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Article THE MASONIC YEAR 1878. ← Page 3 of 12 Article THE MASONIC YEAR 1878. Page 3 of 12 →
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The Masonic Year 1878.
initiated in a Lodge in which a belief in tbe G . A . O . T . U . was recognised , as well as those who are willing to pledge their faith in such existence are eligible to be admitted into our Lodges ; the other , that tho sentence of excommunication passed by our Grand Lodge , applies exclusively to those who deny or ignore this fundamental principle of
Freemasonry . A third point , as we remarked at the time , is conspicuous by its absence . Nothing is enjoined on our English brethren as to their entering or not entering French Lodges , so that we presume it is left to our discretion whether we shall do so or not .
The 24 th April was a red-letter day in our Calendar for this year , for on that occasion Grand Lodge was hononred with the presence of His Royal Highness tho Grand Master , this being the first opportunity the many demands on his valuable time had permitted him being in his
place in Grand Lodge . Nor was this the only circumstance which made the celebration of onr Grand Festival a subject for hearty congratulation . His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Denmark , and Grand Master of Freemasons in that country , was formally received in Grand Lodge as a
Visitor , and our Grand Master , in a brief bufc kindly speech , called on tho brethren to give onr Royal guest a hearty welcome . This , as may bo imagined , was done with the heartiness characteristic of English Craftsmen , and was warmly acknowledged by the Crown Prince in a few
wellchosen sentences . At the banquet which followed , and at which the Royal brethren—brethren by marriage as well as by the fraternal ties of Masonry—were both present , the Prince of Wales proposed the health of his Visitor , in association with the toast of Foreign Grand Lodges , and the
toast having been duly honoured , was most felicitously acknowledged by the Danish Princo . The other events of tho year may be briefly dispensed . In June , a motion of sympathy with the Emperor of Germany—who is Protector of the Prussian Grand
Lodgesat his having been attacked by assassins , as well as of congratulation that his Majesty's life had not been sacrificed , was agreed to unanimously , after which a sum of £ 100 out of the Fund of General Purposes was voted towards the relief of the members of the Igualdad Lodge , No . 653 ,
Cuvacoa , West Indies , who had suffered from the hurricane of the 23 rd September 1877 . At the Sep « tember Communication a painful circumstance occurred . As our readers are aware , Grand Lodge elects cer-• tain members of the Board of General Purposes at the
Juno Communication , and it having oozed out that an incorrect return had been made by the scrutineers appointed to examine the votes recorded for the different candidates , a special meeting of the Board was therefore held on 22 nd July for purposes of inquiry , and in due course ifc was
discovered that the paper recording tho votes examined by Bros . Joseph Smith , Past Grand Pursuivant , and William Hilton , P . M . No . 780 , contained the false return complained of , 113 votes being set down as recorded for a candidate whoso total poll amounted to only 59 . Bro . Smith ' s
explanation proving entirely unsatisfactory , a second special meeting was held on the 30 th July , when it was resolved that Bro . Smith had wilfully misrepresented the votes on the balloting papers examined by him , that he had made his return to Grand Lodge , knowing it to be false , and that
having been thus guilty of a grave Masonic offence , as well as of having violated his solemn pledge as a scrutineer , be be suspended from all his Masonic privileges and functions for the space of two years . As regards his co-scrutineer , Bro . Hilton , it was not proved that he had been guilty of
complicity with Bro . Smith ; bufc ifc being established that he had been guilty of negligence in the discharge of his duties , he was admonished . As the necessary consequence of these resolutions , Bro . Smith has ceased to be a member of the Board of General Purposes , to which ho had belonged for
some twenty years , and of every other Masonic office be held , and he has further been officially suspended from all his functions and privileges as a Royal Arch Mason by the Supreme Grand Chapter of England . This is the one episode of the year which has caused a feeling of painful
regret , not unmmgled with shame , that an English brother , a Past Grand Officer , and one who had stood well with the Craft for many years , should have been found guilty of disreputable couduct , nor do we think the punishment was
at all incommensurate with the magnitude of the offence committed . We need not , however , dwell further on this matter . At the same Communication in September , a small but important alteration in the rules of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , to the effect that wherever in the
The Masonic Year 1878.
