Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
India.
that now a General Purposes Committee had been appointed , a Finance Committee was not required ; hence the necessity for repealing the three articles mentioned . And the alterations proposed to be made in Article 27 were in consequence of the District Grand Secretary having prepared one return form so as to include all the information required by the throe forms lately used . The proposition was seconded by Bro . Dr . Diver , and unanimouslagreed to .
y The Deputy District Grand Master read the further report of the General Purposes Committee on the question of Masonic jurisdiction in India , as follows .- — Report of ilie District Grand Lodge General Purposes Committee to the District Grand Lodge of Bombay and its Territories . "Limits of Jurisdiction . —Your committee , on further
consideration of thc question of Masonic jurisdiction in India have ma-keel out what they opine- should be the limits of the district of Bombay , which are as follows : —The frontier of Sinel from the sea to Kusmore , and a line drawn from Kusmore to to Kishenghur , from Kishoughur to Jubbulpoor , from Jubbulpoor to the town of Armoree , and from Armoree to Honahwar . "Your committee in recommending the above limits , have in view the facilities of communication between this presidency
town . anel those points , and in the interests of Masonry in general in India , they are of opinion that the limits of the several Masonic districts should be determined by the facility of commun ' cation from the presidency towns , where the District Grand Loelges are held . " We have already the Grand Indian Peninsula Railway running to Nngpoor in 26 hours , and in the course of two months it will run in to Jubbulpoor in 30 hours , and subsequently in
24 hours . The same railway has a line to Raichore , to which place a train w . 'll run in From 19 to 20 hours . " We have also the Bombay , Baroda and Central India Kailway , and branch lines are shortly to be constructed from both these railways to Hyderabad , Sind , Ajnieer , and other stations on or beyond thc borders of the proposeel Bombay limits . "If the limits which your committee have marked out for this district are sanctioned , Lodge St . Andrew ( No . 500 ) ,
working at Kimpteo , about seven miles from Nagpoor , will have to bo transfero el from the Madras jurisdiction to that of Bombay ; other than this there will be no change , as all the other lodges working within those boundaries , are already under the control of this District Grand Lodge . "Your committee recommend that their views be communicated to each of the other District Grand Loelges , and that a map with the proposed Bombay limits thereon , accompany pneh o . milivn-inip . nVioil .
" Freemasons' Hall , ( Signed ) T . DIVEE , for President . Bombay , 12 th Jan ., 1870 . In proposing the adoption of this report , the Dep . Dist . Grand Master observed that tho border of tbe limits which the committee recommended should come under the jurisdiction of this Grand Lodge would only affect the districts of Bengal , Madras , and the Punjab , therefore those districts only need be communicated with on this matter-. W . Bro . Dr . Diver seconded the
adoption of the report , and it was unanimously carried . Tlie Dist . Grand Secretary was requested to communicate with tho districts interested anel ascertain their views . Tlie Dist . Grand Secretary stated that according to instructions be had laid before tlie General Purposes Committee Bro . D 's appeal against his exclusion of Lodge Concord for nonpayment of dues , anel presented tbe committees report thereon .
Bro . Swift spoke briefly in defence of Brc . D , anel Bro . Prescott and others commented on bis total disregard of the summonses sent him to attend the committee meetings during the hearing of his case . The proposition for dismissing the petition was then put to the District Grand Lodgo and carried , thc only dissentient being Bv-o . Swift . The District Grand Lodge expresseel its entire disapproval
of Bro . D ' s conduct towards the General Purposes Committee . Bro . Beard wished to know whether exclusion of a brother from one ledge debarred him from becoming a member of another lodge , or visiting any lodge . The Di-it . Grand Master said exclusion from a loelge was very different fn . m the sentence of expulsion from the Craft ; that admission into any lodge depended on the views of tire members of the lodge into which a brother sought entry after the particulars of his exclusion had been made kn ^ wn to them . The
India.
