66 before the passing of the said act, been usually “held under the denomination of a lodge of Free Masons, and in conformity to the rules prevailing 66 among the lodges of Free Masons in this king"dom;" and which affidavit, certified by the magistrate before whom it is taken, must be registered with the sheriff-clerk of the county where the particular lodge holds her meetings, within two calendar months from the 12th of July last: And, 2dly, That one of the presiding officers of the lodge do record with the sheriff-clerk, within the same space, Ist, The name by which the lodge is distinguished; 2d, The place and days of meeting; and 3d, The names and descriptions (designations) of the attending members. AND the Grand Lodge, responsible for the regular conduct of the masons of Scotland, holding of them, which they are firmly persuaded is almost without exception entirely consonant to the principles of the craft; yet, anxious to guard against every intrusion on their ancient and respectable order, or upon her established and accustomed forms, do unanimously resolve, Imo, That every lodge holding of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, shall, within six months from this date, apply for a certificate from the Grand Lodge; which certificate shall bear an express renewal renewal of power to hold masonic meetings, under her sanction and authority; and which shall not be granted without production of evidence to the Most Worshipful the Grand-Master, his Deputy, or Substitute, that the act of Parliament above recited has been literally complied with. And every lodge which shall not, within the said space, demand and obtain such certificate, shall be expunged from the grand roll, have consequently no right thereafter, by her presiding officers, or by proxy, to sit or vote at their meetings, and be deprived of all future protection of the Grand Lodge. 2do, That the said certificate shall be subscribed by the Grand-Master, his Deputy, or Substi tute, and by the Secretary and Clerk for the time, and have the seal of the Grand Lodge appended thereto; for which a fee of five shillings, and no more, at the disposal of the Grand Lodge, shall be exacted. 3tio, That the said certificate shall be there. after applied for, on or before the 25th day of April 1801, and of every succeeding year, and evidence produced, as before mentioned, so long as the said act is in force, under the same certification of being so expunged from the roll in case of failure. 4to, That no such certificate shall be granted, until M m 2 i until all the arrears due to the Grand Lodge be discharged. 5to, That the names of all the lodges who have so obtained certificates shall be annually transmitted to one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, and to the Lord Advocate of Scotland, 6to, That the foregoing resolutions be printed, and copies transmitted to all lodges throughout Scotland holding of the Grand Lodge, that none may pretend ignorance thereof, 7mo, That copies thereof be also transmitted to his Grace the Duke of Athol, and the Right Hon. Henry Dundas, by the Most Worshipful GrandMaster, and he be requested to take that opportunity of expressing the grateful sense the masons of Scotland entertain of their exertions in behalf of the craft. 8vo, That a committee be appointed to wait on the Lord Advocate, with a copy of the said resolutions, and instructed to assure his lordship, that they have a grateful feeling of his lordship's kindness to the masons of Scotland, and will be ready to listen to any other regulations that to him may appear proper to be adopted. The following committee were accordingly named for that purpose:-The Right Hon. and Most Worshipful the Grand-Master, his Substitute, and Brother Campbell of Fairfield. 9n0, That a copy of these resolutions be also transmitted to the Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free Masons in England. AND, lastly, That the thanks of the Grand Lodge are justly due to the Right Honourable and Most Worshipful Sir James Stirling, Bart. their present Grand-Master, for his constant attention to their interests, since his unanimous election to the chair; and more particularly in his correspondence with Mr Secretary Dundas, during the dependence of the late bill in Parliament. LXIV. GRAND ELECTION, Nov. 30, 1799. Sir James Stirling, Bart. Grand-Master. Charles William Earl of Dalkeith, Grand-Master Elect. John Trotter, Esq. of Morton-Hall, Senior Grand-Warden, SEVERAL charters having been applied for, in the course of this year, a doubt was entertained by several members of the Grand Lodge, whether or not they were entitled to grant new charters since the passing of the act concerning the suppression of secret societies. It was agreed to take the advice of counsel, who were of opinion, that no lodge, erected since the 12th of July, was entitled to the benefit of the statute. IN consequence of the escape of our Sovereign from a base attempt upon his life, the Grand Lodge of Scotland, ever attentive to the duties of loyal subjects, prepared the following Address, and presented it to his Majesty. "MAY IT PLEASE YOUR MAJESTY, "WE, your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Grand-Master and other officers of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, with the Masters and Proxies of Lodges, and their Wardens, in Grand Lodge assembled, approach your Majesty's throne, with reflections of horror, in common with all your other affectionate 'subjects, on the possible event of a recent attempt upon the sacred person of your Majesty, of which, but for the proof of that atrocity, we should, for the honour of humanity, have doubted the reality. 66 THE miserable person who made this wicked attack on a life so justly precious to the whole community, must, according to our feelings, have either been visited by the Supreme Being with the |