Freemasonry In Germany.

FREEMASONRY IN GERMANY .

LONDON , SATURDAY , SEPTEMBER 16 , 1865 .

HAMBURG . —The general assembly of the lodges of the province of the Hamburg Grand Lodge took place on the Sth ult . The following report is compiled from accounts given by the Frtdmaurer Zeitung .

At five o ' clock , p . m ., the members of the Grand Lodge , upon the invitation of the Grand Master , met and partook of refreshment . The labour of the Assembly commenced at half-past seven . Out of the tAventy-five lodges of the province , four

Hamburg lodges and seven country lodges , viz ., those of BrunsAvick , Oldenburg , Rostock , Liibeck , Neubrandenburg , Wismar , and Eisenach , Avere represented by deputies , and two , Heilbronn and Bremerhafen , by proxy ; the Grand Master

endeavouring , during the whole of the business transacted , to secure the rights of those lodges that were not represented . The current business having been disposed of ,

the Grand Master laid before the meeting the motion and the supplementary motion of Bro . Amelung , of Weimar , * the latter being calculated to secure against any erroneous interpretation the proposal of excluding every representation save

the direct representation of the individual lodges in the general meeting of the Grand Lodge . The additional motion was impugned by the Grand Master , and the whole of the discussion related chiefly to the latter , after the explanation and

justification of the motion had been given by Bro . Amelung . HoAveA er , the supplementary motion Avas withdraAvn , most of the brethren , even the adversaries of the proposition , being satisfied that the inadmissibility of any but a direct

representation of the lodges by deputies Avas contained in the original motion . An exception , however , Avas allowed in favour of those transatlantic lodges that are too far distant from the seat of the Grand

Lodge , and the motion was finally carried by 42 votes out of 70 . On the folloAving morning the brethren met again for an aquatic trip on the Alster , and a fraternal breakfast at Eppendorf . The resolution of tho

Hamburg Grand Lodgo is the first step towards the realisation of a salutary reform in the constitution of the Masonic brotherhood in Germany . EISENACH . —The general meeting of the

association of German Masons took place at Eisenach on the 12 th and 13 th of August . We shall lay before our readers a full report of this important meeting in our next issue . BERLIN . —The Grand Lodge " zu den drei

Weltkugeln" issued its annual report on last St . John's day . The following data are extracted from this document : —No new lodges have been founded during the past Masonic year . There are at present 102 lodges , Avith an aggregate of 11 , 800

members ( 642 being honorary members ) belonging to the province of this Grand Lodge . THE KKONFRINZSTIFFUNG ( CroAvn Prince Fund ) has received subscriptions to the amount of 1 , 000 thalers ; 3 , 798 thalers have been appropriated

towards the relief of distressed members , and 1 , 9 S 5 thalers for general benevolent purposes . The " Augustenstiftung " that had been founded in commemoration of the 11 th June , 1854 , is possessed at present of a fund of 16 , 460 thalers ; from

this fund four honorary donations of 25 thalers each Avere paid to jubilaries , and 939 thalers to Masons' widows and orphans . Since the

foundation of this fund 416 jubilary couples have received the commemoration medal . Great alacrity has prevailed in most lodges during the past year ; three lodges only , viz ., those of Anclam , Brandenburg and Gotha , complain of slackness in the

attendance of the members . The new song-book of tho Grand Lodge has been completed . From the St . John ' s day's circular of this Grand Lodge we extract the following passages : — " Let us faithfully and steadily persevere upon , our old ground ,

iu our old limits , within our time-honoured circle . This ground , beyond which none is firm and secure , Avill appear to the seeker , if he lays his hand upon the Bible , whieh is the ' word of God , on

Avhich the Order rests as on a firm foundation . ' If we remain on this ground , within these limits , in this circle , the spirit of the Order AviU enlighten us to recognise the truth ; it Avill warm our hearts , and ennoble the whole of our life . If we abandon

this ground the Order will cease to exist , little by little , and dissolve itself in the great life of mankind , as a drop of water in the ocean , and Avith it Avill disappear its activitj , and the blessings it bestoAVS upon its adepts . The Freemason also

is and remains a creature of Time ; and though he may shut his eye to the ignes falui , and his ear to the allurements of the spirit of the time that ever changes and oscillates , he willingly opens both to the true and the good that it carries with it , and