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Article THE VICTORIA GRAND LODGE. Page 1 of 1 Article THE VICTORIA GRAND LODGE. Page 1 of 1
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The Victoria Grand Lodge.
THE VICTORIA GRAND LODGE .
INSTALLATION OF LORD BRASSEY AS GRAND MASTER . A BRILLIANT CEREMONY . Melbourne , May 4 . The installation of his Excellency Lord Brassey as Most Worshipful Grand Mss ' er of the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Victoria was performed with much pomp and circumstance , this afternoon , in the Town Hall . The doors were opened at 3 o ' clock , and a steady influx at once began . Soon every seat in the ba ' c inies , which were set apart for Master Masons ,
was occupied , each Craftsman wearing the orthodox evening dress and apron of white lambskin , with trimmings of blue and silver . Downstairs the rear portion of the hall was tenanted by Masters and Wardens , whose Masonic aprons were displayed in conjunction with distinctive collar and gauntlets peculiar to their offires . The lesser grades of the Grand Lodge Officers , both Past and Present , all in full regalia , were accommodated in the Iront portion of the hall , while the platform was reserved for the Grand Officers , Past Grand and Deputy Grand Masters , Past Senior and Junior Grand Wardens , visitors of distinction , and officers of Grand Lodges of other Constitutions .
By a quarter past 4 o'clock , when the doors were closed , every seat in the body of the hall had been taken , and a brilliant spectacle was presented . The entry of the Most Worshipful Grand Master , Sir William J . Clarke , with the Grand Lodge Officers ; and the subsequent entry of the Most Worshipful Grand Master of Tasmar . i ? , Jiro . C . E . Davies ; the Most Worshipful Grand Master of South Australia , Bro . Chief Justice Way ; the Right Worshipful Grand Master of the
District Grand Lodge of Queensland , ( E . C ) , Bro . Augustus Charles Gregory ; and the Past Deputy Grand Master of New South Wales , Bro . Hopson , added more and more to the brilliancy of the scene . Each was escorted to his place on the dais by the Grand Lodge Officers , and when the last had taken his seat the dais fairly glittered with gold collars and jewels , and with the aprons and gauntlets made heavy and costly with gold bullion embroidery and fringe .
The blare of trumpets announced the approach of the Grand Lodge Representatives , and preceded the proclamation in east , west , and north . Music was poured forth by an effective choir , and devolved into a mighty outburst of song as the voices of 2000 men joined in singing hymns of praise . A triumphant march cime from the orgin as the Most Worshipful Grand Master elect ( Bro . Lord
Brassey ) made his entry with all the stately ceremonial peculiar to such a function , and the solemn hush which from time to time pervaded the hall as the oaths and obligations of effice were administered made up a scene which for dignity and impressiveness has never been equalled in the history of Freemasonry in Victoria . Bro . Lord Brassey having been obligated , was invested and installed , and the usual proclamations were made and salutations given .
