What Is Unoccupied Country?

WHAT IS UNOCCUPIED COUNTRY ?

BY MASONIC STUDENT . Until late years " Unoccupied Country " was held to be any district of certain definite and national limits in which no Masonic lodge was to be found . The claim of " priority " of Masonic settlement was never raised , inasmuch as in the Colonies and Dependencies of Great Britain , the three Grand Lodges of England , Scotland , and Ireland claimed to exercize

and did exercize a " concurrent jurisdiction" in Masonic amity and with an " entente cordiale . " As the American Grand Lodges multiplied and new States were formed , this usage became somewhat inconvenient for them both on the ground of " priority" and also for other patent reasons , and they therefore adopted this most peculiar theory , that no territory was occupied that had not one dominant Grand Lodge , and that in fact a

country or district which had concurrent jurisdictions at work , but not one Grand Lodge , was " unoccupied country . " This idea , resolutely adhered to , necessarily led , and was intended to lead doubtless , to the increase of Grand Lodges , and if it suits the Masonic " meridian" and mind of America I do not see that we have anything to do with it in England , either in respect of criticism or even of comment . It is the American law on the subject , and there we have it .

But this American law is now claimed in other countries , and for other purposes , and as it is , as far as Freemasonry generally is concerned , utterly unsound and untenable , I think it well to allude to it fully , as I undertook , to-day , the more so , as it is made to play a conspicuous part in some recent movements and proceedings . An amusing illustration of its utter unsoundness occurs in the Gibraltar case . A brother with honorary rank in the

Grand Lodge of Manitoba , not , I believe , a subscribing member of any lodge at the time , was entrusted by the Grand Master of iVIanitoba , for the purpose of establishing a lodge in Tangiers ( Morocco ) , with a warrant , or charter , giving permission to meet temporarily in Gibraltar , and subsequently at St . Roque , in Spain . I say nothing here of the oddity of the proceeding of giving a warrant for a lodge in Tangiers to meet in another

jurisdiction temporarily . I never heard of such a case before , and I do not believe any precedent exists for such a peculiar course of action . We were all naturally astonished in England , as the District Grand Master of Gibraltar , E . C , was , at such a proceeding , and H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , Grand Master , called the attention of the Grand Master of Manitoba to the subject . And then it seemed that , adopting the American theory of " unoccupied

territory , " because three jurisdictions were at work , —the English , Scottish , and Irish Grand Lodges , —they claimed in Manitoba to have a right to issue a warrant for a lodge to be founded in Tangiers , to meet temporarily in Gibraltar , because , though there were several lodges working at Gibraltar , there was not one dominant Grand Lodge , and so it was " unoccupied territory . " No doubt Morocco was unoccupied territory , and , strictly speaking ,

the Grand Lodge of Manitoba could warrant lodges there ; that point in the abstract has never been disputed , but in the concrete it might seem a question of common sense , that the District Grand Master of Andalusia , the head of one of the oldest Provincial Grand Lodges in existence , might have been consulted primarily as to a lodge in a place not many miles across , rather than , I think , that a warrant should be sent across

the Atlantic from Manitoba . But sufficient . The Grand Lodge of Manitoba behaved most gracefully the moment H . R . H . the Grand Master called their attention to the subject , and I only mention the fact to show how the American thsory of " unoccupied country " works . We in England know nothing , and can know nothing , of such refinement and subtility of Masonic canons . We cannot admit , for instance , that ,

though a district has been occupied for 150 years by an tinglish Provincial Grand Lodge in full working order , because there are three legal jurisdictions existent and concurrent there , therefore that is " unoccupied country . " According to our views , there might be a foruth jurisdiction also working ; but the absolute necessity of one paramount authority is not to us at all clear , nor does it rest on any Masonic law whatever that we wot of .

Some of the arguments in favour of the so-called Grand Lodges of New South Wales and Victoria are based upon this same chimera , and their foundation is justified on this very ground that there are three Grand jurisdictions , and not one Grand Lodge . Victoria is still , according to American ideas , naturally and Masonically " unoccupied country ; " though there are in Victoria , e . g ., 75 English lodges working under an English District

Grand Master , and 25 Scottish and Irish lodges , it is still , according to this remarkable notion , positively " unoccupied country . " In fact , according to the American view , Germany , with eight German Bodies , is also " unoccupied country , " Masonically . at this hour , and I venture to conclude my paper with this " Reductio ad Absurdum , " as I

hope to convince many of my readers , and even some very good friends in America and Canada how utterly and hopelessly unsound and untenable this " unoccupied country" doctrine is , if universally and generally applied , though it may from peculiar causes and special reasons be found to work well in America .

