The Grand Lodge, Alpina.

brethren present , by its president , the nature of its mission , had appealed to their Masonic feelings , and expressed its desire , in the delicate and difficult circumstances , of seeing all bitterness disappear , and of thenbeing animated on the contrary with the spirit of justice and fraternal love , by means of which all might be smoothed , it invited the brethren to state , as

neighbours , whether they would be heard individually or as a lodge , in the following order .- — The W . Lodge the Temple Unique , represented by the W . Bros . Mottu , Master in the chair , aud Perusson . The W . Lodge L'Union des Cceurs , represented by W . Bro . Moyr , in the absence of the Master in the © hair . La Fideliterepresented by the W . Bros . EicouDeputy

, , Master , and Pfister , Master in the chair . Les Amis Fideles , represented by the W . Bros . Muller , Audeon , and 'Fleurier , Master in the chair absent . La Perseverance , represented by W . Bro . Mennet , Deputy Master . L'Amitie , not represented . The civil managing committee of the building the

Temple Unique was represented by the W . Bros . Mulhausser , Witte , and Andre , the first two managers of the funds of the loan , and the last secretary to the committee . The W . Bro . E . Ducommun did not appear before the ¦ committee , so the managing council acknowledged itself bound to let him know , that from the information which he had given to the W . Grand Master , on the subject of the loan of the Temple Unique , that he did not appear

to approve the appointment of the committee , and that he , among others , had opposed this measure . After this declaration of Bro . Ducommun , the committee did not hear him ; this brother having , besides , declared that he had nothing to add to the report which he had addressed to the M . W . Grand Master . The result of the examination of the various brothers , is

that your committee has been able to enlighten itself in a satisfactory manner about those facts which appeared to be hidden in obscurity , and which presented themselves under the most grave and alarming forms for Genoese "Masonry . If your committee has not been able to see the clearing up of several facts through this inquiry , which could to a certain degree injure Masonic

suscep tibility , it has at least seen all that could disgrace and dishonour it disappear . As a starting point for the explanations which follow , the committee think it ought to be recalled to the recollection of the managing committee , that the by-laws of the lodge the Temple Unique established an absolute separation between the civil interests of the building

and the interests of the symbolic lodge . These civil interests are confided to a managing committee composed of nine members , all Masons , nominated each year by the shareholders of the building the Temple Unique , though among the shareholders are several non-Masons . This civil committee manage and administer all the proceeds of the building , it treats with contractors , contracts loans , makes agreements , and concludes in the name of the shareholders in the scheme all

original or private deeds , & c . It results from these depositions supported , by the declarations of tho brothers heard , that the material edifice of the Temple Unique is not then the property of the lodge which bears the same name ; it is a purely civil scheme , patronised , it is true , by Masonry , and got up with a view of offering a common meeting place to

the lodges of Geneva , which wished for a tenement and came to work beneath its shelter : thus the symbolic lodge , the Temple Unique , is a tenant of the civil committee on the same terms as the Fidelite , l'Amitie , and Perseverance . The price of the tenements varies from 800 to 1 , 000 francs a year . . The lodge the Temple Unique has not , any more than its sisters of Geneva , busied itself as a body of money lenders , and for the best reason has not taken part in

the lottery ; it , therefore , remained entirely a stranger to the sad event which signalled the drawing of 15 th October , and could not assume any responsibility for it . Having arrived , then , at the question of the scandal which took place on the occasion of the third drawing for the lottery , a question which ought to be the principal object for the investigations of the committee ,

the following has passed according to the declarations of the brothers who assisted at this drawing . After the first two drawings of 50 , 000 tickets each , which took place , the first , January 15 th , and the second , April 15 th , 1863 , and for which the civil committee had kept back the proportional reduction of the lots for the value when all the bonds bad not been

disposed of , there remained 400 , 000 bonds to dispose of to arrive at a definite drawing in which the first or principal of 100 , 000 francs was kept back . But seeing the very small total of bonds that were realised , and that the civil committee hoped a large investment from abroad ,. tho definite drawing , fixed for the 31 st July , was postponed to the 15 th September last . With the

view of persuading the public to take these bonds , bills of immense size were distributed in Geneva and other places , announcing the definite drawing ; nevertheless , whilst reserving that in case all the tickets should not be sold , the drawing should take place according to a plan that the civil committee would lay before those who attended it , this plan reserved the proportionate

reduction . It will be well to explain that all these bills , as well as all the announcements which appeared in the official newspaper of Geneva , emanated from the international office of the said town , which was directed to dispose of the bonds for this lottery on commission . Though this office for investments was supposed to submit the manuscripts of these bills , complaints , & c , for the sanction of the civil committee , it had nevertheless the imprudence , some days before the third drawing , to issue of its own

accord , aud without obtaining sanction , a bill , stating that on the 15 th September the definite drawing would take place . This bill was a catch , for on the day fixed there were only 50 , 000 bonds disposed of , and the civil committee announced that the drawing would take place on the same conditions as the preceding ones . It was then that from ten to fifteen persons , of doubtful

reputation , posted at the approaches to the office , shouted out a disapproval of the proceedings , and thus disturbed the beginning of the business ; but at the end of a few minutes everything became tranquil and the drawing began in the most perfect order . Besides , the police of Geneva , who had been informed of the disorder of which the Temple Unique had been the scenehad not

, , after the explanations given , any complaint to make against the regularity of the drawing . It is important to state here , that the abettors of this confusion were , according to the brothers beard , neither Masons nor , most probably , the holders of bonds . It is true , nevertheless , that however slight are the proportions to which this scandal is reducedMasonry

, has none the less received a blow which will carry with it a prejudice in the profane world ; and this is easily done , for the reason that the public is little cm courant with the conditions of this lottery , and above all , it does not know the line of demarcation which exists between the civil committee of the Temple Unique and the symbolic lodge so-called . Ignoring the

privileges of this committee , it supposes that Masonry administers the funds of the building , and it is thus reported in all the financial operations mentioned in the papers . The W . brothers who have been examined , and who appeared to represent the general opinion of Genoese Masonry , do not complain of the operations of the third drawing ; they recognised , on tho couti-ary , that it had taken place regularly and in conformity with the plan announced . What they regret and find fault with , is the