Le Grand-Orient De France.

LE GRAND-ORIENT DE FRANCE .

LONDON , SATURDAY , JUASCS 21 , 1868 .

The Cosmopolitanism of Freemasonry renders it desirable that members of the Craft should be made acquainted , as far as possible , with the progress and working of the Order in foreign countries . We have , therefore , thought that some remarks on the present position of Masonry in France would not be uninterestino * to our readers .

There are m France two breat Masonic authorities j viz ., " Le Grand-Orient de France , Supreme Conseil pour la France et les Possessions Franchises , " and the "Supreme Conseil du Rite Ecossais Ancien et Accepte . " Between these two powers

there has been aud still exists great contention . The Grand-Orient is , however , much more extensive than the Supreme Conseil , and it is , moreover , the recognised Masonic Body in the Grand Lodges of Great Britain . It is hoped that , ere

many years are passed , the unsatisfactory rivalry between the associations we have named may be ended , and that the Grand-Orient may become the sole centre of the Masonic hierarchy in France . This is most devoutly to be desired by all true Craftsmen , for at present there exist many things which bring discredit on our Order , and which are

utterly opposed to the spirit of brotherhood , which is the basis of all true Masonry . As a case in point we may mention the fact that when a number of persons in Jersey wished to form a French lodge and > vere refused a charter by the

Grand-Orient , which properly referred them to the English lodges working in the island , those individuals applied to the Supreme Conseil , and had no difficulty in obtaining a charter from that body . It will be seen , therefore , that the

Grand-Orient works in harmony with the Grand Lodge of England , whilst the Supreme Conseil preserves what our French brethren would denominate a separate aud distinct " autonomy / - ' The Grand-Orient consists of nearly 4-00 lodges ,

chapters , and consistories , whilst the Supreme Conseil has less than 100 lodges and chapters affiliated to it .

It is beyond our limits to go into the details of the history of the Grand-Orient , nor do we think that it would be profitable to our readers . It is undoubtedly the fact that Freemasonry has never yet had fair play in France * and , although Napoleon III . is himself a Mason , he has not

scrupled to interfere with his brethren in a manner which to English Masons will appear equally strange and . perplexing . On the Oth of January ., 1852 , Prince Lucien Marat , son of King Joachim Murat of Naples , and cousin of the present French

Emperor , was elected Grand Master by the " Assernblee Generale du Grand-Orient . " At this time the brethren were in dread of a decree of suppression or suspension , and they thought by electing Prince Murat to conciliate the Emperor ,

Our brother Jouaust in his great work , the Histoire du Grand-Orient de France , which is now before us , says , quaintly enough , that the Masons sought " un protecteur par la nomination d'mi Grand Master assez haut place pres du chef de

l'Etat pour servir de garant a la Macjonnerie centre ses preventions /' ' From 1 S 52 to 1861 Prince Murat occupied the Grand Chair , but at the latter date he had to retire in consequence , it is believed , of the jealousy of the Emperor at the

influence and favour which his cousin derived from his connexion with the Freemasons . In 1862 , His Excellency Marshal Magnan was appointed

Grand Master by Imperial decree , and remained in office until 1865 , when the brethren were permitted to elect the present Grand Master , General Blellinet . To English brethren who are accustomed to regard their Masonic lodges as places

where for a while they may cast aside all sectarianism and political contention , these proceedings will appear exceedingly curious . But probably our brother Napoleon III . has not forgotten that ^ in 1848 , the Grand-Orient presented an address

to the Provisional Government , in which , while admitting that they were not a political organization , they expressed their sympathies " pour lo errand mouvement national et social" which the

Revolution had inaugurated reminding tho " Citoyens Ministres " that " Les Fraucs-Maeons ont porte de tout temps sur leur banniure ces mots Liberie , Egalite , Fraternite , " and assuring the Government that they admired " the courage with

which you have accepted the grand and difficult mission to found upon a solid basis the liberty and the happiness of the people , " and that " 40 , 000 French Masons with one heart and one spirit promise you here their help to achieve happily tho

great work so gloriously commenced . " The presentation of such an address by the Masonic body was , in our judgment , not only injudicious , but a positive violation of the universal canon of Masonic law , and we cannot but think that those wliO'