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Article UNITED GRAND LODGE. ← Page 2 of 3 →
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United Grand Lodge.
matter of the election of the committee would be postponed to the next meeting of Grand Lodge . The amendment having been seconded , Bro . HAVERS rose to make one or two remarks , not so much to discuss the nomination of the committee as to remark upon the difficulty of having a committee at all . It had been his fate to sit as an
arbiter when this very question was raised years ago in a friendly manner , by Bro Barton Wilson and Bro . Henry Muggeridge . Those appointed to the task sat for many months , and the result was nil His opinion was that with all the good will in the world to effect a uniformity of working , it was physically impossible to effect it . That was the
result they arrived at , and it was quite useless to expect any unanimity in a committee composed of 39 members on such a subject . Thc King of Sweden had requested their attention some years since to the Swedish ritual , but they found that though the ancient landmarks were adhered to it would have been impossible for them to adopt the Swedish
The following money grants were carried unanimously : — To the widow of a Bro . of the Royal Oak Lodge , No . 871 , Deptford ... . " . . £ 50 To the widow of a Bro . of the Lodge of Fidelity , No . 269 , Blackburn ... ... ^ 40 To the widow of a Bro . of the Robert Burns Lodge , No . 25 , London ... ... ... £ 30 To a Bro . of the Lodge of Australia Felix , No .
474 , Melbourne , Victoria . £ 50 To the six orphan children of a Bro . of the Union Lodge , No . 129 , Kendal ^ 30 To the widow a Bro . of the St . Andrew ' s Lodge , No . 222 , London ... ... Li ° On the report of the Board of General Purposes
a discussion arose , in which Earl dc Tabley , Bro . Raynham Stewart , Bro . Evans , & c , took part , as to whether the report should be referred back for reconsideration , or whether the consideration of it should be deferred . It was ultimately decided that it should be referred back .
had become engrafted on the question during the inquiry , and thc committee reported on all those matters . Thc committee recommended that the powers ofthe Board of Benevolence be increased ; that when they have formerly given , £ 5 they may give , £ 10 , and that , in cases in which they have hitherto given / io they may be empowered to give
, £ 20 . Secondly , that thc various rules to be followed by different classes of applicants for benevolence may be assimilated . At thc present time , Bro . Clabon said , personal inquiry was only made in town applications ; lie would , however , suggest that a visit to the house be made in all cases . Thc next question was whether the President should be
nominated , as now , toe each meeting , or whether he should be an officer appointed for a year . Thc same question would arise as to the Vice-President . He reminded Grand Lodge also that the board is called by various names—a defect which it was very desirable should be remedied . ( The report being dated as far back as February i 860 , Bro . Clabon
should not be effectual until confirmed . The next motion was to the effect that all petitioners for relief shall be visited at their own residences ; that in thc case of country petitions visits had hitherto been dispensed with , but the present motion provided that they should now be made in the case of country as well as o ( London petitions . The next motion
related to the relief of members of lodges out of England , and provided that in the case of foreign or colonial petitions relief should be extended only for the purpose of returning the petitioner to his native land . Thc next was that the institution be styled thc Lodge and Board of Iiencvolcnce , instead of the Committee and Board of Benevolence : all of which
were carried unanimously . Bro . Clabon said the next point was the appointment of the President and Vice-President , in regard to which he also read extracts from the report of the comniitlee , ; and he urged that it would be far more beneficial if these officers were appointed for a term instead of being nominated for each occasion , as at present . Were
they appointed for a period , they would , by study of the laws and precedents , become expert in the transaction of the business before them . He made no complaint of the way in which those summoned to preside performed their duties , but he was convinced they would have performed them still more
satisfactorily if they had been conversant with the work to be done . By the present arrangements these officers must be summoned from the Grand Officers , but this motion , if carried , would have the effect of throwing thc offices in question open to the whole Craft .