rule as to this was laid down at page SI Art . V . of the Book of Constitutions . Bro . Eelg inton said lie had refrained from speaking before on the subject , because he was Master of Lodge Concord , when Bro . D was excluded from that loelge , and all that he wished to say then ou the matter ivas that he considered Bro . D 's exclusion from Cmicord ought not to affect his Masonic staneling as vegareled other lodgesor divisions of the Craft to which ho
, belonged ; that tire confirmation of his exclusion by this Dist . Grand Loelge , and the censure that had been passed upon him , he ( Bro . Eelg inton ) conceived to be sufficient punishment ; and he was quite sure that , the members of Concord hael no desire to pursue Bro . D—— vindictively . Bra . Beard explained that he had not put thc question on account of Bro . D in particular , but of excluded members
in general . The District Grand Secretary reported tint twenty-four Grand Lodge certificates had been issued from his office since November last . Tho Dist . Grancl Secretary stated that thc day for the regular monthly- meetings of Lodge Friendship and Harmony , at Egutpoora , had been changed from thc fourth Saturday to the fourth Monday .
Read letter from thc Secretary to the Zetland Testimonial , acknowledging the receipt of the money subscribed in this district towards the Zetland Fund , and conveying the thanks of the committee to the District Grand Master and tire rest ofthe brethren for what they had done iuthe matter .
Letter from the Secretary to too Diocesan Board of Education , thanking the District Grand Loelge for thc 106 rupees given fertile benefit of the Diocesan School , Bycnlla . Letter from the D . S . G . W ., stating that his absence was caused through an accident he had just mot with . Bro . Diver drew attention to the different ways in which some Masters in tbe District gave thc toasts of obligation . Ho said some gave them separately anel some collectivelyanel he wished
, to know whether it was regular for a Master to propose thorn all in one speech . . The District G . M .: During my long experience as Master of lodges , now exceeding a quarter of a century , I have seen Masters give these toasts iu different ways—some with full honours , and some merely in an abbreviated form . It is obligatory to give the toasts at Masonic banquets , but it is quite optional with tlie Master how they should he proposed according to the
emergencies of time or circumstances , whether given singly or together . In connection with this subject of toasts there is one thing I may as well mention , which is this , that it woulel bo very desirable if tho hilarity of tlie evening at banquet was compressed in a less zealous form than it generally was ; some discretion should be exercised in the manner of expressing applause , anel that it should be moderate . The District Grand Treasurer said he would just mention for the information ofthe District Grand Lodge that the balance in hand ou the 31 st December , 1 SG 9 , was 1 , 120 rupees . That was
loss than tbe amount iu hand on the 31 st December-, 1868 , but this was accounted for by the fact that the returns for the half year from the different lodges had not reached him at the time when the accounts of the Grand Lodge were made up . If tlie returns had been rendered at the proper time , tho balance in hand on the 31 st December last woulel have been 1 , 000 rupees , thus bringing it up above that in 18 G 8 . Tho District Grand Master : Is tbe apparently reduced balance
attributable to the non-receipt of returns from the lodges ? The District Grand Treasurer replied that it was so . The District Grand Master -. I must call tho attention of the District Grand Lodgo to this matter . I must therefore beg the representatives ofthe loelges to see that the rule with regard to returns , & c , is enforced in their respective loelges . As it is , the District Grand Secretary has to bear thc whole brunt of thc
carelessness and inattention of those to whom the duty of making these returns is entrusted . I will only aelel that the Book of Constitutions is most precise upon the point , anel the by-lavs are also very particular , punishments being inflicted for noncompliance with the rule . The District Grand Secretary said that with regard to thc reduced balance , he would have the brethren remember that 500 rupees hael been given by the District Grand Lodge during the past half year for charitable purposes , also that the expenses last year were heavier than they were likely to be again , 25 per cent , of which at least might be counted as extraordinary , for speaking
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
India.
