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  • April 2, 1881
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  • THE QUESTION OF JURISDICTION.
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The Question Of Jurisdiction.

THE QUESTION OF JURISDICTION .

A SERIOUS dispute appears to have arisen between the Grand Lodges of New York and Connecticut over a question of which , -with every desire in the world to regard it seriously , we cannot bring ourselves to speak

with aught but a feeling of contempt . It may possibly occur to some of our readers that the word " contempt " is un-Masonic in its character , bnt after making every allowance for sectional and fraternal differences , we can

arrive at no other conclusion than that , in the squabble which has occurred between the two jurisdictions of New Tork and Connecticut , the conduct of the former has been supremely absurd . We are , of course , indebted for such information as wo possess to American sources , and our

arguments , therefore , depend , in chief measure , for their value on the accuracy of that information . However , we may take it for granted that those of our exchanges which treat of tbe subject , and the Grand Lodge of Connecticut itself , which has passed a very sensible resolution on the

matter , are in possession of the circumstances . "We do not hesitate , therefore , to make what they have said the basis of our argument . We must premise that the cause of the squabble between New York and Connecticut is absolutely ridiculous ,

especiall y when it is borne in mind that these Grand Lodges are presumed to consist of men of common sense , if not of men who have more than the average share of enlightenment . They are , moreover , presumably actuated by the most kindly and fraternal feelings for each other . Thus , the wonder is that , even under the most afflictinsr

circumstances , anything like a sense of discussion between two fraternal bodies should have sprung into being . However , there exists this unfraternal discord , and , albeit there are not far short of 100 , 000 Masons in the two States of New York and Connecticut , four-fifths of whom belong

to the former , and the remaining fifth to the latter , it has now been decided by the Grand Lodge of New York , that the Masons within its jurisdiction must under no circumstances hold any intercourse whatever with those in the neighbouring State . True it may be they are brothers in

name , and the creed that is enjoined on them may be summed up in the clear and concise injunction to " love one another . " But somehow it frequently happens that the theory and practice of Freemasonry are at loggerheads with each other . Theory says , Do everything that is

reasonable and kind , while Practice retorts—bluntly enoug h—Stand not upon the order of your doing , bufc do whatever may seem best to you without vouchsafing a single thought to what is sincerely Masonic . To have made this admission has necessarily given us some pain , out in

the interests of truth we are under the necessity of pointing out that this divergence in practice from an accepted theory is quite as commonly to be met with in Masonry as in other societies . tsut , after allthe question of jurisdiction is that which

, claims our present attention , and not whether Masonic HJdividuals or communities are actuated towards each f £ I by fraterrml spirit . This question it is which is at tne bottom of the differences between New York and

Connecticut . The disagreement arose in manner following : — Certain Masons residing in Connecticut , but being members °£ a New York Lodge , petitioned the Grand Lodge of the ormer State for a charter for a new Lodge , and , we relieve , the petition was granted . On tho strength of this

The Question Of Jurisdiction.

most monstrous violation of a law , which has no real existence , the Grand Lodge of New York has passed a resolution which strictly prohibits all intercourse between the members which owe it allegiance and those who are under the sway of tho Grand Lodge of Connecticut .

Anathema Maranatha is the very mildest of the pains and penalties to which any one who should violate this resolution will be subjected . Thus , Masonic communication is absolutely forbidden between the brethren of Connecticut and New York , and the reason is that certain members of a

New York Lodge , who reside however in Connecticut , petitioned the Grand Lodge of the latter . Let us endeavour to imagine how it wonld be if the Grand Master of England passed sentence of excommunication on the brethren of tho Province of Sussex because some members

of a London Lodge residing in Brighton petitioned in the first instance the P . G . M . of Sussex for a warrant for a new Lodge to be held in Brighton . Our readers , of course , will understand that in presenting this imaginary case , we are not seriously contemplating the idea that any P . G . M .

has power to issue warrants on his own authority . We have merely suggested such a case in order to show how flimsy is the matter which has succeeded in establishing a dissension between the brethren of two contiguous States such as are New York and Connecticut .

