Quarterly Communication Of Grand Lodge.

Adams ... 67 Andrews ... 77 H . S . Cooper ... 81 C . Buckman 76 Potter ... 73 Prince ... 71 Alexander 60 D . Samuels 75 H . G . Warren 67 REPORT OF THE BOARD OF BENEVOLENCE . The G . Secretary then read the Report of the relief afforded by the Board of Benevolence during the months of Sept ., Oct ., and Nov ., which was as follows : — Sept . 24 Brother Crohn in the Chair 4 petitioners were relieved

, , with sums amounting in the aggregate to £ 60 . Oct . 29 , Brother John Hervey in the Chair , 10 petitioners were relieved with sums amounting in the aggregate to £ 117 ; £ 30 was ordered to be given to Brother John McLaren , of No . 264 , and a recommendation to extend that grant was referred to G . L . . Nov . 26 , Brother John Hervey in the Chair , 12 petitioners wore relieved in sums Which amounted in the whole to £ 121 .

THE CASE OF BROTHER MC LAREN . The M . W . the G . M . then put the question that £ 30 be granted to the wife of Brother McLaren , of No . 264 , London , in accordance with the recommendation of the Board of Benevolence . . Brother Binckes moved , as an amendment , that the sum be £ 50 instead of £ 30 , and said that he hoped his amendment would meet with the unanimous approval of G . L . The case was a very deserving oneIt had been objected that they had better give £ 30

. now , than , by consenting to this amendment , give £ 50 at a future date ; but , from personal investigation into the case , he had found that such was not the fact . Mrs . McLaren would rather wait and have £ 50 than have £ 30 now . This was one of the most painful cases he had ever known ; here were a mother and 8 children deprived of the support of their natural protector by one of the most awful visitations of Providence which could well be imagined . The father had been subjected to the loss of his reasonand wasin fact

, , , at that moment the helpless inmate of a lunatic asylum . ( Sensation ) . He ( Brother Binckes ) could not find any cause for believing that Brother McLaren had brought this upon himself , in any way , by intemperance , or excesses of any kind . ( Hear , hear , and cheers ) . He had been a subscribing member 24 i years to the Lodge of Stability , and the Master of that Lodge had taken upon himself to see that the money granted should really be applied to the relief of the wife and children , and not be absorbed by the

parochial authorities . The poor woman had been enabled to open a little shop , but was not doing very much , and this grant would enable her to open a better stocked shop in a more eligible locality . He hoped that the amendment would bo agreed to . Brother Potter agreed with all that Brother Binckes had said . This poor woman was moving in as respectable society as many of them were , not long ago . The amendment that £ 50 instead of £ 30 be given was then put by the M . W . the G . M ., and carried unanimously amidst loud applause .

BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES REPORT . This Report , which was read by the G . Secretary , announced the insertion of Mr . Cockney's name on the lease of the Freemasons ' Tavern in lieu of that of Mr . Bellinger , and also that the agreement had been prepared and executed accordingly , that a counterpart had been executed by the tenants and delivered into the custody of the G . Secretary . The Board also reported that , in pursuance of the resolution of the last Q . C . of G . L . referring back to the Board

the subject of the purchase of certain houses adjoining Freemasons ' Hall , by and with the advice and consent of the G . Sup . of Works . The G . Sup . of Works had accordingly inspected the said property and reported it to be worth £ 2 , 250 . That sum had been offered to the owner of the property , subject to the decision of the G . Reg . as to the title deeds , which having been reported satisfactory , the purchase had been completed . The Report next set forth a statement of the receipts and disbursements on account of

G . L . during the present quarter , as reported by the Finance Committee , up to their meeting , Nov . 21 . On account of the Fund of Benevolence , balance in hand Oct . 1 , £ 974 ; subsequent receipts , £ 158 12 s . 2 d . ; making total receipts , £ 1 , 132 12 s . 2 d . Disbursements , £ 152 , leaving a balance on that account of £ 980 12 s . 2 d . On account of the General Purposes' Fund . —Balance , Oct . 1 , £ 2 , 105 17 s . Id . ; since received , £ 534 5 s . ; gross receipts , £ 2 , 640 2 s . Id , ; disbursements to the Boys' Institution , £ 1 , 000 ; to the Annuity Fund , £ 1 , 000 ; to the Widows'Fund , £ 500 ; total disbursements , £ 2 , 501 Is . Gd . ; leaving a balance in hand of £ 139 .