that now a General Purposes Committee had been appointed , a Finance Committee was not required ; hence the necessity for repealing the three articles mentioned . And the alterations proposed to be made in Article 27 were in consequence of the District Grand Secretary having prepared one return form so as to include all the information required by the throe forms lately used . The proposition was seconded by Bro . Dr . Diver , and unanimouslagreed to .
y The Deputy District Grand Master read the further report of the General Purposes Committee on the question of Masonic jurisdiction in India , as follows .- — Report of ilie District Grand Lodge General Purposes Committee to the District Grand Lodge of Bombay and its Territories . "Limits of Jurisdiction . —Your committee , on further
consideration of thc question of Masonic jurisdiction in India have ma-keel out what they opine- should be the limits of the district of Bombay , which are as follows : —The frontier of Sinel from the sea to Kusmore , and a line drawn from Kusmore to to Kishenghur , from Kishoughur to Jubbulpoor , from Jubbulpoor to the town of Armoree , and from Armoree to Honahwar . "Your committee in recommending the above limits , have in view the facilities of communication between this presidency
town . anel those points , and in the interests of Masonry in general in India , they are of opinion that the limits of the several Masonic districts should be determined by the facility of commun ' cation from the presidency towns , where the District Grand Loelges are held . " We have already the Grand Indian Peninsula Railway running to Nngpoor in 26 hours , and in the course of two months it will run in to Jubbulpoor in 30 hours , and subsequently in
24 hours . The same railway has a line to Raichore , to which place a train w . 'll run in From 19 to 20 hours . " We have also the Bombay , Baroda and Central India Kailway , and branch lines are shortly to be constructed from both these railways to Hyderabad , Sind , Ajnieer , and other stations on or beyond thc borders of the proposeel Bombay limits . "If the limits which your committee have marked out for this district are sanctioned , Lodge St . Andrew ( No . 500 ) ,
working at Kimpteo , about seven miles from Nagpoor , will have to bo transfero el from the Madras jurisdiction to that of Bombay ; other than this there will be no change , as all the other lodges working within those boundaries , are already under the control of this District Grand Lodge . "Your committee recommend that their views be communicated to each of the other District Grand Loelges , and that a map with the proposed Bombay limits thereon , accompany pneh o . milivn-inip . nVioil .
" Freemasons' Hall , ( Signed ) T . DIVEE , for President . Bombay , 12 th Jan ., 1870 . In proposing the adoption of this report , the Dep . Dist . Grand Master observed that tho border of tbe limits which the committee recommended should come under the jurisdiction of this Grand Lodge would only affect the districts of Bengal , Madras , and the Punjab , therefore those districts only need be communicated with on this matter-. W . Bro . Dr . Diver seconded the
adoption of the report , and it was unanimously carried . Tlie Dist . Grand Secretary was requested to communicate with tho districts interested anel ascertain their views . Tlie Dist . Grand Secretary stated that according to instructions be had laid before tlie General Purposes Committee Bro . D 's appeal against his exclusion of Lodge Concord for nonpayment of dues , anel presented tbe committees report thereon .
Bro . Swift spoke briefly in defence of Brc . D , anel Bro . Prescott and others commented on bis total disregard of the summonses sent him to attend the committee meetings during the hearing of his case . The proposition for dismissing the petition was then put to the District Grand Lodgo and carried , thc only dissentient being Bv-o . Swift . The District Grand Lodge expresseel its entire disapproval
of Bro . D ' s conduct towards the General Purposes Committee . Bro . Beard wished to know whether exclusion of a brother from one ledge debarred him from becoming a member of another lodge , or visiting any lodge . The Di-it . Grand Master said exclusion from a loelge was very different fn . m the sentence of expulsion from the Craft ; that admission into any lodge depended on the views of tire members of the lodge into which a brother sought entry after the particulars of his exclusion had been made kn ^ wn to them . The
India.
