Affairs In New Zealand.

AFFAIRS IN NEW ZEALAND .

A recent number of the New Zealand . Craftsman contains some interesting particulars , from which we are enabled to form some opinion of the manner in which the affairs of Masonry are conducted under the banner of the unrecognised Grand Lodge of that Colony , as well as of the feelings by which the members of the old and new orders of things respectively are

actuated towards each other . The Grand Lodge held its Quarterly Communication at Freemasons' Hall , Wellington , on the 29 th July , under the presidency of Bro . MALCOLM NICCOL , M . W . G . M . The first important business appears to have been the presentation of a balance-sheet for the half-year ended 30 th June . From this we learn that , on the " Profit and

Loss Account , " the closing balance to the good was . £ 4 . 70 , as compared with the opening balance on ist January of , £ 315 , while the Fund of Benevolence showed a balance of £ 336—of which £ 200 was invested—as compared with ^ 230 at the opening of the account . Fro m this we augur that , as regards its monetary affairs , the new body has been making slow but steady

progress , but we notice that our contemporary protests against the abolition of certain fees of honour , on the ground that the income of the Fund of Benevolence for the whole of the year 1891 was only ^ 124 , and that each new lodge added to the roll only swells the income of the Fund by £ 2 . As regards the Report of the Board of General Purposes , we note in the

first place that tributes of respect are paid to the memory of the late Bros . D . H . MACARTHUR , a Past Deputy Grand Mastcr of the New Zealand Constitution , and Sir H . ATKINSON , K . C . M . G ., District Grand Master Wellington , under the English Constitution , and the Board recommends that for the future a place be found in the annual record of ^ Proceedings for

an " In Memoriam " page . The accession of three lodges ( two English and Scotch ) , and the consecration of a new lodge are naturally enough the subject of congratulation , and then follow a number of recommendations , as to one of which , namely , thc abolition of certain fees of honour , we have already noted that our contemporary takes exception to it , while it fails to

see how those fees of honour , which will be retained , can be paid by " the lodges nominating the Brethren to office , " when , according to article 16 of the New Zealand Constitutions , it is only the 25 Grand Stewards of the year which the lodges are priviligcd to nominate . The Board further recommends that the Grand Master be allowed his travelling expenses , so that

he may not be called upon to sacrifice money , as well as time and labour , in the performance of his duties . As regards the feelings by which the members of the rival Constitutions are actuated towards each other , we infer from a letter signed " P . M . N . Z . C ., Reefton , " to which our contemporary accords a prominent place in its columns , and on which it

offers certain editorial remarks which are not conceived in the best possible taste , that , at all events , in the District of Westland ( South Island ) , they ire not of the most friendly character . The letter is headed " A Disgraceful Proceeding , ' and the writer describes in bitter terms how Bro . J BEVAN , District Grand Master Wcstland , under the

English Constitution , on the occasion of the consecration of a new Masonic Hall at Reefton , and the installation of a new W . M . of thc Pacific Lodge , No . 1453 , E . C , gave orders for the exclusion ol brethren of the New Zealand Constitution . As to the precise manner in which this delusion was enforced we are not in a position to speak , though the

Craftswon , losing sight for the moment of the wise maxim—audi alteram partem '' as adopted the writer ' s version in its editorial comments . But we fail to sec why Bro . BEVAN should be condemned for doing his duty . The Grand Lod ge of England has declined to recognise the Grand Lodge of New ' ealand , which in the position it occupies towards the former is undoubtedly

an irregular body . Hence , in the performance of one of his duties as an officer of our Grand Lodge , it would , of necessity , be incumbent upon him to avoid doing anything which by any possibility could be construed into a recognition of a body which in the estimation of United Grand Lodge was illegal . That the [ occasion for such exclusion should have arisen is to be

rc gretted , but it is not the fault of Bro . BEVAN or of our Grand Lodge that an irregular body was established in New Zealand some two years since , or that it will remain irregular till the schism presently existing in New -e aland Freemasonry is healed . Our contemporary ' s correspondent , owever , writes in a thoroughly angry spirit . Bro . BEVAN says

C | " knew perfectly well that the Robert Burns Lodge " r ~ ° which the excluded brethren appear to have belonged— " would * invited . " This , of course , was a certainty , and , adds this paragon correspondents , " any respectable man " would have sent early notice

