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Article PERSECUTION ← Page 9 of 21 →
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Persecution
Thompson and William Thos . Bond , Past Masters of the Lodge No . 66 , and John B . King , W . M . of the Lodge No . 66 , a copy of which complaint is herewith inclosed . And you will bring with you such witnesses and evidence as you may deem requisite in your behalf . By Order of the Board , Freemasons' Hall , WILLIAM H . WHITE , G . S . " Jan . 2 , 1840 .
January 28 . —The first case entered into was that of Brother Alderman Thos . Wood . Brother Dr . Crucefix was permitted to be present . Brother Alderman T . Wood having since then received from the Grand Lodge the most favourable consideration of his case , we shall advert to the proceedings therewith concerned as briefly as possible ; indeed , we should have altogether dismissed them , hut that we might thereby have limited our means to do justice to the two other persecuted Brethren . We hope it may not be necessary to re-open this question , and to extend our remarks by
giving an elaborate report of the whole case . The President , Brother Cabbell , attended during the entire proceedings . The charges were read by Brother Dobie . The President called upon the Alderman to admit or deny them , who emphatically took the latter course , and entered a decided protest against the power of the Board to deal with the case at all , as the meeting was not a Masonic meeting ; and declared that if he had used any expressions that could by possibility have been constructed as disrespectfulhe had never
, intended they should have borne such a construction ; that he was not amenable to the Board ; and that Masonic law could not interfere with public law . Brother HENDERSON , Vice-President ( who sat on the right of the President , and not in his proper place ) observed the Board was a COURT OF HONOUR , and would take no undue advantage ; and he pressed hard for an admission of having spoken under excitement . Brother J . L . STEVENS was then called on to acknowledge or deny the
charges ; to the truth of which he gave the most positive denial . Brother Dr . CRUCEFIX was then called upon in the same manner . He said he felt qualified to give his opinion of the proceedings , having acted as Chairman on the occasion alluded to . He thought the Board had travelled out of the record , in ferreting him out as an accessory , before they had proved the charges against the principals . That his position as Chairman had been most difficult ; and his best solace was , that he had concluded the business of that evening with as much satisfaction as circumstances permitted . In
fact , that parties involved should change places with the accused , as the whole of the disturbance complained of , was owing to their unmasonic conduct . Nevertheless , he stated his willingness to meet the charge , provided the case was honourably proceeded with ; but that he should except two Members of the Board , viz ., Bros . Bossy and M'Mullen , by reason that they having publicly declared their belief in the truth of the charges , * they were disqualified from sitting in judgment , and he was not safe under their hands . He also adverted to the fact , that he could except to several
other Members of the Board , owing to certain well-grounded causes ; and even to the President himself , from his general unfriendly hearing towards him ( Dr . C . ) in Grand Lodge , but he would trust his honour , nevertheless , to the President's high-mindedness . The persecuted then retired on the question raised by Alderman Wood , as to the power of the Board to try the case ; and they were called in , after very considerable delay , and informed that the case woidd commence on Saturday , the 1 st of February .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Persecution
Thompson and William Thos . Bond , Past Masters of the Lodge No . 66 , and John B . King , W . M . of the Lodge No . 66 , a copy of which complaint is herewith inclosed . And you will bring with you such witnesses and evidence as you may deem requisite in your behalf . By Order of the Board , Freemasons' Hall , WILLIAM H . WHITE , G . S . " Jan . 2 , 1840 .
January 28 . —The first case entered into was that of Brother Alderman Thos . Wood . Brother Dr . Crucefix was permitted to be present . Brother Alderman T . Wood having since then received from the Grand Lodge the most favourable consideration of his case , we shall advert to the proceedings therewith concerned as briefly as possible ; indeed , we should have altogether dismissed them , hut that we might thereby have limited our means to do justice to the two other persecuted Brethren . We hope it may not be necessary to re-open this question , and to extend our remarks by
giving an elaborate report of the whole case . The President , Brother Cabbell , attended during the entire proceedings . The charges were read by Brother Dobie . The President called upon the Alderman to admit or deny them , who emphatically took the latter course , and entered a decided protest against the power of the Board to deal with the case at all , as the meeting was not a Masonic meeting ; and declared that if he had used any expressions that could by possibility have been constructed as disrespectfulhe had never
, intended they should have borne such a construction ; that he was not amenable to the Board ; and that Masonic law could not interfere with public law . Brother HENDERSON , Vice-President ( who sat on the right of the President , and not in his proper place ) observed the Board was a COURT OF HONOUR , and would take no undue advantage ; and he pressed hard for an admission of having spoken under excitement . Brother J . L . STEVENS was then called on to acknowledge or deny the
charges ; to the truth of which he gave the most positive denial . Brother Dr . CRUCEFIX was then called upon in the same manner . He said he felt qualified to give his opinion of the proceedings , having acted as Chairman on the occasion alluded to . He thought the Board had travelled out of the record , in ferreting him out as an accessory , before they had proved the charges against the principals . That his position as Chairman had been most difficult ; and his best solace was , that he had concluded the business of that evening with as much satisfaction as circumstances permitted . In
fact , that parties involved should change places with the accused , as the whole of the disturbance complained of , was owing to their unmasonic conduct . Nevertheless , he stated his willingness to meet the charge , provided the case was honourably proceeded with ; but that he should except two Members of the Board , viz ., Bros . Bossy and M'Mullen , by reason that they having publicly declared their belief in the truth of the charges , * they were disqualified from sitting in judgment , and he was not safe under their hands . He also adverted to the fact , that he could except to several
other Members of the Board , owing to certain well-grounded causes ; and even to the President himself , from his general unfriendly hearing towards him ( Dr . C . ) in Grand Lodge , but he would trust his honour , nevertheless , to the President's high-mindedness . The persecuted then retired on the question raised by Alderman Wood , as to the power of the Board to try the case ; and they were called in , after very considerable delay , and informed that the case woidd commence on Saturday , the 1 st of February .