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Article BROTHER J. LEE STEVENS. ← Page 23 of 23 Article THE APPEAL OF BRO. JOHN LEE STEVENS Page 1 of 6 →
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Brother J. Lee Stevens.
¦ when theGrand Master most exultingly declared that his honour was satisfied . A motion was made and seconded , that the affair , as regarded the Alderman , should be buried in oblivion . The Grand Master called Alderman AA ' ood to the Throne ; thereat was " shaking of hands , " and thereon followed a clapping of hands , which echo resounded all round the Hall . *
The Appeal Of Bro. John Lee Stevens
THE APPEAL OF BRO . JOHN LEE STEVENS
AVas then called on , and the Grand Secretary , after reading the charges and the decision thereon by the Board of General Purposes , ( which we have already given , ) read the Appeal dated the 24 th of March , but omitted even the slightest mention of that of the 12 th of March ! Brother STEVENS commenced his address by observing that it was impossible for him to adopt a similar course to that pursued by the worthy Brother Aid . Thomas AVood , and he would state sufficient reasons . The sentence of the Board of Genertd Purposes had been carried into effect , in his case ,
in the most offensive and unmasonic manner , even before the decision ofthe Board had been communicated to him ; for before it was possible for him to receive the Grand Secretary ' s letter , conveying the result , he had been insulted in the face of hundreds , at the Festival for the Boys' Institution , by being prevented from re-entering the Hall after he had taken his place at the dinner table ; and that , too , by a member ofthe Board of General Purposes , who had evinced hostility towards him in every stage of the inquiry . This conduct had been followed up by the Boardgenerallyin refusing him
, , an interview on the 24 th of March , when he was desirous of ascertaining if the Board concurred in the opinion expressed by the Grand Secretary , that notwithstanding the appeal had been entered in conformity with the Book of Constitutions , punishment was still to be inflicted . Besides , there was this remarkable distinction in the two cases , —the worthy Brother Alderman Thomas AVood , had not , if he understood aright , abstained from the exercise
of his Masonic functions and privileges ; therefore the wrong he had sustained was trifling compared with what he ( Bro . Stevens ) had suffered , for he had most religiously abstained from every Masonic observance , and had submitted , for the time , to the construction of tbe law by the Masonic authorities , however erroneous or absurd , in tbe full confidence that he should obtain ultimate justice . Under these circumstances , it would be nothing short of a gross fallacy on his part , innocent as he could prove himself to be of every charge , if he were to compromise the case in any way ; especially
when it was remembered , that only one week remained from that very day of the three months' suspension that had been passed upon him so unjustly , and inflicted in a spirit utterly devoid of gentlemanly courtesy or ofMasonie principle . And having given these reasons for proceeding with his appeal , and read copies of his protests , he would now convince the Grand Lodge , by referring to ihe evidence itself , that the Board of General Purposes had come to a conclusion in direct opposition to the testimony of the witnesses examined both by the complainants and for the defence .
Brother HARRISON , Grand Registrar , interrupted Brother Stevens , saying that the Grand Lodge had no power to inquire into the evidence , which must be assumed to be in accordance with the finding ofthe Board ; but if the Brother had any point , of law upon which he could raise an objection , that would be fair matter of discussion under the appeal . Brother STEVENS said he did not come there to discuss points of law , but to seek justice according to the merits ofthe case , upon the absolute facts . He would not pretend to compete with the forensic eloquence or the legal abi-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Brother J. Lee Stevens.
¦ when theGrand Master most exultingly declared that his honour was satisfied . A motion was made and seconded , that the affair , as regarded the Alderman , should be buried in oblivion . The Grand Master called Alderman AA ' ood to the Throne ; thereat was " shaking of hands , " and thereon followed a clapping of hands , which echo resounded all round the Hall . *
The Appeal Of Bro. John Lee Stevens
THE APPEAL OF BRO . JOHN LEE STEVENS
AVas then called on , and the Grand Secretary , after reading the charges and the decision thereon by the Board of General Purposes , ( which we have already given , ) read the Appeal dated the 24 th of March , but omitted even the slightest mention of that of the 12 th of March ! Brother STEVENS commenced his address by observing that it was impossible for him to adopt a similar course to that pursued by the worthy Brother Aid . Thomas AVood , and he would state sufficient reasons . The sentence of the Board of Genertd Purposes had been carried into effect , in his case ,
in the most offensive and unmasonic manner , even before the decision ofthe Board had been communicated to him ; for before it was possible for him to receive the Grand Secretary ' s letter , conveying the result , he had been insulted in the face of hundreds , at the Festival for the Boys' Institution , by being prevented from re-entering the Hall after he had taken his place at the dinner table ; and that , too , by a member ofthe Board of General Purposes , who had evinced hostility towards him in every stage of the inquiry . This conduct had been followed up by the Boardgenerallyin refusing him
, , an interview on the 24 th of March , when he was desirous of ascertaining if the Board concurred in the opinion expressed by the Grand Secretary , that notwithstanding the appeal had been entered in conformity with the Book of Constitutions , punishment was still to be inflicted . Besides , there was this remarkable distinction in the two cases , —the worthy Brother Alderman Thomas AVood , had not , if he understood aright , abstained from the exercise
of his Masonic functions and privileges ; therefore the wrong he had sustained was trifling compared with what he ( Bro . Stevens ) had suffered , for he had most religiously abstained from every Masonic observance , and had submitted , for the time , to the construction of tbe law by the Masonic authorities , however erroneous or absurd , in tbe full confidence that he should obtain ultimate justice . Under these circumstances , it would be nothing short of a gross fallacy on his part , innocent as he could prove himself to be of every charge , if he were to compromise the case in any way ; especially
when it was remembered , that only one week remained from that very day of the three months' suspension that had been passed upon him so unjustly , and inflicted in a spirit utterly devoid of gentlemanly courtesy or ofMasonie principle . And having given these reasons for proceeding with his appeal , and read copies of his protests , he would now convince the Grand Lodge , by referring to ihe evidence itself , that the Board of General Purposes had come to a conclusion in direct opposition to the testimony of the witnesses examined both by the complainants and for the defence .
Brother HARRISON , Grand Registrar , interrupted Brother Stevens , saying that the Grand Lodge had no power to inquire into the evidence , which must be assumed to be in accordance with the finding ofthe Board ; but if the Brother had any point , of law upon which he could raise an objection , that would be fair matter of discussion under the appeal . Brother STEVENS said he did not come there to discuss points of law , but to seek justice according to the merits ofthe case , upon the absolute facts . He would not pretend to compete with the forensic eloquence or the legal abi-