The Union Of Australian Grand Lodges.

hich pervaded the whole of their deliberations . This resume will show * readers that at length our New South Wales brethren are up and doing , ° rJ the much needed , long deferred union of Constitutions , and merging a ? divided interests into one perfect and powerful body , is now accomp lished . The election , on the 16 th July next , of V . W . Bro . his Excellency ? „ TI Carrington , P . S . G . W . of England , as Grand Master of the Grand

I odge of New South Wales , will—as our Sydney contemporary points out _ -be a unique event in the history of Australian Masonry , while his " xalted official position and eminent fitness for the office will be sure guarantee of the success which must crown this most a . i « nicious proceeding . To bring 186 lodges hitherto divided in their

alleg iance and interests , and probably differing in their workings and the laws controlling them , into one compact and harmonious whole , subject to one rule and acknowledging one head , is a triumph of diplomacy and r / eneralship , as well as a grand example of oneness and sincerity of purpose , that neither Masonic records of this or any other previous century can ovprnplify- The obligation the New South Wales brethren are under to

o W- Bro . Lord Carnarvon , Pro Grand Master of England , for his mediation and representations at . head quarters , must be acknowledged by all for whom he has exercised his special and important privileges . Nor should we be unmindful that among the true and trusty counsellors , whose advice and experience were sought and acted on , our own M . W . Grand Master played a worthy part in helping towards the realisation of Masonic unity among the brethren of the Mother Colony . —South Australian Freemason .

Powers Of A Grand Master.

POWERS OF A GRAND MASTER .

We reproduce the following views on this subject as expressed by Bro . Mortimer Nye , M . W . G . M ., in his address at the Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Indiana , at Indianopolis , in May last . According to Bro . Nye : " The idea seems to prevail in the minds of many members of the Fraternity that the Grand Master has the power at will to set aside any provision of the Constitution or standing rule or regulation of the Grand

Lodge—in fact , that the Grand Master is the Grand Lodge to all intents and purposes , and often the most persistent efforts are employed to induce the Grand Master to do so . To all applications of this character I have earnestly endeavoured to impress upon the minds of Masons the fact that the Grand Master possesses no power of such a character ; that he is not the Grand Lodge ; that it is as much his duty to obey the law as the most

obscure member of a subordinate lodge , and , in fact , more so , because it is his duty to enforce obedience to the laws of the Grand Lodge , and it would be in exceeding bad taste for him to be guilty of the violation of law or the usurpation of power not specially conferred upon him . I have , therefore , been compelled very many times to refuse lodges dispensations to remove

from one town to another , to march on Decoration Day , make Masons without legs and arms , meet in halls occupied by other societies , and , in fact , to violate nearly every rule for the government of subordinate lodges . Most applications for special dispensations have been refused , and very few indeed have been granted . I shall always be ready to advocate the proposition that the Grand Master is not the Grand Lodge . "

Choice And Retention Of Good Officers.

CHOICE AND RETENTION OF GOOD OFFICERS .

Comp . John H . Brown , G . Secretary of the Grand Chapter of Kansas , has the following very sensible remarks on the value of good officers , and the importance of retaining them in office until their equals are found . The passage occurs in Comp . Brown ' s Report on Correspondence : "We believe it sound policy to retain a thoroughly good officer until his equal can be found and elected . However gifted and learned a new officer may

be , every companion , even slightly observing , knows that it requires not a little time for him to get used to his new place and acquire the skill necessary to discharge his duties without balk or halt . This being the fact , what should be expected of one whose gifts are not great , whose learning is faulty , whose business so overwhelms him that he cannot possibly discharge official duties ; or what can be expected of one whose sole recommendation is ' He is a right good fellow ? ' The truth is , that he only is fit to govern

and direct the work of a Masonic body , Grand or constituent , who has a genius for government , supplemented by sound , available knowledge , and is so far master of himself that every obstacle will yield to his sway and genuine harmony prevail . If such a companion is found and elected to office , let him be retained until one like , or nearly like him , is prepared to fi" the station ; then if the first will retire , the body may be reasonably sure that the good work done will not be marred by one whose mark is a zero . "

The Late Bro. Robert Morris.

