Canada.

so-called Grand Loclge of Quebec , having been held in one of its cities , Montreal . Both provinces , therefore , if either , were unoccupied territory , and both , if either , were entitled to establish a Grand Lodge independently of the Grand Lodge of Canada . While , assuredly , this existing Grand Lodge , so long as there were a sufficient number of subordinate lodges willing to do so , could retain its actual status and existence . AA o should thus bave the anomaly of three Grand Lodges claiming to exercise

supreme authority over the same and parts of the same territory ; and all this in consequence of an Act of Parliament , which in no way altered political boundaries , but simply changed the names of existing provinces ! It has been urged that the existence of Grand Lodges in two of the provinces of the Dominion , Nova Scotia aud New Brunswick , justifies the action of tbe brethren of the so-called Grand Lodge of Quebecin invading the territory of the Grand Lodge

, of Canada . It is scarcely worth while to notice , at any length , this argument . The Grand Loclge of Nora Scotia was formed before confederation , and therefore it simply retains tbe position which it had attained , of an independent Masonic jurisdiction . New Brunswick was Masonically unoccupied ; and upon the principle which has been contended for by the Grand Lodge of Canada , an Act of Parliament could in no way alter its position in this respect . Being Masoniciilly unoccupiedit was perfectly

, competent for the lodges there to meet and form a Grand Loclge , and this they did . But how can their action be said to have reduced the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Canada , when Canada never claimed or exercised any jurisdiction or authority over either of these two Provinces ? I have deemed it important to deal thus fully with the argument upon which the formation of this so-called Grand Loclge of Quebec has been attempted to be justifiedviz : —that the Act

, of the Imperial Parliament , constituting the Dominion of Canada , rendered the Province of Quebec Masonically unoccupied territory . But there is another , and , in some respects , a more potent reason why this so-called Grand Lodgo should be declared irregular , ancl why , therefore , recognition should not be extended to it ; and that reason is , that its formation was illegal according to all the best authorities on Masonic jurisprudence . M . W . Bro . Dr . Mackey , in his work on " The Principles of Miisonic Law , "

under the head of " The Mode of Organizing Grand Lodges , " lays down two distinct principles : the first , that "a mass meeting of the Fraternity of any State is incompetent to organize a Grand Lodge ; " ancl tbe second , "that three Lodges , in any territory where a Grand Lodge does not already exist , may unite in Convention and organize a Grand Lodge . It will then be neceasary that these Lodges should surrender the warrants under which they had been previously working , and take out new

warrants from the Grand Lodge which they have constituted . " The meeting which was held on the 20 th October last , and out of which sprang the so-called Grand Loclge of Quebec , was , to all intents and purposes , a mass meeting of Masons . I am informed that , as to a large number of the lodges professedly represented at it , no resolution authorizing such representation hacl been passed by the lodge , and no notice bad boi-ii given by summons to the members of any loclge that so important a subject as

a change of allegiance was to be considered ; ami , in the case of lodges whose members were supposed to be averse to any change being made , no notification of any kind was sent that a convention was to be held . If my information upon this point is correct , then the meeting was practically " a mass meeting of the Fraternity , " ancl , therefore , incompetent to form a Grand Lodge . But whatever may be the exact state of the case on this point , there can be no doubt upon the second . Up to this momenttbe

, 24 th September . 1870 , no single lodge concerned in the formation of the so-called Grand Lodgo of Quebec has surrendered the warrant under which it hacl been previously working , ancl therefore , acceording to the well-established law governing the formation of Grand Lodges , this so-called Grand Lodge of Quebec bus been irregularly formed , and is not entitled to recognition . Desiring to make this statement as brief as po .-sible , I shall not refer at any length to the argument which is used in favour

of the recognition of the so-called Grand Lodge of Quebec , viz : that for peace sake it is better that it should be recognized . That , I am bound to believe , is an element which cannot Tor one moment he permitted to enter into tbe question of recognition by any foreign Grand Lodge . It is a question of the internal government of the Craft within its jurisdiction , and belongs entirely to the Grand Loclge of Canada itself . At the lust annual communication of the Grand Loclge of Canada , after the fullest

Canada.

discussion of the question , it was determined , by an overwhelming majority , that the interests of Freemasonry in Canada would be best secured , by withholding recognition from the so-called Grand bodge of Quebec . At that meeting there was a fuller representation of Lodges than has occurred since the formation of the Grand Lodge of Canada ; that representation included as large a delegation from the lodges in the Province of Quebec as has attended

ever a communication of Grand Lodge held so far west as Toronto ; and the decision , prompted solely by a regard for the interests of the Craft , and arrived at only after the most mature deliberation , and at the earnest solicitation of the representatives of our lodges in Quebec , who implored Grand Lodo-e not to abandon them in their loyal devotion to it , assuring it that peace and harmony were much more likely to bo restored by

withholding recognition , I am not without hope that , if the Grand Lodges of tbe world will only act towards the Grand Ledge of Canada in that spirit of brotherly regard which prompted tbem in their first recognition of it , ancl will leave the settlement of Canadian difficulties to Canadian Freemasons themselves , this unfortunate schism will soon cease , and harmony and brotherly love will speedily be restored to the jurisdiction . Tours faithfully and fraternally , THOS . B . HARRIS , Grand Secretary ' .

Reviews.

REVIEWS .

The Kingston Masonic Annual . Edited by Bro . LI . "W . Long-staff , ISO , Past J . G . W , North and East Yorkshire , Member of tbe Verein Deutseher Fremaurier . Hull : Peck and Son . This excellently well got up wort is produced with

tbe object of benefiting the Charity Fund of Kingston Lodge , No . 1010 , Hull , and will , therefore , apart from its intrinsic merits , meet with a , large sale amongst the Yorkshire brethren . Its contents are by no means exclusively local , on tbe contrary , tbey are quite cosmopolitan in character , and may be read

¦ with interest by all Freemasons . The contents comprise : — "Freemasonry and its Rites , "by the Editor ; " My visit to a Prussian Lodge , " by Paul Stromer ; " The Antient Landmarks , " by J . G . Findel ; " Uniformity of Eitual , " by 0 . James Todd ; "The Orator ' s

Charge on Initiation , " from tbe French ; "History of Freemasonry in York , " by Bro . TV " . Jas . Hughan ; " The Master of a Masonic Lodge , " by Bro . 0 . J . Todd ; and " Swiss Protest against the "War . " The latter is given in French ; a translation of it bas

already appeared in our columns . The following extract will , no doubc , prove interesting . It was originally read before the Kingston Lodge by the Author .

"Mi VISIT TO A PRUSSIAN LODGE . " On my recent visit to * * * I visited the Lodge . It was a New Year ' s Eve , and the meeting bore quite a holiday character ; no ordinary business having been transacted , I did not witness a Ceremony . I should have liked to have been present at an

initiation , passing , or raising , in order to compare the Ritual of our Prussian Brethren with our own , and to give you a picture of the former . As it is , I can only note what struck me at tlie time as slightly or materially different . As , however , my visit was a very hurried one , and I had little or no opportunity of gathering further information about the Eitual of