Bro . SAVAGE rose to second Bro . Clabon's motion . The matter , he said , proposed by himself had had very careful consideration by the committee , and came up unanimously recommended . As to the office of Vice-President , his -own ideas had been modified by the committee , but in these
modifications he entirely concurred , for in this case he certainly thought that in thc multitude of councillors there was wisdom . Hespoke from 2 oyears'attendance at the Board of Benevolence , and he could speak to the urbanity and general good qualities of those
appointed to take the office of President of that Committee , but he thought that to carry out the recommendations of the Committee would be to effect a vast improvement . The motion was then put from the throne , and carried .
The M . W . G . M . then called upon Bro . HERVEY , Grand Secretary , for the Grand Lodge accounts , and the same having been read were , upon the motion of Bro . R . W . STEWART , approved and ordered to be entered on the minutes .
The memorial from the Provincial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire , against certain proposed alterations in the rules of the " Royal Masonic Institution for Aged Freemasons and the Widows of Freemasons " was referred to the Committee of that Institution . Bro . J OSHUA NUNN , G . S . B ., rose in reference to the notice of motion he had placed on the paper
viz . : — " That , provided the resolution , proposed by the Committee on the Fund of Benevolence , to replace the last paragraph of No . 6 Fund of Benevolence ( in the Book of Constitutions ) be passed by Grand Lodge , to move' That the form of the certificate required to be sent to
the Lodge of Benevolence with all petitions , ( and . to be signed by the visitor , a member of the lodge , or some other brother , ) be referred back to the said Committee on thc Fund of Benevolence for details and adjustment . ' " He said it was necessary that this should be done , for otherwise thev would not know what they
required of country members . So little was known at present , that it was impossible for them to give suitable relief in some cases . He was sure there were many who would agree with him in this . The motion having been put by the GRAND MASTER , was carried unanimously .
ritual . He thought it wise to defer the question , but warned them that they could not make all mens ' memories alike . The amendment , viz .: " That the question of thc nomination of the committee be deferred until next Grand Lodge , " was put and carried . The report of the Board of Benevolence for the last quarter was taken as read .
Bro . CLABON then rose and said that it would be in the remembrance of Grand Lodge that he had proposed that the surplus of the Fund of Benevolence should be applied for thc purpose of apprenticing the children of theschools ; that thc committee reported favourably upon the scheme ; but that Grand Lodge negatived thc idea . Various matters
read extracts bearing upon thc several matters he was advocating . ) Thc first motion was that the Lodge of Benevolence may order the payment of any sum not exceeding . £ 20 towards relieving distressed brethren ; , £ 10 for thc widow or child of the same , to be increased to , £ 20 in cases of need . But that where more than , £ 10 is paid at once it
Bro . J . RANKIN STEBDING , P . G . D ., then rose and said , that he proposed to occupy Grand Lodge for a few minutes , to take their vote upon an important question . He begged to propose , in the words of the motion that he had placed on the paper : — "That in the opinion of Grand Lodge , no future Grand
Master should hold that oflice for more than five years in succession , unless in the case of a Royal Prince . " It was his desire that the annual election of Grand Master should take place as now . No alteration whatever should occur in the present mode , which had answered extremely well , but that they should
place a limit on thc retention of that office by not allowing it to be held for more than five years by the same Grand Master , however distinguished . This he said was no new notion ; it was but reviving a state of things that formcrlycxistcd , when it was an uncommon occurrence for a Grand Master to hold
office for a longer period than two , three , or four years . It was desirable to associate with Grand Lodge as many distinguished noblemen as possible . In former times they had had thirty-two Grand Masters whose period of office was under two years . This was found extremely beneficial , and they
found that when , in those limes a brother was reelected for four or five years , it was for some special quality . Lord Byron sat for five years as Grand Master ; he was very assiduous in his duties , and that was thc cause of his re-election . It was true that in Scotland such an arrangement was not
found practicable , but they must compare like things with like . They would find that certain peculiarities in Scotland rendered a comparison is this respect between England and Scotland inapplicable . Me thought that the proposed change would hold out inducements to thc Peers of England to Hock round thc Masonic Throne , which he held
