INSTALLATION OF THE PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER OF OTAGO.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 826, 13 August 1864, Page 5

INSTALLATION OF THE PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER OF OTAGO.

Last Thursday will long be remembered as a red-letter day in the Masonic calendar of Otago, owing to its having been selected for the Installation of his Honor the Superintendent—Brother the Hon. John Hyde Harris—as the first Provincial Grand Master of the Province of Otago under the English Constitution: As may well be supposed, this event caused no little stir amongst the craftsmen, who assembled in great force on the occasion. Neither pains nor expense were spared in order to render the ceremony1 complete. The Masonic Hall was tastefully decorated under the skilful superintendence of the Provincial Grand Superintendent of Works (John Millar, Esq., F.5.A..), and it is therefore, almost superfluous to say that j the arrangements were perfect. A handsome new canopy—around the margin of which was inscribed the legend—" Holiness to the Lord " —was erected over the Oriental chair; and the two beautiful pillars in the west "were connected by an appropriate arch bearing an inscription on either side ;—on the outer face, "Ne vile fano" and on the inner — " Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty. Other masonic mottoes, as, " Truth, Love, and Honor," "Faith, Hope, and Charity," were displayed on the walls, which were profusely decorated with evergreens displayed _in wreaths, and a variety of other devices, in • terspersed with draped flags—banners of as universal significance as Masonry , itself. We forbear a fuller description, as the Masonic authorities have opened the hal! for the next few days to such of the outer and popular world as desire to view the now gorgeously decorated temple of the gentle craft.' We may mention, however, that the hall was, for the first time, lighted .with gas, which, we are informed, was supplied gratuitously by the lessee of the gasworks. Upwards of two hundred brethren were present at 5 o'clock, the hour appointed for the commencement of the ceremony, amongst whom were a large number of the most prominent members of society. The Irish constitution was represented by Brother O'Rafferty, Provincial Grand Master for New Zealand, and Brother M l Combe, late D.P.G.M. for Victoria; and the Scottish constitution by the R.W.M. and officers of i the Kilwinning Lodge, A number of visiting brethren from other Lodges were also in attendance. The Commission from the Earl of Zetland, Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England, constituting the Masonic Province of Otago,' and appointing Bro. Harris as first Provincial Grand Master, having been read by Brother ;Forman, P.G.S, the Kegistrar-' Designate, the solemn ceremony of consecration was then proceeded with. Of course, we are not at liberty to withdraw ROOMS OF

the veil which conceals the masonic mysteries from the eyes of the uninitiated, but we may mention that the corn, wine and oil Avere poured forth with suitable invocations by the Worshipful Masters of the respective Lodges hailing under the English constitution. This portion of the ceremony, as also the installation of the P.G.M., and the investiture of the other officers, was conducted by Brother John Lazar, P.P.D.G.M. for the Province of South Australia—a name as well and honorably known in the masonic world as we may truthfully assert it is to society at large. To say that it was well performed is but feebly to express the very excellent and faultless manner — perfect beyond all praise—in which Bro. Lazar discharged the important duties entrusted to him. • . Brother Harris having been duly obligated and installed as Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master, invested Brother Lazar as Deputy Provincial Grand Master. The brethren having been called upon to elect a Treasurer their unanimous choice fell on Brother W. Mills, S.W. of the Lodge of Otago. Brother Lazar then completed the ceremony of investiture as follows: — Provincial Grand ■ ■ I Senior Warden Bro. Sydney James, W.M. Lodge of otago. Provincial Grand I Junior Warden Bro. E. Nathan, W.M. Lodge of Dunedin. Provincial Grand Chaplain .... Bro/Oswin. Provincial Grand , Secretary Bro. Carrick, P.M. Provincial Grand Treasurer .... Bro. W. Mills. Provincial Grand Kegistrar .... Bro. 11. H. Forman, P.M. Provincial Grand Senior Deacon Bro. Geo. Smifch, P.M. Provincial Grand Junior Deacon Bro. C. Webb, P.M. Provincial Grand Director of Geremonies ...... Bro. Hyman, P.P.D.C. Provincial Grand {Superintendent of Works .... Bro. J. Millar, F.S.A. Provincial Grand Organist Bro. West. Provincial Grand Pursuivant.... Bro. Joyce, W.M. Port Chalmers Marine Lodge., Provincial Grand Tyler ..... .... Bro. W. Low. 