FREEMASONRY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5360, 1 June 1878, Page 1 (Supplement)

FREEMASONRY.

(From the London Times, March 7),

Last night the: Earl of Carnarvon, the ProGrand Master of the English Freemasons, presided over a crowded meeting of the “ rulers of the craft,” in the Throne-room of the Mason Hall, Great Queen-street. This was the quarterly communication of Grand Lodge, and special subjects of interest were to be presented. When the procession of grand officers entered, Lord Carnarvon, Lord Skelmersdale the Deputy-Grand Master, Lord Sherborne, Provincial-Grand Master of Glooestershire, Lord Tenterden, and other grand officers were greeted with warm cheers. There were also present Brothers W. W. B. Beach, M.P., Provincial Grand Master of Hampshire; Colonel Burdett, Provincial Grand Master of Middlesex; Alderman Hadley, ex-Sheriff Hutton, Dr. Erasmus Wilson, Past Grand Steward; J. Glaisher, Past Grand Deacon ; John Monckton (Town Clerk of London); Chairman oL the Board of General Purposes ; .-Eneas Mclntyre, Q.C., Grand Registrar;- the Rev'. 0. JV-Martyu, Colonel o.‘ Clarke, Dr. Jabez Hogg, the Rev. R. J. Simpson, the Rev; J. E. Cox, Captain Phillips, the Rev. C. W. Arnold, ;J. Havers, J. Her very, Frederick Binckes, James Terry, &c. The Grand Lodge having been duly opened, the ancient regulations of the assembly, read once a year, were presented in detail, as is customary at the spring meeting, before proceeding to the election of a Grand Master, and other formal business was transacted. The ■ Pro-Grand Master, who on rising was received with warm cheers, said that it was then his duty to call attention to the report of a committee appointed ‘‘to inquire into the circumstances relative to the elimination of the name of the Great Architect of the Universe from its ritual by the Grand Orient -of France.” The committee, the noble earl said, had agreed unanimously' to a report, but before he stated its effect he requested the Grand- Secretary to read the old and the new regulations of the Grand Orient of France. The Grand Secretary: then read the old regulations of the Grand Orient, which declared that the “ principles of the order are the existence of a God, the immortality of the soul, and human solidarite," and that it excluded no person on account of bis belief (the same in effect as the general principles of the order universally). In the altered regulations the words regarding the existence of God and the immortality of the soul were eliminated, and there were substituted the words “ absolute freedom of: conscience.” The Pro-Grand Master then proceeded to state that the committee, having regard to all the circumstances of, the case, proposed four resolutions—one, that Grand Lodge should state that it viewed with profound regret the step which has been taken by the Grand Orient of France in thus removing -from its regulations, the foundation of the craft npon the existence of God and the immortality of . the soul, —a removal opposed to all principles of the craft,-as was seen in the history and [traditionsof Freemasonry from the. earliest times. The second resolutionproposed was to the effect that the English Grand ! Lodge, while anxious in the most fraternal spirit to greet brethren from foreign lodges initiated in lodges where the true and genuine principles were apopted, could -not admit those, initiated in lodges which denied or ignored the" belief in the existence of God.- - It would, therefore, be necessary so state, the report proceeded to say in a . third resolution, that no brother from a lodge could be admitted unless his certificate showed-that he had been initiated in a lodge where this landmark of the order was. observed, or unless he should be vouched for as:One so initiated; and he also admitted this belief in the Great Architect of the Universe was an essential landmark of the order. , The fourth resolution was to give effect to the other -three by transmitting them - to all lodges working under the Grand Lodge ofof England, to the sister Grand Lodges jof Scotland and Ireland, and to all Grand Lodger in communication with-this Grand Lodge. Tho noble - earl expressed- his deep ■ regret at this action of ; the Grand Orient. - - There was no wish, he proceeded to say,-upon-the -part ofof tho English Freemasons; to -interfere with foreign Grand - Lodges ; there- was 'no diminution of fraternal feeling upon their part towards fofeign.brethren.j-butj-holdihg that the belief in the existence of God lay at the very root of Freemasonry, the.-English Grand Lodge could not overlook the distinct abnegation of that principle,. and - to;-that-assertion -he thought there would -be no dissentient in the crowded hall he then-addressed.-. It was, moreover, tho duty of this. Grand Lodge of-England to send forth its views for other Grand Lodges, and general lodges looked to the; English GrandLodge, as to the central - parliament of Freemasonry, for guidance; and the committee considered it should net flinch from the duty of proscribing and specifying the practical mode in which - effect should bo given to its views. The resolutions were then put to the -meeting, and'carried unanimously,. The!next important business was the election of Grand Master for tho year,'and upon tho 'motion of two brethren from below the dais, as representing the work-, ing lodges, the Prince of Wales was re-elected with -unanimity and amid load cheers,, and proclaimed :in duo, form, by Brother Thomas Fenn with ,a.U .the titles of tho Grand Master. The Graud'Lodgo theh clossd in due form. -