SIR ROBERT STOUT AND FREEMASONRY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9137, 9 June 1891, Page 3

SIR ROBERT STOUT AND FREEMASONRY

In the course of an interview with Sir Robcrl Stout, a representative of this journal broughl

up the question of Sir Hubert's severance of his connection with English Freomasouy, and the position which the Grand Orient held in

this colony. Sir Kobert stated that, so far a3 he was concerned, ho had no objection to give any information ho possessed regarding this subject. What might be termed a new departure had, he said, been taken in Masonic matters during the past two or threo years. Previously to that Masonry had been looked upon as a secret society, and any differences between the members of tho society wero dealt with in the lodge, and not beforo tho public. However, aince the beginning of the agitation for a grand lodgo in New Zealand Masons had made their differences public property. Tho seriousness of ttis mistake was great, for there had been publishod in the press in connection with theso differences intemperate lauguage which was certainly un - Masonic. lie, however, did not wish to refer to that, believing that the brethren who had been guilty of thi3 practice were now heartily ashamed of what they had dona. He was exceedingly vexed that there had been such a split in Masonry, end was afraid that the uuion that had been within measurable distance two years ago was now far from being possible for many years to oome. As he was not now oonneoted with any English or Scottish lodge, he was looking ftt this matter as a mere outsider.. So far as the Grand Orient was concerned, his letter to the Grand Orient had been published, and ho now might say that he had received two short notes from the Grand Secretary's office in London, enclosing the resolutions which had been already published in the Otago Daily Times, removing him from the rank of Past Grand Director of Ceremouies. Hemightsaythatpriortothoreceipt of these letters, and prior to his seeing the exaot form of the resolution that had bean passed, he had resigned his position in the District Grand Lodge and in the Lodge of Dnnedin, not that if he had seen it that would have made any difference in his action, because he believed that Masonry necessitated harmony aoiongst_ itß members, and if this could not be maintained there should be a resignation from the lodge. His remaining in Masonry, indeed, after the ruling of the Grand Lodge in England would have led only to an unnecessary warfare, and he certainly had no desire to enter on anything of tho sort. Reporter: Have you replied to the Grand Secretary's letter ? Sir Robert: Yes; I have written in reply, and have no objection whatever to my reply being published. The reply was as follows :— Duaedin, New Zealand, 3rd June 1891. Bfo. Colonel Shad well H. Clarke. Grand Secretary Uuitod Grand lodge of Bnglaud, Great Queen street, London, W.O. .. Very Worahiplul Sir and Brother, -1 have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your two letters dated respectively the 20th ana the 25th March 189!, and Ilia inolosure ia tho first-named of a printed extract of minutes of proceedings at tho quarterly communication of the Urand Lodge, he'd at Freemasons' Hall, London, on thfl 4th March 18rfl. This extract, gives the resolutiou passed removing me from the rank of Past Assistant Director of Cere"i notice that both your two letters before referred to, as well as your letter of the 4th September 1890, are addressed " Sir and Brother." from which I presume tho the old mode of addressing a Deputy Uistrlot brand Master has been a'tered. You are too good a Maeon to be lacking in any official o-jurtesy 'be Book of Constitutions enjoins. Before I received your two letters and before I heard of any resolutioa having been passed by the Grand Lodge, save one removing me from the rank of Past Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies, I had resigned my position as Deputy District Grand Master of Otago aDd Southland, and as a member of the Lodge of Dunedin, No. 931, B.C. It has bean peculiarly gratifying to me tD learn that my resignations wero received with sincere regret. You may also be interested in heiring that 1 have been the recipient of kind and sympathetic letters from Masons of all consitutions from all over Australia and New Z-aland. It would not surprise ma to hear that at no distant date there wbb what your Grand Lodge terms an invasion of British Masonic territory and that numerous lodges holding under the Grand Orient of Fiance wore opened. In dosing this correspondence with you and your Grand Lodge, I hope I may be pirdoned for making 8 respectful suggestion. English Freemasonry is without doubt, a great sceiel power, and it might be the means of doing an immense good to humanity if it used Its influence to it-form come social evils instead of wasting its energy in a futile attempt to make Masonry sectarian and national. Let mo give an example of what it might do. If tho London nowspapers ara at all truthful, the vice of gambling is prevalent in the highest tocial circles, and even amongst Mnsons of high rank. Gambling is unMaßOnic for it is unfcaternal. It is egotistic, selfish— Masonry ii altruistic, kindly. It drajs every ye-.r hundreds down to the depths of moral and physicil wretchedness. Suppose Kugliah Freemasons neprived all Mnsons who gambled of rank in the Grand Lodge, and threatened to expel them unless they reformed and gave up the evil habit, might not that foul spirit of gambling ba exorcised from English ) social life. Could Masonry onlyj help to do this, would not the world sea and say it was truly a "beautiful system of morality.' Nay, might itnot become what the Grand Orient declares it to be : an institution "essentially phllantliropicil, philosophical, and progressive," having for its objects purßuitof truth, study of mo> a'it.y, aud practice of solidarity, labouring for the moral improvement aud social and intellectual perfecting of humanity. Sincerely hoping that the Grand Lodge of England may soon eater on euch a noble mission,— Believe me to to), very Worßhipful Sir and Brother, fraternally yours, Robert Stout, W.M. of Lodge l'Amour de la Veiito Grand Orient of Wellington, N.Z., and late D.D G.M. 0! Otago and Southland, B.C. Reporter: Whet is the position of tho Grand Orient in New Zealand ? Sir Robert: There ia only one lodgo hero as yet, but there will soon be several, Tha lodge in Wclliogfcon ia in an exceedingly healthy and progressive state. There was what was called an open night when I was in Wellington the other week, and there attended a large number of ladies and gentlemen who are not JJasons. This is a feature of the Grand Orient. An address was given on Frcemrsonry, and a paper wbb read by myself on the motto of "the order, "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity;" showing its relations to t'ac soc'iol and political questions of tho day. There is this featuro about the Grand Orient- that ■;-. <!o?s not object to discuss any question in i.s lodge, social, political, or even religiou?. The ladies and gentlemen who were visitors at the open lodge were, I believe, from thtir expressions, exceeding pleased with the meeting, and I believe that once the peculiar features of lodges connected with the Grand Orient are known, it will be the Masonic body chosen in preference to all the rest. There is a new lodge uuder the Grand Orient being started in Sydney, and I hive bud lettera desiring one to be Btarted in Queensland. This has been entirely brought about by people seeing telegrams in the papers connected with myself, aud steps are also beiDg taken in several districts in New Zealand to start lodges. The Grand Orient is not, however, desirous of starting now lodges, nor of seeing any efforts to do so. It ia only if the thing is desired by Masons that a charter will ba granted. Reporter: Is the Grand Orient recognised by the Masonic bodies- of countries other than Great Britain? Sir Robert: It is recognised by Belgian and alao by Spanish masonry, and- it has fraternal arrangements with Italian, German, and in fact with all continental mssoury. I may add that Belgian and Spanish roasonry is almost identical in its constitution with the French, aud I observe that the New Zealand Grand Lodge allows a representative of the Belgian constitution, snd also elects a representative to attend the Belgian Grand Lodge, but it ignores the French. Thk of course is caused by want of knowledge of what the constitutions are.