must be extremely beneficial to Masonry . lie would put it to brethren present to consider what would be the effect if the rule obtained in private lodges which obtained in Grand Lodge . Whenever the practice of continuous re-election was adopted in private lodges it had the effectof bringing such lodges to decay . The matter was therefore of an importance which demanded that he should
boldly declare his sentiments without being thought to cast reflections upon any one . Their Past Grand Master had been most assiduous and efficient , and he made no complaint , but the complaint he did make was this , that where they had a Grand Master for a quarter of a century they had only the same stream of thought pervading all the
proceedings . What , he would ask , would be the condition of the State if statesmen were all of one opinion ? and what would be the condition of the Church if our bishops were all of the same mind ? ( laughter ) . Take any country , any people , any institution , any profession , and if there is only one description of opinion they did not have a strong
institution , profession , country , or people . He would not detain them longer at that late period of the night ; he cast no reflections on the Past Grand Master or the in-coming Grand Master , of whom nothing could be said too kindly , but he would ask them to vary the statesmen in Masonry , and make Masonry stronger , and if they did so , as it had
flourished in the past , so it would flourish again . Bro . Raynham Stewart ' s notice of motion , "That no brother shall hold the office of Grand Master ( unless he be a Prince of the Blood Royal ) for a longer period than five years , at the end of which lime he shal 1 retire from office for at least one year . " was then spoken to by a brother who held that the
relinquishment of office for one year , after the expiration of five years , would have a most beneficial effect , as it would give the Grand Master a rest which , by that time , he would need . This was found to work well at the Bank of England , where the Directors are obliged to retire for a year after a certain term of service .
Br . BRACKSTONE BAKER reminded the brethren that though this question had been again brought forward , it had been disposed of most effectually ten 5-ears ago . The same resolution was brought forward by Bro . Stebbing in 1 S 60 , when he supported it by the same arguments he had used to-night , but it produced no more effect than he ( Bro . Baker ) expected it would produce now . Only four
hands were then held up in its favour in a very large lodge . He went on to say that if the proposed alterations were effected with regard to the Grand Master , they might as well apply the same rule to the Grand Treasurer , Grand Secretary , & c . He would therefore end with the amendment , that this Grand Lodge declines to entertain the proposed alterations .
This amendment was seconded by a BROTHER , who said , that though ' . here might be some arguments in favour of the motions , those against them were much stronger . He thought that they must be unanimous in their vote . They all knew how the Craft had flourished under the late Grand Master , he thought that the Craft was now in a very
flourishing condition , and he deprecated any change . Why , he would ask , should a Grand Master be precluded from holding the throne for ten years ? They had the power of election . Bro . CLABON said that he shouldhardlyhaverisen , but it happened that he belonged to a society where the proposed method had been in vogue , and it
worked most disastrously . It was argued by a BROTHER , that the adoption of this resolution would limit the future members of Grand Lodge in their decisions . But it would do another thing , it would compel them to re-elect the Grand Master , lie did not mean to say that the resolution pledged them to that course , but if a Grand
Master were not retained in office for the term prescribed , it would imply dissatisfaction . He thought it a remark worthy thc consideration of the lodge , that they were called upon to elect men merely because they were peers of the realm , but because they were meritorious . He thought , therefore , that the amendment should be carried .
EARL DE TABLEY rose and said , that as Peers of the Realm had been alluded to , perhaps he might be allowed to say a few words on the present occasion . Much had been said , and well said , by Bro . Stebbing , as to the period for which the Throne should be occupied . But he ( Earl dc Tabley ) could only say , that it would be a disadvantage to any one ascending the Throne to know that the time was limited as
proposed . What was best for the country and best for Masonry was a strong Government , and therefore he would most cordially vote for the amendment , and trusted it would be supported by the majority . He would like to take , the opinion of the MAV . G Master on the subject . ( Cries of " No , no . " ) The noble Earl resumed his seat after one or two further remarks .
