On Some Of The Benefits Of Masonic Union.

an end of that undue rivalry amongst Lodges , which has resulted in the admission of most unworthy persons into

the Craffc . It is now put forward sometimes as a reproach to the Grand Lodge of New South Wales that their Lodges admit persons who could nofc have gained admission into a Lodge under the other Constitutions . This may be , and T have no doubt it is true in some few instances—but not as a

general accusation . The evil was not created by the erection of the Grand Lodge ; it existed to an alarming extent long before the Grand Lodge was thought of , but has , no

doubt , been aggravated by the existence of four competing bodies instead of three . Every Mason of even a few years ' experience , either in New South Wales or Victoria , can

remember instances where persons have even been blackballed in country towns and have gone to the metropolis , or some other country Lodge , and returned in a few weeks to demand admission to the Lodge that had refused to receive them . And in the metropolis itself the same thing happens ; persons rejected at one Lodge being eagerly accepted in another . The undue multiplication of Lodges leads the officers to seek eagerly for recruits . The important Masonic principle thafc no man should be asked to become a Mason , is ignored ; and for the sake of the

guineas a blackball is comparatively seldom heard of . Lately we read an important article on the question , " Why do so many Masons sever their connection with Masonry ?" The answer is simple enough , " Because so many unworthy

persons are received r There is a second reason , which I will only mention now , as it does not bear directly upon the subject , namely , "Because promotion in fche Craft is

made too easy , and brethren are not made to earn their promotion , and therefore do not value it ; and many of them nevei- know what Freemasonry is . "

With a United Grand Lodge holding undisputed sovereignty , this evil would at once be greatly checked , and under judicious management could be almost entirely suppressed . Rules could be framed : for instance—That a

second Lodge should not be established in any town until

there was a certain number of subscribing members on the roll of tho first Lodge , say one hundred ; fixing a minimum initiation fee ; requiring a certain term of probation in

each degree , say three attendances at Lodge , before allowing any advancement ; and others which will occur to experienced Masons .

Another great benefit we might enjoy , and one which is greatly needed , is regular visitation by a Grand Lodge Officer to all country Lodges . The Lodge of which the writer is now a member has never seen a District Grand

Lodge Officer within its doors , and is by no means a solitary instance . There is , no doubt , a difficulty in the way , namely , want of funds ; and here again we may see what we shall gain by union . Afc the present time the E . C . and

S . C ., between Secretaries' salaries and remittances to England and Scotland , are paying away Thirteen hundred pounds a year ! which might be devoted to legitimate

Masonic objects in our own colony . At present , Grand Secretary [ N . S . W . ] receives a salary of £ 200 a year . If we had union , his time would be fully occupied with secretarial duties ; Grand Lodge could afford to pay him

£ 500 a year , and still have £ 1 , 000 a year to devote to useful purposes . Say £ 300 for the travelling expenses of Visiting Officers ( several could be found who would spare

the time if its costs out of pocket were defrayed ) ; and £ 700 would be left for Widows and Orphans , or other Masonic Charities ; to say nothing of the economy in working which would necessarily result from having only one secretariat instead of three .

At present we have no means of making our views on these and kindred subjects known to D . G . Lodge . Living m remote country towns , aud widely separated from each other , we are deprived of the opportunities that we should

like fco have of ventilating this subject more freely by meeting in friendly council those who feel , as very many of us do , that our present unhappy divisions are a sham

and a reproach to our professions ; and as we never see a D . G . L . Officer , -we have literally no opportunity of making our wishes know at headquarters . True , we have a socalled official organ , but any one who has tried to ventilate

any question there will know of what use it is . Then D . G . Lodges write home about fche "expressed wishes" of the Lodges on the subject of a Grand Lodge . Why , they will not let us express our wishes—if they can possibly help it , as recent well-known cases abundantly prove .

The present time appears to be particularly opportune ior securing union . It appears by recent reports that the

On Some Of The Benefits Of Masonic Union.

Old Masonic Hall , in York-street , is in private hands , and the Lodges under the E . C . and S . C . have lit * rally no " local habitation " of their own . Then ifc is announced that all the fundsj of tho Scottish D . G . Lodge ( somo

£ 4 , 000 ) aro to be spent on a 21 years' building lease upon terms which mean little short ; of losing all the money . With an undoubtedly handsome and commodious hall in Castlereagh-street ( which could easily be added to ) ; with

onr Governor evidently anxious to seize the opportunity , if offered , of cementing our union by taking a prominent position , and using his influence with the Prince of Wales to secure a friendly recognition ; with Lord Carnarvon on

the spot to see and hear for himself what is tho real feeling on the matter ; and with fche recent evidence that an effort is at last being made fco secure an unbiassed expression of

opinion from all Lodges in the colony;—there is good ground for hoping that onr Centennial year will not pass without witnessing the establishment ot' a United Grand Lodge .

There is only one obstacle in the way—vested interestsand that is not so formidable as it might be . The accumulation of Benevolent Funds , now in the hands of D . G . Lodges E . C . and S . C , might ( if so required ) be reserved

for specified objects . The Masonio Hall shares ( Yorkstreet ) were a dead loss to their holders years ago . There only remain the Secretaries and the T ylers , who mig t look upon union as a personal loss . Well , when we started

S . C . Secretaries , and £ 400 to the present G . L . Secretary ) union would bo cheaply purchased . The Tylers could still

be all employed by the Lodges . We should even then save some £ 6 ( j 0 a year that now goes out of the colony . And even if we saved nothing afc present , the healthy vitality

that would shortly be infused into the Craft , and tbe respect thafc ifc would in a few years gain by the cessation of our present differences and division would more than compensate for any loss of money .

D ., A P . M . UNDEB THE E . C . AXD S . C . —Sydney Freemason .

Responsible Government , we secured to certain gentlemen a sum , by way of pension , in lieu of their salaries . Let us do the same in our own case . Even if we had to pay the full amount now paid to tbe three Secretaries ( say £ 200 each—as they would be relieved of duty—to the E . C . and

Extending The Scope Of Freemasonry.

EXTENDING THE SCOPE OF FREEMASONRY .

MANY brethren must be as surprised as ourselves when they read of the awful deeds which have been perpetrated in various parts of fche world under tbe cloak of Freemasonry , or that have been ascribed by public writers to the brethren of the Mystic tie , and however

much they may feel there is no truth in the accusations made against the Order , they cannot wholly ignore the charges bronght forward , or dismiss from their mind the feeling that there must be some fire fco account for all the

smoke . The question is , where are we to look for the fire , and how shall we regard the smoke ? Is it not most likely to be the fire of jealousy which burns , while the smoke is intended rather to bide the good of Freemasonry than to

attract attention to the shortcomings of its members . We have had a tolerably wide experience of Freemasonry during the past thirteen years , and so far we have been unable fco

trace any truth in the charges brought against the Order , while , on the opposite side , we have seen and heard much that reflects the greatest credit on its members .

During the period of our existence it has been our pleasure to refer to several of the attacks which have been levelled against Freemasonry , and many other writers have joined us in defending the fair name and reputation of the

Craft against those who seek to associate it with events wholly inconsistent with its principles or teachings , and entirely outside its true scope or intentions . We believe these efforts have been crowned with success , to such an

extent as to render Freemasonry almost universally respected , while in many quarters tbe actions of its members are held up as patterns worthy of imitation , and ifc is recognised as an Association formed and working for

the general good of mankind . This high estimation , in which Freemasonry is at present held , should satisfy its members that their work is having a beneficial effect , and that what they do is appreciated . It should also urge them to yefc greater efforts in the cause of Brotherly Love ,