United Grand Lodge.

deemed advisable to secure the leasing of the Tavern premises on advantageous terms . " R . W . Bro . Sir Joseph Dimsdale , P . G . W ., said that they had taken the matter up as business men . There were several large schemes which they should only be too pleased to entertain had they the money . The report was the result

of deliberation and careful thought . It was a very serious responsibility that Masons had to take . They desired to do all that was possible to develop Grand Lodge and to add to the comfort of the brethren , but their finances were limited , and he believed that many of the brethren in Grand Lodge

were in the same ignorant position that he was himself only a few months ago as regards the position of Grand Lodge . He had a sort of idea that the wealth of Grand Lodge was very large indeed , that if it was a question of desiring to enlarge their place to immediately tell their architect to do so ,

and to pay the bill ; but since he had gone into the financial position , thanks to the very careful letter which was written to him and ultimately brought before the Committee by the Grand Secretary , he now found that schemes which he should have been prepared to support , he could not conscientiously

do so now . They had a reserve which had been built up in the last few years during a period of financial success of the Craft , and which now aggregated at the present price of Consols to some £ 77 , 000 . Surely , as prudent men , they could not recommend an expenditure larger than £ 50 , 000 out of their accumulated fund of £ 77 000 , and it must be borne in

, mind that the £ 50 , 000 as recommended in the Report did not comprise certain fees which of course would have to be paid , and possibly also the acquisition of certain properties . He therefore put the expenditure in meal or malt at something like £ ^ 65 000 . During the last few years they had been

, enabled by careful and judicious management to possess a surplus of something like £ 5 , 000—a little more or a little less—per annum , but if they were going to part with _ £ 65 , ooo of their Consols they immediately parted with £ 1 , 625 ; l year of their income , and for the next year or two , probably , they

would be deriving no income from the Tavern and surrounding properties . He put it to any brother whether he was prepared to go in for a building speculation . They were moral trustees of this heritage , and realising that they did not merely live for themselves but for those who come after them , they had no right to put an incubus upon posterity

which would be very problematic as to how they would be able to meet it in the future . He might be answered that they had a very valuable property to deal with . So they had , but it was only valuable as a going concern . The lirst question that would be asked if any one was going to lend money upon it would be , what was the rental value , and

whether it was sufficient to keep up the interest and the sinking fund . They would find the greatest difficulty in getting a tender unless these questions could be answered satisfactorily- , and they had had the premises vacant for some years now , and had been the losers of so many hundreds a

year . The property was more or less depreciated through being empty , and it had been a little blown upon by applying to people to take leases . Their object in the Report was to make the premises attractive lo a would-be lessee , but above all to make it in every way comfortable for the brethren

generally and worthy of the Craft . If they carried into effect what their architect and surveyor proposed it would be an up-to-date building , and they would lind no difficulty in getting competitors for the lease of the place when it was linished . Bro . Dimsdale concluded by seconding the motion for the adoption of the Report . After some further discussion in which Bros . Col . Clifford

Probyn , P . G . Treas ., Stanley J . Attenborough , P . G . Treas ., and others took part , Bro . Henry Clarke , P . A . G . D . C , moved the adjournment of the debate , and Bro . Strachan stated that the debate having been adjourned , the only question now was when and where it ought to be resumed . He moved that the Grand Secretary be instructed to summon

an Especial Meeting of Grand Lodge at the Queen ' s Hall , on a convenient date , and at such an hour as would allow all the discussion they ought to give to this question . The motion , having been seconded , was put and carried . Bro W . R . Bennett then moved a resolution , of which he

had given notice , that Rule 26 9 of the Book of Constitutions be altered by omitting from the fourth line the words " together with a list of the contributions , " which would have the effect of eliminating from the printed report the full list of the contributions of lodges to Grand Lodge funds .

This having been seconded , Bro . W . F . Lamonby moved an amendment postponing the consideration of the question to the Quarterly Communication in December , which was carried . Grand Lodge was then closed .

The Lord Mayor In Wales.

The Lord Mayor in Wales .

THE Lord Mayor of London , R . W . Bro . Alderman Sir Walter Vaughan Morgan , Bart ., P . G . W ., has been enthusiastically received on his visit to the county town of his native county of Brecknock-. He reached Brecon , accompanied by the Lady Mayoress ( Mis . Hornby Steer ) ,

Sir Henry Geo . Smallman ( Sheriff of the City of London ) , and the Rev . Hornby Steer ( Lord Mayor's Chaplain ) . He was entertained by the Brecknock Lodge of Freemasons at the Shire Hall and the Castle Hall in the evening , and on the following morning the lirst ceremony was the conferring

upon him of the honorary freedom of the borough of Brecon . This commenced at half-past eleven , when his lordship was received at the Guildhall by the Mayor and the members of the Town Council and other notabilities . At the Shire Hall , the Mayor took the chair on the bench

of the Crown Court , and occupying prominent positions in the court were the Lady Mayoress of London , the Mayoress of Brecon , Lady Smallman , and Mr . and Mrs . Septimus Vaughan Morgan . The Mayor of Brecon offered his lordship a hearty

welcome to Brecon . The Lordi Mayor , having taken the freeman ' s oath and subscribed to roll , responded . He said he was especially pleased and proud to accept the honour they had so kindly bestowed upon him . He would preserve that casket with

especial care ior the interest it had for him , in that its wood once formed a part of the building where some of his ancestors lay buried . It was a great number of years since he was removed from his county town , a town which was more than his county town , one in which he always said he completed his education . Because , though , through the

charity of some friends , he received an admirable education at Chiist's Hospital , he always considered that during the four years following which he spent at Brecon he increased his knowledge and completed it . Now , very much to his surprise , became back to the town as Lord Mayor of London .

He little thought when he wore the yellow stockings of Christ's Hospital that he would ever receive any of the honours which had been poured upon him during the current year . He had , as they might suppose , lived an arduous life , and he had always kept one motto , " Whatever I doI do

, with all my power . " It was to that that he attributed any success which he had achieved . This concluded the ceremony of the conferring of the freedom , and at one o ' clock the Mayor of Brecon entertained the Lord Mayor and other guests at luncheon at the Castle

Hotel . In addition to those who were present at the morning ceremony were Lord Glanusk ( the lord-lieutenant of the county ) , the High-Sheriff ( Mr . J . Conway Lloyd ) , and the Mayor of Swansea .