Moneys received for the appropriation of which directions have not yet been given , £ 430 13 s . Id . ; total balance in hand , £ 1 , 556 5 s . Wd In the hands of the G . Treasurer , £ 105 . Dated Freemason ' s Hall , November 25 , 1856 . These Reports were ordered to be received . Letters were announced to have been received in acknowledgment of the grants above named to the Boys' School and the Annuity Fund . HAVE THE W . M . AND WARDENS POWER TO REFUSE ADMISSION

INTO A LODGE ? An appeal from the members of Lodge No . 548 , Sydney , New South Wales , as well as two petitions from the independent G . L . of Canada ( one of which was sent in Nov . 1855 ) , were referred to the Colonial Board , and then a communication from Lord Naas ( accompanied by Resolutions of the G . L , of Ireland ) was read . Lord Naas , who is the Irish representative at the G . L . of England , was unavoidably absentHis letter was addressed to the

GSecre-. . tary , and was dated November 22 , 1856 . The letter was , as nearly as we could catch it , in the following terms : — " Sir , —I regret that I was not fortunate enough to find you at the Freemasons' Hall when I called the other day , as I was desirous of consulting you about the Australian Lodge . I beg you will make the following statement to G . L . on the first occasion which presents itself . Complaints have been preferred against the G . L . of Sydney acting under the G . L . of England , by Lodge , No . 266 ,

holding under the Constitutions of the G . L . of Ireland , for refusing admission into any of the English Lodges of Brethren belonging to the Irish Lodge ; and also for refusing to allow members of English Lodges to visit the Irish Lodge . The subject having been brought under the consideration of the G . L . of Ireland , 1 was requested by that body to place the question before the G . L . of England . While the subject was under the discussion of the Board of General Purposes , that Board availed itself of the presence of the D . P . G . M . of Australia , Bro . Williams , who happened to be iu Dublin on a visit , and from him they understood that he considered the Lodges holding of the G L . of England had a right to refuse the admission of a member of the Irish Lodge—though such Brother might not be

under suspension—into any of their Lodges ; and also thr t the P . G . Lodge had the power to forbid their members from visi ! ng the Irish Lodge . You will , doubtless , observe that the principle involved in this opinion—the principle on which the Lodges under the English Constitution in Sydney appear to have acted—is most important , and deserves the consideration of the G . L . of England . At a meeting of the G . L . of Ireland , held in August last , the law of Masonry , as propounded by Bro . Williams , was discussed and dissented from as being contrary not only to the written rulesbut

, to the spirit of the Order . The principles on which the English P . G . M . in Sydney has acted appeared to the G . L . of Ireland to be untenable , viz ., that because Lodge No . 266 fraternizes with the St . Andrew ' s Lodge—which it clearly appears is a regularly constituted Lodge holding under the G . L . of Scotland—therefore the members of it ( i . e . the Irish Lodge ) are to be refused admission into the English Lodges—because certain members who appear to have been elected in the English Lodge were ballotted for and elected in

the St . Andrew ' s Lodge , which the P . G . M . for Sydney has not thought proper to recognize . Such a course of conduct the G . L . of Ireland considers has a tendency to cast a certain amount of stigma upon the Irish Lodges . " I have the honour to enclose a copy of a communication forwarded by Bro . McPherson , and an extract from the Minutes of the G . L . of Ireland , at their meeting of August 7 . These documents place the matter in the clearest possible light .

" I regret that I was not able to be present at the Q . C . of the G . L . of England in June . "I can assure you that the G . L . of Ireland is most anxious that this subject should be discussed in a Masonic spirit , and that the difficulty should be so adjusted as to restore to the Australian Lodges , whether they are acting under the English , Scotch , or Irish Constitutions , that harmony and mutual good-will which so happily prevail in the Order in the mother country . " I remain , with the greatest respect , & c . & c . ( Signed ) "NAAS , " Irish representative in the G . L . of England . " W . H . White , Esq ., Grand Secretary . "

ENCLOSURES . The first enclosure was a communication dated Sydney , March 1 , 1856 , from the Lodge , No . 266 , above named . It was as follows : — "At the formation of the St . Andrew ' s Lodge ( Scotch ) , No . 358