Grand Lodge.

office by the Grand Master was a proof of the high opinion he entertained of him , both as a man and as a Mason ; and he ( the Deputy Grand Master ) was convinced that he would discharge the duties of the office entrusted to him in a manner satisfactory to the Grand Lodge , and so as to justify the Grand Master's selection of him . Bro . ADAMS was then invested , and having briefly thanked the Deputy Grand Master , was conducted to the proper place , amid the hearty applause of the brethren assembled .

The DEPUTY GRAND MASTER then stated that he had been requested by the Grand Master to apologize for his absence , which was occasioned partly by important duties he had to discharge in Yorkshire , and partly from ill health , from which , however , as they would , no doubt , bo glad to learn , his lordship was rapidly recovering .

NOMINATION OF GRAND MASTER . Bro . COTTERELL said that he rose with hesitation , to submit to Grand Lodge the nomination of the Right Hon . the Earl of Zetland as Grand . Master for the ensuing year . He said , with hesitation , because he thought that a proposition of such importance would come with abetter grace from some brother of more influence than himself in the Craft . If at any time the acts of his lordship had been canvassed with a feeling of party spirit ( no ; no ) , he hoped that feeling wasnow eradicated , and ho felt sure that every brother

who took care that it should not again be brought into vogue would do a benefit to the Craft ( hear , hear ) . If he were about to nominate , for the first time , to the high office of Grand Master any other member of the Craft , he should feel it incumbent on him to go at length into a detail of his qualifications , but in the case of the Earl of Zetland , his doing so would weary the brethren , and be a waste of the time of Grand Lodge . His lordship was a Mason of long standing , who had ever shown himself zealous to promote the interests of the Craftand to uphold the charities of the Ordernot

, , only by his purse , but also by being ever ready to give his attendance at any meeting , or at any festival held for the purpose of advancing them ; indeed , he considered his lordship ' s qualifications without a parallel in the Order , for all who had been in the habit of attending Grand Lodge know , from their own experience , that he had , during the last fifteen years , presided over its deliberations with courtesy and impartiality , and upheld by his conduct the dignity of his office . He would not , however , place his qualification on so low a footing as that of his long service , but would rather base his

claims to re-election on his many Masonic virtues ( hear , hear ) . The following twelve Past Masters , who were nominated at the General Committee on the 23 rd Nov ., 1859 , to serve on the Board of Benevolence for the ensuing twelve months , were unanimously elected -. —Fred . Adlard , No . 7 ; Geo . Barrett , No . 188 , Jus . Brett , No . 206 ; Hen . Garrod , No . 1022 ; Samuel Gale , No . 19 ; Charles Lee , No . 9 ; Richard Motion , No . GG 3 ; William Paas , No . 30 , Henry Potter , No , II ; Edward Dresser Rogers , No . IS ; James R . Sheen , No . 219 ; William YoungNo . 72 .

, The report of the Board of Benevolence was then brought forward . It stated that on the 21 st September seven petitioners were relieved with 85 £ ; on the 9 th October , eleven petitioners were relieved with 130 / . ; and on the 23 rd November , eighteen petitioners were relieved with 1981 . On the motion of Bro . Savage , S . G . D ., the foregoing report was received and entered on the minutes .

REPORT OF THE HOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES . The Board of General Purposes beg to report that they have received and adjudicated upon the following complaints : — 1 . By the Master of a Lodge against his Wardens for alleged acts of insubordination arising out of rather ivnusal circumstances , and which induced the Master to forbid the Lodge to meet on the next regular day for assembling ; against this act of the Master the members of the Lodge preferred a counter complaint . As the differences arose out of circumstances of a personal

nature , wholly unconnected with Freemasonry , and have since been amicably adjusted , the board deem it unadvisable to enter upon further detail , than that they admonished the Wardens to pay due obedience to the Worshipful Master ; and the Worshipful Master that it is his bounden duty to cause the Lodge to be regularly summoned for Meeting on the several days fixed by the by-laws . 2 . By the Board of Benevolence against the Lodge , No . 133 , at Colne , for certifying to the petition of a brother , that he had been a regular contributing member for the space of twenty-seven years