Laws and Regulations of tho Institution , tho word " pounds " had occurred , the word " guineas " should bo substituted , received the sanction of Grand Lodge . Henceforth , therefore , all our Institutions will stand on exactly the same footing as regards subscriptions and donations ,
and the privileges they confer , except that the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution still gives a vote for every contribution of five shillings . Au attempt made in March to alter the Constitution of tho Board of General Purposes , was rejected by an overwhelming majority . Ono other
circumstance must be recorded . At tho Quarfcei-ly Communication ou tho 4 th December tho Earl of Carnarvon , who presided , announced thafc a valuable book , a record of the Lodges existing in 1729 in this country , had beon presented to Grand Lodge by Bro . Edward Tyrrell Heath , Dep . Dist .
Grand Master of Bombay . It shoAvecl that at the timo referred to there were only fifty-four Lodges on tho Roll of Grand Lodge , and now there are 1792 , or making allowances for Lodges in abeyance , or which havo ceased to hold
under our Graud Lodge , about 16 / 0 . This valuable littlo book , which is in a perfect state of preservation , and of which bufc one other copy is known to exist , was accepted , and a vote of thanks to the donor was unanimously ordered to be recorded on the minutes of Grand Lodge .
Among the casual events in Craft Masonry which have distinguished the present year , aro several which are well worth referring to in our Summary . Thus in the month of Novembei * , afc the meeting of tho Prov . G . Lodge of Wiltshire , the opportunity was taken of presenting Lord
Methuen , who has presided over tho destinies of Freemasonry in that Province for just one quarter of a century , with a testimonial in recognition of the valuable services he had rendered to the Craft during his tenure of the P . G . Mastership . The testimonial was worthy alike of the
Provincial Grand Lodge which gave , and the Provincial Grand Master who received it , consisting , as ifc did , of a pair of magnificent solid silver candelabra of the value of six hundred guineas , accompanied by a testimonial on vellum , framed and glazed , and most elaborately embellished . On
Bro . Gabriel Goldney , M . P ., the Dep . Prov . Grand Master , devolved the pleasant duty of pres nfcing the testimonial , and Lord Methuen in acknowledging the gift , was visibly affected by the kindness of the brethren he had ruled so long and with such success . Bro . Goldney at the same
time presented his Lordship with a History of Freemasonry in Wiltshire , and orders were issued for its being printed . Prominent among the distinguished brethren present was Sir Daniel Gooch , Bart . M . P ., Prov . Grand Master of Berks and Bucks , to whom Lord Methuen in acknowledging tho
gift paid a very high compliment , and attributed what good be had been able to effect , principally to the kind instruction he had l-eceived from him . A banquet and ball followed , and brought to a close one of the brightest nnd most auspicious days in tbe annals of Wiltshire Freemasonry . Turning
from this Province to the Western division of Lancashire , in which , under the able rule of Lord Skelmersdale , Dept . G . Master of England , the Craft flourishes so considerably , we find the present year opened auspiciously . On the 2 nd January the Skelmersdale Masonic Hall , Liverpool , was
solemnly consecrated to purposes of Freemasonry , the officiating brother being Bro . H . S . Alpass , Prov . G . Sec . From tbe report we published afc tho time , ifc appears thafc there are only three Lodges in Liverpool which meet at au hotel , all tho rest being accommodated in Halls , specially
dedicated to Craft uses . This Hall , which is situated in Kirkstall-stveet , has been erected for the convenience of the brethren in the northern part of the town , and is described as a commodious as well as handsome edifice , and well worth the £ 2 , 000 expended on its erection . Later in tho
year—in the month of October—the Grand Lodge of this Province held its annual meeting at the Philharmonic Hall , Liverpool . Lord Skelmersdale in person presided , and the number of brethren present was upwards of one thousaud , all the seventy-nine Lodges but two being represented . Two
sums , each of one hundred guineas , were voted , the one to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , and the other to the West Lancashire Masonic Institution , the position and prospects of which are eminently satisfactory . As many as three hundred brethren partook of the banquet
which followed , and at which the Prov . Grand Master presided . A third and important event in this Province remains to be recorded . Towards the end of the same month , Lord Skelmersdale laid tho foundation stone of a new church at Southport , to be dedicated to St . Luke . About ; two hundred brethren were present , and everything passed
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Masonic Year 1878.
initiated in a Lodge in which a belief in tbe G . A . O . T . U . was recognised , as well as those who are willing to pledge their faith in such existence are eligible to be admitted into our Lodges ; the other , that tho sentence of excommunication passed by our Grand Lodge , applies exclusively to those who deny or ignore this fundamental principle of
Freemasonry . A third point , as we remarked at the time , is conspicuous by its absence . Nothing is enjoined on our English brethren as to their entering or not entering French Lodges , so that we presume it is left to our discretion whether we shall do so or not .