The Most Worshipful Grand Master of S . Australia , Bro . Chief Justice WAY , said : M . W . Grand Master and Brethren , —Seven years have passed since we met in this hall to enthrone the first Grand Master of Victoria and to place in his hands the emblems of authority which he has since used so beneficently , so wisely , and so well . None of us who were then present can ever forget that historic occasion—that impressive ceremonial , when representatives of all lodges belonging to the four Constitutions then working in this Colony paid homage to their
first Grand Master , when Masonic union was accomplished , and the fully constituted United Grand Lodge of Victoria became one of the ruling'Grand Lodges of the world . And now we are met again for a like purpose we have no reason to regret the step that was then taken . The objects you had in view have been accomplished . The Craft has been consolidated and enlarged . It has been brought under one central administration , and it is now in reality as well as in name a united brotherhood . Remembering the unexampled financial difficulties
which this Colony has had to encounter , and which , happily , she is successfully overcoming , and remembering also that it is not the practice of the Craft to invite recruits to its ranks , the increase in the number of lodges and of members strikingly evidences the success of the union . The number of lodges then stood at 137 ; now it is 40 more , or 177 . The membership at the union was 6000 . Today , in spite of over 7400 resignations , deaths , and exclusions , the subscribing members number above 8500 , or nearly 50 per cent , more than at the date of the
union . The stream of relief also has flowed on with expanded volume . Nearl y £ 10 , 000 has been distributed by the Board of Benevolence during the last seven years , aud this independently of the relief afforded by the Blue Lodges and individual Masons . May I pause then to congratulate Most Worshipful Bro . Coppin , the veteran leader of the union movement in Victoria , on this signal triumph of the principles which he advocated persistently and courageously through good report and through evil report for so many years ? And there is
equal reason for satisfaction at the choice which was made of M . W . Bro . Sir William Clarke as your first Grand Master—a choice which alone made the union possible . Again and again that choice has been ratified . Six times in as many years the votes of Grand Lodge for the Grand Mastershi p have been unanimously cast for the same illustrious Mason . Wise , conciliatory , and just as a ruler ; upright , nay , chivalrously honourable in his dealings with his fellow-men , loyal as a subject , patriotic as a citizen , distinguished alike for ingenuous simplicity of
character and kindness of heart ; munificent , not in his benefactions alone , but in every relationship , Sir William has won for himself year by year a still larger measure of the respect , the confidence , the gratitude , and the love of his brethren of the Craft . Although in Australia we have hitherto adhered to the English rule of re-electing our Grand Masters as long as they are willing to retain office , yet during the seven years of Sir William Clarke ' s M isonic rule in Victoria there have been repeated changes in the occupany of the Grand Master ' s throne in the
adjacent territories . In New South Wales , owing to Lord Carrington ' s and Lord Jersey's successive departures , and the lamented death of Sir Robert Duff , whose sterling qualities had only rectntly become fully recognised , there have been three such changes . In South Australia there have been two , in consequence of Lord Kintore ' s election and completion of his term of office as Governor . In Tasmania , with the most recently established Grand I odge , there have already bsen two changes through the honoured and well-earned retirement of M . W . liro . the
Rev . Poulett Harris and the sudden death of M . W . Bro . Dr . Giblin in the prime of manhood and whilst his career seemed full of high promise for the future . And now in Victoria the first change in the Grand Mastership has come , owing to M . W . Bro . Sir William Clarke ' s own express desire that the Craft here should enjoy , as it has already enjoyed in New South Wales , and South Australia , the prestige and the advantage of having the Governor of the colony on the Grand Master's throne . Fortunately Sir William ' s interest in
Masonry remains unabated , and the Craft will not lose the benefit of his services , as with characteristic selt-etfacement he has consented to act as his successor ' s Pro Grand Master . Should the occasion hereafter arise I do not doubt that his brethren may look to him with confidence to resume his old place at the head of the Order . M . W . Grand Master—If the occupations of a busy life have prevented you for many years from taking an active part in English Masonry , 1
hope it is not fanciful to point out that , considering your family associations with many of the great engineering works which are as distinctive and v / ill be as pi rmanent memorials of the 19 th century as the great Gothic fanes of Europe are cf the Middle Ages , there is an appropriateness in your now identifying yourself me re closely with the Order whose members are the speculative successors as the n . cdcrn engineer and his assistants are the operative successors of the old Crafts-
The Victoria Grand Lodge.
