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Article UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND. ← Page 4 of 5 →
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United Grand Lodge Of England.
as in its most important part to require the disfranchisement of all the Masters of Lodges . He had no confidence in the Board of General Purposes , and should vote that their resolution be met with a decided negative . Bro . BIGG had intended to have voted for the amendment of Bro . M'MulIen , but the arguments in support of it had so signally failed , that he should vote for a decided negative . At the last communication he
felt it necessary to investigate the subject , and as a Past Master he applied at the office of the Grand Secretary , to have access to such books ancl papers as would enable him to arrive at a proper conclusion ; it would scarcely be believed that he was' denied the examination or even perusal of everything necessary , so that he could only trust to such matters as might fall from the condescending admissions of the Board itself ; and what resultedbut declamation without argumentand
asser-, , tion without proof ; and upon such data the Masters of Lodges were coolly called on to surrender their most important privileges—they , the moral trustees of the Funds of Benevolence , were , on the demand of those whom they elected on the Board , to become outcasts . He believed , firmly believed , that the Masters , Past Masters , and Wardens of the English Craft had other views than those of a suicidal character . The Masters were charged with paucity of numbers at the meetings—how
were the numbers of those clothed in purple and fine linen who attended ? why , about two and au eighth on an average . There ivere many important points connected with the subjects which he hacl intended to have introduced , but their place hacl been supplied by the total want of
that clearness of statement , elucidation of facts , and above all by dealing in assumptions which only mystified doubt ; no oratory , not even of one , at whose gigantic powers many trembled as he rose , could save the motion from its inevitable fate—the negative . The Grand Lodge would ponder well on the contradictory statements of the members of the Board . * Bro . HAVERS supported the original motion , ancl challenged inquiry
into the details . He denounced the address of the previous speaker as vague ancl indefinite ; also that it was personal in many respects , ancl disrespectful to the Board . As a proof that the abuse of the Fund of Benevolence existed to a great degree , he instanced the fact , that on the death of a candidate for the Benevolent Fund , the Lodge , consisting of only five members , actually surrendered its warrant because their best friend ancl supporter was no more .
Bro . STEVENS considered the report oi the Board to be altogether uncalled for ; it was an interference justified by no circumstance whatever . Instead of making out a case for the deliberate ancl considerate attention of Grand Lodge , they made out a case against themselves . It had been clearly proved that instead of limiting the exercise of charity they had abundant means to be liberal . Would it be believed that those who would emasculate charity of her brightest gem would often state to the
Brethren , " You must not give much—you must be very economical ; we are in debt to the treasurer , " ancl similar language . AVas this conduct to be borne ? He further avowed that he had seen such behaviour to a Masonic Brother during an examination as would not take place before a board of guardians of the poor , and that with a knowledge that there was
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
United Grand Lodge Of England.
as in its most important part to require the disfranchisement of all the Masters of Lodges . He had no confidence in the Board of General Purposes , and should vote that their resolution be met with a decided negative . Bro . BIGG had intended to have voted for the amendment of Bro . M'MulIen , but the arguments in support of it had so signally failed , that he should vote for a decided negative . At the last communication he
felt it necessary to investigate the subject , and as a Past Master he applied at the office of the Grand Secretary , to have access to such books ancl papers as would enable him to arrive at a proper conclusion ; it would scarcely be believed that he was' denied the examination or even perusal of everything necessary , so that he could only trust to such matters as might fall from the condescending admissions of the Board itself ; and what resultedbut declamation without argumentand
asser-, , tion without proof ; and upon such data the Masters of Lodges were coolly called on to surrender their most important privileges—they , the moral trustees of the Funds of Benevolence , were , on the demand of those whom they elected on the Board , to become outcasts . He believed , firmly believed , that the Masters , Past Masters , and Wardens of the English Craft had other views than those of a suicidal character . The Masters were charged with paucity of numbers at the meetings—how
were the numbers of those clothed in purple and fine linen who attended ? why , about two and au eighth on an average . There ivere many important points connected with the subjects which he hacl intended to have introduced , but their place hacl been supplied by the total want of
that clearness of statement , elucidation of facts , and above all by dealing in assumptions which only mystified doubt ; no oratory , not even of one , at whose gigantic powers many trembled as he rose , could save the motion from its inevitable fate—the negative . The Grand Lodge would ponder well on the contradictory statements of the members of the Board . * Bro . HAVERS supported the original motion , ancl challenged inquiry
into the details . He denounced the address of the previous speaker as vague ancl indefinite ; also that it was personal in many respects , ancl disrespectful to the Board . As a proof that the abuse of the Fund of Benevolence existed to a great degree , he instanced the fact , that on the death of a candidate for the Benevolent Fund , the Lodge , consisting of only five members , actually surrendered its warrant because their best friend ancl supporter was no more .
Bro . STEVENS considered the report oi the Board to be altogether uncalled for ; it was an interference justified by no circumstance whatever . Instead of making out a case for the deliberate ancl considerate attention of Grand Lodge , they made out a case against themselves . It had been clearly proved that instead of limiting the exercise of charity they had abundant means to be liberal . Would it be believed that those who would emasculate charity of her brightest gem would often state to the
Brethren , " You must not give much—you must be very economical ; we are in debt to the treasurer , " ancl similar language . AVas this conduct to be borne ? He further avowed that he had seen such behaviour to a Masonic Brother during an examination as would not take place before a board of guardians of the poor , and that with a knowledge that there was