The 24 th April was a red-letter day in our Calendar for this year , for on that occasion Grand Lodge was hononred with the presence of His Royal Highness tho Grand Master , this being the first opportunity the many demands on his valuable time had permitted him being in his
place in Grand Lodge . Nor was this the only circumstance which made the celebration of onr Grand Festival a subject for hearty congratulation . His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Denmark , and Grand Master of Freemasons in that country , was formally received in Grand Lodge as a
Visitor , and our Grand Master , in a brief bufc kindly speech , called on tho brethren to give onr Royal guest a hearty welcome . This , as may bo imagined , was done with the heartiness characteristic of English Craftsmen , and was warmly acknowledged by the Crown Prince in a few
wellchosen sentences . At the banquet which followed , and at which the Royal brethren—brethren by marriage as well as by the fraternal ties of Masonry—were both present , the Prince of Wales proposed the health of his Visitor , in association with the toast of Foreign Grand Lodges , and the
toast having been duly honoured , was most felicitously acknowledged by the Danish Princo . The other events of tho year may be briefly dispensed . In June , a motion of sympathy with the Emperor of Germany—who is Protector of the Prussian Grand
Lodgesat his having been attacked by assassins , as well as of congratulation that his Majesty's life had not been sacrificed , was agreed to unanimously , after which a sum of £ 100 out of the Fund of General Purposes was voted towards the relief of the members of the Igualdad Lodge , No . 653 ,
Cuvacoa , West Indies , who had suffered from the hurricane of the 23 rd September 1877 . At the Sep « tember Communication a painful circumstance occurred . As our readers are aware , Grand Lodge elects cer-• tain members of the Board of General Purposes at the
Juno Communication , and it having oozed out that an incorrect return had been made by the scrutineers appointed to examine the votes recorded for the different candidates , a special meeting of the Board was therefore held on 22 nd July for purposes of inquiry , and in due course ifc was
discovered that the paper recording tho votes examined by Bros . Joseph Smith , Past Grand Pursuivant , and William Hilton , P . M . No . 780 , contained the false return complained of , 113 votes being set down as recorded for a candidate whoso total poll amounted to only 59 . Bro . Smith ' s
explanation proving entirely unsatisfactory , a second special meeting was held on the 30 th July , when it was resolved that Bro . Smith had wilfully misrepresented the votes on the balloting papers examined by him , that he had made his return to Grand Lodge , knowing it to be false , and that
having been thus guilty of a grave Masonic offence , as well as of having violated his solemn pledge as a scrutineer , be be suspended from all his Masonic privileges and functions for the space of two years . As regards his co-scrutineer , Bro . Hilton , it was not proved that he had been guilty of
complicity with Bro . Smith ; bufc ifc being established that he had been guilty of negligence in the discharge of his duties , he was admonished . As the necessary consequence of these resolutions , Bro . Smith has ceased to be a member of the Board of General Purposes , to which ho had belonged for
some twenty years , and of every other Masonic office be held , and he has further been officially suspended from all his functions and privileges as a Royal Arch Mason by the Supreme Grand Chapter of England . This is the one episode of the year which has caused a feeling of painful
regret , not unmmgled with shame , that an English brother , a Past Grand Officer , and one who had stood well with the Craft for many years , should have been found guilty of disreputable couduct , nor do we think the punishment was
at all incommensurate with the magnitude of the offence committed . We need not , however , dwell further on this matter . At the same Communication in September , a small but important alteration in the rules of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , to the effect that wherever in the
The Masonic Year 1878.
