Grand Lodge Jurisdiction And New South Wales.

GRAND LODGE JURISDICTION AND NEW SOUTH WALES .

WE closed our article last week on this subject by remarking on tbe un-Masonic tone wbich characterised the latest utterances of our contemporary the Canadian Craftsman . We strongly object to the unworthy insinuation that certain Officers of our District

and Provincial Grand Lodges are induced to uphold the existing connection of those Lodges with the Grand Lodges of England , Scotland , and Ireland , because they " know foil well that their incomes will be cnt off on the

formation of a Sovereign Body , " and that that is one of the " reasons behind the throne that govern the ' reported ' opinions of such appointed Officers . " It is the reverse of creditable to this Canadian organ of Masonic opinion that there should be so marked a variance between its

theoretic enunciation of the principles of our Craft and its practice of those principles . But we must do something more tban object to such unworthy aspersions being cast upon brethren whose zeal and ability the Chiefs of our

District and Provincial Grand Lodges have delighted to honour . ^ We dispute the accuracy of our contemporary ' s suggestions , and that in the strongest language which Masonic courtesy and usage will permit . In the first

place , we deny that " District "—and we presume it is intended to include in this category " Provincial ""Grand Masters" are " merely the appointed creatures of the home authority . " We base our denial on the fact that the brethren who are thus described are almost

invariably elected by the brethren of their respective Districts or Provinces , their election being confirmed by the home authorities , who thus issue their patents in accordance with tbe wishes expressed by the several

Colonial sections of the Craft . A Provincial or District Grand Tyler , however worthy he may be , is not likely to influence much the opinion of his chief , " the appointed creature of the home authority , " He is paid for

his services , and is respected for tbe manner in which he fulfils them , and thus ends the matter . It is most likely , and , in many instances , we know it to be the case , that a Provincial and District Grand Secretary receives some

small honorarium—too small to be dignified by the name of salary , for the far from trifling duties he is called upon w perform ; but tbe suggestion that he is influenced to do 018 work loyally for the sake of the said honorarium is too

absurd to need contradiction . What are £ 10 , £ 20 , or even £ 50 per annum to a man who is probably in a good position , with good means to back it np , that he should trouble himself to bias the opinions of the " arniointfid

creature of the home authority ? " Moreover , why might e not hope—if mere money considerations are likely to nave weight with him—that , in the event of his throwing sin J , fluence into the scale in favour of would-be seeesoniats and against the leerallv-constituted authorities .

tion p y ouW be recognised and awarded by the retenofiV i fier"ces in hi 3 Secretarial capacity ? His catS TV Tience would make him afc , easfc a formidable lOate for the POSt nndor anr nironmahnnnea while , hia

ttidabl Tt seceders would render him still more for" saW 6 ; - ^ y ° these two , however , we are aware of no trict n P . ials" who conld biaa the options of a Dis-° r Provincial Grand Master for the very important

Grand Lodge Jurisdiction And New South Wales.

reason that , as far as we know , there are * none else who derive any other profit from their labours than the selfconsciousness of having done their duty to the best of their ability . Our contemporary is pleased to express a very strong opinion on the evil effects of concurrent jurisdiction . We

are glad , however , the uncomplimentary picture it presents of those " evil effects" is none of our drawing . " Rivalry among Lodges , accepting each other ' s rejected material , rushing candidates through degrees , low fees for admission , initiating candidates without proper

investigation into character , & c . " these it says , " are the invariable concomitants of concurrent jurisdiction . " This may be so in colonies where there were once rival Grand Lodges , but it is not the case in those in wbich the Grand Lodges of England , Scotland , and Ireland exercise this

concurrent jurisdiction , except as now in New South Wales , where a new so-called Grand Lodge has stepped in and done its best to set all local Masonry by the ears . In the majority of instances , the several Provincial and

District Grand Bodies work as amicably and likewise as successfully together as a well-trained team of thorough breds Rarely does anything happen to disturb the harmony of their relations . The brethren of the several Constitutions

mix together freely , and visit each other s Lodges . It ia not so very long ago that in one of our colonies—we speak from memory , and , therefore , subject to correction •, but we think it was in South Africa—that our English , Scotch , and Irish brethren joined together in consecrating

a new Hall to Masonic purposes . There are , consequently , no " conflicting interests " and no "local jealousies " which can possibly be created by a continuance of this pleasant state of things , and we take upon ourselves to assure our contemporary , that , so long as it does continue , " the

Officers and members of the Grand Lodge of England , ' and "English Masons in England "—as well as the Craft in Ireland ar . d Scotland—will uphold " the rights " of their Lodges in these colonial districts . But the strongest argument in favour of maintaining the present arrangements will

be found in the fact that warrants for new Lodges are constantly being applied for and granted , even New South Wales , for all the claims set up by an " insignificant minority " to have a Grand Lodge of its own , being no exception . This being so , it cannot possibly cause any hardship to

those who voluntarily seek connection with one or other of the Grand Lodges at home , that the payment of the fees and dues that are payable should be expected by the latter . It is not we who go to the Colonies for support , but the Colonies who come to us , as they have a perfect right to

do , except as in Canada , British Columbia , & c , & C , which have Grand Lodges of their own , and in which our Grand Lodges neither have , nor seek to set up , Lodges of their own . Even Quebec is left to itself so far as the constitution of new Lodges is concerned , the sole and just claim of

England that the three Lodges of Montreal which prefer still , as they have all along preferred since Canada separated itself from allegiance to her , a quarter of a century since , to remain under her banner , being that they shall be unmolested . The three oldest Grand Lodges in the

world , to whom all our Colonial Lodges , past and present , owe their existence , confer honour on the Colonic . ** by granting them warrants of constitution ; and if all the Colonial Lodges went adrift to-morrow , it would nofc affect the position of our Grand Lodges here , which must still be the grandest , as they are the oldest , of all the Grand Lodges