-
Articles/Ads
Article PARLIAMENTARY ANALYSIS. Page 1 of 5 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Parliamentary Analysis.
PARLIAMENTARY ANALYSIS .
HOUSE OF LORDS .
CONSTABULARY FORCE ( iRELANI )) BILL .
May 6 th . —The house having gone into Committee on this bill , The DUKE of LRINSTER ( Grancl Master of Freemasons in Ireland ) . — beg to move , in accordance with a clause which has been introduced in all former bills , when reference is made to secret or political societies , a clause to this effect : " That Freemasons be exempted from talcing the oath that they do not belong to any secret society . " The EARL of AA ' INCIIILSEA objected to the introduction ofthe words
" secret societies" altogether . But if the words were to be adopted , he did not see why any exception should be made in favour of a particular society . AfscouNT MELBOURNE . —An exception of Freemasons has been made in all former acts . In the year 1794 , when certain seditious societies were put down , great apprehensions were entertained of the Freemasons ; but it was decided that that body was not a political society . I think they
have an equal right to tbe same exception in this bill which they have had in all others . The EARL of HADDINGTON said , that if there was a general bill to put down all secret societies , he would support it , but he did not sec that the present clause was necessary in the bill before them : he did not think that there ought to be any temptation to the constabulary to engage in political discussions , and he thought the clause unnecessary . The society of Freemasons was undoubtedly a secret , though not at present a political
one : he thought , however , that the matter in question was not of very great importance . The EARL of ROUEN said , that although the Freemasons' Lodges were not political societies at present , they might , at any future period , become so , ancl so prove a very dangerous body , over which the government would have no control ; he thought , therefore , that there would be great danger in admitting the proposition of the noble duke , and he
should take the sense of the house upon it . The MARQUESS of LONDONDERRY . —I think the people of Ireland , who have belonged to other societies , will be much aggrieved if the special exception in favour of the Freemasons be adopted by your lordships . The DUKE of RICHMOND said , that many of those who belonged to the Freemasons' society , and had been subscribers to its funds , had been entitled to benefits ; for instance , having their children educated at tbe
schools supported by the society : he thought it unreasonable that they should be called upon to surrender those advantages when they retired . A strong case existed for the proposed exception , unless it could be satisfactorily proved that Freemasons' lodges are converted into political societies . The EARL of RADNOR had not much respect for the Craft , and therefore felt no anxiety as to the amendment , but there was one ground
upon which he thought it would be hard to prevent a Freemason from being admitted into the constabulary body , namely , that , if he was rightly informed , a man who had once become a Freemason , could never by any possibility withdraw himself from that body , whereas with
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Parliamentary Analysis.
PARLIAMENTARY ANALYSIS .
HOUSE OF LORDS .
CONSTABULARY FORCE ( iRELANI )) BILL .
May 6 th . —The house having gone into Committee on this bill , The DUKE of LRINSTER ( Grancl Master of Freemasons in Ireland ) . — beg to move , in accordance with a clause which has been introduced in all former bills , when reference is made to secret or political societies , a clause to this effect : " That Freemasons be exempted from talcing the oath that they do not belong to any secret society . " The EARL of AA ' INCIIILSEA objected to the introduction ofthe words
" secret societies" altogether . But if the words were to be adopted , he did not see why any exception should be made in favour of a particular society . AfscouNT MELBOURNE . —An exception of Freemasons has been made in all former acts . In the year 1794 , when certain seditious societies were put down , great apprehensions were entertained of the Freemasons ; but it was decided that that body was not a political society . I think they
have an equal right to tbe same exception in this bill which they have had in all others . The EARL of HADDINGTON said , that if there was a general bill to put down all secret societies , he would support it , but he did not sec that the present clause was necessary in the bill before them : he did not think that there ought to be any temptation to the constabulary to engage in political discussions , and he thought the clause unnecessary . The society of Freemasons was undoubtedly a secret , though not at present a political
one : he thought , however , that the matter in question was not of very great importance . The EARL of ROUEN said , that although the Freemasons' Lodges were not political societies at present , they might , at any future period , become so , ancl so prove a very dangerous body , over which the government would have no control ; he thought , therefore , that there would be great danger in admitting the proposition of the noble duke , and he
should take the sense of the house upon it . The MARQUESS of LONDONDERRY . —I think the people of Ireland , who have belonged to other societies , will be much aggrieved if the special exception in favour of the Freemasons be adopted by your lordships . The DUKE of RICHMOND said , that many of those who belonged to the Freemasons' society , and had been subscribers to its funds , had been entitled to benefits ; for instance , having their children educated at tbe
schools supported by the society : he thought it unreasonable that they should be called upon to surrender those advantages when they retired . A strong case existed for the proposed exception , unless it could be satisfactorily proved that Freemasons' lodges are converted into political societies . The EARL of RADNOR had not much respect for the Craft , and therefore felt no anxiety as to the amendment , but there was one ground
upon which he thought it would be hard to prevent a Freemason from being admitted into the constabulary body , namely , that , if he was rightly informed , a man who had once become a Freemason , could never by any possibility withdraw himself from that body , whereas with