Provincial Grand Lodge Of Surrey.

Charities . " In doing so he expiessed a hope that at the next festival of this Institution a brother would represent the province of Surrey , indeed he was sure there was a brother present who would do so . He also reviewed the

progress made by the three Charities . The company then separated , after having enjoyed a delightful evening . Of the banquet it is but fair to say that Bro . Potter , of the Station Hotel , supplied it with excellent discretion . It was a masterpiece of skill and taste , both as to

the quality and quantity of the provisions , and the wines were a proof of sound judgment in their selection . Bro . Speight , the Provincial Grand Tyler , was an efficient Toast-Master , and was very assiduous in the performance of his duties ..

Some charming singing was performed during the evening , when Bros . Baxter , G . T . Carter , Montem Smith , and Theodore Distin displayed their superior vocal powers , and Bro . E . H . Sugg , Provincial Grand Organist , and Organist , 452 , his ability as an instrumentalist .

The Religious Question And Freemasonry In Brazil.

THE RELIGIOUS QUESTION AND FREEMASONRY IN BRAZIL .

From the Anglo-Brazilian Times , published at Rio de Janeiro , we extract the following account of an interesting debate upon the subject of the Roman Catholic hostility to Freemasonry , which took place in the Senate of that country : — Visconde Do Rio Branco ; I do not intend to

enter largely into the matter of which the motion treats , or , rather , on which the speech of its mover turns , still less do I rise to contest the famous oration of the noble senator for Maranham , Sr . Candido Mendes De Almeida , an oration circulated as a

tract with a special title , not as a speech in the Senate , on the vote of thanks , but as though it were a pamphlet against the so-called religious policy of the cabinet . What I have to do now is to inform the Senate , in the name of the government , that the

matter shall have a decision on - . he appeal which one of the brotherhoods of the city of Recife has taken to the Crown , against the interdict imposed on it by the prelate of that diocese . This affair has been committed to that enlightened

section of the Council of State which consults upon affairs of the Empire , and probably the opinion of the full Council of State will also be taken , whereon the government will pronounce the decision which its powers admit of and the

case requires . I believe that , as the noble Senator for Para ( Souza Franco ) has said , there is appeal , and that our ecclesiastical law is happily not what the noble Senator for Maranham has expounded , denying even the legitimacy of the placet and

arguing that in conjunctures like this there is no remedy but to go to Rome . While giving this information to the Senate , I cannot avoid adding some reflections , very brief ones , as I do not wish to prejudice the speech of the noble Senator for Bahia ( Zacarias ) , besides

the solemn promise I recently gave him . The reflections 1 allude to arise naturally from my special position in relation to Brazilian Masonry . Senator F . Octaviano Rosa : —Hear . Visconde Do Rio Branco : —Thc noble Senator for Maranham , who has taken upon himself

the defence of the acts of the prelates , has made a really inquistorial examination into all that has been published for or against Masonic societies throughout the world , and therefrom concludes that Brazilian Masonry is identified with that of Europe , not alone in the aims common to all , but even in the special interests of the society in

which each lives . By this absolute and fatal logic the noble Senator has arrived at the deduction that the proximate and inevitable consequence of Masonry is the Commune of Paris . Propositions of this kind , Air . President , can be enunciated onl y by one who is hallucinated by a principle or by the defence of a cause , and is ignorant of what Masonry is in Brazil .

Senator Mendes De Almeida . —Like your Excellency ? Pray keep within bounds ; I respect you . Visconde Do Rio Bianco : —I think there is nothing offensive to the noble Senator in what

The Religious Question And Freemasonry In Brazil.

I have just said . ( No , No . ) To say that you are hallucinated by the principle or by the cause you defend , and that you do not know the Freemasonry of Brazil , is not throwing a slur on you . But to say that a society to which I have the honour to belong has similitude with the Commune of Paris is certainly an offensive proposition .

Sir Mendes De Almeida : —Where is that in my speech ? Visconde Do Rio Branco : —Not only to him who is addressing the Senate , but even to a great number of Brazilians . Sr . Mendes De Almeida : —I said no such thing ; your Exc . is building a castle .

Visconde Do Rio Branco : —The noble Senator said that the Commune of Paris , or the International , was a consequence of the principles professed by the Masonic societies ; if this is not in his speech I think I heard it from him . Sr . Mendes De Almeida : —I did not say so , Y . Ex . is mistaken .

Visconde Do Rio Branco : —So be it . Sr . Mendes De Almeida : —Things must be put to rights . Visconde Do Rio Branco : —I am even glad of the rectification of the noble Senator , that is , that

he did not malign Brazilian Masonry so much as I thought I had heard him do . Mr . President , I entered Masonry many years ago , and I have never seen it meddle with reli gion or with state politics ; my experience is that it has ever been a society intended for the succour of

its members and for the promotion of man ' s moral and intellectual perfection . If it does little for this latter aim , if it has established few schools , its acts of beneficence are incontestible , and many families receive assistance from these societies which it is sought to stigmatise , and even

to deny the rights of citizenship to . While still a young man I was invited to join one of the Masonic lodges , and I affiliated therein . Afterwards , for many years , I ceased attendance , until in 186 9 I was called to the charge now exercised by me , of chief of one of the

Masonic circles . I was preceded in this position by men of such recognized good catholicity as were Jose Clemente Pereira , Marquis de Abrantes , Marcellino de Brito , Visconde do Uruguay . Sr . Francisco Octaviano : —Cayrii . Visconde do Rio Branco . —Baron de Cayrii ,