men . The Prince of Wales , the M . W . the Grand Master of England and the Patron of Australian Masonry , by conferring on your lordship the rank of Past Grand Warden of England , vouched for you to your Australian brethren as eminently fitted for the government of the Craft . Your brethren on this side of the world , when they reviewed the features of your career , could not fail to ratify his Royal Highness ' s judgment . One who has dedicated his time and energies and fortune to worthy aims and the benefit of his fellow-men , who has interwoven
philanthropy and public spirit into the web and woof of his life , who has studied human affairs in all parts of the world , who has had legislative experience in both Houses of the British Parliament , and has held high office under the Crown in more than one Administration , who has been decorated and ennobled b y his Sovereign in recognition of his distinguished services , and who finally , on the recommendation of her advisers , has been appointed to the Governorship of this great colony—uncjuestionably answers the requirement of the ancient charges that
the Grand Master should be of " singularly great merit in the opinion of the Lodges . " Moreover , in unanimously electing you M . W . Grand Master to the highest office in their gift , your brethren of the Craft in Victoria have not onl y done honour to you and brought distinction to their Order , but they have mani . fested through you as her Majesty's representative their devoted and unchangeable loyalty to your royal mistress , her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen . M . W . Grand Master—Seated on that throne , you have at once received a high
distinction and undertaken a grave responsibility . You have been invested and installed as the supreme ruler in a Brotherhood 8500 strong , without counting thousands more who are prevented by distance or other circumstances from continuing their active membership . The significance of these numbers will be better understood if we recall some of the preliminary conditions of admission to our Order , and some also of our beliefs and practical aims . Every member of our Brotherhood has been accepted by his lodge , alter , due
enquiry , as a fit and proper person to join " a society of upright and true men , oi mature age , of sound judgment , and strict morals , " and relying upon his declaration that his candidature is " uninfluenced by unworthy motives , " and is prompted by " a sincere wish to become more extensively serviceable to his fellow-creatures . " Each of us has been pledged to upright conduct , to purity of life , to good citizenship . Belief and trust in the Great Architect of the Universe lie at the foundation of our faith , and we acknowledge the Volume of the Sacred Law to be the guide
of our lives . Professing " a system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols , " the true Mason does not rest satisfied with a cold theoretical belief . He transmutes his belief into practice , into " brotherly love , relief , and truth . " Although our society , like all other human institutions , may fall short of its ideals , the lives of a large proportion of its members are beneficially influenced by its sanctions . There is abundant reason to rejoice that in these young Australian commonwealths the pure light of Masonry has shown all along their history
with ever growing brightness . Our lodges are doing their beneficent work in every city , in every town , in almost every considerable village throughout the land . Even in the most distant outposts of settlement you will find members of our Order striving to square their lives according to the rules of the Craft . Building up as we are in these Colonies a young and vigorous national life , it is well that our undertaking . is citizens should be participated in and aided by a society which , whilst concerning itself with the profoundest problems of our being , does
not disdain to encourage the old-fashioned virtues of honesty and fair dealing , of industry and thrift . Allying itself to no sect or party in religion or in politics , but welcoming good men from every side , of every condition of life , and of every race ; witnessing for toleration , cultivating loyalty , love of country , and a fraternal spirit , our society cannot fail to be a powerful agency for good in the community , both in its internal and external relationships . At home it tends to promote friendly co-operation between
capital and labour , employers and employed , and seeks to prevent class animosities and internecine strife . Reaching again to a wider scope , and disregarding political or geographical divisions , it will help to unite these sister Colonies together with yet firmer and more indissoluble bonds , and to maintain a perpetual union between our island continent and the dear old mother country . This gathering of the Craft , at which you , the Freemasons of Victoria , welcome your brethren from the other Colonies and all parts of the world , and honour some of
us with the privilege of taking part in this great ceremonial , is an object-lesson to politicians and to statesmen , that the completest local autonomy is not inconsistent with th e closest fraternal alliance between territories however divided from one another by distance or by artificial bounds . Standing on the floor of this Grand Lodge , breathing the serene atmosphere of brotherly love , undisturbed by " wars or rumours of wars , " we hold fast to the great principles of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man , and confidently look forward to the golden
age when our labours shall find their happy consummation " in the parliament of man , in the federation of the world—when they shall beat their swords into plough-shares and their spears into pruning-hooks ; nation shall not lift up sword against nation , neither shall they learn war any more . " And now , M . W . G . M ., it is my privilege as Installing Officer , of which I gladly avail myself , to be the first
to congratulate you , as I do most heartily , on behalf of your South Australian brethren , as well as on my own behalf , on your assumption of the Grand Mastership . A long experience of the Craft in Victoria enables me to assure you ot the loyal support of all your brethren , from the latest entered apprentice who wears a white apron up to the Pro Grand Master himself . And I invoke upon your labours the blessing of the Great Architect of the Universe .
