THE APPEAL OF BRO. LO UIS. disturb the harmony and union should be deprecated , and that Grand Lodge should do all in its power to cement it. " We do not desire to see men Grand Lodge did well in adopting unanimousl y the advice of Grand admitted into our ranks, and especially in our colonies and possessions Registrar in respect of the appeal by a Bro. Lot'is, P.D.G.W. Bengal, abroad , where are to be found people of nil creeds, and nationalities, and against the sentence of suspension passed upon him by the District Grand castes, who cannot agree to differ. There ought to be no persons in our Master of Bengal in December last. The circumstances, so far as we lod ges who cannot be called to order without repudiating the obligations understand them , and as they were described by Grand Registrar, appear they have contracted and attacking those who are placed in authority over to us to fully justif y the course pursued by the District Grand Master. them. It is evident , as Bro. FEN .Y suggested, that Bro. Louis in pub- There is, as our readers are aware, a Bengal Masonic Benevolent Institu- lishing these letters —which he had received privately—" had shown a tion in Calcutta, which is supported by the voluntary contributions of the rankling spirit ," and for this reason , as well as for the weightier reasons we brethren , and also by those of many non-Masons. It was proposed to have cited , we are glad that his appeal against his suspension has been make certain alterations in the by-laws of this Institution , but the District dismissed. Grand Master considered such alterations would not be attended by bene- ficial consequences to the Charity, and set f orth his reasons lor so thinking PRO VINC IAL GRAND LODGE OF in a circular wh i ch he addressed to the subscribers , and one of which , by accident , reached the hands of a non-Mason. At thc Quarterl y Communi- GLOUCESTERSHIRE. cation of the District Grand Lodge in June of last year, at which , in the A meeting of the above Prov. Grand Lodge was held on Wednesday, absence on furlough in England of the Dist. G.M., HOMAS his Deputy, Bro. T the ist inst., at Cirencester, under the presidency of Bro. the Right Hon. J OXES, presided , Bro. Lours rosefor the purpose of calling thebre'hren 's atten- Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, Bart., M.P. The lodge was held at the Corn tion to the circular of the District Grand Master, but as thc matter was not on Hall , which was handsomely fitted up for the occasion. The banners of the the agenda, the Acting District Grand Masterruledhimoutof order, and Bro. lodges in the province adorned the wall in thc following order :—Royal Louis sat down. The latter then appealed to United Grand Lodge, but the Faith and Friendshi p Lodge, No. 270 ; Royal Union Lodge, No. 246 j Foundation Lod ge, No. 82 ; Royal Lebanon Lod ge, No. ; Cotteswold late Grand Secretary, Bro. Col. SHADWELL H. CLERKE , wrote a letter in 493 , ; Sherborne Lodge, No. ; St. 's Lodge, No. ; which he pointed out that District Grand Lod Lodge, No. 592 702 John 761 ge had no power or right to Royal Gloucestershire Lodge, No. S39; Lodge of Sympathy, No. S55 ; St. deal with any matter relating to the Bengal Masonic Benevolent Institution , George's Lodge, No. 900 ; Prince of Wales Lodge, No. 951; Zetland which was a private society or body supported by the voluntary subscri ptions Lodge, No. 1005 *, Royal Forest of Dean Lodge, No. 1067 ; Tyndall Lodge, of private individuals , both Masons and non-Masons. Here, in accordance No. 1,363; and Hicks-Beach Lodge, No. 2407. with the dictates of reason and common sense, the matterthould have ended , Prior to the opening of the Prov. Grand Lodge a lodge of recreation was held at thc seat of the Ri ht Mon. Earl Bathurst, in his lordshi 's park. but Bro. Lours appears to have had, not one, but sundry grievances, and g p About 150 of the brethren availed themselves of the invitation , and this though he had been obliged to acquiesce firstly in District Grand Lodge, proved a most enjoyable feature of the day's proceedings. when the District Grand Master in the chair had ruled him out of order, and At half-past three o' clock thc Prov. Grand Lodge was opened in the secondly, when the late Grand Secretary of England had pointed out that Corn Hall , when the attendance was very large. The Prov. Grand Master District Grand Lodge had nothing to do with matters concerning a private presided , and he was supported by the following