The Lausanne Congress of 1875 was a historic effort of eleven Supreme Councils to review and reform the Grand Constitutions of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite

Scottish Rite

The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry , commonly known as simply the Scottish Rite, is one of several Rites of the worldwide fraternity known as Freemasonry...

of 1786. The Congress took place from 6–22 September 1875 with representation from the Supreme Councils of England (and Wales), Belgium, Cuba, Scotland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Peru, Portugal and the hosting nation, Switzerland. The Scottish representative, who also represented the Supreme Council of Greece, left before the Congress reached its conclusion. On the closing date, nine representatives signed the final Declaration and Treaty.

Although many different aspects were discussed, concerns over the Theistic

Theism

Theism, in the broadest sense, is the belief that at least one deity exists.In a more specific sense, theism refers to a doctrine concerning the nature of a monotheistic God and God's relationship to the universe....

 approach of a belief in a Creative Principle on the one hand and the Deistic

Deism

Deism in religious philosophy is the belief that reason and observation of the natural world, without the need for organized religion, can determine that the universe is the product of an all-powerful creator. According to deists, the creator does not intervene in human affairs or suspend the...

approach of a belief in a Supreme Being on the other took such a precedence as to hinder other proceedings, and it was not until 1877 that through mediation of the Swiss Supreme Council a conciliatory position on the matter was reached.
Largely unknown to Freemasons these days, the Lausanne Congress and the events leading up to it, both on the European mainland and in the United States, as well as developments after its conclusion provide a remarkable insight into the politics of Grand Lodge foreign relations.

External references:-

NOTE: The Bernheim Article & Annexes (3-10) are in French, but are relevant in that they cite extensive correspondence between the English and American Jurisdictions - in English.

1. THE LAUSANNE CONGRESS. 2011. THE LAUSANNE CONGRESS. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/17carvalho.html. [Accessed 10 March 2011].
2. The Politics of Grand Lodge Foreign Relations. 2011. The Politics of Grand Lodge Foreign Relations. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/masonic_foreign_recognitions.html. [Accessed 10 March 2011].
3. Le Convent des Supremes Conseils du Rite Ecossais Ancien et Accepte - Lausanne (6-22 septembre 1875). 2011. Le Convent des Supremes Conseils du Rite Ecossais Ancien et Accepte - Lausanne (6-22 septembre 1875). [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/bernheim_convent01.html. [Accessed 10 March 2011].
4. Le Convent des Supremes Conseils du Rite Ecossais Ancien et Accepte - Lausanne (part 2). 2011. Le Convent des Supremes Conseils du Rite Ecossais Ancien et Accepte - Lausanne (part 2). [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/bernheim_convent02.html. [Accessed 10 March 2011].
5. Le Convent des Supremes Conseils du Rite Ecossais Ancien et Accepte - Lausanne (part 3). 2011. Le Convent des Supremes Conseils du Rite Ecossais Ancien et Accepte - Lausanne (part 3). [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/bernheim_convent03.html. [Accessed 10 March 2011].
6. Annex 1 - Le Convent des Supremes Conseils du Rite Ecossais Ancien et Accepte - Lausanne. 2011. Annex 1 - Le Convent des Supremes Conseils du Rite Ecossais Ancien et Accepte - Lausanne. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/bernheim_convent_annexes01.html. [Accessed 10 March 2011].
7. Annex 2 - Le Convent des Supremes Conseils du Rite Ecossais Ancien et Accepte - Lausanne. 2011. Annex 2 - Le Convent des Supremes Conseils du Rite Ecossais Ancien et Accepte - Lausanne. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/bernheim_convent_annexes02.html. [Accessed 10 March 2011].
8. Annex 3 - Le Convent des Supremes Conseils du Rite Ecossais Ancien et Accepte - Lausanne. 2011. Annex 3 - Le Convent des Supremes Conseils du Rite Ecossais Ancien et Accepte - Lausanne. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/bernheim_convent_annexes03.html. [Accessed 10 March 2011].
9. Annex 4 - Le Convent des Supremes Conseils du Rite Ecossais Ancien et Accepte - Lausanne. 2011. Annex 4 - Le Convent des Supremes Conseils du Rite Ecossais Ancien et Accepte - Lausanne. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/bernheim_convent_annexes04.html. [Accessed 10 March 2011].
10. Note sur la creation des Supremes Conseils d'Irlande, d'Ecosse et d'Angleterre. 2011. Note sur la creation des Supremes Conseils d'Irlande, d'Ecosse et d'Angleterre. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/bernheim_convent_annexes05.html. [Accessed 10 March 2011].