Masonic Centennial In New Brunswick.

in the Parish Chnrch of St . John , December 26 , 1786 , by Georee Bissett . A . M ., Rector of St . John , and Missionary of the Gospel in Foreign Parts . ' " Grand Master Ellis was followed by His Honour , the Mayor of St . John , Bro . James MacGregor Grant , who said , in the course of his address :

Brethren , I am happy to say that I appear before yon not only as Mayor of tbe city , but as a member of this anoient and honourable Fraternity . It is true I am ouly a Master Mason—one of the rank and file of the great Masonic army , -whose banners have been unfurled over every part of the habitable globe , and upon whose dominion the snn never sets . Still , I am proud of that position , and

when onr Worshipfnl Grand Master referred to the days that have passed , I conld not help recollecting the stormy winter's nigh ' , in 1858 , when in the grand old fortress of Stirling Castle , overlooking Bannockbnrn , I was initiated into the Lodge of the 69 th Regiment . I rok'ht say , as the W . G . M . has referred to it , that refreshments were furnished in those days whioh were of a more exhilarating nature than

what we obtain at present , and tho gatherings often extended into what Robbie Burns called the " wee sma' hours . " Speaking of Burns , a name dear to every Scottish heart , he was a Mason himself , and at one time Master of Kilmarnooh Lodge . This reminds me that the first centennial celebrated in a public . manner on this side of the Atlantic was that of the poet Burns . Then came the centennial in

the city of Philadelphia . Afterwards the centenuial of onr own city , and to-day we are here celebrating tho centennial anniversary of FrpemasoDry in this province . I think the brethren will all agree with me that these centennial celebrations are most desirable . They furnish food for reflection for every thoughtful mind , and they recall many events of the days gone by , and serve to keep green in our

memory the names of those men who have been head-li ghts in the world ' s history . To the visiting brethren I extend a warm welcome , not only aa Mayor of this city , but as a Brother Mason . May this day form a green spot in yonr memories , and lead you more and more to look after the interests of our Craft . And now , one word in conolnsion

when the next centennial celebration in Masonry in this province comes around , although oar bodies will be mouldering in tbe dust , although the sprigs of acacia , those beautiful emblems of immortality , shall he strewn over our graves , let us trust that our spirits will find a restingplace in the Grand Lodge above . Let us hope that we shall rejoice for evermore in the presence of the Grand Master above—the Great

Architect of the Universe , whose power , greatness and glory , all true Masons profoundly reverence . The Rev . Bro . Dr . Macrae followed , saying : — You have summoned me to discharge a congenial duty , to sound the praises of Masonry , to set forth the grounds why it is this day honoured among us ; to vindicate it from the charges by which our

most noble Fraternity is often ignorantly aspersed ; in a word , to ex hibit the Temple of Masonry , so far as my powers may avail , in all its beauty and grandeur of symmetrical proportion . To such questions as the following it wid be becoming to essay britf answers on an occasion so auspicious in the history of our Fraternity . What is the Spirit and Creed , if so it is becoming to express myself of

Freemasonry ? What are our aims ? What principles govern us ? By what tenets are we held together , and what virtues—what cardinal virtues , if any—do we profess to abide by and uphold ? It is almost a duty to ask , it is a privilege of the most honourable character to bi favoured with an opportunity so distinguished of answering tbnse and the like questions , in view , panly , of the sceptical tendencies of

our age , partly of the attacks—the able , but utterly unwarrantable and even grotesquely absurd attacks—to which we have recently , in very high quarters indeed , been subjected . Most Worshipfnl and Brethren : Masonry , I begin by saying , has performed a feat which hns hitherto transcended the efforts of any or all of tbe religions denominations of earth to accomplish . And hence ,

perhaps , the virulence of the vituperation with which it has b"en assailed . It has built a platform so easy of access , and yet so firm in structure , that upon it can and do stand , side by side , co . oppiating in the spirit of loyal friendship , peace and harmony , Jew and Gentile , Christian and Bmbmin . To have done this without insisting upon the conversion of one to tho views and beliefs entertained by the

other , to be able to secure the most sincere and hearty co-operation in kindly deeds of men of all races , all ranks , all callings , all deno . minations , governed by a spirit of mutual sympathy , to be the object of his attachment , and tbe bond of union to rich and poor , to learned and comparatively unlearned , to effect in happiest combination the blending of eqnality with order , tbe equality that consists in

community of privilege with the Craft which demands and justifies gradation only in official rank ; to do this withont kindling jealousynay , to the consuming of every feeling of the baser sort in the fire of a noble , a limitless , albeit a secretly manifested charity—this is an achievement which may fitly command more than a passing

notice from the philosopher , the statesman , and from members of the profession to which it is my chief honour to belong . It is coming to this , in fact , in the history of tho world , that he who can successfully place his hand on the leverage afforded b y Masonry possesses a power , thank God , a power for good—to which the only limits are the limits of time , and of the universe of our race .

