Grand Lodge.

once missed Grand Lodge , but he has always given his services at the laying of foundation stones and other public ceremonies . I have no direct precedent to authorize mo to make this proposition , but I have a precedent which is very well known , I refer to the time when our late illustrious G . M ., the Duke of Sussex , presided over the Craft . It was his royal highness's earnest desire to confer upon our Bro . Jennings the ' office of Grand Deacon ; but he expressed the hope that Bro . Jennings would consider the compliment all the same without being actually appointed to the office , because

he could not dispense with Bro . Jennings' services in the office which ho already held . Bro . Jennings had not then held the office more than eight or nine years , whereas Bro . Chapman has held his office seventeen years . ( Hear , hear . ) The noble lord , after making some further observations as to the honor which this vote would confer on Bro . Chapman , concluded by making his motion . Bro . SAVAGE said , he should second the motion with great pleasure . He fully concurred in all that had been said complimentary to Bro . Chapmanwhom he regarded as eminently deserving of the

, honor ; and he thought the M . W . G . M . had evinced much discrimination in the step he had taken . The Rev . Bro . PORTA r ., while he entirely agreed in all that had been said as to the great and valuable services of Bro . Chapman , still urged Grand Lodge to pause before it affirmed such a proposition as that which was then before them . It was entirely without precedent , and he felt astonished that his lordship ' s advisers , who were generally great sticklers for precedent , should thus have counselled his lordship to fly in the face of all precedent . Had he ( Bro .

Portal ) been in Grand Lodge when his royal highness the late Grand Master expressed the intention to which the M . W . G . M . had referred , he trusted that he ( Bro . Portal ) would have had the courage to express his reasons for differing from his royal highness on that point . If this v / as a precedent which was not to be followed , it would be drawing an invidious distinction between Bro . Chapman on the one hand , and the rest of the Grand Officers who might not be similarly honoured on the other hand . On the contrary , if this was a precedent which was to he followed , and all Assistant Grand Directors of Ceremonies were to be created P . G . Deacons , they would give an impression that this office was not a sufficient reward for the Brethren who served it faithfullv , but that something else

was necessary to make it acceptable to deserving brethren . ( Hear , hear . ) If his lordship had thought that Bro . Chapman ought to have been honored with the office of P . G . Deacon , there had been plenty of opportunities for promoting him to the office of Grand Deacon in the regular way during seventeen years . They would reward his services most unworthily if they disassociated him from the office in which he had gained distinction . What they were now asked to do was to connect him with an office with which he had no more to do than with the office of G . Treas . or G . Chaplain , and

would compel him to carry a falsehood on his front for the rest of his life . ( Hear , hear . ) He would therefore propose as an amendment : That a jewel of the office of Asst . G . Dir . of Ceremonies be presented to Bro . Chapman , as a token of the appreciation in which his past services are held by the G . M . and the Craft at large . Bro . Lord VAI . LETOW ^ WI IO was very indistinctly heard , was understood to say that he seconded the amendment , because ho thought that the badge to be presented to Bro . Chapman should be one which would have the effect of calling attention to the duties he

had performed as Grand Officer for many years past , rather than one which was in no way connected with the services he had rendered to the Craft . ( Hear , hear . ) Bro . ARIA appreciated Bro . Chapman ' s services , and did hot see the force of Bro . Portal ' s observations . The fact that this motion was without precedent was no reason why the G . M . should not suggest it . As to Bro . Chapman not having been promoted to the office of Deacon , the reason of that was obvious—the G . M . did not wish to be deprived of his services as Assist . G . Dir . of Cers ., as it

might have been difficult to find a suitable successor . Bro . SINGER said that if the amendment was lost he should move that words to that effect be added to his lordship's motion . Bro . MASON , without at all undervaluing Bro . Chapman ' s services , agreed with the proposition of Bro . Portal . If they passed the motion proposed from the chair they would be doing something radically wrong , and totally inconsistent with Masonic truth . ( Hear , hcar . 1 They would call Bro . Chapman a Past Grand Deacon when he had never been a Grand Deaconand this would be a falsehood

