Geand Lodge.

fore called upon the Grand Lodge to confirm the minutes ^ and support the decision at which they had previously arrived . Bro . Havers did not know that he should have addressed Grand Lodge at all but for the observations of the ^ revious speaker ; but when he told them that he was an antiquary , he was almost inclined to doubt him , or he must have known that at the time of the Union there were far more Mark Masons in

England than at the present time . Were they to suppose the Committee who had arranged that act , and H . It . H . who had sanctioned it , would have declared that Ancient Freemasonry consisted of three degrees , and no more , without good cause ? It was clear that they well knew what the Mark consisted of ; and having rejected it , were they now to be called on , after a lapse of forty years , to restore it ? He felt that they ought not ; and that the Board of General Purposes did not consider it essential , was shown by the fact that they proposed to leave the

Brethren to take it or not , and to charge 7 s . 6 d . for an additional certificate . At the time of the appointment of the Committee , he believed that it was a portion of Arch Masonry , but he now knew to the contrary . He had himself lately taken the degree , and though he admitted there was nothing inconsistent with Masonry in it , and that it might prove a graceful addition to the Fellow Crafts degree , he felt he could not , without violating his obligation , vote for the disturbance of the arrangements entered into at the Union , and he must therefore support the motion of Bro . Henderson .

The G . M . seeing that the Book of Constitutions called upon all Masters to declare that no man , or body of men , could make innovations in the tenets of Freemasonry , and that by the Act of Union their Order was declared to consist of three degrees , arid no more , could not do otherwise than record his vote in favour of the non-confirmation of the minutes . The question was then put , and the motion of Bro . Henderson for the nonconfirmation of the minutes of Grand Lodge with regard to the Mark Degree carried by a large majority .

The remainder of the minutes were then confirmed , as were those relative to the Grand Festival .

THE CHARITIES . The M . W . G . M . rose and said , that their funds were now in so satisfactory a state , that he felt he was justified in moving a vote of a considerable sum in support of the charities of the Order . Great exertions were making to raise funds for the building of a boys' school , and he thought there could not be a more legitimate use of their funds than the assisting such a cause . The girls ' school , too , had but a small balance in its favour , owing to the expenditure

consequent upon the building pf their new schoohhouse ; whilst the funds of the Benevolent Institution for Aged arid Decayed Masons and their Widows were so low , that they had not been able to have an election this year . As the funds of Grand Lodge could now well afford it , he hoped the Brethren would agree with him in the proposition he was about to make ; viz . that £ 1 , 000 be granted to each of the Masonic schools , £ 1 , 000 to the Benevolent Institution for Aged Masons , and £ 500 to the Widows' Annuity Fund . Bro . Dobie seconded the resolution , which was carried by acclamation .

THE BOABD OF GENERAL PURPOSES . A ballot then took place for fourteen members of the Board of General Purposes , and at a later period of the evening was declared as follows : —Hillman , W . M ., No . 18 , 175 ; W . P . Scott , W . M ., No . 2 , 159 ; Green , W . M ., No . 212 , 153 ; Burgess , W . M . G . S . L ., 152 ; G . Singer , W . M ., No . 21 , 135 ; Paas , W . M ., No . 30 , 129 ; H . H . Lyall , P . M ., No . 10 , 128 ; J . Symonds , P . M ., No . 275 , 123

G . B . Portal , P . M ., No . 460 , 119 ; D . Gooch , P . M ., No . 38 , 117 ; A . J . "Filer , W . M ., No . 955 , 117 ; Collard , W . M ., No . 209 , 113 ; J . S . Hopwood , P . M ., No . 7 , 112 ; J . Barrett , P . M ., No . 188 , 107 ; Bisgood , P . M ., No . 8 , 107 ; C . L . Webb , P . M ., No . 4 , 100 ; F . Binckes , W . M ., No . 11 , 93 ; E . Kobcrts , P . M ., No . 167 , 82 ; H . G . Warren , P . M ., No . 202 , 78 ; S . B . Wilson , P . M ., No . 147 , 39 ; A . W . Woods , P . M ., No . 54 , 35 ; T . Gole , P . M ., No . 18 , 31 .