ln reply , the Grand Master , Bro . Lord BRASSEY , desired personally to thank Bro . Chief Justice Way for his eloquent speech . His visit was most highly appreciated by the large gathering of representative Freemasons assembled in the hall . He ( Lord Brassey ) regarded the proceedings not as designed to confer personal honour on himself , but as an act of loyalty and recognition to the Crown in appointing Governors of Colonies to high offices in Masonry . They were folmembe
lowing the lead of the old country , where the Prince of Wales and other rs of the Royal House had at all times been proud to identify themselves with tlit vast organisation established for noble purposes . He was sure that it would become one holding the position of Governor to come there and support an Order which proclaimed the universal brotherhood of man , and in which all class distinctions were forgotten . He assured them without reserve that he was heartily with them in sentiment , and cordially approved of the principles of l '
rcCmasonry . The M . W . G . M . announced that he had appointed Bro . Sir W . J . Qaint ; , Bart ., as Pro G . M . Bro . C . E . Davies , at the invitation of the M . W . G . M ., obligated and invested Bro . Sir W . J . Clarke . The M . W . G . M . announced that he had appointed Bro . George Bakery Deputy G . M . After presentation , Bro . Baker was obligated and invested by l- > ro-George Coppin .
The presentation and investiture of the Grand Lodge Officers was then pr ° ceeded with , Bro , George Baker acting as Investing Officer . Included in the lu > was the Premier , Bro . George Turner , who holds ollice as S . G . W . The representatives of sister Grand Lodges having been presented , the proceedings were brought to a close at a quarter to eight with the singing 01 National Anthem and cheers for the Queen and the G . M . , , ,, Half an hour later the numerous- company assembled in ihe Masonic rU 1 where the annual banquet was held . | __ The speeches delivered were of a complimentary and fraternal charatt ! . Svulh Australian Register .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Victoria Grand Lodge.
THE VICTORIA GRAND LODGE .
INSTALLATION OF LORD BRASSEY AS GRAND MASTER . A BRILLIANT CEREMONY . Melbourne , May 4 . The installation of his Excellency Lord Brassey as Most Worshipful Grand Mss ' er of the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Victoria was performed with much pomp and circumstance , this afternoon , in the Town Hall . The doors were opened at 3 o ' clock , and a steady influx at once began . Soon every seat in the ba ' c inies , which were set apart for Master Masons ,
was occupied , each Craftsman wearing the orthodox evening dress and apron of white lambskin , with trimmings of blue and silver . Downstairs the rear portion of the hall was tenanted by Masters and Wardens , whose Masonic aprons were displayed in conjunction with distinctive collar and gauntlets peculiar to their offires . The lesser grades of the Grand Lodge Officers , both Past and Present , all in full regalia , were accommodated in the Iront portion of the hall , while the platform was reserved for the Grand Officers , Past Grand and Deputy Grand Masters , Past Senior and Junior Grand Wardens , visitors of distinction , and officers of Grand Lodges of other Constitutions .
By a quarter past 4 o'clock , when the doors were closed , every seat in the body of the hall had been taken , and a brilliant spectacle was presented . The entry of the Most Worshipful Grand Master , Sir William J . Clarke , with the Grand Lodge Officers ; and the subsequent entry of the Most Worshipful Grand Master of Tasmar . i ? , Jiro . C . E . Davies ; the Most Worshipful Grand Master of South Australia , Bro . Chief Justice Way ; the Right Worshipful Grand Master of the
District Grand Lodge of Queensland , ( E . C ) , Bro . Augustus Charles Gregory ; and the Past Deputy Grand Master of New South Wales , Bro . Hopson , added more and more to the brilliancy of the scene . Each was escorted to his place on the dais by the Grand Lodge Officers , and when the last had taken his seat the dais fairly glittered with gold collars and jewels , and with the aprons and gauntlets made heavy and costly with gold bullion embroidery and fringe .