, . They might as well create him a P . G . Chaplain . The motion was inconsistent with truth , it was inconsistent with logic , and it was inconsistent with fact . On this ground he should support Bro . Portal ' s amendment . Bro . BINCKES supported the amendment , questioning the power of Grand Lodge to carry the resolution itself . It ought not to be

deemed derogatory to the dignity of any man , whatever his position , to hold any office in Grand Lodge , however humble that office might bo . Bro . HAVERS denied that this proposal was without precedent . As to the remarks of another Brother he could scarcely have read the Book of Constitutions , page 18 , where it said , ¦ ' Brethren of eminence and ability , who have rendered service to the Craft , may , by a vote of the Grand Lodge , duly confirmed , be constituted members of the Grand Lod with such rank and distinction as

ge , may be thought proper . " He was told that this was to carry with it a positive lie on some part of Bro . Chapman ' s person . ( Laughter . ) Nothing could be more contrary to fact , and he thought they ought to support the motion as a graceful recognition of Bro . Chapman ' s services * The M . W . G . M . replied . The case was not altogether without precedent ; for they now made Brethren P . G . Wardens when they wished to confer upon them distinction . What was now proposed

was merely a nominal rank as a token of acknowledgement of past services—of distinguished services on the part of the worthy Brother . He did not ask this as n personal favour , and as to the question of precedent , they would not be likely ever again to have a Brother fill the office for seventeen years . ( Hear , hear . ) Bro . PORTAL ' S amendment was then read and put , and the show of hands in its favour was a very decided majority of the Brethren present .

A division being demanded and taken , the numbers were declared to be : — For the amendment ... ... 102 Against it » 88 I * The amendment was declared to-be-carried , and this announcement was greeted writh loud ' applause from the majority .

BOARD OP GENERA-E PURPOSES . The scrutineers here entered and made their report , declaring the election to have fallen on the-following Brethren;—Beach , W . M , No . 9 95 186 ; Adlard , P . M ., No . 1 125 Young , W . M , No . 72 126- Bisgood , P . M , No , 8 ... ¦ 119 Grissell , W . SL , No . 14 184 Symonds , P . M ., No . 21 .. 108 Wheeler , W . M ., No . 324 HI Muckes , P . M-, No : U > . 94 ? Dart , W . M ., No . 1 103 ¦ * Blake ; P : M , No : 1 ! 86

Slight , W . M ., No . 233 102 Webb , P . M :, No ; 41 ...,..,..,..,.... % Kynaston , W . M ., No . 06 -99 Roberts , P . M :,. NOJ 15 ? ,,.,, j ,- g The following votes . wer . e recorded'for the unstrccessfW candidates Haivard , W . M , No . 10 S' .-,. ;; .-, 7 S I Barnes , P . M .., No . 30 . ! e ' s Whitmore , W . M ., No . 329 "' - .. -.. 6 ? Bradford , EM , No 54 C 9 Baxter , W . M ., No . S 55 Truman , P . M ., No . 5 .,. ' 5 a Nutt , W . » r ., No . 32 . 49 WilsonJamPM 70 ' 48

, , -., .., No . .... Warren , W . M , No . 169 as . Adams , P : M ., No , 206 ...... ' 35 Lance , W . M , No . IS „ .... 30 ' Gurton , P . M ; , No . 211 . ' 30 Stone , W . M ., No . l 9 26- Head , P . M ., No . 205 .. " ' G Bennett , W . M , No . 25

Camming , W . M , No . 2 SS II " ^^; , ?? , "'W ^ J'returncrl' in elTor , tho Book of Constitutions saying , Not can a Mas er and Past . Master , or more thaa one Past Master of the same Lodge , be elected on the same Board . " The M . W . G . M . then nominated the following Brethren as Tnwh ? 'J" Board p Bros . Havers , Presided ; Roxburgh \ V . H . White , P . Scott , Hopwood , Hervey , S . B . Wilson , Jennings bvans , and J . Smith . B

THE COLONIAL BOAaD . The undermentioned Brethren were elected on the Colonial Board , no others being nominated : —John Hervey PM No 7 J . S . S . Hopwood , P . M , No . 7 ; G . Lambert , P . M ., No . 234 ' - James Mason , P . M ., No . 165 ; M . H . Shuttleworth , P . M ., No 005 . Willrim Stone , W M ., No . 19 ; G . Wilkinson , P . M ., No . 21 . The M . W . G . M . nominated the three following Brethren on the Board : —Bros . EvansPresidentRawsonand Smith

, ; , J . . Bro Hervey was also nominated as V . P . COMMITTEE OF BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION . The undermentioned Brethren were next elected on the Com rmttee of Management for the Royal Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and their Widows , no others being nominated- —