ORANGE AMALGAMATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 177, 21 April 1908, Page 9

ORANGE AMALGAMATION.

COMMEMORATIVE BANQUET,

AN UNEXPECTED ATTENDANCE.

Tho amalgamation of tlio North and South Island Grand Lodges of Orangeism was celebrated last evening with an enthusiasm which astonished * and bowildcred thoso responsible for tlio union. It had been announced that tho celebration would take the form of a, banquet; the first banquet of the .United Grand Lodge of New Zealand. The decoratcd officials who mado the preparations, and who could bo heard oil evnry hand

assuring assonting brothers, "Man, that .was a grand .thing wo did on Saturday," had not guessed, for all their confidence, what a United Grand Lodge could mean. Seven o clock last, evening saw tho-"tables' in a largo room of the Masonic Hall waiting for the banquet .to begin.. : Chairs were packed so • closely that, no waitresses could move 'between, and diners, when they left the middle tables to mako room for others, had to crawl bonoath - tho'tablcs to escape. About 120 hungry Orangemen packed themselves into places; but unfortunately they were not all. In fact, they were only. half. One hundred and twenty . equally, hungry comrades, or thoreabouts, made a sad assemblage in a larger hall, whence scouts deployed, at intervals, to reconnoitre the slowprogress of the banqueters. ' By means' of relays, most of the host were fed at:last, and then a now difficulty arose. How could toasts bo drunk with half the gathering liquorless in another room? , '.-■■■

, The Grand Master, Brother J. Middleton, showed .his fitness : for. the post by rising to this emergoncy. The only thing to do wa9 to leave the- toasts undrunk,. and for-all the brothers to movo l into the larger room. " Everybody tako' hia chair with him," lie directed with fine foresight, and the remarkable exodus was effected..

Thereafter everything went smoothly; " THE UNITED GRAND LODGE."

. Tho Bey. Canon Eccles (Woodvllle), in proposing tho toast of the " United of. Nciv Zealand," said that hi; heart was full of joy on account of the amalgamation. Ho had been 1 a 'member of the first lodge'ever formed in Auckland; all his life Bp'had'tried, to farfcher. the'cause; his grandfather was a m ®niher of the first lodge over formed iri Ireland, arid ( he would disgrace his ancestry if he .-.were not an Orangeman through .and through;. Ho.'urged them .to: give all their support: to the Centre, and to make the Order stronger and stronger'until'it'filled the Dominion. ; must ,no longer remain in tho shadow ,-but-comc out to the-front and glory' in their name.. The Order, stood for the defence of liberty !ind for tho maintenance of the Protestant lino upon the throne of England. A' man in Feilding had sent' him a pamphlet about a certain Mary of Bavaria, ,who .)vas Queen of England by lineal descent; but if any Mary of Bavaria or other claimant to tho English throne outside'the line of the present Royal Family, ever tried to gain possession of . that, throne,' evoiy'Orangeman iri the Empiro 'would riso . in ' opposition. The .conduct, of their organisation would bear the "closest • scrutiny that; could bo ' brought to' bear upon. it. -But thero was a small cloud passing,:over"Ms mind. ." Ho .wis perfectly ashamed, and: distressed that his brethren .'of the great .Church of England: turned their backs iiipori; their Order; would hot acknowledge \jt, and often refu'sed:;it tlio uso.of their churches. He' deplored a certain tendency which'he thought he saw in the Church o'f'i England, but added that he .was not there to blaokguard; anybody. He regretted, however, that, the leaders of that Church :wero not pre-, sent to regale them with their eloquence, and ■ to take, part' with them in tho great cause for' which'thoy stood.'

