The Grand Lodge Property.

ters AA'hich must of necessity be to some extent speculative , is not at all to be wondered at ; indeed it -would be most extraordinary if they did not . As a rule , therefore , Ave have abstained from remarking on the decisions come to by various Lodges , preferring to wait until Ave have before us the result of their opinions , as evidenced through the report of the Board of General Purposes , in the replies to their

questions submitted to the Lodges . But as Ave have remarked one decision , arrived at evidently from a want of understanding , if not of due inquiry on , the subject—Avofeel ifc our duty to call attention to it , lest others from reading the report should fall into the same error . Under the head of Worcestershire , in another page , will be found a notice of the proceedings at a recent meeting ofthe Harmonic Lod geNo . 313 ,

, Dudley , at which Ave find that a decision was given against the proposition of the Board of General Purposes , on the ground that it is not right to risk any diminution in the fund subscribed for charitable purposes , which ought to be kept sacred for the purposes for AA'hich it was funded . We find no fault with the decision , nor have AVC anv

right to do so ; but we do complain of the grounds upon which it has been arrived at . There has never been from the first the slightest jn'oposition for touching the Benevolent Fund ofthe Craffc for any purposes connected with the property—the only funds proposed under any circumstances to be dealt AA'ith being those for general purposes , which no one can deny aro fairly applicable to the improvement

of our property . Indeed when-the question was first brought before Grand . Lodge , in December hist , the President of fche Board of General Purposes explicitly declared it was to the Fund of General Purposes alone to which in all his calculations he should refer , for " of course , " he said , " we cannot , touch the Fund of Benevolence ; ' and that under no circumstances should we be justified in expending our

Benevolent Fund for building purposes , much less risk the loss of any portion of it . We have continually reiterated this opinion throuo- ' h the pages of the Freemasons' Magazine . Furthermore , iu the circular issued by the Board of General Purposes , in January last , and published in our number oft ; he 19 th of that month , page 108 , the Fund of BeneA'olenee is never once alluded to , but ifc is stated— .

"—As to the fund for General Purposes—/ row whieli fund alone means eon be hml-e . il for to defray whatever expenses may he ' incurred on January 1 st , 1850 , in con sequence of the completion of a hii"c purchase , there AIMS no funded property to the credit of General Purposes , and at that date " The society Avas indebted to the Grand Treasurer and Bankers . £ 1483 12 11 has since

„ given aivay .... 755 ;; « 0 „ lias expended in purchase of property - 5450 0 0 ; . has iiiA'cstcd , and IIOAV holds , in Eeduced Three per cents ---. ; : 0500 0 0 „ had cash in hand , Nov . 13 th , 1858 - - 811 13 l Making a total excess of receipts over ) £ 91 -09 ~ ^ current expenditure of - J ' " ' ' '' °