Ar00100

CONTENTS . PAGE . LEADERSThe New Zealand Question ... ... ... ... ... 655 The Province of Derbyshire ... ... ... ... ... 65 s Provincial Grand Lodge of Jersey ... ... ... ... ... 656

Provincial Grand Chapter of Jersey ... ... ... ... 657 Consecration of the Earl of Zetland Chapter , No . 1364 ... ... ... 657 Consecration of the New Brighton Lodge , No . 2619 ... ... ... 658 Order of the Secret Monitor ( Winter Convocation of Grand Council ) ... 65 S Masonic and Military Order of Knights of Rome and Red Cross of Constantine ( Division of Kent ) ... ... ... ... ... 659 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 6 59

MASONIC NOTESThe New Zealand Question ... ... ... ... ... 661 The So-called Fourth Degree ... ... ... ... ... 661 The Removal of the Boys' School ... ... ... ... 661 Departure of Bro . Will E . Chapman for South Africa ... ... 661

Correspondence ... ... ... ... ... ... 662 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 662 Royal Arch Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 664 Mark Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 664 Ancient and Accepted Rite ... ... ... ... ... 665

Lodge of Instruction ... ... .... ... ... ... 665 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 665 Royal Ark Mariners ... ... ... ... ... ... 66 S Funeral of Bro . Joseph Todd , P . G . Std . Br . ... ... ... ... 66 S The Late Bro . Sir B . W . Richardson ... ... ... ... 668 Obituary ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 668

The New Zealand Question.

THE NEW ZEALAND QUESTION .

The New Zealand Question bids fair to occupy , in respect of the proceedings of our United Grand Lodge , pretty much the same relation as King CHARLES ' S head did to the famous memorial of Mr . DlCK . * there is no keeping it out of them .

Whether the mystic words " New Zealand " are included in the record of Grand Lodge Agenda or not , the Question itself crops up at nearly every Communication . Thus there was no mention of New Zealand in the programme of business to be considered

at last week s meeting , but Bro . BASKETT , who is nothing if not an enthusiast in matters of this kind , was equal to the occasion , ancl ingeniously introduced a reference to New Zealand which , as a matter of course , had no connection whatever with the

business that was being dealt with . This was of little or ho moment . The introduction of New Zealand into a report from which it had been very properly omitted was the thing

desiderated , and naving gained his point , Bro . BASKETT , with a grace that became him well , brought the incident to a close .

We imagine there will be few regrets uttered when the finishing touches have been put to the New Zealand Question , and members of Grand Lodge are no longer haunted by the fear of a New Zealand debate . There are , indeed , grounds for

hoping that the end is not far distant , that the Grand Lodge of New Zealand will shortly be recognised as an independent body , and that Masonic peace and harmony will again prevail in a Colony to which , for several years past , they have been entire

strangers . And this end will come the more quickly and in more welcome garb if people will only be at the trouble of remembering that the circumstances of the moment differ very materiall y from the circumstances of half-a-dozen years ago . When

fie question of establishing an independent Grand Lodge of New Zealand was first mooted , we pointed out that it was one which must be approached with the greatest care and delicacy . There were some nine English , Irish , and Scotch Districts , or

Provinces , in the Colony , and it would only be by the exercise of the greatest tact and judgment on the part of the leaders of the '" ovement that these nine Districts , or Provinces , would be

induced to co-operate harmoniously with each other . Our warning w ' as not heeded ; but it has been amply justified . The scheme was hurriedly pressed forward , with the result that when the

The New Zealand Question.

convention was held for establishing the local Grand Lodge , only some 30 out of the 150 lodges then working in the Colony were found to have declared themselves in favour of the movement . But the seceders were not to be denied . They had

made up their minds to have their Grand Lodge , and it was proclaimed accordingly , with Bro . THOMPSON , District Grand Master of Canterbury , under the English Constitution , as its first Grand Master . No one more strongly condemned this act than

the Freemason , nor do we see any reason for amending or modifying the statement we then made—that the responsibility for the consequences that might follow—and have followed—from this act of secession rested entirely with the brethren who advised it and

the lodges that took part in it , not with the 118 or 120 lodges that stood aloof and had nothing whatever to do with it . But this happened in 1890 , and there has been an entire change of circumstances brought about during the half-dozen years

that have since elapsed . The 32 lodges which originally seceded from the English , Irish , ancl Scotch Constitutions , and set up—irregularly set up , as we have shown—the Grand Lodge of New Zealand have had their ranks swelled by the accession of

from 50 to 60 lodges from the English , Irish , and Scotch Constitutions , while the lodge-rolls of the latter have been proportionately diminished . In addition the Grand Lodge of New Zealand has itself warranted some 15 or 20 , or even more lodges , and now

has on its roll upwards of 100 lodges all told , of which about 90 have seceded from the old order of things as it was before 1890 . Thus while in that year the lodges under the New Zealand Constitution stood in relation to those under the English , Irish , and

Scotch Constitutions in the proportion of one to four , they now are in the proportion of three to two . It follows , therefore , that the arguments we formerly adduced in support of the English , Irish , and Scotch majority of four to one apply with almost equal force to

the New Zealand majority of three to two . Nor must we fail to remember that the law of gravitation , by which the greater attracts to itself the less , applies equally to things material as to things physical ; ancl consequently in the course of the next few

years we may look to see other lodges seceding from the Grand Lodges of England , Ireland , and Scotland and casting in their lot with the Grand Lodge of New Zealand , which will thus keep on growing in strength as the former—so far as this particular

Colony is concerned—become weaker . The question hence arises—Shall we . wait until the reduction of our numbers has reached to such a point that it will be impossible for us any longer to withhold our recognition of the Grand Lodge of- New

Zealand ; or shall we not rather recognise it forthwith—as indeed at the invitation of his Koyal Highness the M . W . G . M . we are prepared to do—while we can do so with a certain amount of dignity and grace ? We are still , as regards numbers alone , a

highly respectable minority , and if we grant recognition now , on the necessary condition that the rights and privileges of our lodges and District or Provincial Grand Lodges are respected , the bitterness of feeling , which has too long animated the

members of the rival Constitutions against each other , will soon be dissipated , and we shall once again have brought home to our minds the blessings that result from brethren dwelling together in unity .

As for the many subsidiary questions referred to by Bro . T . SHERLOCK GRAHAM , District Grand Master of Otago and Southland , in his speech at Dunedin in October last , we have not space enough for the publication of so formidable a document . We must , therefore , content ourselves with pointing