We are not prepared to say the Grand Lodge of New York are not , in the circumstances , justified in the course they have pursued . It may have been an act of the greatest enormity on the part of the offending brethren , who are members of a new York Lodge but reside in

Connecticut , to have petitioned the Grand Lodge of the latter State instead of that of the former ; but what have the 80 , 000 New York brethren and the 15 , 000 or 20 , 000 brethren—minus the petitioners—of the adjoining State done that they also should be debarred from enjoying the

innocent pleasure of cultivating fraternal relations among themselves , whenever an opportunity of so doing presented itself . The beadle of the parish , when arrayed in all the glory of his parochial uniform , is a public personage inferior as regards importance only to the sovereign ruler of

a State or his Prime Minister ; but even the beadle of a parish would hardly venture on the task of excommunicating the whole of his fellow parishioners and the people of an adjoining parish , because two or three vulgar little

boys were one day rude enough to jump upon his favourite corn . We leave our friends to judge if New York , by its sentence of excommunication against Connecticut Masons , has added one iota to its true dignity .

But if the conduct of New York has been undignified , the same cannot be said of the Grand Lodge of Connecticut . The Grand Master of the latter in his customary address at the annual Communication held early in the present year is reported to have said , " by this severe ,

and as we believe , unjust edict , 70 , 000 Masons in New York and 15 , 000 in Connecticut , among whom have ever existed the most friendly and fraternal relations are thus placed at a perpetual distance , ancl the great work for ancient fraternity sadly infused .... By ifc , for a

mere difference of opinion on a question of Masonic Law , nnd without even a pretence of discourtesy towards our sister Grand Lodge , we are placed under the same ban by the Grand Lodge of New York as the Grand Orient of France ,

which has struck out the most vital landmark of Freemasonry , and ns the Grand Lodge of Hamburgh , which has defiantly planted , and still maintains Lodges in the State of New York . " This , in all conscience , is clear and

“The Freemason's Chronicle: 1881-04-02, Page 1” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 12 July 2025, django:8000/periodicals/fcn/issues/fcn_02041881/page/1/.
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Title Category Page
THE QUESTION OF JURISDICTION. Article 1
BRO. S. B. WILSON AND THE HOUSE COMMITTEE OF THE R.M.I.B. Article 2
CORRESPONDENCE. Article 3
THE PROVINCES AND THE CHARITIES. Article 3
AN EARLY YORKSHIRE FREEMASON. Article 3
ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS. Article 3
CHARITY ASSOCIATIONS. Article 3
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. Article 3
MYDDELTON HALL. Article 3
INSTALLATION MEETINGS, &c. Article 4
ROYAL UNION LODGE, No. 382. Article 4
ROYAL ALFRED LODGE, No. 780. Article 4
SOIREE OF THE GREAT CITY LODGE, No. 1426. Article 5
EVENING STAR LODGE, No. 1719. Article 5
INDUSTRY LODGE, No. 186. Article 5
STUART LODGE, No. 1632. Article 6
THE SHEFFIELD MASONIC AMATEUR DRAMATIC SOCIETY. Article 7
THE MOHAWK MINSTRELS. Article 7
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PROVINCIAL G.L. OF STAFFORDSHIRE , INSTALLATION OF A GRAND MASTER. Article 9
NEW ZEALAND. Article 10
SOUTH AFRICA. Article 11
ROYAL ARCH. Article 11
Obituary. Article 11
DIARY FOR THE WEEK. Article 12
NOTICES OF MEETINGS. Article 13
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

The Question Of Jurisdiction.

THE QUESTION OF JURISDICTION .

A SERIOUS dispute appears to have arisen between the Grand Lodges of New York and Connecticut over a question of which , -with every desire in the world to regard it seriously , we cannot bring ourselves to speak

with aught but a feeling of contempt . It may possibly occur to some of our readers that the word " contempt " is un-Masonic in its character , bnt after making every allowance for sectional and fraternal differences , we can

arrive at no other conclusion than that , in the squabble which has occurred between the two jurisdictions of New Tork and Connecticut , the conduct of the former has been supremely absurd . We are , of course , indebted for such information as wo possess to American sources , and our

arguments , therefore , depend , in chief measure , for their value on the accuracy of that information . However , we may take it for granted that those of our exchanges which treat of tbe subject , and the Grand Lodge of Connecticut itself , which has passed a very sensible resolution on the

matter , are in possession of the circumstances . "We do not hesitate , therefore , to make what they have said the basis of our argument . We must premise that the cause of the squabble between New York and Connecticut is absolutely ridiculous ,

especiall y when it is borne in mind that these Grand Lodges are presumed to consist of men of common sense , if not of men who have more than the average share of enlightenment . They are , moreover , presumably actuated by the most kindly and fraternal feelings for each other . Thus , the wonder is that , even under the most afflictinsr

