TASMANIAN FREEMASONRY. Though the Jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Tasmania Is Very Far from Being Numerically a Strong One, I
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CONTENTS. Tasmania by its illustrious Patron , the Prince of Wales, K.G., UADHR- . ™°" Tasmanian Freemasonry ... .., ... ... ••• 343 M.W. Grand Master, and as being " intended to emphasise the ¦¦• Masonic Jurisprudence ... ... ... ••• ¦•• 343 cordial relationshi p existing between the Mother Grand Lod United Grand Lodge of England (Quarterly Communication ... ... 344 ge Grand Lodge of Mark M asons (Quarterly Communication) ... ... 345 and our own—which , as the Grand Secretary of England so Art and the Drama ' ... ... ... ... — 347 Science, kindl y put it , my recent visit to England did so much to cement." MASONIC NOTES— Quarterl y Communication of United Grand Lodge ... ... 349 Unfortunatel y, there were a few matters to which Grand Quarterly Communication of Grand Mark Lodge ... ... __ ... 340 Distribution of Prizes at the Boys' School ... ..."* ... 340 Master DAVIES was under the necessity of referring that Death of the Earl of Radnor, Prov. G.M. Wiltshire... ... ... 340 could not be mentioned without deep Triennial Festival of the North and East Yorkshire Educational Fund ... 349 feelings of regret, the Correspondence ... ... ... ... ••• ••• 35° most noteworthy among these being the loss they had sustained Masonic Notes and Queries • ... ... ... ... ... 35° Reviews ... ••• ••• — . • •• ••¦ ••• 35° by the death of Bro. the Rev. R. J. Poulett-Harris, M.A., to Provincial Grand Chapter of North and East Yorkshire... ... ... 35" whom Tasmanian Masonry owed so deep Mark Masonry in Devonshire ... ... ... ... ... 35' a debt of gratitude. Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... •¦• 35i The deceased , who had attained thc ripe age of 82 years, was Royal Arch ... ... ... ... ... - - 35' Mark Masonry ... ... ... ... ••• ••• 35** appointed Dist. G. Master of Tasmania, under the Grand Lodge Ireland ... ... ... ••• ¦¦• — ••• 35- of England in December 1880 The Craft Abroad ... ... ... ... ... ... 35- , , , and on the formation of Order of the Secret Monitor (Annual Festival) ... ... ... 353 thc Grand Lodge was unanimousl y elected to preside Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 354 Obituary ... ... ... ... ... - ••• 354 over as its firs t M.W. Grand Master, and the services he rendered in that capacity are writ large, in the annals of thc TASMANIAN FREEMASONRY. Craft, and will alway s be remembered to his honour. Bro. DAVIES spoke of his distinguished predecessor in terms of Though the jurisdiction of the Grand Lod ge of Tasmania is eulogy and personal affection that deserve quotation , remarking very far from being numericall y a strong one, it is clear from that his " long life of usefulness had been sans f icur et sans the report with which wc have been favoure d of the proceedings iTproch c," and that " he had , by his quiet , unostentatious ,*it its annual communication in February last that it is a compact manner and his unselfish life endeared himself to us all ," and well-ordered body, and that its officers and members are adding, as regards himself , " My personal reminiscences of him date back to my boyhood days, and whether as tutor actuated b a sincere love of the Craft and an abiding faith , guide, y or friend , or brother Mason , I had ever entertained for him the in its influence for good on thc general community. There are greatest affection. " We sympathise with our Tasmanian but 24 lodges on its roll , ancl its subscribing membershi p does brethren on this ancl thc other losses by death they have sus- not probably exceed from 1200 to 1 500 brethren. Yet the tained during thc past year, while, at the same time, we heartily lod ges do their work well , and thc (irand O fficers, both Present congratulate them on the prosperous state of their Grand and and Fast, are frequent and earnest in their endeavours to pro- private Lodges. mote, as far as in them lies, thc welfare of the whole bodv and Hon, We observe thai amon*r the names of brethren who were recently declared its several constituent parts. Its Grand Alaster , Bro. the elected as members of the Hoard of (Icncral Purposes there are two Past C. E. DAVIES , M.L.C., who some time since visited this country , Masters who belong* lo 1 lie same loiLfe. I laving regard to Law J5-5, of the (' ' ' and was most cordiall received , is an eminentl y popular, as Hook of oiisl tnt oiis , ii would appear that one or both of these brethren y are mcli*> *i!