Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
St^
was bound to say that the very Brother who complained had been himself the cause of it , for he made * a speech wliich he ( the M . W . G . M . ) ought to have stopped , and called him to order ; but he had not done so , because he saw that the observations were levelled against himself had he interfered ( bear , hear )—although he knew that Grand Lodge itself would not have blamed him , for the observations of the Brother to whom he alluded
tended to reflect upon his impartiality and fairness ; and however painful and offensive they were to him as Grand Master , they were much more oflensive to Grand Lodge ; He might be to blame for not having stopped the Brother , but lie hoped he had now gi veri Grand Lodge sorne excuse for his being lax in the maintaining of order , and he believed that , had he stopped the Brother > they m ^ have got through all the business on the paper . He confessed he had been very much annoyed at hearing the observations , but he had not thought fit to answer them , especially as anything he had to say in reply , had been
completely anticipated by his noble Brother beside him . But finding himself so much blamed by the Brother to whom he had already referred , and find his observations cheered by a section of Grand Lodge , in which he certainly did not eipect to have heard them cheered ( hear , hear ) , he had sinee taken the pains to sift the subject , in order to ascertain whether he was right or wrong in the decision which he had pronounced upon the point of order ; and his firni conviction was that his interpretation of the rules of order was right and correct , and had he to make the decision again , he should repeat it . He thought it necessary
to make this explanation y and if it were not satisfactory , Grand Lodge had the remedy in its own hands , and could select some one else to be their Grand Master ( Hea , r , hear , and iNu , no ); but solongashehadthehonour of presiding overthem > he should demand their support . If Grand Lodge differed ft omhim ; any Brother might express that difference of opinion openly and manfully ; but if he were to be insulted , he should then ask them to bring forward some one else in his place , who would perform the duties of that chair better than he had done . He had taken
the trouble to put his opinions upon paper , in his own writing , in respect to Bro . Beadon ' s motion , and he should now place it in the hands of the Grand Secretary , to be in future the rule of Grand Lodge . There was only one other subject to which he would refer . Many questions had been asked him , to which , on the spur of the moment , he had without reflection given replies . These answers were , of course , imperfect and hasty , and he therefore begged Grand Lodge to understand that for the future he should refuse to answer all questions of which he had not previously received notice .
Bro . Stebbing said he wished to offer one or two remarks upon what had just fallen from the Grand Master , and would in the outset disclaim any intention , in what he had said the other evening , to show the slightest disrespect to his lordship , As a Mason , he knew the duty which he owed to his Masonic chief , but there were one or two matters on which his lordship was mistaken , or perhaps misinformed . The first was with respect to his ( Bro . Stebbing ' s ) occupying the time of Graud Lodge . He had been asked by friends around him to speak to one or
two motions , but had declined to do so , nor had he on that evening opened his lips before the speech to which the M . W . G . M . alluded , and which was delivered after the time for bringing forward notices of motion , except the few words in which he supported the motion with respect to Bro . Slade , whom he had known all his lifetime . The next matter to which he would refer was this . The very nature of the question which he rose to put would prove that he had no intention to show disrespect to the M . W . G . M . on the throne , for it was an application to him to rule what was order in the conduct of the business of Grand Lodge , by which
ruling he ( Bro . Stebbing ) might be guided—as he knew it would be impartial and fair ; and here he would add ,, that if every Grand Officer on the dais was as impartial and fair , he and those other Brethren with whom he acted , who held no honours and wanted none ( hear , hear , and cheers ) , would have no reason to complain ; on the contrary , they would extend to those honoured Brethren some of the loyalty which they felt towards the Grand Master . But there was a power behind the throne which dictated to it , and that it was which gave dissatisfaction to those who were called the turbulent Brethren . While his lord-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
St^
was bound to say that the very Brother who complained had been himself the cause of it , for he made * a speech wliich he ( the M . W . G . M . ) ought to have stopped , and called him to order ; but he had not done so , because he saw that the observations were levelled against himself had he interfered ( bear , hear )—although he knew that Grand Lodge itself would not have blamed him , for the observations of the Brother to whom he alluded
tended to reflect upon his impartiality and fairness ; and however painful and offensive they were to him as Grand Master , they were much more oflensive to Grand Lodge ; He might be to blame for not having stopped the Brother , but lie hoped he had now gi veri Grand Lodge sorne excuse for his being lax in the maintaining of order , and he believed that , had he stopped the Brother > they m ^ have got through all the business on the paper . He confessed he had been very much annoyed at hearing the observations , but he had not thought fit to answer them , especially as anything he had to say in reply , had been
completely anticipated by his noble Brother beside him . But finding himself so much blamed by the Brother to whom he had already referred , and find his observations cheered by a section of Grand Lodge , in which he certainly did not eipect to have heard them cheered ( hear , hear ) , he had sinee taken the pains to sift the subject , in order to ascertain whether he was right or wrong in the decision which he had pronounced upon the point of order ; and his firni conviction was that his interpretation of the rules of order was right and correct , and had he to make the decision again , he should repeat it . He thought it necessary
to make this explanation y and if it were not satisfactory , Grand Lodge had the remedy in its own hands , and could select some one else to be their Grand Master ( Hea , r , hear , and iNu , no ); but solongashehadthehonour of presiding overthem > he should demand their support . If Grand Lodge differed ft omhim ; any Brother might express that difference of opinion openly and manfully ; but if he were to be insulted , he should then ask them to bring forward some one else in his place , who would perform the duties of that chair better than he had done . He had taken
the trouble to put his opinions upon paper , in his own writing , in respect to Bro . Beadon ' s motion , and he should now place it in the hands of the Grand Secretary , to be in future the rule of Grand Lodge . There was only one other subject to which he would refer . Many questions had been asked him , to which , on the spur of the moment , he had without reflection given replies . These answers were , of course , imperfect and hasty , and he therefore begged Grand Lodge to understand that for the future he should refuse to answer all questions of which he had not previously received notice .
Bro . Stebbing said he wished to offer one or two remarks upon what had just fallen from the Grand Master , and would in the outset disclaim any intention , in what he had said the other evening , to show the slightest disrespect to his lordship , As a Mason , he knew the duty which he owed to his Masonic chief , but there were one or two matters on which his lordship was mistaken , or perhaps misinformed . The first was with respect to his ( Bro . Stebbing ' s ) occupying the time of Graud Lodge . He had been asked by friends around him to speak to one or
two motions , but had declined to do so , nor had he on that evening opened his lips before the speech to which the M . W . G . M . alluded , and which was delivered after the time for bringing forward notices of motion , except the few words in which he supported the motion with respect to Bro . Slade , whom he had known all his lifetime . The next matter to which he would refer was this . The very nature of the question which he rose to put would prove that he had no intention to show disrespect to the M . W . G . M . on the throne , for it was an application to him to rule what was order in the conduct of the business of Grand Lodge , by which
ruling he ( Bro . Stebbing ) might be guided—as he knew it would be impartial and fair ; and here he would add ,, that if every Grand Officer on the dais was as impartial and fair , he and those other Brethren with whom he acted , who held no honours and wanted none ( hear , hear , and cheers ) , would have no reason to complain ; on the contrary , they would extend to those honoured Brethren some of the loyalty which they felt towards the Grand Master . But there was a power behind the throne which dictated to it , and that it was which gave dissatisfaction to those who were called the turbulent Brethren . While his lord-