'Provincial Grand Stewards .... Bro3, Daniels, P.M., Barton, Mos«, P. M., Hodgkins, M'Leod, and Shoi). Brother Hyman officiated throughout as Director of Ceremonies, displaying great skill and tact in the administration of his onerous duties. Brother West presided at the harmonium, assisted by a most efficient choh', whose united services greatly enhanced the beauty of the ceremonies. The following is a copy of the masonic anthem adopted for the occasion : MASONIC ANTHEM. Thou! who art God alone, Accept before thy throne , . Our fervent prayer! To fill with light and grace This house thy dwelling-plac?, And bless thy chosen race, 0 God draw near! ■As through the XJniwrfe All Nature'? works diverse Thy praise accord; Let Faith upon us shine, And Charity combine With. Hope to make us thine, Jehovah! Lord! Spirit of Truth antf Love! Descending from above. Our hearts inflame ; •Till Masonry's control Shall build in one the whole A Temple of the Soul To tby great name! At the conclusion of the ceremony several notices of motion were given, and a vote of thanks to the Provincial Grand Lodge of Canterbury for the assistance rendered by the loan of clothing, &c, was recorded, the fraternity adjourned to the Music Hall, in Princes street, when 154 brethren sat down to a sumptuous banquet provided by Brother John Grey, and a more jovial but withal orderly and harmonious company never assembled in Otago. Ample justice having been done to the viands, the waiters, were summarily consigned to the outer regions, and the business of the evening commenced. Our limits forbid us to do more than give a brief resume of the speeches, but we may say, once for all, that they were excellent in their way, beyond the ordinary run of post-prandial orations; At the first knock of the gavel, the R.W.P G.M., who ably presided, gave the toast always placed at the head of every masonic programme—" The Queen and Craft." . n This was followed by that of his1 Grace the Earl of Zetland, M.W.G.M., Earl de Grey and Ripon, D.G.M., and the officers of the Grand Lodge of England. In giving this toast the P.G.M. remarked that the various sections of Freemasonry, in England, Scotland, and Ireland had always been particularly fortunate in being presided over by men of character, reputation, arid elevated position, to which circumstance, rib less than to the inherent excellencies of Masonry itself, he attributed the proud position bepupied by British Masons/: and their avoidance of dangerous and destructive innovations. The P.G.M. again rose to propose the next toast, which was that of the Duke of Leinster, Grand Master of Ireland/who, he believed, occupied the position of being the only Irish Duke extant, and of having been Grand Master of Ireland for nearly half a century—a circumstance unparalelled in the annals of Masonry. " The Grand Master of Scotland" came next, Brother Harris saying that the Scottish Constitution had recently suffered a severe loss by the death of the Duke of Athol, a nobleman whose private virtues had endeared him lo all, and whose attachment to Masonry was more than ordinarily great. As it was not yet known who had been elected as his successor', he could not name him, but they; might drink the toast with confidence, for no doubt their Scottish brethren would be careful to fill the Grand Chair with a worthy and efficient brother. The P.G.M. then called upon the'bretnren to drink the health of His Excellency Brother Sir George Grey. Without trenching upon political questions— j for the discussion of which a masonic meeting was especially unsuitable — he might yet venture to say that Sir M'LANDRESS,

George Grey had greatly the interests oi Otago-at-heart. "During his (Brother Harris's) recent visit to Auckland bir George Grey had repeatedly expressed this feeling, and had told him how disappointed he was at not having been able to spare time, from the pressing duties attendant on the Maori War, to visit this Province. However, he, Sir George Grey, had promised to come to Dunedin shortly, probably about December, making such arrangements as would enable him to make a tour of the gold fields, and to be here on the First of January to opeu the Exhibition of 1865. (This announcement was received with loud and continuous masonic cheering.) D.P.&.M. Brother Lazar then requested all present to pledge the Pro. Grand Master for Otago. He said that it was quite unnecessary for him to enlarge upon the various qualifications which had won for Brother Harris the respect of the* entire community amongst whom he had so long lived and moved. A better choice of a Provincial Grand Master could not have been made, and he felt assured that j he would.not only adorn that high office, but would also adequately discharge the very important duties appertaining thereto. He especially referred to the formation of a fund of benevolence, of which notice had that evening been given—a fund which would enable them practically to carry into effect the principles of their profession as Masons. He (the speaker) had been instrumental in originating such a fund in j South Australia, which had been the means of rendering timely assistance to many poor and distressed brethren. He concluded by calling upon them to drink the health of Brother Harris in full bumpers. ! The R.W.P.G.M. responded in a speech (" full of truly masonic feeling, in which he i pledged himself to perform the duties he had that night undertaken, to the best of his skill and ability. The R.W.P.G.M, then proposed the health of the D.P.G.M. for Otago, Brother Lazar. In selecting his officers he had, to | the very best of his ability, exercised the discretion vested in him. Probably somebrethren might consider that better choice ' could have been made in some instances. But, however that might be, he was sure one and all would agree that, whether as I regarded ability or high standing in the . craft, no better officer than Brother