United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

The Quarterly Communication of United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England was held on Wednesday evening , in the large hall of Freemasons' Tavern . General J . Studholme Brownrigg , C . B ., P . G . W ., Prov . Grand Master of Surrey , presided , with the Rev . H . G . Morse as Senior Warden , and the Rev . C . J . Martyn as Junior Warden , and there were also present among others the following : Bros . Rev . VV , Oswell Thompson , G . Chap . ; John Derhy Allcroft , G . Treas . ; Sir John

B . Monckton , President Board of General Purposes ; Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , G . Sec . ; Ernest Emil Wendt , D . C . L ., G . Sec . for German Correspondence ; Dr . Ralph Gooding , G . S . D . ; Frank Green , G . J . D . ; T . H . Devonshire , GJ . D . ; T . Boiling Bolton , D . G . D . of C . ; Raymond H . Thrupp , A . G . D . of C . ; Col . lames Peters , G . S . B .,- Col . F . Gough , G . Std . Br . ; W . G . Cusins , G . Org-. ; H G . Buss , G . A . Sec . ; L . F . Littell , G . Purst . ; Wm . Stephens , G . A . Purst . ; Henry Sadler , G . Tyler ; Col . W . Ramsay , P . D . G . M . Punjab ; Hugh D . Sandeman , P . D . G . M .

Bengal ; Hon . Mr . Justice J . Gibbs , P . D . G . M . Bombay ; VV . H . Dillet , P . D . G . M . Bahamas ; John Havers , P . G . VV . ; Rev . J . Mudholme Brownrigg , P . G . C . ; Rev . R . J . Simpson , P . G . C . ; Rev . R . P . Bent , P . G . C . ; Rev .- C . W . Arnold , P . G . C . ; Rev . Thomas Cochrane , P . G . C . ; Rev . H . A . Pickard , P . G . C ; Rev . Ambrose VV . Hall , P . G . C ; H . Mawdsley , P . G . D . ; J . M . Case , P . G . D . ; I . ieut .-Col . Somerville H . Burney , P . G . D . ; John Sampson Peirce , P . G . D . ; Robert Freke Gould , P . G . D . ; Frank Richardson , P . G . D . ; Thos . Fenn , P . G . D . ; C . W . C

Hutton , H . G . D . ; Raynham W . Stewart , P . G . D ; Capt . Nathaniel G . Philips , P . G . D . ; UbczHoge . P . G . D . ; F . P . Mo-rell , P . G . D . ; Matthew Clark , P . G . D . ; J . Ebenezer Saunders , P . G . D . j Reginald Bird , P . G . D . ; C . A . Murton , P . G . D . ; H . C . Tombs , P . G . D . ; J . Glaisher , P . G . D . ; J . D . Hayes , P . G . D . ; J . Lewis-Thomas , P . G . A . D . C ; G . Burt , P . G . A . D . C ; Jno . Messent , P . G . S . B . ; C . Greenwood , P . G . S . B . ; J . V . Collins , P . GS . B . ; G . Lambert , P . G . S . B . ; E . P . Albert , P . G . P . ; Jas . Brett , P . G . P . ; and VV . Clarke , P . G . P .

United Grand Lodge.

Grand Lodge having been opened in form , the minutes of the last Quarterly Communication of the 6 th June , and of the Special Grand Lodge held at York on the 18 th July , were read and confirmed . On the motion that the minutes of the Special Grand Lodges of 29 th June and 8 th August be confirmed , Bro . J AMES HENRY MATTHEWS , P . M . No . 109 and 143 , moved as an amendment ,

" That in order to afford the Craft sufficient time for due consideration of the amendments in the proposed revise of the Book of Constitutions , as carried at the Special Grand Lodges of 23 th June and Sth August , and the proceedings of which Special Grand Lodges could only be issued a few days before the meeting of this Grand Lodge , resolved that the confirmation of the minutes of such Special Grand Lodges be postponed until the Quarterly Communication in December next . "

This was not , he said , an ordinary case of verification of minutes , because if they now confirmed these minutes they would be finally confirming the alterations in the Book of Constitutions . He thought they ought not to do so without due consideration , and he submitted that when it was considered that the papers containing the alterations had only been placed in the brethren ' s hands within the last 10 days , that would be thought not sufficient time

for brethren to reflect upon them . ( Cries of " Oh , oh , " and laughter . ) The alterations were very extensive . In the next place , the Special Grand Lodges in question were held at the end of June and in August , when men of business took their annual holiday , and consequently those Grand Lodges were not extensively attended . ( Cries of " Oh , oh , " and " No , no . " ) He knew it very well . Besides which , there were many hundred lodges

