United Grand Lodge And The Grand Lodge Of New Zealand.

UNITED GRAND LODGE AND THE GRAND LODGE OF NEW ZEALAND .

A Special Grand Lodge was held on Wednesday evening at Freemasons' Hall , Great Queen-street , for the purpose of considering a message from the Most Worshipful Grand Master , and to take the sense of Grand Lodge thereon .

Bro . the Earl of Lathom , Pro Grand Master , presided . Bros , the Earl of Onslow , Prov . G . M . for Surrey , acted as Past Grand Master ; Dr . Balfour Cockburn , Prov . G . M . of Guernsey , as Deputy Grand Master ; Victor Williamson , P . G . W ., as S . G . W . ; and the Rev . W . H . Riland

Bedford , P . G . C ., as J . G . W . ' Among other brethren present were—Bros . R . Loveland Loveland , Pies . Bd . of Gen . Purps . ; Judge Philbrick , Q . C ., G . Reg . ; R . Horton Smith , Deputy G . Reg . ; Sir Albert Woods ( Garter ) , G . D . C . ; Richard Eve , P . G . Treas . ; Sir J . C . Dimsdale , P . G . Treas . ; j . E . Le Feuvre , P . G . D . ; Henry Lovegrove , G . S . B . ; J . S . Cumberland , P . G . Std . Br . ; and E . Letch worth , G . Sec . After the Grand Lodge had been formally opened ,

Bro . the Earl of LATHOM said they had been called together to consider the following message from his Royal Highness , the M . W . Grand Master " His Royal Highness , the Most Worshipful Grand Master , having considered the application for recognition by the Grand Lodge of England of

the new body called the Grand Lodge of New Zealand as an independent sovereign Masonic authority , and having informed himself of the general state of Masonic feeling in the colony , is of opinion that , with a view to promote the harmony and union of the various Masonic badies there , and to end all sources of difference , the period has now arrived when recognition

may be properly accorded , and , therefore , desires that the seise of Grand Lodge should be taken on the following resolution : "—which he would now move— " That , taking into consideration the message from the M . W . Grand Master , Grand Lodge requests that his Royal Highness will be pleased to take such steps for the recognition of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand ,

and for the establishment of fraternal good feeling with our New Zealand brethren as he may consider consistent with the honour of this Grand Lodge , and with just consideration for those lodges which may desire to retain their connection with the Grand Lodge of England . " He b ; gged to move this resolution .

Bro . the Earl of ONSLOW said he would second the motion , and for the purpose of doing so , he hoped he might be allowed to say a few words , having watched the movement for recognition in the Grand Lodge of New Zealand from its inception to the present time . The brethren were aware that in all the Australian Colonies movements similar to this had taken place , and that to each one of these Colonies Grand Lodge had accorded its

recognition to those Grand Lodges in Australia . Wnen he was a resident in New Zealand a movement of the present kind was set on foot out there , and the biethren in New Zealand asked him to do them the honour to be their first Grand Master . He communicated with the late Grand Secretary , Col . Shadwell Clerke , whom he asked to inform him what were the conditions upon which the Grand Lodge of England extended recognition to the Grand

Lodges in the Colonies . He was informed by the Grand Secretary that it was not usual to withhold that recognition where the vast majority of the brethren in the Colony desired to have Masonic autonomy , but he ( Lord Onslow ) was unable to satify hinself at that time that such a universal or general disposition had been manifested by the brethren of the Craft out there as would justify him as a Past Grand Warden of England in

accepting the post offered to him , and to ask the Grand Master and the Officers of the Grand Lodge to extend that recognition . But he was happy to say that since that time a considerable change had come over Masonic affairs there , and that whereas there had been a considerable amount of ill-feeling , owing to those lodges which had seceded taking with them the charters which belonged to them and the brethren who

had not secedtd , there had now been a complete change , frank recognition had been given and the charters had been handed back that had been taken away . He thought that showed that in conducting the Grand Lodge of New Zealand the brethren tried to carry out the precepts of the Craft ; and under those circumstances and seeing that the administration of the Grand

Lodge of New Zealand was now under most eminent brethren in the Colony , who were also men highly respected by the Governor , he thought that the message of the Grand Master to Grand Lodge was one which ought to be adopted , and the motion made by the Pro Grand Master ought to commend itself to the Grand Lodge , and for that reason he had the greatest pleasure in seconding it .