Lazar ccuid have been found for the office of Deputy Provincial Grand Master. No doubt if Brother Lazar had not been in Otago he (Brother Harris) would have . been able to have found an equally skilful brother capable of that office i amongst the numerous experienced j brethren in Otago. But since he ! was here, his former position as D.P.G.M. for South Australia, no less than his private character, which was held in hiiih esteem in the colony he had quitted, and which, so far as he was able to judge, was perfectly irreproachable, together with the many proofs which he had given of his ability as .a Mason, eminently qualified him for the office. Brother Lazar replied: He scarcely knew how to thank them adequately for I the high honor conferred upon him, and 1 the kindly manner in which they had received and responded to the toast. He was pleased to see Masonry so flourishing in Otago, where there were, he believed, upwards of 500 Masons enrolled as members of the various Lodges. Now, they had a Provincial Grand Lodge, no doubt they would flourish yet .more, as many of the difficulties which had previously beset Masonic progress would be removed. " The Provincial Grand Master of New Zealand under the Irish constitution," was proposed by the P.G.M., and responded to by Brother O'Rafferty. Brother Vincent Pyke, R.W.M. of the Kilwinning Lodge, S.C., rose to propose the "Provincial Grand Officers." Amongst such a galaxy of talent he knew not where to begin. The Provincial Grand Senior Warden was a tall and erect column of Masonry, and the P.G. Junior Warden was a very pillar of strength, whilst the P.G. Registrar was a host in himself. The Director, of Ceremonies showed such an aptitude for his office that he seemed to have been born a Director of Ceremonies. And so of all. Tne Stewards alone constituted a Masonic phalanx, and one of them at least1 proved 'that Masonry was a fixture in Otago,_ since it had gathered Moss. The Scottish Constitution, to which he belonged, would, he hoped soon have a Provincial Grand Lodge of their own, and he rather envied the start which their English brethren had obtained. But envy should be changed into emulation, and the two constitutions would, he wa3 assured, work together shoulder to shoulder for the common good of Masonry, as they had ever done in Otago hitherto. He would request them to follow up the toast with a good old Scottish fire, for which purpose Brother P.M. Mills would, if permitted, act for the nonce as Director of Ceremonies. This request having been acceded to, Brother P.M. Milla led off the Scottish firing, which was given with considerable enthusiasm and no little joviality. P.G.J-D. Brother P.M. Webb replied for the Provincial Grand Officers. The following toasts then followed, in rapid succession:— "The Lodge of Otago"—-propised by Brother P.M. Strelitz, who spoke in terms of high eulogy of the excellent manner in which the Lodge was worked. Replied to by P.G.S.W. Brother James,W.M. " The Lodge of Dunedin"—proposed by P.G. Sec. Brother Carrick, who said, that having been the W.M. of the Lodge of Otago at the time the Lodge of Dunedin was formed, he was sure the members regarded it not in the light of a secession from the older Lodge, but rather as an extension of Masonry. t Replied to by the P.G. J. W. Brother Nathan, W.M., in a brief but very forcible speech. "The Port Chalmers Marine Lodge," proposed by P.G. Registrar Brother P.M. Porman, who drew attention to the fact that whilst the Masons of Dunedin under the English constitution, although such a numerous body, were still without a hall, ' the lodge of Port Chalmers had erected a I large and commodious building in which HEPEUEN, AND Co.

to hold their meetings. He hoped soon to see in Dunedin a Masonic Hall worthy of the craft and of the position which its members occupied. The P.G. Pursuivant Brother Joyce, W.M., responded in an exceedingly neat speech. He hoped that Brotherly Love, Belief and Truth would ever continue to prevail amongst them. The P.G.M. observed that an omission had quite unintentionally been made in the programme. When he was at Queenstown, he found that although the brotherhood there had not then been able to obtain a charter in consequence of the absence of a Provincial Grand Lodge, they had nevertheless purchased a freehold site, and erected thereon a stone hall, and were now nearly out of debt. He called on the brethren to toast the youngest Lodge in. the Province—" The Lake Lodge of Ophir." Brother P.M. Williamson replied on behalf of the Queenstown brethren. P.G. Steward, Brother P.M. Moss, proposed the " Otago Kilwinning Lodge," passing a high encomium on P.M. Brother James Mills, who threw his accustomed fervor into his masonic duties. He was glad to find that the government of the Lodge was still in able hands—those of Brother Vincent Pyke. Brother Pyke, R.W.M., responded. The circumstance of an Englishman presiding over a Scotch Lodge was accounted for by the fact that Masonry knew neither clime nor country, creed nor color, but was as universal and as beneficent as the blessed 1 light of day. "The Past Masters of the various Lodges" was proposed by the D.P.G.M., and replied to by the P.G.S.D. Brother George Smith, PM., who said he was sorry to see so many chairs at present filled by Past Masters. Young Masons should profit by the opportunities offered to them by the Lodge of Instruction, and qualify for the Master's chair. "The P.G. Director of Ceremonies ani Stewards" was given by Brother.P.M. ! Mills, and the P.G.D.C. Brother Hyman, responded. " The P.G. Superintendent of Works" was proposed by P.G.R. Brother P.M. Forman. The P.G.S. Brother Miller,. who appeared to be laboring under severe indisposition, replied in a speech combini ingr humor with gpod sense. 