MASONIC.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 889, 15 March 1889, Page 7

MASONIC.

Having re-opened the Masonic column in he Mail, under the supervision of a Master in the Craft, we shall be glad to receive from Secretaries of Lodges, and brethren generally, short reports of Lodge meetings and Masonic r vents of all hinds likely to be of interest to nembers of the craft. All correspondence for this column to be addressed to the Masonic Editor, New Zealand Mail. ANS WERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. M.M.—There ia no mention made in the Bible of H.A.’s death. Wanganui. —Certainly, you are justified in doing so. A.BC. (Greymouth)—You can get the desired information by applying to the D.G. secretary, Dunedin. FAVOURS RECEIVED. London Freemason, South Australian Freemason, Masonic Chronicle and Official Bulletin, Sydney Freemason and Chains d’Union (Paris). SPEECH BY OUR NEW GOVERNOR. The Onslow Mark Lodge No. 361 (London) held its regular meeting at 33, Golden Squaro, on Tuesday, 22nd January’ last. There were a very large number of members aud visitors present. Some ritual work was gone through aud jewels were presented to Bro. the Earl of Kintore, 1.P.M., and to Bro. L. G. Gordon Robbins, I.P. Deputy Master.

At the special complimentary banquet which was afterwards given to Bro. the Earl of Onslow, K.C.M.G., P.G.W. and first W. M. of the Lodge, the toast of the guest of the evening was proposed by Bro. the Earl of Euston, S.G.W., W.M. He Baid they were in the first place to do their duty to the Onslow Lodge, and, in the second place, as the Onslow Lodge, to bid a sort of farewell to Lord Onslow, who was about to go to foreign climes for a brief space of five years. That time would soon go by, and he was certain of one thing, that as Lord Onslow had marked well in the past among them in everything he had gone into, in every office he had held, having been selected to represent her Majesty in the Government of New Zealand, he wou d leave his mark there, and God prosper him in everything he did. In drinking his health and saying good-bye to him, they were simply wishing him God-speed for a brief space, aud he hoped everyone present would bo alive at the end of the term—-five or three years—when Lord Onslow appeared again ia Euglaud ; and when he did reappear, the Onslow Lodge would give him the same hearty welcome as they were now giving him god-speed and good wishes. It was useless to go into further details of the absolute work Lord Onslow had done. The name of the lodge was enough for the brethren to know he was the founder and first Master, and that he had attended to the duties of that lodge and performed them in every way compatible with the services he had to render to his country. If all Masons who had nothing to I do besides their Masonry did half as much as Lord Onslow had done, they would be a much stronger body of men. The Earl of Onslow, in responding to the toast, said he hardly knew what words to use in returning thanks for the honour done to him. He thought the Onslow lodge had already paid him the highest honour a lodg6 could pay to any man—viz , to call it after him. He had always felt a greater pride and a deeper interest in Mark Masonry since they had done him the honour to call the lodge the Onslow Lodge, He felt that they had not exhausted the good feeling and the brotherly love they had shown him j but they had crowned it by that meeting and the banquet that night. He could not say that in undertaking the duties he was about to assume he did so with feelings of unalloyed pleasure. They could readily perceive that there were many ties to be severed, and many matters to be uprooted, but among

