Ar00100

THE QUARTERLY COMMUNICATION of GRAND LODGE was held on the 1 st instant , the M . W . G . M . presiding . There was a very full' attendance of Past Grand Officers . Oii the motion of Bro . STMONDS , the minutes of the previous G . L ., so far as concerned the number of votes

for the Benevolent Institution given to Lodges , in consequence of the increased grant , were not confirmed . The M . W . G . M . desired to bring More G . L . a matter personal to himself . A charge had been brought against him in the MASONIC OBSEEVEB of " prostituting to political purposes the principal appointments in G . L . "

This he " indignantly denied , " and quoted instances of Brethren who had been appointed P . G . Ms ., though differing , from himself in politics . So long as he continued G . M ., he claimed the support of G . L ., upon whom , as much as upon himself , these charges were a

reflection . His lordship favored us with several abusive epithets , . which were wholly unnecessary ; and beside the point ,

stated inter alia , that the Observer was " circulated gratuitously ; " a statement which we hope will not induce our subscribers to postpone the payment of their remittances , many of which are long over due . Sir Lucius CUETIS then moved a vote of confidence in the G . M ., which was seconded by the G . R ., and

carried without opposition—we cannot say unanimously , for we observed a very considerable number of Brethren who remained perfectly passive . A petition from VICTORIA , praying for a reduction of fees , was referred to the COLONIAL BOARD . On the motion , that the report of the BOARD OF

GENERAL PUEPOSES be taken as read , Lord CARNARVON asked why the letter from the GRAND SECRETARY to Bro . HARINGTON , which stood on the business paper , before the report of the Board , had been altogether passed over ? Bro . HAVERS , as well as the G . M ., said that no motion could be made upon it , unless due notice were given .

Lord CARNARVON bowed to the decision of the G . M ., but remarked that a vote of confidence in the G . M ., without any notice , had just been permitted . Bro . WHITMORE said the business ought to be taken in the order in which it was set down on the paper . The G . M . refused to allow any motion to be made

upon the G . Secretary ' s letter , without notice . The Bev . Bro . PORTAL rose to order , and instanced several cases in whic'h motions on papers regularly before G . L ., had been made without previous notice . The GRAND REGISTRAR said that it was only in cases

in which action was to be taken , that such motions could be made . These letters were merely laid before G . L . for information . The subject then dropped . The Rev . Bro . PORTAL , moved a resolution that P . G . Lodges ought to be held annually , either by the P . G . M .

or his Deputy ; and was proceeding to refer to the case of BUCKS and BERKS , where no P . G . L . has been held for several years , when he was interrupted by the G . M . who stated that he had received an ' assurance from Lord DowNSHiRE that a P . G . L . should be held annually . The motion was then withdrawn .

Bro . ' WHITMORE Drought forward a motion for enabling any member of G . L . to move the adoption of the whole , or a part , of any report before it : also to permit an amendment ( if relevant ) being moved without previous notice .

A somewhat lively discussion followed , the G . R . distinguishing himself by his interruption of the speakers below the Dais , and the Executive contradicting each other as to a difference of opinion having existed between the G . M . and the G . R . upon the state of the law . Finally , the motion was agreed to , with an unimportant amendment , and G . L . was closed at half-past ten .

Ar00101

THE M . W . G . M . has denied , in no measured terms , the imputation conveyed in our last number— -that politics , rather than the welfare of the Craft , influenced