Italian Freemasonry.

was evidently greatly needed . For there has been a pi availing opinion here for seme time , and even in liberal circles , that Freemasonry is a heap of impostors , den of villany , and that it is responsible for the moral pest prevailing now in Kaly . The fact is that Freemasonry having taken possession of the ruling spheres has seized to such an extent upon public affairs , that who did not belong

, Masonry lost all chance to dine at the state crib . And there having become known lately several dirty financial operations in which Freemasons have taken a prominent part , and the fact that Jews are so eager to join them , have contributed <* reatly to the general condemnation of the Society of Great Orient Brother ' . . . .

Their official organ was the Tribttna , edited by Jews , but the latter , having been sold to the Senator Roux , a Piedmontese , the new journal , Patria , is supplied with their official news . Nathan is an English Jew , naturalised in Italy , and , according to what is said a son of Joseph Mazzini . In his address he has given a short history of Freemasonry , tracing it from Hiram , the architect of Solomon's Temple , murdered by his companions .

The universal character of Freemasonry is a bond of brotherhood uniting all the Freemasons of the world , members of the sect , so that if any of them happens to be in foreign lands he may rely on receiving help and advice . According to Mr . Nathan , the aim of this Society is universal peace , the ideal of mankind delineating itself on a distant horizon , as the greatest victory of right over force . In this manner , a Mason , having a diploma in his pocket , will have access to a lodge of every country , will be able lo participate in , thc meetings , and will receive support .

Masonry has its symbols , ceremonies , its old traditions , which apparently are an anachronism , but they constitute a kind of international language by which members are recognised .. As a proof , however , that it does not shut itself in antiquated forms , but adapts itself to reality , two festive clays have been established in Italy—the 2 lst of April , to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of

Rome ; on that day , according to tradition , Romulus has ploughed up the boundaries of the walls of the town ; and the 20 th of September , the day on which ( lie Italian Army has made an irruption into Rome in 18 70 , through a breach in thc " Via" gate , and deprived papacy of its capital . It is just this last day which is the great festival of Masonry , because its main object is the strife with papacy —strife which ' one would think is up to now the only reason of existence of

Freemasonry . The lecturer ( the Master ) did , no doubt , say that the Mason should be moral , should know his duties , and citizen rights , should be just , humane , sincere , beneficent , good father , son , brother , husband , & c . All that is , however , an empty form , since one of the tenets of the sect is Atheism , and in life naturalism . I should like to know how does that morality look like ? And it is so everywhere where "lodges" have spread . They have brought public depravity , corruption , licentiousness , which we see to-day in Italy , where the influence of Masons is

powerful . Of course , Mr . Ernest denies that Masonry does not know God . It is only a calumny propagated by priests . The Union receives in its bosom men of all creeds , respecting in them their " personal feelings . " Its motto are the letters written on thc banners , A . G . D . A . D . U . ; these mysterious signs mean A gloria del grande Architetto del Universe ( To the glory of the Great Architect of the Universe ) . And whether it is Zeus , Jupiter , Jehovah , God , is quite immaterial to them . In short , God is here something so misty , some kind of a philosophical conception that any atheist will readily subscribe to it . He is only the first cause of everything , an infinity , a ubiquitary , and a myth .

A much more important part plays the political side of this great association . Its colour is white , in opposition to the Vatican , the colour of which is .... black ( owing to the priests wearing black cassocks ) . Unity of Italy ! That is the hobby-horse of the Freemasons . Unity of Italy , with the Pope shut up in the Vatican , his international position destroyed , his historical apostolical character , his importance and influence , gone . Having , no doubt , contributed to the Italian unity by conspiring with Mazzini and by waring together with Garibaldi ,

the sect has created a situation from which it does not knaw how to escape now . The present situation is impossible , for the Vatican can not , and shall not , descend to thc position of the Constantinople patriarch towards the Sultan ; the Pope must have both the independent royal position and the international guarantee which the Catholics claim , and these conceptions are contradictory with the present political state on the peninsula . That is the so-called " Roman question , "from which there is no issue now .

The Freemasons are fighting , therefore , with what they call clerical conspiracy . Kverything that the Vatican does must be paralized , destroyed . Administration , municipal counsels , refuges , working men's associations , banks , must be withdrawn from the influence of priests , taken over by civil administration , and deprived of everything which gives them a religious , a Catholic stamp . This is how those gentlemen reason , and , with that object in view , they patronise the present monarchy .