Other brethren rose to address the G . Lodge on this question , but were repeatedly interrupted by cries of " Divide , " Bro . HAVERS then rose , but was assailed in like manner with cries for a division . He said that if
they were all going to vote for thc amendment he would sit down , but if not he claimed the right , which their justice would not refuse , to speak on the subject . He had been so often at their mercy and their indulgence that he did not doubt obtaining tlieir indulgence now , Within three short months
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United Grand Lodge.
matter of the election of the committee would be postponed to the next meeting of Grand Lodge . The amendment having been seconded , Bro . HAVERS rose to make one or two remarks , not so much to discuss the nomination of the committee as to remark upon the difficulty of having a committee at all . It had been his fate to sit as an
arbiter when this very question was raised years ago in a friendly manner , by Bro Barton Wilson and Bro . Henry Muggeridge . Those appointed to the task sat for many months , and the result was nil His opinion was that with all the good will in the world to effect a uniformity of working , it was physically impossible to effect it . That was the
result they arrived at , and it was quite useless to expect any unanimity in a committee composed of 39 members on such a subject . Thc King of Sweden had requested their attention some years since to the Swedish ritual , but they found that though the ancient landmarks were adhered to it would have been impossible for them to adopt the Swedish
The following money grants were carried unanimously : — To the widow of a Bro . of the Royal Oak Lodge , No . 871 , Deptford ... . " . . £ 50 To the widow of a Bro . of the Lodge of Fidelity , No . 269 , Blackburn ... ... ^ 40 To the widow of a Bro . of the Robert Burns Lodge , No . 25 , London ... ... ... £ 30 To a Bro . of the Lodge of Australia Felix , No .
474 , Melbourne , Victoria . £ 50 To the six orphan children of a Bro . of the Union Lodge , No . 129 , Kendal ^ 30 To the widow a Bro . of the St . Andrew ' s Lodge , No . 222 , London ... ... Li ° On the report of the Board of General Purposes
a discussion arose , in which Earl dc Tabley , Bro . Raynham Stewart , Bro . Evans , & c , took part , as to whether the report should be referred back for reconsideration , or whether the consideration of it should be deferred . It was ultimately decided that it should be referred back .
had become engrafted on the question during the inquiry , and thc committee reported on all those matters . Thc committee recommended that the powers ofthe Board of Benevolence be increased ; that when they have formerly given , £ 5 they may give , £ 10 , and that , in cases in which they have hitherto given / io they may be empowered to give
, £ 20 . Secondly , that thc various rules to be followed by different classes of applicants for benevolence may be assimilated . At thc present time , Bro . Clabon said , personal inquiry was only made in town applications ; lie would , however , suggest that a visit to the house be made in all cases . Thc next question was whether the President should be
nominated , as now , toe each meeting , or whether he should be an officer appointed for a year . Thc same question would arise as to the Vice-President . He reminded Grand Lodge also that the board is called by various names—a defect which it was very desirable should be remedied . ( The report being dated as far back as February i 860 , Bro . Clabon
should not be effectual until confirmed . The next motion was to the effect that all petitioners for relief shall be visited at their own residences ; that in thc case of country petitions visits had hitherto been dispensed with , but the present motion provided that they should now be made in the case of country as well as o ( London petitions . The next motion
related to the relief of members of lodges out of England , and provided that in the case of foreign or colonial petitions relief should be extended only for the purpose of returning the petitioner to his native land . Thc next was that the institution be styled thc Lodge and Board of Iiencvolcnce , instead of the Committee and Board of Benevolence : all of which
were carried unanimously . Bro . Clabon said the next point was the appointment of the President and Vice-President , in regard to which he also read extracts from the report of the comniitlee , ; and he urged that it would be far more beneficial if these officers were appointed for a term instead of being nominated for each occasion , as at present . Were
they appointed for a period , they would , by study of the laws and precedents , become expert in the transaction of the business before them . He made no complaint of the way in which those summoned to preside performed their duties , but he was convinced they would have performed them still more
satisfactorily if they had been conversant with the work to be done . By the present arrangements these officers must be summoned from the Grand Officers , but this motion , if carried , would have the effect of throwing thc offices in question open to the whole Craft .
