Freemasonry In Chile, South America.

the Grand Orient of France , and Avorking in the Sp mish language . The third lodge of Masonry received its dispensation from the M . W . the Grand Lodge of California , Avorking under York Rite , and in the English language . It was kept at work one year ,

and Avas then closed . It bore tho name of Pacific *" Lodge , U . D . The fourth received its power to AVOI-IC from the Grand Orient of France , under the title of Lodge Union Fraternal , Avorking under the French Modem Rileand in the Spanish languagecharter

, , dated the 4 th April , 1854 . The fifth received its charter from the Grand Orient of France likewise , under the name of Aurora du Chili , meeting in Concepcion ( Chili ); it afterwards assumed the name of Fraternidad .

Prior to this date , a lodge of the name of Lstrella del Sur , also existed in Concepcion , under charter from the Grand Orient of the Republic of Peru , but the Avarrant was duly returned on the breaking out of the Masonic schism in that Orient , in the year 1860 . The sixth holds its charter from the M . W . the

Grand Lodge of Massachusets , U . S . A ., and bears the name of Bethesda , Avorking in English Ancient York Rite , and dated 14 th December , 1854 , assembles in Valparaiso . The seventh , springing from the last named source , and called the Hiram , meets in Copiapo ,

Chile , charter dated 14 th December , 1859 . In . 1861 a member of a spurious Supreme Grand Council , 33 degree , from Lima , Peru , established on his own authority the lodge called Orden y Libertad , in Copiapo , there being already in existence in that city , the Hiram Lodge , as before mentioned . This new loda-e then addressed

circulars to the other lodges in Chile , asking for recognition , which not only declined to recognise the Lodge Orden y Libertad , but allowed tho application to remain unanswered and unnoticed . The refusal of the Chile lodges of recoo-uition ot this lodge was very properly based on the

facts , that the founder of the lodge in question was a member of a spurious and irregular Supreme Council of the 33 assembling in Lima , and an expelled member from the regular Grand Orient of Peru , and that even a regular Grand Inspector General of the 33 degree cannot

establish any lodge or Masonic body without due authority from the supreme body whence he hails , and in conformity Avith the Constitutions of the Scotch Rite , dated May 1 st , 1786 . m the month of April , 1862 , the news reached Chile of the appointment of the late Marshal

Magnan as Grand Master of the Grand Orient of 1 ranee , which caused considerable dissatisfaction to the fraternity . The lodges Union Fraternal , of Val paraiso , and Fraternidad , of Concepcion , immediatel y threw up their charters , and , in consequence , were formally erased from the Register of the Grand Orient of France , by decree dated

10 th November , 1863 , Avhich fact was regularly communicated to the various Grand Masonic poAvers of Europe and else \ Adiere . No statement of their reasons for so doing , nor of their intention to form a Grand Lodge , accompanied the devolution of the said charters , and , consequently , according to Masonic law , these two lodges virtually and actually ceased to exist .

Shortly afterwards the above two lodges made an aprjlication to the Lodge Etoile du Pacifique ( which still Avorks under the jurisdiction of the Grand Orient of France ) to unite with them to form a Grand Lodge , Avhich , hoAvever , met with a refusal . They thenin order to obtain what is

, generally believed to be the requisite number ( at least ) of three subordinate lodges , formed a third lodge , called the Progreso , but for which no charter has been given , or could be given by them .

On the 20 th of April , 1862 , these three lodges met by representation to form a Grand , Lodge , Avhen they found delegates from the Lodge Orden y Libertad , of Copiapo , the very same lodge that they had refused to recognise or correspond Avith previously ; they , however , received the

delegates , and thus four bodies Avere combined to form the so-called Grand Lodge of Chile—one ( Progreso ) Avithout charter , one ( Orden y Libertad ) Avith charter from a member of a spurious Grand Council of 33 ° , aud two ( Union Fraternal and Fraternidad ) which had returned their charters ,

and , consequently , ceased to exist . Even supposing the latter irregularity Avere overlooked , as having arisen from ignorance , there Avould only remain two lodges , whereas three are , according to Masonic usage and custom , absolutely necessary . It must also be remembered that lodges ought not to combine for the formation of a Grand

Lodge , unless they have been in work for some considerable length of timo , and there is a manifest evidence of the necessity and urgency of so doing , and even then the consent of the parent Grand Power is requisite . The so-called Grand Lodge of Chile allege that

as the Lodge Orden y Libertad , of Copaipo , was afterwards recognised by the legitimate Supreme Grand Council of the Grand Orient of Peru ( which however neuer has been the case , nor even by the regular Grand Orient of Peru ) , that this recognition had a retrospective actionand made it

legiti-, mate from its foundation . The spurious and illegal Gran Oriente Nacional and Supreme Council 33 , of Peru , have now ceased to exist , but there aro still one or two of its lodges which assemble in Lima and Callao * under the same names as those