Consecration Of The New Masonic Hall At Timaru.

W . M . of the St . John s Lodge requested the Deputy Grand Master to consecrate the hall . A portion of the Holy Scriptures was then read , followed by the anthem * Behold how Good and Joy ful' ( Masonic version . ) The first part of the prayer of consecration having been read , perfume

was sprinkled on the Hall by the Grand Master , and the second portion of the prayer delivered . A procession then marched round the room , and salt , wine , oil and corn were thrown on the hall , accompanied with appropriate words by the Grand Master , showing the symbolical meaning of the

rite . The ceremony of consecration being concluded , the Grand Chaplain congratulated the W . M . and members of S . John ' s Lodge on the fine hall they were now in possession of . A vote of thanks was given by the W . M . to the A . D . G . M ., Bro . Thomson , for his services , which

was acknowledged in suitable terms . A vote of thanks to the officers of the Grand Lodge and the D . G . Chaplain , was responded to by Bro . Mitchell . An excellent oration on the nature and objects of Masonry was delivered b y the Rev . Cooper , and shortly afterwards the lodge

meeting was brought to a conclusion . Ihe doors were then thrown open to the public , and for the space of about a couple of hours a large number of persons inspected the building . The Masonic ball , which was held in the Mechanics ' Institute , ycsterday ' evening , passed off very successfully . —Timaru Herald .

Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

THE GREAT CITY LODGE , AND TFIE CONVIVIAL BOARD .

To the Editor of The Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — I had proposed not to tako part in the controversy which certain proceedings of the Great City Lodge have called forth ; but in view of the remarks contained in your later numbers

I consider it a duty to my lodge to endeavour to stop the current of misrepresentation now flowing through your columns ; Our proceedings of the Sth November last were not intended to be made public , and my officers and myself were equally surprised to

find on the Monday following our Saturday meeting , that the Pall Mall Gazette contained a paragraph referring thereto , and to the subsequent supper , which that paper chose to designate as a " banquet . " That paragraph was not correct in all its

detail , although it certainly expressed correctly a determination on the part of the lodge to carry out a principle which I am glad to know has many supporters , namely Charity versus Prodigality , or in other words , observing a due medium between avarice and profusion , and holding the scales of justice with an equal

poise . But we never for one moment thought of arrogating to ourselves the " setting of an example . " or the " " striking of a keynote . " We must be very dull Masons indeed it we did not know that the "frugal meal" was before our

time common to many lodges , notably in provincial towns , and that there was nothing new in the proposed arrangement . And therefore , when the paragraph aforesaid made the round of the press , both metropolitan and provincial : formed the subject of an article in the

Saturday ; was quoted far and wide ; and held up our lodge as introducing an extremely proper , but , at the same time , novel , experiment ( which it was not ) : we almost regretted we had " done good by stealth , " and really " blushed to find it fame !"

I am sorry that you should have permitted the insertion of the extract from the New York Dispatch in your impression of the 13 th inst ., particularly as regards one paragraph , the incorrectness of which no person could have known better than yourself ; and I think Bro . Kilpatrick

equally uninformed as unwise when he so misrepresents the social status of the members ofthe Great City , and the position of a lodge which is as yet a mere baby . . I also regret that Bro . Constable should have so far forgotten his usual courtesy and good

Original Correspondence.

feeling as to assume by his letter of this date , that Freemasons with whom he has associated , and whom he ought to know better , could desire to " cry their virtues from the house-top , " or to seek to have proclaimed as noble deeds the

performance of a charitable duty . He is right in stating that , being only six months old , the Great City is not either " subscriber , life governor , or vice president of either ofthe Masonic Charities , " but he will be unable

to sustain that assertion beyond another week in respect of one charity and , before the end of this year , in respect of either ol them . The whole tone of Bro . Constable ' s letter does not , to my mind , and as I read it , appear to be pervaded

by that sentiment of " brotherly love ' . to the exercise of which he commends Bro . Kilpatrick . And now , I may say , in conclusion , that the Great City will not regret this controversy , if it should result that the attention of our lodges

has been called to the policy of lessening the expenditure for banquets , and increasing the funds of the charities . Bless yon ! We have " cakes and ales , " our feasts and junketings ; but we limit the number , copying the example of many

sister lodges , and hoping that our adhesion to their policy may strengthen their efforts . Out of six meetings we can be satisfied with three formal dinners , and their accompanying inconveniences ; and if a large majority of us are

content with three other gatherings , freed from all formality and made thoroughly " jolly " and agreeable by the conviction of duty performed and digestion unimpaired , why , we should be silly indeed if we did not carry out our desire . I

know we are very young just now , and shall grow older , and probably w iser as we grow , but I , for one , sincerely hope that the folly ( if it is folly ?) which we have displayed in our youth ,

and in this matter , will despite all disparagement and opposition , remain with the Great City , until , with it , " time shall be no more . ' Yours fraternallv , THE W . M . OF "THE GREAT