them all there was none that he felt more deeply than his temporary severance from his Masonic friends, United Grand Lodge, Grand Mark Lodge, and the Onslow Lodge. After all, it was but for a short period, for a few years passed speedily in this nineteenth oentury. He felt that he was going to undertake something which was exceptionally interesting ; he was gomg out to see a great country—young, strong, and prosperous— a conntiy which combined many diversified and conflicting elements a country which was loyal to the backbone, wbioh honoured the Queen, respected Freemasonry and Grand Lodge, and yet was more democratic even than democratic England, for, with all those curiouß combinations, it was a hater and abhorrer of the great principles of free trade. He thought that the study of all those curious combinations of feelings aud circumstances was one which any one might be proud to take up. He felt; not a little pleased to think that in the government of a great Australasian Colony he should not be far separated from one who had honoured him with far greater distinction than he could pretend to in the Mastership of that lodge—yiz , Lord Kintore—whose absence they all deplored that evening ; but he thought it was an augury for the future of tho empire that there were men who were willing to go away, and leave the pleasure and comforts of civilised life for a few years to see their great cousins on the other side—divorce . themselves from those they loved best for the sake of promoting the welfare and happiuess of the great empire. The brethren, were, no doubt, aware that a considerable change had come over the spirit of Freemasonry in Australasia. It was not very long ago that for tho first time one of the Australasian Colonies proposed to establish a Grand Master and a Grand Lodge of its own, while, with a spirit of Tory democracy, of which they had heard, but in which he could not say he entirely agreed, they believed it would bo for the greatest usefulness of Freemasonry in Australia that they should be self-sustained and cohesive. The M. W.G.M , the Prince oE Wales, who fully appreciated those matters, had not hesitated to declare that a closer union of hearts might be brought about by readily acknowledging the supremacy of the Grand Lodge of South Australia, and he hoped the Grand Lodge of Australasia and New South Wales might be recognised in other colonies of Australasia. He could not help feeling that far away many thousands of miles he might be yet near. After all, many thousands of miles weie not so far separated as people might think. It was not only true that a girdle had been put around the world in 40 minutes, but it was equally true that those - who wished to go out to visit Australasia might do so in a very short space of time, and he only hoped that some of his good friends now around the table might go out while he was there, and he hoped they would call at Government House, Wellington, and if they did he could ensure them a hearty welcome. That which took Captain Cook four years to do could now be done four times in one year. He hoped that little obstacle of 24,000 miles would not be an obstacle in their way. But wherever he might go he had this consolation, that he should always find warm Masonic hearts who were willing to work with him, and to set aside all distinctions and differences in the one bond of Freemasonry. He should not easily forget those words which he had often heard pronounced before, but which he had never heard said so effectively and solemnly as by the W.M. that evening in his final charge, that wherever they might be they would always find among Mark Masons true friends.

NO DISCHARGE. Let it be understood that the saying, -‘Once a Mason,, always a Mason,’ directly implies (1) that there can be no absolute discharge ; (2) that there can be, at best, or at worst, only a partial discharge, by which, while the brother is held to all of his obligations to the Craft, it, in consequence of his unworthy conduct, is released from certain of its obligations to him ; and (3) that there is no honourable discharge for any one of its voluntary army of initiates. The discharge, under any circumstances, is only partial, and is never honourable. Its ‘ threefold cord ’ is not only ‘ not quickly broken,’ but is absolutely unseverable. No one should hastily, carelessly, or thoughtlessly, knock at the portals of Freemasonry, for once within the mystio precincts of its temple, knowledge is imparted which is so pecnliar that it must be for ever retained. Masonry is not transferable. It is a personal trust, from which there is no honourable discharge. It is for ever and for ever.

MASONIC ODE. In slumbers of darkness the universe lay ; The germs of true knowledge reposed in the mind— When order prevail’d, and resplendent as day, The sunbeams of Masonry burst on mankind ; A temple was open’d to brotherly love ; The altar was sprinkled with corn, oil and wine ; Its incense ascended to Heaven above, And Faith, Hope and Charity guarded the shrine ! This temple once enter’d, within all was light ; Once pass’d o’er the threshold, the veil was remov’dAnd man stood majestic when rais’d to the height ; His God he ador’d and his brother he lov’d ! How grand was the motive that urg’d him to kneel, At altars he built}, to humanity dear ! The Widow and Orphan were soon taught to feel That smiles may. succeed to the griefspringing tear. From regions of mom, to tha closing of day ; 1? rom south, to the point where no portal is known. Cemented by love, man of man was the stay, And Masonry held, of tha arch, the key stone i