Grand Lodge of England

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 51, 16 October 1890, Page 2

Grand Lodge of England

Although the Grand Lodge of England has withheld immediate recognition of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand, it has done ao in a manner which can scarcely fail to prove gratifying and encouraging to the latter body. Sir John Monckton, who brought up the Grand Registrar's report on the subject, and moved that recognition be withheld, was particularly careful to state in his speech that it was not desirable "at present " to recognise the Grand Lodge, as the craft w»b not yet sufficiently unanimous in the demand for self-government, or elae the Governor, Lord Onslow, would have accepted the Grand Mastership. Sir John said it appeared that only a small majority of the lodges in the colony had joined the movement, and the Grand Lodge of England would not — in justice to those lodges which had not done so — recognise the action of a bare majority. Sir Albert Woods (Garter King of Arms) in seconding the motion, expressed an opinion that the Grand Lodge should not be " in a hurry" to grant recognition. The whole of the speeches in reference to the Grand Lodges of New Zealand and Tasmania went to show that the Grand Lodge of England was quite prepared to recognise the right of the craft to selfgovernment if anything like practical uuaninaity existed amongst the brethren in the colony. It is evident, therefore, that the lodges which have not y«t joined the National Grand Lodge have only to do so in order to obtain full recognition for it in England as well as everywhere elst. The proceedings of the Grand Lodge of England show conclusively that no spirit of soreness at lodgas severing their connection exists on th» part of th* Grand Lodge, and that lodges changing their Allegiance do not inour any reproach of disloyalty. In fact the whole tone of what was Baid was in pleasing contrast to th« attitude and utterance of some of the District Grand Masters in the colony. It is apparent that the sooner the lodges become unanimous, the better pleased will be the Grand Lodge of England. — Post.