Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
India.
Fund of Benevolence . Balance from Vast audit 5 , 600 0 0 Received during this quarter 1 , 274 4 0 Total to credit 6 , 874 4 0 Deduct disbursed during this quarter 1 , 271 9 6 Balance , of which rs . 5600 are invested in
, Government Secnrities , viz .: — rs . 5 , 000 of 5 per cent . Loan , and rs . 600 of 5 J percent . Loan 5 , 602 10 6 The committee have had under consideration a proposal made by one of their members , having for its object an alteration in the mode of calculation of the dues from the Calcutta . Lodges to the District Grand Lodge under the head of " 10 per cent ,
on collections . " Under the present system , the D . G . Sec . is obliged to accept as correct whatever may be put down in tbe return from any Lodge . He is wholly unable to check the item as he does any other entry in a return . The committee have no reason to believe that there is any less liability to error in the calculation of this item than in any of the others which go to make up the ordinary Lodge return ; and , looking to the frequency with which mistakes occur under heads which the D . G . Sec . is able to check , they think it very desirable that some mode of calculation should be adopted , which should enable that
officer to examine the correctness of this portion of a Lodge return in the same way as he is able to do with the other heads . There has been some difference of opinion amongst the members of this committee as to the way in which this object should be attained , and the committee at this date do not find themselves prepared with any definite recommendation to lay before District Grand Lodge on the subject . This , liowever , is of less importance from the fact that the District Grand Secretary has
announced his intention of moving ( at the ensuing Quarterly Communication of District Grand Lodge ) for the appointment of a Committee to report as to whether any revisions in the District Grand Lodge Bye-laws are necessary . The finance committee will therefore make known their views regarding this portion of the code to the bye-law committee , should it be appointed ; and they have no doubt as to the careful consideration which the subject will receive at their hands .
It has been brought to the notice of the committee that many complaints are made concerning the state of the piano in the hanqueting-room . The committee believe that , during the ensuing quarter , they will be able to make arrangements by which a better instrument may be secured . H . H . LOCKE . District Grand Secretary . 23 rd June , 1868 .
It was proposed by Bro . L . A . Goodeve , and seconded by Wor . Bro . J . P . Kennedy : — " That the foregoing report of the finance committee be adopted . " Carried unanimously . The following report of the Grand Committee of the Bengal Masonic Fund of Benevolence was read for tbe information of the District Grand Lodge , and was ordered to be recorded : — " Tbe subjoined Report of the working of the Fund during
Quarter ending 31 st May , has been received from the Executive Committee : — During the past quarter there have been no new grants made from the Fund . One grant of Rs . 30 a month has been proposed , but the arrangements for ensuring the observance of the conditions under which the grant was made are not yet completed . The following pensions were sanctioned : —
For March ... 1 at Rs . 80 , 6 at Rs . 20 , 4 at Rs . 16 . „ April ... 1 „ 80 , 6 „ 20 , 4 „ 16 . „ May ... I „ 80 , 5 „ 20 , 2 „ 16 . An application to renew the pension of Rs . 20 lapsing in April has already been received . A similar application for tbe renewal of one of the pensions of Rs . 16 may be expected . With regard to the other lapsed pension , the recipient asked for , and obtained , a grant of Rs . 25 to enable her to join her son up-country , where she will be maintained without further assistance from this fund .
The pensions of Rs . 80 is granted to a lady ( widow of a Mason , late of Calcutta ) now residing in England . Of the six pensions of Rs . 20 each , five are to widows in Calcutta , and one to a widow iu Dacca . Of the four pensions of Rs . 16 , two are
India.
to widows in Calcutta , one to a Mason ' s daughter * in Calcutta , and one to a Mason ' s daughter in Patna . One brother in the Azimgurh District applied for assistance but to afford him the relief he required was far beyond the power of our limited fund , and it appeared to the Executive Committee that to start a man iu business on a large scale was foreign to the purpose and intention of the fund . They were
therefore obliged to refuse this application . The balance which the fund has to its credit is Rs . 5 , 602-10-6 of which Rs . 5 , 600 are invested in Government paper , viz ., Rs . 5 , 000 in 5 per cent ., and Rs . 600 in the 5 J per cent . loan . The District Grand Secretary announced that the next business to be brought before the District Grand Lodge was the consideration of the following motions by tbe Right Worshiful District Grand Masterof which due notice had been
p , given , as required by Arts . 20 and 21 of the District Grand Lodge by-laws : — " 1 st . —That inasmuch as the present year completes a quarter of a century during which the Right Hon . the Earl of Zetland has presided over the United Grand Lodge of Antient and Accepted Masons of England , as Most Worshipful Grand Master , a congratulatory address be submitted from this District Grand Lodge as a token of the esteem and regard which are
entertained for his lordship by the Freemasons working under his rule in Bengal . " " 2 nd . " - —( In event of the above being carried ) , "That the following brethren be solicited to form themselves into a committee to draw a suitable address and submit the same for approval at the next Quarterly Communication of this District Grand Lodge : — The Deputy District Grand Master .
