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Article THE GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND, AND THE REPRESENTATIVE SYSTEM. ← Page 4 of 4 Article FREEMASONRY AND MAYORALTY. Page 1 of 2 →
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The Grand Lodge Of England, And The Representative System.
only for the improvement of the law ; but while the power exists in the provinces , although so difficult of performance , what shall we say of Lodges situated beyond a railroad distance ? in their case the law must become a dead letter . Surel y they are not expected to send a representative who must be the Master , subscribing Past Master , or Warden of the Lodge ! These officers are always to he found in the immediate vicinity of where the Lodge exists , yet Lodges in Canada or India are
supposed to be the governing body , and have as much ri ght to vote and give opinions in Freemasons' Hall as any Lodge that meets in Great Queen Street , London . But they cannot send every three months from Hong Kong , nor from St . Thomas ' s , nor from Bengal , nor from Canada , Africa , nor from anywhere else where our Lodges are situated ; yet they have a right , a desire , and a command to attend , and the Masonic bod y has an equal right to demand that they should attendthat their opinions
, may be ascertained , their views considered , their interests consulted , and their wishes known before any laws ( by which they are to be bound ) should be enforced . The disadvantages are so evident that it would be better perhaps to enter at once on the remedy than to point out the extent of the grievance .
Freemasonry And Mayoralty.
FREEMASONRY AND MAYORALTY .
THE quarterly meeting of the town council of Southampton took place ( Nov . 9 ) , to elect the mayor and municipal officers , and on other business . There was a large attendance , and the retiring mayor , Wm . Jas . Le Feuvre , Esq ., opened the business of the day ; and called upon some member of the council to propose a gentleman for the office of mayor for the ensuing year ; whereupon Mr . John T . Tucker proposed that Mr . Daniel Brooksof Richmond Lodgehe elected to that
honour-, , able office ; in doing which he took occasion to speak in terms of hi gh approbation of Mr . Brooks—of his having been twelve years a member of the council , active and useful in all its important duties , and especially referred to the circumstance of no councillor for the populous ward of St . Mary ever having been preferred to that office , although Mr . Brooks had been repeatedly proposed , and as often rejected by a tyrant majority—a majority that , he rejoiced to say , had now become
insignificant . He also charged the late majority with not only requiring a political , but a Masonic character in their officers , and said , that to be a Freemason had hitherto been almost essential to hold an office of honour in that corporation . He had found that out of twenty-nine mayors , or other of the more distinguished officers , elected since the passing of the municipal bill , twenty-three of them were Freemasons . Mr . Tucker said he had nothing to say disrespectful of that bodbut
y , he supposed the members assembled as a secret society , and therein settled the municipal affairs of the town . Mr . Tucker concluded by proposing Mr . D . Brooks—( applause ) . Mr . RICHARD ANDREWS seconded the proposition , and spoke in strong eulogy of the honourable name and business character of Mr . Brooks . Mr . STEBBING said it could not he denied that a great change had occurred in the constituent character of the corporation ; so much so ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Grand Lodge Of England, And The Representative System.
only for the improvement of the law ; but while the power exists in the provinces , although so difficult of performance , what shall we say of Lodges situated beyond a railroad distance ? in their case the law must become a dead letter . Surel y they are not expected to send a representative who must be the Master , subscribing Past Master , or Warden of the Lodge ! These officers are always to he found in the immediate vicinity of where the Lodge exists , yet Lodges in Canada or India are
supposed to be the governing body , and have as much ri ght to vote and give opinions in Freemasons' Hall as any Lodge that meets in Great Queen Street , London . But they cannot send every three months from Hong Kong , nor from St . Thomas ' s , nor from Bengal , nor from Canada , Africa , nor from anywhere else where our Lodges are situated ; yet they have a right , a desire , and a command to attend , and the Masonic bod y has an equal right to demand that they should attendthat their opinions
, may be ascertained , their views considered , their interests consulted , and their wishes known before any laws ( by which they are to be bound ) should be enforced . The disadvantages are so evident that it would be better perhaps to enter at once on the remedy than to point out the extent of the grievance .
Freemasonry And Mayoralty.
FREEMASONRY AND MAYORALTY .
THE quarterly meeting of the town council of Southampton took place ( Nov . 9 ) , to elect the mayor and municipal officers , and on other business . There was a large attendance , and the retiring mayor , Wm . Jas . Le Feuvre , Esq ., opened the business of the day ; and called upon some member of the council to propose a gentleman for the office of mayor for the ensuing year ; whereupon Mr . John T . Tucker proposed that Mr . Daniel Brooksof Richmond Lodgehe elected to that
honour-, , able office ; in doing which he took occasion to speak in terms of hi gh approbation of Mr . Brooks—of his having been twelve years a member of the council , active and useful in all its important duties , and especially referred to the circumstance of no councillor for the populous ward of St . Mary ever having been preferred to that office , although Mr . Brooks had been repeatedly proposed , and as often rejected by a tyrant majority—a majority that , he rejoiced to say , had now become
insignificant . He also charged the late majority with not only requiring a political , but a Masonic character in their officers , and said , that to be a Freemason had hitherto been almost essential to hold an office of honour in that corporation . He had found that out of twenty-nine mayors , or other of the more distinguished officers , elected since the passing of the municipal bill , twenty-three of them were Freemasons . Mr . Tucker said he had nothing to say disrespectful of that bodbut
y , he supposed the members assembled as a secret society , and therein settled the municipal affairs of the town . Mr . Tucker concluded by proposing Mr . D . Brooks—( applause ) . Mr . RICHARD ANDREWS seconded the proposition , and spoke in strong eulogy of the honourable name and business character of Mr . Brooks . Mr . STEBBING said it could not he denied that a great change had occurred in the constituent character of the corporation ; so much so ,