Prov. Grand Officers : institution , he was by no means satisfied. Hc, too, must needs issue a Bros. R. V. Vassar-Smith, D.P.G.M. ; Genera l Vizard , P.S.G.W. ; R. W. Northcott , P. J.G.W.; Rev. Chris. V. Childe , P.G. Chap.; J. Nay-smith , circular of some 12 closely-printed pages, in which he gave a version of what P.G. Reg. ; T. Nelson Foster , P.G. Treas. ; J. B. Winterbotham , P.G. had passed in District Grand Lodge which differed materially from the Sec ; J. W. Drew, P.S.G.D. ; Robert Anderson , jun., P. f.G.D. ; R. [. official version. It also contained letters which he had received from Weston , P.G.S. of W.; Dr. Needham , P.G.D. of C; ' Dr. Camp bell , different brethre n in reply to his request for their version of what P.A.G.D. of C; William Heath , P.G.S.B. ; ]. P. Thomas , P.G. Std. Br. ; had occurred , and one of these brethren said he understood that his S. W. Hadingham , P.G. Std. Br. ; E. G. Woodward , P.G. Org. ; Henry Sidney Bloodworth and William Rice letter was a private communication , and was much surprised on T. Jew, P.G.P. ; and |. A. Goold , , , iimling P.G. Stwds. it was published in this circular without his (the writer's) consent. The lodge having been opened in the usual manner, the first business was Lastly, Bro. Loris made several charges against the District Grand Master, the confirmation of the minutes of the Prov. Grand Lodge held at Dursley who had been away in England, and was fain to admit that at least in one on May 19th , 1S91. The next business on the agenda . was to receive the rase he had distributed his circular , which dealt with matters that had report of the Prov. Grand Treasurer. occurred in District Grand Lodge, among non-Masons. On being called Bro. T. N. FOSTER then submitted a detailed statement , which showed were ^idi and the year closed with a balance in hand upon to give an explanation of his extraordinary that the receipts 5s., conduct , Bro. Loeis of about £ix. appears to have admitted what it was impossible to deny, audio have offered The Report of the Charity Committee was presented by Bro . R. V. a feeble defence of what was in fact quite indefensible. In the result the V ASSAR -SMITH , D.P.G .M. After devoting a considerable sum to Masonic Ih'st, Grand Master suspended him from all his Masonic rights and privileges, Charities there was a balance in hand of £ 115 12s. 4d. ) and United Grand Lodge by its action on the ist instant has now full y The D EI *. P ROV . G RAM M ASTER reminded the brethren that Sir at the annual Festival of the Boys' indorsed such suspension. Wc are well pleased this has been done. We Michael would this year preside Institution , and expressed a hope that he would be well supported on that know nothing whatever of Bro. Louis, and it is impossible , there- fore occasion. , we could write otherwise than impartiall y, wh»n we point Bro. T. Nelson was then formally proposed and unanimously re-elected 0||I that in the interests of Freemasonry it is absolutely necessary Treasurer , and the vacancy caused by the death of Bro. Phillips was filled "•at the authority of our rulers should be upheld. If every time by thc unanimous election of Bro . Window, 855, as Prov. G. Tyler. ¦1 brother with a grievance is taken to task by a presiding officer for bringing The Charily votes having been passed , Bro. R. V. V ASSAR -SMITH of 100 guineas be voted to the Royal Masonic Institution 11 forward irregularly, he is to set himself up against that officer 's authority, moved that the sum for Boys, to endow thc chair of the Prov. Grand Master in perpetuity, in ra" in question at an improper lime and in an improper manner the ac celebration of this year being the fourth occasion Sir Michael would preside cui*acy of official records, utilise for his own purposes letters which in one at the Festival. The roll of the lodges was then called , and thc respective •*sc certainly were considered and intended to be private, and make reports proved that Masonry in the province was generally in a flourishing ^"¦ges against officers of still higher rank than the aforesaid presiding <*eit,Ait ,n,i "Wr pro f em,, there must be an end to all order and disci line. No At the conclusion of this formal business the Prov. Grand Master then , p appointed and invested the Provincial Grand Officers °ciety, which lays claim to be respected b in an able manner, y the general body politic, can for the ensuing year as follows : °rcl to allow the authority of its officers to be set at naught.