At the bottom they are Republicans , but as long as the Vatican exists , they defend the monarchy , they oppose it to Papacy as the paladium of the united Italy of to-day . When , after the murder of King Humbert , Queen Margaret wrote a prayer which was not in accordance with the canonical rules , the Vatican forbade its being read in churches . All the Freemason confraternity was down on thc Vatican , seeing therein a political intrigue , and Mr . Nathan , in speaking on that subject ,

did net fail to express his indignation . On this strife with the Vatican rests the activity of Masonry . "Here is the adversary against whom ( Vatican ) Masonry 's fighting ; it is combatting , not the religion , but the organisation and the sects which make use of religion for objectionable unpatriotic political aims , it is combatting clericalism , not Catholicism , and il is combatting the usurpers of faith , not faith itself ; it is combatting pharisecs , not the moral principles , which are made use of for worldly objects and the lust of power . "

I have quoted here literally one of the passages of Mr . Nathan ' s speech . It follow from same , that if thc Vatican will yield on every point , give up all its nghts , then it will be pardoned , always on the condition that it does not thwart their desi gns . In their opinion the State should be undenominational , Nothing is to be exalted to a dogma , and virtues ought to be a "civic" duty , and teaching to rest only on moral education , Nathan refers here to thc opinion of Leo Tolstoy and nis words : " Let everybody be allowed to believe in a God of his liking . "

Such is than the object of the struggle " worthy of a great association , oclici'jng in truth , in the welfare destined for everybody . . . . " And now , why those secret badges , those clandestine meetings , those enig . natic teachings r The Masons have been asked here publicly a long time ago to tnrow off their mask . They do nat throw it off , they only half open it . As Mr . \ atnan has

• explained us , the " secret , " that secret of the clandestine organisation , win go on being kept . It should not be known who belongs to thc Masonry and no does not ! ( To-day almost all Italian Ministers are Masons , and , as a great xception the Harquiss Visconti-Verosti , the , former Foreign Secretary , was quoted who never belonged to the sect ) .

even ou V" * tarRet for darts > wu > our persons , our reputation , our interests , unknn , r , ncs are slandered . Some of our adversaries we know , some are ' Jl ? i " *¦ . Maybe i there are some here , in this hall , happy to gather from Aull ™ tCnal lor agression ! " ( Hilarity in the hall ) . «» that is nothing yet . But what he said further is really interesting ;

Italian Freemasonry.

" We aim at abolishing the secret ; we know it to be necessary , but the indispensable condition is reciprocity . As long as the Society of Jesus , and other similar congregations , will prepare in the dirk their attacks , so long we won ' t publish the list of persons , for it would be to the advantage of ensmies , and to our detriment . ' - ' If the speaker is to be believed , Masonry has besides some more " ideal " aims . Thus , for instance , the spreading of Italian feeling abroad , supporting

schools outside Italy , but always only undenominational schools , that is , those to which priests have no access for teaching religion . As it is known , there exists in Italy a literary association " Dante Alighieri , " having for its object the cultivating of Italian language and literature , even amongst Italians residing abroad . " Dante Alighieri " is supplied with Masonic funds , and it is Masonry which is fighting on her part with the Slavonians in Istria , Dalmatia , and , in general , on the Austrian coast of the Adriatic , in the name of the great poet of Ravenna .

What funds does it dispose of ? That is one of the greatest mysteries , and Nathan did not unveil same . He has told only that every member pays a voluntary contribution . We have also got to know that the divorce law is supported by the fraternity of the triangle and trowel . The program contains besides many other

beautiful things and promises—the combination of capital and labour in the production , raising workmen to the rank of free proiucers , establishing creditbanks , and , in the present transitory period , before the evolution is completed , the encouraging of agricultural partnership between capital and labour by means of division of the produce between the owner and the agricultural labourer , share ofthe workman in the profits in industrial undertakings , & c .

The pity is that what we know about Masons does not correspond with those lofty aspirations . Have they not been always accused that the solidarity of Masons goes far beyond the limits of honesty and justice . Why , for instance , has the name of Mason become here synonymous with knavery . Women do not join Masonry , except in the United States where there exists a separate association , " The Star of the East . "

The lecturer concluded his lecture by a pathetic turn , proclaiming Masonry to be nothing less than a haven of rest , a morning star , in the present days , when so many social troubles are threatening , when gloomy flashes are breaking through the horizon , amongst a general anarrhy of conscience . In the enormous splendid lecture hall , where the meetings are holden , and

where the council of brotheis 33 are sitting , there were placed green banners of 170 Italian lodges with the usual symbols . Behind it were about a dozen of most sumptuously furnished rooms , Freemasonic temples , meeting rooms , for brothers of 9 , 18 , and 30 degree , with pillars separating the higher from the lower degrees . Truly , in the case of a commercial company , business could be transacted in a more modest dwelling .