Laws and Regulations of tho Institution , tho word " pounds " had occurred , the word " guineas " should bo substituted , received the sanction of Grand Lodge . Henceforth , therefore , all our Institutions will stand on exactly the same footing as regards subscriptions and donations ,
and the privileges they confer , except that the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution still gives a vote for every contribution of five shillings . Au attempt made in March to alter the Constitution of tho Board of General Purposes , was rejected by an overwhelming majority . Ono other
circumstance must be recorded . At tho Quarfcei-ly Communication ou tho 4 th December tho Earl of Carnarvon , who presided , announced thafc a valuable book , a record of the Lodges existing in 1729 in this country , had beon presented to Grand Lodge by Bro . Edward Tyrrell Heath , Dep . Dist .
Grand Master of Bombay . It shoAvecl that at the timo referred to there were only fifty-four Lodges on tho Roll of Grand Lodge , and now there are 1792 , or making allowances for Lodges in abeyance , or which havo ceased to hold
under our Graud Lodge , about 16 / 0 . This valuable littlo book , which is in a perfect state of preservation , and of which bufc one other copy is known to exist , was accepted , and a vote of thanks to the donor was unanimously ordered to be recorded on the minutes of Grand Lodge .
Among the casual events in Craft Masonry which have distinguished the present year , aro several which are well worth referring to in our Summary . Thus in the month of Novembei * , afc the meeting of tho Prov . G . Lodge of Wiltshire , the opportunity was taken of presenting Lord
Methuen , who has presided over tho destinies of Freemasonry in that Province for just one quarter of a century , with a testimonial in recognition of the valuable services he had rendered to the Craft during his tenure of the P . G . Mastership . The testimonial was worthy alike of the
Provincial Grand Lodge which gave , and the Provincial Grand Master who received it , consisting , as ifc did , of a pair of magnificent solid silver candelabra of the value of six hundred guineas , accompanied by a testimonial on vellum , framed and glazed , and most elaborately embellished . On
Bro . Gabriel Goldney , M . P ., the Dep . Prov . Grand Master , devolved the pleasant duty of pres nfcing the testimonial , and Lord Methuen in acknowledging the gift , was visibly affected by the kindness of the brethren he had ruled so long and with such success . Bro . Goldney at the same
time presented his Lordship with a History of Freemasonry in Wiltshire , and orders were issued for its being printed . Prominent among the distinguished brethren present was Sir Daniel Gooch , Bart . M . P ., Prov . Grand Master of Berks and Bucks , to whom Lord Methuen in acknowledging tho
gift paid a very high compliment , and attributed what good be had been able to effect , principally to the kind instruction he had l-eceived from him . A banquet and ball followed , and brought to a close one of the brightest nnd most auspicious days in tbe annals of Wiltshire Freemasonry . Turning
from this Province to the Western division of Lancashire , in which , under the able rule of Lord Skelmersdale , Dept . G . Master of England , the Craft flourishes so considerably , we find the present year opened auspiciously . On the 2 nd January the Skelmersdale Masonic Hall , Liverpool , was
solemnly consecrated to purposes of Freemasonry , the officiating brother being Bro . H . S . Alpass , Prov . G . Sec . From tbe report we published afc tho time , ifc appears thafc there are only three Lodges in Liverpool which meet at au hotel , all tho rest being accommodated in Halls , specially
dedicated to Craft uses . This Hall , which is situated in Kirkstall-stveet , has been erected for the convenience of the brethren in the northern part of the town , and is described as a commodious as well as handsome edifice , and well worth the £ 2 , 000 expended on its erection . Later in tho
year—in the month of October—the Grand Lodge of this Province held its annual meeting at the Philharmonic Hall , Liverpool . Lord Skelmersdale in person presided , and the number of brethren present was upwards of one thousaud , all the seventy-nine Lodges but two being represented . Two
sums , each of one hundred guineas , were voted , the one to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , and the other to the West Lancashire Masonic Institution , the position and prospects of which are eminently satisfactory . As many as three hundred brethren partook of the banquet
which followed , and at which the Prov . Grand Master presided . A third and important event in this Province remains to be recorded . Towards the end of the same month , Lord Skelmersdale laid tho foundation stone of a new church at Southport , to be dedicated to St . Luke . About ; two hundred brethren were present , and everything passed