-l< - lo hold a seat at the Hoard. well as a very able chief , and it is not surprising, therefore , that under his <niidance the Craft should be such as we have described it. MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE. The annual communication was held at the Masonic Hall , Hobart , on the 22nd February , when the usual reports wort; [cOMMl'XICATEIl]. presented by the Board of General Purposes, the Pro Grand We will add a few words to the subject of voting, treated Master, the Grand Secretary, ancl (he Grand fnspectors of in our last. Let u<i consider, fi rst of all , who are entitled to vote. Lodges, and werc favourabl y received by the Grand Lodge , As the ordinary business of the lodge is conducted in the First while the Grand Master 's address was received with Degree , it follows that Entered Apprentices and Fellow Crafts ¦ have: the same rights as the oldest Past Master when it comes equal favour; The events of the year -.vhich he: reviewed in to a show of hands. It would scarcely seem necessary to draw detail were for the most part of local interest , but it is evident attention to such an obvious fact , were it not that thc writer on from what he said and from the measures he recommended that one occasion had the greatest difficulty in preventing the our Tasmanian brethren are bent on making their organisation insertion of an article limiting thc franchise to Master Masons as perfect as possible. He expressed himself as being opposed in a set of by-laws he was assisting in drawing up. ** Most to the " public parades of Masons , " at the funerals of deceased lodge by-laws contain a provision limiting the appointment brethren and gave it as his op inion that lod ges of sorrow were of officers to Master Masons, and in more than one lodge it is the custom to invest the officers on the day of installation far preferable in all cases where it is desired to show , , while respect to the lodge is working in thc *?°. their deceased members. Indeed , he threw it out as a suggestion When the question is put for the confirmation of the minutes that " a special meeting should be held in each year as a it is customary for those brethren who were absent from the memorial day to enable us to express our regrets' at meeting to refrain from voting. There is no law to this effect, the losses of worth y brethren who have passed however , and all questions arising out of the confirmation , or •iway. ' He also laid some stress on the desirability of having otherwise, of minutes have to be left to the good sense of the °'ie uniform system ol ritual , and mentioned the brethren concerned. Many lodges have by-laws desi steps that were being taken to secure that object. He referred gned to prevent members from voting who are a certain period in arrears with their dues , to his appointment to the rank of a Past G. Warden of ancl the votes of such have , on occasion , been disallowed. Since England , and the, expressed his belief that honour was conferred these by-laws have survived a visit to head quarters they must upon him in his capacity of Grand Master , and in consequence, perforce be regarded as good , but , nevertheless, they are pro- that it was a high comp liment paid to the Grand Lod ge of ductive of great inconsistency. Nearly every lodge provides in its by-laws for thc treatment of brethren who refuse, after a March , and so on. As the brother s indebtedness seemed to be certain period , to pay their dues. Thc penalty is generall y increasing at an alarming rate, he appealed to the District exclusion , and Article 210 is probab ly as frequentl y referred to Grand Master (of Bombay, we believe). The result was that as any other in the Book of Constitutions. the lodge was rebuked , and told that the dues and resignation If a lodo-e hesitates to deal with dilatory members in a con- at first tendered should have been accepted , and this was con- stitutional way, has it any power to impose a partial disability ? firmed by Grand Lodge. Once a brother is allowed to enter the lod ge room , he is in In September, 1S91, Grand Lodge was exercised over another full possession of all his rights as a member , and to restrict question dealing with the issue of a certificate. those ri ghts in one respect and leave them intact in another is In addition to the certificate to which a brother is entitled simply " closure by compartments ," to use a-p hrase of which wdicn his connection with the lodge is severed , Article 203 much was heard some lew years ago in the House of Commons. recognises the grant of a certificate to enable him to join We should fancy a member whose vote was disallowed , or. who another lodge. was prevented from voting when he had been admitted into the This is not necessary for the founder of a new lodge, who is lod ge, would have a very good case on appeal. at the time a subscribing member elsewhere (Article 116), but During thc course of an official visitation , the write.r once many brethren imagine it is, and accordingly a brother in South came across a set of lod ge by-laws, just revised , which contained Africa , who proposed to assist in the formation of a new lodge the proviso " When a question is put for the confirmation of the in that colony, wrote home to his father to ask him to procure minutes , no member shall be entitled to vote who was not the usual certificate from the lodge, of which they were both present at the meeting concerned." Inasmuch as these by- members .