It cannot be denied that Mr . Nathan ' s lecture was very clever . Only the great master has been speaking mostly of so-ne kind of ideal Masons . If in general there could be here a question of ideal , and not of such as they are . Besides , we know them here , unfortunately . In the political life of Italy they are the decomposing element , judged and condemned—says of them the Liberal press , those who know the working of . the company behind the scenes .

The fact that Jews were so eager to join the association proves that they have found out where material gains are to be obtained ; and all that speaking about personal morality is merely throwing dust into the eyes . No , the distrust which the majority of people feel here towards Masons has not been shaken by Mr . Nathan ' s tendentional lecture .

Considered from the Catholic point of view , the Church has a no more implacable enemy not only in Italy , but also in other countries , than the Freemasons . The Vatican is experiencing now the influence of this sect in France , Spain , Portugal , where demonstrations are organised against the Church , and where a section cf the press , clandestinely supported , is spreading most false informations to assail the Holy See and its head .

It is to the Masons that we are indebted that the dispute between the Govern ment and the Church has not been settle J yet . The sect would not allow a compromise , for it would then cease to exist , not having any raison d etre , and ones ' the profitable Government undertakings coming to an end , their adherers would surely leave them . That , however , is not likely . Official Italy , pressed on the one side by

Socialism in strife with the Catholics , is looking for a support , and finds same in monarchical Masons . There will come a time , however , when this mask will fall off , too , for it is well-known that their final aim is—1 Republic . N ithan did not say as much , for he could not do it , although he spoke also of Mazzini , who was a Mason , too . Perhaps , however , there will be somebody else who will abolish both , monarchy and Masonry . Social movements seem to develops . There will come then the turn for the Vatican to save society ,

Craft Masonry.

Craft Masonry .

Lodge Acacia , No . 232 {• The regular meeting of the above lodge was held at the Masonic Hall , Bradford , on Thursday , thc ist instant . Bro . John W . Bland , W . M ., presided , and there were aUo present : Bros . Alfred Stephenson , P . P . G . D . ; C . II . Ellis , P . M . ; John Morton , P . M . ; R . S . Hird , I . P . M . ; T . P . Sykes , as S . W . ; T . H . Bedford , J . W . ; W . Shaw S . D .: J . L . Turner , as J . D . ; W . H . Townend , I . G . ; | . L . Cooper , Tyler j S . A . Bailey , P . M ., Treas . ; I . T . Last . P . P . G . Ree ., Sec : " I . Wood , Org . ; W .

Durrance , Asst . Sec . ; and a fair attendance of the brethren . Visitors : Bros . Rev . Wm . Wilkinson , P . M . 2069 , P . P . G . C ; Rev . J . Moxon Walton . 207 , P . P . G . C . ; Rev . T . II . Grecnhalgh , 275 , P . P . G . C . ; Rev . E . Richards , 302 , P . P . G . C . N . and E . Vorks ; Rev . Geo . DangerfielJ , Chap . 1301 ; Rev . J . W . Clough , l . W . 2321 '; Rev . C . F . Askew , 995 ; Rev . Jas . Brown , Chap . 164 S ; J . Wilsan , P . M . 1034 , P . P . G . Std . Br . ; and li . Spencer , 2669 . The minutes of the last monthly meeting having been read and confirmed , the

ballot was taken for the Rev . C . H . King , Vicar of St . James ' , Bolton , and Mr . Wm . A . Drake , which resulted favourably , and the Rev . C . H . King , being in attendance , he was initiated by Bro . Stephenson , P . P . G . D . The working tools were explained by Bro . Last , P . P . G . R ., and the charge in the First Degree was delivered by Bro . Ellis , P . M . Bro . M . H . Langley , M . A ., was raised to the Third Degree by Bro . Bailey , P . M ., thc working tools being explained by Bro . Bedford , J . VV ., and the

charge in the Third Degree delivered by Bro . Sykes , acting S . W . A Committee was elected to audit thc Treasurer ' s accounts for th : current year . Apologies were tendered for the unavoidable absence of a number of the members of the lodge , and letters of apology were read from Bros , the Rev . Hugh Doig , Prov . G . Chap ., and Rev . Canon Lowther Clarke , P . P . G . C , Vicar of Dewsbury , and a number of other cleiical brethren regretting their inability to attend the lodge and greet the candidate on his admission into the Craft .

After " Hearty good wishes" from the numerous visitors , the lodge was closed , and the brethren adjourned to refreshment . After dinner , thc usual loyal and Masonic toasts were . duly honoured , the speeches being interspersed with songs and recitations , and a very pleasant and harmonious evening was , as usual , brought to a close by the Tyler ' s toast .

THE ROYAL NATION VL HOSPITAL FO * CONSUMPTION , Ventnor , fcas received a donation of £ IOOJ from Mr . Peregrine Purvis .