District Grand Lodge Of Bombay.

DISTRICT GRAND LODGE OF BOMBAY .

The Nineteenth Half-yearly Communication was held at the Freemasons' Hall , Byculla , on Saturday evening , the 1 st of April , 1871 Present : —Rt . AVor . Bro The Honourable Justice Gibbs , D . G . M ; Rt , AVor . Bro . George Taylor , P . D . G . M ; AYor . Bros . John Dixon , P . D . G . S . AV ., as S . G . AV . ; A . C . Gumpert , P . D . G . S . W ., as JGAVJ . P . LeithP . D . G . Chap . ; J . J . AVintonD . G .

... ; , , Treas . ; E . T . Leith , D . G . Reg . ; AV . H . Hussey , D . G . Sec ; Colonel L . AV . Penn , C . R ., D . G . S . D . ; Alfred Swift , P . D . G . D ., as D . G . J . D . ; S . Frommurze , D . G . Dir . of Cers . ; George Bease , . P . D . G . Dir . of Cers ., as D . G . Sword-Bearer ; J . Thomas , D . G Org . ; H . J . P . Thomson , D . G . Steward , as D . G . Pursuivant ; W . F . Knapp , D . G . Steward ; J . AV . Seager , D . G . Tyler ; The Masters , Past Masters , and AVardeus of Lodges .

The District Grand Lodge was opened in ample form at 6-50 p . m . The District Grand Pursuivant having reported that the Right AVorshipful the Provincial Grand Alaster of AVestern India , ( S . C . ) R . ghtWorshipful Bro . Captain H . Norland , attended hy his Depute Provincial Grand Alaster , Rt . AA or . Bro . Al . Balfour , Honorary Depute Provincial Grand Master , Manoekjee Cursetjee ,

and several of his Provincial Grand Officers , was at the porch , and had come to honour the District Graud Lodge with a visit ; the District Grand Master requested the Kt . AVor . the Past District Grand Alaster would receive tho Provincial Grand Lodge of Western Iudia , ( S . C . ) which was dono . and the Rt . AVor . Provincial Grand Alaster and Officers were introduced into the District Grand Lodge by the Past District Grand Masterthe D . G . Deaconsthe D . G- Dir . of Ceremoniesand

, , , D . G . Stewards , and conducted to the East , where the Provincial Grand Master was warmly received by the Rt . AVor . District Grand Alaster , and placed in a Chair on the right of the Chair of K . S ., and saluted with the grand honours . Rt , AVor . Bro . Morland than acknowledged the welcome with which ho had been greeted . The summons convening the meeting was readand tho

, minutes of the previous communication having been printed and circulated to all the Members of the District Grand Lodge , were , on the motion ofthe Rt . AVor . District Grand Master , seconded by the Rt . AA or . the Fast District Grand Alaster , taken as read and confirmed .

Bro . J . J . AVinton , was then unanimously re-elected Treasurer , and Bro . J . AA . Seager , Tyler for the year . Before investing the Officers for the ensuing 12 months the District Grand Alaster thanked the Past Graud Officers for their support and assistance , and said that lie had the same confidence iu those on whom he was now about to confer District Grand rank as he had in those brethren who had so faithfully done

their duty . He was quite sure that the AV . brother whom he had selected for his Deputy would he approved of by one and all the Alasons over whom he had the honor to rule ; AV . Bro , Percy Leith was Past Master of the oldest English Lodge , "Antiquity " No . 1 , and also Past Grand Steward of the Grand Lodge of England ; he had proved himself to be a hard-working , zealous Alason , who spared no time or pains to promote peace in lodges , and hnrmouy between individual Alasons . For the other offices too he had selected brethren well-known for their ardour in the cause of Alasonry as well as for their position iu Society , so that he looked forward to a most successful year .

The following brethren wero then appointed , and those who were present invested District Grand Officers for the ensuing year : — AV . Bro . J . P . Leith Dept . Dist . G . Alaster . AV . Bro . Colonel L . W . Penn , C ' . B ... Dist . G . Senior Warden . AV . Bro . E . T . Leith , LL . M Dist . G . Junior AVarden . Bro . Tbe Rev . T . CorlieldB . A Dist . G . Chaplain .

