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G . L . mi ght know what it had met to consider , was also opposed by the same two members of our intelligent administration ; while the confirmation of the Mark degree was resisted by a Past Registrar—who kindly revived for the occasion—as well as by Brother Havers , who is seldom left behind in the race , especially when it

is of that peculiar kind which is pre-eminently not to the swift , although the Report of the Special Committee recommending its acknowledgment had been " approved " at the previous G . L . by the M . W . the G . M . The considerate interest manifested iu oav welfare on recent occasions by the Dais , is fresh in the

recollection of every one . Their alarm lest we should over-exert ourselves , and do too much work ; their dislike of troubling us with the government of our Colonial Lodges ; their anxiety to keep our country Brethren in a state of calm repose ; the delicate solicitude evinced in breaking to us the sad news of Canadian

discontent—going so far as to hide it from us altogether for three years ; all this is touching in the extreme . Brother Dobie , however , stands unrivalled in this

species of watchful care . With him it is not confined to G . L . but extends to the Board of General Purposes . The young men who compose this body , are—as every one knows—perfectly incompetent to decide what are fit subjects for their own discussion ; and as an embargo is

laid on French novels by the governess of every well-conducted seminary for young ladies , so does Bro . Dobie carefully guard the morality ( Masonic ) of his Board and prohibit them from considering any question which he—in his superior wisdom—thinks unfit for them . The exclusive privileges of the Red Apron Lodges were

in this way secured from their profane investigation , and yet Bro . John Bigg , abetted by Bro . Savage , actually had the audacity—we had almost said irreverence—to call in question Bro . Dobie ' s conduct in this respect before the G . L . of September , 1848 . That independent body , however , soon showed what

it thought of such unreasonable and undutiful complaints , and the excellent Registrar has we believe continued ever since to exercise his fatherly care over the Board iu the same way ; whistling doubtless the while ¦ in his sleeve—mutatis mutandis—that fine old national ballad , —

" Wha daur meddle wi' me 1 Wha daur meddle wi' me ] My name is little Jock Elliot , And wha daur meddle wi' me !"

Quarterly Communication Of Grand Lodge.

QUARTERLY COMMUNICATION OF GRAND LODGE .

THE usual Quarterly Communication was hold Dec . 3 , at which the M . W . the G . M . presided in person . THE G . TYLER AND THE G . SECRETARY . The Lodge having been opened in ample form , The M . W . the G . M . said : "Brethren , before we proceed to the regular business , there are two communications which I wish to make to Tlio first is that there is a in the office of

you . vacancy G . Tyler , and I beg to inform you that I have appointed Brother Charles Payne , of the Freemasons' Tavern , to that office . ( Applause ) . The next communication which I have to make is that the G . Secretary , who has filled his office now for 20 years , has placed his resignation in my hands , but I have declined to accept it for the present , because I am not prepared at this moment to appoint a successor , I am placed in a difficult position , at the same time I confess that , considering the advanced age of

the G . Secretary , it is a difficulty which I ought to have been prepared to meet . At the present moment , however , I am not so prepared . I can assure G . L . that the subject shall receive due attention at my hands . I will endeavour to find a successor who will work beneficially for the Craft . ( Cheers ) . At the same time I feel confident that services so lengthened and so valuable as those which Brother 'White has rendered should be dealt with liberally . ( Hear , hear ) . I will not now anticipate what G . L . may

do , but I do feel confident that Brother White , though he retires from the office of G . Secretary , may still render valuable and important services to Masonry . ( Hear , hear ) . These services cannot be too highly estimated , and I shall propose that we shall retain those services as far as possible . ( Hear , hear ) . The Grand Master's room will always be at his disposal , and he will be able to be consulted there on matters affecting the interests of the Craft . I hope , therefore , that G . L . will concur with me in not accepting

Brother White's resignation till some successor of a suitable character may be found . " ( Applause ) . THE SCRUTINEERS . The Scrutineers were Brother John Shacklewell , No . 3 ; Brother of No . 178 ; Brother E . Johnson , of No . 778 ; Brother W . Buckstone , of No . 9 ; the Rev . Brother Westall , of No . 356 . The G . M . nominated the four following , viz . : Brothers Rogers , No . 228 ; Ledger , No . 1 ; Cox , No . 19 ; and Deysdale , No . 255 . Theballotting papers were then distributed and the voting was at once proceeded with for P . Masters for the Board of Benevolence .

MUTILATION OP THE MINUTES . The G . Secretary read the minutes of the previous Quarterly Communication , September 3 , which had been altered by the G . Secretary at the G . M . ' s command . Instead of concluding by stating that G . L . adjourned on the motion of Brother H . G . Warren , they ended by simply saying " G . L . was then closed . " The adjourned G . L . was totally ignored , and the next minutes read were those of the GLof Emergencyheld Nov 19 in the usual

. . , . , way . Brother Binckes rose with the view of re-opening in some way the question as to tko power of the G . M . to mutilate the minutes of G . L ., but he was put down by the M . W . the G . SI ., who ruled that he was out of order . Brother Gregory , on the question of the confirmation of the minutes , said : "M . W . Sir and Brethren , I rise to move that the minutes of the G . L . of Emergency be not confirmed so far as they

relate to the appointment of the Colonial Committee . ( Hear , hear ) . I rise with great diffidence , for although an old Mason and P . M . of my Lodge , this is only the second time I have ventured to address G . L . ( Hear ) . Whether right or wrong , therefore , I trust I shall be received with indulgence . ( Cheers ) . I was present at the last G . L „ and also at that meeting which preceded it , and which the head of the Craft has decided to have been illegal ; but I did not at the adjonrned G . L . say anything against this

Colonial Committee , lest , had we decided against it upon that occasion , it might doubtless have been said that the adjourned G . L . was declared illegal for the purpose of throwing over this Colonial Committee . ( Hear ) . I am not alone in wishing to oppose the confirmation of this part of the minutes , although I am quite aware that it is a very unusual course to pursue ( hear , hear ) , and it is a course which I would never hare taken except for very extraordinary reasons . This Colonial Committee is objectionable because it Will not fulfil the duties which are expected of it , and for the per-