-
Articles/Ads
Article UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND. ← Page 2 of 8 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
United Grand Lodge Of England.
respecting the conduct of the President of the Board of General Purposes ; chiefly upon the grounds that , in the first place , the discussion was brought on at so late a period of the evening , as to compel him to address the very diminished number of members of the Grand Lodge then remaining , and these already wearied with previous discussions ; ancl , in the next , that the vote of confidence in the object of his most unwilling reproof , substituted for the original motion , and passed as the
amendment of the R . W . Bro . Alston , was virtually a confirmation of the right of any President of the Board of General Purposes , to over-ride the unquestionable privilege of a member of that Board to make any motion strictly within the limits of the masonic law . Whilst the more suitable course was open to the R . W . Brother , of moving the previous question , or a simple negative upon his ( Bro . Bigg ' s ) proposition . Bro . Bigg then proceeded to recapitulate the circumstances detailed by him at the preceding Quarterly Communication ; - ancl concluded a truly masonic , temperate , and eloquent address , by moving an amendment to the effect previously mentioned . Bro . DOVER seconded the amendment .
Bro . R . G . ALSTON then addressed the Grancl Lodge with his accustomed good humour ancl ability , in support of the confirmation of the minutes as they stood ; ancl observing that the three months which had elapsed since the last Quarterly Communication , had confirmed him in the propriety of his original opinion , he renewed the arguments used by him on the previous occasion ; but carried the declaration of his object in the course he had pursued something further , saying— "I will confess ,
that I mean to establish , as a precedent , the right of the President of the Board of General Purposes , to refuse to put any motion for consideration , which he may consider to be discourteous to the Grancl Master , or to affect the privileges enjoyed by any lodges in the Craft ; " ancl urged upon the Grand Lodge the confirmation of the minutes . Bro . Dr . CRUCEFIX claimed for himself the privilege of stating that he bad also the experience of three monthsduring which he had weihed
, g well the question in all its bearings—ancl he was bound to state that his opinion was not merely unaltered but was strengthened by a most careful examination . Having at the last Grancl Lodge expressed his opinion at some length , he should not detain the brethren by recapitulating his views , but would confine himself to a point or two contained in the address of the brother who immediately preceded him , whose sincerity was as apparent as his eloquence was always impressive . Still there was
an unusual discrepancy in that brother ' s address ; it was that point wherein he argued that by Bro . Bigg ' s motion eighteen lodges would be disfranchised , which was not really the fact , as these eighteen lodges would take their turn—but it had escaped the attention of the R . W . Brother that all the remainder of the London lodges would have become enfranchised . He ( Dr . Crucefix ) begged to draw the attention of the Grand Lodge to the very late hour at which the motion of Bro . Bi
gg was brought on , ten minutes to eleven , when so many of ! he supporters of a public question had retired , under the impression that the motion must stand over ; whereas the tenants of the dais remained firm at their post ; the result was of course a failure against princi ple : ancl now , on the amendment for non-confirmation of that portion of the minutes , how stood the case ? Why there was not only a more than usually
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
United Grand Lodge Of England.
respecting the conduct of the President of the Board of General Purposes ; chiefly upon the grounds that , in the first place , the discussion was brought on at so late a period of the evening , as to compel him to address the very diminished number of members of the Grand Lodge then remaining , and these already wearied with previous discussions ; ancl , in the next , that the vote of confidence in the object of his most unwilling reproof , substituted for the original motion , and passed as the
amendment of the R . W . Bro . Alston , was virtually a confirmation of the right of any President of the Board of General Purposes , to over-ride the unquestionable privilege of a member of that Board to make any motion strictly within the limits of the masonic law . Whilst the more suitable course was open to the R . W . Brother , of moving the previous question , or a simple negative upon his ( Bro . Bigg ' s ) proposition . Bro . Bigg then proceeded to recapitulate the circumstances detailed by him at the preceding Quarterly Communication ; - ancl concluded a truly masonic , temperate , and eloquent address , by moving an amendment to the effect previously mentioned . Bro . DOVER seconded the amendment .
Bro . R . G . ALSTON then addressed the Grancl Lodge with his accustomed good humour ancl ability , in support of the confirmation of the minutes as they stood ; ancl observing that the three months which had elapsed since the last Quarterly Communication , had confirmed him in the propriety of his original opinion , he renewed the arguments used by him on the previous occasion ; but carried the declaration of his object in the course he had pursued something further , saying— "I will confess ,
that I mean to establish , as a precedent , the right of the President of the Board of General Purposes , to refuse to put any motion for consideration , which he may consider to be discourteous to the Grancl Master , or to affect the privileges enjoyed by any lodges in the Craft ; " ancl urged upon the Grand Lodge the confirmation of the minutes . Bro . Dr . CRUCEFIX claimed for himself the privilege of stating that he bad also the experience of three monthsduring which he had weihed
, g well the question in all its bearings—ancl he was bound to state that his opinion was not merely unaltered but was strengthened by a most careful examination . Having at the last Grancl Lodge expressed his opinion at some length , he should not detain the brethren by recapitulating his views , but would confine himself to a point or two contained in the address of the brother who immediately preceded him , whose sincerity was as apparent as his eloquence was always impressive . Still there was
an unusual discrepancy in that brother ' s address ; it was that point wherein he argued that by Bro . Bigg ' s motion eighteen lodges would be disfranchised , which was not really the fact , as these eighteen lodges would take their turn—but it had escaped the attention of the R . W . Brother that all the remainder of the London lodges would have become enfranchised . He ( Dr . Crucefix ) begged to draw the attention of the Grand Lodge to the very late hour at which the motion of Bro . Bi
gg was brought on , ten minutes to eleven , when so many of ! he supporters of a public question had retired , under the impression that the motion must stand over ; whereas the tenants of the dais remained firm at their post ; the result was of course a failure against princi ple : ancl now , on the amendment for non-confirmation of that portion of the minutes , how stood the case ? Why there was not only a more than usually