Freemasonry In France.

This was indeed a poor reason ; there ought to be a more suitable one . It would be desirable , nevertheless , that one should not seek the most odious . But to support this imputation , gathered in the dirt , and applied to the members of a pretended electoral committeeto support the candidature of Prince Napoleon , it says" These brothers , they tell me , have already divided

, the duties amongst themselves of the future administration ! " This is what is expressed in the information preceding the decree of the 14 th May . But , the person who signed this information and suggested this decree is the first paid functionary—the only one thank heaven—that Erench Masonry lias ! It is this man who has introduced into the Order this

mercenary system of warrants and of revenue which has completely changed its traditional character . He knows that this system inspires an unanimous feeling of repulsion ; that it is the duty of all to seek an end of it , ancl that the deputies interpreting the views of their lodges united in the hi ghest manifestations against it . And it was supposed that if several men

took the initiative , a legal protest against the system would become necessary . It is for personal ambition , for cupidity , ancl to continue to their profit the system after everyone has already condemned it ! But who after himself , would at the price of the nine thousand francs which he receivedaccept the shame

, of such a heritage ! The exam ple of honourable duties , almost glorious when they are given to talent from confidence , to devotion from the respect it inspires , now fallen so low , is made to frighten the boldest ambitions . Happily the office that he fills is not

necessary in every state of affairs . A paid representative has no reason to be in an institution Masonicall y organised . The Mayor of the palace is perhaps indispensable under a lazy King , but why the lazy Kings ? They thought , by these means they lmd RH / IOOPI-WI in their steps to intimidate the assembly ; they had only

augmented the distrusts that the administration inspired . These suspicions manifested themselves from the first sitting . Scarcely reunited , the assembly decided that instead of remitting to the administration , as they had done the previous year , the trouble of examining the powers of the deputiesthis

exami-, nation should be made by a committee chosen from their own body . On the first day , the deputies took the oath betiveen the joined hands of the Grand Master , the examination of the poivers was almost entirely finished , and the work of the committee commenced .

On the second day the committees worked m the morning ; but when at two o ' clock the deputies presented themselves to enter into the room of the sittings , they found affixed to the door a decree of the Grand Master which adjourned for three days—from the 21 st to the 24 th—the renewal of the sitting . What had happened to justify this prorogation ? Nothing , but this , that each one could convince himself that the Grand Master ' going out would not be re-elected . The wishes of the Assembly

had clearly manifested themselves from the first sitting by the vote of suspicion on the question of the examination of the poivers ; since the deputies from the departments could have onl y been informed of the candidature of Prince Napoleon , when his letter of acceptance written in answer to that of the worshipfuls of Parishad come under the of the

, eyes Assembly . But the disaffection was such as regarded the Grand Master , and the dissatisfaction so great about what concerned his representative , that it was evident to all that the moment when a serious candidate was produced , the Assembly would support him with acclamation .

There was only one way for the administration to avert this result—it was to avoid the struggle . Eor this , it was necessary to give the reasons which justified a dissolution of the Masonic Assembly , and an adjournment of the election . B y suspending the sittings for three or four days , they hoped that many of the deputies who had limited the duration of

then- stay in Paris to a week at the most , * would abandon their party and return to their homes , and that they would then be authorised to declare that the Legislative Assembly was not sufficiently numerous to proceed to the election . However this maybe , this measureevidently taken to prevent the

-, spon taneous manifestation of the views of the Assembl y , was not calculated to bring back to the Grand Master the support which the acts of his representative and his own decrees had caused him to lose . Meanwhile an act made itself known which no one had forseen .

The decree which prorogued the sittings of the Assembly from the Monday to the Eriday followingpermitted the committee named for the verifieartion of the powers , to continue the work in the offices . The deputies asked if a decree could cause them to lose—during three days—their powers „ i __ v ^ « . < , - iv , u K - -- Thehr

_ _ y ^ v commssons . conscience and their reason , when asu . cu , . *_ ... j that the rights of the representatives were without the compass of the prescription ; that having been called to elect a Grand Master , and having taken the oaths , they formed by their simple meeting a regularly constituted Assemblyand that nothing

, could hinder them from manifesting their absolute wishes . In consequence , united in their committees , they named , in writing , Prince Napoleon ( Jerome ); the Assembly was united under its senior ; this nomination was confirmed and proclaimed in the usual form .

Let us confine ourselves to recalling that , whilst the election was proceeding in the committees , the representative of the Grand Master brought armed mem into the Masonic Temple to drive the deputies from it , and that , on the next clay , to hinder the confirmation of this electionhe obtained aid from the policeunder

, , the pretext of confusion and agitation , so as to close the room and adjourn of the Assembly to the month . of October . But , in both eases , the intervention of the police could not hinder anything . The first time .