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Article THE MASONIC MIRROR. ← Page 3 of 4 →
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The Masonic Mirror.
whereby every member has an opportunity of objecting to any one about to be introduced amongst them * The undersigned accidentally hearing that another of these Lodges of Emergency was called for Monday the 23 rd inst . ( to advance candidates who had not been previously proposed or balloted for in open Lodge ) , attended the said meeting as members , as they had an undoubted right to do , and determined to express their objection to such illegal proceedings by every means in their power . On presenting themselves , their presence was objected to ;
and on their not . leaving the Lodge , the P . M . and Officers retired to another room , and at their return , to the astonishment of the undersigned , immediately proceeded to advance six or more candidates , without even balloting for them in open Lodge , nor is it believed that they were balloted for , even by the P . M . and Officers whilst in another room . These proceedings the undersigned conceived to be so grossly illegal , and contrary to all Masonic usage , that they appealed to your lordship , who had then taken the chair and opened the Lodge , And mark this , my Lord ! it was after the proceedings we have enumerated had
taken place , that you opened the Lodge . Your lordship having opened it , we appealed to you , on behalf of ourselves and the absent Members , to interpose your authority against such illegal proceedings , when we- —members of the London Bon Accord Lodge , in which we were advanced , and entitled to all the rights and privileges of membership—were told by P . M . Jones that our , presence was an intrusion ! Upon this we requested to have the byedaws read . They were accordingly read to your lordship , acting asW . M ., when it was shown that they distinctly provide that all members for advancement must be proposed
and balloted for in open Lodge , and that one black ball shall exclude the candidate from advancement ; yet , in defiance of this objection , the said six or more candidates were advanced , the only justification offered being another byedaw , which states that a Committee shall be appointed , consisting of the W . M . and his Officers , who shall meet between the months of May and October to audit the accounts , and for other business . Now , my Lord , every one conversant with the government of a Masonic Lodge perfectly understands what meaning to attach
to the term " other business , " and could not by any chance suppose that the provision could overrule the clause specially providing for a ballot in open Lodge . But , my Lord , what was our further astonishment , when on appealing to you , and having these particular byedaws read , you proposed to put it to the vote whether they had acted legally or not . Put it to the vote ! Who were to vote ? Why the very men , and those only , who had to justify their own illegal conduct . Could it be doubted that those who could act so contrary to all Masonic and other
proper usage would hesitate to vote themselves right ? They did so , eight votes being recorded against four ; the eight voters for themselves , consisting of Bros . Jones , P . M . ; Norton , P . M . ; J . Hervey , a P . G-. Officer ; Cole , J . W . ; Spencer , the I . O ., and another member , —one officer , and one only , Bro . Johnson , to his honour , did not vote at all . Thus they voted themselves right against the four independent members , who , after again protesting against the illegality of the proceedings , left the Lodge .
Such , my Lord and W . M ., is a plain and simple statement of what we conceive to be the grossest piece of illegality ever perpetrated under the name of Masonry . We have the honour and prosperity of the noble Oraft too much at heart to allow such proceedings to pass without seeking redress ; and as they Jiave taken place under the sanction of your lordship ' s name as W . M ., whilst you were in the chair , we appeal , to your sense of justice to have the legality of such proceedings more thoroughly investigated , and not to allow the London Bon ¦ A ccord Lodge to lay under the stigma that must otherwise for ever attach to it .
1 w i c . y ° b l ^ y Lord , as a Prov . G . M .,. whether such a proceeding was ever WM <> f * - ? P ° vince or any other ? and if such were possible , whether the VV and Ofricers would not shortly find the subject brought before the Board <> 1 General Purposes and Grand Lodge ? Unfortunately the Bon Accord Lodge ias no such authority to appeal to . Originally founded , though no doubt uiiknow-, n g y , under an illegal charter , and having been repudiated by the Grand Chapter
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Masonic Mirror.
whereby every member has an opportunity of objecting to any one about to be introduced amongst them * The undersigned accidentally hearing that another of these Lodges of Emergency was called for Monday the 23 rd inst . ( to advance candidates who had not been previously proposed or balloted for in open Lodge ) , attended the said meeting as members , as they had an undoubted right to do , and determined to express their objection to such illegal proceedings by every means in their power . On presenting themselves , their presence was objected to ;
and on their not . leaving the Lodge , the P . M . and Officers retired to another room , and at their return , to the astonishment of the undersigned , immediately proceeded to advance six or more candidates , without even balloting for them in open Lodge , nor is it believed that they were balloted for , even by the P . M . and Officers whilst in another room . These proceedings the undersigned conceived to be so grossly illegal , and contrary to all Masonic usage , that they appealed to your lordship , who had then taken the chair and opened the Lodge , And mark this , my Lord ! it was after the proceedings we have enumerated had
taken place , that you opened the Lodge . Your lordship having opened it , we appealed to you , on behalf of ourselves and the absent Members , to interpose your authority against such illegal proceedings , when we- —members of the London Bon Accord Lodge , in which we were advanced , and entitled to all the rights and privileges of membership—were told by P . M . Jones that our , presence was an intrusion ! Upon this we requested to have the byedaws read . They were accordingly read to your lordship , acting asW . M ., when it was shown that they distinctly provide that all members for advancement must be proposed
and balloted for in open Lodge , and that one black ball shall exclude the candidate from advancement ; yet , in defiance of this objection , the said six or more candidates were advanced , the only justification offered being another byedaw , which states that a Committee shall be appointed , consisting of the W . M . and his Officers , who shall meet between the months of May and October to audit the accounts , and for other business . Now , my Lord , every one conversant with the government of a Masonic Lodge perfectly understands what meaning to attach
to the term " other business , " and could not by any chance suppose that the provision could overrule the clause specially providing for a ballot in open Lodge . But , my Lord , what was our further astonishment , when on appealing to you , and having these particular byedaws read , you proposed to put it to the vote whether they had acted legally or not . Put it to the vote ! Who were to vote ? Why the very men , and those only , who had to justify their own illegal conduct . Could it be doubted that those who could act so contrary to all Masonic and other
proper usage would hesitate to vote themselves right ? They did so , eight votes being recorded against four ; the eight voters for themselves , consisting of Bros . Jones , P . M . ; Norton , P . M . ; J . Hervey , a P . G-. Officer ; Cole , J . W . ; Spencer , the I . O ., and another member , —one officer , and one only , Bro . Johnson , to his honour , did not vote at all . Thus they voted themselves right against the four independent members , who , after again protesting against the illegality of the proceedings , left the Lodge .
Such , my Lord and W . M ., is a plain and simple statement of what we conceive to be the grossest piece of illegality ever perpetrated under the name of Masonry . We have the honour and prosperity of the noble Oraft too much at heart to allow such proceedings to pass without seeking redress ; and as they Jiave taken place under the sanction of your lordship ' s name as W . M ., whilst you were in the chair , we appeal , to your sense of justice to have the legality of such proceedings more thoroughly investigated , and not to allow the London Bon ¦ A ccord Lodge to lay under the stigma that must otherwise for ever attach to it .
1 w i c . y ° b l ^ y Lord , as a Prov . G . M .,. whether such a proceeding was ever WM <> f * - ? P ° vince or any other ? and if such were possible , whether the VV and Ofricers would not shortly find the subject brought before the Board <> 1 General Purposes and Grand Lodge ? Unfortunately the Bon Accord Lodge ias no such authority to appeal to . Originally founded , though no doubt uiiknow-, n g y , under an illegal charter , and having been repudiated by the Grand Chapter