, Bro . J . J . AVinton Dist . G . Treasurer . AV . Bro . M . Balfour Dist , G . Registrar . AV . Bro . AV . H . Hussey Dist . G . Secretary . W . Bro . C . Hyne , C . E Dist , G . Senior Deacon . AV . Bro . S . Frammurze Dist . G . Junior Deacon . W . Bro . T , Cooke , M , A ., M . I ., L . L . B . Dist . G . Supt . of Works

AV . Bro . A . Alackenzie Dist . G . Dir . of Cers . AV . Bro . F . D . Parker Dist . G . Sword Bearer . Bro . J . Thomas -n- i . r > n t Bro . H . J . P . Thomson ( W . M . elect } Dlst- G" ° W ™* - of Lodge "Star of India " ) > Dist . G . Pursuivant . Bro . J . AV . Seager Dist . G . Tylar . Bro . The Honourable G . M . Stewart-. Bro . F . Burdett )

Bro . C . Rowe f -p .. , „ „ , , Bro . C . Herring \ ^ t . G . Stewsrds . Bro . E . Hewitt ...., ) Bro . Nosherwanjee Coyajeo - ^ Some of the brethren nominated for office were unavoidably absent , either through sickness or from business causes ; every absentee sent an apology .

Three brethren were appointed by the District Grand Master and three elected by the District Grand Lodge , to serve on the Board of General Purposes , viz .: —AY . Bros . J . Dixon , , 1 . P . Cornforth , Sorabjee Frommurze , A . Edginton , C . E . Mitchell , A . Alackenzie .

The District Grand Master proposed and the Deputy District Grand Alaster seconded , that Bye-Law No . 21 be altered so as to provide for the meetings being held in Alarch and November as at present , but without fixing the date ; and it was unanimously agreed that the words " on the first Wednesday" be expuuged from the Article . The District Grand Secretary held over until tbe next

communication his proposition for charging extra fees for dispensations . The District Grand Alaster was sorry to have to mention that Bro . Reuben Ala nicy Dixon had been excluded Lodges "Concord " and " Emulation " for non-payment of dues , also that Bro . AVilliam Dracup , of Lodge " Concord , " and Bros . II . T . SinksDallas HillJohn Gillibrandand Jolm Crewss Cummins

, , , , of Lodge " Truth , " had been excluded for the same cause . The District Grand Alaster much regretted to notice from the records of the past year the deaths of the following seven brethren , who were members of lodges in this district , viz .: —Bros . Jones and Frye , of Lodge "Industry ; " Moyhm , of Lodge " Truth ; " Davie and AV right , of Lodge "Alexandra ; " and Prince aud Jackson , of Lodge "Emulation . "

The District Grand Master stated that during tho Inst few months ho had visited officially all the lodges in the district , with the exception of the Lodges " Union " " and * ' Industry " in Sind ; "Alexandra" at Jubbulpoor ; "Orion in the West " at Poona ; " Friendship and Harmony " at Egutpoora -, aud " Star of India " at Bombay . He purposed attending Lodge " Star of India "the next Wednesday , and possibly he might finish his round during this year . He had performed ' the of

inceremony stallation in three of the lodges during those visits , and he should in a few clays have the pleasure of performing tho same office in Lodge . " Star of India . " It was very gratifying to him to find all tho lodges be had visited in excellent condition , and he particularly brought to the attention of the District Lodgo that the working ot Lodge " Corinth / ' at Nagpore . was equal iu all respects to that of the Town Lodges .

In Lodge " Concord" a difference of opinion existed in the minds of some of its members as to the election of their W . AI . In consequence of a doubt arising after a scrutiny of the votes for a new Alaster , the Alaster ( who had already served the lodge one yen- ) nullified the first ballot and conducted tho election in accordance with an opinion of the Past District Grand Alaster , which was on tbe records of his lodge , and finally declared himself elected for the second year . Against

this ruling an appeal was made , but not feeling himself justified in setting aside the expressed and recorded views of previous authority , he ( the District Grand Master ) confirmed the ruling ; of the Alaster , and he had been duly installed for the second time . Having , however some doubts about the matter , he had represented the whole case in a letter to the Grand Secretary for the purpose of ascertaining the views of the M . W . the Grand Master . In that letter several important points were noted , and as soon as au answer was received it should belaid before the District Grand Loelge . Iu addition to the letter