Knights Templar.

brother had been restored to his privileges in the lodge ; but he hacl also notified his intention of appealing to the Most AA ' orshipful the Grand Jlaster of England against the decision of the officiating Prov . G . M . He had been informed , in reply , that the officiating Prov . G . JL , on receiving the appeal , would forward it to England , ancl in the meantime would furnish him with copies of any documents he might require for the preparation of it . The officiating Prov . G . JI . added that the lodge , having carried out his order ,

might continue to hold its meetings , awaiting the receipt of a reply to its appeal . The report of the Finance Committee was read and adopted . The balance in hand on account of the General Fund was Rs . 3499 2 7 , and the Fund of Benevolence , Rs . 2627 10 11 . The result was considered satisfactory , showing a floating balance , on the 30 th June , I 860 , of Rs . 255 l " l 5 11 , and an average expenditure of Rs . 41 less than the current average receipts .

AA'ith reference to the case of Bros . E . Delamer and J . Freeman , ex-members of the Kussowlie Lodge Triune Brotherhood ( Xo . 984 ) , the consideration of which had been postponed at the last quarterly communication of the District Grand Lodge , a letter was read from the Master of the lodge explaining how those brethren came to be admitted into Freemasonry . Bros . Delamer and Freeman having hacl ample time to submit their defence , of which they hacl not availed themselves , it was

proposed by Bro . Jennings , seconded by Bro . Clark , that they should be expelled from the Craft . The motion was unanimously carried , ancl the sentence of expulsion was formally proclaimed by the Prov . G . Purs , in the East , AA ' est , and South . The officiating Prov . G . JI . stated that it was his duty to lay before the District Grancl Lodge another ease in which a brother was charged with having seriously violated his JIasonie obligations . The brother alluded to was Bro . It . Berrill , an old P . M . ; and the charges against him had been preferred by the lodge at Allahabad , Independence with Philanthropy ( No . 550 ) . On the evidence produced , Bro . Berrill had been excluded from the lodtre , and the

officiating Prov . G . JI . hacl confirmed the sentence . But the lodge were further of opinion that Bro . Berrill's position in the Craft itself was equally affected by the proved charges against him . The lodge had , therefore , passed a resolution strongly recommending the District Grand Lodge to expel Bro . Berrill from Freemasonry . A committee appointed by the officiating Prov . G . AI , of which he himself was the President , after taking the whole case fully into consideration , hacl come to the conclusion that there were good

grounds for the recommendation of the lodge . In a letter to the officiating Prov . G . JL , dated 2 Sth August , Bro . Berrill bad begged that no steps might be taken in his case , pending the receipt of a reply to a reference which he said he had made to Bro . C . H . AA'ilson ( a member of lodge 265 , and formerly a member of the Allahabad Lodge ) . Bro . AA'ilson , being present in the District Grand Lodge ( having been specially summoned to appear ) , gave all the information in

his possession , but stated that no reference had been made to him by Bro . Berrill . After much discussion , the following resolution was moved by Bro . P . Anderson , seconded by Bro . H . Howe , ami carried by a majority , namely , that in order to give Bro . Berrill ample time to submit his defence , the consideration of his case be postponed till the next quarterly communication of the District Grand Lodge , ivhen the discussion shall be resinned at the point at which it has now broken off .

It was intimated that tae following brethren had been excluded from their respective lodges for uniiiasonic conduct , and that the sentences had been confirmed by the officiatiuct Prov . G . JL : —Bro . C . E . Falk , from Lodge JLu-ine ' ( Xo . 282 ) , Calcutta , and Bro . J . AV . Guthrie , from Lodge True Brothers ( No . 609 ) , Dinapore . Referring to the correspondence with Bro . Douglas , read at the last quarterly communication of the District Grand Lodge , and to the resolution then passed , postponing the consideration of the

case , the officiating Prov . G . JI . stated that , ou the 31 st inst ., the returns of the late Lodge Kilwinning in the East ( No . 7-10 ) , for the first and second quarters of 1859 , had been received by the Prov . G . Sec ., but had been sent back to Bro . Douglas for revision . Several names and dates , ancl the amount of the 10 per cent , assessment , had been omitted ; and in one instance only the initials of a brother had been entered . From time to time , Bro . Douglas had assigned various reasons for deferring the submission of the returns ;

and now , after the lapse of a year and some months , those sent in by him were very defective , and bore marks of very careless preparation . The officiating Prov . G . JI . further considered it a matter for regret that , through the laches of the JIaster , who was responsible , brethren initiated in the late Lodge 7-10 should be kept out of the possession of the Grand Lodge Certificates , for which they hacl paid . It was proposed by Bro . Howe , seconded by Bro . Sandeman , that the amount clue by the late Lodge Kilwinning in the East ( No . 740 )

to the District Grancl Lodge should be written oft' to " Profit ancl Loss . " Before the motion could he put to the vote , Bro . John AA ' . Brown , Prov . G . S . B ., mentioned the substance of a conversation which he had had with Bro . Douglas on the above subject ,- ancl it wns then proposed by Bro . Ladlie , as an amendment , that Bro . Douglas should be distinctly given to understand that , unless he furnished the returns for wliich he was responsible , ancl paid the amount due .

