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Article NOTES ON AMERICAN FREEMASONRY. ← Page 2 of 4 Article NOTES ON AMERICAN FREEMASONRY. Page 2 of 4 →
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Notes On American Freemasonry.
priate , as that Grand Lodge could fairly claim to be the parent : _ of Freemasonry in the western world . In 1843 , Bethesda Lodge was located at Valparaiso , Chili , South America , and in 1854
a charter was granted . In 1857 , a charter was issued to Hiram Lodge of Copiapo , Chile , and in 1859 to Southern Cross Lodge , Valparaiso . Bethesda Lodge is in a flourishing condition , and the preliminary steps have been taken to form
a new lodge in the same town . In I 860 , the name of the Southern Cross disappears from the records of G . L . The G . M . stated that he had been informed that there is in existence at
Valparaiso aso-called Grand Lodge , which claims all the forms and prerogatives of a Grand Lodge at Chili . If such a body , legitimately established , did exist , then the G . Lodge of Massachusetts has no right to establish subordinate lodges in
that State . The legal existence however , of this Grand Lodge has been denied , and as Copiapo and Bethesda Lodges Avere still upon their registry , it became a matter of some importance to know whether the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts had
the legal right to establish other lodges in that State . It was a subject , the Grand Master said , demanding immediate attention . In 1866 , a dispensation had been granted to certain brethren to form a new lodge at Arica ,
Peru . The lodge had never applied for a charter , the town of Arica having been utterly destroyed by an earthquake . The committee charged by the Grand Lodge to
examine the complaint of the Grand Lodge of Louisiania against the Grand Lodge of France , reported as their conclusions that the pretended Supreme Council of Lousiania , for the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite is a spurious non-Masonic
body , and that no person claiming to have been made a Mason through its authority , has any right to fraternal privileges of Freemasonry . That the Grand Lodge of Louisiania has been wounded and injured in her just and lawful prerogatives and
relations by the decree of the Grand Orient of France , aud that if their conclusions are acceptable to the Grand Lodge , a Mason of this jurisdiction cannot sitin any lodge of the Grand Orient ' s jurisdiction , where any person claiming from | the pretended
Council of Louisiania , is present . They have forborne to recommend the absolute discontinuance of intercourse , as that body have been misled in some important particulars , cherishing the hope
Notes On American Freemasonry.
that she will disclaim the hostility towards blue Masonry in the United States which her attitude evinces .
At the September quarterly communication allusion is again made to what we termed the " Foreign lodges , " the question being raised as to the payment by the members of those lodges of the " capitation tax " levied on all members , under
the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts , to liquidate the debt incurred in building the Masonic Temple , It was recommended that all the foreign lodges should be exempt from such special taxes .
It is an interesting historical fact that the first authority ever issued by a Grand Lodge to open and work a lodge of Freemasons , in the then
comparatively and unknown , but how populous , enterprising , and wealthy state of California emanated from this Grand Lodge in the year 1848 . The committee appointed to inquire into the legality of the Grand Lodge of Chili , stated that
friendly relations had hitherto existed betAveen that body and the lodges in that country , owing allegiance to the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts , and they do not see any reason why they should not continue . The body Avas formed as a Grand Lodge
of the Scottish Rite , and has not nor does it claim to exercise any authority or control over the York Rite or its lodges . It recognises the latter as a co-ordinate independent branch of Freemasonry , and has never interferred with the exercise of its
powers , as such , Avithin the limits of the Chilian Republic . The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite , it may be observed , is almost the only Freemasonry knoAvn in all the South American Republics , in Spain , and in Italy , and it and the French
Rite , or Bit Modeme , in France . In all those countries the authorities confer the first three degrees and create lodges of Blue Masonry . In view of these facts , the committee saw no objection to the granting of a warrant to another lodge in
Valparaiso . The report of the committee was accepted and their recommendations adopted . The death of Bro Tolman , one of the oldest Masons in the State , a member of Grand Lodge was announced . He was one of that vast concourse of the
fraternity , who in 1825 , assembled on the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone of the Bunker Hill monument , the corner stone of which was squared , levelled and plumbed by the M . W . G . M ., the Hon . John Abbott , Gen Lafayette , and Daniel Webster . He was also one of the 6000 Free-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Notes On American Freemasonry.