The blare of trumpets announced the approach of the Grand Lodge Representatives , and preceded the proclamation in east , west , and north . Music was poured forth by an effective choir , and devolved into a mighty outburst of song as the voices of 2000 men joined in singing hymns of praise . A triumphant march cime from the orgin as the Most Worshipful Grand Master elect ( Bro . Lord
Brassey ) made his entry with all the stately ceremonial peculiar to such a function , and the solemn hush which from time to time pervaded the hall as the oaths and obligations of effice were administered made up a scene which for dignity and impressiveness has never been equalled in the history of Freemasonry in Victoria . Bro . Lord Brassey having been obligated , was invested and installed , and the usual proclamations were made and salutations given .
The Most Worshipful Grand Master of S . Australia , Bro . Chief Justice WAY , said : M . W . Grand Master and Brethren , —Seven years have passed since we met in this hall to enthrone the first Grand Master of Victoria and to place in his hands the emblems of authority which he has since used so beneficently , so wisely , and so well . None of us who were then present can ever forget that historic occasion—that impressive ceremonial , when representatives of all lodges belonging to the four Constitutions then working in this Colony paid homage to their
first Grand Master , when Masonic union was accomplished , and the fully constituted United Grand Lodge of Victoria became one of the ruling'Grand Lodges of the world . And now we are met again for a like purpose we have no reason to regret the step that was then taken . The objects you had in view have been accomplished . The Craft has been consolidated and enlarged . It has been brought under one central administration , and it is now in reality as well as in name a united brotherhood . Remembering the unexampled financial difficulties
which this Colony has had to encounter , and which , happily , she is successfully overcoming , and remembering also that it is not the practice of the Craft to invite recruits to its ranks , the increase in the number of lodges and of members strikingly evidences the success of the union . The number of lodges then stood at 137 ; now it is 40 more , or 177 . The membership at the union was 6000 . Today , in spite of over 7400 resignations , deaths , and exclusions , the subscribing members number above 8500 , or nearly 50 per cent , more than at the date of the
union . The stream of relief also has flowed on with expanded volume . Nearl y £ 10 , 000 has been distributed by the Board of Benevolence during the last seven years , aud this independently of the relief afforded by the Blue Lodges and individual Masons . May I pause then to congratulate Most Worshipful Bro . Coppin , the veteran leader of the union movement in Victoria , on this signal triumph of the principles which he advocated persistently and courageously through good report and through evil report for so many years ? And there is
equal reason for satisfaction at the choice which was made of M . W . Bro . Sir William Clarke as your first Grand Master—a choice which alone made the union possible . Again and again that choice has been ratified . Six times in as many years the votes of Grand Lodge for the Grand Mastershi p have been unanimously cast for the same illustrious Mason . Wise , conciliatory , and just as a ruler ; upright , nay , chivalrously honourable in his dealings with his fellow-men , loyal as a subject , patriotic as a citizen , distinguished alike for ingenuous simplicity of
character and kindness of heart ; munificent , not in his benefactions alone , but in every relationship , Sir William has won for himself year by year a still larger measure of the respect , the confidence , the gratitude , and the love of his brethren of the Craft . Although in Australia we have hitherto adhered to the English rule of re-electing our Grand Masters as long as they are willing to retain office , yet during the seven years of Sir William Clarke ' s M isonic rule in Victoria there have been repeated changes in the occupany of the Grand Master ' s throne in the
adjacent territories . In New South Wales , owing to Lord Carrington ' s and Lord Jersey's successive departures , and the lamented death of Sir Robert Duff , whose sterling qualities had only rectntly become fully recognised , there have been three such changes . In South Australia there have been two , in consequence of Lord Kintore ' s election and completion of his term of office as Governor . In Tasmania , with the most recently established Grand I odge , there have already bsen two changes through the honoured and well-earned retirement of M . W . liro . the