to the District Grand Lodge before the next quarterly communication , his case would be finally disposed of , ancl he would be severely dealt with . The amendment having been seconded by Bro . Jennings ,, was put to the vote , and was carried . The following correspondence on the subject of nominating some brother for the office of Prov . G . JL of Bengal , in succession to R . AA ' - Bro . Ramsay , was read : — To W . II . Hoff ; Esq ., Provincial Grand Secretary .

DEAR SIR AXD A ' . W . BJIOTUEK , —I believe it is requisite thatnotice in writing should be given to the G . Sec . of any intention of bringing forward a motion in the Grand Lodge , and I accordingly beg to inform " you that it is my intention at the next quarterly communication of the District Grand Lodge to give notice of a motion that , at the succeeding quarterly communication in December next the members of the District Grand Lodge proceed , to the ballot , for the , purpose of electing , for nomination to the Grand JIaster of England , a'Prey . G . JI . of Bengal , in succession to R . AA ' . Bro . Tlamsflv .

I am , Dear Sir and V . AV . Bro ., yours fraternall y , Calcutta , Sept . Ill , I 860 . H . HOWE , JIaster , Lodge No . 80 . To It . Have , Esq ., Master of Lodge Slur m the East ( JVo . 80 ) . DEAE Silt AXD R . AA ' . BEOTHEE , —I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter , dated 7 th inst . There is no rule requiring notice to he given previously of any motion about to be brought before the District Grand Lodge . The officiating Prov . G . JL ,

however , appreciates the courtesy winch has prompted you to inform , him of your intention to give notice at the next quarterly communication of the District Grand Lodge— " That , at the quarterly communication to be held in December next , the members of the District Grancl Lodge proceed to the ballot , for the purpose of electing , for nomination to the Grancl JIaster of England , a Prov . G . M . of Bengal , in succession to R . AA' . Bro . Ramsay . " Having regard to the peculiar difficulties which now beset the question of

making a permanent provision for the government of this province ,, ancl which have induced tiie JI . AA ' . the Earl of Zetland to maintain the , present teiapov . uy avi-augcmeiA for sonic time past , the officiating Prov . G . JL has long been of opinion that the best plan which the brethren could adopt would he to fix upon a successor to R . AA ' . Bro . Ramsay , and to submit his name to tho central , authority in England . But thequestionis oneof such importance that the officiating Prov . G . JI . is of opinion that the sense of the ivhole

province should be taken ; for when a brother has been elected in whom ifc is unequivocally shown , by a great preponderance of votes ,, that a large amount of confidence is placed , the disadvantages under which the country lodges labour , owing to their inability toseud representatives to the District Grand Lodge , will , in some measure , be counterbalanced . In Ensland , where there are great

facilities of travelling rapidly and at small expense , thc provincial lodges are always able to have themselves represented in the Grand Lodge and in their respective Prov . Grand Lodges . But this is not the case in India , ivhere it is only ivhen a JIaster , a Past Jlaster , or a AA ' arden of a country lodge is on a chance visit to Calcutta , that he attends the Prov . Grand Lodge and exercises his privilege as a member of it . Hence , since the country lodges are necessarily almost wholldebarred from such a privilegethere is the greater

y , need that the head of the Executive in this province , from the authority vested in whom " emanates" the Prov . Grand Lodge itself , should be one in whom general confidence is reposed , crone whom the JI . AA ' . the Grand Master , from his oivn sources of information , judges to be worthy of his confidence . The propriety therefore , of giving every brother in the province a voice in the election ( since an election is now desirable , and perhaps unavoidable ) ,

is apparent ; and the officiating Prov . G . JI . would justly incur the blame of not having protected the interests of the country lodges if he were to allow it to take place in the District Grand Lodge , in which the province is so partially represented . There aro in Calcutta ancl Howra 9 Craft lodges ; tho country lodges are 20 in number . And , under the English Constitution proxies are not allowed as in Scotland . But there is another objection which has equal weight with the officiating Prov . G . JI . The appointment ofthe Prov . G . M . is the

prero gative of the JI . AA ' . the Earl of Zetland ; and it behoves the officiating Prov . G . JL to be very careful how he actsin such a delicate matter . The whole body of JIasons composing the Craft lodges may very reasonably make known their wishes to the G . JL ; but the officiating Piov G . JAL is of opinion that the election should not bear on it anything like an official stamp . It must not form a part of