priate , as that Grand Lodge could fairly claim to be the parent : _ of Freemasonry in the western world . In 1843 , Bethesda Lodge was located at Valparaiso , Chili , South America , and in 1854
a charter was granted . In 1857 , a charter was issued to Hiram Lodge of Copiapo , Chile , and in 1859 to Southern Cross Lodge , Valparaiso . Bethesda Lodge is in a flourishing condition , and the preliminary steps have been taken to form
a new lodge in the same town . In I 860 , the name of the Southern Cross disappears from the records of G . L . The G . M . stated that he had been informed that there is in existence at
Valparaiso aso-called Grand Lodge , which claims all the forms and prerogatives of a Grand Lodge at Chili . If such a body , legitimately established , did exist , then the G . Lodge of Massachusetts has no right to establish subordinate lodges in
that State . The legal existence however , of this Grand Lodge has been denied , and as Copiapo and Bethesda Lodges Avere still upon their registry , it became a matter of some importance to know whether the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts had
the legal right to establish other lodges in that State . It was a subject , the Grand Master said , demanding immediate attention . In 1866 , a dispensation had been granted to certain brethren to form a new lodge at Arica ,
Peru . The lodge had never applied for a charter , the town of Arica having been utterly destroyed by an earthquake . The committee charged by the Grand Lodge to
examine the complaint of the Grand Lodge of Louisiania against the Grand Lodge of France , reported as their conclusions that the pretended Supreme Council of Lousiania , for the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite is a spurious non-Masonic
body , and that no person claiming to have been made a Mason through its authority , has any right to fraternal privileges of Freemasonry . That the Grand Lodge of Louisiania has been wounded and injured in her just and lawful prerogatives and
relations by the decree of the Grand Orient of France , aud that if their conclusions are acceptable to the Grand Lodge , a Mason of this jurisdiction cannot sitin any lodge of the Grand Orient ' s jurisdiction , where any person claiming from | the pretended
Council of Louisiania , is present . They have forborne to recommend the absolute discontinuance of intercourse , as that body have been misled in some important particulars , cherishing the hope
Notes On American Freemasonry.
that she will disclaim the hostility towards blue Masonry in the United States which her attitude evinces .
At the September quarterly communication allusion is again made to what we termed the " Foreign lodges , " the question being raised as to the payment by the members of those lodges of the " capitation tax " levied on all members , under
the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts , to liquidate the debt incurred in building the Masonic Temple , It was recommended that all the foreign lodges should be exempt from such special taxes .
It is an interesting historical fact that the first authority ever issued by a Grand Lodge to open and work a lodge of Freemasons , in the then
comparatively and unknown , but how populous , enterprising , and wealthy state of California emanated from this Grand Lodge in the year 1848 . The committee appointed to inquire into the legality of the Grand Lodge of Chili , stated that
friendly relations had hitherto existed betAveen that body and the lodges in that country , owing allegiance to the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts , and they do not see any reason why they should not continue . The body Avas formed as a Grand Lodge
of the Scottish Rite , and has not nor does it claim to exercise any authority or control over the York Rite or its lodges . It recognises the latter as a co-ordinate independent branch of Freemasonry , and has never interferred with the exercise of its
powers , as such , Avithin the limits of the Chilian Republic . The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite , it may be observed , is almost the only Freemasonry knoAvn in all the South American Republics , in Spain , and in Italy , and it and the French
Rite , or Bit Modeme , in France . In all those countries the authorities confer the first three degrees and create lodges of Blue Masonry . In view of these facts , the committee saw no objection to the granting of a warrant to another lodge in
Valparaiso . The report of the committee was accepted and their recommendations adopted . The death of Bro Tolman , one of the oldest Masons in the State , a member of Grand Lodge was announced . He was one of that vast concourse of the
fraternity , who in 1825 , assembled on the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone of the Bunker Hill monument , the corner stone of which was squared , levelled and plumbed by the M . W . G . M ., the Hon . John Abbott , Gen Lafayette , and Daniel Webster . He was also one of the 6000 Free-