THE LATE BRO . ROBERT MORRIS .

. Death , which comes but once , yet comes to all , has made fearful havoc ¦ n our ranks during the past year , and has taught us again and again , if * e heed the lesson , what shadows we oursue . Manv of our sir knie * hts

have fallen by the wayside , weary with the march of life . Life is too short , there is too little of it , to have its days or even its hours wasted in doing ^ Ise than rendering to our fellows all the good we can while journeying through this earthlv oilerimae'e .

, Bro . Morris was born in Oxford , Miss ., Aug . 31 st , 1818 , and died on T uesday , the 31 st ult ., at his home at La Grange , Ky ., from paralysis . Bro . Morris received a good school education , and devoted much of his I'riy life to duties as a teacher . He was initiated into Freemasonry in _ , 42 . The system and purposes of the Institution so pleased him that he

. evoted the balance of his life to work as a writer and lecturer to the rder . He was a ready , graceful , and fluent writer and speaker . He 0 j' ^ y lished several magazines , the most successful of which is the "Voice w ™ asonry" now published in Chicago . He was the author of many , rks on Masonry and of more than 300 poems on Freemasonrv and

th D subjects , some of which are of high merit , the most popular with fraternity being " The Level and Square . " In 1858-9 , he was Grand of T r ° * ?^ asons * Kentucky , and received the Degree of Doctor was j m tf * e University of Kentucky in i 860 . In 186 7 he ftj ^ legated by the Grand Lodge of Canada to establish a q „ ? . lodge in Jerusalem , which was notably successful , and and ? '" j l 884 he visited the Holy Land t 0 explore the origin foundation of the Craft . On his return to America he published his

The Late Bro. Robert Morris.

"Travels in the Holy Land , a remarkably interesting work , of which many thousands of copies were sold . In 1885 he was crowned " Poet Laureate of Freemasonry" in the Grand Lodge room of the Masonic Hall , New York city , by Grand Master William A . Brodie , assisted by the Grand and Past Grand Officers of the Grand Lodge , in the presence of a large assemblage of the Fraternity from various parts of the country .

Bro . Morris has contributed an almost endless mass of writings to Masonic literature . During the past two years he devoted himself almost entirely to preparing an annotated edition on the life and poems of Robert Burns , of whom he was a great admirer . For this purpose he visited the birthplace of Burns several times , and collected numerous works on nis life

and writings . His work in this direction was comprehensive , and at the time of his death was unfinished . His wife and five children survive him . " Who fell like autumn fruit that mellowed long * , Even wondered at because he dropped no sooner . " —New York Dispatch .

Australian Notes.

AUSTRALIAN NOTES .

The South Australian Freemason for July 7 th , 1888 , just received , is an interesting number , and will be perused with much pleasure by the Craft in that region . Financially , the Company which has been started to publish the " Freemason" for that Colony is doing well , and , so far , is a success .

A balance in hand , after six months working 1 The thanks to Bro . J . H . Cunningham , G . Sec , the Secretary , which the Directors recommend , are sure to be warmly endorsed by the shareholders , as much of the prosperity attending the venture is due to his valuable aid and excellent management . The Grand Patron of the Grand Lodge of South Australia is H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , M . W . G . M . of England , who has graciously acceded to the wishes of the members of one of the youngest Grand Lodges , and is now officially connected with that vigorous organisation .

