Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Proposed Committee Of Inquiry Into Masonic Working.
THE PROPOSED COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY INTO MASONIC WORKING .
OUR readers will remember that at the December Quarterly Communication of "United Grand Lodge it was agreed , on the motion of Bro . Past Master James Stevens , that a Committee be appointed with a view to
inquire into and report npon the different systems of working in vogne among onr Lodges . It will be seen , too , from the Agenda Paper for next Wednesday ' s Communication , that two motions respecting the appointment of this Committee will be submitted for the consideration of Grand
Lodge . The first of these will be to tho effect that as regards that portion of the minutes in which is recorded the acceptance of Bro . Stevens ' s proposal , the customary confirmation be -withheld . The second is a motion by Bro . Stevens , that the Committee shall consist of certain brethren whose names will bo found elsewhere in our
columns . If the former of these two motions is agreed to , it will be obviously useless to submit the latter . It is on the cards it will be found that Grand Lodge is of another mind in March 1880 than it was in December 1879 , and to proceed with the nomination of a Committee which has been shelved would be sheer waste of timo and ridiculous .
On the other hand , if the minutes are confirmed in their entirety , the nomination of the Committee -will follow as of course . The question to be in that case considered will be , simply whether or not it shall consist of the brethren whom Bro . Stevens has nominated , or partly of his
nominees supplemented by others , or yet again , entirely of other brethren . This , it strikes us , will be the course , according as one or other of the contingencies we havo pointed to happens . Meanwhile , however , a few remarks on tho subject seem desirable .
We have said already that Grand Lodge may see fit to change its mind as between December and March , and may reverse in the latter month a decision at which , after mature deliberation , it arrived in the former . Nor do we think any one will be found to question its competency to
make such change . But it certainly is open to brethren to doubt the wisdom or expediency of such a course . It must be remembered that Grand Lodge is the Masonic Senate , whose duty it is to weigh well all matters of importance to our interests . Its decisions , therefore ,
should be arrived at deliberately , not hastily . It does not need the -wisdom of a numerous and enlightened body to settle such trivial questions as a dinner hour , the dimensions of an apron , or the value of a jewel . But questions of Ritual come not -within the category of trivial
questions , and when it has onco been admitted—as is the case with regard to this proposition of Bro . Stevensthat a Committee of Inquiry into the different systems of Masonic working is , to put it in the very mildest
possible form , not undesirable , it seems to us it would be tantamount to an act of self-stultification on the part of Grand Lodge were it to reverse , on Wednesday next , the decision of last December . It -will be said there is a
precedent for this change . Some few years ago , a proposition having the same object in view , was submitted to , and adopted by , Grand Lodge , but nothing came of it . We think , on the contrary , that if , on this occasion , a similar
course be pursued , it will detract from , instead of enhancing , the dignity of Grand Lodge . It -will be in the power of any one so minded to point out that that body has twice affirmed a certain proposition , and on each occasion has allowed its decision to be of none effect . Will any one
The Proposed Committee Of Inquiry Into Masonic Working.
allow , for one moment , that such a procedure is either wise or expedient , or even business-like ; albeit , it may bo perfectly regular , and in accordance with the Constitutions . Moreover , the mere appointment of a Committeo of Inquiry does not necessarily involve any change in , or modification of ,
our Ritual . Tho Committee , having made its inquiries , may report that no alteration is necessary or desirable , or , on the other hand , it may say it is . In the latter event , it will be the duty of Grand Lodge to determine the character and extent of such alterations . If the report is to the
effect that one system of working , and one only , should be in force , it will then have to settle what that system of working must be . But to refuse to nominate a Committee , the appointment of which has been agreed to , except under some imperious necessity , which certainly has not arisen in
the interval since last December , would , as we have remarked , be an act of self-stultification of singular gravity , such as , with all proper deference for the opinions of those who differ with us , we cannot imagine any well-intentioned brother would care to see fulfilled .