Rev . Poulett Harris and the sudden death of M . W . Bro . Dr . Giblin in the prime of manhood and whilst his career seemed full of high promise for the future . And now in Victoria the first change in the Grand Mastership has come , owing to M . W . Bro . Sir William Clarke ' s own express desire that the Craft here should enjoy , as it has already enjoyed in New South Wales , and South Australia , the prestige and the advantage of having the Governor of the colony on the Grand Master's throne . Fortunately Sir William ' s interest in
Masonry remains unabated , and the Craft will not lose the benefit of his services , as with characteristic selt-etfacement he has consented to act as his successor ' s Pro Grand Master . Should the occasion hereafter arise I do not doubt that his brethren may look to him with confidence to resume his old place at the head of the Order . M . W . Grand Master—If the occupations of a busy life have prevented you for many years from taking an active part in English Masonry , 1
hope it is not fanciful to point out that , considering your family associations with many of the great engineering works which are as distinctive and v / ill be as pi rmanent memorials of the 19 th century as the great Gothic fanes of Europe are cf the Middle Ages , there is an appropriateness in your now identifying yourself me re closely with the Order whose members are the speculative successors as the n . cdcrn engineer and his assistants are the operative successors of the old Crafts-
The Victoria Grand Lodge.
men . The Prince of Wales , the M . W . the Grand Master of England and the Patron of Australian Masonry , by conferring on your lordship the rank of Past Grand Warden of England , vouched for you to your Australian brethren as eminently fitted for the government of the Craft . Your brethren on this side of the world , when they reviewed the features of your career , could not fail to ratify his Royal Highness ' s judgment . One who has dedicated his time and energies and fortune to worthy aims and the benefit of his fellow-men , who has interwoven
philanthropy and public spirit into the web and woof of his life , who has studied human affairs in all parts of the world , who has had legislative experience in both Houses of the British Parliament , and has held high office under the Crown in more than one Administration , who has been decorated and ennobled b y his Sovereign in recognition of his distinguished services , and who finally , on the recommendation of her advisers , has been appointed to the Governorship of this great colony—uncjuestionably answers the requirement of the ancient charges that
the Grand Master should be of " singularly great merit in the opinion of the Lodges . " Moreover , in unanimously electing you M . W . Grand Master to the highest office in their gift , your brethren of the Craft in Victoria have not onl y done honour to you and brought distinction to their Order , but they have mani . fested through you as her Majesty's representative their devoted and unchangeable loyalty to your royal mistress , her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen . M . W . Grand Master—Seated on that throne , you have at once received a high
distinction and undertaken a grave responsibility . You have been invested and installed as the supreme ruler in a Brotherhood 8500 strong , without counting thousands more who are prevented by distance or other circumstances from continuing their active membership . The significance of these numbers will be better understood if we recall some of the preliminary conditions of admission to our Order , and some also of our beliefs and practical aims . Every member of our Brotherhood has been accepted by his lodge , alter , due
enquiry , as a fit and proper person to join " a society of upright and true men , oi mature age , of sound judgment , and strict morals , " and relying upon his declaration that his candidature is " uninfluenced by unworthy motives , " and is prompted by " a sincere wish to become more extensively serviceable to his fellow-creatures . " Each of us has been pledged to upright conduct , to purity of life , to good citizenship . Belief and trust in the Great Architect of the Universe lie at the foundation of our faith , and we acknowledge the Volume of the Sacred Law to be the guide
of our lives . Professing " a system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols , " the true Mason does not rest satisfied with a cold theoretical belief . He transmutes his belief into practice , into " brotherly love , relief , and truth . " Although our society , like all other human institutions , may fall short of its ideals , the lives of a large proportion of its members are beneficially influenced by its sanctions . There is abundant reason to rejoice that in these young Australian commonwealths the pure light of Masonry has shown all along their history
