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Article NOTES ON MASONRY IN BENGAL. ← Page 7 of 7
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Notes On Masonry In Bengal.
Irish reason , that the Irish Cameronian Lodge had already granted a dispensation to another Lodge , of the propriety of which act they had great doubt , and that until an answer had been received from the Grand Lodge of Ireland , recognising or abrogating their act , they could not commit a second act of doubtful legality . Our reply was obvious—If there was a doubt of the propriety of the dispensation , it should have been set at rest beforenot after its having been granted
, ; a further exercise of the power could not make matters worse , and might be conducive to the Masonic interests of Delhi . This , however , had no weight , and our petition was refused . Shortly after , our most zealous and influential Brother was called away from Delhi , and another followed him . We subsequently heard of the protracted illness and death of the Secretary of the Lodge True Friendship , which enabled us to know how and whour lication to that Lodhad not been
y app ge answered . Further attempts , however , were now useless ; we had nobody to rely on sufficient to sign the request for a dispensation to any other Lodge ; and thus failed our Masonic efforts at Delhi . " The evil thus amply demonstrated is , we believe , beyond a known remedy . We can have little doubt that some prompt measures will he adopted , to introduce greater uniformity and order among the zealous Brethren of India . First and foremost of these measures should be
the appointment of an efficient Provincial Grand Master , who could organise a P . G . Lodge . This , even though it may put an end to the erroneous system of dispensations , cannot afford a remedy for the inconveniences which the abolition of that system will entail . Under the present Constitutions , no Provincial G . M . can give a dispensation for a Lodge . The Grand Lodge of England is alone the fountain from which lawful authority springs . It is absolutely necessary , from what have shown
we in the foregoing pages , that in India there should he some local authority , which can afford prompt- remedy to grievances , and which will prevent the bad effects consequent on the long period which a reference to the Grand Lodge in England involves . It is most assuredly necessary that the P . G . M . for India should have the power of granting either warrants for Lodges , or dispensations for holding Lodges , until such time as the regular documents may be received from landand
Eng : we sincerely hope that no jealousy of such delegated powers being misused , may interfere to prevent the adoption of this plan . Should such jealousy exist of misuse , which in the present state of Masonic discipline and practice would be highly improbable , it is to be recollected , that no abuse so superinduced could be so productive of evil as that which it is calculated to counteract ; while abuse , should it exist , could be much more easily controlled , where the fault would be individual instead of universal .
We humbl y and with all due deference , recommend the perusal of these observations to the Craft in general , and the Grand Lodge in particular . London , Nov . 14 , 1838 .
VOL . V . o ,,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Notes On Masonry In Bengal.
Irish reason , that the Irish Cameronian Lodge had already granted a dispensation to another Lodge , of the propriety of which act they had great doubt , and that until an answer had been received from the Grand Lodge of Ireland , recognising or abrogating their act , they could not commit a second act of doubtful legality . Our reply was obvious—If there was a doubt of the propriety of the dispensation , it should have been set at rest beforenot after its having been granted
, ; a further exercise of the power could not make matters worse , and might be conducive to the Masonic interests of Delhi . This , however , had no weight , and our petition was refused . Shortly after , our most zealous and influential Brother was called away from Delhi , and another followed him . We subsequently heard of the protracted illness and death of the Secretary of the Lodge True Friendship , which enabled us to know how and whour lication to that Lodhad not been
y app ge answered . Further attempts , however , were now useless ; we had nobody to rely on sufficient to sign the request for a dispensation to any other Lodge ; and thus failed our Masonic efforts at Delhi . " The evil thus amply demonstrated is , we believe , beyond a known remedy . We can have little doubt that some prompt measures will he adopted , to introduce greater uniformity and order among the zealous Brethren of India . First and foremost of these measures should be
the appointment of an efficient Provincial Grand Master , who could organise a P . G . Lodge . This , even though it may put an end to the erroneous system of dispensations , cannot afford a remedy for the inconveniences which the abolition of that system will entail . Under the present Constitutions , no Provincial G . M . can give a dispensation for a Lodge . The Grand Lodge of England is alone the fountain from which lawful authority springs . It is absolutely necessary , from what have shown
we in the foregoing pages , that in India there should he some local authority , which can afford prompt- remedy to grievances , and which will prevent the bad effects consequent on the long period which a reference to the Grand Lodge in England involves . It is most assuredly necessary that the P . G . M . for India should have the power of granting either warrants for Lodges , or dispensations for holding Lodges , until such time as the regular documents may be received from landand
Eng : we sincerely hope that no jealousy of such delegated powers being misused , may interfere to prevent the adoption of this plan . Should such jealousy exist of misuse , which in the present state of Masonic discipline and practice would be highly improbable , it is to be recollected , that no abuse so superinduced could be so productive of evil as that which it is calculated to counteract ; while abuse , should it exist , could be much more easily controlled , where the fault would be individual instead of universal .
We humbl y and with all due deference , recommend the perusal of these observations to the Craft in general , and the Grand Lodge in particular . London , Nov . 14 , 1838 .
VOL . V . o ,,