. Ills intention to exclude the New Zealand brethren from the meeting . But , * 'cad of taking this step , " thc Great I AM says , ' No , ye must not enter e Kingdom of BEVAN . ' HOW hurtful to a brother ' s feelings to think he

Affairs In New Zealand.

could not sit in the presence of the Great Mogul because there was a difference of opinion as to the proper place for the head-quarters of the governing body of the Craft . " All this is in execrable taste , and is as illogical as it is worthy of condemnation . In the first place , it is mere assertion to state that Bro . BEVAN " knew perfectly well that the Robert

Burns would be invited , and if we were asked our opinion on this point , we should be inclined to suggest that Bro . BEVAN , though he may have known of the friendly relations formerly existing between the two lodges , assumed—and reasonably assumed—that under the altered circumstances in which they stood to each other , the members of Pacific Lodge , No . 14 = 53

( E . G . ) , would not so far forget what was due to him as their ruler as to invite the members of the Robert Burns Lodge , holding under a constitution to which it was impossible for him , as D . G . M ., to lend any official countenance ; and , that when he ( Bro . BEVAN ) learned that they had so invited them , he at once gave instructions that brethren of the New

Zealand Constitution must under no circumstances be admitted . This , we repeat , is the explanation we should suggest if we were asked to express an opinion on a matter respecting which it is impossible we could possess any definite information . But says the writer of this letter— " In order to show to what extent some men will carry their spleen and vindictiveness , when this

Masonic autocrat obligated the Master elect , the usual obligation given on such occasions did not seem to him sufficient to accomplish his purpose , but he manipulated a special obligation of his own , whereby the newly-installed Master was bound under a most terrible penalty not , under any circumstances , to admit during his term of Mastership a member of any lodge

under the New Zealand Constitution . In this case thc writer rests his condemnation of Bro . BEVAN on hearsay evidence , which is always unsatisfactory . But even if we assume that Bro . BEVAN did specially bind the W . M . elect against admitting brethren of the New Zealand Constitution , we consider he exercised a wise discretion in doing so . He had learned that

a certain number of such brethren had ^ been specially invited to bc present at this particular function , and it was manifestly his duty as the local head of the English lodges to caution thc Master elect against receiving into his lodge brethren who belonged to a Constitution which his own superior authority had declined to recognise .

It is greatly to be deplored that such unpleasant episodes as this should arise in a Society which prides itself on its observance of Charity : but " P . M . N . Z . C . " and the . Vein Zealand Craftsman must bear in mind that the Grand Lodge of England and its oflicers in New Zealand are not to blame for the schism which has divided the New Zealand Masonic House against

itself . The New Zealand Constitution is the seceding body , while certain Englishj Irish , and Scotch lodges have remained in their old allegiance . It is , however , still more to be regretted that such letters as this on which we have been commenting should be allowed to appear in print in a Masonic journal , whose chief business it must always be to prevent , or if that should have

been impossible , to heal whatever differences seem likely to arise , or have " arisen , among Craftsmen . It will be useless for Bro . GU . LON and men of his stamp to try to throw oil on the troubled waters of New Zealand Freemasonry , if such letters as this of " P . M . N . Z . C , Reefton , " are published to the world in tlie columns of a Masonic journal .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of West Yorkshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF WEST YORKSHIRE .

What was probably the largest and most representative gathering of members of the Craft which has ever taken place in Bradford was held on the 26 th ult ., at thc Technical College . The occasion was the half-yearly meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of West Yorkshire . It is six years since the Prov . Grand Lodge met in Bradford . The present gathering

was held under the banner of the Prince of Wales Lodge , No . 164 S , of which Bro . Walter Binns is the VV . M ., but the duty of arranging for the meeting and welcoming the Prov . Grand oflicers and guests was cordially supported by the officers and members of the other six lodges in the town . The chair at the Provincial Grand Lodge was taken by the Deputy

Prov . Grand Master , Bro . Henry Smith , in the absence of Bro . Thomas William Tew , the Prov . Grand Master , whose continued illness , now extending over iS months , all members of the Craft deeply regret . There was a very large attendance of Prov . Grand Ollieers , Present and Past

whilst , wilh two or three exceptions , every lodge in the province was also represented . Among the visitors was Bro . Edward Letchworth , the successor o the late Colonel Shadwell H . Clerke in the Secretaryship of the Grand Lodge of England . Salutations were given to the Grand ollieers , the Grand Secretary , and distinguished visitors . The minutes of thc Pro-