Bro . SAVAGE rose to second Bro . Clabon's motion . The matter , he said , proposed by himself had had very careful consideration by the committee , and came up unanimously recommended . As to the office of Vice-President , his -own ideas had been modified by the committee , but in these
modifications he entirely concurred , for in this case he certainly thought that in thc multitude of councillors there was wisdom . Hespoke from 2 oyears'attendance at the Board of Benevolence , and he could speak to the urbanity and general good qualities of those
appointed to take the office of President of that Committee , but he thought that to carry out the recommendations of the Committee would be to effect a vast improvement . The motion was then put from the throne , and carried .
The M . W . G . M . then called upon Bro . HERVEY , Grand Secretary , for the Grand Lodge accounts , and the same having been read were , upon the motion of Bro . R . W . STEWART , approved and ordered to be entered on the minutes .
The memorial from the Provincial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire , against certain proposed alterations in the rules of the " Royal Masonic Institution for Aged Freemasons and the Widows of Freemasons " was referred to the Committee of that Institution . Bro . J OSHUA NUNN , G . S . B ., rose in reference to the notice of motion he had placed on the paper
viz . : — " That , provided the resolution , proposed by the Committee on the Fund of Benevolence , to replace the last paragraph of No . 6 Fund of Benevolence ( in the Book of Constitutions ) be passed by Grand Lodge , to move' That the form of the certificate required to be sent to
the Lodge of Benevolence with all petitions , ( and . to be signed by the visitor , a member of the lodge , or some other brother , ) be referred back to the said Committee on thc Fund of Benevolence for details and adjustment . ' " He said it was necessary that this should be done , for otherwise thev would not know what they
required of country members . So little was known at present , that it was impossible for them to give suitable relief in some cases . He was sure there were many who would agree with him in this . The motion having been put by the GRAND MASTER , was carried unanimously .
ritual . He thought it wise to defer the question , but warned them that they could not make all mens ' memories alike . The amendment , viz .: " That the question of thc nomination of the committee be deferred until next Grand Lodge , " was put and carried . The report of the Board of Benevolence for the last quarter was taken as read .
Bro . CLABON then rose and said that it would be in the remembrance of Grand Lodge that he had proposed that the surplus of the Fund of Benevolence should be applied for thc purpose of apprenticing the children of theschools ; that thc committee reported favourably upon the scheme ; but that Grand Lodge negatived thc idea . Various matters
read extracts bearing upon thc several matters he was advocating . ) Thc first motion was that the Lodge of Benevolence may order the payment of any sum not exceeding . £ 20 towards relieving distressed brethren ; , £ 10 for thc widow or child of the same , to be increased to , £ 20 in cases of need . But that where more than , £ 10 is paid at once it
Bro . J . RANKIN STEBDING , P . G . D ., then rose and said , that he proposed to occupy Grand Lodge for a few minutes , to take their vote upon an important question . He begged to propose , in the words of the motion that he had placed on the paper : — "That in the opinion of Grand Lodge , no future Grand
Master should hold that oflice for more than five years in succession , unless in the case of a Royal Prince . " It was his desire that the annual election of Grand Master should take place as now . No alteration whatever should occur in the present mode , which had answered extremely well , but that they should
place a limit on thc retention of that office by not allowing it to be held for more than five years by the same Grand Master , however distinguished . This he said was no new notion ; it was but reviving a state of things that formcrlycxistcd , when it was an uncommon occurrence for a Grand Master to hold
office for a longer period than two , three , or four years . It was desirable to associate with Grand Lodge as many distinguished noblemen as possible . In former times they had had thirty-two Grand Masters whose period of office was under two years . This was found extremely beneficial , and they
found that when , in those limes a brother was reelected for four or five years , it was for some special quality . Lord Byron sat for five years as Grand Master ; he was very assiduous in his duties , and that was thc cause of his re-election . It was true that in Scotland such an arrangement was not
found practicable , but they must compare like things with like . They would find that certain peculiarities in Scotland rendered a comparison is this respect between England and Scotland inapplicable . Me thought that the proposed change would hold out inducements to thc Peers of England to Hock round thc Masonic Throne , which he held