So much for the one proposition ; namely , that Bro . Stevens ' s motion for the appointment of a Committeo of Inquiry be not confirmed . Let us now consider the scope of Bro . Stevens ' s proposal itself , the principle of which has already been accepted by Grand Lodge . We cannot , of
course , take upon ourselves to explain positively the meaning of another person ' s proposition ; but as far as we havo been able to gather from his letters , speeches , and personal explanations , it seems to us that his motion involves four principal points , of which two may be described as positive ,
and two as negative in character . The former are ( 1 ) that a certain standard of Ritual shonld be maintained , and ( 2 ) that steps should be taken for establishing a College of Preceptors or similar body for the purpose of upholding
that standard in all its native purity . The latter involve no interference whatever , ( 1 ) with the working as now practised in our Lodges , or ( 2 ) with the just prerogatives of the Board of General Purposes . Let us take these points seriatim , and discuss their meaning and value .
Firstly , there should be one uniform standard of Ritual . In suggesting this , Bro . Stevens , it seems to ns , does not so much insist on uniformity of phraseology in the -working of our ceremonies as on uniformity of practice . The former is comparatively of little value , the latter it cannot
be denied is of the very greatest importance . A particular proposition may be variously expressed , but always in such a manner that its true and original meaning is never for one moment in doubt . The expression may be of the very
simplest , or it may be so complicated that only after the most careful study is it possible for a person to understand its real purport . In short , the idea is the same , whatever the form of words in which it is clothed . But where there
is no uniformity of practice , there is always room for innovation—and in a science like that of Freemasonry such a possibility is most undesirable—no harm may come , but on the other hand the contingency must not be lost sight of that it may . While therefore it is unnecessary to lay too
great stress on extreme verbal uniformity , it is unquestionably of the greatest moment there should be one harmonious and unvaried , invariable system of working our different ceremonies . These are the result of careful study on the part of the founders of the science . The symbols
employed are not only complete in themselves , but they also harmonise -well together . It were unwise , therefore , to think of allowing them to be tampered with , as in snch case , their true meaning might be either exaggerated or diminished . It will be readily understood that it is impos-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Proposed Committee Of Inquiry Into Masonic Working.
THE PROPOSED COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY INTO MASONIC WORKING .
OUR readers will remember that at the December Quarterly Communication of "United Grand Lodge it was agreed , on the motion of Bro . Past Master James Stevens , that a Committee be appointed with a view to
inquire into and report npon the different systems of working in vogne among onr Lodges . It will be seen , too , from the Agenda Paper for next Wednesday ' s Communication , that two motions respecting the appointment of this Committee will be submitted for the consideration of Grand
Lodge . The first of these will be to tho effect that as regards that portion of the minutes in which is recorded the acceptance of Bro . Stevens ' s proposal , the customary confirmation be -withheld . The second is a motion by Bro . Stevens , that the Committee shall consist of certain brethren whose names will bo found elsewhere in our
columns . If the former of these two motions is agreed to , it will be obviously useless to submit the latter . It is on the cards it will be found that Grand Lodge is of another mind in March 1880 than it was in December 1879 , and to proceed with the nomination of a Committee which has been shelved would be sheer waste of timo and ridiculous .
On the other hand , if the minutes are confirmed in their entirety , the nomination of the Committee -will follow as of course . The question to be in that case considered will be , simply whether or not it shall consist of the brethren whom Bro . Stevens has nominated , or partly of his
nominees supplemented by others , or yet again , entirely of other brethren . This , it strikes us , will be the course , according as one or other of the contingencies we havo pointed to happens . Meanwhile , however , a few remarks on tho subject seem desirable .