1 " The Visiting Brethren," given by P.G.S. Brother P.M. Daniels, was responded to by Brother P.M. Williamson. Then the R.W.P.G.M. called upon the . assembled Brethren to drink in. solema silence the final toast in the Masonic repertoire—" To all poor and distressed > Masons." This being the.end of the programme, Burns' farewell to the Tarboltort Lodge was sung, and the Brethren separated after spending such a pleasant evening as but rarely occurs, either within or without the Masonic circle. Comical Cogs.—ln the life of that remarkable man, Samuel Drew, of Cornwall, an amusing account is given of two dogs belonging to hi 3 family. He states: "'Our dairy was under a room which was used as a barn, into which the fowls found tneir way, and, in scratching amongp the chaff, scatteied dust on the pans below, to the grdat annoyance of my mother-in-law. In this a favourite cock of hers was the chief transgressor. One day in harvest, she went iDto the dairy, followed by her little dog;.and, finding1 dust apram on the milk-pans, she exclaimed ' I wish that cock was dean!' Not lodjt after, she being with us in the harvest field, we observed the little dog dragging along the cock just killed, which, with, an air of triumph, he laid at my mother-in-law's feet. She was dreadfully exasperated at the literal fulfilment of her hastily-uttered wish, and, • snatching a stick from the hedge, attempted to give the dog a beating. The dog, seeing the reception he was likely to meet with, where he evidently expectel marks of approbation, left the bird, ani ran off—she brandishing the.. stick, and saying in a loud and angry tone, " I'll pay thee for this by-and-by !'* In the evening she was about to put her .threat into execution, when she found the little dog established in a corner of. the room, and the large rlosr standing over it. Endeavouring to fulfil her intention, by first driving off the -large dog, he g'tve her plainly to understand that he was not at all disposed to relinquish his post. She then sought: to get at the small dog behind the other; but the threatening gesture and fierce growl of the large one apparently proclaimed, • Touch him if you dare,' and sufficiently indicated that the attempt would not be a little peril,us. The result was that she abandoned" her design." From Our Dumb Companions ; by the Itev. 11.I1. Jackson, M.A. A public meeting has b;en held at the Me-, chanios' Institute, Melbourne, for the purpose of considtring a scheme recently promu'gated for ounding a settleineut at Camden Harbour, in. north-west Australia. About a hundred persons were p'esent. The Hon. J. P. Fawkner, Tfi.L.C, presided, and, in opening the prceedings, expressed his gratification that the colony, when, only'twenty-nine years old, should be in a position, to throw off a swarm which might be the means of populating the north-western portions of the conti-ient. It was another illustration of the nobly adventurous spirit of the British people. Mr William Harvey, the convener of the meeting, then read extracts from "the report of Mr F. K. Painter (published in a recent number of tne Argus), and from the reports of Mr A. C. Gregory and others, as to the country proposed tojje occupied. He likewise submitted a code of raTcs>for the Government of a " Camden Hafbor Pastoral Association," and afterwards answered questions put, to hsm by persons present. From the statements made, it appears that Mr Harvey holds an authority from the Government ot Western Australia to proceed to the north district of that colony and depasture stock, and that on. proof of the stock being depastured a lease tor a, certain extent of country will be granted. It 13 1 i on the strength of this authority that the association will be formed. The land to be taken up is 1 all around Camden Harbor, but not withm two miles of the coast. It is proposed that the first; batch of settlers shall sail from Melbourne not later than the 15th December, and that they shalL call at Perth for a resident magistrate. Mr Harvey stated that Camden Harbor is about 280 miles south-west from the site of the settlement expected to be made by the South Australians on the Victoria River, and about the same distance froni the nearest sheep station in Western Australia. He also stated that two or three .other persons held similar authority to that which had been granted him by the West Australian Government, arid that whoever reached the country first would have priorityin the matter of selection, but that no leases whatever had yet been issued. The chairman observed that this was a risk which had to be encountered in the settlement of any new country. "When he came to Victoria, in 1855, he found Batman before him, and Batman wantsd him to " move off," but this, of course, helt&isedto do. A resolution adopting the rules -was. passed; but it will be opeu for the members of; the association, at their first meeting, to makesuch alterations \a the rules as they may think proper. ; .MANSE STREET. J