must be extremely beneficial to Masonry . lie would put it to brethren present to consider what would be the effect if the rule obtained in private lodges which obtained in Grand Lodge . Whenever the practice of continuous re-election was adopted in private lodges it had the effectof bringing such lodges to decay . The matter was therefore of an importance which demanded that he should
boldly declare his sentiments without being thought to cast reflections upon any one . Their Past Grand Master had been most assiduous and efficient , and he made no complaint , but the complaint he did make was this , that where they had a Grand Master for a quarter of a century they had only the same stream of thought pervading all the
proceedings . What , he would ask , would be the condition of the State if statesmen were all of one opinion ? and what would be the condition of the Church if our bishops were all of the same mind ? ( laughter ) . Take any country , any people , any institution , any profession , and if there is only one description of opinion they did not have a strong
institution , profession , country , or people . He would not detain them longer at that late period of the night ; he cast no reflections on the Past Grand Master or the in-coming Grand Master , of whom nothing could be said too kindly , but he would ask them to vary the statesmen in Masonry , and make Masonry stronger , and if they did so , as it had
flourished in the past , so it would flourish again . Bro . Raynham Stewart ' s notice of motion , "That no brother shall hold the office of Grand Master ( unless he be a Prince of the Blood Royal ) for a longer period than five years , at the end of which lime he shal 1 retire from office for at least one year . " was then spoken to by a brother who held that the
relinquishment of office for one year , after the expiration of five years , would have a most beneficial effect , as it would give the Grand Master a rest which , by that time , he would need . This was found to work well at the Bank of England , where the Directors are obliged to retire for a year after a certain term of service .
Br . BRACKSTONE BAKER reminded the brethren that though this question had been again brought forward , it had been disposed of most effectually ten 5-ears ago . The same resolution was brought forward by Bro . Stebbing in 1 S 60 , when he supported it by the same arguments he had used to-night , but it produced no more effect than he ( Bro . Baker ) expected it would produce now . Only four
hands were then held up in its favour in a very large lodge . He went on to say that if the proposed alterations were effected with regard to the Grand Master , they might as well apply the same rule to the Grand Treasurer , Grand Secretary , & c . He would therefore end with the amendment , that this Grand Lodge declines to entertain the proposed alterations .
This amendment was seconded by a BROTHER , who said , that though ' . here might be some arguments in favour of the motions , those against them were much stronger . He thought that they must be unanimous in their vote . They all knew how the Craft had flourished under the late Grand Master , he thought that the Craft was now in a very
flourishing condition , and he deprecated any change . Why , he would ask , should a Grand Master be precluded from holding the throne for ten years ? They had the power of election . Bro . CLABON said that he shouldhardlyhaverisen , but it happened that he belonged to a society where the proposed method had been in vogue , and it
worked most disastrously . It was argued by a BROTHER , that the adoption of this resolution would limit the future members of Grand Lodge in their decisions . But it would do another thing , it would compel them to re-elect the Grand Master , lie did not mean to say that the resolution pledged them to that course , but if a Grand
Master were not retained in office for the term prescribed , it would imply dissatisfaction . He thought it a remark worthy thc consideration of the lodge , that they were called upon to elect men merely because they were peers of the realm , but because they were meritorious . He thought , therefore , that the amendment should be carried .
EARL DE TABLEY rose and said , that as Peers of the Realm had been alluded to , perhaps he might be allowed to say a few words on the present occasion . Much had been said , and well said , by Bro . Stebbing , as to the period for which the Throne should be occupied . But he ( Earl dc Tabley ) could only say , that it would be a disadvantage to any one ascending the Throne to know that the time was limited as
proposed . What was best for the country and best for Masonry was a strong Government , and therefore he would most cordially vote for the amendment , and trusted it would be supported by the majority . He would like to take , the opinion of the MAV . G Master on the subject . ( Cries of " No , no . " ) The noble Earl resumed his seat after one or two further remarks .
Other brethren rose to address the G . Lodge on this question , but were repeatedly interrupted by cries of " Divide , " Bro . HAVERS then rose , but was assailed in like manner with cries for a division . He said that if
they were all going to vote for thc amendment he would sit down , but if not he claimed the right , which their justice would not refuse , to speak on the subject . He had been so often at their mercy and their indulgence that he did not doubt obtaining tlieir indulgence now , Within three short months