Grand Lodge.

GRAND LODGE .

LONDON , SATUZDAT , DECEMBER 17 , 1804 .

THE BOAKD OF BENEVOLENCE . Several important questions were discussed at Graud Lodge last week wliicli are worthy of more than a passing notice—involving , as they do , principles of some moment to the Graft .

Beginning with the beginning , we would direct attention to the discussion which arose , at the instance of the Grand Registrar , on a recommendation from the Board of Benevolence to grant a sum of £ 50 for the relief of a brother of the

Silurian Lodge , Newport ; the learned brother who mooted the question very properly expressin g an opinion that Grand Lodge should not be called upon to confirm these grants without being put in possession of the facts upon which they were

granted , and that some member of the Board of Masters ought to be present to give that information . In this instance there was no difficulty in giving the information required , as it appeared that more than one of the members of the Board present in Grand Lodge were themselves

dissatisfied with the amount of the grant—it being represented in the certificate from the Silurian Lodge that the brother had been twenty-six years a subscribing member of the [ lodge , whereas it appeared that lie had only actually been so about twelve

years , the lodge having , since 1849 , considered him as an honorary member , and paid his quarterage to the Fund of Benevolence . The return , therefore , was in opposition to the requirements of the " Book of Constitutions , " which states

that it shall set forth the number of years ( being not less than two ) the brother has been fr au actual contributing member , paying the stipulated subscription to the funds of a regular lodge , as well as quarterage to the Fund of Benevolence . "

Fortunately for the petitioner , there were not wanting in Grand Lodge several members who knew him , and bore testimony to the great value his services had been , not only to the lodge of which he was a member , but to Masonry generally throughout the district in which his lot has been cast ; and the vote was therefore confirmed .

We do not complain of this j but we have longhad reason to be dissatisfied with the manner in which petitions are dealt with by the Board of Benevolence , and the relief that is meted out , without a fair regard to the position which the petitioners have held , the lodges from which they

' come , and their real services to Masonry . The Board is too apt to regard only the length of time a brother has been a subscribing member of a lodge , having no evidence before them of the amount of subscriptions , —many brethren paying as much or

more in five years than others in thirty , or even in one hundred . As an instance , we may mention that we once visited a lodge in the North of England , where the subscription was 2 s . a month ( out of which the brother was entitled to refreshment )

and 6 d . quarterage for the Fund of Benevolence—¦ no expense being , as far as we could ascertain , incurred on account of the Provincial Grand Lodge ; whilst , in another lodge we visited , the members

paid Is . 6 d . per quarter and 6 d . for refreshment every time they attended—the house at which the lodge was held being without a parallel in London , unless it be in Wapping , or some of the back streets of St . Giles ' s or Seven Dials . To give to

members of such lodges relief in sums varying from £ 40 to £ 50 is evidently out of all proportion to the like amount to the members of the metrojDolitan , Yorkshire , Lancashire , or other lodges where exertions are made to maintain the dignity

and character of the Craft—the relief so given , being in many instances equal to twelve or eighteen months income of the recipients , even in their most prosperous days .

In all cases of petitions brought before the Board of Benevolence , it should be made obligatory that the by-laws of the lodge should be produced , and some information given as to what had been about the annual income of the petitioner when he is

described to have been of " respectable circiuastances . " Some regard should also be had , as Bro . Havers truly remarked , to the state of our funds ; for , by too large grants to indifferent cases , the Board and Grand Lodge are crippled in affording proper relief when a really deserving' case comes before it . Far be it from us to insinuate

that any of the petitioners who received grants of £ 30 or £ 50 last week were not deserving , as , with one exception , we know nothing of the cases ; but we trust in future that we shall be furnished with such information as may enable Grand Lodge

fairly to consider the cases on the facts before them . We would suggest , however , that instead of members of the Board of Benevolence being required to attend Grand Lodge prepared to give information on the subject , and thereby lengthen the proceedings to the detriment of the most important business of the evening , that a sli ght ab-