Some, no doubt, on the European continent have used Masonry as a cloak for political intrigue and have thus been guilty of the blackest of treason against our fraternity. But happily such a thing is absolutely unknown in the English Craft.

Let Masonry be judged by its works; Its aims are all in favour of enlightenment and progress. Without desiring to depart from the practice of that charity which we all profess to admire. I would call your attention to the significant fact that borne most active foes are precisely those who openly denounce the fairest fruits of modern civilization the right of private judgment, free enquiry and toleration.

What is our institution? It does not require to base its claim to respect on in iquity of its legends or any supposed connections with the mysteries of the ancient world. These matters belong to the fanciful speculations of a pre scientific age. We need not seek an origin beyond the operative Guilds of medieval times, out of which ‘Speculative Masonry’ has developed in harmony with modern thought, based on the three Grand Principles of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. The Craft well comes within its body, all good men and true, meeting on a common ground in the belief which has done the most to ennoble humanity. The secrecy which we enjoin is but a guard to those privileges which we desire to secure to those who are alone worthy of them. The success which our Brotherhood has met with, is no doubt, owing to the fact that it satisfies a natural craving of the human heart that all religious and political discussions, the two most fertile sources of dissension strictly forbidden within its walls.

Though one of our chief aims is Charity, ours is much more than a mere charitable institution. I claim that freemasonry is the only social organization which has ever yet succeeded in carrying into practice without any revolutionary taint, that sublime idea of fraternity among nations – A Universal Brotherhood and would point to the present gathering representing such diverse races, castes, and creeds as a striking illustration of the fact.

One of the first duties of a mission is to be a good citizen, for freemasonry is ever on the side of peace, of order and of legally constituted authority. Its importance for this country is in indubitably lies in the fact that it spreads abroad the principles of truth tolerance and teaches unswerving loyalty to the Crown. I venture to assert that it is an enormous social and in the wider sense of term, political force, which no statesman can afford either to ignore or despise. It’s great value as an element of strength to the Commonwealth has been fully recognize by some of the foremost civilised nations, for in Germany, Holland, Sweden and Denmark, Royalty has placed itself at the head of the craft and the heir-apparent to the British Throne is our Most Worshipful Grand Master.”

District Grand Committee of Benevolence was formed that year (1879) and was to be directly connected with the DGL. The DGM explained “instead of our Charity Fund being dependent on a contribution of 5% on the net receipts of the DGL (which is practically non-existent) it is suggested that Re. 1 will be contributed by every subscribing member in the District.”
A Fund of Benevolence was also created to afford temporary relief to indigent masons and their families. The control of the Fund was to vest with the Committee of Benevolence.

The year 1880 was marked by the establishment of The Bombay Masonic Association. This is an Association of brethren, their ladies and well wishes of the Masonic faternity for charitable purpose of clothing educating children of indigent masons. In some years, to augment its funds, BMA festivals were being held. Rt. WBro. Terrell Leith started this Association with a personal donation of Rs. 1,000.

A Military Lodge Social Friendship No. 497 had arrived from Belgaum and was greeted.

The BMA had augmented its corpus to rupees 10,000 in 1 year.

Rt. WBro. the Hon. J Gibbs had, during his tenure, ruled that a Scottish Master or Past Master could not preside over an English Lodge without having taken the chair of Warden in English Lodge. This ruling was reversed by Rt. WBro. Tyrrell Leith who ruled “I now rule that a Scottish Master regularly installed and obligated, may, when requested so to do, occupy the Eastern Chair in an English Lodge in the absence of an English Installed Master, but then, in such a case the Senior Warden of the Lodge shall rule the Lodge.”

At a meeting of Lodge Hiram No. 1881, WBro. P.M. Jeejeebhoy brought to the notice of the Worshipful Master that the Zend Avesta (Zoroastrian Sacred Writings) was not on the pedestal along with the Holy Bible. He stated that in Parsi Lodges, it was the practice to have both volumes opened and that practice be adopted in this lodge too as there were several Parsis present at the meeting. This practice has since continued in most of the present day Lodges.

In 1882, the DGL resolved to continue to meet at Byculla and affirmed that in any new Hall, the rights of ownership and use should be joint between the English and Scottish Constitutions. In 1883 a proposal to purchase a building at Gowalia Tank was rejected.

It was ruled that bodily defects in a candidate were not a bar to initiation unless a Lodge or its Master felt that he was not capable to go through the ceremonies.

In September 1884, it was resolved to rent Huntley Lodge at rent of Rs. 250 p.m. and to invite ASFI to join in the tenancy . At the December Communication, the DGM announced that the Craft had secured a Hall on long term lease.

It was reported that a new Lodge Star of Rajputana No. 2093 had been opened at Nuseerabad under provisional Warrant dated 12th February 1885. This brought the total of Lodges to 19. The lodge was closed in 1891.

It appeared that in respect of the new Hall, there were doubts and misgivings between the English and Scottish Constitutions during 1885.

In 1886, two new Lodges were consecrated, they were Lodge Justice No. 2145 at Mount Abu opened on 23rd October (this lodge was closed in 1954) and Lodge Tyrell Leith No. 2162 at Baroda on 27th October which was consecrated by the DGM himself. This was also the first Lodge to be named after a District Grand Master. This Lodge was transferred to GLI in 1961.

Early in the year 1887 the District Grand Lodge bade farewell to Rt. WBro. Tyrrell Leith as DGM.

He was called to the Grand Lodge above in early 1889. The District Grand Lodge passed a Condolence Resolution at their Communication in March 1889.