made shall stand on the printed paper of business in their order of precedence .

" No notices of motion or other matter shall be brought into discussion in the District Grand Lodge , until it shall have been entered upon the printed paper of business , except in special cases , with the unanimous consent of the District Grand Lodge . " Any question that may be brought before the District Grand Lodge , which , in the opinion of the Provincial Grand Master , ought to be deterred for consideration , shall be adjourned accordingly .

" No new subject shall be entered upon after nine o'clock at night . " Returns of the Fund of Benevolence shall accompany tho Returns of lodges to the District Grand Lodge , and the returns of the Grand Lodge of England shall be sent direct to tho Secretary in London . " That the clauses not alluded to in the Committee's report he allowed to stand . "

The last resolution was qualified by a resolution moved by Bro . Roberts , and carried , that the brother holding the office of G . Treas . should not hold any other office in the District Grand Lodge . It was moved by Bro . Roberts , seconded by Bro . Clark , and carried , that the by-laws , as now amended , shall be adopted , printed , and distributed . The District Grand Lodge was closed in form .

MADRAS . PROVINCIAL GRAND LODOE OE SOUTHERN INDIA . A meeting ofthe Provincial Grand Lodge of Madras was held , in the rooms of Lodge Perfect Unanimity , on the 13 th May . Bro . W . Pitt Macdonald , Prov . G . M ., presided . The Prov . G . Treasurer produced the accounts , showing a balance at credit of the Provincial Grand Lodge of 691 rupees ,

and of the Grand Masonic Charity Fund of 031 rupees . The PROV . G . MASTER congratulated the brethren upon the steady advance of Freemasonry in the Province . Since the last meeting , there had been re-opened the Lodge Rock at Triehinopoly , the warrant of which had been saved by the prompt , action of the Provincial Grand Lodgo at its last meeting . Lodge Rock was now being actively worked , and the progress , made by it was most satisfactory . There had been opened a

new lodge at St . Thomas Mount , called the Mount Loelge , the warrant for which had been duly received , and the lodge ivas making excellent progress . A dispensation had been granted , authorising the opening of a new lodge at Bangalore , to be called the Military Lodge , pending the receipt of a warrant , and XV . Bro . Aylmer , of H . M . ' s 66 th Regiment , had been exalted to the chair in Madras bthe Prov . G . Masterto

enabley , him to commence working the lodge immediately . The Prov-G . M . was also happy to announce a marked improvement in the transmission of returns and quarterages by the different lodges under his jurisdiction , with the exception of Lodge St . Andrew , Kamptce , which had made no returns for the past year ; and he trusted the Alaster of that lodge would give immediate attention to this intimationit was important for Masters to

bear-, in mind that it was their express duty to see that returns were punctually transmitted to the Provincial Grand Lodge , and that , according to the by-laws , any lodge failing to make returns for upwards of a year could be deprived of its privileges . The PROV . G . MASTER then proceeded to appoint the following officers for the ensuing year to fill vacancies : —

Bro . AV . Scharlieb Prov . S . G . AV . „ J . Magrath , R .. A Prov . J . G . AV . „ T . AA . Wray Prov . S . G . D . „ J . T . Blissett Prov . J . G . D . „ H . Brockman Prov . G . P-eg . „ 0 . XV . Flynn , M . D Prov . G . Dir . of Cers . „ AV . Scott Prov . G . Asst . Dir . of Cers . „ G . H . Ross Prov . G . Purst .

„ L . Miller Prov . G . Supt . of AVorks . „ Gordon , ll . A Prov . G . Sword Bearer . „ Bradley Prov . G . Org . Petitions praying for pensions from the Masonic Charity Fund were received and disposed of . A committee was appointed to investigate claiui ? on the Charity Fund , to consist of the D . Prov . G . M ., A . M . Ritchie , as President , Bro . Scharlieb , and Bro . Tolputt , as Sec . Bro . MAGRATH brought to the notice of tho Prov . G . M . the improper use of unauthorised rituals by many younger brethren ,