Grand Lodge.

the General Committee , at p . 20 , of the Book of Constitutions , after the words ' shall meet , ' instead of ' on the Wednesday , immediately preceding each Quarterly communication , ' insert ' on the last Wednesday in January , July , and October , and in April , on the Thursday , next , after the last Wednesday . ' And also to order : ' That in future Reports , Communications , or Documents , affirmed or rejected at one meeting of Grand Lodge , be not read in , Extensa with the minutes at the next Grand Lodge , excepting when called for by any Brother with a view of founding some motion thereon . '

The Board beg to report , that a complaint was preferred by the Lodge of Benevolence against the W . Master of the Eastern Star Lodge , No 112 , which had recommended the Petition of Brother Charles Hamond , late a member thereof , for relief , which Brother attended at the meetings of the Lodge of Benevolence in December and January , but in consequence of the non-attendance of the W . Master , or any other member of the Lodge as required by the laws , the case of the petitioner could not be taken into consideration . " The W . Master attended the Board pursuant to summonstogether

, with his Senior Warden , and stated that he was not Master at the time , but that the last Master , Brother E . U . Gardner , who had signed the recommendation , did attend on the first occasion , but in consequence of the serious illness of his brother , he was compelled to quit before the petition of Brother Hamond was called on Upon the second occasion some very urgent business prevented his leaving home . The present Master promised that due attention should be paid to the case at the next meeting of the Lodge of Benevolence . Onder these circumstances the Board has deferred passing vote

any on the subject until they shall be informed of the result of the next meeting of the Lodge of Benevolence . " ( Signed ) "A . DOBIE , " 2 ith February 1857 . " " President . " W . Bro . DOBIE made some remarks in connection with recommendation of the report . With regard to the portion having reference to the reading of documents in Extensawhich had been

, discussed at the previous meeting , he entirely concurred with that recommendation , which he begged to state was adopted from the suggestion of Brother Warren , thrown out in his motion in December last . He begged to move that such an alteration take place in the General Laws as would carry out the purpose of the recommendation .

W . Bro . WARREN rose with pleasure to second the motion . He did not expect such a compliment would have been paid him as that a resolution of that kind would have been proposed from the Dais . He was glad however to find that the Board of General Purposes was willing to admit that for once he was right . W . Bro . the Rev . G . R . PORTAL begged to ask if the R . W . Bro . DOBIE intended to move the first paragraph of the report . R . W . Bro . DOBIE said , he did not , at the same time intimating that his reason for the omission , was , because he did not entirely

concur in the recommendation . W . Bro . the Rev . G . R . PORTAL said , then he would make the motion . W . Bro . PORTAL thought it was advisable to carry out the previous resolution of G . L ., which had for its object to let the members of Country Lodges know what was to come forward for discussion in G , L . Bro . the Hon . A . HERBERT said he fully concurred in the necessity of this course , and begged to second the motion . W . Bro . ROXBURGH proposedthat the first part of the report

, relating to the alteration of time of meeting of the General Committee , be referred back to the Board , with the recommendation , that they consider what effect the proposed alterations would have on the Book of Constitutions generally , and on . the present laws with regard to days of meeting . He very much disliked this " tinkering" system of amendment , which involved alteration of certain rules and regulations , totally regardless of the way in which others were thereby affected . A reference to the Book of Constitutions would at once show , in the instance now before them , how

inconsistent other portions would be , provided the alteration now proposed be adopted . His specific objections to the alteration were , that it would deprive them of five weeks of the time , now at their disposal for giving notices of motion , which he considered unjust and unfair to the London brethren ; and that it would interfere to such an extent with the Board of Benevolence , that the cases of those applicants for relief at the meeting after that of the General Committee could not be entertained , till the next Quarterly Communication after the succeeding one , as they could not be submitted to the Board of Masters as was now the case , thus postponing the ' r relief for another three months . He thought he had adduced reasons amply sufficient why this report should be referred back to the Board of General Purposes , and . he bogged to move to that effect .