Bro . W . F . LAMONBY wished to ask what he considered a most important question , whether it was not setting aside in this instance an old precedent which had been followed . Bro . the Earl of LATHOM said he understood that what was now being done was exactly the course which was adopted in the case of Canada .

Bro . SAMUEL R . BASKETT enquired what was the present position and number of the English lodges in New Zealand remaining , and wishing to remain , loyal ? Bro . E . LETCHWORTH , G . Sec , at the request of the Earl of Lathom , made the following statement : In the year 1888 , there were 20 lodges under

th ; English Constitution in Canterbury , there were now 8 ; in Otago there were 16 , there were now 4 ; in Westland there were 7 , now 5 ; in Auckland ' , 19 , now 161 in Wellington , 19 , now 16 . In 1888 , there were altogether 81 under our Constitution , now there were only 40 . There were 6 unattached in 1888 , there were now 5 ; so that there were 45 to 87 .

Bro . BASKETT said that he would then respectfully submit the question , whether the position of affairs was similar to cases where recognition had been previously extended ? Was it , to use words which had been used before , practical unanimity which was required before recognition was granted 1 Bro . the Earl of ONSLOW said : In the year 18 S 8 , when the Grand

Lodge of New South Wales , which was founded in 1 S 77 , was made a Supreme Grand Lodge , there were 80 lodges under the English Constitution , 55 Scottish , and 50 under New South Wales . When Lord Carnarvon was on a visit to New South Wales , he , after due enquiry , recommended the Grand Lodge to unite all together and to organise them under the Grand Mastership of Lord Carrington ,

United Grand Lodge And The Grand Lodge Of New Zealand.

Bro . BASKETT inquired whether Lord Carnarvon did not state when he moved the recognition in iRSR that there was reason to believe that the feeling was practically unanimous , and although there were one or two whose assent had not been given , it was believed it would be . That was in 188 S . In 1877 , he thought , it was refused .

Bro . J . S . CUMBERLAND , P . Dep . G . S . B ., objected to the course being taken by Bro . Baskett , which , he thought , had nothing to do with the question of the recomrrendation of the Grand Master . The question was the recognition or non-recognition of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand in order that things might be put into fraternal shape . Some of these brethren might care to rema n and they might remain , and they would be recognised

as Masons by the Grand Lodge of New Zealand , for the purposes o ( Masonry if they afterwards saw their way to join that Grand Lodge . After its recognition questions arising out there could be inquired into and settled out there without an appeal to the Grand Lodge of England . Inquiries could be made on the spot , which he thought was a bttter course than sending the cases here . We were sorry to lose the brethren from our Constitution , but they were going to join a Constitution which would be an honour to that

country and an honour to this country after recognition . He hoped that question which had been threshed out over and over again would not be interpolated into this matter in any shape or form . Let them recognise or not recognise them . The M . W . G . M . had been advised by those competent to advise and he had acted on their recommendation . In former years there had been an antagonistic feeling , but he hoped that would now be smoothed over and that those who had had that feeling would all be in one fold . Bro . BASKETT said he had asked for information .