rule as to this was laid down at page SI Art . V . of the Book of Constitutions . Bro . Eelg inton said lie had refrained from speaking before on the subject , because he was Master of Lodge Concord , when Bro . D was excluded from that loelge , and all that he wished to say then ou the matter ivas that he considered Bro . D 's exclusion from Cmicord ought not to affect his Masonic staneling as vegareled other lodgesor divisions of the Craft to which ho
, belonged ; that tire confirmation of his exclusion by this Dist . Grand Loelge , and the censure that had been passed upon him , he ( Bro . Eelg inton ) conceived to be sufficient punishment ; and he was quite sure that , the members of Concord hael no desire to pursue Bro . D—— vindictively . Bra . Beard explained that he had not put thc question on account of Bro . D in particular , but of excluded members
in general . The District Grand Secretary reported tint twenty-four Grand Lodge certificates had been issued from his office since November last . Tho Dist . Grancl Secretary stated that thc day for the regular monthly- meetings of Lodge Friendship and Harmony , at Egutpoora , had been changed from thc fourth Saturday to the fourth Monday .
Read letter from thc Secretary to the Zetland Testimonial , acknowledging the receipt of the money subscribed in this district towards the Zetland Fund , and conveying the thanks of the committee to the District Grand Master and tire rest ofthe brethren for what they had done iuthe matter .
Letter from the Secretary to too Diocesan Board of Education , thanking the District Grand Loelge for thc 106 rupees given fertile benefit of the Diocesan School , Bycnlla . Letter from the D . S . G . W ., stating that his absence was caused through an accident he had just mot with . Bro . Diver drew attention to the different ways in which some Masters in tbe District gave thc toasts of obligation . Ho said some gave them separately anel some collectivelyanel he wished
, to know whether it was regular for a Master to propose thorn all in one speech . . The District G . M .: During my long experience as Master of lodges , now exceeding a quarter of a century , I have seen Masters give these toasts iu different ways—some with full honours , and some merely in an abbreviated form . It is obligatory to give the toasts at Masonic banquets , but it is quite optional with tlie Master how they should he proposed according to the
emergencies of time or circumstances , whether given singly or together . In connection with this subject of toasts there is one thing I may as well mention , which is this , that it woulel bo very desirable if tho hilarity of tlie evening at banquet was compressed in a less zealous form than it generally was ; some discretion should be exercised in the manner of expressing applause , anel that it should be moderate . The District Grand Treasurer said he would just mention for the information ofthe District Grand Lodge that the balance in hand ou the 31 st December , 1 SG 9 , was 1 , 120 rupees . That was
loss than tbe amount iu hand on the 31 st December-, 1868 , but this was accounted for by the fact that the returns for the half year from the different lodges had not reached him at the time when the accounts of the Grand Lodge were made up . If tlie returns had been rendered at the proper time , tho balance in hand on the 31 st December last woulel have been 1 , 000 rupees , thus bringing it up above that in 18 G 8 . Tho District Grand Master : Is tbe apparently reduced balance
attributable to the non-receipt of returns from the lodges ? The District Grand Treasurer replied that it was so . The District Grand Master -. I must call tho attention of the District Grand Lodgo to this matter . I must therefore beg the representatives ofthe loelges to see that the rule with regard to returns , & c , is enforced in their respective loelges . As it is , the District Grand Secretary has to bear thc whole brunt of thc
carelessness and inattention of those to whom the duty of making these returns is entrusted . I will only aelel that the Book of Constitutions is most precise upon the point , anel the by-lavs are also very particular , punishments being inflicted for noncompliance with the rule . The District Grand Secretary said that with regard to thc reduced balance , he would have the brethren remember that 500 rupees hael been given by the District Grand Lodge during the past half year for charitable purposes , also that the expenses last year were heavier than they were likely to be again , 25 per cent , of which at least might be counted as extraordinary , for speaking