Grand Lodge.

Of which balance there is in the hands of the Grand Treasurer 2169 1 6 Grand Secretary for petty cash 50 0 0 £ 2219 1 6 The report of the Board of General Purposes having been taken as read , The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of GENERAL PURPOSES moved , and Bro . POCOCK . WEBB seconded the motion , that it be received and entered on the minutes .

Bro . WHITMORE did not oppose the motion , but he thought , before the report was passed , the Board ought to give Grand Lodge some information with regard to the reasons which had induced them to come to the resolution with reference to the advance of money to provincial Lodges . The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of GENERAL PURPOSES rose to answer . There would be a distinct resolution submitted on that subject to Grand Lodge , when Bro . Whitmore would have a full opportunity of expressing his opinion on the matter .

Bro . STEBBING had a request to make before the motion was put from the chair . He would appeal to Bro . Havers , as President of the Board , to allow that portion of the report which related to voting by proxy , to stand over until the next meeting of Grand Lodge . He did not at present think that proxies should be allowed , ( as in the Grand Lodge of New York ) in the management of the ordinary business of Grand Lodge , although it was a system which might , he was persuaded , be of some advantage in the election

of committees . The DEPUTY GRAND MASTER observed that the subject had been frequently brought under the consideration of the Board of General Purposes , and they were bound , in courtesy to those who had brought it before them , as well as in duty , to furnish Grand Lodge with their opinions in respect to it . They did not propose to take any further steps in reference to the matter , and their adoption of the report did not preclude Bro . Stebbing from giving notice of motion in reference to the action of Grand Lodge in regard to it .

Bro . STEBBING said that he should then , although most unwillingly , move as an amendment , that so much of the report as related to voting by proxies be allowed to stand over to next quarterly communication . Bro . SHELLARD seconded the proposition .

The President of the Board of General Purposes , thought this was neither the time nor the opportunity for the discussion of the question raised by the amendment of Bro . Sebbing ; and he would ask Grand Lodge if they had confidence in the Board , which was one of their own election , not to throw back upon them the consideration of a question of which they had aleady disposed . The amendment was then put from the chair , and lost by a large majority . The President of the Board of General Purposes , then said that

he had now to submit to Grand Lodge a resolution embodying a general principle which he was sure no brother present would contravene . He had to ask them to sanction this" That it would be 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 repayment of the principal , with interest , within a reasonable period . " He apprehended that the principle embodied in that proposition

was a just and good one , for it was a wish dear to th e heart of every Mason to see their meetings held in temples exclusively devoted to the celebration of their mysteries , and Masonry rescued from the association with the public-house . Their principal object was , no doubt , to see the head-quarters of the Order properly lodged , but as they had at present a large amount of funded property , on which they were receiving something about 3 ^ per cent ., lie thought that , if the brethren in the country were desirous of meeting in Masonic temples of their own erectionGrand Lodge would be doing good

, service if it would aid them in so doing , rather than allow any private individual to do so . At present , the Board contented itself by asking Grand Lodge to approve the general principle , leaving it to the Board to draw up a scheme , in conformity with which Grand Lodge would be willing , not to erect , but to assist in the erection of Masonic-halls in the provinces . It should be their duty to take care that their funds suffered no diminution , and that they received on all such advances as good interest as they could get elsewhere . With regard to this proposalif acted uponinterfering with the

, , changes contemplated in the building in which they were assembled , he did not think such would be the case ; but , even if it did , it would be better to wait for them than stay the endeavours of their country brethren to sever their connexion with the public-houses , which were the last places in which the mysteries of the Order

ought to be celebrated . He was convinced that nothing could tend more to maintain the high character and reputation of the Craft than such a severance . He did not wish to say one word against those who , as landlords of those houses , pursued an honest calling ; but , amongst themselves , the brethren well knew that they lost a large degree of credit by their assumed connexion with such establishments . It should not , however , be understood that the Board thought it proper" that money should be advanced to every party that applied for it—no such thing . They would have first to

show that they had put their own shoulder to the wheel ; besides which , every application would have to be brought before Grand Lodge to be decided on its merits , the Board taking care to see that the security for the repayment of the money was a good one . In taking that course they would be acting wisely , judiciously , and legitimately . The only objection he had as yet heard to the proposal was that it did not go far enough for the brethren of the Southmolton Lodge , No . 610 , who had stated to him that they had bought a freehold siteand built upon it a suitable templewith

, , proper accommodation for the Lodge and Chapter , and with apartments for the Tyler , and owed upon it a debt of 250 Z ., and they asked if they would be assisted in getting rid of that encumbrance . Now he had no hesitation in saying that Grand Lodge would be disposed to act with the greatest liberality , and advance the money on approved security , at all times taking care that the funds of the parent body suffered no diminution . Bro . LOCOCK WEBB seconded the resolution , in the principles of

which he fully concurred . Bro . WHITMORE opposed the motion , as he had high legal authority for stating that , as all the members of the Craft were proprietors of the fund which it was proposed should be laid out , there would be a difficulty in reclaiming a loan made to any of them out of that fund . They could never do it . It would be just as easy to try and advance astronomical science by making a railway to the moon . Thewhole amount ofthe fund they had to lend was only 10 , 000 / .

and they knew nothing of the enthusiasm of the brethren in the country when they thought with that amount they would he able to meet the forty or fifty applications which would be made to them the moment it became known that they were about to lend their money . He was sure the resolution , if acted on , could not fail to lead to litigation , and give rise to great heartburnings in the Craft . He had , however , to complain that those who brought it forward had not given Grand Lodge some details with respect to how and to what extent they were prepared to make these

advances . He asked Grand Lodge to deal with the question not in any party spirit , but as each individual brother present would do in his own particular case . But if they were to lend out their money , where , he would ask , were they to get funds to carry out the grand scheme of last year for the improvement of the building in which thev were then assembled ?

Bro . STEBBING inquired if Grand Lodge had at present the power of lending money on freehold property ? Bro . HAVERS replied in the affirmative . Bro . STEBBING would not in any factious spirit press any amendment to the resolution , although he regarded it as very injurious to the best interests of Masonry ; besides , it was uneccssnry , if Grand Lodge had at present the power of investing its money in mortgage on freehold property , without sending over England to build Masonic halls , which were sure to get into disuse , and become bad security' for

any money advanced upon them . Speaking of his province , he knew that in the small towns Masonry was very ephemeral in its popularity . While that popularity lasted the brethren -were enthusiastic in regard to the Craft , and were ready to build Masonic halls , but when that spirit died away the halls came to be unused , and fell in value as security for the money advanced upon them . The Masonic hall at Lymington had not been used for Masonic purposes for the last twenty-three years . In Christchurch too a magnificent hall had been allowed to get into disuse , while the Lodge which

built it had removed to Bournmonth , and was in a state of decay . In the large towns , like Southampton , Portsmouth , or Portsea , tlie brethren were numerous enough to build the halls at their own expense and keep them clear of debt ; or if there was a sign of their being allowed to fall in desuetude , there was always some wealthy brother at hand to step in and prevent it ; but in small towns , where there were not men 'of that character , they would be sure to have continual clamour , and speaking prophetically , he would that if they now encouraged the erection of a large

say number of these halls , in ten years' time not one of them would be in use for Masonic purposes . Then when the parties borrowing defaulted , Grand Lodge would have to appear in the courts , and thus Masonry would be dragged before the country in a maimer most offensive . Every one too knew that it was impossible to touch