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The Case Of Brother J. Easthope, Esq., M.P.
THE CASE OF BROTHER J . EASTHOPE , ESQ ., M . P .
BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES , April . —The following memorial was read at the Board of General Purposes * . — " To the President , Vice-President , and Members of the Board of General Purposes of the United Grand Lodge of England , " The undersigned Brethrenwhose addresses are addedtogether with
, , the name ancl number of their respective Lodges , feel themselves compelled to make a complaint to the Board of General Purposes of one of the most grievous Masonic offences which , according to their opinion , can possibly be committed . The complaint they have preferred is against the Right AVorshipful Brother Eastbope , P . G . AV ., who the undersigned have ascertained is the principal proprietor of the Morning Chronicle newspaper , ancl the offence is the publication of a gross slander
concerning the Masonic body , and the duties of its several members , in that periodical . " In the Morning Chronicle of the 20 th of March last , the undersigned find a report of the proceedings of a public meeting held at Freemasons' Plall , at which , as appears by such report , sentiments of the most violent party character were advocated . The connexion between the Established Church and the State denounced as an union disastrous to both , ancl a grievous hindrance to the dissemination of true religion . Besides which , it further appears , that the main object of such
meeting was to adopt a petition to Parliament against a measure shortly to be submitted to the House of Commons by tbe members for the University of Oxford . The undersigned further state , that it appears by the said report , and of which , should it be denied , they have evidence , to prove that the Right AVorshipful Brother against whom this complaint is made , was present at such meeting . The slander of which the undersigned complain is this , that in such paper the numerous and respectable Masonic Fraternity are described as coinciding totally with those violent
opinions above stated ; the character of our Fraternity is therein pledged , not only to such opinions , but it is stated that if they , the Masonic body , perform their duties correctly , they would necessarily act up to them . " It is needless for the undersigned to enlarge upon tbe enormity of such an offence , much aggravated as it undoubtedly is , on account of the rank of the Right AVorshipful Brother who has published such a slander . At present they merely state it , ancl that they are ready to prove it . The
undersigned have therefore to request that the said Right AVorshipful Brother may be summoned before the Board of General Purposes , for having published the same , and that such investigation may take place as speedily as the Masonic laws admit ; for they feel , that as long as it stands officially uncontradicted , that tlie Masonic Fraternity are of either party in politics . The broad shield which the legislature has thrown over them as a protection to their secret meetings is in clanger of being withdrawn . "
( Signed by three Members of the Grand Lodge . ) It was moved and seconded that the memorial be not entertained ; to which an amendment was moved , that it be taken into consideration at the next Board . —Carried .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Case Of Brother J. Easthope, Esq., M.P.
THE CASE OF BROTHER J . EASTHOPE , ESQ ., M . P .
BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES , April . —The following memorial was read at the Board of General Purposes * . — " To the President , Vice-President , and Members of the Board of General Purposes of the United Grand Lodge of England , " The undersigned Brethrenwhose addresses are addedtogether with
, , the name ancl number of their respective Lodges , feel themselves compelled to make a complaint to the Board of General Purposes of one of the most grievous Masonic offences which , according to their opinion , can possibly be committed . The complaint they have preferred is against the Right AVorshipful Brother Eastbope , P . G . AV ., who the undersigned have ascertained is the principal proprietor of the Morning Chronicle newspaper , ancl the offence is the publication of a gross slander
concerning the Masonic body , and the duties of its several members , in that periodical . " In the Morning Chronicle of the 20 th of March last , the undersigned find a report of the proceedings of a public meeting held at Freemasons' Plall , at which , as appears by such report , sentiments of the most violent party character were advocated . The connexion between the Established Church and the State denounced as an union disastrous to both , ancl a grievous hindrance to the dissemination of true religion . Besides which , it further appears , that the main object of such
meeting was to adopt a petition to Parliament against a measure shortly to be submitted to the House of Commons by tbe members for the University of Oxford . The undersigned further state , that it appears by the said report , and of which , should it be denied , they have evidence , to prove that the Right AVorshipful Brother against whom this complaint is made , was present at such meeting . The slander of which the undersigned complain is this , that in such paper the numerous and respectable Masonic Fraternity are described as coinciding totally with those violent
opinions above stated ; the character of our Fraternity is therein pledged , not only to such opinions , but it is stated that if they , the Masonic body , perform their duties correctly , they would necessarily act up to them . " It is needless for the undersigned to enlarge upon tbe enormity of such an offence , much aggravated as it undoubtedly is , on account of the rank of the Right AVorshipful Brother who has published such a slander . At present they merely state it , ancl that they are ready to prove it . The
undersigned have therefore to request that the said Right AVorshipful Brother may be summoned before the Board of General Purposes , for having published the same , and that such investigation may take place as speedily as the Masonic laws admit ; for they feel , that as long as it stands officially uncontradicted , that tlie Masonic Fraternity are of either party in politics . The broad shield which the legislature has thrown over them as a protection to their secret meetings is in clanger of being withdrawn . "
( Signed by three Members of the Grand Lodge . ) It was moved and seconded that the memorial be not entertained ; to which an amendment was moved , that it be taken into consideration at the next Board . —Carried .