circumstances , anything like a sense of discussion between two fraternal bodies should have sprung into being . However , there exists this unfraternal discord , and , albeit there are not far short of 100 , 000 Masons in the two States of New York and Connecticut , four-fifths of whom belong

to the former , and the remaining fifth to the latter , it has now been decided by the Grand Lodge of New York , that the Masons within its jurisdiction must under no circumstances hold any intercourse whatever with those in the neighbouring State . True it may be they are brothers in

name , and the creed that is enjoined on them may be summed up in the clear and concise injunction to " love one another . " But somehow it frequently happens that the theory and practice of Freemasonry are at loggerheads with each other . Theory says , Do everything that is

reasonable and kind , while Practice retorts—bluntly enoug h—Stand not upon the order of your doing , bufc do whatever may seem best to you without vouchsafing a single thought to what is sincerely Masonic . To have made this admission has necessarily given us some pain , out in

the interests of truth we are under the necessity of pointing out that this divergence in practice from an accepted theory is quite as commonly to be met with in Masonry as in other societies . tsut , after allthe question of jurisdiction is that which

, claims our present attention , and not whether Masonic HJdividuals or communities are actuated towards each f £ I by fraterrml spirit . This question it is which is at tne bottom of the differences between New York and

Connecticut . The disagreement arose in manner following : — Certain Masons residing in Connecticut , but being members °£ a New York Lodge , petitioned the Grand Lodge of the ormer State for a charter for a new Lodge , and , we relieve , the petition was granted . On tho strength of this

The Question Of Jurisdiction.

most monstrous violation of a law , which has no real existence , the Grand Lodge of New York has passed a resolution which strictly prohibits all intercourse between the members which owe it allegiance and those who are under the sway of tho Grand Lodge of Connecticut .

Anathema Maranatha is the very mildest of the pains and penalties to which any one who should violate this resolution will be subjected . Thus , Masonic communication is absolutely forbidden between the brethren of Connecticut and New York , and the reason is that certain members of a

New York Lodge , who reside however in Connecticut , petitioned the Grand Lodge of the latter . Let us endeavour to imagine how it wonld be if the Grand Master of England passed sentence of excommunication on the brethren of tho Province of Sussex because some members

of a London Lodge residing in Brighton petitioned in the first instance the P . G . M . of Sussex for a warrant for a new Lodge to be held in Brighton . Our readers , of course , will understand that in presenting this imaginary case , we are not seriously contemplating the idea that any P . G . M .

has power to issue warrants on his own authority . We have merely suggested such a case in order to show how flimsy is the matter which has succeeded in establishing a dissension between the brethren of two contiguous States such as are New York and Connecticut .

We are not prepared to say the Grand Lodge of New York are not , in the circumstances , justified in the course they have pursued . It may have been an act of the greatest enormity on the part of the offending brethren , who are members of a new York Lodge but reside in

Connecticut , to have petitioned the Grand Lodge of the latter State instead of that of the former ; but what have the 80 , 000 New York brethren and the 15 , 000 or 20 , 000 brethren—minus the petitioners—of the adjoining State done that they also should be debarred from enjoying the

innocent pleasure of cultivating fraternal relations among themselves , whenever an opportunity of so doing presented itself . The beadle of the parish , when arrayed in all the glory of his parochial uniform , is a public personage inferior as regards importance only to the sovereign ruler of

a State or his Prime Minister ; but even the beadle of a parish would hardly venture on the task of excommunicating the whole of his fellow parishioners and the people of an adjoining parish , because two or three vulgar little

boys were one day rude enough to jump upon his favourite corn . We leave our friends to judge if New York , by its sentence of excommunication against Connecticut Masons , has added one iota to its true dignity .

But if the conduct of New York has been undignified , the same cannot be said of the Grand Lodge of Connecticut . The Grand Master of the latter in his customary address at the annual Communication held early in the present year is reported to have said , " by this severe ,

and as we believe , unjust edict , 70 , 000 Masons in New York and 15 , 000 in Connecticut , among whom have ever existed the most friendly and fraternal relations are thus placed at a perpetual distance , ancl the great work for ancient fraternity sadly infused .... By ifc , for a

mere difference of opinion on a question of Masonic Law , nnd without even a pretence of discourtesy towards our sister Grand Lodge , we are placed under the same ban by the Grand Lodge of New York as the Grand Orient of France ,

which has struck out the most vital landmark of Freemasonry , and ns the Grand Lodge of Hamburgh , which has defiantly planted , and still maintains Lodges in the State of New York . " This , in all conscience , is clear and

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