Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADER— PAGF . A Queensland Pronouncement against Separation ... ... ... 2 S 7 Hidden Mysteries No . 3 ... ... ... •••••••••2 SS Provincial Grand Lodge of Somerset ... ... ... •••2 SS Provincial Grand Lodge of Lincolnshire ... ... ... ... 2 S 9 Consecration ot the Brondesbury Lodge of Instruction , No . 269 S ... ... 2 S 9

MASONIC NOTESEx-pupils' Day at Royal Masonic Institution for Girls ... ... 291 Athletic Sports at Royal Masonic Institution for Boys ... ... 291 Appointment of Bro . I . ord Wantage as Prov . G . M . of Berkshire ... 291 Consecration of the Jubilee Masters'Lodge , No . 2712 ... ... 291 Annual Meeting of the Prov . Grand Lodge of Kent ... ... ... 291 Correspondence ... ... ... ... ••••¦•292

Masonic Notes and Queries ... ... ... ••••¦•292 Reviews ... ... - - - - •••292 Craft Masonry ... ... ... - — - 292 Royal Arch ... ... ... •••••••¦••••293 Mark Masonrv •» ••••••••••••¦•• 2 93 Red Cross of Rome and Constantine ... ... ... ... 293 The Craft Abroad ... ... ... ... ¦¦•- 293 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 294

A Queensland Pronouncement Against Separation.

A QUEENSLAND PRONOUNCEMENT AGAINST SEPARATION .

In our Notes of last week wc briefly referred to the issue by a number of influential brethren in Queensland of a pronouncement against an agitation which is said to have : again sprung up in the ranks of thc members of some English lodges in that

Colony in favour of establishing a Grand Lodge for thc government of the whole Craft , on lines similar to those on which the great Australasian Grand Lodges of South Australia , New South \ Yales , Victoria , & c , have already been founded . Our intention

was to have reproduced in full this very important paper ; but we consider we shall attain the end in view still better by quoting the passages which strike us as being of the greatest moment , and introducing such comments of our own as seem desirable .

The compilers of this declaration address themselves at the outset to the errors and misconceptions which have found their way into the " case" in favour of separation from the Grand Lodges of the United Kingdom . " In the course of the agitation

or canvass on behalf of a Queensland Constitution , " say these brethren , " many things have been stated by speakers or writers and in general conversation that are either wrongly expressed or reported , so as to create and encourage misconceptions , which

then pass in a variety of garbled lorms from mouth to mouth , as is the case with all questions of popular interest during times of agitation and solicitation . We do not wish anyone to infer that such statements are wilful or made with bad intent ; but the

errors do exist , and we deem it our plain duty to correct them , and to endeavour to guide the ideas and decision of those who arc uninstructed or badly informed upon the subject of thc ' case' for the maintenance of the English Jurisdiction , which

we desire to uphold , and to speak of especially and firmly , but without derogation from thc dignity and value of any other similar existing and lawful authority . " After expressing their opinion that " the division and sub-division of the government of

the Craft into a number of small Grand Lodges is a great evil , " on the ground that " the differences lhat creep in are by-and-bye exaggerated by precedent and by differences of opinion as lo points of strong divergence , " the signatories

t <> this declaration , while , admitting that errors in thc administration of Masonry in Queensland , may have been made , point out that " corrections can surely bc made" without selling up a new governing body , which " without experience or precedent of

its own to guide it , " would bc quite as liable to error , and would most certainly fail to become " , the general redressor of every person ' s grief and fads . " They point out , further , that while

A Queensland Pronouncement Against Separation.

"change for its own sake may be a sign of the times , " it " will not necessarily be improvement . " As regards " the money point" on whicli those that favour a local Grand Lodge would seem to lay great stress , they consider it is " distinctly of least importance . " After remarking that " the institution "

—that is , of Freemasonry— " is not a mere matter of money , ncr a ' benefit society ' and if anyone is consciously or unconsciousl y colouring his thoughts by what he knows of these excellent institutions , he should be careful to draw the necessary distinction , " they proceed to show how trifliner must be the influence of

this question of money when weighed against the benefits that must result from a maintenance of the status quo . " The average amount annually remitted by us to London , " they declare , " is £ 95 . Thc amount forwarded during the year 18 97 was , £ 95 14 s . 6 d ., which included one warrant ( £ 5 5 s . ) [ £ 10 ios .

in England ] , the remainder being for registration of , and certificates for , initiates , and registration of joining membersseven shillings and sixpence and two shillings and sixpence respectively . This ensures individual registration and recognition at thc Centre of English Masonic activity ( London ) , and

thereafter , for the rest of a Mason ' s life as a member of an English Lodge in this Masonic district , no further sum whatever contributed by him or by his Lodge is sent out of thc Colony . All moneys collected from Lodges or Persons are received , invested , administered , or expended in this Colony itself , as may

be required , and under the absolute and unquestioned control of thc District Grand Lodge—which is always a representative body—by means of its practically independent self-government . ' " But this is not the onl y advantage which , in thc opinion of these experienced brethren , Queensland Masons uncbr the Grand

Lodge of England enjoy . They are members of the Central Government in London and thus have the right of appeal to a perfectly impartial tribunal which is " composed of brethren whose knowledge , either as Masons or jurists , is undoubted . " At thc same time they have their own local goverment which is

practicall y "the complete counterpart of the apparatus of government in London . " In fact , there is , they point out— " practically no limit to the privileges and independent position we now enjoy . " At thc same time , " without

hesitation or delay in the matter of government and control , there is thc ever-present source of satisfaction and security in the connection with a jurisdiction having world-wide ramifications and influences . "

As regards the question of a Charitable Institution , which , in thc opinion of many , the Queensland brethren should and could have , the partisans of thc stains quo point out that they could have had such an institution long ago , nor is there anything to hinder them from having one now , but it would necessarily be

" under conditions properly attaching to all such institutions elsewhere "—that is to say , it would have nothing to do with the governing body , but be purely a voluntary institution . The

governing body could not support such an institution out of its own income and at the same time provide the means to meet " all thc incidents and expenses of the government and general control of the Craft . " A Charitable Institution such as exists

elsewhere would have to rel y for support upon the voluntary aid of individual brethren . A few remarks of a general character complete the declaration , and then follow the signatures to the number of 22 , the most important being those of Bros . B . S . BARNETT , P . G . D .

England , D . D . G . M . ; J FENWICK , P . A . G . D . C . England , Dist . G . Secretary ; T . 11 . ANNETT , Dist . J . G . W . ; k . II . Mll . LS , Pres . Dist . Board of General Purposes : A . W . MICHAEL , Past D . S . G . W ., Dist . A . G . Secretary ; and G . N . BL'UKOWES , Dist . J . ( J . D . Thus the breihren who are together responsible

for the issue of this paper arc as influential as the arguments in support of their " case" are forcible . But the number of Scottish and Irish lodges in the Colony is great , and these may not bc influenced by arguments—even the most convincingfrom representative members of the English Constitution .