Colonial.

certain Brethren residing at Launceston , without apprising any member of Lodge , No . 781 , or other Brethren at Hobart Town , of their intention , or in any way inviting the concurrence of the said Brethren , or Lodge , No . 781 , whose members were equally interested in such appointment , or affording them an opportunity to express their opinion respecting it , or pointing out to the M . W . the Grand Master the local disadvantages and expense that would accrue to the Brethren of the south by having to attend Provincial Grand Lodge at tho extreme north of tho Provinceand vice

, versa : " And whereas , immediately on being made acquainted with such appointment , the members of Lodge , No . 781 , met in open Lodge and Chapter , and passed a series of resolutions , acknowledging the prerogative of the M . W . the Grand Master to appoint whom he pleased to be Prov . G . M . of any province , but solemnly protesting against being placed under any Prov . G . M . without being afforded an opportunity of expressing their opinion respecting him ; especially onewhoat a distance of 16000 milescould onlbe Masonically

, , , , y known to the W . M . tho Grand Master from representation , he having . been comparatively recently initiated in this colony , and his ' eminence and ability in the Craft' totally unknown , even at Hobart Town , previous to his appointment as Prov . G . M : " And whereas , previous to his having been installed or obligated , and consequently without any constitutional power in the province [ see clauses Nos . 5 and 10 , Summary of Antient Charges ] , lie the ProvGM- by his Secretarywrote for lists of members & of

. . , , c ., Lodge , No . 781 , which the W . M . declined to forward to him , pending the issue of the resolutions passed by the Lodge and Chapter and forwarded to the M . W . tho Grand Master : " And whereas , on being informed by the W . M . of No . 781 , that such a series ' of resolutions had been passed , the said Prov . G . M . ( still not having been installed nor obligated ) , wrote to the W . M . demanding a copy of such resolutions , which for reasons set forth were not sent to him pending the reply of the MWthe GM :

.. .. " And whereas , the Prov . G . M ., having subsequently fixed a day for his installation and for constituting the Prov . Grand Lodge of Tasmania , invited the Members of Lodge , No . 781 , to be present by their representatives , which invitation , for reasons sot forth , they did not avail themselves of , and which invitation clearly shows that he , the Prov . G . M , did not at that time consider any act of contuliiacv to have been committed :

" And whereas , it is presumed such installation of the Prov . G . M . ami constituting such Prov . Grand Lodge did take place , and the said Prov . G . M . was then , and not until then , duly and constitutionally vested with the powers conferred by his patent , he , the said Prov . G . M . immediately hastened to exercise his alleged authority , and did , on the second day of May , 1857 , and within seventeen days after such presumed installation , forward to the W . M . his order for the suspension of Lodge , No . 781 from the performance of Masonic functions

any : " And whereas , after the presumed installation of the Prov . G . M . and Constitution of the Prov . Grand Lodge of Tasmania , no communication whatever was addressed to the W . M . or any officer or member of No . 781 , either by the Prov . G . M . or any ' member of the Prov . Grand Lodge , nor any summons , special or peremptory , to attend the Prov . G M . or Prov . Grand Lodge issued , nor any charge of any kind exhibited against the W . M ., officers , or members of No . 781 , nor any notice relative thereto , forwarded to the W . M ., officers members

, or , of the said Lodge , previous to the receipt by the W . M . of the aforesaid order of suspension , dated 2 nd May , " And whereas , such order of suspension has been pronounced to be arbitrary and unconstitutional by all influential members of the Craft , who have had the benefit of Masonic experience in England , and whose opinion we have been enabled to obtain , and more especially by one of the most experienced English P . M . 's now residing in Victoria

, he being one of the best working Masons in these colonies , whose opinion we have also sought , and who , after perusing the whole of the correspondence on this subject , states as follows : — ' The extreme steps taken by the Prov . G . M . were not warranted until after two summonses at least , the last to set forth most pointedly the objects ; in fact , calling the Lodge to trial by its officers . ' "And further : — 'If such peremptory summons were neglected , the Prov . G . M . should make a third attempt , before suspending the Lod

ge . ' "Andhe adds : — 'The proceedings of the Prov . G . M . as tho head , were a departure from constitutional usage , and subversive of the great principles of Masonry—Friendship , Love , and Truth . ' " And whereas , in consequence of the conviction that such suspension by the Prov . G . M was not only arbitrary , but in direct Violation of the Book of Covistitutions , conformity to which is equall y binding on tho rulers as on other members of the Craft ( see

clause 5 , Summary of Ancient Charges ) , and having sought tho best advice from such members of eminence and ability in the Craft as we wore able to consult on tho subject , and finding their opinion coincided with our own , we were induced to join in carrying on the regular business of the Lodge and Chapter No . 781 , until the pleasure of the M . W . the G . M ., to whom we appealed through the W . M . of No . 781 , should be made known to us : "And whereas , it appears that the M . W . the G . M . has forwarded the correspondence on the subject to the Colonial Board to report