working in the colonies and India , of one of which he was happy to say he was a P . M . A colonial lodge could not possibly know what alterations were passed —( Hear , hear , and "Oh , oh" )—when the inlormation was only issued 10 days ago . Those lodges would say , " Why this hurry ? Why not give us time to consider these alterations ? " If the confirmation of these minutes was postponed till December , those lodges would have no cause to complain . ( Cries of " Oh , oh , " " No , no , " and Hear , hear . ) Let

the provincial brethren speak for themselves ; he spoke of lodges in which he was specially interested , and he knew how deeply they felt , and it was on their behalf he spoke now for the first time in Grand Lodge . He had not anticipated that there would be any objection to this ; he thought his proposal a reasonable one , and had not consequently asked any one to second it ; and , feeling confident it would be adopted , he now left it in the hands of Grand Lodge .

Bro . E . LETCUWORTH seconded the amendment . Bro . H . C . TOMBS , Prov . Grand Secretary for Wilts , objected to the amendment , which he considered almost an insult to Grand Lodge itself . ( Cries of No , no . ) Everything had been done in the most strict and formal and considerate manner . The notices of the proposed alterations in the Book of Constitutions were issued by the Grand Secretary many , many

months ago . This was not a matter which had arisen since the Sth of August ; it had been going on for months and months , and he was perfectly sure that the whole ol Europe and the world had had an ample opportunity of considering the new 3 ook of Constitutions —( Hear , hear , )—and also of considering all the circumstances under which the Special Grand Lodges were convened . Months were given between the issuing of the notices of the

proposed alterations and the calling ot the Special Grand Lodge of 29 th June . The President of the Board of General Purposes said on the 29 th June that upwards of 800 amendations and amendments had been proposed and that these had been carefully considered by the Board of General Purposes , who were the representatives of the whole Craft . They were really now trying the Board of General Purposes . ( Cries of No , no . ) Pray allow him to say that the Board of General Purposes did

their work very properly , and as soon as they were in a position to do so they issued broadcast the whole of the amendments , some of which they approved of , and some of which they did not see it in their power to recommend to Grand Lodge . Upon that the Grand Secretary convened a meeting for the 29 th June and that meeting was very largely attended . ( Cries of No , no . ) The President of

the Board of General Purposes and the other members of that Board attended , and very full explanations of the various amendments up to clause 1 S 3 were given , and those clauses were very carefully considered , voted , and determined upon . ( Hear , hear . ) Again , on the 8 th August another Special Grand Lodge was called to consider the remainder of the Book of Constitutions , and it was then completed . He was very sorry for

himself that that meeting took place when he was having a little holiday and he could not attend ; but for all that he felt himself bound by everything that took place then . It was unfair and improper treatment of Grand Lodge . On the 29 th June one brother whose lorm was very well known came in as late as nine o ' clock and wanted a tMcrent course pursued to lnat which had been pursued up to that time from four o ' clock in the afternoon . ( Cries ol disapprobation ) .

Bro . RAYNHAM STEWART , P . G . D ., excitedly protested emphatically against such a statement being made . It was an improper thing to tax a brother with coming down at nine o ' clock and interfering . If the brother came down at nine o ' clock no doubt he would give a very good reason for it . He said most emphatically it was an improper charge . It would be in the recollection of Grand Lodge —( Order , order ) . Gen . BROWNRIGG called liro . Stewart to order .

Bro . TOMBS thought Bro . Stewart ought to know him too well to think that he would make an unfair attack on a brother . What he said was true , and he was under the shelter of the wing of the President of the Board of General Purposes . The brother he spoke of came in at nine o'clock in the evening , when the Grand Lodge had been at work for five hours , and proposed a different scheme to that which had been followed all the afternoon . ( After numerous interruptions and calls to order Bro . Tombs concluded by asserting that the minutes ought now to be put for confirmation . )

Bro . RAYNHAM VV . STEWART felt it his bounden duty to opposeero , Tombs ' s suggestion . When they had brethren there from the provinces those brethren should know what they were go ' mg to sanction . The Book of Constitutions was materially altered , and it was a book which every brother was compelled to abide by . He was peifectly ignorant ot the reason whv some brethren had turned round .

Bro . F . BINCKES said he was the btother alluded to by Bro . Tombs as having come into Grand Lodge at nine o'clock on the 29 th of June . He had been engaged up to that time in Masonic duty . The discussion was then proceeding in a certain way , and he admitted that he slated that that way

did not give the brethren a fair opportunity of judging ot the vanuu » amendments and alterations proposed . He did not ask that all the proceedings should be gone over again , but he asked that when an alteration was proposed the context should be given in connection wkh it . When n was overruled by the Grand Master in the chair he did not say a word , Dvn . he did as he hoped he always should do on the ruling of a Master , sit down-