with ever growing brightness . Our lodges are doing their beneficent work in every city , in every town , in almost every considerable village throughout the land . Even in the most distant outposts of settlement you will find members of our Order striving to square their lives according to the rules of the Craft . Building up as we are in these Colonies a young and vigorous national life , it is well that our undertaking . is citizens should be participated in and aided by a society which , whilst concerning itself with the profoundest problems of our being , does
not disdain to encourage the old-fashioned virtues of honesty and fair dealing , of industry and thrift . Allying itself to no sect or party in religion or in politics , but welcoming good men from every side , of every condition of life , and of every race ; witnessing for toleration , cultivating loyalty , love of country , and a fraternal spirit , our society cannot fail to be a powerful agency for good in the community , both in its internal and external relationships . At home it tends to promote friendly co-operation between
capital and labour , employers and employed , and seeks to prevent class animosities and internecine strife . Reaching again to a wider scope , and disregarding political or geographical divisions , it will help to unite these sister Colonies together with yet firmer and more indissoluble bonds , and to maintain a perpetual union between our island continent and the dear old mother country . This gathering of the Craft , at which you , the Freemasons of Victoria , welcome your brethren from the other Colonies and all parts of the world , and honour some of
us with the privilege of taking part in this great ceremonial , is an object-lesson to politicians and to statesmen , that the completest local autonomy is not inconsistent with th e closest fraternal alliance between territories however divided from one another by distance or by artificial bounds . Standing on the floor of this Grand Lodge , breathing the serene atmosphere of brotherly love , undisturbed by " wars or rumours of wars , " we hold fast to the great principles of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man , and confidently look forward to the golden
age when our labours shall find their happy consummation " in the parliament of man , in the federation of the world—when they shall beat their swords into plough-shares and their spears into pruning-hooks ; nation shall not lift up sword against nation , neither shall they learn war any more . " And now , M . W . G . M ., it is my privilege as Installing Officer , of which I gladly avail myself , to be the first
to congratulate you , as I do most heartily , on behalf of your South Australian brethren , as well as on my own behalf , on your assumption of the Grand Mastership . A long experience of the Craft in Victoria enables me to assure you ot the loyal support of all your brethren , from the latest entered apprentice who wears a white apron up to the Pro Grand Master himself . And I invoke upon your labours the blessing of the Great Architect of the Universe .
ln reply , the Grand Master , Bro . Lord BRASSEY , desired personally to thank Bro . Chief Justice Way for his eloquent speech . His visit was most highly appreciated by the large gathering of representative Freemasons assembled in the hall . He ( Lord Brassey ) regarded the proceedings not as designed to confer personal honour on himself , but as an act of loyalty and recognition to the Crown in appointing Governors of Colonies to high offices in Masonry . They were folmembe
lowing the lead of the old country , where the Prince of Wales and other rs of the Royal House had at all times been proud to identify themselves with tlit vast organisation established for noble purposes . He was sure that it would become one holding the position of Governor to come there and support an Order which proclaimed the universal brotherhood of man , and in which all class distinctions were forgotten . He assured them without reserve that he was heartily with them in sentiment , and cordially approved of the principles of l '
rcCmasonry . The M . W . G . M . announced that he had appointed Bro . Sir W . J . Qaint ; , Bart ., as Pro G . M . Bro . C . E . Davies , at the invitation of the M . W . G . M ., obligated and invested Bro . Sir W . J . Clarke . The M . W . G . M . announced that he had appointed Bro . George Bakery Deputy G . M . After presentation , Bro . Baker was obligated and invested by l- > ro-George Coppin .
The presentation and investiture of the Grand Lodge Officers was then pr ° ceeded with , Bro , George Baker acting as Investing Officer . Included in the lu > was the Premier , Bro . George Turner , who holds ollice as S . G . W . The representatives of sister Grand Lodges having been presented , the proceedings were brought to a close at a quarter to eight with the singing 01 National Anthem and cheers for the Queen and the G . M . , , ,, Half an hour later the numerous- company assembled in ihe Masonic rU 1 where the annual banquet was held . | __ The speeches delivered were of a complimentary and fraternal charatt ! . Svulh Australian Register .