Upon , and the Colonial Board have recommended the Grand Lodge to confirm the suspension of Lodge , No . 781 , by the Prov . G . M .: "And whereas , since receipt of' opinion of the Colonial Board , the W . M ., P . M's , and Committee of Management of Lodge , No . 781 , from an anxious desire to pay homage to the M . W . tho G . M . for the time being , and to his Officers , when duly installed , and strictly to conform to every edict of the Grand Lodge [ Antient Constitutions ] have determined to close the said Loduntil the

ge pleasure of the Grand Lodge shall be made known : " And whereas , such suspension of the operations of Lodge , No , 781 , is detrimental to the cause of Freemasonry in the southern portion of Tasmania , inasmuch as Lodge , No . 781 is the only warranted Lodge , under the Grand Lodge of England , on the southern side of the Province of Tasmania , and is situate 120 miles from Launceston , the next locality of a warranted Lodge under such Constitution ; and inasmuch as Lod No . 781 for nearly fourteen

ge , , years , has paid large sums by fees and contributions to the Grand Lodge of England , and has not in one single instance recommended an object for relief from the Benevolent Funds of the Grand Lodge , having invariably relieved distressed worthy Brethren from the local Masonic Benevolent Fund ; and also , inasmuch as the Officers and members of Lodge , No . 781 , with a view to more widely extend the benefits of Freemasonry , recently recommended the M . W . the G . M . to issue warrants for holding two new Lod in and near

ges Hobart Town , to be called the Pacific Lodge , to be held at Hobart Town , and the Derwent Lodge , to be held at New Norfolk , and forwarded the fees payable thereon , which are still retained by the G . Sec ., although such applications were returned for the opinion of the present Prov . G M ., and have been again transmitted to the

G . See ., with letters from the Brethren named as W . M ' s . of such proposed new Lodges as aforesaid , stating it would be useless asking his opinion or recommendation respecting the applications , pending the result of the appeal against his unconstitutional order of suspension : " And whereas , since receipt of an extract of the report of the Colonial Board , recommending the Grand Lodge to confirm the suspension of Lodge , No . 781 , by the Prov . G . M ., he , the said Prov . GMhas ht an interview with a few of the members of No

.., soug . 781 , including the W . M ., and refused to acknowledge that he has acted either arbitrarily or unconstitutionally in suspending the said Lodge without notice or summons , and still persists in such arbitrary , unprecedented , and unconstitutional treatment ; and further , has threatened that in the event of the members of No . 781 refusing to make due submission to him for what he is pleased to call contumacy , that he will recommend the Grand Lodge to proceed to tho next step in Masonic disciplineby which it is presumed he refers

, to the extreme measure of expulsion : " And whereas , from the circumstances above detailed , we believe that the confirmation by the Grand Lodge of the suspension of No . 781 by the Prov . G . M . of Tasmania , can only be ratified in the absence of a knowledge of the facts hereinbefore set forth : " And whereas , we , who have hereunto subscribed our names , comprise nearly , if not the whole , of those residing in and near Hobart Town who have ever held office in thisor the neihbouring

, g colonies , under the Constitution of England ; have at great expense leased and fitted up a private room or hall , suited for Lodge and Chapter purposes , which we retain exclusively for Masonic ceremonies , at a rental of £ 50 per annum ; and have , therefore , considerable pecuniary , as well as other interest in the prosperity of the Craft : " And whereas , we wish to assure the M . W . the G . M . and the members of the Grand Lodge that the steps taken by the Officers and members of 781

No . , were not adopted with any view of questioning the validity of the patent of the Prov . G . M . of Tasmania , but on the sole ground that ho had arbitrarily and unconstitutionally used , and therefore , abused the power with which it invested him . "And whereas , we wish most respectfully to represent to the M . W . tho G . M . and the members of the United Grand Lodge of Freemasons of England , that although wo are anxious to preserve inviolate our allegiance to the G . M . and the United Grand Lodge of England , that our allegiance is pledged to hold in veneration the original