Bro . the Earl of LATHOM thought Bro . Baskett had had an answer . He quite agreed with Bro . Cumberland . He thought the matter should end there , and he hoped Bro . Biskett would not move an amendment . Bro . BASKETT said he had not yet spoken , he hid merely asked a question . If he was bound to wind up with an amendment he sh uld do so unless he got a satisfactory answer first . He was very sorry to have to

intervene in this debate , but it had been hitherto understood that a resolution to form a new Grand Lodge should be practically unanimous . He was speaking as one who remained loyal to the Grand Master , and he thought he should be wanting in allegiance to him if he tried to get the sense of the meeting by a blind vote . He would ask , if he might , whether the recognition which this Grand Lodge should request the Grand Master to give

would involve what had been recently called " a cession of territory . " It would be in the brethren ' s recollection , as it had created unfortunately very considerable feeling in New Zealand in this matter , that the press of New Zealand in the last lew weeks had spoken to the effect that no recognition would be satisfactory , which did not recognise their absolute sovereignty . If the recognition acknowledged a lawful Masonic body , and put on the

Grand Master the duty of protecting the loyal lodges and brethren , he could not now object , and he should be happy to go along with the mover . If it was proposed that the recognition should involve what , as he had said , had been recently termed a " cession of territory to the Grand Lodge of New Zealand , " then he thought the present opportunity was most inopportune and unfortunate for them . To make his meaning clear , he would say

that it had been , as he considered , understood by this Grand Lodge , that where we recognised a Grand body , and there were lodges that chose to adhere to their allegiance , this Grand Lodge of England had to protect them , and not force them into the arms of the new body . A question had arisen as to the construction of that , and it was most significant , that not long ago , according to their information , any three members of a lodge

could hold a warrant , they might retire from the old and go over to the new body , was it intended to abide by that decision of Grand Lodge , and was it to be that where Grand Lodge had ceded its territory the Grand Master had no power to protect his lodges , no matter what member of a lodge might wish to remain loyal ? No matter what majority of a lodge might wish to remain loyal , Article 219

no longer applied to a meeting of members out there . A majority of that lodge could carry that lodge over without the wishes of the officers . That had been stated recently and in judicial form . If that was the feeling that would actuate the Grand Master ' s present advisers , he thought they should make it perfectly clear . He thought that Grand Lodge did not wish the loyal members , however few , so long as there remained some who under

rule 219 could hold the charters , to have them handed to a foreign body . There were a certain number of disloyal lodges at present , and he should be very sorry to see difficulties arise in New Zealand that arose elsewhere . It was no use blinking the question . In the last fortnight above £ 600 expense had been incurred and sent to a lodge for the purpose of taking evidence in England on behalf of those who remained loyal to their charter . He

thought they ought to take care that such a thing should not be possible in the recognition of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand . He had come up from the country at considerable inconvenience to attend that meeting , as the matter was so important . He would suggest that the advisers of the Grand Master should safeguard that by altering the wording of the resolution , and state that they could not approve of it . He did not -wisVi it to be said afterwards that Grand Lodge passed the

resolution without objecting to it . His amendment was "' To omit all the words after ' lodge ' in the last line but one , and to substitute the following words—' without involving any ceision of territory , and with just consideration for those lodges , minorities of lodges , and brethren which , or who may desire to adhere to their allegiance to , and retain thtir connection with this Grand Lodge . ' " If he could not receive a satisfactory answer on that point he must move his amendment .

Judge PHILBRICK , Q . C ., Grand Registrar , said the question of Bro . Baskett involved a misunderstanding on his part . The effect of recognition was that no further warrants could afterwards be granted by Grand Lodge of England into the new territory , which was a sovereign body and as such it would be an invasion of that territory if after recognition , the body tl > recognised it procceied to issue new warrants and established new lodges

within the territory that had been given up . By Masonic law and practice no fresh warrant could be granted by our Grand Master into that body . With regard to another point , in this submission of the matter by the Grand Master to the sense of the Grand Lodge there was no desire whatever except to promote Masonic harmony in the New Zealand Islands .

Bro . BASKETT , not considering the answer satisfactory , said he would formally move his amendment . Bro . PHILBRICK said he was about to say when he was interrupted there was another consideration—in the case of the Australian lodges there was one new Grand Lodge in Victoria . Bro , W . F . LAMONBY : No , no ,