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Article BROTHER J. LEE STEVENS. ← Page 17 of 23 →
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Brother J. Lee Stevens.
" Resolved unanimously , That it is the opinion of this Board that the charges made against the AV . Brother Robert Thomas Crucefix , P . J . G . D . for not checking or calling to order at the meeting on the 13 th of November 1039 , at Badley ' s Hotel , the AV . Brothers Alderman Thomas Wood and John Lee Stevens , when those Brethren were making observations and using language disrespectful to His Royal Highness the M . AV . Grand Master , are fully proved .
" Resolved unanimously , That the W . Brother Robert Thomas Crucefix , P . J . G . D ., be suspended from all his Masonic functions and privileges for the term of six calendar months . " By Order ofthe Board , " AVILLIAM H . AVHITE , G . S . "
The first step afterwards taken by the three Brethren was to present a dutiful memorial to the Grand Master , requesting him to call an especial Grand Lodge for the consideration of their case ; but the Grand Master did not condescend to take any notice of such memorial ! The next step was to appeal against the decision of the Board of General Purposes , and appeals from each were duly presented according to the Constitutions . On the 24 th of March , Bros . Crucefix and Stevens waited on the Board
of General Purposes , to obtain , if possible , an elucidation of the Masonic law by which such extraordinary proceedings could be warranted ; especially with reference to the manifest injustice , not to say the gross absurdity of inflicting punishment pending an appeal . Having sent in their names at the opening of tbe Board , they were kept in attendance until just as the Board was about to break up , and then informed by the Grand Secretary that the Board declined seeing them I Brother Stevens then furnished the Grand Secretary with the necessary documents to enlarge his appeal , so as to comprise these five points , as set out in the joint memorial of Bros . Alderman Wood , Dr . Crucefix , and himself , presented to the M . AV . THE GRAND
MASTER—1 st . That the Board of General Purposes had no jurisdiction . 2 nd . That their decision is not supported by the evidence for the complainants , and is disproved by the evidence for the defence . 3 rd . That none of the expressions charged are declared to be proved ; and the Board should have declared what were the words used , for the information of Grand Lodge . 4 th . That there is no law in the Book of Constitutions applicable to the question ; and that if there be such lawit was incumbent on
, the Board to set forth the particular law under which they decided . Sth . That the conduct ofthe Board during the investigation was partial and irregular . Although common sense plainly indicated that an appeal being made , the operation of a sentence from a lower tribunal was as a matter of course suspended until final sentence should be confirmed by the Grand Lodgeyet
, the three Brethren , fortified still further by the very generally expressed opinion of a vast number of the community , and still desirous to avoid the barely possible imputation of contumacy , resolved upon taking counsel's opinion ; and the following opinions were given by eminent Barristers in different branches of the Legal Profession , viz . by Mr . CROSS , of the Temple , PLEADER ; Mr . PIARE , ofthe CHANCERY BAR ; and
Sir FRED . POLLOCK , M . P ., the late ATTORNEY -GENERAL . CASE . At a meeting of the Board of Management for the Antient Fraternity of Freemasons , usually called the Board of General Purposes—three gentle-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Brother J. Lee Stevens.
" Resolved unanimously , That it is the opinion of this Board that the charges made against the AV . Brother Robert Thomas Crucefix , P . J . G . D . for not checking or calling to order at the meeting on the 13 th of November 1039 , at Badley ' s Hotel , the AV . Brothers Alderman Thomas Wood and John Lee Stevens , when those Brethren were making observations and using language disrespectful to His Royal Highness the M . AV . Grand Master , are fully proved .
" Resolved unanimously , That the W . Brother Robert Thomas Crucefix , P . J . G . D ., be suspended from all his Masonic functions and privileges for the term of six calendar months . " By Order ofthe Board , " AVILLIAM H . AVHITE , G . S . "
The first step afterwards taken by the three Brethren was to present a dutiful memorial to the Grand Master , requesting him to call an especial Grand Lodge for the consideration of their case ; but the Grand Master did not condescend to take any notice of such memorial ! The next step was to appeal against the decision of the Board of General Purposes , and appeals from each were duly presented according to the Constitutions . On the 24 th of March , Bros . Crucefix and Stevens waited on the Board
of General Purposes , to obtain , if possible , an elucidation of the Masonic law by which such extraordinary proceedings could be warranted ; especially with reference to the manifest injustice , not to say the gross absurdity of inflicting punishment pending an appeal . Having sent in their names at the opening of tbe Board , they were kept in attendance until just as the Board was about to break up , and then informed by the Grand Secretary that the Board declined seeing them I Brother Stevens then furnished the Grand Secretary with the necessary documents to enlarge his appeal , so as to comprise these five points , as set out in the joint memorial of Bros . Alderman Wood , Dr . Crucefix , and himself , presented to the M . AV . THE GRAND
MASTER—1 st . That the Board of General Purposes had no jurisdiction . 2 nd . That their decision is not supported by the evidence for the complainants , and is disproved by the evidence for the defence . 3 rd . That none of the expressions charged are declared to be proved ; and the Board should have declared what were the words used , for the information of Grand Lodge . 4 th . That there is no law in the Book of Constitutions applicable to the question ; and that if there be such lawit was incumbent on
, the Board to set forth the particular law under which they decided . Sth . That the conduct ofthe Board during the investigation was partial and irregular . Although common sense plainly indicated that an appeal being made , the operation of a sentence from a lower tribunal was as a matter of course suspended until final sentence should be confirmed by the Grand Lodgeyet
, the three Brethren , fortified still further by the very generally expressed opinion of a vast number of the community , and still desirous to avoid the barely possible imputation of contumacy , resolved upon taking counsel's opinion ; and the following opinions were given by eminent Barristers in different branches of the Legal Profession , viz . by Mr . CROSS , of the Temple , PLEADER ; Mr . PIARE , ofthe CHANCERY BAR ; and
Sir FRED . POLLOCK , M . P ., the late ATTORNEY -GENERAL . CASE . At a meeting of the Board of Management for the Antient Fraternity of Freemasons , usually called the Board of General Purposes—three gentle-