, whereas Grand Lodge dues had been paid for only twenty-two and a half years : the Board , taking into consideration the explanation offered , ordered the arrears to bo paid forthwith , which has been clone . 3 . Against the Lodge No ; 357 , Shepton Mallet , for having

advanced a brother to the second degree within fifteen days of his initiation ; the board believing that the irregularity arose from thoughtlessness , and not from any disposition to contravene the laws , admonished the W . Master to be more cautious for the future , and imposed a fine upon the Lodge of one guinea , to be paid to the Fund of Benevolence . The board also report , that it having come to their knowledge that there are at present existing in London , and elsewhere in this countryspurious Lodges claiming to be Freemasonsthey have

is-, , sued a circular letter to the Masters of Lodges , cautioning them upon the subject , and have furnished them with a facsimile copy of a certificate issued by a body established at Stratford , in Essex , and calling itself " the reformed Masonic Order of Memphis , or Rite of the Grand Lodge of the Philadelphes . " The board have received a memorial from the St . David ' s Lodge No . 554 , Berwick , suggesting that Grand Lodge should make advances of money to private Lodges , to assist them in building Lodge

rooms , the property to be held as security for the payment of principal and interest . The board have carefully considered the question thus opened , and as the result of their deliberation they beg to recommend the following resolution for the adoption of G . L : — " That it would be a legitimate and judicious application of the funds of General Purposes , to advance money on loan to provincial Lodges to assist them in erecting Masonic halls or Lodge rooms , provided that proper security be given for the re-payment of the principalwith interestwithin

, , a reasonable period . " The board also report that they have received memorials from Lodges , No . 90 , at Winchester , No . 915 , at Trowbridge , No . 555 , at Southampton , and No . 839 , at Newbury , requesting them to recommend to Grand Lodge that provincial brethren be permitted to vote

by proxy therein : in two of these memorials the proposal to vote by proxy is limited to the elections of members of the different boards , in the third it includes the election of the M . W . Grand Master also , and in the fourth it is without limit . The board have most attentively considered the subject , and they are of opinion that they cannot with propriety recommend such a change in the law , believing that it is not called for , that it would not be to the advantage of the Craft , but would be likely to lead to confusion and abuse .

The attention of the board having been directed to the inconvenience which has occasionally arisen from the practice of brethren being put in nomination for election on the various boards without their knowledge and consent , the board submit to the consideration of Grand Lodge to order " that in future the brother presiding at the General Committee shall not receive , nor shall the Grand Secretary record , any nomination except it be in writing , signed by a member of the Grand Lodge , in which the names of the

candidates , together with the numbers of their respective Lodges , and whether Masters or Past Masters , shall he specified . " Many errors being apparent in the calendar , which appear to have arisen from the fact that Lodges have frequently changed their days of meeting without giving notice to the Grand Secretary , as required by the Book of Constitutions , the Board have directed a circular to he sent to the Masters of all Lodges , requesting them to make a return forthwith of their days of meetingand they desire

, to impress upon the brethren generally that much convenience will result from a strict compliance with this request . ( Signed ) JOHN HAVERS , President . Freemasons' Hall , November 23 rd , 1859 . The board subjoin a statement of the receipts and disbursements on account of the Grand Lodge funds during the present quarter , as reported by the Finance Committee on the Uth Nov . inst ., viz . .

BESEVOLENCE . Balance in the hands of the Grand Treasurer on the 1 st October , 1859 £ 316 16 2 Subsequent receipts 228 II 0 545 7 2 Disbursements 155 0 0 Balance on this account 390 7 2

GENERAL PURPOSES . Balance in the hands of the Grand Treasurer on the 1 st October , 1859 £ 468 0 3 Subsequent receipts 746 2 8 Balance on this account 1214 2 11 Amount of money received , for the appropriation of which no directions have yet . been given by the parties remitting 614 11 5 £ 2219 1 6