" But yours is a secret organisation , it is said ; " why secret , if you have not something in reserve , a body of esoteric doctrine , of which you aro ashamed P" No , Brethren , I am not ashamed of our secrecy . Let me , once for all , avow my glorying in it , while , at the same moment , I proclaim what tbe spirit and purpose of that gracious secrecy is . Hear it , ye who revile us : it is tbe secrecy inculcated

in the words : " Let not your left haud know what yonr right hand doetb . " It is the mantle which cloaks our beneficence , which forbids onr ever recording our good deeds , leaving them to be judged by tbe One Ail-Seeing Bye . It is that robe of need on tho one haud , when need arises j of charity on the other , when Brotherly charity is solicited , wearing which , two of our Fraternity can confer with each other , aa in a twilight , amid whioh the blush of ahatne on the

Masonic Centennial In New Brunswick.

brow of the one , the flush of power to relieve on the brow of tho other , is invisible . That is our secret , that is onr secreoy . Bro . Major . General Laurie , Grand Master of Nova Scotia , made tho concluding address , saying : — I hesitate to open my mouth , for fear that I may iu some way mar the effict of the eloquent oration just delivered by our Rev . Brother .

It appears that Freomasonry was introduced into the Province of New Brunswick from Nova Scotia . If from Nova Scotia came the seed whioh has flowered so gloriously and brought forth such fruit aa we see ia this day ' s grand turn-out , surely from Nova Scotia may come welcome congratulations of the grand effect produced to-day . These , aa Grand Master of Nova Scotia , I offer to you with heartfelt

sincerity . The Grand Master of the profession to whioh I belong , the great Napoleon , enunciated this adage : " That Providence fought ou the side of the strongest battalions ; " but did not always aofc upon that himself , for he trusted vory muoh to brilli mt leadership and small forces . You , in this province , havo the advantage of brilliant leadership . But , Sir , generals without an army would be a poor

fighting force , and while I can congratulate the Craft on the ability of the leaders they have amongst them , I must also congratulate the leaders on the kind of men they have to follow . Tbe entire celebration was a grand success , and we congratulate our brethren of New Brunswick , and especially of St . John , upon the pleasurable and truly Masonio charaoter of their centennial celebration .

Grand Representatives.

GRAND REPRESENTATIVES .

A GREAT deil has been said and written as to the office of Grand Representative being a mere sinecure , and we are willing to admit that too often brethren appointed to these positions are apt to allow it to become

so . On the other hand , we contend that the appointment is one of great importance , and faithful representatives can do much to draw the lines of friendship and amity between sovereign bodies closer , if they do their duty .

A Grand Representative should always thoroughly verse himself in the history , status and constitution of the Grand Lodge that he represents—he should annually report to both the Grand Lodge he represents and the Grand Lodge to which he is appointed—he should be the exponent and sup .

porter of the Grand Lodge that appointed him . For example , if any differences occur between Grand Lodges , the Grand Representatives , if they understood their duties , should invariably give impartial reports of the same

—express the views and feelings of those they represent , acquaint also the Grand Lodge they represent with the sentiments of the brethren of the jurisdiction near which they are commissioned .

The difficulty is , a brother is appointed generally a Grand Representative ad vitum , and after a year or two almost forgets the name of the supreme body he represents . We know—( 1 . ) A commission should never be granted for more than two years .

( 2 . ) Grand Lodges should insist upon annual reports , or in default thereof resignation . ( 3 . ) No brother shonld be permitted to hold more than one com . mission near the same Grand Lodge at the same time . ( 1 . ) Honorary membership and rank should be conferred upon the Grand Representative by the Grand Lodge ,

( 5 . ) As Grand Master and Grand Secretaries are really ex officio representatives of their own Grand Lodgo , they should not , during their term of office , be allowed to hold any commission . By adopting regulations of this character we are confident the position of Grand Representative would soon

become one of great honour . We know some representatives who always faithfully report , and are actually sought after by sister Grand Bodies , but the vast majority , we fear , are very indifferent as to their duties . Of course , our remtirks apply to similar positions in all the other Grand Bodies . —Canadian Craftsman .

POSTAL BUSINESS IN AUSTRALIA . —The estimated nnmber of letters posted lor delivery within NHW Sonth Wales during the year 1883 was 31 , 258 , 300 , as against 25 , 737 , 300 for 1882 ; the nnmber of letters posted for delivery in tbe Australian Colonies and New Zealand was 1 , 401 , 900 , as compared with 1 , 202 . 600 for 1882 ; and the number of letters posted for foreign dispatch was 585 , 200 , as against 498 , 300

for last year . The total number of letters posted in the Colony during 1883 was 33 , 245 , 400 , as compared with 27 , 438 , 200 for last year . Tbe number of newspapers posted in tho Colony was 18 , 344 , 500 , as against 16 . 970 , 100 for 1882 . The total number of parcels , & c , was 1 , 435 , 900 , a-i compared with 1 , 0 * 7 , 400 for 1882 . The total uumbor of po 3 t cards was 259 , 400 , as against 222 , 800 for

1882 . The increase in tho number of letters posted is at the rate of about 21 per cent . ; in the numbar of uewpipers about 8 per cent . ; in the number of packets about 32 per cent . ; and in the number of post cards about IG per cent . Tho average number of letters posted in 1883 , in proportion to the population of the Colony , is estimated at 38 to each person .