CITY , NO . 1426 . To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , It is with a deep sense of pain that I have perused the " Original Correspondence ''

under this head in your last issue . Neither of your correspondents appear to be members of the lodge the name of which they use so freely , and the motives of which they so glibly interpret . Nor is it apparent that their minds have

been illuminated with the simple truth of the matter they write about . The spirit of charity " which thinketh no evil , " and is "kind , " and which , as we so often hear , should link us together in fraternal affection , is singularly

maligned in the letters of both your correspondents . I am not a special p leader for Bro . Kilpatrick , but it is evident that he wrote in good faith , and if he has fallen into error , or made exaggerated statements , be it remembered that , " to err is

human , " and that our brother is on the other side of the Atlantic . At all events , let us refrain from denouncing him in the vituperative terms employed by Bro . Constable . Rather let us point out his mistakes , and strive to correct them with calmness and dignity .

Notwithstanding Bro . Constable has the great advantage of being on the spot , and according to his letter , intimatel y acquainted with the Great City Lodge , he unfortunately leads your readers to the false conclusion that the lodge in

question has taken the unusual course of having its doings " cried from the house-tops , so that the nations of the earth may know how virtuous they are , and what an amount of self-denial they are capable of practising . "

Now , I have not noticed that that lodge has vaunted itself in any way , nor can I find a brother who thinks it has . On the contrary , throughout the controversy evoked by its dispensing with a banquet and applying it to charity , it has observed the strinteil : siK'nce . It is to be lamented

therefore that Bro . Constable is so uncharitable , and therefore so unmasonic in his imputations , particularly as he has stepped out of his way to take upon himself the special duty of rebutting Bro . Kilpatrick . Alas ! How prone we are to

Original Correspondence.

discover the mote in our brother ' s eye and to forget the beam in our own . 1 believe that the bread and cheese banquet was relished because the brethren thought they were carrying out the duties of the Craft , and without a thought of its being published " to

the nations of the earth . " The fact that almost every newspaper saw the motive , and commended it , is I think the best answer to your correspondents , and those ( if any ) who think with them . One would suppose , however , from some of the observations it has called forth , that

it was an act of high treason against the Craft . I see no trace of treason , but full evidence of " fidelity , " and to other lodges I would say " go thou and do likewise , " the uninitiated will then perhaps believe that Freemasonry is not a mere excuse for feasting and drinking , as they have

now some reason for suspecting , when they hear of lodges banquetting at every meeting—lodges which hnve never made a sacrifice for the charities established in their name and so sadly needing their help . There is no doubt that Masonic charities could do without lottery schemes for

life governorships if every lodge would practice tnat virtue which we all profess to admire . I say , therefore , all honour to the young lodge for the step it took , and my deep regret is that brethren professing to have the great cause at heart should scoff at or disparage its early efforts to do its duty . Truly the members of that lodge , the

majority of whom can scarcely yet have passed through the three degrees , in their endeavour to do good , " may blush to find it fame , " and that blush may well assume a deeper hue when they find that unworthy motives are ascribed to them by brother Masons , Yours fraternally , M . M .

RIGHTS OF VISITING BRETHREN . To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir aud Brother ,- — Bro . M . J . M . is no doubt quite correct in his reading of the rule as to visitors , and that it is a mistake to put a comma between "for "

and " after , ' and I wonder the printer ' s error was not detected at the time it was made ; for if you leave out the words between the commas , it reads , " unless he personally known , — , after due examination by one of the brethren present , "

which is nonsense . In an old copy I have ofthe Book of Constitutions , date 1784 , the words are " No visitor , however skilled in Masonry , * shall be admitted into a lodge unless he is personally known to , or well vouched for , and recommended

by , one of that lodge present . " When that wording was altered , years ago , there was no " Lloyd" or "Havers" on the Board of General Purposes , or such an error would at once have been detected . No doubt it was intended that

the comma should come after the word " examination . " Then again , the word " and " is left out after word "known , " although we have it in the old edition . The words should therefore be read—No visitor shall be admitted

into a lodge unless he be personally known and recommended , or well vouched for after due examination , by one of the brethren present ; and the Book of Constitutions should be altered accordingly . MAGNUS OHREN , P . M . 33 & 452 , & c .

To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , — It occurs to me that the regulation in the Book of Constitutions to which in your last week ' s issue , p . 31 , you refer as settling the

course to be pursued before admitting visiting brethren to a lodge is open to the charge of ambiguity and does not necessarily bear the interpretation yon assign to it . It reads " No visitor shall be admitted into a lodge unless he

be personally known , recommended , or well vouched for , after due examination by one of the present brethren . " Now this may be considered to give three alternatives ( 1 ) , that the visitor shall be " personally known , " ( 2 ) that he shall be " recom-