W . Bro . J . B . Roberts , The District Grand Wardens , W . Bro . S . Fenn , The District Grand Registrar , The District Grand Secretary , with power to add to their number . "
The District Grand Master , in moving the first of these resolutions , said : — " The resolution which I have the pleasure to propose may stand on its own merits . It needs no advocacy from the proposer , nor does it involve any probability of a discussion . Our Most Worshipful Grand Master has entered upon the 25 th year of his Masonic reign , and it would be impossible to dispute the fact that he has presided over the Craft with very great
success , and that he fully possesses the esteem and regard , and the most complete confidence of the thousands of Masons who range under his banner in all parts of the world . You will have noticed in the printed proceedings of the Grand Lodge of England , that a project has been set on foot to pay a general tribute of regard to his lordship . The proposition which I am now making need in no way interfere with our joining with others in whatever scheme may be adopted to this
end by our brethren in England ; but seeing that Bengal is a very large and important district under his lordship ' s rnle , and that loyalty to constituted authority is among Freemasons a leading characteristic in which we should be unwilling to yield the palm to any , our Grand Master will in all likelihood feel gratified at receiving direct from his Masonic brethren in this Province an assurance of their respect and fraternal regard . I
cannot perhaps better summarize the benefits which have accrued to the Craft during his lordship ' s reign , than by reading an extract from the printed proceedings of the last Quarterly Communication of the Grand Lodge of England , in which are given the expressions made use of by the brother who proposed his re-election as Grand Master for the ensuing year . "For 24 years , " he said , "that noblemen had faithfull y the duties of his hih office
discharged g , and in a few words he would call the attention of the brethren to the unexampled prosperity of the Craft throughout that period . He would not weary Grand Lodge with mere statistics , but would give the results , that brethren might judge for themselves . It was a generally received opinion that good government is best shewn by increase of numbers and increase in material resources . It was gratifying to find that such was the result and this result afforded a double satisfaction to the governed and those who governed . The antiquity of the Order
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
India.
Fund of Benevolence . Balance from Vast audit 5 , 600 0 0 Received during this quarter 1 , 274 4 0 Total to credit 6 , 874 4 0 Deduct disbursed during this quarter 1 , 271 9 6 Balance , of which rs . 5600 are invested in
, Government Secnrities , viz .: — rs . 5 , 000 of 5 per cent . Loan , and rs . 600 of 5 J percent . Loan 5 , 602 10 6 The committee have had under consideration a proposal made by one of their members , having for its object an alteration in the mode of calculation of the dues from the Calcutta . Lodges to the District Grand Lodge under the head of " 10 per cent ,
on collections . " Under the present system , the D . G . Sec . is obliged to accept as correct whatever may be put down in tbe return from any Lodge . He is wholly unable to check the item as he does any other entry in a return . The committee have no reason to believe that there is any less liability to error in the calculation of this item than in any of the others which go to make up the ordinary Lodge return ; and , looking to the frequency with which mistakes occur under heads which the D . G . Sec . is able to check , they think it very desirable that some mode of calculation should be adopted , which should enable that
officer to examine the correctness of this portion of a Lodge return in the same way as he is able to do with the other heads . There has been some difference of opinion amongst the members of this committee as to the way in which this object should be attained , and the committee at this date do not find themselves prepared with any definite recommendation to lay before District Grand Lodge on the subject . This , liowever , is of less importance from the fact that the District Grand Secretary has
announced his intention of moving ( at the ensuing Quarterly Communication of District Grand Lodge ) for the appointment of a Committee to report as to whether any revisions in the District Grand Lodge Bye-laws are necessary . The finance committee will therefore make known their views regarding this portion of the code to the bye-law committee , should it be appointed ; and they have no doubt as to the careful consideration which the subject will receive at their hands .
It has been brought to the notice of the committee that many complaints are made concerning the state of the piano in the hanqueting-room . The committee believe that , during the ensuing quarter , they will be able to make arrangements by which a better instrument may be secured . H . H . LOCKE . District Grand Secretary . 23 rd June , 1868 .
