The Canadas.

allegiance ; and we expressed our conviction that there must be something more behind the scenes than the mere complaints against the past errors of the Grand Lodge of the mother country , to induce them to take such a course . Nor does it appear that Ave were far wrong in our estimate of the relative bearings of " cause and effect "—for the Most Worshipful Grand Master of Canada AA'iites : —

" Without , therefore , referring directly to the more immediate causes which led to the organization of tlie Grand Lodge of Canada , there was a consideration which , I may state incidentally , powerfully impelled the brethren here to take that important step ; and that ivas a desire to be in a position to imitate tlie noble example set hy the Masons of England , in the establishment of their benevolent institutions for charitable ancl educational purposes . Iu order to enable them to take the necessary steps to secure

this most desirable object ; and fully believing , at the same time , that the best interests of Masonry ivould be advanced and secured by the establishment of an independent Grand Lodge , the Masons of united Canada , without any diminution of fraternal regard or respect for those grand bodies from which they formerly hailed , declared their Masonic independence . "

We can easily understand , that in order to carry out institutions such as these , ivhich clo so much honour to the Masonic body in England , it was desirable that all the Masons of Canada should be brought under one jurisdiction , and that -whilst there were Lodges holding under the respective Grand Lodges of England , Scotland , and Ireland , that unity of purpose could not be relied upon , nor even be

expected to exist , AA'hich would haA'e tended to the prosperity of institutions for benevolent and educational purposes ; as , however well intentioned might be the managers , jealousy of some kind AA'ould necessarily arise—aud that therefore it was desirable to establish a Grand Lodge of Canada , which should unite under one head the

Lodges previously holding under the three Constitutions . This being conceded ( and we believe no one will deny the proposition ) the question naturally arises—did our Canadian brethren take the most straightforward course to obtain the object they had in vieAv ; and here Ave must be allowed to say , AVC think they did not . Admitting , as Ave do ,

that the Canadian brethren had great cause of complaint against the Executives at this side of the water ( for be it remembered the Grand Lodge oi Ireland has come in for its share of blame with that of England—though perhaps not to the same extent , inasmuch as it acknoAvledged the independence of Masonry in Canada even whilst it

was evidently arrayed in tAvo parties ) , Ave believe it would have been more straightforward , more conducive to the general good , and more in the spirit of fraternity , had the Canadian bretliren , sinking all causes of dispute , come forward and asked to be relieved from their