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Article COREESPOTOENG ← Page 2 of 2
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Coreespotoeng
of Grand Lodge , in March last , and have attentively perused your able article thereon . In the sentiments expressed in that article I most cordially concur , and in none niore fully than in the concluding paragraph . I do think that the Masons in the colonies will feel that the decision of
the Grand Lodge was prematurely arrived at , and that upon an ex-parte statement . The R . W . I ) . Grand Master did certainly put the conduct of the Hobart Town Brethren in the worst possible light , and did not give the Brethren present the opportunity of judging for themselves , whether the facts warranted the construction put upon them by him , or whether the evidence on both sides was of such a nature as to lead them to the conclusion that the conduct of the Brethren complained of was tvUfully contumacious , or merely an error in judgment .
I must also deg to differ from the R . W . D . Grand Master in his surmise that Bro . Toby ever sought or wished for the appointment of Prov . Grand Master except in the case of a division of Tasmania into nortli and south provinces—in which case he would have been unquestionably the most eligible person for the office of Prov . Grand Master in the southern province .
I cannot forbear to remark also , in addition to what you have written on the subject , that the appointment of Bro . Ewing as Prov . Grand Master did not give universal satisfaction in the neighbouring colonies , nor was he considered as one of undoubted fitness by many high and worthy Brethren who had every opportunity and means of judging . Again , it appears to me that , in addition to the hasty decision given on this important subject , the extenuating circumstances of the case were not
sufficiently brought forward or noticed . One in particular would , I believe , have inclined many Brethren to a milder and more lenient view of the conduct of our Brethren so far away from the Grand Lodge , and who are often compelled to act on their own judgment , because no reliable advice can be obtained until the time for acting on it has passed . I mean , that when these unfortunate differences arose , the Hobart Town Brethren
sought the best advice and assistance within their reach , viz ., that of some of the many able working Masons and an experienced English Past Master in the colony of Victoria , who , after due consideration and perusal of the correspondence , and with the advantage of local knowledge , agreed with them in thinking the conduct of the Prov . Grand Master arbitrary and un-Masonic .
I do earnestly hope that , remembering the disadvantages under which our erring Brethren laboured , every Brother who can will attend the Grand Lodge when the time conies , and with charity and in brotherly love oppose the confirmation of the minutes , so that , by the means you have proposed our Brethren may be convinced of their error , return to their allegiance'to the Grand Lod & -e , and for the future conduct their Lodi > e in harmony and peace , instead of being driven by the harsher course to work under some other constitution . If this should happily be accomplished , the result will be hailed with gladness by the neighbouring colonies , and by none more than , Yours fraternally , ll ) th April , i 860 . A Colonial Mason ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Coreespotoeng
of Grand Lodge , in March last , and have attentively perused your able article thereon . In the sentiments expressed in that article I most cordially concur , and in none niore fully than in the concluding paragraph . I do think that the Masons in the colonies will feel that the decision of
the Grand Lodge was prematurely arrived at , and that upon an ex-parte statement . The R . W . I ) . Grand Master did certainly put the conduct of the Hobart Town Brethren in the worst possible light , and did not give the Brethren present the opportunity of judging for themselves , whether the facts warranted the construction put upon them by him , or whether the evidence on both sides was of such a nature as to lead them to the conclusion that the conduct of the Brethren complained of was tvUfully contumacious , or merely an error in judgment .
I must also deg to differ from the R . W . D . Grand Master in his surmise that Bro . Toby ever sought or wished for the appointment of Prov . Grand Master except in the case of a division of Tasmania into nortli and south provinces—in which case he would have been unquestionably the most eligible person for the office of Prov . Grand Master in the southern province .
I cannot forbear to remark also , in addition to what you have written on the subject , that the appointment of Bro . Ewing as Prov . Grand Master did not give universal satisfaction in the neighbouring colonies , nor was he considered as one of undoubted fitness by many high and worthy Brethren who had every opportunity and means of judging . Again , it appears to me that , in addition to the hasty decision given on this important subject , the extenuating circumstances of the case were not
sufficiently brought forward or noticed . One in particular would , I believe , have inclined many Brethren to a milder and more lenient view of the conduct of our Brethren so far away from the Grand Lodge , and who are often compelled to act on their own judgment , because no reliable advice can be obtained until the time for acting on it has passed . I mean , that when these unfortunate differences arose , the Hobart Town Brethren
sought the best advice and assistance within their reach , viz ., that of some of the many able working Masons and an experienced English Past Master in the colony of Victoria , who , after due consideration and perusal of the correspondence , and with the advantage of local knowledge , agreed with them in thinking the conduct of the Prov . Grand Master arbitrary and un-Masonic .
I do earnestly hope that , remembering the disadvantages under which our erring Brethren laboured , every Brother who can will attend the Grand Lodge when the time conies , and with charity and in brotherly love oppose the confirmation of the minutes , so that , by the means you have proposed our Brethren may be convinced of their error , return to their allegiance'to the Grand Lod & -e , and for the future conduct their Lodi > e in harmony and peace , instead of being driven by the harsher course to work under some other constitution . If this should happily be accomplished , the result will be hailed with gladness by the neighbouring colonies , and by none more than , Yours fraternally , ll ) th April , i 860 . A Colonial Mason ,