Visconde de Albuquerque , Jose Bonifacio , the patriarch of our independence , and D . Pedro I , founder of this Empire . When accepting the position , I knew that the person elected , at the same time , to the office of assistant chief was one of our most respectable men , now no longer

in existence , Sr . Furtado , also considered a perfect Catholic . Wherefore , I was very far from foreseeing that what was allowed to Sr . Jose Clemente Pereira , Provedor of thc Santa Casa da Misericordia , during many years , and to Martinis de Abrantes , who succeeded him in the

administration of the same institution , was a crime , a heresy , an offence to the State religion , when done by me . 1 accepted the charge of the Masons of the Lavradio circle , and I do not repent doing so , let the noble Senators , in accordance with their

theology and canon law , decree as many excommunications as they please ; my conscience is at ease , my relations with God are those of a complete Christian . 1 do not consider it expedient to defend the State religion in the manner Ultramontanes do ,

and I should wish that the illuminated minds who , like the noble Senator for Maranham , possess so much ecclesiastical knowledge , would promote the interests of religion in Brazil in another way , by contributing to the better education of our clergy , to the regeneration of that

of now ( hear , hear ) , to the edifying of their flocks by the prelates , evangelizing those flocks , and diffusing light and faith amidst them with apostolic works , with the example of devotion to God and society , whose pastors they are . It is thus consciences should be appealed to , not by

commencing with expelling from the Catholic church the members of a society which has existed so many years in Brazil , always as a peaceful and beneficent association . ( Applause . ) Discussion with the noble Senator for Maranham in these matters is difficult , because , besides his grea t learning , which I say without irony , he

The Religious Question And Freemasonry In Brazil.

has the defect of supposing that others know absolutely nothing of ecclesiastical history and law . Sr . Mendes de Almeida . —Pardon me ; it is a defect discovered b y Y . Ex . alone . Visconde do Rio Branco : —So that not even

as to the very Masonry I am \ seeing and practising , does he allow that I know anything . Permit me , however , to remind you that Masonry was very much favoured by the Popes in other times , when the Masons bore the name of Freemasons , and enjoyed privileges as

mechanical and artistical corporations , to whose work the great monuments of Christianity in Europe are owed . Sr . F . Letoniano : —The cathedrals of Southern Europe . Visconde do Rio Branco : — Bonifacio IV

Nicholas III ., and Benedict XII , protected the Freemasons , and conferred important privileges upon them . ( Hear . ) Sr . Mendes de Almeida : —Y . Ex . is making a discovery greater than that of Christop her Columbus !

Visconde do Rio Branco : —Your Excellency knows Masonry only by the books of its detractors , persons interested in breaking down what they consider a widely spread and powerful element of social progress . Later , at the beginning of the XVIII century ,

Masonry became converted into a philosophical society , and took in some countries an active part in the politics of the day , and a persecution cf it began . That persecution , Mr . President , did not stop at excommunication , many Masons ascended the scaffold and became victims . What , however , did religion and politics gain with that ?

Truth triumphed , Masonry continued to exist and make further spread , and it is now respected everywhere . Merel y in two or three states was it forbidden , up to modern times , I think in Austria , Russia , and Spain 5 and the Senate knows that it is restored iu the last country , and that it flourishes throughout Germany . ( To be continued . )

Ar01205

A party of Irish Freemasons are expected to leave Belfast in August on a tri p to the United | States . They will be piloted by Bros . John Ireland , and 11 . B . Matthews—two of the leading Freemasons of the North of Ireland .

On Tuesday 23 rd ult . Bro . John Braddick Monckton , " Citizen" and Coach and Coach Harness Maker , " made the declaration of office as Town Clerk of the City of London , to which he was elected last week , and at once entered upon his duties in the court .

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IJEN'rirKjer ; , prepared from a recipe as used by her Majesty , gives the teeth a pearl-like wliitener-s , and imparts " a delicious fragrance to the breath . Price is . 61 I . . ^ old by all chemists and perfumer ? , and hy the proprietors , MESSRS . GAUKIEI ., the old-cstablislicil Dentists , 73 , l . udgatc-hill , and 56 , Harlcy-strect , Cavendish-siltinre London .

Metropolitan Masonic Meetings.

METROPOLITAN MASONIC MEETINGS .

For the Week ending Friday , August 8 th , 1873 . The Editor will be glad to have notice from Secretaries of Lodges and Chapters of any change in place or time ol meeting .

Saturday , August 2 . General Committee , Boys' School , Freemasons' Mall , at 4-Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of Middlesex and Surrey , City Terminus Hotel , Cannon-street .

( See Advertisement . ) Lily Lodge of Instruction ( 820 ) , Greyhound Hotel , Richmond , Surrey , at 7 . Star Lodge of Instruction ( 1275 ) , Marquis of Oranby , New Cross-road , at 7 ; bio . C . S . Uilley , Preceptor .

Monday , Auj . " ' _ :, Lodge 1311 ) , Asaph , Ficcnuuons' . ¦ Strong Man Lodge ol Instructi .. ; . ; Jerusalem Tavern , St . John ' s-gate-, v . In ' -. ¦'¦ ¦ . - . , at 8 ; Biclicckctt , Precentor .

Sincerity Lodge of Instruction ,, 1 , 4 ) , Hallway Tavern 1 l ' enchurch-street St . ' . ti .-n , at 7 . Camden Lodge of In-t ; uuiun ( 704 ) , Adelaide Tavern , Havcrstock-hill , at S j Bro . T . A . Adams , Preceptor . Eastern Star Lodge of Instruction ( 95 ) , Royal Hotel , Mileend-road , at 7 . 30 ; Bro . li . Gottheil , Preceptor . British Oak Lodge ' of instiwaion , Bank oi tiieivdshiP Tavern , Mile-end . at 7 for 8 .