Correspondence.

what he pleases , and if wrong he can effect incalculable mischief before his decisions can be reversed by an appeal to England . I may instance the case of a brother in New South Wales who was illegally suspended by the Provincial Grand Master , and who had to suffer all the disadvantages of suspension during

the many months the appeal and decision were travelling backwards and forwards . " More than this , a Provincial Grand Master , owing to the difficulties and delays connected Avith appeal to Grand Lodge , has it in his power to set aside the Constitutionsand to trample upon its lainest

direc-, p tions . Instances of this are not wanting , and , although I do not say a ProA'incial Grand Master AVOUM do this knowingly , I do say he might do it , ancl the bare chance of such a thing ought to be guarded against . "Another difference between an Australian

Provincial Grand Lodge and an English one is , that while in England all the lodges are under one Constitution , the lodges in Australia are under no less than three ; English , Irish , and Scotch lodges are to be found in the same towns , and it is idle to conceal that there is some little jealousy amongst them ; some

sort of rivalry cannot be helped as long as human nature is Avhat it is , and we English Masons are naturally desirous of maintaining our position , and are jealous of Avhatever prevents our standing on the same vantage ground as our rivals . " Australia is a land of freedomancl when men are

, deciding as to which Constitution they shall attach themselves , they are apt to ask which is the most liberal , aud on inquiry it turns out that the other Constitutions , having the election of their OAVU officers , and the power of determining appeals in their Provincial Grand Lodges ( at least this is claimed and

practised in Australia ) , their lodges have a greater chance of success than those under the English Constitution can pretend to . We ask to be put into a position AA'hich shall euable us to manage our OAVU local affairs , and we have no fear as to our being able to bear away the palm . "There is another important feature in Colonial

Provincial Grand Lodges to Avhich I desire to draw your attention , namely , the power of expelling Masons and erasing lodges . This is a poAA'er given to the lodge , and not to the Provincial Grand Master , and is the hi ghest that any subordinate authority can be entrusted Avith , and yet , if the letter of the

Constitutions is to be our onl y guide , a lodge Avith such a power as this cannot fix the time for holding its meetings or hear and determine on offences of less gravity than such as are likely to require the severe sentence of expulsion . The lodge may expel a brother from the Craft , but it may not fine him five shillings for

misconduct . To illustrate how this may Avork , I will suppose a brother has been guilty of some flagrant offence . The Provincial Grand Master , for some reason or other , does not regard the brother as guilty , or does not Avish the brother to be punished . lie knoAvs that if a District Grand Lodge is convened

the brother will be convicted and expelled . What has he then to do ? Simply to decline calling a District Grand Lodge , and the brother is screened so long as no meeting is held . It may be said that no Provincial Grand Master would do this , but what is wanted in law is , that the possibility of his doing so may be guarded against .

" I will again suppose that a brother is considered guilty of some offence , but that the District Grand Lodge is desirous of tempering justice with mercy and thinks that suspension for a time is sufficient . The present Constitutions prevent the lodge aAvarding the lesser punishment , and compel it to expel the brother or do nothing at all . The answer to this will

perhaps be , that the lodge can advise the Provincial Grand Master , AVIIO can suspend the brother ; but I am not drawing on imagination Avhen I say , there are Provincial Grand Masters Avho would regard such advice as an interference vrith their prerogative , and would point to the page and the section of the law

supporting their authority . " There is one point remaining for notice , namely , the requirement that a District Grand Lodge shall not cease to exist on death or resignation of Provincial Grand Master . We ask for this because , during the time between the death or resignation of a

Provincial Grand Master and the appointment of his successor , many months must elapse , and during this period the lodges are left Avithout any sort of control ; the provincial funds are left in the hands of a brother who has ceased to be an officer , and provincial business is at a dead stand . This was strikingly

exemplified on the occasion of the resignation of our late Brother Dr . Kent , our Past Provincial Grand Master . Beside this , the benevolent and the provincial funds are under the control of the District Grand Lodge these require constant supervision . The former of these is a growing and important fund . But when the District Grand Lodge ceases to exist , these funds are at the mercy of the brother Avho may hanpen to

have charge of them . It does not necessarily follow that that brother will be an officer of the new District Grand Lodge , and it is doubtful Avhether the neAV lodge can compel the brother to pay over to it the funds that belonged to a lodge Avhich had ceased to exist some five or six mouths before the new lodge

came into operation . " The question may be asked , HOAV is it there are no complaints from other districts like those from South Australia ? India , for instance . In no district is Masonry more flourishing , and yet the lodges are Avorkiug under the Constitutions Avhich South

Australia says are not adapted to distant provinces . The answer to this is that in India the Provincial Grand Masters do not insist so strongly on the letter of the Low as the Provincial Grand Master of South A ustralia does . Virtually the Provincial Grand Masters of India rule their lodges after the manner

they would rule them supposin g the alterations asked for Avere already part of the Constitutions . In a report of the District Grand Lodge of Bombay , EEEEMASONS' MAGAZINE of October 15 th , 1864 , page 292 , I find the lodge discussing and deciding a question as to the legality of a Blue Lodge giving the

second degree to a brother supposed not to be entitled to it . The Provincial Grand Master alloAved the discussion to go on , and had no hesitation in putting a resolution to the meeting . If this had happened in Australia , and such a motion had been submitted as is reported to have been carried in Indiathe

Pro-, vincial Grand Master Avould have immediately said that the right of deciding such a question Avas part of his prerogative , and that the lodge had no voice in the matter . "Again , in referring to the proceedings in the