United Grand Lodge.

—as given last week—were considered , The first and second were dismissed as frivolous and vexatious ; the third was allowed , with a direction that there should be communicated to the D . G . M . the reason—that the brother

censured was not called upon to explain . The fourth appeal wns also allowed , with an addendum that the District Grand Master thought ho was doing his duty , and wished to regard the supreme authority of Grand Lodge . The announcement of the result of the poll for Grand Treasurership was then made , the following being the return of the Scrutineers : —

For Bro . John Woodall 749 votes „ „ James Willing jun . 424 „ „ „ D . P . Cama 89 „

The acting Grand Master having declared Brother Woodall duly elected , a protest was handed in on behalf of Bro . Willing , but this was not entertained , the acting Grand Master stating that he had declared Bro . Woodall elected . Grand Lodge was then formally closed .

Backsliding And Bigotry

BACKSLIDING AND BIGOTRY

FREEMASONRY , according to its enemies , is in the unenviable position of being " between the Devil and the deep sea . " The expurgation of the cardinal landmark of the Order—the name of God—on the one hand ,

and the curses of the Pope of Rome and his satellites on the other , seem to give colour to the supposition that before very long either his Satanic majesty will claim his own , or that the Craft will be hurled into oblivion , never again to

emerge to corrupt mankind , and to trouble Holy Mother Church . If curses and misrepresentation could effect either or both these ends Freemasons would long ago have paid the penalty of imputed wickedness . Somehow

or other the Fraternity has escaped even the temporary punishment inflicted npon that famous Jackdaw which the humorous Barham has immortalised , notwithstanding that candle , bell and book have been freely used in bitter

denunciation . They refuse to yield to curses , to even moult a feather ; they object to enforced obscurity , and defy the ignorance and malignity of their assailants , as strongly as they regret the backsliding of their French

brethren . Unlike the poor bird of the legend , they have escaped visible chastisement , but instead of being accounted < f pions" as the reward of restitution , they are

damned for their perversity . Still they flourish , in happy ignorance of an impending doom , and are greater stumblingblocks than ever to tyranny of every kind .

At the present time cowans are taking a peculiar interest in Freemasonry , and it must be confessed that much that is now taking place , both at home and on the Continent , is calculated to attract the gaping multitude .

There is the eccentric conduct of M . Andrieux , a French Radical Deputy , formerly Prefect of Police at Paris ; a quondam brother , now renegade and slanderer . Then there is the Grand Orient of France , the highest Masonic

authority in that country , who declared , in 1877 , and has since maintained , that it is not necessary for initiates to affirm their belief in the existence of the Deity . The Grand Lodge of England take a different view , and has broken off intercourse with our French brethren . The Grand

Orient do not take their ostracism kindly , and would fain pose as martyrs to English Puritanism . All these matters afford food for scandal , an article that never lacks admirers , and which is as dearly cherished now by the idle

and the vicious as ever it was . Sheridan but emphasized the love of slander when he wrote that incomparable play the " School for Scandal . " As if to complicate matters , the Roman Catholic Church comes down with its

anathemas against all secret societies , and especially signals out Freemasonry as the object of its bitter and vindictive assaults . The situation , therefore , is not only interesting , but is pregnant with grave issues . The mere looker-on

the man who seeks amusement in the entanglement of interests and purposes , will find pleasure in the imbroglio . The judicious , who love truth and progress , and not empty demagogisms ; those who value simple faith in God and

immortality higher than they do the gaudy trappings of an imperious , haughty and persecuting Church , will feel pained at the unholy warfare that is being waged , and will shrink with disgust from the weapons that the enemies of Freemasonry so freely use ,

M . Andrieux may be dismissed very briefly . His record is not good . As Prefect of Police he necessarily became possessed of secrets , which he is now disclosing in a newspaper started by himself a short time ago . A man who

forgets the obligations of office directly he ceases to hold it can hardly be accounted honourable ; but when he uses those secrets to further his own personal ends no language within the bounds of newspaper courtesy is strong

enough to denounce such conduct . No wonder need be

felt that this same Andrieux is trying to carry on a similar traffic in what are termed the secrets of Freemasonry . He it was who broke up the monasteries in Paris , an act

he now condemns . By this means , and by his attacks

upon Freemasonry , he has gained some favour with French ecclesiastics . They condone past misconduct with present repentance , and particularly gloat over what they fondly believe to be revelations of the crimes of the Craft . We

do not care to disabuse their minds . Any stick is good enough to beat a dog with , and any tool , however foul , seems to be welcome when used by the Roman Catholic Church against Freemasonry . Ignorance is the parent

of folly and misunderstanding , and so far as those are concerned whose good opinion we value , we feel we have done enough in laying bare the character of M . Andrieux to secure the Craft from a hasty condemnation . As for

secrets , the French renegade can do no harm . He can disclose nothing that cannot bo already known without his aid . The knowledge is not worth the seeking , for were the cowan to possess it he could not use it . He would

lack the key , which the expert alone holds . These disclosures of M . Andrieux , such as they are , coupled with the omission of the recognition of God by the Grand Orient , has given a handle to the French clerical newspapers .

They have some right of complaint against the Craft in France , but none against the Craft in England , at least so far as their attitude to religion is concerned . We are not interested in the subtle distinctions set up by M . Cousin ,

Grand Master of the Supreme Council of the Grand

Orient ; we are quite certain that no possible explanation can rid us of the objection we have to the expunging of the name of the Great Architect of the Universe from our ceremonies . The position taken up by the Grand Lodge

of England is not open even to discussion , and as our Grand Master has firmly , but courteously declined to re-open the question of the relative positions of the two great bodies , we accept his decision as wise and just .

One of the most extraordinary diatribes ever launched against Freemasonry is the Lenten pastoral lately issued by Dr . Bagshawe , Roman Catholic Bishop of Nottingham .

We might here point out that the title the rev . gentleman

has assumed is an usurped one . What was once only tolerated has now become a right , only to vanish again some day when the Romish Church shall be seen—as it always has been—the enemy to progress and the tyrant of

princes and people . Dr . Bagshawe begins his pastoral by lamenting the alienation of certain funds by the Government of Italy from the Pope , while " so-called Christian Governments" did not think it " worth while to lift a

finger in defence of the Supreme Pastor of the Christian flock . " When sheep stray , neglect is imputed to the shepherd ; and when children forsake their parents , they can . generally produce some justification for their conduct . Then

we are told that " multitudes deny the very existence of God ; many more deny all knowledge of Him . Many deny the immortality of the soul , and a future state of reward and punishments . " The consequences of this

unbelief are set forth , and among them are— " that marriage has no longer any sanctity ; divorces and adulteries are condoned and approved ; nay , murder is glorified and becomes heroic . " The principal objects of life are "to

get rich and to wallow in sensual pleasures ; " to destroy and root out" all Christian education of children , " with the view of making the rising generation " more immoral and less religious than the ancient pagans themselves . " The

catalogue of crime is both long and terrible , and it is all owing to those wicked Freemasons . Has not the Pope proclaimed it , and do not his followers take up the parrot cry ? The reason for all this wrath and lamentation is

not to be found in real sorrow for sin , but in the fact that Freemasonry is hostile to the Romish Church . " Do we not , " asks Dr . Bagshawe , "in effect see the hostile

movement against the Church and Holy See has grown in extent and importance in proportion as the Freemasons have grown ; that the chief and most influential enemies of the Church have been invariably Freemasons ,