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Article QUARTERLY COMMUNICATION. ← Page 11 of 12 →
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Quarterly Communication.
Bro . M'MULLEN rose to move the insertion of the ivords " ancl continue without re-appointment during the pleasure of the Grand Lodge , " in the Book of Constitutions , at article 1 , page 38 , instead of the ivords " on the day of his installation . " He came with the authority of the Grand Master to submit this proposition . The Grand Master having sanctioned the substitution of the one sentence for the other , which appeared called forto prevent the affairs of the Grand Lodgeand
, , , indeed , the whole Masonic fraternity , from getting into disorder ; because , as it now stood , the Grand Secretary was the pivot upon which all the affairs of the society , the correspondence , ancl the books were made to turn , and it was important that he should not be changed at the caprice of an individual . Such was , however , now the case , and a new Grand Master , on the day of installation could throw the affairs of the society into inextricable confusion , by appointing a different Grand
Secretary . If , therefore , the M . W . G . Master thought proper , he could have another Grand Secretary , and to avoid such a course the present motion was proposed . '" The motion being briefly seconded , Bro . LEWIS , P . G . M . for Sumatra , thought this a strange proceeding . It was not simply an alteration of words , but of systems . The duties of the Board on the question of alterations in the Book of Constitutions
had been fixed , as being verbal , not legislative , and here was an entire change proposed , at least the effect was such ; the Grand Secretary , a paid officer , appointed by the Grand Master , was to be kept in office , right or wrong , at the pleasure of the Craft—but where was the Grand Master ' s
power ? it was taken from him , it wholly ceased . This was an interference with the recognised poiver of the Grand Master , present ancl future . Bro . FAUDEL agreed with the Right AVorshipful Brother . It was taking the power of discharging the Grand Secretary into the hands of the Grand Lodge , there could be no doubt that was the reading of it ; but the Grand Master really never had the poiver of discharging , he had the power of an annual re-appointment , which , if not clone by him , virtually dismissed the Grand Secretary . In futurethe position would
, be exactly that of the Government and the East India Company , the former appointed a governor-general of India , and the latter , if not pleased , had the power of recalling him , which power they had very recently put in force . The Grand Lodge had no poiver of appointments , now they would begin to get into collision with the authorities . The Grand Master had not given authority , but had certainly sanctioned this subject coming forward , and it had been put to him that inconvenience
might arise from the fact , that a Grand Master having any private friend whom he wished to put forward , could provide for him by making him Grand Secretary , to the great disadvantage of the interest of the Craft ; this reason had induced him to agree to the proposition , which certainly prevented any such private arrangement , and left the Grand Secretary in his office while it pleased the Craft to retain him . Bro . BIGG should be glad to see this subject postponed , and he should move an amendment to that effect . A most important alteration was entailed in the result of this debate , which should be put off to enable them to reconsider quietly the bearings as well as the substance and ivords of the motion . It was quite clear they were about establishing a
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Quarterly Communication.
Bro . M'MULLEN rose to move the insertion of the ivords " ancl continue without re-appointment during the pleasure of the Grand Lodge , " in the Book of Constitutions , at article 1 , page 38 , instead of the ivords " on the day of his installation . " He came with the authority of the Grand Master to submit this proposition . The Grand Master having sanctioned the substitution of the one sentence for the other , which appeared called forto prevent the affairs of the Grand Lodgeand
, , , indeed , the whole Masonic fraternity , from getting into disorder ; because , as it now stood , the Grand Secretary was the pivot upon which all the affairs of the society , the correspondence , ancl the books were made to turn , and it was important that he should not be changed at the caprice of an individual . Such was , however , now the case , and a new Grand Master , on the day of installation could throw the affairs of the society into inextricable confusion , by appointing a different Grand
Secretary . If , therefore , the M . W . G . Master thought proper , he could have another Grand Secretary , and to avoid such a course the present motion was proposed . '" The motion being briefly seconded , Bro . LEWIS , P . G . M . for Sumatra , thought this a strange proceeding . It was not simply an alteration of words , but of systems . The duties of the Board on the question of alterations in the Book of Constitutions
had been fixed , as being verbal , not legislative , and here was an entire change proposed , at least the effect was such ; the Grand Secretary , a paid officer , appointed by the Grand Master , was to be kept in office , right or wrong , at the pleasure of the Craft—but where was the Grand Master ' s
power ? it was taken from him , it wholly ceased . This was an interference with the recognised poiver of the Grand Master , present ancl future . Bro . FAUDEL agreed with the Right AVorshipful Brother . It was taking the power of discharging the Grand Secretary into the hands of the Grand Lodge , there could be no doubt that was the reading of it ; but the Grand Master really never had the poiver of discharging , he had the power of an annual re-appointment , which , if not clone by him , virtually dismissed the Grand Secretary . In futurethe position would
, be exactly that of the Government and the East India Company , the former appointed a governor-general of India , and the latter , if not pleased , had the power of recalling him , which power they had very recently put in force . The Grand Lodge had no poiver of appointments , now they would begin to get into collision with the authorities . The Grand Master had not given authority , but had certainly sanctioned this subject coming forward , and it had been put to him that inconvenience
might arise from the fact , that a Grand Master having any private friend whom he wished to put forward , could provide for him by making him Grand Secretary , to the great disadvantage of the interest of the Craft ; this reason had induced him to agree to the proposition , which certainly prevented any such private arrangement , and left the Grand Secretary in his office while it pleased the Craft to retain him . Bro . BIGG should be glad to see this subject postponed , and he should move an amendment to that effect . A most important alteration was entailed in the result of this debate , which should be put off to enable them to reconsider quietly the bearings as well as the substance and ivords of the motion . It was quite clear they were about establishing a