We have said already that Grand Lodge may see fit to change its mind as between December and March , and may reverse in the latter month a decision at which , after mature deliberation , it arrived in the former . Nor do we think any one will be found to question its competency to
make such change . But it certainly is open to brethren to doubt the wisdom or expediency of such a course . It must be remembered that Grand Lodge is the Masonic Senate , whose duty it is to weigh well all matters of importance to our interests . Its decisions , therefore ,
should be arrived at deliberately , not hastily . It does not need the -wisdom of a numerous and enlightened body to settle such trivial questions as a dinner hour , the dimensions of an apron , or the value of a jewel . But questions of Ritual come not -within the category of trivial
questions , and when it has onco been admitted—as is the case with regard to this proposition of Bro . Stevensthat a Committee of Inquiry into the different systems of Masonic working is , to put it in the very mildest
possible form , not undesirable , it seems to us it would be tantamount to an act of self-stultification on the part of Grand Lodge were it to reverse , on Wednesday next , the decision of last December . It -will be said there is a
precedent for this change . Some few years ago , a proposition having the same object in view , was submitted to , and adopted by , Grand Lodge , but nothing came of it . We think , on the contrary , that if , on this occasion , a similar
course be pursued , it will detract from , instead of enhancing , the dignity of Grand Lodge . It -will be in the power of any one so minded to point out that that body has twice affirmed a certain proposition , and on each occasion has allowed its decision to be of none effect . Will any one
The Proposed Committee Of Inquiry Into Masonic Working.
allow , for one moment , that such a procedure is either wise or expedient , or even business-like ; albeit , it may bo perfectly regular , and in accordance with the Constitutions . Moreover , the mere appointment of a Committeo of Inquiry does not necessarily involve any change in , or modification of ,
our Ritual . Tho Committee , having made its inquiries , may report that no alteration is necessary or desirable , or , on the other hand , it may say it is . In the latter event , it will be the duty of Grand Lodge to determine the character and extent of such alterations . If the report is to the
effect that one system of working , and one only , should be in force , it will then have to settle what that system of working must be . But to refuse to nominate a Committee , the appointment of which has been agreed to , except under some imperious necessity , which certainly has not arisen in
the interval since last December , would , as we have remarked , be an act of self-stultification of singular gravity , such as , with all proper deference for the opinions of those who differ with us , we cannot imagine any well-intentioned brother would care to see fulfilled .
So much for the one proposition ; namely , that Bro . Stevens ' s motion for the appointment of a Committeo of Inquiry be not confirmed . Let us now consider the scope of Bro . Stevens ' s proposal itself , the principle of which has already been accepted by Grand Lodge . We cannot , of
course , take upon ourselves to explain positively the meaning of another person ' s proposition ; but as far as we havo been able to gather from his letters , speeches , and personal explanations , it seems to us that his motion involves four principal points , of which two may be described as positive ,
and two as negative in character . The former are ( 1 ) that a certain standard of Ritual shonld be maintained , and ( 2 ) that steps should be taken for establishing a College of Preceptors or similar body for the purpose of upholding
that standard in all its native purity . The latter involve no interference whatever , ( 1 ) with the working as now practised in our Lodges , or ( 2 ) with the just prerogatives of the Board of General Purposes . Let us take these points seriatim , and discuss their meaning and value .
Firstly , there should be one uniform standard of Ritual . In suggesting this , Bro . Stevens , it seems to ns , does not so much insist on uniformity of phraseology in the -working of our ceremonies as on uniformity of practice . The former is comparatively of little value , the latter it cannot
be denied is of the very greatest importance . A particular proposition may be variously expressed , but always in such a manner that its true and original meaning is never for one moment in doubt . The expression may be of the very
simplest , or it may be so complicated that only after the most careful study is it possible for a person to understand its real purport . In short , the idea is the same , whatever the form of words in which it is clothed . But where there
is no uniformity of practice , there is always room for innovation—and in a science like that of Freemasonry such a possibility is most undesirable—no harm may come , but on the other hand the contingency must not be lost sight of that it may . While therefore it is unnecessary to lay too
great stress on extreme verbal uniformity , it is unquestionably of the greatest moment there should be one harmonious and unvaried , invariable system of working our different ceremonies . These are the result of careful study on the part of the founders of the science . The symbols
employed are not only complete in themselves , but they also harmonise -well together . It were unwise , therefore , to think of allowing them to be tampered with , as in snch case , their true meaning might be either exaggerated or diminished . It will be readily understood that it is impos-