j : OBJECTS OF ORAXGEISM. Hearty ..cheers were 1 -then given for-/the .Grand Master, 'whoso •" good-fellowship" was acclaimed, to-jmusic: : '/,.T)id tributo concluded yith 'an'-. Orange;!gr.ppting 'with,' hands/ and 'feet, , which, shook the:, floor.' ■ • ' ■'<' Thq .President. .Ghiistohurcli), said hp - hoped jthat , by , jjest year -.they would; have '.proved-. the,,'"United-. Grand; Lodgo :a living,, thriving; institution, He thought,,that- everybody would be satis-' fied-with theprogross they-would,make.uiider the new. system.They did,not exist to make, strifo or.-rows, btitto make good,loyal citizensarid maintain religious.liberty. Referring, to a newspaper., paragraph, in which; roferenco was, ma;de to old strife showing, up again, ho said that, the Orangemen did not commence religious strifo. They, only wanted to defend their religion whoa assailed.' The amalgamation had . left , several good .and. true brothers out!of harness;' but their'.services would bo needed again, and,then their past experience would bo of value. What they wanted-now was Provincial Grand: Lodges in the-' various ee-ntro3 to lighten tho load of tho central body. , : , /'. RETIRING OFFICERS.. .

Bro.' J. .'Murphy, P.D.M.' (Auckland), pro- 1 posed/the toast of "Retiring .Grand. Lodge'. .'Officers;".',He stated that negotiations for amalgamation, .emanating- from the' South [.Island, had been commenced twenty years, ago. The Northern Lodge was originally , opposed to \ the movement, becauso it did •not think sufficient ovidenco had been shown that., it. .would ..bo to the advantage ;of. tlio Order.' The negotiations ' ceased. for. somo time,.and now that _tho amalgamation had 'b'een'/consummated,- his' only regret was'that it had not been effected long ago. The two past grand mastors - (Bros. Parsons : and. Petherick)," who, with, their executives, had .worked so arduously to this oud, deserved the thanks of Orangomen in both Islands. ' On Bro. Murphy's motion, a hearty voto of thanks -to tho past' grand masters was expressed, in Orangemen's style. . . Bro; Petherick (\Vellington), in replying, tendered to the Oraiigonicn of 'Wellington an apology from tho Mayor, because, by an .oversight, a letter -asking him to receive officially the Most -Worshipful Grand Secretary Major Gilchrist), of Sydnoy, had not boon' answered. Bro. Petherick explained, on tho Mayor's behalf, how tho oversight had come about, and said ho had no doubt but what tho explanation would be'.satisfactory to all. With regard to the amalgamation, ho felt sometimes that lie had Tost: his Lodge, but ho had not lost it. It had joined forces to form, a new and stronger lodge, which wojjld be capable or a -larger work than- had boon dono in tho past.- ,He' bespoko for tho United Grand Jbodge, tho strongest efforts of every.member who wore the colours, and wished it all that was brightest, noblost, and best. -, Bro. Parsons, of. Christchurch, and Bro. Lindsay, Past Grand-Socrotary, also rcpliod to the toast. The latter,stated-that for 18 years-he-had not been out of' offico (applause), and;ho had no intention of taking a rest now. He meant /to visit Auckland and Dunedin, and if he was not Grand Secrotary, there was plenty of work which ho could do. The newly-appointed-officers were all good men, and ho had no doubt that. the'affairs of the: United-Grand Lodge would be.conducted in a manner that would make for .tho benefit of the Order throughout' Now. Zealand. . OTHER TOASTS. Bro. R; P. Smith, P.G.T. (Feilding). proposed the toast of "Tho Press,": which" was responded • to by Bro. J. . Aston, W.G.D.M. Bro. R. Meredith, G.F.C. (Waimato), in I, proposing tho toast of "Ladies' Lodgos," said .that the ranks of the Oi'ango Order, in 'New Zealand wero drawn chiefly from the yeomanry and workintr c.l.irk. with but a small sprinkling of capitalists. Their organisation was an element' tlmti would liavo to bo considorod' in futuro by newspaper editors and otliors. Tho amalgamation of lodgos had. taken placo under tho happiest auspices/ without sacrifice of policy or interests on cither side. Flo stated that Orango lodges, including ladies' lodges, wero increasing from North Capo to tho Bluff, and juvenilo lodges' were also being established, and would bo much more im'portant in. tho future than tlie.v had been. Bro. .lames Caygill, P.O.A. (Ohristeluirch), responded to tho toast. The Rev. C. 15. Ward, I'.G.M. (Welliug'ton), proposed "The Visitors," .-which wns replied to by M.W.G.S., Bro. Major Gilchrist (Sydney). Tho gathering concluded with votes of thanks, moved by Bros. .Tar', vis, P.M. (Blenheim), and E, N. Buddon, G.S. (Chriatchurch).