It was proposed by Bro . L . A . Goodeve , and seconded by Wor . Bro . J . P . Kennedy : — " That the foregoing report of the finance committee be adopted . " Carried unanimously . The following report of the Grand Committee of the Bengal Masonic Fund of Benevolence was read for tbe information of the District Grand Lodge , and was ordered to be recorded : — " Tbe subjoined Report of the working of the Fund during
Quarter ending 31 st May , has been received from the Executive Committee : — During the past quarter there have been no new grants made from the Fund . One grant of Rs . 30 a month has been proposed , but the arrangements for ensuring the observance of the conditions under which the grant was made are not yet completed . The following pensions were sanctioned : —
For March ... 1 at Rs . 80 , 6 at Rs . 20 , 4 at Rs . 16 . „ April ... 1 „ 80 , 6 „ 20 , 4 „ 16 . „ May ... I „ 80 , 5 „ 20 , 2 „ 16 . An application to renew the pension of Rs . 20 lapsing in April has already been received . A similar application for tbe renewal of one of the pensions of Rs . 16 may be expected . With regard to the other lapsed pension , the recipient asked for , and obtained , a grant of Rs . 25 to enable her to join her son up-country , where she will be maintained without further assistance from this fund .
The pensions of Rs . 80 is granted to a lady ( widow of a Mason , late of Calcutta ) now residing in England . Of the six pensions of Rs . 20 each , five are to widows in Calcutta , and one to a widow iu Dacca . Of the four pensions of Rs . 16 , two are
India.
to widows in Calcutta , one to a Mason ' s daughter * in Calcutta , and one to a Mason ' s daughter in Patna . One brother in the Azimgurh District applied for assistance but to afford him the relief he required was far beyond the power of our limited fund , and it appeared to the Executive Committee that to start a man iu business on a large scale was foreign to the purpose and intention of the fund . They were
therefore obliged to refuse this application . The balance which the fund has to its credit is Rs . 5 , 602-10-6 of which Rs . 5 , 600 are invested in Government paper , viz ., Rs . 5 , 000 in 5 per cent ., and Rs . 600 in the 5 J per cent . loan . The District Grand Secretary announced that the next business to be brought before the District Grand Lodge was the consideration of the following motions by tbe Right Worshiful District Grand Masterof which due notice had been
p , given , as required by Arts . 20 and 21 of the District Grand Lodge by-laws : — " 1 st . —That inasmuch as the present year completes a quarter of a century during which the Right Hon . the Earl of Zetland has presided over the United Grand Lodge of Antient and Accepted Masons of England , as Most Worshipful Grand Master , a congratulatory address be submitted from this District Grand Lodge as a token of the esteem and regard which are
entertained for his lordship by the Freemasons working under his rule in Bengal . " " 2 nd . " - —( In event of the above being carried ) , "That the following brethren be solicited to form themselves into a committee to draw a suitable address and submit the same for approval at the next Quarterly Communication of this District Grand Lodge : — The Deputy District Grand Master .
W . Bro . J . B . Roberts , The District Grand Wardens , W . Bro . S . Fenn , The District Grand Registrar , The District Grand Secretary , with power to add to their number . "
The District Grand Master , in moving the first of these resolutions , said : — " The resolution which I have the pleasure to propose may stand on its own merits . It needs no advocacy from the proposer , nor does it involve any probability of a discussion . Our Most Worshipful Grand Master has entered upon the 25 th year of his Masonic reign , and it would be impossible to dispute the fact that he has presided over the Craft with very great
success , and that he fully possesses the esteem and regard , and the most complete confidence of the thousands of Masons who range under his banner in all parts of the world . You will have noticed in the printed proceedings of the Grand Lodge of England , that a project has been set on foot to pay a general tribute of regard to his lordship . The proposition which I am now making need in no way interfere with our joining with others in whatever scheme may be adopted to this
end by our brethren in England ; but seeing that Bengal is a very large and important district under his lordship ' s rnle , and that loyalty to constituted authority is among Freemasons a leading characteristic in which we should be unwilling to yield the palm to any , our Grand Master will in all likelihood feel gratified at receiving direct from his Masonic brethren in this Province an assurance of their respect and fraternal regard . I
cannot perhaps better summarize the benefits which have accrued to the Craft during his lordship ' s reign , than by reading an extract from the printed proceedings of the last Quarterly Communication of the Grand Lodge of England , in which are given the expressions made use of by the brother who proposed his re-election as Grand Master for the ensuing year . "For 24 years , " he said , "that noblemen had faithfull y the duties of his hih office
discharged g , and in a few words he would call the attention of the brethren to the unexampled prosperity of the Craft throughout that period . He would not weary Grand Lodge with mere statistics , but would give the results , that brethren might judge for themselves . It was a generally received opinion that good government is best shewn by increase of numbers and increase in material resources . It was gratifying to find that such was the result and this result afforded a double satisfaction to the governed and those who governed . The antiquity of the Order