Bro . ARIA wished to know , in case the resolution passed , whether any provisions were made for transmitting the requisite information to Country Lodges . Was there any provision—such as a printed notice—to transmit the information ? B . W . Bro . DOBIE . Certainly not . W . Bro . AUIA did not see how the Country Lodges would arrive at the purposed benefit unless some steps were taken to furnish them with the information . W . Bro . BINKES could not pretend to the possession of that legal

acumen which so eminently characterised Brother Roxburgh , but giving the motion of Brother Portal the best consideration in his power , he was unable to see those objections to it which had been so speciously urged . What was the main object it proposed ? To give to country brethren greater opportunities than they at present possessed , for making themselves acquainted with the matters to be discussed in G . L ., and for coming to a decision thereon , so that they may instruct those brethren , properly deputed ia open Lodge , as to

the course to be pursued with reference thereto . And what were Brother Roxburgh ' s objections to the proposed alteration ? First , that it would curtail the time now at command , for giving the requisite notices of motion , practically reducing the twelve weeks to eight . He admitted this , and felt it to be somewhat of an objection . But was not this disadvantage more than counterbalanced by the decided advantage afforded to the country members ? He hoped the country members would have all clue facilities afforded them , and that they would in future command greater "weight in G . L . than they had

hitherto done . If this was effected , it would , in his opinion , far outweigh any little inconvenience , such as that complained of . The second objection was of a more serious character , and he confessed would have great influence with him , ( even after what he had just stated , ) if it had any foundation . Brother Roxburgh tells us that if we adopt this alteration , the recommendations from the Board of Masters , at the last . sitting of the Quarter , cannot be attended to , because it is impossible they can have been submitted to the Board of Masters , whose day of meeting would bo a month earlier , and that , therefore , you would postpone for another three months , the relief which our distressed brethren might stand in imminent need of . The fact is , however , that the Board of Benevolence has nothing whatever to do with the Board of Masters . It has an existence ,

and a jurisdiction , concurrent with , but not in any way dependant on , the Board of Masters . The constitutions grant it certain powers which it exercises of its own independent authority , and its proceedings need not , and never do , come under the cognizance of the Board of Masters as such . There , once in every quarter , the two Boards meet ou the same evening , in the same room , but they are two distinct bodies for all practical purposes ; and the Board of Masters is closed befere the Board of Benovolenee is opened . He , thereforecontended that the only objection left to answer amounted

, to but a slight inconvenience ; and setting against this the manifest advantages which the proposed alteration would afford to the country members , he trusted it would be adopted by G . L . A W . Bro ., whose name we could not ascertain , supported the motion for giving information to the country lodges . W . Bro . SAVAGE must oppose both the recommendation of the Board , and the motion of Bro . Roxburgh . He thought much inconvenience would result from the adoption of the proposed alteration ;

and as he could not see the utility of referring the matter back to the Board , he should meet the recommendation with a direct negative . He would not sit down , however , without corroborating the view taken by Bro . Binekes as regards the Board of Benevolence . The proceedings of that Board always had been entirely independent of the Board of Masters , and never were submitted to it . The objections on that point , therefore , could have no weight ; but there were others equally important to his mind , which induced him to adopt the course he had just announced .

Bro . BENSON supported the motion , and said the whole matter lay in a nut-shell , though Bro . Roxburgh had contrived to confuse it . Whatever inconveniences might bo involved in altering the day of meeting of the General Committee , they were as nothing compared with the advantage gained by informing country lodges of the questions to be discussed in G . L ., so as to enable them to take part in their discussion . The Constitutions expressly stated that such ought to be the case , and that brethren ought not to be "taken by surprise" as they were at present . Bro . Roxburgh

, talked of " tinkering the laws , " but there was no tinkering equal to that of the Grand Registrar , who acknowledged that he stole his tin from Bro . Warren . ( Hear , hear ; and laughter . ) The amendment was then put , and declared to be carried . REPORT OF COLONIAL BOARjy . E . W . Bro . Col . BURLTON , P . P . G . M . for Bengal , then moved that the following report should be received and entered on the minutes .