A SPECIAL Grand Lodge of the English Free- : masons was held on the 3rd January at Free- ! masons' Hall, London, to receive and consider | the Report of the Special Committee appointed by Grand Lodge on the 6th September last, on the most appropriate mode of commemorating the ; thankfulness of the Freemasons for the safe re- turn from India of their Grand Master, H.R.H.

The PRINCE OF WALES. The EARL OF CARNARVON, Pro Grand Master, presided; and there were also present, The EARL OF DONOUGHMOBE, S.G.W., Mr. F. PATTISON, J.G.W., The Right Hon. LORD LEIGH, D.G.M., The Right Hon. LOUD DE | TABLED, The Right Hon. The EARL OF LIMERICK, Mr. SAMUEL TOMKINS, Grand Treasurer, Mr.

JE. J. MclNTfRE, Q.C., G.R., and about 600 other members of the craft.

After the usual preliminary business had been transacted, the Grand Secretary read the following Report of the Special Committee:— " The Committee have carefully considered the matters submitted to them, and beg to report as follows:— " 1st. That the sum of 4.000Z. be voted for THE ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION for the purpose of founding two Life-boat stations in perpetuity, and in such localities on the English coast as the Sub-Committee hereafter mentioned shall decide.

" 2nd. That a Sub-Committee, consisting of the Most Worshipful the Pro Grand Master, the Right Worshipful the Dep. Grand Master, and the Right Worshipful the Senior Grand Warden, be ap- pointed to wait on the Secretary of THE ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, with full powers to arrange all matters as to locality, detail, &c.

" 3rd. That a memorial tablet be erected in Grand Lodge in commemoration of the event." The EARL OF CARNARVON' then rose, and was received with loud and long-continued ap- plause. He said, after some preliminary re- marks, "Brethren, as you all know well, my general duty in this chair, and my general desire when I am there, is to discharge simply the duty of a speaker, so to say, in this Grand Lodge. I desire, as a rule, to offer no personal opinion, and to influence in no degree the resolutions to which you may ultimately come. My general duty, to which I desire to confine myself, is so to regulate the order of your proceed- ings that they may be conducted with that pro- priety and that dignity which befits this, the general and the great meeting in which the whole of Freemasonry in England is represented and finds its voice. This evening, under very excep- tional circumstances, I pass beyond that limit, and take upon myself, as the Chairman of a Special Committee appointed by you, to make a special and exceptional recommendation to this Grand Lodge. Well, now, the proposal I have to make to you, brethren, on behalf of the Com- mittee is simply this: it is that we should esta- blish—not for a few years, not at the mere sport of the wind and waves, to be worn and torn away, and to disappear after a time, even after a brief career, but to last in perpetuity, and to record so long as the waters wash the shores of Great Bri- tain, the intention and the purpose of this Grand Lodge—that we should establish two Life-boats in honour of the return of the PRINCE OF WALES.

Brethren, I have gone carefully into the matter, and 1 find that by an arrangement with that most admirable and patriotic Institution, the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION, it is in the power of this Grand Lodge to found no less than two Life- boats in absolute perpetuity. The cost of a Life- boat will interest Grand Lodge, and therefore I will give them the figures. The cost of a Life- boat, with transporting-carriage and full equip- ment of stores, is assumed to be about 6001. Then there is the boat-house to be erected, so that it may be permanently housed from decay. That represents the sum of 3001. or 4001. more; in all, say 1,0001. But there then comes the question of maintenance; and the maintenance cannot be put at much less than 701. a year; in other words, about 2,0002. additional, assuming money at 3 j per cent. You perceive therefore that at that rate two Life-boats would cost no less than 6,0001.

But, by private communications which we have had with the Life-boat Institution, they, whose operations of course extend over a very much larger area, can afford it at a lesser rate than we could if we undertook to supply two Life-boats for ourselves. They are, therefore, willing to pledge themselves on the strength of their whole funds for 1,0002. to maintain each Life-boat. Therefore the cost of one Life-boat being assumed to be 1,0002., and the maintenance in perpetuity being another 1,0002., it will be pos- sible, if Grand Lodge agrees to this vote of 4,0002., for the two Life-boats to be maintained for ever and a day, in honour of the PRINCE OF WALES' return from India. I am not at all surprised at the liberality of the Life-boat Institution in this matter. N ow, brethren, I am quite aware, as every one must be, that as regards this memorial of the safe journey and return of His Royal Highness, there may be—there are perhaps—many opinions.

One person would like one thing; another person would like another. I would merely put it to them, that each person be content in this matter to forego to a certain degree his own individual opinion. We are met together for a great purpose; we have no private and no selfish interests or objects in it. Let us endea- vour for once to act with absolute and entire unanimity. I think that the foundation in per- petuity of these two Life-boats does satisfy all the conditions at least which I mentioned to you.

It is something special and definite; it is some- thing lasting and permanent; it is unquestionably charitable; it is national as well as Masonic; and no one can doubt that His Royal Highness The PRINCE OF WALES has taken the liveliest in- terest in it, because, on one occasion at least, he presided at a great annual meeting of the Insti- tution, held at the Mansion House. It is possible that it may he said that in this recommendation we are venturing out of the beaten track, and that we should confine ourselves exclusively to some- thing Masonic. Well, let me remind those who think so that even on board of many a ship, labouring in many a gale, there may be many a brother Mason. Those who have heard the howl- ing of the wind during this last week, while we have been enjoying the festive season; those who still more have listened to the touching service in many of our churches, " For those who are in peril at sea,"—still more, those who under such circumstances have had father or mother, brother or sister, relation or friend on board our great ships, will feel that such a grant as I now ask you to make does not really fall beyond the circle of Masonry. It is true that, in a certain sense, such a vote as this appeals beyond Masonry to the whole outside world; and'l for one rejoice when, once in a way, exceptional as it is in this case, we can put forth a hand to the outer world —that we can show that we are united to it by common ties of humanity and sympathy; that we can positively and practically contradict the calumnies which have been so often urged against our Order—that it is a mere selfish body, actuated by selfish motives and selfish feelings—I rejoice to give a practical proof in refutation of such an unworthy calumny as that, and I earnestly trust that you will, if possible, give this proposal your cordial and unanimous approval. I ask this not for the sake of the Committee, not for the sake of the chair from which I now address you, but specially for the sake of the particular object we have in view—our illustrious Grand Master, with whom that object is indissolubly connected, and for whose sake 1 would not have, if it was pos- sible, the slightest difference of opinion on the subject.

LORD LEIGH, Provincial Grand Master for Warwickshire, in seconding the motion, said that, although he would have to say but very few words, the brethren must permit him, on his own part, and on behalf of the Province over which he had the extreme honour of presiding for some twenty-six years past, to express the great pleasure it had given him to hear the resolution that had been proposed, and which emanated from the committee which was formed to take into consideration this very important subject.

He entirely agreed with the remarks the Pro Grand Master had made in his admirable address, concerning the proposed memorial in honour of the successful and happy return of their illus- trious Grand Master to this country.

An amendment was moved and seconded by two of the brethren, urging a memorial in a Masonic form, but the amendment was withdrawn, and the original motion was afterwards, amid loud cheers, carried unanimously..