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Provincial
tions . Discussion was a sign of vitality . But he might add that his own opinion was not changed one iota " ^ since he was here last year , as to the management of the Craft , in connection with the Canadian Lodges . It would be an easy task for him to show that every prediction he had made had been miserably but literally carried out . On the other hand , eVery arrangement he had pressed upon the executive had , to the extent to which it had been attended to , averted much evil ,
and if his views had been entirely adopted , would probably have removed the evil altogether . For , in the interval , a great disaster to the Craft bad occurred . These Canadian Lodges which owned allegiance to us twelve months since did so no longer . The old time-honoured connexion between the two countries had been severed for a day and for ever . ( Hear , bear . ) He wished to say nothing to revive latent animosities ; he would rather say , " Let bygones be bygonesi ; let the dead past bury its dead , and let us act in the living present . " There was a wide field out of work cut out for us . There was the discontent alluded to in the
Canadian Lodges . They naturally felt a dissatisfaction at being governed from England . But he thought the future held out a promise of hope . With good feeling and common sense to bear upon them , there was no reason why the affairs of the Canadian Lodges should not be made the subject of a better understanding . ( Cheers . ) He would enumerate some of the advantages which had been secured during the past twelve months . In the first place , a Colonial Board had been established , or had , at all events , come into full play during that period . He believed its operations would be most beneficial . It was at least a guarantee to their
Colonial Brethren that their complaints would have that attention which we were bound to pay them , if we insisted on managing them here . And he would take the opportunity of bearing testimony to the conduct and personal language of the Grand Master throughout these controversies . He was bound to say that the ' proposals which the Grand Master had made were just in themselves , and , late though they were offered to Canada , he thought they might fairly have been accepted . As it was , the smaller province had accepted the propositions of the Most Worshipful Grand Master , and was working satisfactorily . The Grand Master had
resolutely repudiated all the frivolous objections that found favour in some quarters in Grand Lodge , and produced irritation in the colonies . A second reason for the success which had attended recent arrangements was that the Grand Master had acted for himself , with a frank avowal of the error into which he had been led , expressing his regret for what had passed , and his determination to give more reasonable and liberal powers of self-administration to the colonial Lodges . Another favourable change was that which had taken place in the personnel of the offices in London : henceforth efficiency and practical aptitude for business
would be insisted on in the appointments to offices requiring them . A further subject of congratulation and hope was , that Masons had awakened to a more serious sense of duty ; they no longer seemed to think that Masonry consisted in dinnering and banqueting ( hear ) , but they recognized now the principle which affirms that honours and dignity entail correlative responsibilities . The noble earl then adverted to the condition of the country Lodges , maintaining that they were not effectually represented in Grand Lodge . It was a monstrous thing that the control of the GOO lodges of the country should be left , from the accident of their
geographical situation , to the control of a small section . He would add , as a practical suggestion , likely to be attended with advantage to the country Lodges , ' that the votes they were entitled to give should be legally tenderable when written upon a sheet of paper and sent by post , instead of having to be delivered in person by the officers of the Lodge . It would give the country Lodges a much greater share in the central management . ( Hear . ) One advantage had been gained , by the circulation of the " agenda" paper prior to the meeting of Grand
Lodge ; and in other minor details , matters had certainly been placed upon a more satisfactory footing . In providing for the future , however , it must always be borne in mind that no departure was to be sought or sanctioned from those provisions of the Constitutions which all good Masons were bound to reverence and obey . ( Cheers . ) "The health of the Chaplain" ( the Rev . A . Strover ) , was next given from tho chair , and responded to followed by that of " The Committee of Management , "
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Provincial
tions . Discussion was a sign of vitality . But he might add that his own opinion was not changed one iota " ^ since he was here last year , as to the management of the Craft , in connection with the Canadian Lodges . It would be an easy task for him to show that every prediction he had made had been miserably but literally carried out . On the other hand , eVery arrangement he had pressed upon the executive had , to the extent to which it had been attended to , averted much evil ,
and if his views had been entirely adopted , would probably have removed the evil altogether . For , in the interval , a great disaster to the Craft bad occurred . These Canadian Lodges which owned allegiance to us twelve months since did so no longer . The old time-honoured connexion between the two countries had been severed for a day and for ever . ( Hear , bear . ) He wished to say nothing to revive latent animosities ; he would rather say , " Let bygones be bygonesi ; let the dead past bury its dead , and let us act in the living present . " There was a wide field out of work cut out for us . There was the discontent alluded to in the
Canadian Lodges . They naturally felt a dissatisfaction at being governed from England . But he thought the future held out a promise of hope . With good feeling and common sense to bear upon them , there was no reason why the affairs of the Canadian Lodges should not be made the subject of a better understanding . ( Cheers . ) He would enumerate some of the advantages which had been secured during the past twelve months . In the first place , a Colonial Board had been established , or had , at all events , come into full play during that period . He believed its operations would be most beneficial . It was at least a guarantee to their
Colonial Brethren that their complaints would have that attention which we were bound to pay them , if we insisted on managing them here . And he would take the opportunity of bearing testimony to the conduct and personal language of the Grand Master throughout these controversies . He was bound to say that the ' proposals which the Grand Master had made were just in themselves , and , late though they were offered to Canada , he thought they might fairly have been accepted . As it was , the smaller province had accepted the propositions of the Most Worshipful Grand Master , and was working satisfactorily . The Grand Master had
resolutely repudiated all the frivolous objections that found favour in some quarters in Grand Lodge , and produced irritation in the colonies . A second reason for the success which had attended recent arrangements was that the Grand Master had acted for himself , with a frank avowal of the error into which he had been led , expressing his regret for what had passed , and his determination to give more reasonable and liberal powers of self-administration to the colonial Lodges . Another favourable change was that which had taken place in the personnel of the offices in London : henceforth efficiency and practical aptitude for business
would be insisted on in the appointments to offices requiring them . A further subject of congratulation and hope was , that Masons had awakened to a more serious sense of duty ; they no longer seemed to think that Masonry consisted in dinnering and banqueting ( hear ) , but they recognized now the principle which affirms that honours and dignity entail correlative responsibilities . The noble earl then adverted to the condition of the country Lodges , maintaining that they were not effectually represented in Grand Lodge . It was a monstrous thing that the control of the GOO lodges of the country should be left , from the accident of their
geographical situation , to the control of a small section . He would add , as a practical suggestion , likely to be attended with advantage to the country Lodges , ' that the votes they were entitled to give should be legally tenderable when written upon a sheet of paper and sent by post , instead of having to be delivered in person by the officers of the Lodge . It would give the country Lodges a much greater share in the central management . ( Hear . ) One advantage had been gained , by the circulation of the " agenda" paper prior to the meeting of Grand
Lodge ; and in other minor details , matters had certainly been placed upon a more satisfactory footing . In providing for the future , however , it must always be borne in mind that no departure was to be sought or sanctioned from those provisions of the Constitutions which all good Masons were bound to reverence and obey . ( Cheers . ) "The health of the Chaplain" ( the Rev . A . Strover ) , was next given from tho chair , and responded to followed by that of " The Committee of Management , "