The Masonic Mirror.

that recognition of the Grand Lodge of Canada which ivould be approved of by every JIason in England . ( Cheers . ) Bro . Binckes admired the ingenuity , but not the morality , of those who sought to make the worse the better side . The Canadian brethren refused to accept a limited jurisdiction for their Grand Lodge at the hands of the Grand Lodge of England , (" no , no ! " ) and under these circumstances he considered Bro . Portal fully justified in moving the non-confirmation of the resolution iving them that jurisdiction .

g They had sent to Canada what they considered a boon to tho brethren there , hut the billows of the Atlantic had cast it back upon them with contempt . AVith what show of justice , reason , or judgment could they refuse to rescind a resolution which forced upon thoir Brethren in Canada that which they refused to accept . He therefore hoped that out of a proper deference to the feelings of the Grand Lodge of Canada , they ivould , when asked to confirm that resolution , unanimously answer—No ! ( Cheers and laughter . )

Bro . Havers said he had heard with more amazement than he could well express , the course of proceeding that evening , advocated by the brethren at the further end of the room . He would venture to lay the ivhole case , divested of verbiage , before Grand Lodge . Ho never denied , and ho ivould never deny , that the Masons of Canada had had to complain of grievous shortcomings upon the part of Grand Lodge ; but he wotild not now stop to inquire where lay the blame . The result however , was , that their Canadian brethren felt themselves compelled to throw down their

allegiance to the Grand Lodge of England . In that country , where we hacl once nearly a hundred Lodges , tho great majority ot them had left ouv banner . This change naturally created some excitement , but so soon as union was restored in Canada , the Grand Lodge of England acknowledged and recognized the independence of the Grand Lodge of that country . It was now attempted to be shown that the Canadian brethren refused that recognition . On the contrary , they accepted it , and thanked Grand Lodge for the promptitude it had displayed in making it . ( Cheers . ) If brethren had been content to wait—to spare their taunts upon

tho executive—until they had heard the correspondence , and looked at tho dates of that correspondence , they ivould have seen that such was the case . In that correspondence they pointed to the fact that Grand Lodge had limited their jurisdiction . Grand Lodge had done so , and ] had done it with its eyes open . Tho Canadian Brethren now asked Grand Lodge for that which Grand Lodge was most willing to grant , namely — to give the greatest possible opportunity for the spread of Freemasonry . They all now understood that the jurisdiction which the Grand Lodge of Canada claimed was one extending

over both provinces , and it was reasonable that it should have it . Out of the hundred Lodges of Canada , which formerly hailed from tho Grand Lodge of England , there were only two ( not six ) in Canada AA ' est , and only four ( not twelve ) in Canada East , which now acknowledged the authority of the Grand Lodge of England . The two provinces , formerly divided , had been united since 184 . 3 , and were now one territory . It was for these reasons that the Masons of Canada asked the Grand Lodgo of England to grant to their Grand Lodge Masonic

jurisdiction over all that country in wliich there were now so few English Lodges . He ivould [ now ask the brethren if they thought it consistent with the dignity and honour of Grand Lodge to maintain a nominal sovereignty over a territory iu wliich it had no Lodges . They were all anxious , for the welfare of Jlasonry , to sec new temples rise for solemnization of its mysteries , its principles spread , and never to limit it to the narrow ground under the jurisdiction of any particular Grand Lodge . Canada had spoken , and spoken with a loud voice , upon this question ;

and within the last four and twenty hours a most fraternal and courteous letter had been received by tho . M . AV . Grand Master from the Grand Master of 'Canada , asking Grand Lodge to reconsider this question . Ii Bro . Portal had only allowed the M . AV . Grand Jlaster to state that in that kindness of feeling by which he was actuated to our colonial Brethren , he was prepared to remedy whatever error of description they had fallen into at the last meeting of Grand Lodge , and grant the independent Graud Lodge of Cauada a jurisdiction co-extensive with the Canadian territory—the Brethren ivould havo been spared all the useless discussion which had taken place , ( Cheers . )