A new Grand Lodge for New South Wales will evidently , soon be an accomplished fact , for the foregoing paper declares most emphatically that the election of the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New South Wales was to take place on the 16 th July last , and that the choice would fall on his Excellency Lord Carrington , P . S . G . W . of England . The Editor speaks of 186 lodges "hitherto divided in their allegiance and interests , and

probably differing in their workings and the laws controlling them , " being brought "into one compact and harmonious whole , " as a " triumph of diplomacy and generalship , as well as a grand example of oneness and sincerity of purpose , " and expresses the indebtedness of the brethren to the M . W . Bro . the Earl of Carnarvon , Pro Grand Master ot England , "for his mediation and representations at head-quarters . "

So long as due provision is made for the liberties of the minority , if such there should be , the new Grand Lodge will find no obstacles thrown in its way by the Grand Lodge of England ; but , on the contrary , will receive the best of good wishes from the " Old Country . "

DERIVATION OF FREEMASON . —Many very learned derivations have been given to this word , from the Greek , Coptic , Hebrew—all , we believe , untenable . Freemason may come from Franc Macon , as derived from the rights of the French operative Masons , but we are inclined to think that it is simply an English addition to a Norman-French word Macon . In the early times , operative Masons were termed csementarii , latomi , "les

macons , " maceons , masouns , masouyns , and finally fremacons , free masons . A suggestion that the word comes from freres magons is , we feel sure , not philologically maintainable , as there is no good evidence of any such use in France sufficient to justify the use of this generic term . It is undoubtedly true that the use of " Freemason" is comparatively modern , and even the simple word mason but precedes in its use the compound word

by an insignificant period . In the earliest records at present accessible , the members of the operative order are called indifferentl y latomi or csementarii , as we said above . " Le loge latomorum , " " le magister de Ia loge latomorum , " " magister csementariorum , " " magister , " " seniores , " " guardiani , " " apprenticii , " are expressions to be found " mutatis mutandis , " to describe various officers and members of the body in the York , Durham ,

Exeter , and Westminster fabric rolls , in Exchequer rolls , and especially in the register of W . Molash , Prior of Canterbury in the reign of Henry VI . The earliest use of the word magon , I believe , occurs in Chaucer ' s " Romaunt de la Rose , " and we have frequent examples of the use of the different words mafoun , masouns , as in the contract with the Abbot of St . Edmundsbury , 1439 , for the repairs and restoration of the

great bell tower , "on all mannere of things that longe to Freemasonry , " " maisoun , " and even " masouyn . " We also find constant references , as Bro . D . Murray Lyon says , to ' Robert the Mason , " " Henry the Mason . " We hear of "Richard of Cracall , mason , " in the contract to build Catterick Church , 1 4 , which he contracts to make new " as workmanschippeand mason crafte will . " The earliest use of the compound word

Freemason , I believe , so far known , is in the contract to build Fotheringay Chapel , in 1435 , where W . Horwood , master mason , the Freemason , contracts with Richard , Duke of York , to " neyther sett mas nor fewer Freemasons , rough setters , ne boys thereupon , but such as shall be ordeigned . " We have also seen evidence of its use in 1439 . From this time the word seems to be generally used in contracts , and is found in many still extant

expense rolls . We see it in an act of Parliament ( Edward VI ., 1548 ) , and constantly find it in obituary notices , epitaphs , and the like . As yet , no genuine charter of an operative guild has been discovered , as far as wa know ; but the earliest connection of the operative guild with the use of the word Freemasons is to be found in the MS . Charges and Constitutions , belonging probabl y to the Chester Guild of Freemasons , in the British

Museum , ot date about 1650 ( Harleian MS . 2054 ) . The use of the word Freemason is a great deal earlier than any revival of Speculative Masonry , as Dr . Plot , writing in 1686 , mentions the existence of the society for some time previously under that name , and mainly as an operative order , though admitting honorary and speculative members . The word Mason comes , then , from , the Norman-French word " macon , " which is derived from the

Latin " mansio , just as " le Loge , " Norman-French , is derived from ' * logerium " in Low Latin ; and the compound word Freemason is not derived from freestone , but is the term of a mason free of his guild or fraternity—in towns among the " freemen masons , " in the country either belonging to some " loge " attached to a monastery , or to the loge , chapiter , or assemblye of that " limit .. "—Kenning ' s Cyclopcedia of Freemasonry .